"A New Model of Liability for Defective Software" / "How Soulja Boy Hacked Mainstream Music" / "Placeboards"

* Abstract *

Software is a product with unique characteristics. Law should take into account those features when assessing how to apply tort doctrines to its defects. Current law has failed to do so, as it is not fully tailored to the Information Economy in general and information products in particular. This research provides a theoretical and normative foundation for a comprehensive legal approach to defective software, drawing on Innovation Policy. It calls for a paradigm shift and the establishment of a novel theoretical framework: one which is based on the premise that software is destined to fail, hence focusing on incentives for ex ante implementation of recovery and restoration measures rather than compensation for ex-post damages; one which builds upon the ever-changing nature of software and the online update mechanism (which replaces the traditional “recall”), while allocating some responsibilities to the user; one which promotes the values of collaboration and openness, providing the community with repair tools; and one which relies upon a new set of remedies, originating in information technologies. Three hypothetical cases, discussing data corruption, security breach and incompatibility between software, will be used to demonstrate the way such a model works. This research may have far-reaching implications when viewed as a case study of the general application of Innovation Policy in the Information Economy.

"Thanks 4 Da Add: How Soulja Boy Hacked Mainstream Music" - Kevin Driscoll, MIT CMS Student

* Abstract *

Armed with a camcorder, a computer, and a high-speed internet connection, Soulja Boy triggered the hottest dance craze since the macarena with a single video blog post to his MySpace page. More than a series of dance steps, "Crank Dat" became an empowering stage upon which innumerable participants found safe space to perform their identities, signify their communities, and represent their localities. Fueled by a wealth of edits, remixes, and fan videos, the unsigned Soulja Boy ruled mainstream radio all summer before a major label deal came knocking. We'll examine the origins of the craze, watch dozens of DIY music videos, and discuss the events following his signing.

"Placeworlds: Using Virtual Worlds to Foster Civic Engagement" - Eric Gordon, Professor at Emerson College

* Abstract *

As a means of enabling communities to express their own visions of public and civic space, we have launched a program that looks to an unlikely tool to aid in the production of vividly real places: online virtual worlds. The program is called Hub2, and our goal is to strengthen the ability of neighborhood residents to make places. Online virtual worlds provide a unique opportunity for groups to dramatize their everyday lives through the production of virtual places in Second Life.