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1500 questions
28
votes
6 answers
Landlord wants access to CCTV footage after we leave and possibly in realtime while we live there
Not sure if this question belongs here, so apologies in advance if I have made a mistake.
My landlord has asked me to purchase a CCTV camera to be placed above the front door. We have had a few disturbances in our area recently and they said that…
pho_pho
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28
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What prevents laws from being interpreted pedantically?
In some discussion on another StackExchange, 18 US Code §1464 came up, which states:
Whoever utters any obscene, indecent, or profane language by means of radio communication shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or…
Phil Frost
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28
votes
6 answers
Who owns copyright on works found in a storage unit/attic?
So in this question the OP bought the contents of a storage unit whose owner had failed to keep up with payments. In it they found an unpublished manuscript, which they thought was pretty cool and wanted to publish it.
There are answers and…
DarcyThomas
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28
votes
2 answers
Can people criticize the Imperial Family in Japan?
Can people criticize the Imperial Family in Japan? I can't find a case or article about law, people in prison, or deportation of a foreigner for criticizing the Imperial Family.
Châu
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28
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4 answers
If someone orders a pizza in the US and doesn't pay for it, could they be arrested?
If you were to order a pizza in the US and didn't pay for it afterwards, could you be arrested?
user28261
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28
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2 answers
Is a list of the most common English words copyrightable under US law?
I am currently interested in doing some research performing various measurements and algorithms on the most common words in the English language. I have found a few good word lists online that would be suitable, but I am concerned that they may be…
NK1406
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28
votes
3 answers
USA: Can a witness take the 5th to avoid perjury?
Lawyer Alice is questioning witness Bob. Bob is not on trial, and no one has accused him of a crime. Alice demands Bob answer a particular question with either a "Yes" or a "no." Bob believes that doing so would mislead the court so greatly that he…
GridAlien
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28
votes
4 answers
Is it legal to track users of pirated software?
I'm making a piece of software right now, and I'm just doing it in my free time, so I'm not too serious about it. I want to make a version of the software and put a tracker in it that interfaces with Google Analytics. That will allow me to track…
Byte11
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28
votes
3 answers
What are some possible law suits or civil actions the Las Vegas shooting victims could take?
I assume that many, if not all of the businesses, corporations and individuals who were operating and supplying services at the time of the Las Vegas Strip shootings (Wikipedia) - such as hotels, concert promoters, etc. - to guests and concert…
BlueDogRanch
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27
votes
4 answers
Can the insurrection clause be applied without a conviction by jury?
Folks are trying to keep Trump off the ballot because "he engaged in insurrection." Now, let's NOT argue about whether he did or didn't. What I'm interested in is judges saying he did AND applying consequences for doing so when he has neither been…
WGroleau
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27
votes
4 answers
Can a corporation refuse to know things its agents know?
I called in to tell a company something. The people I could reach on the phone are definitely agents of the company, and they definitely got my message. But they told me that they couldn't internally handle what I had told them, and asked me to tell…
interfect
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27
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7 answers
Can diplomats be compelled to pay rent?
It turns out that in New Zealand, diplomats can get away with not paying rent:
In 2018, Eva Tvarozkova, deputy chief of mission for the European
Union (EU) Delegation to New Zealand, skipped out on paying $14,314 in
rent.
The Tenancy Tribunal…
Greendrake
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27
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5 answers
If a moderator of an online forum edits my post to say something illegal, how could I prove I didn't write the incriminating message?
Hypothetical situation.
Several years ago, Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman caused some controversy by editing comments that criticized him. On most social media platforms, staff cannot edit users' messages without direct access to the…
Danny
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27
votes
3 answers
Why is knowledge inside one's head considered privileged information but knowledge written on a piece of paper is not?
At least in the US, one can refuse to reveal information contained inside one's head by pleading the Fifth Amendment. However, the same protections don't apply to papers (or computer files) with information you might not want to share with the…
JonathanReez
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27
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3 answers
What is the legal distinction between watching a YouTube video in a browser and downloading it for personal use?
If the act of watching a YouTube video creates a temporary download in my internet cache, why is it illegal to use an app that intercepts the YouTube API to download music videos to listen to later when I don't have internet?
When people buy a CD or…
MelodySkirata
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