Peanut butter manufacturers fought a 12 year legal battle with the FDA over the minimum peanut content required to be legally labelled as "peanut butter". Anything under 90% peanuts must be labelled "peanut spread". atlasobscura.com/articlesβ¦
In 2008 a school Camden, NJ forced students to eat their lunch off the floor for 2 weeks after a child accidentally spilled water while refilling a water cooler. 7 students won a $500,000 legal settlement. reuters.com/article/us-scβ¦
MythBusters made an episode in which they tested credit card security. Discovery was forced not to air the episode, after a conference call with chief Legal Counsels representing the major companies, demanded the episode not be aired β which would expose major flaws in credit card security. youtube.com/watch?v=9IOMLβ¦
In the Philippines, the legal term for car-theft is "carnapping." This is because when cars used to be very rare in the country and were prized status-items, thieves would steal and hold them for ransom like in a kidnapping. Now the term is used for both car-theft and carjacking cases. manilatimes.net/2010/08/0β¦
After failing to elect a new Pope for 2 years, a hermit monk wrote an angry letter threatening divine punishment if one was not elected soon. They chose to elect him as Pope Celestine V. He initially refused, but after serving for 5 months, he made it legal for Popes to resign and resined. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popβ¦
HTTP error code 451 = "Unavailable For Legal Reasons". Displayed when the user requests an resource which cannot be served a web page that is censored by a government. The number 451 is a reference to Ray Bradbury's 1953 dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, in which books are outlawed. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTβ¦
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the actor of Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat movies, is a legal citizen of Japan, America, Russia, and is fluent in English, Japanese, Spanish, Hawaiian, and Korean. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carβ¦
Sovereign immunity means that as head of the state Queen Elizabeth 'cannot commit a legal wrong and is immune from civil suit or criminal prosecution'. As well as this, the Queen also benefits from diplomatic immunity. britishheritage.com/can-qβ¦
As late as 2018 an 26 year old American missionary illegally attempted to christianize an isolated tribe living on an island of the indian ocean, and was killed shortly after landing. His body was not retrieved and no legal charges were pursued. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johβ¦
Pinball was removed from Windows Vista because the game had issues being ported to 64-bit. It had nothing to due with copyright or legal reasons devblogs.microsoft.com/olβ¦
Dueling Dino fossil that shows a Triceratops and juvenile T rex battling to death hasn't been available to paleontologists for 13 years after its discovery because of a legal battle between the landowners and the excavation team. theguardian.com/science/2β¦
Dubbed as one of the worse sales promotions in history, Hoover nearly went bankrupt after promising UK customers a flight to the USA and back if they spent Β£100 or more on their products. Hoover cancelled the promotion before many customers received their tickets and some even took legal action. thehustle.co/the-worst-saβ¦
In Jamaica, homosexual activity is punishable with up to a decade in prison. However, this law only applies to men, so lesbian activity is legal. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBβ¦
There's a legal strategy called the "Shaggy Defence", where in the face of direct evidence of guilt, the defendant simply claims that it wasn't them. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaβ¦
In 2002, a Marvel comics writer based an alternate version of Nick Fury on Samuel L Jackson, using his image without permission. Jackson discovered this and nearly took legal action. Marvel offered to cast him as Fury if the character was ever in a movie. Jackson took the deal. time.com/5533325/nick-furβ¦
Robert Blake, star of the 70s detective series "Baretta", was acquitted of his wife's murder in 2005 after a contentious 4-year legal drama. He was, however, found liable by a civil suit brought by his children. foxnews.com/entertainmentβ¦
The last legal heir to the Ottoman Empire- ErtuΔrul Osman- died in 2009, 85 years after its destruction. He was known in Turkey as "the last Ottoman Emperor." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ertβ¦
Today I learned of William Jennens, who died in 1798 with an estate valued at Β£2 million (Β£2.5 billion in 2020). He died without a signed will and subsequent court proceedings for his estate lasted until 1915, when legal fees had exhausted all remaining funds. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilβ¦
The most valuable legal tender coin in the world is a US$1 million coin from Australia. Since it weighs 1,000 kg and is 99.99% pure gold, it is worth almost US$45 million. perthmint.com/1-tonne-golβ¦
Gambling for cash is nominally illegal in Japan, but a legal loophole allows for pachinko gambling. Pachinko balls won from games are exchanged for βsepecial prizeβ tokens which are sold for cash to a separate vender off-premises. These vendors then sell the tokens back to the Pachinko parlor. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacβ¦
In Pennsylvania (USA), you can be on the hook for your parentsβ debt without your knowledge or consent, and itβs completely legal paelderlaw.net/pennsylvanβ¦
Psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, is found only in the mushroomβs cap and stem and not in its spores. Since most drug laws prohibit psilocybin rather than the mushroom itself, this loophole makes the sale and possession of the spores legal in many countries. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psiβ¦
In the 16th century a Ruthenian/Ukrainian woman was taken captive and brought to Istanbul as a slave. Her joyful spirit earned her a name Hurrem - "the Cheerful Oneβ. She rose to become Suleiman's legal wife and "Queen of the Ottoman Empire" known in history as Hurrem Sultan or Roxelana en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurβ¦
In Canada, there is no federally defined age for legal alcohol purchase or consumption. Each province and territory is free to set its own drinking age, which is either 18 or 19. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcβ¦
Pornography involving characters with the appearance of minors is proctected by the First Amendment, as long as the actors themselves are of legal age. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porβ¦
The river Wanganui in New Zealand was the first river in the world to have legal personhood. The river Ganges followed shortly after. parliament.nz/en/get-invoβ¦
Sexwork was legal in the state of Rhode Island until 2009. Despite claims that majority of people want the laws affecting sexwork to become loosened, the only major change in the last 30 years was to make sexwork illegal in the only state outside Nevada that allowed it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proβ¦
There are 5 countries without a written, codified constitution: New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada, Israel and Saudi Arabia. They rely instead on a conjunction of separate documents and precedents for legal decision-making. worldatlas.com/articles/cβ¦
A 56-year-old grandmother's son had entered a competition to win a replica of a GTA Banshee on her behalf, making her the legal owner. She later sold it for $45k. carthrottle.com/post/thisβ¦
In 1999, defunct online retailer eToys once went in a legal battle with Swiss art group Etoy, who were attempting to take their web domain because of the similarity. This then led to the group turning it into an elegant campaign called "Toywar", which ridiculed eToys and was successful. etoy.com/projects/toywar/
An illegal number is a number that represents information which is illegal to possess, utter, propagate, or otherwise transmit in some legal jurisdiction en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illβ¦
Polygamy was legal in Bavaria, Germany after the 30-years-war. The war killed so many people - the population dropped from 16 million to 4 million - that in 1650 a law in Bavaria allowed men to marry up to 10 wives. genealogy.com/forum/generβ¦
The United States $100,000 bill is the highest value banknote ever produced by the United States. It was never Legal Tender and was only used in transactions between banks. americanhistory.si.edu/coβ¦
State laws for online gambling are not based on residence, but rather location, so many people cross state lines in their car, place a bet via their phones, and drive back home, and it is all completely legal herald-dispatch.com/businβ¦
The legal definition of a 'sandwich' differs across the USA. In California, a hot dog is a sandwich. In Massachusetts, a burrito is not a sandwich. The USDA defines a sandwich as meat between two slices of bread and says a burrito is a 'sandwich like product.' New York has another definition. mentalfloss.com/article/5β¦
McDonalds lost their Big Mac trademark in the European Union after a legal battle with the Supermac's fast food chain in Ireland. theguardian.com/business/β¦
In 1795, the Spanish crown institutionalized the 'purchase of whiteness' through a decree called the 'gracias al sacar'. In the Spanish empire, wealthy mixed race people could now pay for a legal declaration that 'converted them' to white in order to conduct business freely and marry well. notevenpast.org/purchasinβ¦
The European Union will require "speed limiters" in all cars by 2022. The technology uses road sign and GPS data to determine the legal speed limit and prevents the vehicle from exceeding the legal limit. cnn.com/2019/03/27/tech/eβ¦
Mexico had a complex legal and racial caste system. Art referred to as "casta" paintings were seen as a way to "codify racial groups" khanacademy.org/humanitieβ¦
The Marvel character Howard the Duck, under threat of legal action, is forced to wear always pants. Disney was afraid people would confuse him for Donald Duck and demanded Marvel draw pants on Howard so that you could tell them apart. cbr.com/howard-the-duck-wβ¦
Entertainer Liberace was awarded Β£8,000 when he won a lawsuit against a British journalist who had described him as 'fruit flavoured'. It was at the time the largest libel settlement in British legal history. Liberace denied he was gay. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libβ¦
In 1750 the Julian Calendar was replaced by the Gregorian Calendar, changing the formula for calculating leap years. The beginning of the legal new year was moved from March 25 to January 1. Finally, 11 days were dropped from the month of September 1752. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calβ¦
The author of the Perry Mason book series, Erle Stanley Gardner, also founded The Court of Last Resort, which helped those who had been convicted because of poor legal representation; misinterpretation of forensic evidence; or careless and malicious actions of police and prosecutors. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erlβ¦
"the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" is not a quote from some ancient philosopher or legal code. It is a quote from the 1982 Star Trek film The Wrath of Khan. theobjectivestandard.com/β¦
