Showing posts with label law. Show all posts
Showing posts with label law. Show all posts

03 January 2011

Law and the Multiverse

Law and the Multiverse examines how superhero (and villain) activities and powers would work legally. It looks at issues like anti-mutant discrimination, whether Iron Man would run afoul of the FAA when he flies in his suit (vs. a hero who can fly without one), the legal ethics of sentencing an immortal villain to life without parole, and so on. I recommend checking it out.

I think it falls a bit short, though, in its strict focus on applying the laws of our world to fictitious ones. Marvel’s Civil War, for example, is predicated on the idea that Marvel’s US legal system has adapted its laws to account for superpowered individuals. It’s likely that laws have been adjusted to allow for, say, evidence obtained by Batman to be presented in court. Otherwise either every criminal could demand to be set free because the chain was tainted, or conversely dirty cops could constantly lose evidence (or plant it) and claim a vigilante had messed with the scene. (via)

28 May 2009

Twitter and Copyright — "Twitterlogical: The Misunderstanding of Ownership", by Brock Shinen, Esq.

Twitter and Copyright—“Twitterlogical: The Misunderstanding of Ownership”, by Brock Shinen, Esq.

My amateur curiosity says that someone could/will probably write a book or epic poem using individual Twitter posts for each line, and that overall work would be copywriteable, but it seems that any individual tweet isn’t.

10 July 2008

The Jefferson Bible

The Jefferson Bible

Thomas Jefferson created his own version of the Bible, editing it down to just the moral codes and laws.

22 April 2007

Oregon County Bans All Marriage

Oregon county bans all marriage

County stops giving marriage licenses until it can determine who’s allowed to get them.

18 January 2007

Michael Tsai - Blog - Buy Base Station to Get Software Update

Michael Tsai - Blog - Buy Base Station to Get Software Update

Bizzare aspect of accounting law says that Apple can’t give away its 802.11n upgrades for free.

22 June 2006

Net Neutrality: This is serious

Net Neutrality: This is serious

Any post that can honestly begin with the words, “When I invented the Web” deserves proper attention.

07 June 2006

Photographing Architecture is Still Not a Crime, Police Harrasment at 45 Fremont Street

Photographing Architecture is Still Not a Crime, Police Harrasment at 45 Fremont Street

One of many stories about securities guards harrassing people for taking pictures of buildings (which is not illegal).

26 May 2006

Mr. Jefferson, meet Mr. Jefferson. By Akhil Reed Amar

Mr. Jefferson, meet Mr. Jefferson. By Akhil Reed Amar

“What the framers would say about raids on congressional offices.”

12 August 2005

Parents 'ignore game age ratings'

Parents ‘ignore game age ratings’

I have too much to say about this to fit it into a small text field, but you can probably figure it all out. Key thoughts: don’t ruin my games, I’m an adult. Be accountable for your parenting decisions.

03 February 2005

Eiffel Tower: Repossessed

Eiffel Tower: Repossessed

This is outrageous: the company that set up the night-time lights for the Eiffel Tower have a French copyright that prohibits you from publishing photos of it.

01 February 2005

Texas Teens Increased Sex After Abstinence Program

Texas Teens Increased Sex After Abstinence Program

Next in today’s “Ill-Advised Laws that Had the Opposite Effect Than Intended” category: abstinence education doesn’t work.