The Lancaster No. 3 is very similar to the Button Pond No. 4, but there is one major difference. The river is obviously much older and therefore more intensively developed. As Joe and Maggie's shuttle approaches, the girl notices that the planet below has significantly less greenery than the planet she's traveling on. It also seems to have a much larger population, with distant large cities covering nearly the entirety of the largest continent. Pollution levels are also much higher, given the thick fog the shuttle has to pass through. Fortunately, the air in civilized areas remains clean and breathable thanks to the giant terraforming machines, but a large portion of the planet is uninhabitable.
Maggie found this situation unfortunate. She had hoped to have the opportunity to locate and observe new life forms during her stay here, but that was not going to happen. However, she didn't think too much about it. The purpose of her visit was legislation, not exploration. After the shuttle landed, Jo stopped shaking and she checked with the law firm representing Bubble Spotlight Studios. Fortunately, it has a branch in Dave-87, the big city where the couple arrived. Maggie quietly booked a hotel room for the two of them and was about to call the company to make an appointment when the security guard asked her to go into a small room on her way out of the airport. She agreed, followed Joe in, and found a familiar face waiting for her.
"Good morning, Miss Ou. I'm glad to see you so happy!"
It's Oliver Millington, regional director of the Paranormal Removal Agency. His happy, plump hologram is embraced by two expressionless soldiers wearing the same uniform as AJ. Joe shrank from the welcome party, mostly because he didn't like Mr. Millington. In his opinion, the stocky clerk took advantage of Maggie's frank and honest personality in their contract negotiations. The girl, on the other hand, didn't seem too fazed by the encounter. She wasn't very excited about it either.
"What is the purpose of this interview, Mr. Millington?" she asked flatly.
"There is nothing to be angry about, my dear. All I ask is that you allow these two fine gentlemen to serve as your bodyguards for the time being."
"I feel it's important to point out that the only people in this room who need extra protection are your people."
Maggie's icy smile caused the two soldiers to visibly flinch back and clutch their heads. Joe knew this reaction well. AJ often did this when he first started living with them, although it was never this obvious. Whenever Maggie's presence catches her off guard, the most she does is flinch, shake her head, and maybe twitch her eyes. This was nothing compared to these two men, who looked as if they had just been exploded by a deafening, shuddering scream. Joe felt a strange sense of pride that his friend was better at processing Maggie's extraordinarily loud brainwaves than these strangers were.
"I know very well, Miss O," Oliver sighed, completely unaffected by his men's uneasiness. "Unfortunately, our agreement does not extend to people like you. Technically, you are a visiting foreign dignitary, which means the government must provide you with an armed escort. I assure you, this is entirely a Form. My assistant tells me that you have made arrangements for your stay here, so these kind gentlemen will take you to your accommodation and then leave you to attend to your affairs."
"I understand." Maggie suppressed her mental pressure. "In that case, I'll do it."
"That's great," laughed Mr Millington. "Well, while I have the chance, I'd like to express my personal gratitude for your efforts. Your experiments with Agent Johnson did produce some very interesting data. In fact, Agents Barnes and Kowalski Agents volunteered to participate in our experiments to replicate these results"
The two psychics standing on either side of the hologram looked at it with shocked expressions on their faces. It was obvious that this was the first time they had heard of it. They were obviously a little worried about "telling themselves out" like this, but before they could complain, Oliver disappeared with a cheerful "ta-da". "Of course, it's all part of the process. It seems logical that AJ unlocked her advanced abilities after experiencing severe physical and psychological stress, and that these agents must have suffered the same. Maggie discovered the director The plan, as she was obliged to do, played her part in the long, dead car ride to her temporary home. Nothing extreme, just some subconscious images and implanted ideas along the lines of what she liked to do One-way blink route. By the time she and her two mice were separated, she had left them with enough mental baggage to keep them awake at night for the next month or so.
Of course, all this was completely beyond Joe's comprehension. The only thing he takes away from all this is that Oliver Millington is a bigger jerk than he first thought. His thoughts quickly shifted when he saw the hotel room Maggie had reserved. It's basically a deluxe version of his old apartment, which is to say, it's an oversized shoebox with two full pods inside. To be honest, it feels a bit nostalgic, but a good kind of nostalgia. The only real problem is that he doesn't have access to his vast library of virtual games and shows. After all, flaws in interstellar communications make it impossible to deliver digital information in real time. He should have brought a data cache with him in Butte
po
All of D-4's account information, but it hadn't occurred to him to prepare one until he was hijacked into a pod in his hotel room. Ultimately, this meant he had to spend almost all of his waking hours with his girlfriend, which wasn't even the worst part.
