texts: Is it not illegal to take minors across state lines without parental permission?

texts:
In the context of Roe v Wade discussion of the abortion issue, it's been suggested that even if the decision were to be reversed, it would have little effect. The argument goes along the lines that most states would not want to attract the social ire that would go with making abortions illegal because anyone can travel to neighboring states and there would be a lot of social desire to setup accommodations to those wishing to travel across state lines for abortions.

Somehow I remember it being mentioned on many previous occasions though that there is a federal law forbidding taking minors across state lines.  Is that an urban myth?  Is there such a law? Is it limited to cases of sexual trafficking?  Or is it wide in scope?  Would it make assisting minors to travel to neighboring states to get abortions a federal crime?


texts: Is it legal for a company to enter an agreement not to hire employees from another company?

texts: Is it legal for ACME Corp to enter a reciprocal agreement with another company to not hire from their workforce. This seems like it may have ramifications for price fixing the labor market.


texts: What happens if Congress blocks funding for a President's military order?

texts:
There is talk of Congress passing legislation to block funding for a military strike on North Korea.

My question is, what happens if the president orders an attack assuming it is within his authority? (Edit: I don't really intend this to be specific to an attack; if a defensive move is significantly different then please explain the difference.)

Given that he's still commander-in-chief, would the military be obligated to work unpaid (or quit)?

Or would they be allowed to just ignore his order? Or would either Congress or the president's act be unconstitutional? Is there any precedent for something similar?


texts: What are the legal aspects around distribution of a new work based on public domain work but in a new medium?

texts:
For example, this fan wiki page contains a list of some work that is now in the public domain.

As I understand it, it is legal to sell these works and even new works based on these. What is not so clear for me is what happens when you port over that work to another medium/art form.

It seems, from what I've read that it would be okay to make an extended version of the cartoon or to shoot a live version with actors, i.e. drop the cartoon element.

However, could one legally create and distribute a short video game based on these movies? A potential problem is that while the work has fallen into public domain, the characters are trademarked.

But if so, why is that not an issue if one produces an extended cut of the original?

Otherwise, under which criteria could this be done?


texts:
I'm referring to the titles for UKHL Law Lords and UKSC Justices. Why aren't they abbreviated for brevity, when Justice is to J and Lord/Lady Justice to LJ? Eg:

In  Braganza v BP Shipping Ltd [2015] UKSC 17, Neuberger L dissented, but Hale L delivered a majority judgment.

In Belhaj v Straw [2017] UKSC 3, Neuberger and Hale LL both concurred in Mance L's majority judgment.


texts: Are motions to censure opposing counsel used?

texts:
Is it common, considered a good tactic, or even allowed, to move a court to censure – or even hold in contempt – the opposing counsel?

If one has a reasonable argument for why the opposing counsel is out of line, and the judge hasn't called them on it, it seems to me like it would almost always be a good tactic.  And it seems like it could occur with some frequency when the opposing counsel is a criminal prosecutor, since their duty is to truth and justice, and it's a fine line to walk between being a principled advocate for justice and a competent adversary to a defendant.

But what is the reality?  Are such motions allowed?  Do judges take kindly to being encouraged to censure an officer of their court?  Are there clear benefits or expected outcomes of such motions?

Also, would such motions succeed by appealing to the principles espoused by courts and legal professional associations?  Or does a lawyer really have to substantially neglect their duty or abuse their position before a motion to censure will be entertained?


texts: Irish Passport through Great Grandparent

texts:
Say the family tree looks like this:
Great Grandfather <- Born in what is now Northern Ireland
Grandmother <- Born in Britain
Mother <- Born in Britain
Son <- Born in Britain

From a cursory glance of the relevant legislation, the grandmother and mother would be eligible for Irish citizenship as a foreign born citizen but the Son would not.
However, if the Grandmother or mother were to choose to exercise their right and obtain their Irish citizenship, this would reduce the number of generations between the son and the last Irish citizen ancestor to less than two. Would the son then be able to claim Irish citizenship? Finally, does it make any difference if the Great Grandfather was born in what is now the North or the Republic?


texts: My Girlfriend is Canadian and I'm American, we want marry, but she's not ready to live in th US

texts: My girlfriend and I want to get married. She's Canadian but with the option of dual citizenship, she would live in Canada for a few more months until we have everything sorted in the United States, but we don't know if she will legally be allowed to go back to Canada if we get married here. What are our options?


texts: How to handle contracts for volunteers looking to contribute work to our game project

texts:
For some time now, a friend and I have been working on a game project. As a part of my friends university course, they need to demonstrate working to a brief on a major project (which can either be an internal or external project). After checking with the university, they gave us the green light for my friend to work on our hobby game project as the project for that assessment.

This was fine when it was just my friend, but we now have several other uni students who are now also keen to do work for us on the project (for the same purpose). This obviously brings up concern over intellectual property. If they are providing us with artwork, code and other assets for the project, we would want to potentially use them within the project now and in the future. If we can't, then this whole endeavor provides zero benefit to us.

So the intention is to have them sign a contract that covers the matters of intellectual property and confidentiality of information (etc.) before they could do any work on the project. However, from what I understand, we need some form of 'valuable consideration', or the contract will not be legally binding. Given that these individuals are doing this work voluntarily and for the purpose of assessment, that seems to complicate things a lot, since there will be no monetary remuneration involved.

As I understand it, 'valuable consideration' doesn't have to be monetary. Is us providing a project and platform for them to complete their assessment enough to be considered 'valuable consideration' in this context?


texts: Are terms and conditions preventing already illegal things meaningful?

texts:
I'm looking at writing T&Cs for my service and found that many examples repeat that they prevent things which are already illegal. An example fragment:

You may not use the Services and may not accept the Terms if: [...] you are a person barred from receiving the Services under the laws of Australia or other countries including the country in which you are resident or from which you use the Services.

Is there a point to adding rules like this? If it's already illegal for the person, my T&Cs don't change that, so it seems like a waste of space.


texts: Is a Unit with broken locks considered Unfit or in disrepair

texts:
I moved into a new unit, however, on arrival the front door lock was broken and can't be locked from the outside. There is a screen-door however, the wiring near the lock has been cut and it is easy to unlock the door from the outside.
In the contract, there is a section pertaining to the lessors obligations that says:
(1) At the start of the tenancy, the lessors must ensure -
...
(B) the premises are fit for the tenant to live in; and
(C) the premises are in good repair; and

Can the doors not locking, be considered a breach of contract due to these two conditions? This would be in Australia, Queensland, Brisbane.


texts: What is the practical difference between "fair use" and "fair dealing" in Copyright law?

texts:
In the united-states, fair-use is a defence to copyright infringement.

In other jurisdictions, particularly members or ex-members of the British Commonwealth such as united-kingdom and australia there is a fair-dealing defence.

What's the practical difference?


texts: Job interview and negotiation for reasonable accommodations

texts:
Is there any legal framework for the process of negotiation of reasonable accommodations for the job interview?
As far as I understand, the candidate needs to provide a letter from their doctor that states that the said candidate has certain disabilities and can't do certain things, and thus needs certain adjustments during the interview.
From the side of the company, do they need to provide any evidence to support their opinion on what accommodations would be reasonable or unreasonable?


texts:
I owe a £5,000 debt and I wished to make payment in the pettiest but legal way possible.

I would like to pay entirely in cash, I'm aware there is a previous case history in doing such a thing and I am aware there are rules regulating how many coins to value are legal tender.

I have prepared sorted piles of coins based on my basic understanding of what is legal tender:

20 * 1p = 20p
10 * 2p = 20p
92 * 5p = £4.60
50 * 10p = £5
50 * 20p = £10
20 * 50p = £10
4970 * £1 = £4970

I believe at this point this would be an acceptable form of payment.

I mix all these coins into one massive sack.

I then fill the sack with an assortment of confetti.

Just as I prepare to take the sack to make payment, my child who I have been teaching the value of money tips in a till full of fake coins. I don't have time so I delivery the sack as payment as is.

Have I paid in a way in which the creditor cannot refuse payment?
At what point are they justified in their refusal?
Am I responsible for the sorting of coins?
Am I liable for the cost of time involved in sorting?

Although I am looking for an answer in a British context I'm happy to hear how this may differ in other countries.

Clarification: This question is entirely hypothetical.


texts: Does something have to be original to be a work?

texts:
I've read the multiple definitions of 'originality' regarding copyright, and I am still not convinced whether something has to be a work first for it to classify as possibly an original one if that's the case.
So, for instance, can a speech be called original if the one that is giving the speech has not copied someone else's work? Can it not be called original (even if it is), if it's not a work (fixed)?


texts: Does the 1st Amendment let the government ban an app?

texts:
This article says that President Trump will ban the popular apps WeChat and TikTok.
On the other hand the Bernstein case established (at least in the 9th Circuit) that computer software is speech. The government chose not to appeal that case at the Supreme Court, so in theory this is still unsettled outside the 9th Circuit, but lets assume for the moment that other courts will go along with this.
Can the executive issue a ban on these applications? The justifications given are:

Chinese companies are gathering information on US citizens, and the Chinese government could gain access to this information and use it nefarious ways.

The Chinese government could impose use these apps to promote its view of the world to US citizens.

