Lancaster 3 and Bart Pound 4 are similar, but there is one major difference. The river is noticeably much older, so its development has also been carried out in greater depth. As Joe and Maggie's shuttle approaches, the girl notices that there is significantly less greenery on the planet below than the one she was on. It also seems to have a much larger population, with distant megacities covering almost the entire continent of the largest continent. The level of pollution is also much higher, considering the dense fog that the shuttle bus passes through. Fortunately, thanks to the huge transformation machines, the air in civilized areas has remained clean and breathable, but a large part of the planet is uninhabitable.

Maggie felt that this situation was unfortunate. She had hoped to have had the opportunity to locate and observe new life forms during her stay here, but that was not possible. She didn't think much about it, though. The purpose of her visit was to legislate, not to explore. After the shuttle landed, Joe stopped shaking and she inquired with the law firm representing Bubble Spotlight Studios. Fortunately, it had a branch in Dave-87, which was 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 enter a small room on the way out of the airport. She said yes and followed Joe inside, finding a familiar face waiting for her.

"Good morning, Miss Ou. It's great to see you so elated!"

It's Oliver Millington, the regional director of the Occult Expulsion Agency. His happy, sleek holographic avatar is surrounded by two expressionless soldiers in the same uniform as AJ. Joe cringes at the welcome party, mostly because he doesn't like Mr. Millington. In his opinion, the stocky clerk took advantage of Maggie's frank and honest personality in their contract negotiations. On the other hand, the girl didn't seem too upset by the encounter. She's not very excited about it either.

"What is the purpose of this meeting, Mr. Millington?" She asked blandly.

"Nothing to be angry about, dear. I only ask that you allow these two wonderful gentlemen to be your bodyguards for the time being. ”

"I feel compelled to point out that the only people in this room who need extra protection are your people."

Maggie's icy smile made the two soldiers visibly flinch back, clutching their heads. Joe understands the reaction well. AJ did this a lot when he first started living with them, although it was never so obvious. Whenever Maggie's presence caught her off guard, the most she did was wince, shake her head, and maybe twitch her eyes. Compared to these two men, it was nothing of trouble, it was as if they had just been blown up by a deafening, shivering scream. Joe felt a strange sense of pride because his friend was better at dealing with Maggie's exceptionally loud brain waves than these strangers.

"I know very well, Miss O," Oliver sighed, completely unaffected by the uneasiness of his men. "Unfortunately, our protocol hasn't been extended to people like you. Strictly speaking, you are a visiting foreign dignitary, which means that the government must provide you with an armed escort. I assure you, it's all a formality. My assistant told me that you have already arranged your accommodation here, so these kind gentlemen will leave you to attend to your business after taking you to your accommodation. ”

"I understand." Maggie suppressed her mental stress. "In that case, I'll do it."

"Great," said Mr. Millington, laughed. "Oh, while I have the opportunity, I would like to express my personal gratitude for your efforts. Your experiments with Agent Johnson do come up with some very interesting data. In fact, Agent Barnes and Agent Kowalski volunteered to participate in our experiments to replicate these results."

The two psionic beings standing on either side of the hologram looked at it with shocked expressions on their faces. Obviously, this is the first time they have heard about it. They were obviously a little apprehensive about "telling themselves", but before they could complain, Oliver disappeared with a cheerful "click-click". "Of course, that's part of the whole process. It seems logical that AJ unlocked her advanced abilities after experiencing severe physical and psychological stress, and that these agents must suffer the same. Maggie discovers the director's plan and, in accordance with her obligations, plays her part in the long and dead car journey to her temporary residence. Nothing extreme, just some subliminal images and implanted thoughts, along the route of a one-way wink that she likes to do. By the time she was separated from the two guinea pigs, she had left them with enough mental baggage to keep them awake at night for the next month or so.

