Weird Laws

Sometimes I receive a writing assignment that makes me stop and wonder, “Where do I start on this one?”  Sometimes the assignment is a little more apparent and soon reveals a clear starting point.  Then, there are other times that the topic can be a little daunting, mainly because there is just so much information.  I have a feeling that is what Weird Law will end up being.  After all, there are more attorneys in the than there are people in some countries.  And we keep turning out more every year.

The concept behind this column is simple.  I’ll be digging around, using my classified sources and looking beyond the Courtrooms to find those law suits and legal situations that make you stop and look twice, maybe even three times.  I’ll be looking for jury verdicts that make your jaw drop, criminal activity that makes one stop and shake their head, government action that makes you wish you could keep your tax dollars and anything else in the legal arena make you realize that stupidity is perhaps one of the most common mental disorders in the world today.  With all of the attorneys in the world today, it’s not too hard to see that there should rarely, if ever, be a lack of topics.

So let’s dive in.

One of the most interesting areas of the law where the weird and bizarre are almost common is the area of patent laws.  Patents protect inventors from competition and other infringement on their inventions.  Federal law allows for inventors to complete an application and have a patent for their invention issued to them.  The problem is the inventions don’t really have to be logical or even practical even though the invention must be new and non-obvious.  At least that is what they are supposed to be.