However it seems to me unlikely that this would survive Strict Scrutiny Any national security concerns could be addressed by more narrowly tailored means, such as a warning notice and a ban on use by government employees or contractors with security clearance. A ban which has the side effect of preventing teenagers from uploading 15 second dance clips would not seem to be narrowly tailored. As for Chinese propaganda, I would have thought that the 1st Amendment gives the same free speech rights to the Chinese government that it gives to any other person.
I've read this answer and the linked Lawfare articles which explain that the executive has the power to block commercial transactions on national security grounds, but those laws would seem to fall before the First Amendment. The Bernstein case was likewise about the power of the executive to limit speech for national security, and that argument failed.
So: could a 1st Amendment argument be used to overturn this proposed ban?
Edit (posted after user6726's answer):
This article on TechDirt argues that the ban is in violation of the 1st Amendment. In addition to the "code is speech" argument, it also argues that banning security updates from people who already have the app will weaken security rather than strengthening it, and:

The claim is "to protect national security." We already knew that was bogus, and all of the info anyone can get from TikTok is already widely available for purchase.

Edit 2: this question is being overtaken by events. A group of WeChat users have obtained a preliminary injunction on the grounds that the ban impacts their 1st Amendment rights.


texts: Is it a Hipaa violation to take a picture of someone in a medical office if they are not a patient. A person fell because of unsafe conditions and a picture was taken (that did not show face) to show the unsafe condition.


texts: Does bypassing the 10NES lockout chip violate the DMCA?

texts:
The first model of the NES has a 10NES lockout chip to prevent unauthorized games from being played which many of the companies worked around. The negative result to the consumer is that this chip caused reliability issues with the system resulting in blank screens. If the chip is disabled manually or by the use of a 3rd party device (blinking light win) then it is much more reliable.

The top loader model of the NES later released removed this chip making it more reliable in that respect. My question is, would disabling or using the BLW violate the DMCA or any other US law?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIC_(Nintendo)

https://www.arcadeworks.net/blw


texts: Is it legal to use the sounds of Google Translator to use them on my own website?

texts:
I would like to know if it is legal to use the sounds of Google Translator to use them on my own website?

For example, when you go to:
https://translate.google.com/#en/es/computer

And you click on the speaker icon, you get back a sound for the word: "computer".

Is any problem with Google copyrights?

Thanks!


texts:
In California, I loaned my $6000 car to someone who paid a $500 deposit. If he returned it today, according to the agreement, he would owe $1500 (so he would need to pay $800 more since he once made a $200 payment, albeit late). But, he now refuses to pay more and refuses to return the car. I am pressing criminal charges, but want to focus here on just my potential in a civil suit. Also, I understand that I am unlikely to ever get paid even if I win the civil suit, but let's not discuss that.

Then, what is the most I can reasonably sue for? My guess is that I can sue for the $6000 car (minus whatever value I can sell it for if I get it back) plus the $800 debt plus my court-related costs (maybe $500). Does California civil court have any punitive/double/treble recovery precedent? Is there a common practice in California civil courts which would allow me to sue beyond my true expenses?

He makes arrangements to pay or return the car but reneges on these actions. I could claim that he has caused me 40 extra hours of work to manage this but I don't believe I can expense my own time for a suit, so hoping instead for a more official California civil court punitive rule.


texts: Is the non-availability of an accessory a defect of the main product?

texts:
I am currently trying to understand the details of the German law about defects ("Sachmangel, § 434 BGB") and misleading advertising ("Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb (UWG), § 5 Irreführende geschäftliche Handlungen") and how they are related to the law in other countries such as US and UK. Let's consider the following example:

You can buy a lot of products that can be extended with specifically tailored accessories. For example, there are specific adapters available for connecting a given smartphone with a display or cars can be equipped with matching roof racks.

The availability of given accessories can very well influence the decision to buy something so traders advertise their products accordingly, such as "For this product, the accessory [...] is available to enable functionality [...]".

Now let's imagine you buy the product, but you notice very soon that it is not possible to buy the accessory anywhere (for the sake of argument there is also no third party manufacturer that provides a matching accessory). It might be the case that this accessory was never manufactured at all or it is out-of-stock and will never be manufactured again. The true reason is of course not known to the consumer.

How does this relate to the status of the main product? I can imagine three different reasonings.

If the car was advertised with an A/C, but it is broken, you can not use the A/C functionality and thus it is a defect of the car and you can expect repairs or (monetary) compensation. Correspondingly, if the advertised roof rack is not available, you can not use the "putting stuff on the roof" functionality that was promised in the advertisement, thus it is a defect of the main product, too.
If an ad shows a smartphone used in a swimming pool, but it is not waterproof, this is misleading advertisement. While the individual consumer can not do anything about it, authorities can perform certain actions against it. Correspondingly, if there is an ad where a smartphone is connected to a display, but it is not possible for anyone else to reproduce this setup, this is misleading advertisement.
Promising the availability of accessories is a purely informative statement and has no legal consequences. This, however, would enable manufacturers to just promise and advertise certain functionality without putting any engineering effort into the actual implementation. Edit: Of course, this would be noticed fast for very popular products, but in some areas such as household appliances, the variety of models is large enough that a public outcry is unlikely.


texts: Can a retail store staff member search your bag on exit?

texts:
I know some places that search people's bags just before they leave the store.  Alternatively I've seen stores that require people to leave their bags in a certain area, such as behind the front counter, when they first enter the store. This is done to prevent theft. Are they allowed to do this? What if a person refuses? What are the limits, for example I don't think they can search inside your pockets or the clothes you're wearing?

I just ask out of curiosity, but sometimes I work as a contractor and have to go into a store to do my work. Some of my work contracts specify I must allow them to search me etc. but hypothetically if my contract didn't could I refuse?


texts: Is a person with a warrant in one US state immune in another

texts: An individual has a warrant in two US states (Colorado and Illinois) for running away from probation for a domestic abuse/stalking issue. This person is now in Arizona. Are there systems whereby they can be "deported" to CO to deal with their crime or do they have immunity while away?


texts: Is Sword and a Shield a doctrine in the US?

texts:
I'm working on a complaint to US federal agencies. One of the arguments I need to make is, a company cannot use existing laws or policies or instruments as both a sword and a shield. That is, they cannot apply an instrument as a defensible position in one circumstance, and then use the same instrument for offense in another circumstance.

I know US law does not favor dual uses like that. For example, in the Anthem Data Breach settlement, Anthem tried to use security evaluation reports for defense by saying, "security firms that performed the evaluations said everything was OK" [sic]. Then, Anthem tried to say the reports were not discoverable because it was protected work production. Judge Koh disagreed and ordered the Anthem to turn over the reports stating Anthem could not use them as a sword and a shield.

My question is, is sword and shield a doctrine in US law? If not, then what is it called?

(I'm getting lots of hits explaining the concept, but I'm not finding the legal underpinnings).


texts: Street signs and bylaws -- what matters more?

texts:
The question is specifically about  a situation in Canada (province Ontario, city of Toronto), but other common law country view would be useful.
Suppose there is a municipal bylaw that prohibits parking on a certain street "between the point X meters south of [some intersection] and the point Y meters further south". Apparently its intent is to prevent blocking access to a series of townhouses at that location (though why it needs a special treatment remains unclear, as other laws exist to prevent blocking such access anyway). There are two "no parking" signs that apparently serve to inform you of that bylaw, but they are not placed X meters south of [some intersection] and Y meters further south; the distance between them is unnecessarily larger. I say unnecessarily because the first sign is closer than X to the intersection, in a spot where, if a car were parked, it would not block anything. See the diagram (rotated, so south is to the left):

In other words, the placement of "no parking signs" does not correspond to what the bylaw says, and parking a car where shown would not violate any other rules (blocking access, in front of a fire hydrant etc.)
Would it be a valid defence to say that, since the signs do not reflect the bylaw, and no other laws were violated, the car was parked legally and the issued ticket ("park prohibited day/time") is not valid? Or can the signs overrule the bylaw?
There is a somewhat related question but the situation is opposite -- what's posted does not match the bylaw.


texts: Is it possible to distribute BSD (derived) software with a warranty?

texts:
(In the following, assume that "I" is not personal, but could be a corporation or group suitable in size and training to perform the tasks)

I have received sample code carrying a license patterned after BSD:

  Copyright (c) (Year and original author are specifically named here). All rights reserved.

  Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
  modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
  met:

  Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
  Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
   the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
   distribution.
  Neither the name of author nor the names of its contributors may
   be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
   without specific prior written permission.

  THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
  "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
  LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
  A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR
  COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
  SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
  LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
  DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
  THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
  (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
  OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

The significant deviation from the "classic" three-clause BSD license, as seen for example on Wikipedia is that the disclaimer uses the phrase "AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS" instead of naming a particular entity.

Assume that I take steps to ensure quality of the final version of the software I develop using this BSD-licensed source code, such as code inspection, testing, use of static analysis tools, perhaps even going so far as formal proofs of correctness.  (Ignore for the moment that compared to these costs, recreating the software from scratch is probably feasible)

May I now offer the final version to a client under terms that extend warranties disclaimed in the original BSD license, such as fitness for a particular purpose?  Due to my quality assurance process, I am expecting to assume the associated risks, and hold harmless the authors who gave sample code to me.

Or does the license disclaimer, which I must preserve intact under the terms of redistribution, fixate the agreement between myself and my customer to the same "as-is" terms that governed the original sample, because that disclaimer names "COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS", a category into which I now fall?

Is it permissible for me to substitute the name of the actual entity in place of references to that entity such as "COPYRIGHT HOLDERS", "AUTHORS" or "CONTRIBUTORS"?

