Crystallizing Liquid Law: Technology-Driven Shifts in Transactional Structures
Directed Research in Advanced Business Transactions with Prof. Kim Brooks:  As information technology now pervades all industries, it is crucial to understand the new concepts being introduced in relation to identifying the parties to a transaction and the peculiar geography of an Internet-based transaction. This paper examines these issues primarily in a context of liability, and concludes with a call for a return to first principles in the common law of liability. A hypothetical business is developed, with every transactional element virtualized, or "cyber-ized", to demonstrate these concerns.

Distilling the Message: How High-Tech, Low Fidelity Media are Collapsing Culture into Highlight Reels and Punchlines.
Media and Entertainment Law with Joe Weiler:  The pop-culture industries (music and movies, primarily) are demonstrated to be producing a different set than they did in the past, and it is the incompatibility of this set and its market with outdated sales and licensing paradigms that are a major cause of declining revenues. This paper develops and advocates a creative and constructive approach to DRM use that could help restore the revenue stream.

Riding Waves of Code: Looking for Infringement in the Evolution of Game and Virtual World Mods
Directed Research with Prof. Jon Festinger:  This paper examines, in depth, the evolution of gaming and game mods in general, then more specifically in the context of computer entertainment. A "next generation" mod is hypothesized -- the intelligent mod -- which is analyzed in terms of its impact on game play and on intellectual property law. It is used as part of strategy to determine whether "fair play" can be inferred from any form of protection of game play as an expression, and whether game play itself should be -- or could be deemed to be -- a protected form of expression.

The Source Door: When and How Far should it be Opened? Reforming the Intellectual Property Regime for Computer Software through a Hybrid Protection Model.
Advanced Intellectual Property with Dr. Mira Sundara Rajan:  This paper proposes a system that borrows from copyright and patent law to create a unique multi-phase system of protection for software that is accessible to non-industrial developers, yet rigid enough in its early stages to provide incentives for investment and development. It recognizes the unique nature of software within IP, and acknowledges concerns of various camps in the industry, from big business to open source, as well as public policy objectives. It develops this hybrid within the context of the Canadian legal system and software industry, as the industry is large in Canada, yet there is no patent protection yet for software.

Opening Source: Has Davidson Shut the Door on the Fair Use/Fair Dealing Exceptions, and thus on Users' Rights?
Intellectual Property with Dr. Mira Sundara Rajan:  In Davidson & Assoc. v. Internet Gateway, et. al., the courts decided that End User License Agreements and Terms of Service agreements were valid, and that the waivers of user rights otherwise protected by the statutory intellectual property regime were consented to. This paper argues against that such a decision undermines the official IP regime, and paves the way for massive over-propertization and the establishment of corporate regimes.

Deputizing a Ministry: Who Should Be in Charge of the Cyber-Republic?
Law of Cyberspace with Prof. Joe Weiler and Dr. Ken Cavalier:  This paper examines and replaces the popular terminology used to describe the elements of the online world, and through the extablishment of these new paradigms, re-visits issues of Internet governance. It calls for specialized government bodies that have the public interest at heart and the competence and tech-savvy of industry organizations.

Sheriffs and Vigilantes of the Cyber-Frontier: Justice Within Virtual Worlds
Video Game Law with Prof. Jon Festinger:  This paper examines avatar rights and the competition between them and developer rights under the freedom of expression. It further expands upon Balkin's expansion of Castronova's sui generis rubric of "interration" to propose a legal system for virtual worlds that is flexible enough to accomodate their variety.

• Train judges, lawyers, articled and law students, and other legal professionals on legal resource software such as QuickLaw, Lexis.com, etc.
• Offer support to clients for effective use of LexisNexis Canada products.

• Assisted Prof. Festinger with theory and research in preparation for presentation at Dalhousie University.
• Developed hyperlink-based casebook for Law 450A.
• Updated casebook to reflect recent decisions, and sourced articles on unpublished cases.

• Evaluated new database system from perspectives of office support staff, instructors, and administrators.
• Made recommendations, considering immediate and long-term business goals, to Developer and President.
• Began formal documentation (user and administrator manuals) of database system.

• Translated pre-Common Era Biblical discovery from ancient Hebrew to English.
• Interpreted incomplete or inconsisten sections within context of the work.

• Anticipated market trends and adjusted program accordingly.
• Emphasized theoretical skills to ensure adaptability of students to changing technologies.
• Integrated marketing skills as a thread to run through all courses in program.

• Taught several Internet scripting and formatting languages.
• Developed theoretical components for design and programming courses.
• Developed Introduction to the Internet courses in two streams: one for web design students with design and marketing emphasis, and one for office students with emphasis on research and child-use safety.

• Demonstrated proficiency with all lab software (Microsoft Office User Specialist certified, Expert level).
• Taught students of varying backgrounds, ages, abilities, and levels of comfort with computers.
• Assisted in day-to-day operations of school.

• Developed skills in customer service, marketing, and sales.

• Fluent in French (Certificat de Bilinguisme, Quebec, 1992).
• Read, write, and speak Hebrew and some Yiddish.
• Owned and ran web design and computer consulting company, The Costin Media Company.
• Panellist on CBC Radio discussion about anti-Semitism on university campuses (aired 2004).
• Passionate about literature; write short fiction (twice published), long fiction, and poetry.
• Play blues guitar; collect music(including records).
• Ski downhill.

• Jon Festinger, Adjunct Professor of Law at UBC, and Executive Vice-President, Business, at Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment.
• Brock Smith, Adjunct Professor of Law at UBC, and Partner at Clark Wilson LLP.
• Stephen Wexler, Professor of Law at UBC.
• (forthcoming) Joseph Weiler, Professor of Law at UBC
• Linda Gavsie, President of Universal Learning Institute.