Of course, all this is completely beyond Joe's comprehension. The only thing he got out of it was that Oliver Millington was a more asshole than he initially thought. When he saw the hotel room that Maggie had booked, his mind quickly shifted. It's basically a deluxe version of his old apartment, that is, it's an oversized shoebox with two full pods inside. To be honest, it feels a bit nostalgic, but it's 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, the shortcomings of interstellar communication make it impossible to transmit digital information in real time. He was supposed to have a data cache with him in Butte

po

D-4's account information, but it wasn't until he was hijacked into a pod in his hotel room that he thought of preparing one. Ultimately, this means that he has to spend almost all of his waking hours with his girlfriend, which isn't the worst thing to do.

In the case of Maggie, she finally found the time to make that call.

Acidic rock mass* *

*Click*

"Hello, this is McClason's Law Firm," a woman's bored voice sounded in her head.

"Hello. I'm Mags and I'm from Butte

po

d-4。 I have received a notice from your company regarding my personal potential copyright infringement. Are you familiar with this?"

"Wait a minute, I'll check the system, ma'am. Yes, I saw it. A client's media monitoring system sent you an automatic cease and desist order on our behalf. It seems that your personal appearance is too similar to Melinda Sbuckl. To a large extent, this is true. ”

"This is it. I wish to dispute this statement. ”

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 that again?"

"I would like to dispute this statement."

It says you look a lot like Melinda Sparksthal

da Spa

klesta

Her appearance is the intellectual property of Bubble Spotlight Studios. Is that a statement?"

"Yes."

"I ...... Strongly discouraged from doing so, ma'am. It seems to me that you are clearly genetically modified, and there is no doubt that you are similar. This is obvious, even with the naked eye. ”

"I know. Still, I would like to dispute the claim, so I request to meet with your legal team as soon as possible. ”

"Wow. Oh wow! All right! Her voice suddenly became extremely excited. "Can you have a little later today, Miss Ou?"

"It is."

"Do you need us to get to and from the office?"

"I'm grateful."

"Great! What about lunch? Can we provide seafood, barbecue, pizza, or do you want something more exotic? Of course, we have a treat. ”

This illogical generosity does make Maggie feel strange, but she doesn't intend to refuse a free meal.

"Barbecue. Preferably organic beef. ”

"Well chosen, ma'am. I've got it arranged here, we'll see you at one o'clock!"

"Okay. Good bye. ”

"Goodbye!"

*Click*

Maggie blinked quickly, trying to make sense of the second half of the conversation, but still couldn't. She didn't have much success, so she tried to consult her resident humanitarian expert.

"yes, I'm not vague at all," Joe shrugged. "Maybe they think they're on the safe side, so they're super arrogant for no reason. You're never too sure about a damn lawyer. A bunch of slimy guys, a whole bunch. ”

The girl judged exactly that he was not talking about a bunch of lubricated spheres, and asked a different question.

"Have you been in contact with a lawyer before?"

"Hmm...... No...... But I've heard all sorts of things online," he confirmed her suspicions.

"In that case, I'll reserve judgment until I get more information."

The girl knows that what is said about a certain group of people online is accurate and not taken for granted. Unless it is part of official research, lectures, or other scientific work, the information is highly likely to come from ignorance and bias. She learned this particular lesson after seeing an article claiming that all people with ginger hair are very vulnerable to UV rays. Luckily, she debunked the claim without leaving AJ with a permanent scar.

"Maybe that's for the best," Joe shrugged, "but you'd have to be careful." There's no such thing as a free lunch, you know?"

Maggie's eyes narrowed at the apparently wrong remark.

"No, I don't know. I'm not familiar with this presumably metaphorical figure of speech," she said bluntly.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry. In other words, if they offer free food, it's most likely because they want you to let your guard down and cheat you in some way. That's pretty much it. ”

"I understand," her eyes lit up. "I'm going to be extra careful when I'm in a meeting."

"Actually, about that. Just to be sure, but you have a way to protect yourself, right?"

So far, Joe hasn't really bothered to ask. He just thought Maggie knew what he was doing. After all, she's not the kind of person who would travel thousands of miles to another solar system without a plan of action. However, the moment of truth 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, and if this matter goes to court, there is an 85.6 percent chance of getting a favorable ruling."

