Lancaster-3 was a colony much like Butterpond-4, but with one major difference. This one was significantly older, and as such its exploitation had progressed much further. As Joe and Maggies shuttle made its approach, the girl noted the planet below had significantly less greenery than the one she erged on. It also seed much more populated, with the distant lights of ga-cities covering almost the entirety of the largest continents landmass. Pollution was also much higher, given the thick layer of smog the shuttle had to pass through. Thankfully the air in the civilized areas was kept clean and breathable by enormous terraforming machinery, but a significant portion of the planet was uninhabitable.
Maggie found this state of affairs to be rather unfortunate. She would have liked the chance to locate and observe new life forms during her stay here, but that wasnt going to happen. She didnt dwell on the matter too much, though. The purpose of her visit was legislation, not exploration. Once the shuttle had made its landing and Joe stopped shaking, she looked up the law firm that represented Bubble Spotlight Studios. Thankfully it had a branch office in Dave-87, the ga-city that the couple arrived in. Maggie quietly booked a hotel room for the two of them and was about to ring the firm to make an appointnt when security personnel asked her to enter a small side room on her way out of the starport. She complied and entered with Joe in tow to find a familiar face waiting for her.
Top of the morning, Miss Oh. Good to see you in such high spirits!
It was Oliver Millington, the regional director of the Supernatural Eviction Agency. His jolly, rounded, holographic avatar was flanked by two stone-faced troopers in uniforms matching AJs. Joe winced at this welcoming party, mostly because he didnt like Mr. Millington. In his mind, this pudgy pencil-pusher had taken advantage of Maggies straightforward and honest personality during their contract negotiations. The girl, on the other hand, didnt seem too bothered by this encounter. She wasnt exactly thrilled about it, either.
What is the purpose of this eting, Mr. Millington? she asked flatly.
Nothing to get riled up about, my dear. All I ask is that you allow these two fine gentlen to serve as your bodyguards for a little while.
I feel the need to point out that the only ones in this room that are in need of additional protection are your n.
Maggies cold smile made the two troopers visibly recoil and clutch their heads. Joe knew this reaction well. AJ used to do that a lot when she first started living with them, though it was never this pronounced. The most shed do whenever Maggies presence caught her off guard was to cringe and jerk her head, maybe twitch an eye. It was barely an inconvenience when compared to these two, who were acting like theyd just been blasted by a deafening, bone-shaking screech. Joe felt strangely proud that his friend was much better at handling Maggies extra-loud brain waves than these strangers.
I am well aware, Miss Oh, Oliver sighed, completely unaffected by his ns discomfort. Unfortunately, our protocols havent been expanded to account for beings in your position. Youre technically a visiting foreign dignitary, which ans the governnt is required to provide you with an ard escort. Tis entirely a formality, I assure you. My assistant tells youve already made arrangents in regards to your stay here, so these fine gentlen will leave you to your business once theyve shown you to your lodgings.
I comprehend, Maggie reigned in her psychic pressure. In that case I shall comply.
Excellent, Mr. Millington bead. Oh, and while I have the chance, I wish to offer my personal thanks for all your efforts. Your experints on Agent Johanson have produced so riveting data indeed. In fact, Agent Barnes and Agent Kowalski here have volunteered to participate in our attempts to replicate those results.
The two psionics flanking the hologram looked at it with shock plastered on their faces. It was clear this was the first theyd heard about this. They clearly had so misgivings about being volunteered like this, but didnt get the chance to voice any complaints before Oliver flickered out of sight with a jolly Tah-tah! This was part of the process, of course. AJ unlocked her heightened abilities after cracking from severe physical and psychological stress, and it only seed logical that these agents would have to suffer the sa. Maggie caught onto the directors sche and, as per her obligations, played her part during the strangely long and deathly silent car ride to her temporary abode. Nothing extre, just a few subliminal images and implanted thoughts along the lines of those one-way winks she liked to do. By the ti she parted ways with the two guinea pigs she had given them enough ntal baggage to keep them up at night for the next month or so.