Does the answer change at all if the quality assurance and warranty are provided by a separate entity who has not contributed to the software itself?


texts: Can a landlord return to live in his property together with an overholding tenant?

texts:
If the landlord has a month to month lease with a tenant and the the landlord decided to terminate the lease, but the tenant ignores and overstays.
Does the landlord has a right to enter the property and live there together with the tenant?


texts: Are 'no contra proferentem' clauses enforceable? It seems the point they exist is to increase fairness and removing them would inherently make contracts less fair. Also, is there another name from contra proferentem? I seem to recall reading one once, like Equal Interpretation (which stated the most common sense interpretation of the clause would be used, regardless who wrote it), but I may be mistaking.


texts: Can creed be used as a protected philosophical, but not religious belief, to prevent firing?

texts: Specifically, can white supremacy be considered a creed as it is a widely held philosophical belief?


texts:
I hired an attorney for a civil matter. Another attorney at the firm has been communicating with me a lot and I find some of the things he says and the questions he asks me odd.
Is there a way I can ask if they are my attorney to be absolutely sure we have an attorney-client relationship?


texts:
Hypothetically, since having Sexual Relations with somebody requires consent. If you and your partner are having sexual relations but want to keep it secret from those around you.

If one party of this sexual relation decides to accuse the other one of "rape", and obviously no written consent has been created, as doing so is awkward, would this necessarily put the accused as guilty of rape?

How would this situation be dealt with under Canadian law?

Any ideas appreciated, as I have been curious about this question for quite some time.


texts: Who owns the copyright and who is the author of the project?

texts:
Mr. X paid me to develop 5 websites and 1 online system. Also, he paid my friend (graphic designer) for making graphic designs for 15 other projects. We created all these projects and he paid us for them.
He created screenshots of all these projects, published them on his company's website and claims that they are projects created by his corporate team.
Can he publish projects as works of his company if the two of us have never given up copyright? We never signed any paper allowing him to publish projects for someone else's work.
If he acts illegally, what can we do?
But that's not all. Mr. X created screenshots of my friend's projects that Mr. X had nothing to do with and also claimed to have been created by his corporate team. These are purely my friend's projects.
We are from Slovakia (I apologize for the grammatical errors). Do we have the right to file a criminal complaint for copyright infringement? If we get paid for the projects, can Mr. X pass them off as his own?


texts: How is it possible Rottentomatoes uses movie posters in their website, app?

texts:
Google refused my app because app unauthorized use of copyrighted content. How is it possible that Rottentomatoes uses posters in their site and app? Do they pay for each poster? At which organization do I have to pay for posters?

I read a comment here, at some case someone are able to use covers/posters/screencaps under fair use. There are guidelines for fair use, namely the four factors judges are expected to consider in determining whether a use is fair use or not.

App using the material for criticism; not profiting yourself from your post, your use is unlikely to harm sales of the work; and for the screencaps at least, app reproducing only a very small portion of the movie.


texts: Can I use a registered trademark in a software to indicate a file type?

texts:
I develop a software that contains a file viewer. For the sake of usability I would like to indicate also the "file type". Let's assume I display a Photoshop file. Am I allowed to refer to the file as "Adobe Photoshop File"?
Technically I use a trademark in my application which I don't own. I am just wondering what my options are here. Thank you!


texts: If a barrister cannot convince his client to act on his advice, should not the lawyer still effect and respect the client's instructions?

texts:
Source: p 33-34, The Art of the Advocate (1993) by Richard Du Cann QC.
 Please advise me how I can abridge the quote below to reduce this post's length.

  The Legal
  Aid and
  Advice Act has made the
  services of both solicitor and barrister available to all those whose
  incomes do not allow them to go to a solicitor privately. The
  basic idea of the scheme, that lawyers' fees should be paid by
  the State and not by private individuals, was first proposed in
  1657. Now, over 300 years later, this is beginning to come about.
  It is the greatest single Step towards ensuring equality before the
  courts ever taken in this country. But it has set a problem
  which has not yet been resolved. In 1866 Mr Justice Blackburn
  said:

    [1.] It would be unprofessional for counsel to undertake the conduct of a
    cause giving up all discretion as to how he should conduct it.
    Few
    counsel, I hope, would accept a brief on the unworthy terms that he is
    simply to be the mouthpiece of his client.

  [2.] For centuries, relying on the honouring of this obligation, the
  courts have acted on the certain presumption that the advocate
  bears full responsibility for every course adopted before them. But
  Mr Justice Blackburn went on:

    [3.] counsel cannot induce his client to act on his advice, the proper course is to return his brief.

  [4.] What if the brief comes sanctified by the careful scrutiny of the
  Aid Committee, and the barrister decides that
  cause of action is disclosed? To return the brief will seem to deny
  the client the right the Act is designed to give. Yet this must be
  his course of action. Once the advocate allows himself to give up
  his freedom of action by permitting his decisions to be
  by one previously made by the executive he absolves himself from
  his responsibility to the courts and will become no more than an
  arm of the executive, and his status as a fearless and independent
  champion of the rights of the individual will disappear completely.
  Whatever criticisms have been made of him this title he has
  always held. If he is to deserve attention from the Judiciary and
  to command respect from the public this title he must continue to
  hold, for it is only by so doing that he can justify his existence.

What have I misunderstood, because 3 and 4 appear wrong? Lawyers can cease representing clients, but not because the lawyer disagrees with the client (as 3 and 4 imply) because even then, the lawyer must still effect and respect the client's instructions (if they are legal).


texts: Can I write about a *copy* of a dead celebrity?

texts:
I'm writing a science fiction novel and I want to use Jim Morrison (lead singer for The Doors who died 47 years ago) as a minor character.  Actually, it is a copy of Jim Morrison uploaded after his death into a 13-dimensional computer, which is embedded in my protagonist's brain.  Since this is an emulation created after his death and not the living, breathing Jim, would this be enough to protect me from defamation?

I'm also considering making him an altered personality, deranged from dying and "breaking through to the other side."   I may also turn him into a "chimera" personality, half Jim, half host.  Could these provide more protection from liability?

Is it lawful if Jim speaks or sings some of his lyrics in the story?

I've heard that the location of death determines the jurisdiction.  Since he died in Paris, how would French law affect this?


texts: Am I required to charge sales tax with an ecommerce site hosted in Australia?

texts: I am creating a Wordpress site and want to sell some online products. Problem I have come across is easy digital downloads does not set tax by default. What tax rate should I set as the default in Australia? Does the law require one to be set and, if so, what are the consequences of not setting it?


texts: Have plaintiff allegations in complaint ever been considered slander of title?

texts:
Let's say that a business owner A maliciously sues a competing business owner B alleging that business owner B has stolen trade secrets that contained information about business owner A's customers and that business owner B has unfairly solicited them over from business owner A. Of course, this is not true as none of the customers were actually solicited over, but business owner A still asks for monetary damages.
Meanwhile, because of this malicious lawsuit, business owner B is unable to sell his business to potential buyers at full price because this is a wildcard for new buyers as they don't know what will happen next as they don't have all the facts.

Has there been precedent in California where such plaintiffs have been successfully countersued for lost business sale value because of a malicious lawsuit that did cast doubt about customer ownership?
If yes, then what keywords should I search for on an internet docket like docketalarm to find such lawsuits? Is this possibly "slander of title"?


texts: Can children be placed, and required to testify, under oath in American courts?

texts:
In one scene of the film i am sam the character Lucy, seven years old, is questioned in some kind of court under oath. When her story is "shaky", she is reminded that she is under oath and not allowed to lie.

Is this authentic? Could it actually happen in American courts?


texts:
'Creed' is a 'protected characteristic' with respect to discrimination or harassment, at least in some U.S. jurisdictions or for some private employers.

The Wikipedia article "Creed" defines it thus:

  A creed (also confession, symbol, or statement of faith) is a statement of the shared beliefs of a religious community in the form of a fixed formula summarizing core tenets.

Does the legal definition, or any (if there are multiple) legal definitions, significantly differ from the above?


texts: What are the chances of legal issues on self-acquired property transferred to grandsons based on will execution?

texts:
Say a grandfather has written a will that his self acquired property goes to his grand sons after his death, and will has been executed after his death and now property transferred on to his grandsons. Is there any chance of grandfather’s wife or legal heirs (daughters/sons) to claim share on this property? can any lawyer serve a notice in such case?

Jurisdiction: Karnataka, India.


texts: How does a liquidator set aside an attachment order during liquidation?

texts:
How can a liquidator set aside an attachment order during a liquidation?
Please excuse the lack of specificity on this question; it's an issue I need to understand for a commercial transactions exam, but the lecturer is refusing to explain himself.
I understand this site is not directed specifically at South African law, but I'm looking for someone who can shed a little light on this with respect to the Insolvency Act and the Companies Act.


texts: UK London - Tenancy Agreement - 2 Months notice on fixed term end

texts:
Backstory : 1 month before my Fixed Term ends, my landlord called me and said that he would be increasing the price of property, which basically made me start looking for other properties.
After 6 days, I sent him a whatsapp message, since thats the way we usually comunicate saying that I wouldnt be renovating, this was on the 14th of april, 1 month before my tenancy agreement ends.
I called yesterday asking what to do with the flat, as in , which cleaning company he has a preference for to clean the flat, and to ask about the deposit, and he said, that since I didnt give him the 2 months notice, that I am liable for 2 extra months of rent.