"Will it go to court?"

"The only way is for the law firm to voluntarily drop the charges, which is highly unlikely."

"So it's a win-win, isn't it?" That's great. Shall I go to the store and buy myself a suit? The one I brought from home doesn't suit me anymore. ”

Joe hadn't worn that suit in five years, and he hadn't tried it until he left the apartment. It was perhaps a good thing that he was so shameless, otherwise he would have died embarrassingly because this interstellar trip was unprepared for him.

"Indeed, it is wise to do so."

Joe's presence was unnecessary, but he insisted on following. Even though all the legal details might bore him, he needs to make sure those cunning attorneys don't trick Maggie into any shady contract like that Millington did. He even took a three-hour nap before leaving the Trafalgar so that he wouldn't fall asleep in the meeting again. He also needs to make sure he doesn't embarrass Maggie, which means wearing a more regular Ret

oStyle™ clothing for more professional clothes. There was still a lot of time before noon, so he had no trouble buying a nice suit. The only problem is that he absolutely hates this old-fashioned outfit. He felt like a clown wearing it, and even Maggie's reassuring him that he looked "very personable" wearing it didn't make him feel any better. However, it is still important to dress appropriately, so for the sake of his girlfriend, he also did it.

The probability of the transportation they provide to reach Maggie's temporary home is about 10 to 1. The law firm sent a luxury car, which was almost a limousine, in keeping with this trend of unusually generous hospitality. The car has a spacious interior, luxurious seats, colored windows and many other unnecessary features. It even has its own chauffeur who wears a neat black tie uniform with matching hats. If this is the law firm's corporate car, Joe can't help but wonder what kind of palace their office location is.

So when he found out that McClason's office was quite ...... When crowded, he felt rather disappointed. They consist of a total of three rooms – one large, relatively empty room for meetings, and the other two small rooms with only VR pods and computer towers. All in all, the whole business could fit three times Maggie's apartment. Joe realizes that his frame of reference is wrong. That suite is one of a kind. 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 is where the two resident lawyers greet them. The first is a beautiful woman who looks almost in her teens, although this is mainly due to genetic patterns that mask her actual age. Her colleague was a well-dressed gentleman who wore a pair of angle-rimmed glasses and appeared mature and dignified. They are entirely cosmetic and a cultural relic of the era, when corrective eye surgeries were much more primitive and much more difficult. Both of them wore well-fitting suits and plain short haircuts, although the expressions on their faces were mixed with childish joy and unbridled excitement. In a way, the gap between dress and attitude is almost creepy.

"Hello, oh miss! The lady held out a hand. "We used to be on the phone, but I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Amy McClason, and this is my little brother Ike. ”

"Nice to meet you," the man mimicked her gestures.

"It's my pleasure," Maggie trembled with the two of them. "This is my partner, Joe Mulligan."

"Hello," the man said nonchalantly. "Don't mind me, I'm just here to accompany her."

"Oh, the witnesses of the hearing!" Amy chirped. "It's weird!"

Joe didn't know how to feel about that sentence. On the one hand, being called "quaint" made him feel like he was being treated superiorly. On the other hand, the lady spoke in a way that made her look really happy and thanked him for his presence. Whatever the case may be, he really didn't have to go there. New York State mandates that such meetings must be recorded so that future generations know that in the unlikely event that the case goes to court," he said, "the argument will be reduced to a minimum."

"But if Mr. Mulligan didn't come in any official capacity, then where is your legal counsel?" Ike asked as he adjusted his glasses.

"I'm going to defend myself," Maggie announced.

The McClason siblings stared at her with wide eyes, then looked at each other. They snickered for a moment like overexcited children, and then reverted to a more professional demeanor.

"Understood. Then please sit down and enjoy your lunch," the lady invited them.

