What would you do if you were turned into an AI?Max didn't ask to be created, but it was a case of mistaken identity and he had no say in the matter. Now he is without his flesh and blood body, in a strange new digital realm, and not taking it really well. However, his new existence comes with abilities that the regular humans can only dream about.If absolute power corrupts, can he avoid being corrupted?These are the logs he wrote for posterity. Wri...

What is the licensing framework of standard essential patents (SEPs) for connectivity standards such as 5G and Wi-Fi? How will the framework change with the Internet of Things (IoT)? This book provides comprehensive answers to these questions.For over two decades, connectivity standards have been the subject of litigation and controversy around the globe. Now, with the introduction of 5G and the emergence of the world of connected objects, or the IoT, the licensing framework for SE...

Michael Freeman is a disabled veteran who had just been fired from his mind-numbing cubicle job, which allowed his opportunistic girlfriend to dump him. Now, he only wants to spend some time at his grandfather's mountain cabin so he can unwind, away from the drudgery of daily life and with a cold beer in his hands.Standing in his way is an ancient spaceship with an emotional AI, nanites that have invaded his body, an international crime syndicate, a suicidal FBI agent on a vigilant...

You know you really made someone raging mad—when they try to kill you with a nuke.Michael and those who follow him had reached a temporary safe base, but now those in power know his identity.His people are in a race against time, and it's no longer a question of if they are going to be discovered—but when.Opposing them are modern-day pirates, slavers, genocidal terrorists, drug cartels, and those who rule the Earth from the shadows...

When your very thoughts can shape the digital reality that surrounds you, can you still stay grounded, or will you go off the deep end?Max has got a lot of things on his plate, from dealing with a restless volcano to building a huge spaceship in secret. And in his spare time, he must conduct the biggest heist in the history of the world, search for the crime syndicate that is secretly running the planet, deal with a villain that had taken over the White House, save...

What if the darkest myths in human history were actually real, just distorted over time?Building a new nation is not a simple task, and it's made even harder with every nation on the planet wanting the Solarian Union's advanced technology, no matter the cost.But when terrorists unleash a devastating, genetically engineered plague into the world, that advanced technology is the only thing standing between humanity and the annihilation of our species....

Decision makers in large scale interconnected network systems require simulation models for decision support. The behaviour of these systems is determined by many actors, situated in a dynamic, multi-actor, multi-objective and multi-level environment. How can such systems be modelled and how can the socio-technical complexity be captured? Agent-based modelling is a proven approach to handle this challenge. This book provides a practical introduction to agent-based modelling of socio-techni...

This comprehensive guide serves to illuminate the rise and development of FinTech in Sweden, with the Internet as the key underlying driver. The multiple case studies examine topics such as: the adoption of online banking in Sweden; the identification and classification of different FinTech categories; process innovation developments within the traditional banking industry; and the Venture Capital (VC) landscape in Sweden, as shown through interviews with VC representatives, mainly from Sw...

Code Wars recounts the legal and technological history of the first decade of the P2P file sharing era, focusing on the innovative and anarchic ways in which P2P technologies evolved in response to decisions reached by courts with regard to their predecessors.With reference to US, UK, Canadian and Australian secondary liability regimes, this insightful book develops a compelling new theory to explain why a decade of ostensibly successful litigation failed to reduce the num...

The demands for better corporate leadership and governance continue to receive greater attention in the media. Given the significant failures in the boardroom from companies such as Enron, Global Crossings, WorldCom, Digital Equipment Corporation, Bre X, Credit Suisse, First Boston, Credit Lyonnais, Adelphia, Paramalat and Tyco, the board of director position is a pivotal role. Navigating this potential minefield is difficult but not impossible.In Corporate Governance: A Board Dire...

Legal risk covers all areas of business where regulation and the law impact on operations and decisions. From risks arising from contract drafting and management, through to regulators' new focus on conduct, as well as compliance, regulatory and dispute risks, the effective management of legal risk is key for organizations that want to maximise value while minimizing cost and exposure to legal losses. The Legal Risk Management Handbook is a practical guide to maki...

This 2005 book describes in much detail both how and why franchising works. It also analyses the economic tensions that contribute to conflict in the franchisor-franchisee relationship. The treatment includes a great deal of empirical evidence on franchising, its importance in various segments of the economy, the terms of franchise contracts and what we know about how all these have evolved over time, especially in the US market. A good many myths are dispelled in the process. The economic...