Maggie, for her part, finally got around to making that call.
Acid rock mass* *
*click*
"Hello, this is McLaren Law Firm," a woman's bored voice sounded in her head.
"Hello. I'm Mags from Butte
po
d-4. I received a notification from your company regarding potential copyright infringement involving myself. Are you familiar with this?"
"Please wait while I check the system, ma'am. Yes, I saw that. A client's media monitoring system sent you an automatic termination order on our behalf. It appears that your personal appearance and Melinda Sparkle It’s so similar. For the most part.”
"That's it. I wish to dispute that assertion."
The woman on the other end of the phone listened to a long awkward silence before she slowly understood the meaning of this sentence.
"I'm sorry, can you say it again?"
"I would like to dispute that assertion."
It says you look a lot like Melinda Sparksthal (Meli
da Spa
klesta
), her appearance is the intellectual property of Bubble Spotlight Studios. Is this a statement?”
"Yes."
"I... strongly object to this, ma'am. It seems to me that you have clearly been genetically modified, and there is no doubt that you are alike. This is obvious, even to the naked eye."
"I know. Nonetheless, I wish to contest the claim, so I request a meeting with your legal team as soon as possible."
"Wow. Oh, wow! Okay! Her voice suddenly became very excited. "Is it okay to do it later today, Miss Ou?"
"This is."
“Would you like us to provide transportation to and from the office?”
"I appreciate it."
"Great! What about lunch? We can serve seafood, BBQ, pizza, or do you want something more exotic? Of course our treat."
This illogical generosity did strike Maggie as odd, but she wasn't about to turn down a free meal.
"Barbecue. Preferably organic beef."
"Good choice, ma'am. I've made arrangements here. We'll see you at one o'clock!"
"okay, bye."
"goodbye!"
*click*
Maggie blinked rapidly as she tried to understand the second half of the conversation, but couldn't. She wasn't having much success, so she tried consulting her resident humanitarian expert.
"Yeah, I'm not fuzzy at all," Joe shrugged. "Maybe they think they've got it, so they get super arrogant for no reason. You can never be too sure about a damn lawyer. A bunch of slimy guys, a whole bunch of them."
The girl correctly judged that he wasn't talking about a pile of lubricated balls and asked a different question.
"Have you ever had any contact with a lawyer before?"
"Well...no...but I've heard all kinds of things online," he confirmed her suspicions.
"In that case, I will reserve judgment until I have more information."
This girl knows that what is said about a certain group of people online is accurate and should not be taken for granted. Unless it is part of an official study, lecture, or other scientific endeavor, the information is most likely coming from ignorance and bias. She learned this particular lesson after seeing an article claiming that all people with ginger hair are highly susceptible to UV rays. Luckily, she debunked the theory without leaving AJ with permanent scars.
"Maybe that's for the best," Joe shrugged, "but you still have to be careful. There's no such thing as a free lunch, you know?"
Maggie narrowed her eyes after hearing this obviously wrong statement.
"No, I don't know. I'm not familiar with this presumably metaphorical figure of speech," she said bluntly.
"Oh, yeah, sorry. In other words, if they're offering free food it's probably because they want you to let your guard down and trick you in some way. That's pretty much it."
"I understand," her eyes sparkled. "I will be extra careful during meetings."
"Actually, about that. Just to make sure, but you have ways to protect yourself, right?"
So far, Joe hadn't really bothered to ask. He just thought Maggie knew what she was doing. After all, she wasn't the type to travel thousands of miles to another solar system without a plan of action. However, the critical moment was just around the corner, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
"Indeed," she confirmed with a smile. "I have developed a series of legal arguments that would give me an 85.6 per cent chance of a favorable ruling if this matter went to court."
"Will it go to court?"
"The only recourse is for the law firm to voluntarily drop the charges, which is highly unlikely to happen."
"So it's a win-win, huh?" Great. Should I go to the store and buy myself a suit? The one I brought from home doesn't fit me anymore. "
Joe hadn't worn that suit in five years, and he hadn't even tried it on before leaving the apartment. It's probably a good thing he's so shameless, otherwise he might have died of embarrassment because of how unprepared he was for this interstellar journey.
