Questions tagged [is-x-legal]
Is X Legal? Questions that postulate a scenario or behavior, then ask if that scenario or behavior is legal. Please read Meta before asking a question of this form!
241
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Is it illegal to ride a drunk horse?
Tedd owns a riding horse. One day, Tedd notices that his horse has somehow gotten itself drunk. Tedd has someplace where he needs to be, so he saddles up his drunken horse and rides to his ...
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3
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Is it truly illegal for the US Armed Forces to hire someone whose IQ is less than 83?
In this video, Jordan Peterson says that
[...] anybody into the Armed Forces if they have an IQ of less than 83
Is this true? What law is this supposed restriction based on?
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4
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Is it legal for a supermarket to refuse to sell an adult beer if an adult with them doesn’t have their ID?
Today I went with my dad grocery shopping at a supermarket in New York (ShopRite) and he put a six-pack of beer in the cart.
They then wouldn’t let him buy the beer because they couldn’t ID me (21, ...
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5
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A Swiss watch company seized my watch, saying it was stolen. I bought it 10 years ago. Is that legal?
I have a watch from Blancpain that I bought in 2014 from an individual in Poland (I have a written contract). I've sent the watch to Blancpain in Switzerland for periodic inspection and they seized it,...
- 421
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3
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Can the Cyber Resilience Act make it illegal to retire?
Suppose Alice develops some software and releases it under an open source licence. She receives just enough money to be counted as "commercial". This may be donations from users, it may be ...
- 5,868
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2
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Is it legal to publish a cease and desist letter that I have received?
I've received a cease and desist letter for defamation from a local businessperson that I believe to be without legal basis - the actionable statements listed are clearly statements of my opinion. ...
- 429
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4
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Is it legal to lie about an illegal requirement?
As an example, its not legal to discriminate against a person of a certain race while renting out your house. So lets say an Asian person sees a house rented out with a "no Asians" condition....
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Is there a law against destroying works of art of historic importance when you are the owner?
At work we recently had a bit of a debate about whether or not it would be legal to destroy a work of art if you are the owner of said work.
A few years ago, Banksy destroyed his own painting by ...
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11
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Is there any way to legally sleep in your car while drunk?
As I understand it, if one is found inside one's car with the keys while drunk, even if asleep, one is as guilty of drunk driving as if one was actually driving. If one finds oneself over the limit, ...
- 5,868
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5
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Is it a crime to "steal" your own money from a bank?
It is in the news that it has become a thing to stage a bank "robbery" to get access to ones own money in Lebanon. While these have involved things that are undoubtedly crimes (such as ...
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4
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Is a debt canceled if the creditor refuses a settlement offer?
I've been told by several people on several occasions -- in several jurisdictions within the US -- that if you owe someone money, you can offer some stupidly low amount of cash (most versions include ...
- 2,025
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Is it illegal to kill honeybees in Oregon or in the USA?
Recently had an issue with a honeybee hive and a beekeeper said to me "It's illegal to kill honeybees". Not completely believing this at face value, I did a little digging.
My research seems to show ...
- 1,674
22
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4
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7k
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Is buying counterfeit goods illegal?
There are fake Rolexs being sold on the internet for around £250. This is illegal, and those engaged in selling such items have been charged with unauthorised use of a trademark. It appears that ...
- 383
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5
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Is it legal to ask to be shot?
Say I ask someone to shoot me non lethally. Not assisted suicide, Just shot. Is this legal? Isn't it like asking to be assaulted with a deadly weapon?
user31975
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3
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Is it legal to physically wash money?
I have some money that fell in a mud puddle. It got really dirty, and I don't want to put it in my wallet as it currently is. Is it legal to wash the money?
- 259
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is it illegal to falsely use an unrelated act to block/ban things?
My school blocks many random things (like duckduckgo and drifthunters) swearing that they did it because of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), but that only really says to ban obsene ...
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Is lying on a survey illegal?
If a survey is being done, either for scientific purposes or to collect information inside a workplace, is it legal to lie in it? For example if the workplace wants to know how many employees have ...
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3
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Is it legal to publish a ''copy" of the Constitution with fake text added?
Would it be legal to publish a copy of the Constitution with an extra article that is not part of the real constitution, with no indication that it was added, i.e. intending to mislead readers?
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2
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Would it be legal to erase, disable, or destroy your phone when a CBP agent attempted to seize it?
If a Customs and Border Protection agent demanded that I give him my phone while I (a US citizen) was re-entering the US, would it be legal for me to activate some kind of "panic button" ...
- 13.7k
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1
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Commissioned a logo that contains a stock image, can I still trademark it?
I have a question similar to this one here but with circumstances that are a bit different.
I purchased a logo from a seller online through Fiverr a few months ago. Since then I have incorporated this ...
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Can it be illegal to press f12 in a web browser?
There is a case in the news where a journalist identified a security issue in the web site of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that exposed 100,000 social security numbers....
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Is it legal to own a photo of someone and spread it around without their permission?
Backstory: My friends has a picture of me, which I asked him to delete and not show to people multiple times, but he keeps it and shows it to people no matter how many times I ask him not to. Is it ...
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Is it illegal to download passwords in bulk from the dark web to make a password checking tool to help people?
I remember some password managers like Google's would give me a warning about passwords that have been compromised.
My question is this. How is Google or any company able to see that the password I ...
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Is it legal for energy companies to break into a house?
There are a couple of stories in the news about energy firms breaking into houses because of unpaid erroneous bills. The common features of relevance are:
There was debate about the validity of ...