The owner of a brand name can lost their legal protection for it if people started using it as the common or generic name for a type of product or service. This is what happened to Cellophane, Escalator, Flip Phone, Frisbee, Hovercraft, Kerosene, Sellotape, Trampoline, and Videotape. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisβ¦
ANZAC Day, April 25th, is the only legal day in Australia to play "Two-Up", a gambling and heavy drinking game which involves tossing a single coin in the air and betting on the result. It is illegal the rest of the year. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twoβ¦
A Kansas man asked an Iowa judge to let him engage in a sword fight with his ex-wife and her attorney in a trial by combat in order to settle their ongoing legal dispute. independent.co.uk/news/woβ¦
When William Jennens known as the "richest commoner in England" died in 1798, his estate became the subject of a legal dispute that lasted for well over a century until the entire estate had been swallowed by lawyers' fees. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilβ¦
While the punishment for an incelibate Vestal Virgin was to be buried alive, ancient Roman law forbade burials within the city. Offenders instead were entombed in small underground apartments with food and provisions, changing the legal definition to "descending into a habitable room." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesβ¦
The Atomium is a world famous monument in Belgium thats image was so tightly controlled, that until 2015 organizations posting photographs of it online were being threatened with legal action for simply publishing photos. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atoβ¦
The only known copy of the first ever Super Bowl is unavailable for public view. The tape is currently tied up in a legal battle between its owner and the NFL. foxnews.com/media/first-sβ¦
The first ever speeding ticket was issued to Walter Arnold on the 28th of January 1896 in Kent, England. He was blitzing through the town at 8mph (4 times the legal limit), was chased for 5 miles by a police officer on a bicycle, and was fined 1 shilling when he was finally caught. moneyweek.com/376781/28-jβ¦
Rip offs in fashion design are legal as fashion designs are not copyrighted. Technical components of a design, such as proprietary fabrics like nylon, can be patented. Company names, slogans, and logos can be trademarked. vox.com/2018/4/27/1728102β¦
Today I learned of a computer program called Deliverance that legally killed several people in the 1990s. It was created by "Dr Death" (doctor and euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke), and came on a special laptop connected to an IV that injected a lethal dose of barbiturates. It was only legal for a short time en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutβ¦
Today I learned about Bruce Murray. A South African signmaker, in 2012, he inherited 120,000 acres of land and a dutchy in Scotland. He is now the commander of the only legal private army in Europe, the Atholl Highlanders. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruβ¦
"a moron in a hurry" is a legal test for trademark infringement in which two trade marks are considered to be different enough from each other to coexist if only a moron in a hurry would confuse them. This test has been applied in cases in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_mβ¦
The owner of nissan.com and nissan.net was in a 20 year legal battle against Nissan Motor for control over the domain names. After many years of lawsuits and appeals, Nissan never got control over neither domain nissan.com/Lawsuit/The_Stβ¦
Ira Einhorn, a Harvard University teaching fellow and environmental activist who claimed to have been instrumental in organizing the first Earth Day, murdered his ex-girlfriend in 1977 before fleeing to France. By abusing various legal loopholes, he managed to escape prison until 2002. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraβ¦
In England and Wales, the role of lawyer is divided in two. Solicitors provide legal advice, barristers argue in court, and clerks are middlemen between the two. getpocket.com/explore/iteβ¦
The majority of the United States (49 states) uses common law as its legal basis. The only outlier is Louisiana, where state laws are based on French and Spanish civil law. However federal laws, which are based on common law, are also in effect in Louisiana because of federal Supremacy Clause. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisβ¦
Mississippi is the only state to allow drivers to drink alcohol while operating a motor vehicle. It is permitted as long as the driver's blood alcohol content stays below the stateβs legal limit of 0.08%. theawl.com/2016/04/ridingβ¦
Russia was forced to release ten pirates who had taken over an oil tanker, due to having insufficient legal grounds to detain them. They released them in an inflatable boat without any navigation equipment. Radio contact was lost within an hour. Itβs believed that they all perished. news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/86759β¦
Thomas Jefferson had a copy of a 1734 edition Qu'ran in his private library. Historians believe he bought the book while studying law to better understand Islamβs influence on some of the worldβs legal systems. smithsonianmag.com/smithsβ¦
Alfred George Hinds today remains remembered as one of the most celebrated British prison break artists. During his life he managed to escape from not one, but three heavily guarded prisons, all in attempt to prove his innocence to the English legal system. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfβ¦