"Indeed, it would be wise to do so."
Joe's attendance at the meeting was not necessary, but he insisted on tagging along. Even though all the legal details might bore him, he needs to make sure those smarmy lawyers don't trick Maggie into any shady contracts like that fool Millington did. He even took a three-hour nap before leaving the Trafalgar so that he wouldn't fall asleep during the meeting again. He also needed to make sure he didn't embarrass Maggie, which required wearing a Ret than his usual
oStyle™ clothing for more professional clothing. There was still plenty of time before noon, so he bought a nice suit without any trouble. The only problem is, he absolutely hates these stuffy clothes. He felt like a clown wearing it, and even Maggie's reassurance that he looked "very classy" in it didn't make him feel any better. However, it was still important to dress appropriately, so he did it for the sake of his girlfriend.
The odds of the transportation they provided reaching Maggie's temporary home were about ten to one. In keeping with this trend of unusually generous hospitality, the law firm sent a luxury car that was almost a limousine. This car has a spacious interior, plush seats, tinted windows and many other unnecessary features. It even has its own chauffeur, dressed in a neat black tie uniform and matching hat. If this was a company car for a law firm, Joe couldn't help but wonder what kind of palace their offices were.
So he was rather disappointed when he found the offices at McLaren Law Firm to be rather...crowded. They consist of three rooms in total—one large, relatively empty room for meetings, and two smaller rooms that just hold VR pods and computer towers. All told, the entire business could fit three times into Maggie's apartment. Joe realizes his frame of reference is wrong. That suite is unique. On second thought, the law firm's office was much more spacious than his previous apartment. After all they have multiple rooms.
The aforementioned conference room was where the two resident lawyers greeted them. The first is a beautiful woman who barely looks teenage, although this is largely due to genetic patterns that mask her actual age. Her colleague is a well-dressed gentleman, wearing a pair of horn-rimmed glasses, looking mature and dignified. They are entirely decorative, a cultural relic of a time when corrective eye surgery was far more primitive and difficult. They both wore tailored suits and had short, plain haircuts, although the expressions on their faces were a mixture of boyish glee and unbridled excitement. In a way, the disparity between attire and attitude is almost eerie.
"Hello, oh miss!" The lady held out a hand. "We spoke on the phone before, but I forgot to introduce myself." I'm Amy McLaren and this is my brother Ike. "
"Nice to meet you," the man mimicked her gesture.
"It would be my pleasure," Maggie shuddered with them both. "This is my partner, Joe Mulligan."
"Hello," the man said casually. "Don't mind me, I'm just here to accompany her."
"Oh, hearing witnesses!" Amy chirped. "really weird!"
Joe didn't know what to think of that statement. On the one hand, being called "quaint" made him feel like he was being treated as superior. On the other hand, the woman spoke in such a way that she seemed genuinely happy and grateful for his presence. Whatever the case, he didn't really have to go there. New York State mandates that such meetings must be recorded so that future generations know that "he said, she said" arguments will be minimized should the case go to court.
"But if Mr. Mulligan is not here in any official capacity, where is your legal counsel?" Ike asked, adjusting his glasses.
"I will defend myself," Maggie declared.
The McLarens stared at her with wide eyes, then looked at each other. They snickered like over-excited children for a moment before reverting to their more professional demeanor.
"Got it. So, take a seat and enjoy your lunch," the woman invited them.
The conference room they were in had an oval glass table surrounded by some stylish office chairs. The two lawyers stood at one end, while the confused couple stood at the other. The driver from before also came in, although he was now dressed like a waiter or butler. That wasn't the strangest part of the visit, so neither Joe nor Maggie paid him much attention. He might just be an intern or an assistant or something. The plate in his hand aroused even greater interest because it contained the organic grilled meat the girl wanted. The hearty steak was piping hot and sizzling. The aroma wafting from them is so mouth-watering that one can easily drown in their saliva if one is not careful.
Maggie immediately took a bite of the juicy meat without hesitation. The food was just as delightful as she had hoped, with the added taste of death and pain that only she could taste. She chewed her food slowly and methodically, intent on tasting as much as possible. It would probably take her an hour to finish her plate at this rate, which is exactly what she planned to do. Joe also ate slowly, but mostly because he felt embarrassed that it was just him and Maggie eating while Ike and Amy stood there, smiling quietly. This simply won't work. While he hated interrupting his girlfriend's fun, he figured it would be for the best if they didn't keep the lawyers waiting any longer.
He gently placed a hand on Maggie's shoulder and gently turned his head towards the McLathans. The girl understood what he meant, nodded slightly, and then put down her knife and fork. It was a shame to let that delicious piece of meat go cold, but she couldn't forget her primary goal.
"Thanks for the dinner, but we really need to get down to business," she said matter-of-factly.
"Good," Amy nodded. "Let's go over the auto-stop command again so it's documented, shall we?"
A holographic keyboard suddenly appeared in front of her. She pressed a few ethereal buttons and the case file appeared on a large screen on the wall to her left.
"The copyright protection system's algorithm discovered this photo, which was posted in Butte about eight days ago.
po
circulated on D-4's social media network. "
Controversial photos were brought up, showing Maggie sunbathing in a bikini during a trip to a resort. Again, Joe felt conflicted. He hates it when some random asshole uploads this photo without their knowledge or permission. Since that beach is a public place, something like this isn't technically illegal, but it's still an asshole move. At the same time, he had to admit that Maggie looked absolutely stunning in this outfit, maybe even more so than usual. The person who took this photo knew exactly what he was doing.
"As you can see," Ms. Lawyer scrolled down to the comments, "both the poster and the 200-plus people mistakenly believed that the person in the photo was Melinda Sparkle. The copyright protection system collected this conversation , and analyzed the photos and concluded that the facial similarity between Miss Sparks and Miss Wu is 96.6%. The whole body similarity is slightly lower than 86%, but both numbers far exceed the legal limit of 65%."
Amy briefly stated her evidence, then turned to Maggie.
"Oh Miss, there is no doubt that you are infringing our client's intellectual property rights. Therefore, we must insist on an automatic cease and desist and require you to change your appearance to a non-infringing status within 60 days of the initial notice. If you do not do so, We may take more severe legal action against you. Do you understand?"
"I totally understand," Maggie confirmed. "I am not questioning the accuracy of the automated copyright protection system. However, I wish to challenge this allegation of copyright infringement on fair use grounds."
The two lawyers were silent for several seconds, looking at her and each other suspiciously.
"Fair use." The girl said loudly again. "Noun. Legal. Under certain circumstances, copyrighted material may be copied for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research without obtaining permission from or paying the copyright owner."
"We know what the word means, Miss O," Ike said. “We are simply waiting for you to detail the factors and circumstances that you believe classify your case as fair use.”
"I apologize for the misunderstanding. I meant no offense," she said, lowering her head.
"It's okay, Miss Ou. Now, as you just said?"
"Yes," Maggie looked up. "For research purposes, I adopted the personal image of Melinda Sparkle. I now use it to deepen my understanding of human psychology. More specifically, in a society where appearance can easily change, a person The impact of their appearance on the public's perception and behavior of them. When I began this endeavor, I had no idea that I was infringing any copyrights, although such knowledge is unlikely to deter me. Regardless, while I am perfectly capable of adopting Another appearance, but doing so would compromise many ongoing experiments, totaling over 1,200 man-hours. This is a major setback that I hope to avoid, so I intend to challenge the injunction on fair use grounds."
Joe stared blankly at the girl. It's strange to say the least to hear their relationship described in such dry terms. As for the McLathans, they exchanged questioning glances during Maggie's statement and for the next few seconds. On the surface, this seems like a random girl making up excuses to justify her desire to look like a celebrity. However, the overwhelming confidence and sincerity with which she presented her case made them wonder whether this "social experiment" really meant anything.
"Do you have any evidence to support your claim?" Ike. “Scientific papers you’ve published, or data sets you’ve collected?”
"Some, yes."
Maggie reached into her coiled hair and pulled out a thumb-sized hard drive. Ike wasted no time and almost snatched it from her fingers. He connected it to his office computer and looked at its contents. It's filled with charts, spreadsheets, notes, diagrams, papers, and reference materials. The two lawyers each looked through some documents. The information was formatted in an extremely boring and detached way that was completely beyond their comprehension. What they were seeing was the result of Maggie compiling most of her recent experiences with humans into raw data. She even adds many corollaries and theories about the human condition. If this treasure trove of information were peer-reviewed, it would be considered at least useful and at most revolutionary.