I already rented another flat, so I wont be staying eitherway.

The tricky part,

On my contract there is a clause that says I need to give 2 months notice - which I failed to notice -  regardless of leaving on the end of the fixed term or not, I was doing research online and came across this Shelter Webpage

It basically says that this is unfair term on contract, its stated as a example in the unfair terms.

Am I liable for those two months ?

Thank you


texts: Why are 'material contribution' vs 'proximate causation' separate tests?

texts:
Source: Introduction to Law in Canada (2014). pp. 252 Bottom - 253 Top.

  The Elements of a Negligence Claim

  The required elements of a negligence claim have been variously named, described, and numbered. There is still no consensus on terminology, although the courts in Canada today
  consistently refer to the five elements outlined below. The
  plaintiff has the burden of proof with respect to all of these
  elements, although in most cases the defendant will concede
  some of them and the litigation will focus on just one or two
  (most often, breach of the standard of care, and damages).

I omit 1 and 2.

  3. Factual Causation.

  Often simply referred to as "causation," this element concerns
  whether the defendant's negligent conduct has actually caused the loss. Two tests
  are commonly used here:

  the "but for" test, which asks whether there would
  have been no loss but for—that is, in the absence of—the defendanes conduct (or,
  framed another way, whether the defendant's conduct was necessary for the loss to
  occur); and
  the "material contribution" test, which asks whether the
  defendant's conduct materially contributed to the loss (this test openly recognizes
  that there may be other contributing causes).

    Recall, again, the sample case in Chapter 7 [on p. 201], Matthews v
  MacLaren [(1969), 4 DLR (3d) 557 (Ont HC). This case illustrates the duty and standard of care
  elements above, but was in fact decided against Matthew's estate on the basis of this third element, factual causation.
  Matthews would not likely have survived even if the defendant MacLaren had exercised proper care in rescuing him. Lake
  Ontario was very cold at the time and the evidence was that
  Matthews probably died shortly after hitting the water.

  4. Legal Causation.

  Because negligence liability concerns carelessness rather than
  intentional wrongdoing, the law places a limit on the extent of the defendant's
  liability, even when he has clearly caused the loss. For defendants to be liable there
  must be a sufficiently close connection between their conduct and the loss. The
  question here is whether the defendant's conduct was a "proximate cause" of the
  loss; it concerns the conduct's "remoteness"—or, more precisely, lack of
  remoteness—as a causal factor in the loss.
    The test used to limit liability is the
  "reasonable foreseeability" test; a defendant is only responsible for losses that are a
  reasonably foreseeable consequence of his behaviour.
    In 2008, the SCC had to decide whether a supplier of bottled water was responsible for a serious psychological illness
  suffered by a consumer who witnessed a dead fly in an unopened bottle. The SCC held that all of the elements of the
  negligence cause of action were met on these facts, except
  legal causation. The injury in this case was too remote to be
  compensable; it was not reasonably foreseeable that a person of ordinary fortitude would suffer serious injury from seeing a dead fly in a bottle of water (see Mustapha v Culligan of
  Canada Ltd, 2008 SCC 27).

Q1. How do these causes (greyed overhead) differ? Aren't they inexorably interdependent? I.e., how can a cause be:

Q2. materially contributive, but NOT proximate?

Q3. NOT materially contributive, but proximate?


texts: Does the Right to Counsel require qualifications?

texts:
In the U.S. the Constitution has been interpreted as requiring that anyone arrested be allowed, at their request, to consult with a lawyer before being questioned, and to have one present during questioning.  (Actually, that may be too strong an assertion: as best I can tell these often-called Miranda rights appear only to apply when law enforcement wishes to ensure that statements from a subject in custody be admissible in a criminal trial against the subject.)

Recently the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Gonzalez-Lopez that not being allowed council of one's choice was grounds for automatic reversal of a conviction.  The Right to Counsel seems well-defined for trial, but not for arrest and investigation.  Therefore:

Regarding the arrest and/or custodial interrogation stage: Are there any laws that govern who can serve as counsel, and how one must be allowed to contact them?

For example, if I am arrested and:

I want use a friend who has no legal training as my "counsel," do the police have any legal recourse from allowing me to talk to him prior to interrogation?  E.g., can they insist that my counsel be a member of the bar in the state where I have been arrested?
I want to consult a "team" of qualified counselors.  Are there legal grounds or regulations to limit the number of individuals I consult prior to interrogation, and who I have present during interrogation?
Can my contact with counsel be proscribed in any way?  E.g., can the police limit the duration or schedule of contact with counsel?  Can they impede or delay access to me by someone who claims to be my counsel?
What do police have to do to facilitate my access to my desired counselor(s)?  E.g., how long can I be held after requesting an attorney without being allowed to attempt to contact one?  What means must I be granted to find and contact the counsel of my choice?

(I'm hoping that there is settled law on these questions, though this report suggests that, practically, police can do whatever they want until a lawyer actually finds out a client has been arrested and manages to locate him!)


texts: Apostille document for from non-apostille countries

texts:
I am an indonesian marrying a Mauritian. The marriage will take place in Mauritius. To obtain my residence permit, they are asking for:

  Full Birth Certificate of applicant duly legalized/authenticated by
  competent authority/ bear the seal of  "Apostille" of the Hague
  Convention of 5th October 1961 (where applicable).

Indonesia is not part of the Apostille Convention, I'm in Indonesia, What should do, is there any other legal document I can use to replace the apostille birth certificate and where should I do this ?


texts: What is considered sufficient evidence to prove the usage of unlicenced software?

texts:
It is well known that some software products "call home" to inform their distributors how the software is used and whether it conforms to their licensing terms.

When someone pirates that software, this method might be used by the copyright holder to gather information about the user, and send the user a warning/threatening letter about the fact, and ask for payment, threatening legal action in case of non-compliance.

However, what is considered sufficient evidence for that legal action to have any standing at all? Would the word of the copyright holder (and their server logs, which in theory could be faked) be enough to prosecute the supposed copyright infringement?

My misunderstanding might come from the problem of what this evidence consists of. It is just a message sent by a software to their server. It's just data somewhere on a machine, under full control of the copyright owner.

A) Is the copyright owner implicitly believed? In this case it would be easy for such a company to go rogue, and make up copyright claims. For example, they might allow a free (as in beer) software to be downloaded, but having an expensive, non-free software too. The user installs the free one, it "phones home" with information to identify the user with, they edit the logs, and sue the user for using the non-free version.

B) If the data gathered by the copyright owner is not implicitly believed, then how can they press their claim if the user denies everything? By the time they obtain a warrant and show up with the police to search the premises of the supposed pirate, the evidence might have long since been destroyed. (and usually it's in a different country, making the process even more difficult and expensive)

If it's (A), how are users protected from frivolous lawsuits? If it's (B), then how can copyright owners exercise any of their rights? I would guess it's mostly (B), and the copyright owners just scare users into paying, and if a users refuses, there is not much they can do against him, besides threatening to start a lengthy and expensive lawsuit which the copyright owners have no real hope of winning, but would be so costly and time-consuming for the user (especially if the user is a private person or a much smaller company than the copyright holder) that he rather pays than to be dragged into it.

Is my understanding correct, is this how it works? The copyright holder has little to no chance of winning, but proposes a settlement of a few hundred or few thousand $, and threatens a lengthy legal process for maybe millions if not complied, and the users are scared of that lengthy process and they rather pay the smaller sum instead of going for the very low risk of having to pay millions in legal fees?


texts: I am curious about how subpoenas work across state lines. Let's assume that a matter is before the county court in NJ but information is needed from a person domiciled in NY. It seems that an NJ attorney could simply bring the subpoena to a court clerk in NY and it would have the same force as if it were issued in NY. However, it doesn't seem to be the same in NJ. In other words, if the action is in NY, how hard is it to subpoena someone in NJ?


texts: What penalties can a court martial impose?

texts:
This question on Aviation SE asks whether pilots in the US have to hold a driver's license (they don't). In a comment the poster explained why they asked the question:

  The reason and details cannot be publicly disclosed, but I am an ex A.W.O.L. soldier from the U.S. Marines. A court marshal [sic] ordered that I can't ever obtain a driver's license.

I know nothing about law or courts martial, but that seems to imply that a military court can impose a lifetime driving ban on someone. Which, once the poster is discharged and becomes a civilian, would presumably require individual states to uphold and enforce the military ruling.

So, could a court martial actually impose that penalty? Can court martial sentences 'carry over' into civilian life and be enforced there? More broadly, what penalties can they impose, beyond imprisonment or the death penalty?


texts:
My friend received a letter summoning her to jury duty.

She has not received anything like that before, even though she is now in her 40's and has been a U.S. citizen all her life. Also she never registered to vote (due to personal conviction) in any election and thought that a summon to jury duty is only sent to people who have registered to vote.

Consequently she is wondering if this summons is legitimate.

I am not able to answer from experience as I am not a U.S. citizen, but thought that I ask here:

In USA, is it possible to end up being called to jury duty even if you have not registered to vote?


texts: Seller liability and pre-owned merchandise malfunction

texts:
The below is 100% hypothetical. No event has occurred.
Any reply I receive is not legal advice and I will consult a lawyer if I were to ever need appropriate legal advice.

