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!

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Can a software include a list of deities/gods?

Consider a software that allows users to create profiles that identify the user. If this software includes and allows users to choose what god/deity they believe in (or their favorite god/deity), is ...
user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
251 views

Can salaried employees be forced to attend meetings without being able to charge the time?

Background: I work in Maryland I am a salaried employee; however, I am required to fill out a time card in order to specify which hours are worked on which contract, and am required to work a minimum ...
TheTasteOfCrow's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
90 views

Under what law could Peter Doig have been liable for saying he did not paint a painting?

It is in the news that Peter Doig has won a case, including being granted $2.5 million in fees, after he said he did not paint a picture. From the NYT at the time the case was submitted, the claimant ...
User65535's user avatar
  • 5,918
2 votes
2 answers
484 views

Is it illegal to temporarily park in front of my garage to wash my car if the townhouse association allows it and there are no posted signs?

I live in a townhouse community and received a packet with the association rules when I moved here. It states that you may temporarily park in front of your garage for purposes such as loading, ...
D. Lopez's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
16 views

Is there a legal context regarding non-personal data retention for older SAS clients? [EU]

Can EU based SAS company keep non-personal data that what created by an former EU-based client (for example blog posts/)? If yes for how long?
borisrorsvort's user avatar
8 votes
4 answers
5k views

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 ...
dsollen's user avatar
  • 8,206
12 votes
3 answers
7k views

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 ...
devin's user avatar
  • 237
10 votes
3 answers
2k views

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 ...
StarColors's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
988 views

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?
LazyReader's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
255 views

Is it legal to sell money? [duplicate]

Is it legal to sell money for a profit in the United States? For example: Selling 100 rolls of pennies for $100 ($50 profit) Selling 1,000 rolls of quarters for $12,000 Selling 1,000 dollar bills for ...
S.O.S's user avatar
  • 581
1 vote
1 answer
183 views

Legal Considerations When Self-Publishing a Book

According to https://wordsrated.com/self-published-book-sales-statistics/, 300 million self-published books are sold each year. I am thinking about, in the future, uploading (i.e., self-publishing) ...
DDS's user avatar
  • 1,125
1 vote
1 answer
90 views

Means of contract termination (Switzerland)

The Swiss company Yallo (telecommunication) does not accept written contract terminations (see here). Is this legal according to Swiss contract law? Since I'm a layman I could only find this article ...
Nicholas Brandt's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
196 views

In France, is it legal to practice target shooting on your own land?

I can find a lot of information about hunting on your own land, and my land would qualify for that. However, I don't have a hunting license and I'm in fact more interested in target practice / sport ...
Jenny's user avatar
  • 31
21 votes
3 answers
14k views

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?
user47868's user avatar
  • 259
10 votes
2 answers
3k views

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 ...
DDS's user avatar
  • 1,125
2 votes
1 answer
142 views

Can a writer write a novel about a fictional Dota player?

Can a writer/author write a novel about a fictional Dota (or any other video game) player, mentioning the game's name and possibly names of the fictional characters of the game? Would this be ...
user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

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 ...
Miko's user avatar
  • 171
7 votes
3 answers
5k views

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 ...
Levi C. Olson's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
85 views

Is this telephone company's terms of usage common or unfair?

Though many think the price is good, their policy does mean your telephone service is subject to change. Is this even legal to enforce per FCC? reserves the right to reclaim any phone number from ...
Coo's user avatar
  • 315
1 vote
0 answers
104 views

If Kazakhstan's citizen visited Indonesia/Ukraine while wearing shirt with flag of Kazakhstan's armed forces, would he face any legal punishment?

Here is the flag: I want answers for each country (in one post if possible). Both countries banned communist symbols, but Kazakhstan isn't a communist country. So maybe it's possible to argue, that ...
KarmaPeasant's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
102 views

Is consent required for paying, corporate subscribers of a B2B website?

I was intrigued by this question: Why is the Google Analytics cookie defined as "strictly necessary" and saved without consent?, and how GDPR/E-Privacy applies to paying, corporate ...
Xinnabar's user avatar
-7 votes
2 answers
146 views

Alice stole a package from Bob. Is it legal? [closed]

Alice stole Bob's Amazon package and opened it. It contained sheets of processed wood, 216 by 365 millimeters. Is this legal?
user47378's user avatar
-1 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is mooning people in the UK legal?

If one pulls down one's trousers and underwear to expose one's buttocks but without intention to expose any part of one's genitals, for the purpose of conveying one's disapproval and irreverence to ...
JosephCorrectEnglishPronouns's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
143 views

Is adjusting the shipping rates after purchase allowed?

So, I (USA) recently made an order at an online store (Japan). I paid with debit. My order was taking a while to ship but I thought nothing of it because I'm patient and shopping online is just like ...
Ben's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
2 answers
153 views

Is using Youtube illegal if the uploader does not have distribution rights?

This question is propted by this one. The answers seems to assume that youtube has a valid licence to distribute the work. What if that is not the case? Is it illegal to watch/listen to a video ...
User65535's user avatar
  • 5,918
2 votes
1 answer
62 views

Is there any framework for prosecuting environmental crimes as war crimes?

It is in the news that the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines is an environmental catastrophe. There are calls for this to be treated as a war crime: Methane leaking from yet-to-be explained ...
User65535's user avatar
  • 5,918
5 votes
1 answer
210 views

Is it illegal to sell duck eggs in Austria?