Naturally, the McLasons couldn't judge the value of these data. They couldn't tell if Maggie had pieced together a bunch of random numbers and technical gibberish she'd gotten off the internet. It's not their job either. In fact, from a legal perspective, their opinion on the matter is completely irrelevant. The only reason Ike asked for this "evidence" was to ensure her client could mount a defense in court. Otherwise this would be a clear-cut case that no judge worth his salt would want to handle.
"Bloody glory!" my brother cheered. "Madam, I believe we have a trial!"
"So...is this good news?" Joe couldn't help but ask.
"Of course, Mr. Mulligan," the sister smiled. “We can conduct investigations, verify evidence, trace digital footprints, call witnesses for examination and cross-examination – the work!”
"Do you think we can get another Judge Locke?" her business partner asked excitedly. "I haven't seen that old fart in a long time!"
"Oh, I certainly hope so. He does everything with a classic air. Oh, I can't wait! Come on, let's get the formalities and bureaucracy out of the way and set a court date!"
"Like you won't believe it!"
As Joe and Maggie watched the two of them beat themselves into a frenzy, the couple suddenly understood what was going on.
McLarson's lawyers were fed up with McLarson. It's been a long time since they've been a real lawyer. About two and a half years to be exact. Their inaction is a by-product of a justice system that, like the rest of their society, is largely automated. It is extremely rare for any case to reach an attorney's desk, let alone in court. This is especially true when it comes to matters involving copyright law. Most people like Maggie will obediently comply with the copyright owner's demands. It's not worth challenging such claims, mostly because ninety-nine times out of a hundred they will fail miserably.
In short, the McLathans were so desperate to seize the opportunity to put their law degrees to good use that they couldn't help but be overly enthusiastic. At least, this attitude has its benefits. It only took them about a week to conduct as much investigation as possible and schedule a date for a preliminary hearing. It all happened so fast, Maggie and Joe were in court before they even left Lancaster-3.
The room itself was much like a law firm office, relatively spacious, but also smaller than Joe expected. The judge has a high podium with a table directly in front, a table below for lower court officials, a table for each side of the case, and two rows of regular chairs behind for observers. When Maggie and Joe walked in, all the available seats were booked, much to the couple's surprise. They didn't understand how their case had come to public attention, let alone that they'd arrived half an hour early.
Soon, it became apparent that this was another strange incident caused by the "Mac Boredom Factor," which Joe began jokingly calling. In fact, it's not just the siblings who are excited about the actual trial. Many of their friends, family and peers were in attendance to watch the proceedings as if they were attending a theatrical performance. As a result, the audience's attitude was surprisingly lively and cheerful. Employees, on the other hand, are buzzing with excitement. This was doubly true for the judge, who was quietly practicing his lines and swinging his gavel in another room, unseen by anyone but Maggie. His full name and title is Senior Civil Judge Barnes Locke, a wrinkled, muscular older gentleman who could easily be considered a future version of Joe.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the trial officially began, and the judge made a grand entrance. He stoically stepped onto the podium and immediately slammed his gavel down, demanding order in the courtroom. This was necessary as the loud and informal atmosphere would undoubtedly interfere with the flow of the game if it were allowed to go ahead, although Locke would relish the opportunity to do so. He deftly concealed his joy as he looked at both sides of the legal dispute. He ignored their formal attire and focused only on their expressions. The McLathans clearly didn't have as much legal experience as he did, as they struggled to hold back the goofy grins on their faces. Maggie had her usual innocent smile on her face, and Joe did his best to look as quietly serious as possible but unreal.
What follows are the initial procedures. The judge's clerk states the time, date, and case number of the trial, and then the judge invites both sides to make opening statements. It was a carbon copy of the pretrial conference, with the plaintiff giving a brief summary of the alleged copyright infringement and Maggie defending herself, claiming fair use for research purposes. Amy McLathan was then asked to prove the validity of the other side's argument and she did an excellent job presenting all the data she could muster. This wasn't a criminal case, so there was no digging into Maggie and Joe's personal lives on her end. However, the private detective she hired from Butte
po
D-4 brought back some relevant tidbits.
Not surprisingly, the girl is popular in her community, especially on message boards. These online forums provided enough information for investigators to discover and prove that Joe had received an anonymous donation in Maggie's name during a video game tournament. Amy presented these findings alongside a series of online comments that suggested none of this would have happened if her avatar hadn't been so much like Melinda Sparkle. She then attempted to turn this argument into the girl using her copyrighted appearance for personal gain, which would seriously undermine her fair use defense. However, the judge flatly rejected this argument.