All of this went completely over Joes head, of course. The only thing he took away from all of that was that Oliver Millington was an even bigger prick than he initially gave him credit for. His mind rapidly moved on when he saw the hotel room Maggie had booked. It was essentially a deluxe version of his old apartnt, which was to say it was an extra-large shoebox with two whole pods in it. It honestly felt rather nostalgic, in a good way. The only real issue was that he didnt have access to his extensive virtual library of gas and shows. The stunted nature of interstellar communication made it impossible to relay digital information in real ti, after all. He should have brought a data cache with all of his account details from Butterpond-4, but it didnt occur to him to prepare one until he was already jacked into the hotel rooms pod. Ultimately this ant hed have to spend nearly every waking mont with his girlfriend, which was hardly the worst thing.
Maggie, for her part, finally got around to making that call.
*Ring-ring*
*Click*
Hello, you have reached McLarsons McLawyers, a womans bored voice rang out in her head.
Hello. This is Mags Oh, from Butterpond-4. I received a notice from your firm regarding a potential copyright infringent involving my person. Are you familiar with this?
One mont while I check our systems, madam. Yeees, I see it. A clients dia monitoring systems sent you an automated cease and desist on our behalf. It seems your personal appearance was deed too similar to linda Sparklestars. To a significant degree at that.
Thats the one. I wish to dispute this claim.
There was a long, awkward pause as the woman on the other end of the line let those words sink in.
Excuse , care to repeat that?
I wish to dispute this claim.
The one that says you look exactly like linda Sparklestar, whose appearance is the intellectual property of Bubble Spotlight Studios. That claim?
Yes.
I would strongly advise against that, madam. From what I see, youre clearly gene-modded, and theres no doubt as to the similarity. Its plainly obvious even to the naked eye.
I am aware. I wish to dispute the claim nonetheless, and as such demand a eting with your legal team as soon as possible.
Wow. Oh, wow! Okay! she sounded strangely excited all of a sudden. Is later today at one past noon acceptable, Miss Oh?
It is.
Would you like us to provide transportation to and from our offices?
That would be appreciated.
Fantastic! What about lunch? We can provide seafood, barbecue, pizza, or would you prefer sothing more exotic? Our treat, of course.
This illogically generous hospitality struck Maggie as quite odd indeed, but she wasnt about to turn down a free al.
Barbecue. Organic beef, preferably.
Excellent choice, madam. Ill finish making the arrangents on our end, and well see you at one!
Alright. Goodbye.
Bye!
*Click*
Maggie blinked rapidly as she tried and failed to make sense of the latter half of that conversation. She did not have much success, so she tried to consult her resident expert on humanity.
Yeah, I havent the foggiest, Joe shrugged. Maybe they feel like theyve got this one in the bag, so theyre being super cocky for no reason. You can never be too sure with bloody lawyers. Bunch of sli-balls, the lot of em.
The girl accurately ascertained he did not literally an they were a collection of lubricated spheres and asked a different question instead.
Have you personally interacted with lawyers before?
Well no but Ive heard all sorts of things on the net and such, he confird her suspicions.
In that case I shall withhold judgent until I have more information.
The girl knew better than to assu things said online about a particular group of people was accurate. Unless it was part of an official study, lecture, or other scientific work, then such information was extrely likely to have been born of ignorance and prejudice. She had learned that particular lesson after coming across an article that alleged that all ginger-haired humans were highly vulnerable to ultraviolet light. Thankfully she was able to debunk this claim without permanently scarring AJ.
Probably for the best, Joe shrugged, but you should be wary nonetheless. Theres no such thing as a free lunch, you know?
Maggie narrowed her eyes at this demonstrably false statent.
No, I do not. This presumably taphorical figure of speech is unfamiliar to , she flatly stated.
Oh, yes, sorry. Uh, to put it another way, if theyre offering free food its probably because they want to get your guard down and bamboozle you sohow. Sothing along those lines.
I comprehend, her eyes flashed. I shall be extra scrupulous during the eting.
