All Questions
2,662
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Can illegally obtained evidence be used in favor of the defendant in a criminal case?
Regarding US law, my general understanding is that if evidence was obtained in an illegitimate way (e.g. under false pretenses), then it may be inadmissible as evidence to support a conviction in a ...
- 367
8
votes
0
answers
334
views
Are Ontario municipalities allowed to stop issuing marriage licenses during COVID-19?
Some Ontario cities, such as Waterloo say on their website:
"Due to COVID-19, marriage licences will be suspended until further notice."
Here is a screenshot, in case the website changes.
...
- 628
7
votes
0
answers
197
views
Is it legal for the police to take you away from home and abandon you without means of getting to safety?
It is reported that police arrested a man at his home in the middle of the night, drove him three miles away and "dearrested" him nine minutes later. He was left with no money, phone and ...
- 4,425
7
votes
0
answers
256
views
What legal penalties may Twitter face as a result of the Eli Lilly fake tweet?
Twitter recently made it possible to get a verification check added to an account by just paying 8 dollars, causing a rash of fake 'verified' accounts. One of these accounts was for Eli Lilly, a ...
- 8,176
7
votes
0
answers
129
views
What licenses and registrations are required to start a home business repackaging food in NY?
I'd like to start a home business repackaging food in New York State in the US. For example, let's say I'm buying 10kg bags of rice from the supermarket and I want to put them into jars each ...
- 922
7
votes
1
answer
122
views
Digidyne v. Data General: how does this not legally protect Apple macOS running on non-Apple branded hardware?
I was just reading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_General_RDOS#Antitrust_lawsuit which discusses Digidyne v. Data General:
When Data General introduced the Data General Nova, a company called ...
- 171
7
votes
1
answer
694
views
Country roads, take me to Jail? Are private roads in Virginia Commonwealth generally closed to public travel?
Some background for context:
I was out on a bike ride in Loudoun County, Virginia last weekend, following a GPS route I got from a local bike shop. While traveling down a gravel road, a local motorist ...
- 190
7
votes
1
answer
260
views
What are my rights in videoing an encounter with a hostile person?
Scenario
I asked a fellow dog-walker to prevent their dog from snapping at mine. They became very irate but I just walked away from the situation. I may have said "Please keep your dog under ...
- 1,035
6
votes
0
answers
64
views
Are extended magazines legal in chicago/cook county for ccw holders?
There are some different laws surrounding Chicago and Cook County's handgun magazines.
Here is Cook County's law regulating handguns
Here is Chicago's law regulating handguns.
Chicago:
"High ...
- 69
6
votes
0
answers
277
views
What are the implications of the Good Friday Agreement for customs controls?
After the Good Friday Agreement was concluded, customs and security controls between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom were removed (From Wikipedia). The Irish border is one of the major ...
- 1,339
6
votes
0
answers
494
views
Usage-Based Insurance Devices (Like Progressive's Snapshot) - Evidence of Liability and Public Policy
In the United States, the biggest auto insurance carriers such as Progressive, Allstate and State Farm, have all begun offering optional potential policy discounts if the covered driver agrees to ...
- 11.2k
6
votes
1
answer
285
views
Is it fraudulent for an extension like adblock to still count as an ad impression for content creators
tl;dr:
A Programmer writes a web browser Extension to download ads but not display them.
The effect is that Sites accessed through this extension get to charge Advertisers for the ad being served, ...
- 625
6
votes
1
answer
590
views
Is it illegal for my school to install spyware onto my own laptop?
My school installed something called 'Securus XT' onto my laptop. I knew it was meant to be a safeguarding thing but I didn't know they would be able to see every single thing I do on my own laptop (...
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Fired for refusing overtime? (Canadian Engineer)
So I'm in a bit of a tricky situation right now, and would like some advice. Here is the relevant background information:
I am a salaried employee (engineer in training) based in Ontario, Canada. ...
- 161
5
votes
0
answers
435
views
Unity, installation fees and retroactive unilateral pricing changes
Recently Unity changed the pricing policies for its popular gaming engine that will become operative on Jan, 1st 2024.
The change introduced what has been defined as "installation tax" by ...
- 219
5
votes
0
answers
92
views
Does Google routinely form contracts by accessing web sites with their crawler?
Many web sites contain terms of service, where the web site puts a link to "Terms" or similar, and anyone who accesses the web site forms a contract with the web site operator under those ...
