71
votes
Accepted
At what point can you walk out of a restaurant if they make you wait to pay the bill?
at what point can you just leave? Is it always technically illegal in the UK to leave without paying the bill?
Probably depends on what you mean with just leaving. If just leaving translates I haven'...
37
votes
At what point can you walk out of a restaurant if they make you wait to pay the bill?
It is illegal for you to take a meal and intend to not pay.
You have a reasonable expectation of using a credit card if they normally take it, The situation of finding out the machine is down isn't, ...
34
votes
If someone orders a pizza in the US and doesn't pay for it, could they be arrested?
Yes.
See Florida Man's Version of Dine and Dash Involving A Pizza Delivery
James Chandler was arrested after allegedly ordering a pizza and cinnamon sticks and partially eating them without paying. ...
- 1,212
26
votes
Does the "Interstate Commerce Clause" prohibit local or state government from "boycotting" another state
Under the commerce clause, a state cannot (without authorization from Congress), forbid its residents to travel to another state, nor tax such travel. It cannot prohibit imports from, or exports to, ...
- 113k
25
votes
If someone orders a pizza in the US and doesn't pay for it, could they be arrested?
This answer is very dependent on local and state jurisdiction, as well as the fact that the person who ordered the pizza(s) did not eat them, only declined to pay when delivered.
Edited 10/29/19
The ...
- 18.8k
24
votes
Accepted
Would it be legal for a US State to ban exports of a natural resource?
No
A state may not do that.
The US Constitution Art. I section 8 says:
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for ...
- 113k
22
votes
Accepted
"Not for individual resale" - really?
My understanding is that this isn't a contractual term, but rather a warning that the items don't satisfy legal requirements for individual sale. The seller and manufacturer likely don't care whether ...
- 29k
22
votes
Accepted
What is the copyright status of a journal article written more than 70 years ago?
The article is public domain. The pictures aren’t
If this was first published in the British Empire (as it then was), then The UK is the place of first publication. What follows is its status under UK ...
- 198k
20
votes
At what point can you walk out of a restaurant if they make you wait to pay the bill?
If I fill my car with diesel and suddenly realise I've left my wallet at home, the attendant will take a note of my car registration, which will be all over cctv anyway, along with my face. I'll ...
- 441
19
votes
At what point can you walk out of a restaurant if they make you wait to pay the bill?
They can’t hold you there for any period of time, as that would be false imprisonment. You have a legal obligation to pay the bill; however, there is no contract about when your payment is due.
You ...
- 522
19
votes
What are the limits of the Commerce Clause?
You are correct in understanding that as it is currently interpreted, Commerce Clause authority is incredibly broad.
Generally speaking, an activity can be regulated under the Commerce Clause if it ...
- 57.2k
10
votes
Why are residents of particular states barred from being Amazon affiliates?
These states have relevant (offending) sales tax laws. Amazon has no physical presence in Louisiana, but Louisiana recently passed HB30 which requires businesses with in-state affiliates (p3 line 25) ...
- 210k
10
votes
Does the "Interstate Commerce Clause" prohibit local or state government from "boycotting" another state
This very question was somewhat pointedly not decided in a suit by Texas against California, which was denied permission to file suit (Alito and Thomas dissenting). A substantial portion of Texas' ...
- 210k
9
votes
What are the limits of the Commerce Clause?
The doctrine followed in Gonzalez v. Raich, that a local activity affects a broad interstate market, and is thus subject to Federal law under the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution was first ...
- 113k
8
votes
Accepted
Do I have to pay for a drink if a vendor cannot accept payment?
In general, you still need to pay for the drink.
If you had purchased the drink (on credit, ie a tab or similar as you appear to have done), and you had offered the vendor CASH, and he had refused, [...
- 3,470
8
votes
Can a restaurant or retailer be held to "posted" prices?
Under the law of common law contracts, posting a price is an invitation to treat and is not binding.
However, in many jurisdictions, there may be (probably is) statutory consumer protection law that ...
- 198k
8
votes
Accepted
Is it legal to make two competing brands of the same product without making the public aware of the common source?
You mean like Unilever, and countless others do?
Yes.
Many, many companies control a stable of brands, often of competing products. This is particularly prevalent in grocery lines (cleaning, food, ...
- 198k
8
votes
Would it be legal for a US State to ban exports of a natural resource?
I agree with David Siegel's answer but I think its always important in the law to consider what it would take to get what you want. I will say it is possible but not as an export prohibition per se ...
- 2,316
8
votes
Accepted
Can an Amazon Seller Make Me Pay for Items I didn't order but they mailed me for free
We cannot guess what the seller will do, but the law is that unsolicited merchandise is treated as a gift.
- 210k
8
votes
Is there a Legal Requirement for Computer Companies to Include an Operating System when Selling a PC?
No
AFAIK there is no such legal requirement.
Why this company told you there was I can’t speculate. But I will.
There may be under contract with MicroSoft to put their OS on every box they sell - that ...
- 198k
8
votes
What stops "free content" creators from suddenly making their content copyrighted, and suing everyone who has used their previously free material?
It depends on the terms of the licence
You can do X until I tell you to stop
You can do X as long as Y
You can do X forever
are all valid licences.
For the website you name, the licence is “...
- 198k
7
votes
Accepted
How does personal drug possession affect interstate commerce?
To pick up on your comment 'Does this mean if I wish to build a chair for personal use, then since trade of chairs exists between states, Congress has the authority to outlaw possession or ...
- 4,304
7
votes
Would it be legal for a US State to ban exports of a natural resource?
They can, and do; there's just one wrinkle: They get the assent of the Federal government.
Take the Great Lakes Compact (please, says Nestle and Coke). It's a deal amongst the Great Lakes border ...
7
votes
If someone orders a pizza in the US and doesn't pay for it, could they be arrested?
Well, this depends on circumstances, as usual :-).
First of all, the police can generally only arrest you if they suspect that you committed a crime (or if there is a court order you violated). There ...
- 7,839
7
votes
Accepted
Is the ORGVSM f*ck tee legal?
"Commercial disparagement" is about statements that a person makes, knowing that they are false. The words on the T-shirt are neither true nor false. The T-shirt might be illegal in ...
- 210k
6
votes
Accepted
Using translated company type on website
Some people make the Kft. to LLC translation that you suggest and it would probably not be illegal to do so if other text did not imply that it was anything other than a Hungarian entity.
From a ...
- 195k
5
votes
Can a restaurant or retailer be held to "posted" prices?
It depends on where exactly in the world you are.
In the United Kingdom, you cannot force the shop to trade at the advertised price. They can claim that they made a mistake and refuse.
However, ...
- 32.9k
5
votes
If a mailman steals a package, who takes the loss?
Leaving out who the shipper is for a minute, the primary loss would be the seller's (UCC 2-613) in that the loss would be total and the contract would void (so the buyer has not obligation to pay the ...
- 210k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible