Jon’s Bio

Background:

Jon Festinger, K.C. (LL.B., B.C.L. 1980 McGill University) is a Vancouver, British Columbia based counsel and educator. He is an  and a faculty member of the  (http://thecdm.ca). Jon has taught business, media, intellectual property and communications law topics at the law school at UBC, now known as the Allard School of Law, for over twenty five years, as well as teaching at various times at the UBC Graduate School of Journalism, the Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law the University of Victoria Faculty of Law and the Centre for Digital Media as an SFU Professor of Professional Practice. He was also an Honorary Industry Professor at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London.He is the author of the first edition of “Video Game Law” published by LexisNexis in 2005, co-author of the 2nd Edition published in 2012, “Guest Editor” and author of “Introductory Essay: Digital Media, Video Games, and the Law” a special issue of the University of British Columbia Law Review at (2013) 46:3 UBC L Rev 615, and the author of “Mapping the Electronic Highway: A Survey of Domestic and International Law Issues” at (1995) 29:2 UBC L Rev 199.

A graduate of McGill University’s Faculty of Law, Jon began his legal career in private practice, in turn becoming General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of WIC Western International Communications and its subsidiaries including Canadian Satellite Communications Inc. (“Cancom”), Senior Vice President of the CTV Television Network and Executive Vice President, Business & General Counsel of the Vancouver Canucks. Jon is Of Counsel at the firm of Chandler, Fogden, Lyman. He is Past Chair and current Director of viaSport B.C., Trustee and Chair of the Governance Committee of the BC Sports Hall of Fame, and Vice Chair of IBD Centre of B.C. Jon has been a member of the Law Society of British Columbia’s Ethics Subcommittee as well as the Rule of Law and Lawyer Independence Advisory Subcommittee; Director, Vice Chair,, Chair and Past Chair of Ronald McDonald House British Columbia; a Trustee of the Simon Fraser University Foundation; a Director of City Opera Vancouver; a Director of the eatART Foundation; a Trustee of the Jack Webster Foundation; a Director of the CKNW Orphans Fund; a Director of the Vancouver Board of Trade; a Director of the British Columbia Association of Broadcasters; a Director of Canadian Women in Communications (national); Chair of the Canadian Bar Association Media & Communications Law Section (national); a member of the “Working Group on Canadian Programming and Private Television convened by the Minister of Canadian Heritage in 1994 which authored “The Future of Canadian Programming and the Role of Private Television: Keeping Canada on the Information Highway”; and a Director of the McGill Legal Aid Clinic in 1979 and 1980.

Teaching @ UBC:

Adjunct Professor, Peter A. Allard School of Law: “Intellectual Property Law”, fall 2024, 2023, 2022 & 2021, spring 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 & 2020; “Topics in Intellectual Property: Copyright Law and Social Media”, spring 2024; “Video Game Law”, spring 2025, fall 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014 & 2013, spring 2013, fall 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 & 2005; “Communications Law” fall 2023, spring 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 & 2017; “Media & Entertainment Law”​, spring 2023 & 2012 as well as 1994/95 academic year; “Business Organizations” fall 2024 & 2016; “Legal Constraints on (Digital) Creativity”​, spring 2015; “Media, Entertainment and Communications Law”​, fall 2005, 2004, 2003 & 2002; “Topics in International Law and Transactions: International Law of Communications, Media & Entertainment”​, spring 1997 & 1996; “Media Law”​, fall 1996 & 1995; “Topics in Public Law: Broadcast & Entertainment”​, spring 1994 & 1993.

Course Author, Peter A. Allard School of Law: “Law 508, Business Organizations”​ a distance education course which commenced September, 2014.

Instructor, Peter A. Allard School of Law: “Sports Law”, fall 2011 & 2010 (with Professor Joe Weiler); “Media & Entertainment Law”, spring 2014, 2013 & 2011 (with Professor Joe Weiler); “Entertainment & Sports Law”, spring 1992 (with Professor Joe Weiler and Instructor Brian Burke).

Adjunct Professor, UBC Sauder School of Business: “Law of Business Organizations and Corporate Governance” spring 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 & 2021.

Instructor, Faculty of Arts/Bachelor of Media Studies (via The Centre for Digital Media): “Foundations of Digital Media” spring 2020 & 2019 as well as fall 2017.

Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Journalism: “Media Law”​ fall 2014; “Ethics and the Law”, fall 2004.

Received 20 Year Teaching Service Award from Allard School of Law March 22, 2019.

Media:

It  was truly a great honour to be profiled as part of “Team Open” by Creative Commons in December 2014. There are many reasons why, but most obviously because it has everything to do with the collaborative efforts around modeling the Video Game Law course in an open way. I understand that my inclusion relates almost entirely to initiatives which are due to the contributions and support of so very many students, guest speakers, colleagues, staff and administration at both the Allard School of Law, UBC and  at the Centre for Digital Media, as well as the unflinching efforts of the UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning & Technology.

Finally it is impossible not to be mindful of the incredible contributions to world made Creative Commons as an organization and by its founders including Professor Lawrence Lessig and Aaron Swartz.  The vision and focus of the rest of Team Open is a humbling reminder of both what is possible and what is left to be done.  To read the Team Open article click on the image below (and don’t forget to donate to Creative Commons if you are able).

While on the theme of “open” here is a YouTube video and related article where I get to share my views on the subject. Both were skilfully put together by the UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology.

Was also part of the Canadian Lawyer cover story for October 2014 “The Next Frontier: Global Trends And Technology Are Driving The Evolution Of Law”. Click on the image below to get to the article.

Wrote a short article on “Why Video Game Law Is Important” which landed me on the cover of the February 2015 issue of BarTalk, the monthly publication of the Canadian Bar Association, B.C. Branch. Click on the image below to get to the issue.

Appeared on the cover of the February 2015 issue of Lexpert magazine and in an article on sports law. Click on the image below to get to the article.

Finally, and at least in part because if there was one language I always wanted to learn it was Italian, here is a short piece which I won’t understand until I finally act on my original intention to learn that language.