- 1,165
5
votes
1
answer
190
views
Can companies use code that I wrote during a coding interview in their products?
Suppose a company's programmers are struggling to code a portion of a complex program. HR orders the questions of an upcoming interview to be replaced with that of the unfinished complex program. It ...
- 51
5
votes
0
answers
79
views
To what extent can actors use characters they've played?
Dean Norris, who plays DEA agent Hank Schrader in Breaking Bad, offers personalized videos on Cameo. For about $500, you can pay him to record a personalized video message. He donates the proceeds to ...
- 203
5
votes
0
answers
181
views
If the police tell you not to drink does that have any legal force?
It is reported in the news that during an arrest of suspected protestors a police officer instructed one person that they could not drink their coffee with a reason that it may be poisoned. This ...
- 4,425
5
votes
1
answer
254
views
At what point does a tax become a ban?
I believe that it is mostly uncontroversial that it is constitutional for a state to tax firearm purchases at a reasonable rate. If a state had a law imposing a 10% sales tax on all firearm and ...
- 13.3k
5
votes
0
answers
79
views
Is there an example of someone trying to incite violence being found innocent because the speech was too ineffectual to pass the Brandenburg test?
As I understand it the Brandenburg test for deciding if speech is protected has two parts:
The speech is “directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action,” AND
The speech is “likely to ...
- 8,176
5
votes
0
answers
587
views
Is it legal to format shift / strip DRM in the UK?
Suppose I have lawfully purchased an ebook for myself, on a permanent basis. Section 28B "Personal copies for private use" of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 seems pretty clear ...
- 206
5
votes
0
answers
41
views
Pension rights post Brexit
In the EU, if you worked in another member state for a period of time, that period will add to the minimum amount of time you need to work to be able to claim pension from another member state (with ...
- 123
5
votes
0
answers
103
views
Can Landlord Require a Minimum Number of Occupants in NYC Apartment?
In New York City, is it legal for a landlord (or any other party) to require a minimum number of tenants in an apartment? I am searching (with three other people) for a four bedroom apartment, and we ...
5
votes
0
answers
92
views
Is a sales clause prohibiting the buyer of exporting the goods outside of a zone legal?
I bought some goods at my local Mercedes dealer in France, and I was stunned by a sales contract clause that reads :
Le client s'engage : Export interdit hors UE/AELC/MC
Translation mine
The client ...
- 1,139
5
votes
0
answers
248
views
Which has right of way: a funeral procession or a stopped school bus?
In Massachusetts, I recently witnessed a funeral procession going one way on a road. In the other direction on the road was a school bus that stopped opposite the middle of the funeral procession and ...
- 151
5
votes
0
answers
97
views
Does Israeli law provide for Habeas Corpus and can detained Palestinians raise a petition for it?
According to a CommonDreams.org article, "Palestinian Prisoner Hisham Abu Hawash Ends Hunger Strike After Deal With Israel"
Palestinians and human rights defenders around the world on ...
- 1,835
5
votes
0
answers
94
views
What laws are broken if you help a perhaps-not-competent 18-year-old escape from his parents?
There is an autistic boy aged 18. His parents have worked very hard to keep him mainstreamed his whole life. So he's been in private schools, but had lots of tutoring and lots of sessions at clinics ...
- 299
5
votes
0
answers
104
views
Legality of post-WWII expulsions in Australia
After WWII, most Japanese people were mandatorily expelled from Australia unless they were born in Australia or had an Australian or British wife, according to this site (the same may have happened to ...
- 440
5
votes
1
answer
128
views
What happens to offset accounts when the lender becomes insolvent?
In Australia and the United Kingdom, it is common for home loans to come with an offset account. The balance of the account is “offset” against the loan when calculating interest, so the borrower ...
- 8,184
5
votes
1
answer
96
views
US Copyright Status of Software Source Code Created Prior to 1980?
I've been unable to find an answer to this even after doing extensive searching and I'm pretty good at searching if I do say so myself.
Does US copyright apply to software source code which has been ...
- 171
5
votes
1
answer
160
views
Is there a legal analogy of a publisher for physical things
Background
Long and complex story short, we're essentially building a legal & software framework for self-organizing 'ad-hoc' organizations. It seems like some set of our issues could be solved ...
- 325
5
votes
2
answers
404
views
Can Rand Paul be sued for negligent transmission of COVID-19?
