46
votes
Are there any copyright laws within the "Star Trek" universe that prohibit certain things from being replicated without permission?
Yes, there are Intellectual Property (IP) laws in the Federation.
In the ST:VOY episode Author Author the EMH Doctor writes a holonovel, which he submits to a publisher. The publisher steals the work....
- 17.7k
40
votes
Does the Federation have the equivalent of Miranda rights?
Contrary to what you may think from watching TV, police officers are not required to issue the Miranda warning at the time of arrest; only before beginning an interrogation.
The duty to warn only ...
- 6,578
40
votes
Accepted
What's the meaning of "your life will be forfeit?"
Something perhaps worth emphasizing here is that that film dialogue is not a very accurate paraphrase of the book. As already noted in another answer, the book's quote, spoken by Faramir, is:
I ...
- 4,446
39
votes
Accepted
Which bastards in Westeros were automatically legitimized once their parents married?
Linda's referring to a detail from George's material that was cut from The World of Ice and Fire, but will be appearing in Fire and Blood, relating to a situation where Lord Hightower took up with his ...
- 1,291
37
votes
What is a Trial of Seven?
It's an Andal tradition that favors the well connected
The trial of Seven is best described in The Hedge Knight after a dispute between Prince Aerion Targaryen and Ser Duncan the Tall. Instead of ...
- 10.9k
32
votes
Accepted
If “spice” is considered an “illicit/illegal” drug in the Star Wars universe, why does the Empire mine it?
According to the canon novel Lords of the Sith, spice has non-recreational uses as well:
The Empire used spice — refined ryll, harvested from the countless mines that made Ryloth porous — and its ...
- 164k
32
votes
Accepted
S07E05: Would this person be the rightful heir to the Targaryen throne when born even if Viserys ascended to the throne before their birth?
Law of inheritance
The law is Agnatic Primogeniture, not Agnatic Seniority.
A Grandson by an elder son comes before a younger son in line of succession for a King.
If the elder son has no sons, the ...
- 48.4k
28
votes
Can Cersei Lannister claim the Iron Throne and legitimize her act?
Power resides where men think it resides.
You might remember Varys eloquently explaining this one. It's something of a theme of the story.
Cersei will claim the throne, because she's got nothing ...
- 10.9k
27
votes
Accepted
Would this character still be a bastard?
People knowing who Jon's parents are does not mean anything for his bastard status. One is born a bastard if he is born out of wedlock, regardless to who the parents were.
Him being son of Lyanna ...
- 48.4k
27
votes
Accepted
What was the Ludicrous Patents Office?
We don't know...
It appears to be an office in the Ministry of Magic, but nobody knows what it actually does in canon. As far as I know (I searched), JKR has not said anything about this.
The name ...
- 39.1k
22
votes
Accepted
Why is Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane still a knight?
In practice, the reason is of course that he was still useful to the Lannisters, who hold King's Landing and the Iron Throne. Lord Tywin might allow his faithful dog to be killed for the sake of ...
- 135k
22
votes
Accepted
Why are the Millennium Falcon and other civilian vessels allowed to have ship-mounted weapons?
According to the Star Wars Official Fact File #51, transport ships and licensed freighters like the Millennium Falcon were permitted to carry a certain amount of low-energy weaponry, presumably for ...
- 709k
22
votes
Are humpback whales granted civil rights?
I don't know about humpback whales specifically, but there are cetaceans of various species in Starfleet. Some of the larger ships have a cetacean ops section.
Star Trek Lower Decks has two beluga ...
- 17.7k
19
votes
Accepted
Do Starfleet regulations and general orders apply to non-Starfleet Federation citizens?
Most of us think of Prime Directive as just prohibition of interference with less developed society. But fact is that Prime Directive is a doctrine of total non-interference with the affairs of other ...
- 6,374
18
votes
Accepted
Is the Unbreakable Vow Legal?