Actually, about that. Just making sure, but you do have a way to defend yourself, right?
Joe hadnt really bothered to ask thus far. He just kind of assud Maggie knew what she was doing. After all, she wasnt the sort of person who would co all the way to another solar system without a plan of action. However, with the mont of truth right around the corner, he couldnt help but feel a bit nervous.
Indeed, she confird with a smile. I have formulated a series of legal argunts that have an eighty-one-point-five-six percent chance of resulting in a favorable ruling should this go to court.
And will it go to court?
The only way it will not is if the law firm drops the charges of their own volition, which is extrely unlikely to happen.
So its a win-win, huh? Thats great. So, uh, should I run down to the shops and get myself a suit? The one I brought from ho doesnt really fit anymore.
It had been about five years since Joe wore that outfit and he hadnt bothered to try it on before leaving the apartnt. It was probably a good thing he was so shaless, otherwise he might have died of embarrassnt at how unprepared this interstellar trip had found him.
Indeed, that would be wise.
Joes presence at the eting was hardly necessary, but he insisted on tagging along. Even if all the legal technicalities would likely bore him to tears, he needed to make sure those slimy lawyers didnt sucker Maggie into any shady contracts like that knobhead Millington. He even had a three hour power-nap just before leaving the Trafalgar so that he wouldnt fall asleep mid-eting again. He also needed to make sure he didnt embarrass Maggie, which involved wearing sothing more professional than his usual RetroStyle attire. There was plenty of ti before noon rolled around, so he had no difficulty procuring a sharp business suit. The only issue was that he absolutely hated this type of stuffy outfit. He felt like a clown for wearing it, and not even Maggies reassurance that he looked remarkably dashing in it made him feel better about it. Still, looking presentable was important, so he went along with it for his girlfriends sake.
The offered transportation arrived at Maggies temporary dwelling at around ten-to-one. In keeping with the trend of strangely generous hospitality, the law firm had sent a luxury vehicle that was almost a limousine. The car had a spacious interior, fancy seats, tinted windows, and a number of other unnecessary features. It even had its own honest-to-goodness chauffeur, complete with sharp black tie uniform and matching hat. If this was the law firms company car, Joe couldnt help but wonder what sort of palace their place of business was.
He was therefore rather disappointed to find that the offices of McLarsons McLawyers were rather cramped. They consisted of three rooms altogether - a large and relatively empty one set aside for etings, and two tiny chambers containing nothing but VR pods and computer towers. All in all, the entire business could fit in Maggies apartnt three tis over. Joe then realized his fra of reference was wrong. That suite was in a league of its own. On second thought, the law firms offices were quite spacious compared to his old apartnt. They had multiple rooms, after all.
The aforentioned eting room was where the two resident lawyers greeted them. The first was a gorgeous woman that looked barely out of her teens, though that was mostly due to gene mods that obscured her actual age. Her colleague was a dapper gentleman with a mature and dignified appearance punctuated by a pair of horn-rimd spectacles. These were entirely decorative, a cultural holdover from a ti when corrective eye surgery was far more primitive and significantly less accessible. Both of them wore fittingly sharp suits and short, no-nonsense haircuts, though the looks on their faces was a mix of childish glee and unrestrained excitent. The gap between attire and attitude was almost creepy, in a way.
Good day, Miss Oh! the lady extended a hand. We spoke on the phone earlier, but I neglected to introduce myself. Im Amy McLarson, and this is my brother, Ike.
A pleasure to make your acquaintance, the man mirrored her gesture.
The pleasure is mine, Maggie shook with both of them. This is my partner, Joe Mulligan.
Gday, the man offered casually. Dont mind , Im just here to keep her company.
Oh, a witness to the hearing! Amy chirped. How very quaint!
Joe didnt know how to feel about that remark. On one hand, being called quaint felt like he was being patronized. On the other, the lady spoke in a way that made her seem genuinely happy and thankful for his presence. Whichever the case, he really didnt need to be there. The state mandated that such etings were recorded for posterity to minimize the amount of he said, she said argunts should cases wind up in court.
But if Mr. Mulligan isnt here in any official capacity, then where is your legal counsel? Ike inquired while readjusting his glasses.
I will be representing myself, Maggie declared.
The McLarson siblings stared wide eyed at her, then at each other. There was a brief mont where they snickered and giggled quietly like overexcited children before they snapped back to a more professional deanor.
Understood. Then, please have a seat and enjoy your lunch, the lady invited them.
The eting room they were in was dominated by an oval glass table with several sleek office chairs around it. The lawyer duo situated themselves on one end while the confused couple took the other. The chauffeur from earlier entered imdiately after, though he was now dressed as a waiter or butler. This was hardly the weirdest part of this visit so neither Joe nor Maggie paid him much heed. He was probably just an intern or assistant or sothing. The plates in his hands were of much greater interest, as they held the organic beef barbecue that the girl had requested. The generous steaks were piping hot to the point where they sizzled quietly. The aroma that wafted from them was so mouthwatering one could easily drown on their drool if they were not careful.
Maggie imdiately bit into the juicy at with zero hesitation. The food was just as delightful as she had hoped, complete with that extra spice of death and suffering that only she could taste. She chewed on her al slowly and thodically, intent on savoring it as much as possible. Shed likely take an hour if she were to finish her plate at this pace, which was precisely what she planned to do. Joe also ate slowly, though that was mostly because he felt rather awkward about the way it was just him and Maggie eating while Ike and Amy stood there, smiling quietly. This wouldnt do at all. Though he hated to interrupt his girlfriends fun, he figured it would be for the best if they didnt keep the lawyers waiting any longer.
He gently placed a hand on Maggies shoulder and slightly jerked his head towards the McLarsons. The girl grasped what he was trying to say and nodded slightly, then put down her knife and fork. It was regrettable to let that wonderful at go cold, but she couldnt lose sight of her primary objective.
Thank you for the al, but we really should get down to business, she stated matter-of-factly.
Very well, Amy nodded. Let us go over the automated cease and desist once more for the record, shall we?
A holographic keyboard sprang up in front of her. She pressed a few illusory buttons and caused the case file to appear on the large screen built into the wall on her left.
The copyright protection systems algorithm picked up this photo, which was making the rounds on Butterpond-4s social dia networks approximately eight days ago.
The image in question was brought up, revealing it to be a picture of Maggie sunbathing in her bikini during her trip to that resort. Joe once more felt conflicted. He hated how so random arsehole had taken and uploaded this without their knowledge or permission. Such things werent strictly illegal since that beach was a public space, but it was still a dick move. At the sa ti he had to admit that Maggie looked absolutely stunning in it, perhaps more so than usual. Whoever took this photo clearly knew what he was doing.
As you can see, the lawyer lady scrolled down to the comnts, both the poster and over two hundred individuals mistakenly believed the subject in the photo was linda Sparklestar. The copyright protection system picked up on this chatter and analyzed the photo, concluding a ninety-three-point-six percent facial similarity between Miss Sparklestar and Miss Oh. Full body similarity is slightly less at eighty-six percent, but both numbers are far in excess of the sixty-five percent legal limit.
Amy finished her brief presentation of her evidence and turned back to Maggie.
Miss Oh, there is absolutely no doubt that you are infringing upon our clients intellectual property. We must therefore stand by the automated cease and desist and request that you alter your appearance into a non-infringing state within sixty days of the initial notification. Failure to do so can and will result in us seeking more severe legal action against you. Do you understand?
I comprehend completely, Maggie confird. I am not disputing the accuracy of the automated copyright protection system. However, I wish to challenge this claim of copyright infringent on grounds of fair use.
The two lawyers looked at her and each other dubiously for several silent seconds.
Fair use, the girl spoke up again. Noun. Legal. The doctrine that copyright material may, under certain circumstances, be replicated for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research, without the need for permission from or paynt to the copyright holder.
We are aware what the term ans, Miss Oh, Ike stated. We were rely waiting for you to elaborate upon the factors and circumstances that you believe would classify your case as fair use.
I apologize for the misunderstanding, I ant no offense, she bowed her head.
Thats quite alright, Miss Oh. Now, as you were saying?
Yes, Maggie looked up. I adopted linda Sparklestars personal image for the purposes of research. I am currently using it to further my understanding of the human psyche. More specifically, the effect that an individuals physical appearance has on public perception of them and their actions in a society where looks are easily modified. I was not aware that I was violating any copyright when I began this endeavor, though it is unlikely that such knowledge would have dissuaded . Regardless, while it is well within my ans to adopt another appearance, doing so will compromise nurous ongoing experints totaling over twelve hundred man-hours of labor. This is a significant setback that I wish to avoid, hence my intent to dispute the cease and desist on grounds of fair use.
Joe stared at the girl with unrestrained bewildernt. Hearing their relationship described in such dry terms was weird, to say the least. As for the McLarsons, they kept sharing questioning looks throughout Maggies statent and for several seconds after. On the surface it seed like so random girl was making up excuses to justify her desire to look like a famous person. However, the overwhelming confidence and sincerity with which she stated her case made them wonder if there actually was sothing to this social experint.
Do you have any evidence you can present to support this claim? Ike pressed. Scientific papers youve published, or datasets youve collected?
So, yes.
Maggie reached into her coiling locks and pulled out a hard drive the size of her thumb. Ike wasted no ti and practically snatched it from her fingers. He connected it to the offices computer and looked through its contents. It was filled with graphs, spreadsheets, notes, diagrams, essays, and reference materials. Both lawyers skimd through a few of the files each. The information therein was formatted in an extrely boring and detached manner that went completely over their heads. What they were looking at was the result of Maggie compiling most of her recent experiences with humanity into raw data. She even added plenty of her deductions and theories regarding the human condition. If this treasure trove of information were to be peer reviewed, it would be considered useful at the least and revolutionary at the most.
The McLarson siblings were naturally incapable of judging the value of this data. They had no way of telling whether Maggie had slapped together a bunch of random numbers and technical gibberish she had pulled off of the internet. It also wasnt their job to do so. In fact, their opinion on the matter was completely irrelevant from a legal standpoint. The only reason Ike had asked for this evidence was to ensure that her guest could actually put up a fight in court. Otherwise it wouldve been an open and shut case, and no judge worth their gavel wanted to deal with one of those.
Bloody brilliant! the brother cheered. Madam, I do believe we have ourselves a trial!
And this is good news? Joe couldnt help but ask.
But of course, Mr. Mulligan, the sister bead. We get to conduct an investigation, validate evidence, retrace digital footprints, call in witnesses to question and cross-examine - the works!
Do you think well get judge Locker again? her business partner asked excitedly. Its been far too long since Ive seen that old fart!
Oh, I certainly hope so. He does everything with such a classical flair. Ohhh, I cant wait! Quickly, lets get the formalities and bureaucracy out of the way and set up a court date!
On it like you wouldnt believe it!
As Joe and Maggie watched the two of them whip themselves up into a frenzy, it suddenly dawned on the couple exactly what was going on.
McLarsons McLawyers had been terribly McBored. It had been far too long since theyd done any actual lawyering. About two and a half years, to be specific. Their inactivity was a byproduct of having a judicial system that, much like the rest of their society, was largely automated. It was extrely rare for any case to reach a lawyers desk, let alone a courtroom. This was especially true for anything involving copyright law. The overwhelming majority of people in Maggies position would just roll over and comply with the copyright holders demands. It just wasnt worth the bother of trying to challenge such claims, primarily because theyd lose horribly ninety-nine out of a hundred tis.
In short, the McLarson siblings were so desperate to seize this chance to put their law degrees to use that they couldnt help but co off as overly enthusiastic. That sort of attitude had its perks, at least. It took only about a week for them to conduct whatever investigations they could and schedule a date for the initial hearing. It all happened so fast that Maggie and Joe didnt even need to leave Lancaster-3 before they found themselves in court.
The chamber itself was, much like the law firms offices, relatively spacious yet also smaller than Joe imagined it would be. There was a raised podium for the judge, a desk imdiately in front and below it for lesser court officials, another desk for each side in the case, and two rows of plain chairs in the back for any spectators. All of the available seats were taken by the ti Maggie and Joe walked in, which surprised the couple. They couldnt fathom how their case wouldve garnered any sort of public attention, not to ntion theyd arrived half an hour early.
It soon beca evident that this turnout was yet another bizarre occurrence caused by the McBored factor, as Joe had jokingly started calling it. Indeed, it wasnt just the brother-sister combo that were thrilled to see a real trial. A number of their friends, family mbers, and peers had turned up to watch the proceedings like it was so theatrical presentation. The attitude among the spectators was therefore oddly bubbly and jovial. The staff, on the other hand, were positively brimming with excitent. This went double for the judge, who was quietly practicing lines and gavel swings in the other room where nobody but Maggie could see him. His full na and title were Senior Civil Adjudicator Barnes Locker, and he was an old, wrinkled, and wiry gent that could easily pass for a future version of Joe.
At exactly three past noon, the trial officially began with the judge making his grand entrance. He stoically went up to his podium and imdiately slamd his gavel and called for order in the court. This was quite necessary given the noisy and casual atmosphere that would no doubt interfere with the proceedings if it was allowed to continue, though Locker rather enjoyed getting the chance to do that. He hid his glee wonderfully as he scanned both sides of the legal dispute. He ignored their formal attire and focused solely on their expressions. The McLarsons were clearly not as experienced with law as he was, given the way they struggled to keep those goofy grins off their faces. Maggie had that neutral smirk she normally bore, and Joe did as he did best and quietly went with the serious-but-not-really flow.
What followed were the initial formalities. An assistant to the judge stated the ti, date, and case number of the trial for the record, after which the judge invited both sides to make their opening statents. It was a rehash of the pre-trial eting, with the plaintiffs presenting a brief summary of the alleged copyright infringent while Maggie defended herself by claiming fair use for the purposes of research. Amy McLarson was then told to prove the validity of their sides argunt, which she did splendidly by presenting all of the data shed been able to collect. This wasnt a criminal case, so her side hadnt been able to dig too deep into the private lives of Maggie and Joe. However, the private investigator she hired had returned from Butterpond-4 with quite a few relevant tidbits.
It was no surprise that the girl was quite popular around her neighborhood, especially on its ssage boards. Those online forums presented enough information for the investigator to discover and prove that Joe had received an anonymous donation on Maggies behalf during that video ga tournant. Amy presented these findings along with a series of online comnts that showed this wouldnt have happened if her virtual avatar didnt resemble linda Sparklestar so much. She then tried to spin this into saying that the girl had used her copyrighted appearance for personal gain, which would seriously undermine her fair use defence. The judge dismissed this argunt outright, however.
That statent was stretched so thin I could floss my teeth with it, were his exact words.
Next up, the McLarsons called in their first witness - Mr. Charles, the store owner that Maggie got her pet snake from. They really were pulling out all the stops if they flew him out to another solar system for this hearing. The man was asked to describe the exact details of his one-ti bartering agreent, which he did honestly and succinctly. However, Mr. Charles hesitated when asked if he would have offered Maggie that deal if she didnt look like linda Sparklestar. He admitted that her unique and eye-catching appearance was a major factor in his decision-making, but added that he had no idea who the actress in question was since he didnt watch soap operas.
Adjudicator Locker seed more convinced by this attempt to discredit Maggies claims of non-profit than the previous one. Granted, that wasnt exactly a high hurdle, but it was a small win for the plaintiff side. Amy pressed the advantage by presenting a number of smaller incidents where various individuals showed the defendant leniency or favor purely because of her looks. She was leaning on this profiteering angle quite hard, and with good reason. The law firm had reached out to a few psychology experts to have them analyze the validity of Maggies research data. All of them had stated that the papers provided were practically bulletproof. No respectable man of science could dismiss her ticulously docunted findings as fraudulent or frivolous. Convincing the judge that her experint was a sham was impossible, so the McLarsons had no choice but to go all in on the financial aspects.