Let's say I own some baby items that my baby has outgrown, but have remaining useful life.
Eg: An expensive bassinet.
I own the bassinet, and it has been used properly. I then sell the bassinet noting that the prospective buyer is buying "as-is" but the item has been reasonably inspected (to the best of my lay ability) and appears to be in proper working condition and is "like-new".
Someone else buys that bassinet and, while the baby is in the bassinet, the baby dies. The. cause of death is SIDS


texts: Does the President of the USA execute prosecutorial discretion?

texts:
Is it legal for the President of the USA to direct an official of the DOJ (say, the Director of the FBI) to drop an investigation, as an exercise of prosecutorial discretion?

This is the case being made by Andrew McCarthy:

  [T]he president absolutely has the authority to exercise prosecutorial
  discretion.

  A legitimate exercise of executive power cannot be corrupt. A
  president does not corruptly impede an investigation by deciding that
  the equities weigh in favor of halting it. That is a decision the
  president gets to make. Source

Clearly, there is some special pleading going on there. But I am wondering whether Mr. McCarthy is correct on a point of law.


texts: How can a website operator be protected from copyright claims

texts: Suppose that a person creates a website where the users can upload text (eBooks). There is no obvious way to be sure that users own the copyright to text that they upload. Assume that the website is designed so that after the user uploads the eBook the owner must approve the texts before they are displayed on the website. What does the law require the owner to do to avoid copyright infringement claims.


texts: Is it legal to download subtitles from youtube videos

texts:
youtube videos have different types of subtitles, there is manual subtitles where the author writes his video's captions and uploads them, and there is the auto generated subtitles by youtube.

these subtitles can be downloaded in a geeky way,

Question: is it legal to download and use these subtitles whether they're auto generated or written by the author himself?


texts: Practical equivalent of judicial review permission stage in Scotland

texts:
Judicial Review claims in England and Wales require a court's permission to proceed to a full hearing (CPR 54.4).  The idea is to prevent claims with no prospect of success from taking up the court's time and incurring needless expense on the part of the claimant.

In Scotland, there is no permission stage (Court of Session Rules, Chapter 58).

In practical terms, how does a Scottish court dispose of Judicial Review claims with no prospect of success?  Is there an effective equivalent, or do all claims proceed to a full hearing irrespective of merit?


texts: Are national flags in the public domain?

texts:
This is a question, for simplicity's sake concerning UN member states.

Are the designs of all national flags in the public domain?

Are there any examples of copyrights?

I'm looking to use flags in a website.

I also believe the 'Threshold of Originality' may apply (but this is probably jurisdiction specific also).


texts: If a criminal charge was "dismissed", does that mean the case was dismissed after conviction?

texts: If a crime is committed involving arrest and court appearance - and then case is dismissed within 120 days - what does it exactly mean? Does it mean the person was CONVICTED and then case was DISMISSED? (this is what I'm getting from some of the sites) I understand the arrest is on record but does that mean that there is a conviction followed by dismissal or no conviction at all?


texts: landlord having neighbor stalk the property

texts:
We recently rented a house and the day we moved in we were told the neighbor will do the yard work and take care of the home. Also in the lease the landlord should give 24 hour notice before appearance but nothing about this neighbor we didn't know about. Nowhere in the lease does it say someone would do the yard work.

The problem is the neighbor has a couple domestic abuse charges in his past and he stays in the yard for hours looking in windows and snooping. No exaggeration - the first two weeks we moved in, the neighbor was in the yard at least 5 hours a day every day. We look out the window and the neighbor and some older man just standing outside looking at the house. The neighbor is a really large man about 6'5" and very creepy. We are always on edge and don't feel safe having him in the yard constantly.

We put up cameras to video tape the stalking. We have our own mower and can take care of the yard ourselves, but the landlord refuses and defends the neighbors actions. There is always a new excuse to have the neighbor enter the yard. Gutters, fertilizer, snow removal, always a new excuse. Always in the yard. We can't even go outside and we can do these things ourselves. Is there anything that can be done? We don't feel private or safe.


texts: Is there any legal requirement to use the phrase "you've been served", as seen on television and in movies?

texts:
Many American television shows and movies who have a character who is being served some kind of legal documents will have them handed some papers and then being told "You've been served".

Is this a required part of the process service process? What laws regulate the wording that should, or must be used, when serving documents?


texts: How is the "Truthfulness In Statements To Others" evaluated by a judge or the ABA?

texts:
In accordance to ABA 4.1, what are the conditions that would qualify a lawyer of unethical conduct in violation of rule 4.1?
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_4_1_truthfulness_in_statements_to_others/comment_on_rule_4_1/
For example, I sounds as if a lawyer does not have to "inform an opposing party". However a lawyer is also "is prohibited from counseling or assisting a client in conduct that the lawyer knows is criminal or fraudulent".
So for example, if a client makes false written statements about key dates (say a week long period) in matters of fact and the lawyer knows they are false, what are their ethical responsibilities?
Another example, in matters of divorce and custody, is a lawyer expected to make truthful statements in court regarding the nature of custodial interference?


texts: Can an EU country close its border (rather than introduce temporary border control)?

texts:
Title III chapter II of the Schengen border control code describes the possibility of reintroducing temporary border controls, but I can't find what basis there is to remove the right to free movement under EU law? Especially interested in knowing the limitations to their ability to close their border.

The context is Slovakia closing its border for anybody who doesn't have a temporary or permanent residence in Slovakia. Do note, under EU law you do not need temporary or permanent residence in a country to live and even work there, thus this means that I now know of people who now can not leave Slovakia without losing the ability to return.


texts: Legal Action regarding the position that you agreed in contract is not the same with your current position

texts: When I signed the contract to my employer, it’s indicated that the position I applied for is just a software developer/analyst but I found out that they Introduced me as a Team Lead already that’s why their expectation is so high and this leads me to termination due to performance issue as a team lead.


texts: Copyright When Using Works in CC0/Public Domain

texts: If I use works in the public domain or with a CC0 license (sound effects, images, 3d materials) and alter them (give a 3d model I've created a CC0 material, alter a sound effect in audacity) can I claim copyright on the altered work or does it stay in the public domain?


texts: Prove for someone that a specific app is yours?

texts:
So I made an app and I am planning on releasing it, the app contains in app purchases (so users have to pay from inside the app). Now the thing is that when someone pays for a product in my app I will receive money from google after a certain period of time to my bank account.

In my country we must prove the source of the income after a certain amount of money is received (a few thousands of dollars). So there might come a day when the bank will ask me: why google is sending you money? Now if I told them that I have an app on the google play store that is making money and google sends them to me. They might ask me to prove that I am the owner of this app.

So the question is:

1) How do I prove to them that I am the owner of the app?

2) How to protect an app by law? Should we?

Thanks all.


texts: Are policies automatically void if the politicians who enacted them were serving unlawfully?

texts:
Suppose that country X has law Y. A politician introduces bill Z, which is then voted on by the legislature. The legislature approves the bill by a 51 to 50 vote, and it becomes law, replacing and repealing law Y.
Some time later, it comes to light that one of the legislators who voted for bill Z was never eligible for their position in the first place - for example, because it turns out they are not actually a citizen of country X. Legally, would law Z then become void and would law Y be considered the law of the land?
I'm curious whether there is a clear legal answer to how this scenario would be handled in various jurisdictions.


texts: When can a citizens arrest be made and how much force can be used?

texts:
My understanding of a citizens arrest is its when a person detains another person who is caught committing a crime until police arrive. If the person tries to leave how much force can the arrester use? How certain must they be that the person did in fact commit a crime?

Recently their have been a number of sting operations by the Creep Catcher group, where they pretend to be young girls on dating websites and meet with an older male. They confront the person, film it, and make a citizens arrest. These stings have been increasingly violent.

One thing I don't get is technically no crime has been committed yet, as there never was a young girl, so how can an arrest be made? Also in many situations they change the age after they agree to meet, so would this be entrapment?

In this question it says consent must be given for any physical contact. Is an exception made for citizens arrest?

Make no mistake, I'm against pedophiles etc. but I do think the tactics Creep Catchers use are unjust. I mean, what would people think if they saw police officers doing the same thing as Creep Catchers.


texts: In British (English or Scots) law, what's the definition of "public" in the context of publication, incl. legal deposit (but excl. defamation)?

texts:
In Britain the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 requires the publisher of a book in Britain to deposit a copy of it for each of the legal deposit libraries, of which five are located in Britain and one in the Republic of Ireland.
Let us take it as read that a publisher is a person who carries out an act of publication, and that an act of publication is what is carried out by a publisher. But what actually is "publication"?
Section 14 of the Act, "Interpretation", defines "publication" as follows:

"publication", in relation to a work— (a) means the issue of copies of
the work to the public, and (b) includes making the work available to
the public by means of an electronic retrieval system. [Emphasis added.]

My question is this: what does the phrase "the public" mean here?
If a person hands out stapled photocopies of his poem to 10 of his friends, has he "published" it? Presumably whatever the correct answer is to that question it does not depend on whether he asks for anything in return. Obviously if he asks for and receives £10 in return from each of his friends then that's income on which he is liable for tax. But that's not what I'm asking about. There is no reference either to sale or gift in the Act's definition of "publication", and I doubt that this angle is relevant.
What I would like to know is where the boundary is between "publication" and non-publication, which turns here on what counts as issuance to "the public" and what does not. A person might print a book and then

Give it to 10 of his friends.