His actual words were: "This sentence is so fine that I can use it to floss my teeth."
Next, the McClassons brought in their first witness - Mr. Charles, the owner of Maggie's pet snake shop. If they sent him to another solar system for this hearing, they really pulled out all the stops. The man was asked to describe the specifics of his one-time barter agreement, and he spoke honestly and succinctly. However, when asked if Maggie didn't look like Melinda Sparkle, Charles hesitated. He admitted that her unique and striking appearance was a major factor in his decision, but added that he had no idea who the actress was because he doesn't watch soap operas.
Judge Locke seemed more convinced of this attempt to discredit Maggie's claims of non-profitability. That's not a huge hurdle, of course, but it's a small victory for the plaintiffs' side. Amy uses this to her advantage by citing minor incidents in which different people showed leniency or favoritism to the defendant simply because of how she looked. She's very firmly on the profiteering side, and for good reason. The law firm contacted several psychology experts to ask them to analyze the validity of Maggie's study data. They all said the documentation provided was nearly bulletproof. No respected scientist would consider her carefully documented findings to be fraudulent or flippant. Convincing a judge that her experiments were fake was impossible, so the McLathans had no choice but to go all-in financially.
However, this approach seems to be counterproductive. When the judge allowed Maggie to speak, the girl refuted all their accusations, revealing that preferential treatment based on appearance was a major focus of her research. She also contacted some of the biggest names in Lancaster-3's academic community and asked them to testify in court about the potential benefits of the experiments. She could do it herself, but her words carry far less weight than someone with decades of experience in the relevant field. The girl ultimately selected the most influential witness.
The man who spoke for her was Harford Gee-Agatrice Mir Spring-Chun-Knight, known as "Harold" to his friends. His strange full name shows that he is not from here. However, Harold is not only a foreigner, but also a non-human intelligent creature from the other side of the galaxy. His appearance is completely obscured by a bulky red and black personal environmental suit, although its shape suggests that he is a bulbous man with three legs, three arms, and a pyramid-shaped head. In a smooth and melodious tone, he expressed his eternal fascination with the human soul, which was why he chose to live among the inhabitants of the third British Empire. He then began to almost extol the virtues of Maggie's discoveries, declaring them wonderful, illuminating, interesting, and strangely relevant. Harold concluded his statement by declaring that interrupting the girl's ongoing experiments by forcing her to change her appearance would be a huge setback to the never-ending study of the mind.
The crowd practically applauded as the wise man left the witness stand and skipped out of the chamber. None of them had ever seen an alien in person, and this particular one was so flamboyant that he caused a stir when he showed up. Of course, they hadn't seen him since the suit blocked his path, but they didn't pay much attention to the technical details. The referee shouted a full seven times before the small group was quieted. Except for a very drunk man who was forcibly removed from the courtroom because he kept raving about "Illuminati"
After that, excitement about the trial dropped significantly. The Maclassons and Maggie kept throwing out little arguments and counter-arguments, each trying to strengthen their own point or weaken the other's. At one point, the attorney brothers try to cross-examine Joe, with the goal of getting him to slip up and reveal something detrimental to his girlfriend's case. However, three minutes later the judge put a stop to that by declaring the man an unreliable witness. That's a nice way of saying he was deemed to have the mental capacity of an unpainted synthetic board and anything he said would only confuse the court.
Four and a half hours into the trial, the judge announced he had heard enough and was ready to make a ruling. Most in the room felt a wave of suppressed disappointment at the news. They obviously wanted to enjoy it a little longer. In fact, Judge Locke thought so too, but he had delayed for too long. In fact, he'd been making up his mind for a while, and he was starting to feel guilty for allowing this pointless conversation to continue.
“Oh Miss,” he turned to the girl, “While the courts recognize the validity and value of your research, you have personally profited from Bubble Spotlight Studios’ intellectual property without the owner’s knowledge or permission. That's an indisputable fact. You admitted it yourself. Whether that was your purpose or intention is irrelevant from a legal perspective."
"Your honor, the actual value of these so-called profits is actually irrelevant," Maggie pointed out calmly. "Such proceeds must exceed"
The judge raised his hand and interrupted her.