This approach seed to backfire imnsely, however. When the judge gave Maggie permission to speak, the girl rebuked all their accusations by revealing that appearance-based preferential treatnt was a major focal point of her research. She had also reached out to so distinguished mbers of Lancaster-3s academic community, asking them to testify before the court as to the potential benefits of these experints. She couldve done that herself, but her word carried far less weight than soone with decades of experience in the relevant field. The girl eventually settled on the witness who would have the most impact.
The one who spoke on her behalf was Haarfold Jik-Algetress mil Chun-Chun-Nyet, or just Harold to his friends. As his strange full na implied, he wasnt a local. However, Harold wasnt just a foreigner, but also a nonhuman sapient that hailed from the other end of the galaxy. His appearance was fully obscured by a puffy red-and-black personal environnt suit, though its shape suggested he was a bulbous individual with three legs, three arms, and a pyramid-like head. He spoke in a silky, lodious tone as he professed his undying fascination with the human mind, which was also the reason why he chose to live among the residents of the Third British Empire. He then started practically singing the virtues of Maggies findings, declaring them brilliant, enlightening, intriguing, and strangely relatable. Harold finished his statent by declaring that to interrupt the girls ongoing experints by forcing her to change her appearance would be a trendous setback to the never-ending study of the mind.
The crowd practically applauded the sapient as he left the stand and hopped out of the chamber. None of them had actually seen an alien in person before, and this particular individual was so flamboyant that he caused a spectacle by his very presence. Granted, they hadnt actually laid eyes on him since that suit was in the way, but they werent too bothered by this technicality. The adjudicator had to call for order seven whole tis before the small crowd finally settled down. Well, aside from one severely intoxicated individual who had to be forcibly removed from the courtroom since he wouldnt stop yelling gibberish about the illuminati.
The trials excitent levels took a massive plunge after that. The McLarsons and Maggie kept throwing smaller argunts and counter-argunts around as each side tried to either strengthen their case or undermine the oppositions. At so point the lawyer siblings tried cross-examining Joe with the intent of making him slip up and reveal sothing damning to his girlfriends case. However, the judge put a stop to that three minutes later by declaring that the man was an unreliable witness. This was a nice way of saying that he was deed to have the intellectual capacity of an unpainted plank of synthetic wood, and that anything he said would only confuse the court.
Four and a half hours into the trial, the judge declared that he had heard enough and was ready to make a ruling. This announcent was t with a wave of subdued disappointnt by most of the people in the room. They clearly wanted to enjoy the event for a bit longer. In truth, so did Adjudicator Locker, but he had already dragged this out for far too long. His mind had actually been made up for quite a while now and was starting to feel guilty for allowing this pointless discourse to continue.
Miss Oh, he turned to the girl, while the court recognizes the validity and value of your research, it is an indisputable fact that you have personally profited off of intellectual property belonging to Bubble Spotlight Studios without the owners knowledge or permission. You yourself have admitted as much. Whether this was or was not your goal or intent is irrelevant in the eyes of the law.
Your honor, the actual value of these so-called profits are effectively inconsequential, Maggie calmly pointed out. According to specifically subsection 12-E of article RH-0035 of the Imperial Intellectual Property Act, such gains must be in excess of-
The judge raised his hand, cutting her off.
Yes, I rember when you eloquently pointed this out not half an hour ago. However, the issue is not with what you have earned thus far, but with the potential profits you are poised to collect in the near future. As I understand the goals of your research, you intend to carry on as you have done until now. If I allow this to happen, I have no doubt this will lead to your currently agre popularity growing rapidly, which will in turn lead to financial success that will put you over the limit stated in subsection 12-E of article RH-0035. The copyright owner can and will appeal my decision at this ti, causing a retrial that they will win since your fair use defence will no longer be viable.
Locker was saying all this from a position of knowledge and experience. There was overwhelming precedent to support his reasoning. Thousands of similar cases across the 3BE that had turned out more or less exactly as he outlined, a few of which he had been directly involved with.