Hold a party, tell each of his 10 invited friends that they are allowed to invite 10 other friends and then at the party say everyone can have a copy of the book if they want. (The point of this case is that he may not know the identity of every recipient but nonetheless they would not be called "members of the public" in ordinary English because they are all invitees to a private function and it is only because they have such a status that they are offered a copy of the book.)

Give it to 10 of his friends and licence each of them to copy it and give it to 10 of their own friends if they want, any time they want.

Give it to 10 of his friends and licence each of them to copy it and give it to the 10000 people that they like the most.

Give it to 10 of his friends and licence each of them to copy it and give it to the 10000 people that they like the most, under a licence that gives each of those 10000 people the right to copy it and give it to the 10000 people that they themselves like the most.

In ordinary English, it could easily be argued that none of these cases involves him making the book available to "the public", and that they are all cases of "private" distribution - or, as it is sometimes confusingly called, "private publication". (Note that that term is not at all useful here, because "publication" in this particular Act is defined with reference to "the public" and it is clear that "public" and "private" are antonymous.)
But often the legal construction of terms does not follow their construction in ordinary English.
So in which of these four cases, if any, has he "published" the book and therefore taken on the obligation of having to deposit copies for the copyright libraries and probably other obligations too? For example, in which of these cases is he obliged to include a physical contact address on the book, for himself as "publisher"?
(Note: I am not asking about the meaning of the word "publication" in the context of defamation. In all of these cases, the person has "published" the book in that context. There is no "this was only a private communication" defence to a charge of libel.)


texts: "Shared" Image Rights on a Commissioned Work

texts:
A few months ago, me and a few friends commissioned an artist to do a logo for our website. We described the idea very thoroughly, sending them sketches of our own which we requested them to interpret in their own style.
Going by the answers on a similar question:
Commissioning work: Who owns the rights in this scenario? , I'm lead to believe that currently the image rights are vested in the artist. However someone brought to my attention that we might want to ask for the image rights if we are to "reuse" or "modify" the logo (ex. seasonal variants, as part of an animation etc.)
I'm curious if there is a way that we can "share" the rights with the artist. Is there any license which would permit:

The artist to continue to present the logo they've made for us within their portfolio
Us, as the commissioners, to use, copy and reuse/modify the logo as we so please

As a final note, our artist is based in Europe, so they'd be under EU copyright law.


texts: Is it illegal to purchase stocks with money that came from a Brinks truck?

texts:
There have been many times over the years when a Brinks truck has overturned, or the security guards forgot to lock the rear doors, and money came out of it while in route to its destination.

Say a person happens to come upon a bag of money that came out of a Brinks truck, and he/she takes it with the sincere intention of returning it to Brinks, but before they do this, they first buy stocks with the money and make a lot of money from this investment.

Then lets say he/she drops off the bag, with the same amount of money that had been in it, to the local Brinks office, say late at night when that office is closed, with a note saying 'I found this bag on the side of the road today. -Anonymous'.

If Brinks does an investigation and is able to track down this person and discovers that he/she had profited on Wall Street using money from a missing bag, will this person go to prison? Is there an existing law(s) that make doing such a thing illegal?


texts: Is forging another's signature prosecutable if forger had permission?

texts:
After reading this post, I realized that a significant percentage of my friends and family could go to prison for forgery.  Many couples I know sign one another's names all the time, including on the backs of checks.  My wife and I have given one another blanket permission to sign for one another, and I know many other people with a similar understanding.

In the United States, is it in fact illegal to sign someone else's signature on the back of a check if one has permission to do so?  How about signing my wife's signature on our IRS forms?


texts: Who is "suitably qualified person" and what certificate is required with statement of truths in Family Law in the UK?

texts:
Situation I cannot talk because using my name would disclose name of the other parties.
Asking a friend to help me out - we've been working together for a year and spent a lot of time hanging out with kids on weekends.
He is travelling and cannot attend the court date.
From the existing Court order:

If a witness or party is unable to read the statement in the form produced to the court, the statement must include a certificate that it has been been read or interpreted to the witness by a suitably qualified person.

This seem to apply to Civil Law: https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part22/pd_part22

Who may sign the statement of truth
3.1  In a statement of case, a response or an application notice, the statement of truth must be signed by:
(1) the party or his litigation friend, or
(2) the legal representative of the party or litigation friend.

I don't have legal representative (litigant in person), I have no idea what litigation friend is.
I believe law should be simple and approachable, without extortionate fees.
Personally I do not like ambiguous phrases as "suitably qualified person" - what is the standard operating procedure here?

I was thinking about asking my friend to send email to the court, myself, and solicitors of the respondent. Will that fly and be acknowledged, taken into account?


texts: Is it illegal to aggregate and publish publically available personal information?

texts:
Is it against the law to aggregate and publish legally gathered, publically available information such as:

Social media usernames
Real names
Date of Birth
City/Country
Screenshots of posts/comments
Email address


texts: What is plausible deniability, and to what extent can it be used?

texts: I have a hypothetical question: Say I am a normal person, I go on the internet, and buy a prepaid debit card, that seems completely normal and legitimate. The very next day, the FBI knock down my door and rush in and tell me that the debit card I bought was laundered money. Do I have plausible deniability? Like, will I go to jail for money laundering, if I never knew that the card was loaded with laundered money?


texts: Won't corporations always try to pay claims worth less than lawyer's fees with an NDA?

texts:
As low ball estimate, let's estimate a lawyer costs $250 CAD/hr. Consider what happens if private lay person sues corporation with deep pocket is sued for a quantum less than or equal to a lawyer's fees. She is so angry about her product for whatever reason, and sues Apple or Samsung for $900, just as example, in Small Claims Court.
I won't assume anything on merits of lay person's case, because even investigating lay person's case can cost more $900. Apple or Samsung probably has to pay more  $900 to hire a lawyer, in house or not, to represent them in Small Claims Court, like write defence, attend pre-trial settlement conference, and appear in trial.
Won't these corporations always try settle for $900, but with a NDA? If she accepts, they save lawyer's fees, public shaming, and no case record on CanLII. If corporations don't even offer this, they have to pay lawyers. Public can shame them, and they can lose more profit than $900! If they show up on CanLII, they look unimpressive and can create precedent for other lay persons to rely to sue them!


texts: What are the laws, or the specifics about self-incrimination, on the Internet?

texts:
I'm not sure if this question has already been asked at some point, but searching for a question, and it's answers, seems to not be such an easy feat on here. Soo, here's the specifics of my question:

As the title states: What are the laws, or the specifics, regarding self-incrimination, on the Internet? Specifically, I'm curious about admitting to past illegal activities (for example: underage drinking, or usage of illegal drugs - examples: pills, lsd, coke, etc etc., or just general shenanigans that are done in the privacy of one's own home, and none of the crimes committed were against anyone or anything, brought no harm to anyone, etc. Basically, no danger to the public or society.

Before anyone decides to respond with the obvious: "That's admitting to a crime, it's illegal, don't do it, blah blah blah." But, if you go to any one of the multiple forums and websites where people talk about such things (drugs-forum.com, addforums.com, etc etc), everywhere you look, people are openly admitting to illegal drug usage, people share their experiences and such everywhere on there. And obviously no one is going to jail for it, the websites aren't being shut down. So, is there something that protects people from the legal consequences of these actions?

My question ultimately pertains to this: Can someone write a blog, or share (online, in some way) their personal experiences, life events etc, even if those experiences, and their 'life story' so to speak, includes past illegal activities of these kinds?

Thanks, to anyone who answers my question (answers without the 'troll-y' responses , which I expect I'll get.. Because who can resist, right?)


texts: In Australia is it illegal to consume drugs, or only to possess them?

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Specifically in Sydney. I’m wondering if it’s also illegal to be “high”, or if it is only illegal to “possess” prohibited substances?

Clearly hopping on the darkweb and ordering an ounce of green or a sheet of blotters would be possession, and therefore illegal.
Whereas if a third party offers me a choof on a jay, or a cap of molly, or a tab of acid, am I within my legal rights to accept and enjoy myself? Or is it a crime even to be under the influence of these substances at all?

Similarly, while it is illegal to sell these substances, is it illegal to purchase them in small quantities for immediate use (for example buying a pinger at a rave and immediately dropping and rolling)? Again I’m talking Sydney NSW.

In short: is it also a crime to use prohibited substances, or only a crime to possess them? What about purchasing and immediately consuming (which would seem to me to fit the definition of “using” but not “possessing” contraband substance, and therefore might be legal)


texts: Implications of changing terms of a free license (LGPL, Apache, MIT, Eclipse, etc) after I started using software on old terms

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While creating my software (as a developer / startup owner) I rely on the fact that I can use some (software) library for free. I also rely on the fact that I can use it for commercial purpose and that I can keep my code private (not open-source).

So, I created the product and launched it widely in the market.

But what if after that the license suddenly changes (in the future)?

Do I have (legally speaking) 100% firm guarantees that I can continue use it on the same terms (as I started), or it will be a possible "stub-in-the-back" at any time? And I will have to discontinue my business immediately?


texts: Can a store accuse me of something and ban me without proof?

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A chain store that I frequent has banned me from their store, citing that I was seen stealing merchandise. I've NEVER stolen anything from their store (or any other store of this chain) before, and the store manager claims that their store has video surveillance. He can't admit that they have video evidence of ME personally stealing anything (which, if they have surveillance, they should have proof of, no?), but apparently, one of their employees has (mistakenly) identified me as a thief, resulting in my being permanently banned from their store. On top of that, the store manager claims that one of his employees (who he's named personally) is the one of who says that he saw me stealing merchandise. Yet, I've talked to this same employee before, and HE claims that another Asst. Manager of the store is the one who claims they saw me stealing something. So right there, they already have an inconsistency in their story.

