Law
Legal systems, legislation, court decisions, and jurisprudence
Baker v. Selden (1879): The Supreme Court Case That Separated Ideas from Expression
This landmark Supreme Court case established that copyright protects the expression of ideas but not the ideas or methods themselves — the foundation of the merger doctrine.
The Affero GPL: Closing the SaaS Loophole in Open Source Licensing
The AGPL extends the GPL's copyleft to network use — if users interact with AGPL software over a network, the operator must provide source code.
The Free Software Foundation: Stallman's Organization for Software Freedom
The FSF, founded by Richard Stallman in 1985, promotes the ethical principle that software must be free to run, study, modify, and redistribute — and stewards the GPL license.
Fiduciary Duty: The Highest Legal Standard of Care
Fiduciary duty is the highest legal standard of care — professionals (lawyers, financial advisors, directors) must prioritize client interests above their own. Breach is a serious legal claim rooted in information asymmetry.
The EU AI Act: The World's First Comprehensive AI Regulation
The EU AI Act, which entered into force in August 2024 with phased implementation through 2027, is the world's first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence. It classifies AI systems into risk tiers: unacceptable (banned — social scoring, real-time biometric surveillance), high-risk (regulated — hiring tools, credit scoring, law enforcement), limited risk (transparency required), and minimal risk (unregulated). General-purpose AI models face additional obligations including technical documentation and copyright compliance.
Why Juries Cannot Do Their Own Research
Jurors can't research cases because both sides must be able to challenge all evidence. Independent research bypasses due process, introduces unvetted information, and can cause a mistrial.
Fiduciary Duty: Why Some Professionals Must Act in Your Best Interest
Fiduciary duty applies when information asymmetry means clients can't verify the professional's work (lawyers, doctors, financial advisors). It's a legal obligation to prioritize client interests over self-interest.
AI Art Copyright: Thaler v. Perlmutter and Human Authorship Requirement
Thaler v. Perlmutter: purely AI-generated art has no US copyright. AI-assisted work with substantial human creative input may qualify. The boundary remains legally undefined.
EU Gig Worker Protection Law: How Platforms Control "Independent" Contractors
EU's gig worker law addresses how platforms classify workers as independent while controlling them like employees — algorithmic penalties, rate control, and deactivation threats contradict contractor status.
Extraterritorial Legal Jurisdiction: When Countries Prosecute Citizens for Acts Abroad
Most countries cannot prosecute citizens for legal acts abroad, except for child sexual exploitation, terrorism, and drug trafficking — where extraterritorial jurisdiction and MLATs enable cross-border prosecution.