For the record, I personally sympathize with your plight and do not wish to take away the face that you and your partner have clearly grown fond of.
It wasnt just him that felt this way. Quite a few of the onlookers were rooting for the charming girl and all-around underdog to win.
However, as Adjudicator, I must remain impartial and set aside my feelings on the matter. I have therefore decided to save us all the headaches that co with an open-and-shut retrial and nip this one in the bud, as it were.
These people were naturally quite disappointed that such an upset clearly wasnt to happen. Even the lawyer siblings felt a bit bad about this turn of events, but their guilt was drowned out by the thrill of imminent victory. Joe was, understandably, the most upset and was already hanging his head low. As for Maggie, her confident smile did not waver in the slightest even though she was about to lose.
I understand, your honor, she nodded. Before you hand down a verdict, however, I wish to bring to your attention one final and rather vital piece of evidence.
The judge raised an eyebrow dubiously, but motioned for her to proceed. The girl stepped up to his podium and held out a thumb drive different from the one she was using to store her research data. Lockers eyes went wide as his implants notified him that the device bore the digital seal of Her Immortal Majestys ard forces. He hurriedly instructed his assistants to scan the drive and send the information contained therein to the personal monitor built into the judges podium. The man stared at the file he was presented with in utter disbelief, even going so far as to rub his eyes as if to make sure he was seeing things right.
Young lady, he looked back to her, still aghast. Why did you not tell us you were a diplomat sooner?
The color drained from the McLarsons faces as they grasped where this was going. Maggies British citizenship ca with a diplomatic status that afforded her certain benefits, including protection from any and all civil lawsuits. She could still be taken to criminal court if she were to commit a felony, but this copyright issue was a trifling matter that could have instantly been thrown out of the proverbial window. She didnt have to fly to another solar system for a face-to-face with the studios legal representatives, nor did the case need to reach an actual courtroom. If she had just sent that military-signed thumb drive via courier from the start, then McLarsons McLawyers would have been McBuggered.
The judge, lawyers, assistants, and everyone else in the room who understood the situation were therefore left wondering the sa thing - why hadnt she done that?
Because that would be no fun, she rrily declared.
Locker quietly pondered those words for a few seconds before cracking a smile.
Well, then. I suppose that settles that, doesnt it? he shrugged in an exaggerated manner. The court hereby recognizes the diplomatic status of the defendant and drops all charges against her. Bubble Spotlight Studios are hereby ordered to refrain from issuing any more cease and desist notices against Mags Oh until such ti that her diplomatic status is revoked. Case dismissed!
He made three loud bangs with his gavel, officially declaring the trial over.
And for the record, he turned to Maggie once more, thanks for today. It was fun.
It was yet another sentint nearly everyone present could agree with. Trials were few and far between, and none in recent mory had proven themselves as entertaining or exciting as this one. There were all kinds of witnesses, various evidence, heated argunts, an extravagant expert, and even a twist coback right at the end. Maggies desire to personally experience the inner workings of the 3BEs judicial system had inadvertently led to giving all those people a show theyd scarcely forget. This, in turn, made her strangely happy. She discovered it felt good to give others joy, even though they were a bunch of strangers she couldnt care less about.
The only one who wasnt into the good vibes going around was Joe. He tried not to let it show so as to not ruin the mood for everyone else, but he was actually even more pissed off than Amy and Ike. Though he didnt have all the details, he grasped the gist of what had transpired. Naly, that Maggie could have handled this trouble with ease, but instead chose to try handling it the hard way just to see what would happen. That was fine. Such impractical curiosity was completely understandable and entirely expected of her. She had done similar things before and Joe had gotten swept up in her shenanigans more often than not. This trend would likely continue in future, too. He didnt mind this habit of hers since he trusted her to keep them both safe, not to ntion that seeing Maggie happy made it all worth it in the end.
However, where Joe drew the line was having to put on a suit for no bloody reason.
He really didnt like suits.
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