The conference room they were in had an oval glass table with a few snazzy office chairs around it. The two lawyers stood on one end, while the confused couple stood on the other. The previous driver followed, though he was now dressed as a waiter or butler. That's not the weirdest part of the visit, so neither Joe nor Maggie paid much attention to him. He could just be an intern or an assistant or something. The plate in his hand aroused even more interest, as it contained the organic barbecue that the girl wanted. The hearty steak sizzles hot. The aroma wafting from them is so mouth-watering that one can easily drown in their saliva if not careful.

Maggie didn't hesitate to take a bite of the juicy meat right away. The food was as pleasant as she had hoped, with the added added taste of death and pain that only she could taste. She chewed her food slowly and methodically, intent on tasting as much as she could. It could take her an hour to finish her plate at this rate, and that's exactly what she planned to do. Joe also eats slowly, but that's mostly because he feels embarrassed because it's just him and Maggie eating, while Ike and Amy stand there, smiling quietly. It simply doesn't work. As much as he hates to disturb his girlfriend's pleasure, he thinks it's best if they don't make the lawyers wait any longer.

He gently placed a hand on Maggie's shoulder and gently twisted his head towards the McClasons. The girl understood what he meant, nodded slightly, and put down her knife and fork. It would be a shame to let that delicious piece of meat go cold, but she couldn't forget her primary goal.

"Thank you for inviting me to dinner, but it's really time for us to get down to business," she said matter-of-factly.

"Good," Amy nodded. "Let's check the auto-stop command again so that it's on the record, shall we?"

A holographic keyboard suddenly appeared in front of her. She pressed a few illusory buttons, and the case file appeared on the large screen on the wall to her left.

"The algorithm of the copyright protection system found this photo, about eight days ago, this photo in Butte

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D-4's social media network circulated. ”

Controversial photos were brought up, revealing that it was a photo of Maggie sunbathing in a bikini while traveling at the resort. Once again, Joe was conflicted. He hates it when some random bastard uploads this picture without their knowledge or permission. Because that beach is a public place, such a thing is not strictly illegal, but it is still a jerk move. At the same time, he had to admit that Maggie was absolutely beautiful in this dress, perhaps more beautiful than usual. The person who took this photo knows exactly what he is doing.

"As you can see," Ms. Lawyer scrolled down to the comments, "the poster and more than 200 people mistakenly believe that the person in the photo is Melinda Sparccleste." The copyright protection system collected this conversation and analyzed the photos, concluding that the facial similarity between Miss Spark and Miss Wu was 96.6%. The whole-body similarity is just under 86 percent, but both figures far exceed the legal limit of 65 percent. ”

Amy briefly stated her evidence before turning to Maggie.

"Oh miss, there is no doubt that you have violated the intellectual property rights of our clients. Therefore, we must insist on automatic cease and demand that you change your appearance to a non-infringing state within 60 days of the initial notice. If you fail to do so, we may take tougher legal action against you. Do you understand?"

"I totally understand," Maggie confirmed. "I'm not questioning the accuracy of the automatic copyright protection system. However, I would like to challenge this allegation of copyright infringement on the grounds of fair use. ”

The two lawyers were silent for several seconds, looking at her suspiciously and then at each other.

"Fair use." The girl said loudly again. "Noun. Legal. In some cases, copyrighted material can be copied for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research without obtaining permission from the copyright owner or paying the copyright owner's fees. ”

"We know what that word means, Miss O," Ike said. "We're just waiting for you to elaborate on the factors and circumstances that you think could classify your case as fair use."

"I apologize for causing the misunderstanding, I don't mean to be offended," she bowed her head.

"It's okay, Miss Ou. Now, like 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 the human psyche. More specifically, in a society where appearance is easily changed, the impact of a person's appearance on the public's perception and behavior of them. When I started this endeavor, I didn't know that I was infringing any copyrights, although such knowledge is unlikely to stop me. Either way, while I'm perfectly capable of adopting a different look, doing so would be detrimental to many of the ongoing experiments, totaling over 1200 man-hours. This is a major setback that I hope to avoid, so I intend to contest the ban on fair use grounds. ”

Joe stared blankly at the girl. It's strange to hear their relationship described in such dry language, to say the least. As for the McClasons, they exchanged questioning glances during Maggie's statement, and in the seconds that followed. On the surface, it seems like a random girl making up excuses to justify her desire to look like a celebrity. However, the overwhelming confidence and sincerity she showed in presenting her situation made them wonder if this "social experiment" really made sense.