No Official Canon Answer, But Probably (even if they are uncommon)
Wizards and Witches seem to be more cavalier with the ideas of 'personal safety' and 'lives' than Muggles (see: Love Potions being ...
- 1,296
18
votes
Accepted
Who is lord of the Dreadfort?
This is simply unknown as of now.
Lord Ramsay Bolton left no living children or siblings. His Father Roose Bolton is not known to have any immediate kins either. Therefore it is unclear whether a ...
- 48.4k
16
votes
What is a Trial of Seven?
What is Trial of Seven?
As already stated by Ram, Trial of Seven is another form of Trial by Combat. In it, Both the defenders and accusers are divided into two teams of Seven men each. They fight ...
- 48.4k
16
votes
Accepted
Could Gendry become Lord of House Baratheon?
Gendry is not an acknowledged bastard of Robert where as Jon was acknowledged by Eddard Stark to be his son. From GOT Wiki page:
Gendry is a bastard son of King Robert Baratheon, but is
...
- 48.4k
16
votes
Was Hagrid ever put on trial?
Case 1 - No, at least there is no canon evidence
As Hagrid was underage, he was dealt with by the school administration, i.e. expelled. He did not deny having a giant spider in his possession, but ...
- 13k
15
votes
Did Captain Janeway commit human rights violations?
It's unclear if "deintegrating" Tuvix into Tuvok and Neelix is a violation of Tuvix's rights (indeed, if he has any) under the Constitution of the United Federation of Planets or the Charter of the ...
- 8,690
14
votes
Accepted
How did the Dumbledore brothers get away with Ariana's murder?
Her death was believed to due to illness
Doge stated that implies that Ariana Dumbledore died of some unspecified ailment:
Though Ariana had been in poor health for a long time, the blow,
coming so ...
- 118k
14
votes
Why is Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane still a knight?
Eddard proclaims this:
In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the first of his name,
King of the Andals and the first men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and
protector of the realm, I charge ...
- 48.4k
14
votes
Accepted
Do Cylons have any concept of law?
The Cylons use some form of democracy via the mass-production Numbers. We know this because there's a episode where there's a contentious vote and Boomer (a Number Eight model) votes against her ...
- 52.7k
14
votes
Are there any copyright laws within the "Star Trek" universe that prohibit certain things from being replicated without permission?
Based on the TNG episode with the cryogenically frozen people that are thawed out, I'd be surprised if there were restrictions on replication (at least based on IP law).
Picard has to explain multiple ...
- 1,572
13
votes
Accepted
Where did the allegiance of Baratheon swords lie and why aren't they bulk of Royal Forces?
Robert's acts after his Coronation
When Robert became King, he issued two edicts:
Grant of Storms's End and Paramount Lordship of ancestral Baratheon lands (Stormlands) to Renly Baratheon.
Grant of ...
- 48.4k
12
votes
Accepted
Why is being an unregistered animagus against the law?
Animagi are most commonly used by those involved in espionage and crime
Animagi make up a small fraction of the wizarding population. Achieving perfect, spontaneous human to animal transformation ...
- 95.7k
12
votes
Why is Guinan allowed to have a non-Starfleet issued rifle?
There isn't currently an answer for this in canon, but there is some reasonable speculation that can be made:
"I doubt they would allow her to bring her own weapon on board." There isn't anything to ...
- 251
11
votes
Accepted
How did Renly expect Robert to set aside Cersei and take Margaery as queen instead?
Renly might have just been expecting Robert to act irrationally if Margaery looked enough like Lyanna.
Robert's love for Lyanna was prfound (maybe even borderline obsession) as we know her "...
- 61.2k
11
votes
What's the meaning of "your life will be forfeit?"
Henneth Annun is a secret refuge of Gondor's rangers in Ithilien. Faramir makes clear on several occasions that non-rangers are barred from going there or know it exists.
Faramir: 'This is the ...
- 42.1k
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