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1
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Spin-off company with all parent's debt?
Out of curiosity, is it theoretically possible for a parent company to create a spin off company that holds all of its debt and no assets? Then the subsidiary spin-off company will declare bankruptcy ...
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3
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Can you legally have an (unloaded) black powder revolver in your carry-on luggage?
Part I of "Annoying the TSA"
For good reason, U.S. law forbids people from carrying firearms on planes. However, last I checked, black powder "antique weapons" (such as cap-and-...
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Is it illegal to give false information about a person to a foreign-based telemarketer?
I have always wondered if there is anything illegal with an American citizen giving false information about another American citizen to a foreign-based telemarketer, such as someone who by their ...
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2
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Rewriting math proof from a paywalled paper then posting it to website for free
If I read a math proof in a paper that requires payment to read, is it legal to rewrite the proof with different words, phrasing, and order, then post the proof publicly in a website (with a citation)?...
- 209
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Can a computer be guilty of insider trading?
It is reported that a computer demonstrated "insider trading" in a simulated environment:
In the test, the AI bot is a trader for a fictitious financial investment company.
The employees ...
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4
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Is controlled burning of wooden buildings a legal demolition method in the USA?
An article on the BBC News website about the "Disaster Girl" meme claims that this photograph of a burning building was taken in 2005 in North Carolina at a "controlled burn", ...
Confused Foreigner
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Legality of busking a song with copyrighted melody but using different lyrics to deliver a message
Are there any legal impediments to busking a song with melody and lyrics copyrighted in the United States---with the same melody but with different lyrics---on U.S. streets?
Does it matter if the song ...
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Date on Legal letter
Very often, the letters will state to respond within x days from the date of letter. Are there any regulations for law firms, banks or credit companies to provide a reasonable window of time for ...
- 101
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How do you check the legality of a new business model?
How do you check the legality of a new business model to make sure it will be legal, and you won't be running afoul of some law you have no idea of?
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Is it legal for me to provide a download of an unchanged fork of an application that is on GitHub?
I plan to write some tech blogs, where one of them showcases an application from GitHub without a license. Now I just forked it as a backup because I don't want my viewers can't find it someday if the ...
- 507
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Would it be legal for a business to provide only unisex multi person restrooms for use?
Let's say for some reason a business owner decided to make all their restrooms unisex. These are not single-person rooms, but larger restrooms with numerous toilets (and possible urinals).
Is there ...
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Can you keep money that was refunded in error?
If a person pays a debt due to a company, and gets a receipt showing the debt has been fully satisfied, but then that company (potentially in error) refunds the full amount without any communication ...
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Is it considered harrassment in the US to call a black man the N-word?
I recently saw a Youtube Short featuring a man interviewing Jordan Peterson and they were discussing the legality of calling someone by racial slurs, specifically the N-word. Seemingly having actually ...
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Allowable Discrimination For Jobs
Just lately I realized that anti-discrimination/equal opportunity legislation only applies to proscribed categories of discrimination grounds, e.g. race, ethnicity, gender, orientation, age, etc.
Up ...
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Can I issue my own 'fines'
Can a private individual collect his own 'fines' (or demand compensation) if he has evidence of wrongdoing, or does he have to pass that evidence to the authorities?
Scenario 1 - Lets say I own a ...
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Can an employer deduct PPE from pay?
Can an employer require their employees to pay for their own personal protective equipment? For example, if working in a restaurant where gloves are required, could a boss require the employees to pay ...
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1
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On the legality of arming yachts and other recreational craft at sea
Is it legal or applicable to arm yachts or other recreational vessels for defense against piracy, thieves, terrorism, etc?
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A prosecutor and a defense attorney have a romantic relationship. What consequences could happen if caught?
Perhaps more of a question concerning legal culture than individual laws. I am writing a story with this as a subplot, and I want to know what could happen to either party if a judge/prosecutor's ...
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Is it illegal to purposely arouse police suspicion?
I ask this strictly as research for a work of fiction
A person purposefully acts in a manner to attract police attention and arrest as a form of protest. The goal is to inspire an arrest or use of ...
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Is it legal to live in the woods in the USA?
Can one chop down trees, build a cabin, and just park there?
The question is about living on land that is not owned by a private individual in the USA, and is not designated as a state park or ...
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Is it illegal to publicly share technical information discovered by tinkering, if information is used to modify the device?
I recently bought a product, let's say a car, with limitations intentionally introduced to the design, for example an electronic speed limiter. Being a bit of a tinkerer, I messed with my model until ...
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Is smart watch illegal while in control of the vehicle?
From the gov.uk website:
It’s illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device
that can send or receive data, while driving or riding a motorcycle.
A smartwatch can send or receive ...
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Is it illegal to steal someone's illegal drugs?
If I break into someone's house to steal their drugs is it burglary? Or is it ok? Or would it depend on the judge?
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4
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Can my apartment neighbor install a camera that looks at my door?
I recently noticed that my neighbor installed a camera that looks from inside of his apartment straight on my door. This could be interpreted like that camera is pointed at whomever is potentially ...
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3
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In the USA, is it legal for parents to take children to strip clubs?
I understand there are often different laws in different states, if this is the case with this question I would appreciate answers mentioning what differences are there between states.
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Can I take a bow and arrows on the train in the UK?
I'm interested in taking up archery. Attending the closest club would require that I take the train there as I cannot drive.
Would I be able to take a bow and arrows, secured in a case, on the train?
...
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