Note: I am not wanting to make this political. Please do not attempt to address political aspects of this situation or rail one way or the other. My question would be exactly the same if the facts ...
4
votes
0
answers
151
views
Would it be legal to avoid Unity (Game Engine) licensing by having the end-user build the project
Is it legal (assuming US) if instead of paying for a proprietary software and accepting their terms and conditions for distribution, to require the user to own this proprietary software and use it as ...
4
votes
0
answers
90
views
How did software copyright work in the US before 1978?
Prior to the Copyright Act of 1976 (which, confusingly, only went into effect in 1978) the copyright rules were different. One of the things that was introduced was that after the beginning of 1978, ...
- 161
4
votes
0
answers
79
views
Adding reflective tape to personal vehicle
Backstory:
A few nights ago I was tailgated by a driver with unnecessarily-bright lights (likely stock, but still... when I can see my shadow on the road in front of me that seems excessive). I was ...
- 141
4
votes
0
answers
96
views
Can a citizen's arrest be made for a purely Federal offense?
First of all, let me start by saying that nearly all lawyers and police agree that a citizen's arrest is a poor choice even when it is legal.
I can find a lot of resources on the legality of citizen's ...
- 3,387
4
votes
0
answers
50
views
Can a single easement have multiple dominant tenements, or are they multiple easements?
In Florida USA, a single deed granted an easement for water access over a specific piece of land (servient tenement), for the benefit of approx two dozen specific lots of land nearby (dominant ...
- 41
4
votes
0
answers
60
views
Can prosecutors delay an indictment to hinder the defense?
Suppose a crime were committed with a very long (or no) statute of limitations, like murder.
The prosecutor has enough physical evidence to charge someone with the crime. However, they know that this ...
- 81
4
votes
0
answers
67
views
Alternatives to affirmative action in college admissions
Suppose that a university wants to preferentially admit students with backgrounds correlated with, but distinct from, a racial group. Assume that the university accepts federal funding, and so falls ...
- 159
4
votes
0
answers
92
views
What are the laws governing eviction of a fired employee out from the office?
The laws on dismissing an employee in the UK are in this link. What are the laws dictating how a dismissed employee must be walked out of the office? For example, is it legal to not allow him/her to ...
- 141
4
votes
0
answers
79
views
Under what law were the Republic protestors initially detained?
The detention of the Republic protestors at the coronation is reported so:
At around 6am on the morning of the coronation, Smith and his colleagues brought down the amplifiers and megaphones from ...
- 4,425
4
votes
0
answers
90
views
As an employee who is paid hourly, how much should be paid to pick up a common supply a any store anytime before shifts?
An employee works at a banquet hall or something similar. Often he is told to pick up ice from a store before work and bring it. He is reimbursed for the ice but not compensated for his time. ...
- 119
4
votes
0
answers
45
views
when are attorney’s fees recoverable by a prevailing party?
In the American rule it is only in certain infrequently occurring circumstances that a prevailing party can recover legal costs. What are these circumstances?
- 7,159
4
votes
0
answers
88
views
What is the definition of "substantial portions of Software" that is used in MIT License?
Text of MIT License is as follows:
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
"Software"), to deal ...
- 141
4
votes
0
answers
128
views
When does a videogame become a gacha game?
Recently I have been observing a lot of gaming companies pushing contents in their games that to my understanding should meet the definition of gacha. Yet, for some reason those games manage to avoid ...
- 219
4
votes
0
answers
241
views
What Happens To Shared Land When An HOA Is Dissolved?
An HOA was formed in Illinois back in 2006 a big developer was going to build houses. They established some rules/covenants and established the property lot lines. It also established some small ...
- 181
4
votes
0
answers
81
views
Do Game Boys lose their CE certification if modified?
On the Game Boy color and Game Boy Advance I found the CE sign.
I think this sign is mandatory and without it they may not be sold in the EU (at least commercially).
For both of these 2 models there ...
- 551
4
votes
0
answers
40
views
Can an indemnification clause be satisfied by personally representing the company if the user is an attorney?
This question about indemnification clauses in ToSes made me wonder what happens if the user is an attorney. The Tower of Fantasy ToS (using that example because it was used in the original question) ...
- 13.3k
4
votes
0
answers
104
views
Police voluntarily given a boat for pursuit: risks to owner?
In a number of videos (example), recently in Florida there was an on-going theft of a jet-ski. The police approached a boat owner who had just launched his boat for the day and asked if he would be ...
- 646