Till 2016 Michael Caine's legal name was Maurice Micklewhite. He legally changed it to Michael Caine because of the rise in airport security checks. Airport security guards know him as Michael Caine but his passport had a different name which made him wait hours. theguardian.com/film/2016β¦
Today I learned about Indian Head Rock...an 8-ton boulder that was taken from a river between Ohio & Kentucky that led to a legal fight between the two states. youtu.be/I8MSLpXVk2k
The United States Supreme Court ruled in 1985 that Long Island is legally not an island. Despite the legal decision, the United States Board on Geographic Names still considers it an island, as it is surrounded by water. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonβ¦
There was a legal battle between World Wide Fund for Nature and World Wrestling Federation over the use of the acronym WWF. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worβ¦
- There are 15 cards in the Yu-Gi-Oh Official/Trading Card Game that were designed by fans. Through several drawing contests 15 designs were picked as winners and turned into official cards in the OCG/TCG, sold in Booster Packs, and are tournament legal. yugipedia.com/wiki/Fan-Maβ¦
In the 60s, GI Joe's facial scar and inverted thumbnail were initially the result of manufacturing errors, but those defects ended up helping Hasbro take legal action against makers of imitations. This was especially helpful to Hasbro, since the human figure cannot be trademarked or copyrighted. smithsonianmag.com/arts-cβ¦
Brie Larson legal last name is βDesaulniersβ and she chose the stage name of Larson from her Swedish great-grandmother and the American Girl doll Kirsten Larson that she has as a child. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briβ¦
Ted Bundy took advantage of an obscure Florida law in court- that a marriage declaration in front of a presiding judge was counted as a legal marriage. As he questioned his girlfriend Carol Ann Boone, he asked her to marry him, and announced they were married to the court when she accepted. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tedβ¦
The U.S. Constitution forbids members of Congress from holding βany office under the United Statesβ concurrent with their congressional service. Legal scholars have concluded that individuals holding military commissions should be barred from serving in Congress. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ineβ¦
While the United States Supreme Court hear only about 70 cases a year, the Indian Supreme Court hear up to 700 legal matters in a single day. nytimes.com/2018/09/27/woβ¦
Arkansawyer, Idahoer, Illinoisan, Hoosier, Connecticutensian, Massachusettsan, Utahn, New Hampshirewoman, and Delawarean are all official and legal demonyms of residents of their respective States. lifehacker.com/what-to-caβ¦
The Double Florin remains legal tender in the UK, as it was never withdraw after decimilization. It is equivalent to 20p but the silver content is worth far more. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douβ¦
It is legal for step-siblings to marry in all states except one- Virginia. Under Virginian law, itβs illegal for step-siblings to marry, they cannot marry even if their parents are no longer together. legalbeagle.com/12307129-β¦
In April 2015, the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company, an underground safe deposit facility in London's Hatton Garden area, was burgled. The incident has been called the "largest burglary in English legal history." The heist was planned and carried out by elderly men. telegraph.co.uk/news/ukneβ¦
Today I learned of former lead vocalist of Deee-Lite, Lady Miss Kier, and her past lawsuit against SEGA claiming that Ulala from Space Channel 5 was an unauthorized use of her likeness. She ultimately lost, having to pay all of SEGA's $608,000 in legal fees. gamespot.com/articles/deeβ¦
A legal loophole in the UK allows alcohol to be sold without a license on a train in motion. An unlicensed distillery exploited this by setting up in a disused railway building, obtaining a steam train, and selling gin to customers while they road it back and forth from the distillery. thedrinksbusiness.com/201β¦
That, in addition to books, France operates a legal deposit scheme for perfumes, where a copy of every new fragrance has to be sent to a library for preservation. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmβ¦
Old vine, a common description on wine labels, indicates that a wine is the product of grape vines that are notably old. However, there is no legal or generally agreed definition for old. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldβ¦
There was a Equal Rights Amendment proposed. It seeks to end the legal distinctions between men and women in terms of divorce, property, employment, and other matters. It failed to ratify by 3 states. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equβ¦
The Archbishop of Canterbury has the legal authority to award academic degrees under the Ecclesiastical Licenses Act, 1533. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamβ¦
In 2012 a study had two groups of men, one consuming alcohol below the legal limit and the other not drinking at all to solve creative puzzles. The group who were tipsy did better than the group who didn't. TIL that Ballmer's Peak is really a thing. observer.com/2012/04/bottβ¦
From the Battle of Hastings in 1066 the government of England spoke a type of French called Norman, while ordinary people spoke forms of English. Although Norman died out in England several hundred years ago, it continues in legal terms and parliament is still opened by the Queen in Norman. parliament.uk/site-informβ¦
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