Can a Chatbot Prompt Be a Punishable Threat?
A Florida woman's arrest for violent messages typed into an AI chatbot tests the limits of threat law and intent.
Law & Policy
AI regulation, litigation, copyright and IP, and privacy law.
Metrics, Not Mission: How Big Tech Reshaped the Internet
A new Techdirt series argues that platforms' reliance on internal metrics has replaced the open internet's original goals with incentive-driven design.
DNC Sues Trump Over $20M Taxpayer-Funded Midterm Ads
The Democratic party is challenging the White House's use of public money for what it calls ineffective propaganda disguised as public service announcements.
Inmates urge Supreme Court to keep block on transgender prison policy
A filing warns that halting the injunction would end decades of established care and risk severe harm to transgender inmates.
Trump-Appointed Judge Signals Press Ban Likely to Fail
A judge picked by Trump appears ready to strike down his press ban, citing the president's own words.
Walking Dead Metaphor Offers Lawyers Business Development Lessons
An Above the Law column applies zombie-survival themes to help lawyers build a book of business and enjoy their careers.
Jepson Claims Drop to 0.03% of U.S. Patents as Xencor Adds Hurdle
A new Federal Circuit decision requires written-description support for Jepson preambles, accelerating the decline of a claim format once used in 14% of U.S. utility patents.
Contracts as Infrastructure: What AI Agents Mean for In-House Lawyers
As AI agents begin to transact autonomously, contracts are shifting from passive records to active infrastructure that governs machine-to-machine interactions.
FBI Whistleblower: Emil Bove Directed Probes of Anti-ICE Protesters
A whistleblower alleges that Emil Bove, now a judge, ordered FBI agents to investigate anti-ICE protesters while he served at the Justice Department.
WIPO Starts New Term With Accessibility, SEPs, and AI on Agenda
A new WIPO postcard series outlines the agency's six-year priorities and a fall lineup of events on standard-essential patents, artificial intelligence, and IP finance.
Report's Call for Campus Deference on Antisemitism Is Assailed
A new critique argues that a US Civil Rights Commission report misreads the First Amendment and could invite discriminatory enforcement of campus rules.
AG: EUIPO Invalidity Route Stays Open in EU Trademark Infringement Cases
Advocate General Biondi's opinion in Case C-392/25 would let defendants challenge EU trademark validity at EUIPO even after infringement proceedings begin, potentially forcing stays.
ROSS to Seek Supreme Court Review in Thomson Reuters Copyright Case
The defunct AI legal research firm says it will ask the Supreme Court to review a Third Circuit ruling for Thomson Reuters, citing uncertainty for AI training.
Source on Photography Course Has No Law or Policy Angle
The only provided source is a promotional deal for a photography course, so no legal or policy analysis is possible.
Why Harsher Punishment of Anti-Israel Protesters May Be Legal
A new analysis argues that universities' past leniency toward other rule-breakers does not bar them from punishing anti-Israel protesters, especially when those protests create a hostile environment.
Wild-Card Justices Drive Pro-Defense Trend in Criminal Cases
A SCOTUSblog analysis finds that 70% of recent pure criminal decisions favored defendants, with centrist justices acting as unpredictable swing votes.
Cartel Attorney Sentenced to 20 Years for Aiding Drug Trafficking
A lawyer who prosecutors say used his law license to support a major drug-trafficking organization has been sentenced to two decades in federal prison.
Oregon Judge Allows Ex-Wife's Suit Over In-Law's Restraining Order
A 2019 Oregon ruling lets a woman pursue wrongful-proceedings claims against her former mother-in-law over a temporary elder-abuse restraining order based on allegedly false allegations.