There are other stores of this chain around me that I could can and do go to, but I don't like the idea of being labeled & treated unfairly for something that I didn't do, and on top of that, I feel like--and I know this sounds...fantastical--they're intentionally lying just to have a reason to ban me from their store.

Is this right? And is there anything legally that I can do about this?

Thank any and all who answer in advance, and I look forward to hearing you all's thoughts on the situation.


texts: What is the Mississippi Law and Federal Law against incest?

texts: What is incest legally and what punishment applies?


texts: Update: Our neighbor's fence is on our property and they want adverse possession

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We had our property surveyed before we built a fence. Turns out our neighbor's fence is on our property. It is built 7 ft in at the back and runs the length of the lot line to 6" in at the front. Essentially they have about 500 square feet of our property. They claim a fence (which they have recently replaced) has been there since they bought the property in 1994. However, we live in Washington State and I noticed something about them having to pay taxes on that land during the time of their "adverse possession" in order to claim it. They have not done that, the previous owner of our lot paid the taxes, and we currently do. Is this true?

Update: We have discovered that the new (4 year old) fence they installed does not exactly follow the previous fence's position. They actually moved the fence even further onto our property, skewing the whole line about a foot further our way... presumably to avoid (and include) at tree. They left other landscaping features, rocks, edging, plants in place showing how much the fence shifted our direction. Because the new fence is not on the same line...does that affect their claim?

We first contacted them months ago about this, asking them to move or remove their fence. Since then, we have had no contact. They have made no move to formally claim the land. However, they seem to be preparing to put their house on the market. Should we wait until they do and then approach the listing agent/new buyers about the problem so they are informed of how much land they are actually buying/selling?


texts: Can a person purposely provoke someone to hit him and then report a crime?

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Say someone purposely provokes another person by insulting him, knowing that this person is easily provoked.
The provoked person then hits him.
Can the person then report a crime or even file a civil lawsuit on his assaulter, all in the aim of getting that person behind bars?


texts: On Facebook a retail business posted a $1 lottery ticket and stated will share with Friends. If the ticket really wins the $4 million is that binding?


texts: What's the legal term for a law or a set of laws which are realistically impossible to follow in practice?

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As an example, at one point during New York's COVID vaccination campaign Governor Cuomo issued the following rules:

If you vaccinate someone who is not eligible, you're getting a huge fine
If you don't use up your vaccine doses, you're getting a huge fine

So vaccinators were put in a seemingly impossible bind where they had to use up all their doses, but didn't necessarily have enough eligible people at their door to get one. Is there a legal term for these kinds of situations?
NB: Please avoid discussing COVID, vaccines, Governor Cuomo or the specific details of his executive orders. This is merely used as an example of what I'm talking about and I'm sure I could look up a lot more examples if I knew the right term.


texts: Consent form - digital signature or just full name?

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We are using a paper form to record consent to be recorded. We want to use a digital version to make the workflow more streamlined.

When digital, does the form need to have a digital signature or asking the participants to type their full name is enough?


texts: Is a (UK) retail company obliged to compensate their customer if the package was lost or stolen during international shipping?

texts:
I ordered shoes from a UK based company, to be delivered in the US. It turns out the package was delivered in a different state over 500 miles from the delivery address I provided. Incredibly, the package was also signed as received by someone at delivery, so it was stolen from me.

After figuring this out with the company, their customer service blamed it on DHL and simply stopped answering my emails. I was hoping for a compensation of some sort, such as store credit or a full reimbursement.

Since I took advantage of a free international shipping deal, my understanding is that the company paid DHL for the shipping, so said company should be in a position to file a claim with DHL in order to resolve this. They haven't, nor do they seem to intend to do anything at all.

Do I have any legal recourse, or am I stuck with "threatening" them that they have lost my business forever?

(Additional information: the value of the package was 150+ USD.)


texts: Is it murder to kill someone who's just about to die?

texts: A person is falling into a pool of lava. If another person were to shoot them as they're falling, would the killer be charged for murder?


texts: Does a company have a legal obligation to uphold its TOS?

texts:
While poorly worded, another question, which is currently on hold, brings up a good point: does a company have a contractual obligation to uphold its TOS, or can its moderators arbitrarily enforce its internal rules.

As an example, can Facebook choose whether or not to enforce its TOS for some posts, and yet ignore their standards for others? It seems like the TOS is a contract, and it would specifically need to say in the contract that enforcement is at the company's discretion. Does Facebook have such a clause?


texts: If I write a story about an alien time traveller from a dying race, with encyclopedic knowledge, who sporadically visits London, travels with young companions, occasionally saves Earth and other planets, and appears to change bodies periodically. Would this be a breach of copyright?


texts: In US what is the difference between "Involuntary Manslaughter" and "Depraved-heart murder"?

texts: From what I read it seems that "Involuntary Manslaughter" can result from recklessness, while "Depraved-heart murder" is caused by indifference. But in this case, isn't it the same thing? Recklessness implies indifference and indifference implies recklessness.


texts:
I would like to ask a question regarding life sentence (and I hope it's the right place to ask it).

I live in Greece where life sentence is the heavier sentence a convict can get. But in fact life sentence is not a very accurate term since it's been restricted by law that the maximum imprisonment for a crime is 25 years. Since there is also some terms for early release if 3/5 of sentence have been executed (and some other factors also) or in some cases 4/5 this actual time is further reduced.

Data from wikipedia are not really up to date I think, at least for Greece that is. As I mentioned the maximum imprisonment for Greece is 25 years (for a single crime). Some facts about Greece and time imprisonments are given here (sadly in Greek only).

I am not familiar with legal system in other countries but since I have a rough (biased probably) idea of the US legal system I think that in this country there is not an official upper limit in the time of life imprisonment (although I guess after many years, maybe 50-60 years I don't know, many prisoners are released).

My question is since actual life imprisonment in Greece is about 16-20 years in most cases (there some cases where it could reach 25 years if the terms are not met for early  release) what about actual life imprisonment in other countries? Is there a law that in fact convert life time to a specific years in prison?


texts:
An acquaintance of mine is the leaseholder of a flat. The management company for the block has appointed Ms P to be the person specifically responsible for this block. Ms P has awarded a significant part of the maintenance work to Cleaning Ltd without going through the usual tender process. The work done by Cleaning Ltd was shoddy and not good value for money. According to Companies House, Cleaning Ltd is at least 75% owned by Mr Q, who shares a home address with Ms P. Companies House also shows that Ms P and Mr Q were previously both directors of another company, now dissolved.

The UK Fraud Act 2006 includes:

  4 Fraud by abuse of position

  (1) A person is in breach of this section if he—

    (a) occupies a position in which he is expected to safeguard, or not to act
    against, the financial interests of another person,

    (b) dishonestly abuses that position, and

    (c) intends, by means of the abuse of that position—
    (i)
    to make a gain for himself or another, or
    (ii)
    to cause loss to another or to expose another to a risk of loss.

  (2)
  A  person  may  be  regarded  as  having  abused  his  position  even  though  his conduct consisted of an omission rather than an act.

Clearly Miss P has failed in her fiduciary duty, and the management company has paid compensation accordingly. My question is, does the conduct of Ms P and Mr Q rise to the level of fraud?

Edit: The management company has already paid compensation for this; I was wondering about criminal fraud rather than civil actions to recover damages.


texts: Is it legal to hack my wifi hotspot's password?

texts:
I'm gonna explain it exactly: Parents divorced, I have a laptop from mom, and a smartphone from my father (with subscription contract), with internet access, and hotspot capable. My question is: If i make hotspot on the phone (from my father), to share internet, is it legal to crack it's password using the laptop (from my mother), for penetration testing purpose?

I'm not exactly sure, and i don't wanna end up messing with the police. I'm just trying to see how long it takes to crack the phone's wifi password, to make it as secure as possible.


texts: Apartment mgt breaking lease before my move in

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I signed a lease agreement with an apartment community last week. The start date of my lease is Nov 10,2019. I received a call from community management today telling me that the apartment we signed up for will not be available. They told me that the current residents decided to break their lease earlier and that is how the management offered us that place. Today the residents called them and said that they no longer wish to break their lease. Therefore I have to look into other options.

Now this sounds unreasonable. Why should I be at the receiving end of such a convoluted situation between the current resident and management? Is there anything that I can do in this regard.


texts: Who's liable for GDPR compliance when embedding/hosting a self-contained 3rd-party website/service?

texts:
I'm building a website for a client (a hotel) in Germany. In addition to a bunch of static pages, this website will also host a reservation system which is provided by a 3rd party software company in the form of a single page application. You just have to include their javascript snippet that builds up the whole system/website. Then it's basically a self-contained website, including a footer etc.

They're using all kinds of technologies that a user would like to be informed about in a privacy policy (Google Analytics, Google Fonts, Social media plugins). The problem is: They're not providing a privacy policy on their own and the support argues that it's the responsibility of the web developer to author this privacy policy themselves.

Question: Given that the 3rd party basically provides a whole website (including header and footer) aren't they obliged to deliver a privacy policy too?