"Yes, I remember you eloquently stating this less than half an hour ago. However, the question is not how much money you have made so far, but the potential profits you are prepared to collect in the near future. According to my opinion of you Understanding of the research objectives, you intend to continue the work you have done so far. If I were to allow this to happen, I have no doubt that it would lead to a rapid growth in your currently meager popularity, which would in turn lead to financial success, This will put you over the limit stated in Section RH-0035, Section 12-E. The copyright owner can and will appeal my decision, resulting in a rehearing, which they will win because your fair use defense will no longer be feasible."
Locke said these words on the standpoint of knowledge and experience. There are overwhelming precedents that support his reasoning. Thousands of similar cases occurred in the entire 3BE area, and the results were more or less consistent with what he described, and several of them were directly involved in him.
"Solemnly declare that I personally sympathize with your dilemma and don't want to take away the face that you and your partner obviously like."
It's not just that he feels like this. Quite a number of onlookers support the charming girl and the all -round weak.
"However, as an officer, I must maintain fairness and put aside my personal feelings in this matter. Therefore, I decided to kill this case in the bud. In this way, we don’t have to have a headache for the public trial. .”
These people are naturally disappointed because such confusion will obviously not happen. Even the younger siblings of the lawyer were a little sad about the turning point, but their guilt was drowned by the excitement of the upcoming victory. It is understandable that Joe is the most sad and already bowed his head. As for McGee, although she lost, her confident smile was not shaken.
"I understand, the judge." She nodded. "However, before you make a judgment, I hope to ask you to pay attention to a last and very important evidence."
The judge raised his eyebrows suspiciously, but motioned for her to continue. The girl walked to his podium and took out a U disk that was different from her to store "research data". When his implant informed him, Locke's eyes widened when the device had the digital seal of the Queen's army. He hurriedly instructed the assistant to scan the hard disk and sent the information in it to the personal display installed on the judge's podium. This person stared at the documents in front of him at all, and even rubbed his eyes, as if he had to be sure he was looking right.
"Miss," he looked back at her and was still scared. "Why don't you tell us earlier you are a diplomat?"
When the Miclason couple understood the ins and outs of the matter, the blood on their faces disappeared. Maggie's British citizenship comes with diplomatic status, which provides her with certain benefits, including avoiding the protection of any civil lawsuit. If she committed a felony, she may still be taken to the Criminal Court, but this copyright issue is a trivial issue that can be immediately thrown out of the well -known window. She does not need to fly to the legal representation of another solar system and the studio, and the case does not need to reach the real court. If she sends the military Signature U disk through the beginning, then Macrason's lawyers will be by McBugugge (MCBUGGE
)Cheated.
Therefore, the judges, lawyers, assistants, and everyone in the house are thinking about the same question -why did she not do that?
"Because that's boring," she said happily.
Locke thought quietly for a few seconds, and then laughed.
"Well,. I think this is solved, isn't it? He shrugged exaggeratedly." The court hereby admitted to the defendant's diplomatic identity and revoked all the charges for her. The bubble spotlight studio was ordered to stop issuing any stop notification to Miss Wu until her diplomatic identity was revoked. The case was rejected! "
He knocked three times with a mallet and officially announced the end of the trial.
"Solemnly declare," he turned to Maggie again, "Thank you for your hospitality today. This is interesting."
This is another point of view that everyone who almost agrees. There are very few tests, far apart. In recent memories, none of them prove that they are as interesting or exciting as this. There are various witnesses, various evidence, fierce disputes, a luxurious expert, and even the final reversal. Maggie wants to experience the desire of the internal operation of the 3BE judicial system in person, and inadvertently brought all these people a performance that they could not forget. This in turn made her surprisingly happy. She found a good feeling to bring happiness to others, even if they were a stranger she didn't care about.
The only person who doesn't like this good atmosphere is Joe. He tried not to show it, so as not to destroy everyone's mood, but he was actually more angry than Amy and Aike. Although he didn't know all the details, he had the main points of what happened. In other words, Maggie can have easily dealt with this trouble, but she chose a difficult way to deal with it, but just wanted to see what would happen. This is good. Her unrealistic curiosity is fully understandable and can be expected. She had done similar things before, and Qiao was often confused by her prank. This trend is likely to continue in the future. He didn't mind her habit, because he believed that she would protect the safety of the two of them, let alone seeing Maggie happy. All this was eventually worth it.
However, Qiao's bottom line had to put on a suit without reason.
He really doesn't like a suit.