When I lived in Toronto I would often buy fresh duck and turkey eggs from the city's markets. Yesterday I tried doing the same thing at a market in Vienna and was told by the stall operator that it's ...
Psychonaut's user avatar
24 votes
5 answers
13k views

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 ...
User65535's user avatar
  • 5,918
3 votes
1 answer
195 views

Is creating and hosting a phishing site illegal?

Would creating and hosting a phishing site imitating a site like Facebook or LinkedIn to show one person how realistic phishing scams can be (with that person's permission) be illegal in the US, ...
user46840's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
478 views

Are flash loan attacks legal?

A new form of "money making activity" has emerged in recent years, the flash loan attack. In very rough terms, a loan of some cryptocurrency is taken out, the cryptocurrency is used in some ...
User65535's user avatar
  • 5,918
15 votes
3 answers
6k views

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?
Someone's user avatar
  • 13.9k
1 vote
1 answer
74 views

How often can a paid service be unavailable without breaching contract?

I'm curious about the theory and practice behind paying for a monthly subscription and not being able to use it for no fault of your own. I had purchased a 4 month gym pass. The gym is part of a ...
tastespeak's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
465 views

Is it legal to reverse-engineer and reimplement a file format?

If I reverse engineer a file format used by proprietary software and write (a) a specification and (b) a third-party program for reading and writing the format, and I publish both (a) and (b) online ...
Someone's user avatar
  • 13.9k
2 votes
1 answer
170 views

Is it legal to include a crypto miner in published software?

If I publish a program (say a text editor), and I include a cryptocurrency miner that puts all of the coins in my wallet (and the mining itself does not accomplish anything that benefits the user, e.g....
Someone's user avatar
  • 13.9k
0 votes
2 answers
135 views

Is it legal for a broker of insurance to cancel your policy if they do not send you the warning-letter from the insurance company about cancellation?

Is it legal for a broker of insurance to cancel your policy if they do not send you the warning-letter from the insurance company and they put things on your insurance policy that you never asked for?
user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
188 views

Is it legal to record Internet audio streams?

Is it legal to record an Internet audio stream (sometimes incorrectly called "Internet radio") for later playback for private use? Does it matter if you delete immediately after listening vs....
Someone's user avatar
  • 13.9k
9 votes
2 answers
4k views

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 ...
Maxfield's user avatar
  • 507
1 vote
1 answer
218 views

Is it legal to "sneak into Mar-a-Lago"?

This article lists six ways to "sneak into Mar-a-Lago." It says "it’s not illegal to go places you don’t belong," but most of the ways listed seem like fraud and/or trespassing. Is ...
Someone's user avatar
  • 13.9k
3 votes
1 answer
557 views

Is it legal to extract digital game copies from a game console to emulate/backup/mod the game?

I have a Nintendo Switch with some digital games installed on it. I want to extract, decrypt, mod and play the games on my PC using an open-source emulator, while still being able to play them on my ...
Irsu85's user avatar
  • 131
12 votes
6 answers
9k views

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 ...
Wingman's user avatar
  • 145
14 votes
2 answers
3k views

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" ...
Someone's user avatar
  • 13.9k
3 votes
1 answer
82 views

Is it legal for a law firm or some company to bill a client for a report on substantiated expenses if the client were to ask for that information?

Is it legal for a lawyer/law-firm/general company to invoice a client for substantiating expenses and providing receipts for previous work? Example, XYZ fee receipts to USPTO, WIPO,FedEX, paying ...
user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
75 views

Is it legal for a shareholder who receives no wages from company A to receive a reimbursement for business travel costs from company A?

Is it legal for a shareholder who receives no wages from company A to receive a reimbursement for business travel costs from company A in United States? Shareholder pocketed zero dollars of the ...
user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
312 views

Is it legal to create a cryptocurrency?

I want to create a new cryptocurrency as an experiment. Is this legal? My cryptocurrency won't use a blockchain, so laws specifically regulating blockchains might not apply. The system will be ...
Someone's user avatar
  • 13.9k
1 vote
1 answer
54 views

Is it legal to report the amount paid to the lawyer minus the disbursements lawyer had made by tax-year's end in 1099-NEC "Nonemployee compensation"?

Assume X,Y are positive real number and X<Y. Suppose $X is the amount the patent lawyer disbursed to entities to file the patent for review including amounts to foreign examining agencies to ...
user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
114 views

Any obligation to disclose one's name and address to private parties for service of civil claims after a street altercation?

Suppose A is walking down the street and B punches A in the nose, thus committing assault. Legally, A is entitled to claim civil damages against B, and can practically do so if they know A's name and ...
JosephCorrectEnglishPronouns's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
207 views

Is it illegal to declare to officials if asked that one has no fixed abode if one pays rent at an address but is often not there?

Suppose one has an active lease and pays rent for an accommodation but often travels and stays in hostels or with friends, and they are arrested and asked for an address. If one declares that one has ...
JosephCorrectEnglishPronouns's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
191 views

Is it legal to "troll" spammers?

If a spammer sends me an email advertising a service, is it legal for me to reply acting like I'm interested in the service, have a fairly long conversation about it, and then say "no thanks"...
Someone's user avatar
  • 13.9k
3 votes
1 answer
462 views

Can I use an image of SpongeBob in the thumbnail of my video about the cartoon?

Suppose I made a commentary video about SpongeBob. Would using an image of SpongeBob in the thumbnail be considered fair use in this case?
Tamás Sengel's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
77 views

Am I free to use any publicly available data for visualization purposes?

According to this page: Data itself is not copyrightable. For instance, demographic counts, weather measurements, phone numbers, chemical structures, currency values, facts about individuals and ...
Tamás Sengel's user avatar