Question: Who would be liable in case the privacy policy is incomplete in respect to the technologies used on the 3rd party software?


texts: What is jury nullification and what are its origins and history? What actions by a juror would be considered nullification?


texts: Can I authorize someone to vote on my behalf?

texts:
Say that for some reason someone was was unable to go to a polling place or fill out an absentee ballot (perhaps they suffered a debilitating injury and are unable to focus for a sustained period of time). Would they be able to authorize someone to vote on their behalf, either by going in person at a poll or by being the one to fill out an absentee ballot?

My thought is that the person unable to vote would either say:

I authorize you to fill out a ballot voting for candidate X
I am unable to research the candidates, but you know my values and I authorize you to fill out a ballot voting for whichever candidate best aligns with them

If the answer varies by state, let's ask for California since it's the most populous US state.


texts: Should I worry about code plagiarism if it's my code?

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If I wrote a code by myself, which I know is my code because I myself have thought about the logic and code while developing it.
But if the same logic and code was thought by somebody else and is used by somebody else, what am I supposed to do if a plagiarism check happens?


texts: I'm not sure if this is the proper place for this question, but I want to know if coloring on a driver license invalidates it. I'm not talking about making real changes - more like coloring in sleeves or filling in a neckline.


texts: Legality of unwritten covenants - Architectual Review Process - HOA

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I'm preparing to submit house plans for approval by my Architectural Review Committee.

I felt confident. We prepared a house to the specifications of the covenants and studied them carefully. I just discussed the plans with a member of the ARC. He stated "no lots with xyz showing will be allowed."

However, this is nowhere in the covenants. Nor is it in any of the documents I signed when I bought the house.

Can an ARC enforce covenants or building restrictions NOT within their documents? Further, can they be liable for costs and time we've spent designing and planning our house based on their covenants?


texts: What recourse does someone have who was wrongfully arrested?

texts: What recourse does someone have who was wrongfully arrested, and what outcome can someone expect from that recourse, in general and/or in California? If the charges that person was arrested for are dropped by the state, does that change the available recourse or expected outcomes?


texts: Signed contract to buy house that has tenant

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I'm in Virginia. This week, I signed/ratified a purchase contract to buy a house in Virginia that's going to close in 40 days. The house has an existing tenant with a lease with the current owner that will last 120 more days (4 months) from today. The seller's real estate agent forgot to put in a "rent back" clause in the agreement, so the contract says nothing about a tenant / rent back.

Now the seller's agent remembered, and wants me to sign another contract with the rent back. Should I sign? What happens if I don't sign?


texts: Reasonable amount of time to assume terms are agreed (UK/England)

texts:
Bit of background on this question;
A group raised a conflict of interest dispute against our group - we immediately took necessary steps to remedy this action. We let them know within a day that we were doing this so they were aware steps were being made, and by the end of the weekend we sent via email a full log of changes we had made (all communications so far had been made over the phone or in person).
We asked in this e-mail if they could confirm the above changes were satisfactory (for our own protection) and they have yet to respond. Then in person they have now stated that they will not be responding in writing.
Our issue is, we want this in our writing in case they attempt to take this further, however they've verbally stated (off the record) that they will not be putting anything into an email to us.
We are considering a follow-up email after 2-3 weeks requesting response within the e-mail, and that if they do not respond within X time we are within our rights to assume they agree.
My Question is:
Is there an appropriate amount of time that we can define which would have legal standing that unless they dispute further, we are able to assume that their 'silence' is 'agreement'. I suspect that would prompt a response from them though - but, what would be a reasonable amount of time to include in case this rears it's head at us in the future.
Thanks!


texts: Will I have to pay taxes on any gambling winnings earned in other countries (UK), if I bring the money back to the US?

texts: I was wondering about this because I don't want to get in trouble when it comes to taxes. I live in the United States, in New York.


texts: Which state's statue of limitations for debts applies, for credit card debt?

texts:
I used to live in South Carolina, USA and lost my job. As a result I defaulted on credit card debt. I have not paid anything on it for the last year and the debts were "Charged Off", and are in various stages of collections. I had to move to Texas for a new job.

It has been over 1.5 years during which debt was not being paid.  I just noticed that SC has a statute of limitations for debt or 3 years, and Texas is 4 years. Which statute applies?


texts: Is it legal to vote in a US election both through mail-in voting and through in-person voting at a polling station?

texts:
Donald Trump recently made the recommendation for people to vote twice in the election: once through mail-in voting and once through in-person voting at a polling station: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-encourages-north-carolina-residents-vote-twice-test-mail-system-n1239140
The article states it is illegal to vote more than once in an election. However, I thought I read somewhere that if you did what Trump proposed, they'd just have your in-person vote override your mail-in vote, as in they'd ignore your mail-in vote during the counting.
Is voting as described above by Trump illegal?


texts: How does Judge Boasberg’s court order affect asylum seekers who crossed the border illegally?

texts:
If someone comes to America seeking asylum, the first step is for them to have a Credible Fear interview with a USCIS Asylum Officer to find out if they have a credible fear of persecution if they return to their home country, and thus are likely to be granted asylum.  If they pass their interview, then as per the ICE Parole Directive they’re considered for parole pending their asylum hearing.  But under the Trump Administration, nearly all asylum seekers are being detained rather than released on parole, regardless of whether they passed their Credible Fear interview.

In response to a lawsuit regarding this, US District Judge Boasberg just ruled that the Trump administration has to return to following the ICE Parole Directive.  My question is, how does this ruling affect asylum seekers caught crossing the border illegally?

The Trump administration has instituted a “zero tolerance policy” under which DOJ criminally prosecutes everyone caught crossing the border illegally, and President Trump just issued an executive order detaining people in DHS custody as they await criminal prosecution for illegal entry.  So how does this order change things?  If an asylum seeker is in DHS custody awaiting criminal prosecution and they pass a Credible Fear interview, would they be eligible for parole?


texts: What article implies that foreign non-EU citizens have to pay VAT for goods and services purchased online?

texts: I'm a Russian citizen. I've noticed that literally all online EU shops and service providers (e.g. web hosting) add VAT to the price. I've spent some time looking for an article that implicitly states that VAT should be paid by foreign non-EU citizens when shopping or purchasing services online but couldn't find one. What article or articles make this statement?


texts: My mom was homeless for 20 years; now has no legal identity

texts:
This is a real-world scenario but based on the theoretical question posted here: What documents and testimony establish identity and what happens if they're lost?

My mother has a real problem in this regard, hoping you can help me identify how to navigate forward? Without going into too many of the details of her past:

she was born in the U.S. and has always been a U.S. Citizen and has always lived in the U.S.
dad passed away a few years ago and mom moved in with me; prior, they were indigent and lived for free room/board as innkeepers (someone else owned the inn)
during the 20 years that her and dad worked as innkeepers:

her driver's license expired and she saw no need to renew b/c she wasn't driving (she has her expired DL)
she lost her SS card
their tax paperwork was in a storage shed that was broken into and vandalized and she doesn't know what happened to the paperwork (dad took care of it; she cannot find any copies)
they did not maintain any bank accounts
they did not file taxes (not smart of course, but since they weren't making income they didn't feel the need)

she is 64yo and is now trying to apply for SS benefits
SSA has talked to her on the phone and sent her mail here to our home with her name and SSN; they have processed her claim for benefits with the exception of having an account to deposit her funds
Banks won't open account for her without an ID
State DLD (Utah) won't issue a state ID without proof of identity (i.e. SS card)
SSA won't issue replacement SS card without state ID
Other forms of ID acceptable to State DLD are things like passport (she's never had), prior year's taxes (they were lost in the vandalism). The DLD told us this morning that expired ID isn't acceptable

Seems like an impossible-circle to re-establish her identity! Meanwhile, is there another way to get her an account for her SSA distributions?
Is there a such a thing as a "re-establishing your identity expert" we could hire to help us? Or a specific process to appear in-person, say in front of a judge, and get some sort of evaluation and legal order requiring DLD to issue her a new state ID?
She's basically an undocumented citizen, but was never an immigrant, and modern society has evolved to a point where we just left her behind during the years that dad and her were indigent.
Aside from giving her free room and board myself, I don't know how to help her!


texts: Can a woman sue a person who informs her child about the abortions she has had?

texts:
If an adult has knowledge of how many abortions that a woman has had in her lifetime and that adult was to inform a child of that woman about her abortions and this leads to that child suffering emotional distress, can the woman who had those abortions sue that adult for revealing this information to her child?

I am curious to know if there is an existing law(s) that make it illegal for any adult to reveal/discuss abortion information with a child of a woman who has had abortions. I am familiar with HIPAA laws and what constitutes a HIPAA violation and it is obvious that a woman can sue someone who is guilty of gaining information via a HIPAA violation.

It is unclear to me however that in a scenario in which a woman, or the husband of that woman, was to pass on the woman's abortion information to a neighbor/teacher/friend/relative/etc. in causal conversation, and then sometime in the future this person reveals this information to the woman's child, can the woman sue this person for causing her child's emotional distress?


texts:
I own 45% of a part-ownership flat, shared with a large well-known housing association here in London, UK.

I pay a mortgage to my lender for the 45% and rent the rest from the housing association. In the contract it specifically states that I cannot let the whole flat or any room to anyone. I was wondering what penalty I would be risking if I were to take on a lodger for my spare room?

I understand why this kind of limitation is in place, but would I be at risk of losing my home or mortgage if I were caught, or would I more likely just be given a slap on the wrists and told not to do this again?

Many thanks for any insights!