ABSTRACT
The introduction of Bill C-11 by Canada's Conservative government in September 2011 was the latest in a string of attempts to tighten copyright laws. The imposition of digital rights management as a legitimized producer/consumer dynamic in Canada is an opportunity to witness a recomposition of digital game work, amidst a polarizing set of discourses regarding intellectual property and the efficacy of policy that attempts to curb game piracy. The tension created between a free market ideology and government intervention points to the specialized role on the part of the state in controlling markets and maintaining manifestations and concentrations of power within the games industry. This debate unfolds at a time in the history of digital games when copying is a highly regarded, promoted, and monetized aspect of game culture. In an analysis of game marketing strategy, Marchand and Hennig-Thurau see a disruptive tendency in gamer communities, especially in microblogging activities and 'second-screen' social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp.