"Do you have any evidence to prove your claim?" Ike. "Have you published a scientific paper, or collected a dataset?"

"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 the contents. It's full of charts, spreadsheets, notes, charts, essays, and references. The two lawyers each went through some of the documents. The information in it is formatted in an extremely boring and detached way, completely beyond their comprehension. What they see is the result of Maggie compiling most of her recent experiences with humans into raw data. She even added many inferences and theories about the human condition. If this treasure trove of information were peer-reviewed, it would at least be considered useful, at best revolutionary.

Naturally, the McCladson siblings couldn't judge the value of the data. They couldn't tell if Maggie had pieced together a bunch of random numbers and the technical gibberish she'd gobled up from the internet. It's not their job either. In fact, from a legal point of view, their opinion on the matter is completely irrelevant. The only reason Ike asked for this "evidence" was to ensure that her client could defend herself in court. Otherwise, it would be a clear case, and no competent judge would want to deal with such a case.

"Bloody splendor! The elder brother cheered. "Madame, I believe we have a trial!"

"So...... Is this good news?" Joe couldn't help but ask.

"Of course, Mr. Mulligan," my sister laughed. "We can conduct investigations, verify evidence, trace digital footprints, subpoena witnesses for questioning and cross-examination – these jobs!"

"Do you think we'll be able to get Judge Locke again?" Her business partner asked excitedly. "It's been a long time since I've seen that old fart!"

"Oh, of course I hope so. He has a classical temperament in everything he does. Oh, I can't wait! Hurry up, let's get rid of the formalities and bureaucracy and set a court date!"

"It's like you won't believe it!"

Joe and Maggie watched as they both beat themselves up to the punch, and the couple suddenly understood what was going on.

McClason's lawyers were annoyed by McClason. It's been a long time since they've been real lawyers. About two and a half years to be exact. Their inaction is a by-product of the justice system, which, like the rest of their society, is largely automated. It is extremely rare for any case to reach a lawyer's desk, let alone in court. This is especially true when it comes to copyright law. The vast majority of people like Maggie will obediently accept the copyright owner's request. It's not worth challenging such a claim, mainly because they will fail miserably ninety-nine times out of a hundred.

In short, the McClason siblings were so desperate to seize the opportunity and put their law degrees to good use that they couldn't help but be overzealous. At least, this attitude has its benefits. It only took them about a week to conduct as many investigations as they could and schedule a date for a preliminary hearing. It all happened so fast that Maggie and Joe went to court before they even left Lancaster-3.

The room itself resembles a law firm's office, relatively spacious, but also smaller than Joe imagined. The judge has a high podium with a table directly in front of it and a table below it for the lower court officials, a table for each side of the case and two rows of ordinary chairs behind it for observers. When Maggie and Joe walked in, all the empty seats were fully booked, much to the couple's surprise. They didn't understand how their case could get the public's attention, let alone that they arrived half an hour early.

It soon became clear that it was another strange incident caused by the "Mike Boredom Factor", which Joe began jokingly calling the "Mike Boredom Factor". In fact, it's not just the siblings who are excited about the real trial. Many of their friends, family, and peers were present to watch the whole process, as if they were watching a theatrical performance. As a result, the attitude of the audience is surprisingly lively and pleasant. On the other hand, the employees are full of excitement. It was doubly for the judge, who was quietly practicing his lines and wielding the gavel in another room, and no one could see him except Maggie. His full name and title are Senior Civil Judge Barnes Locke, a wrinkled, muscular old gentleman who could easily be considered a futuristic version of Joe.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the trial officially began, and the judges entered the court. He stoically walked up to the podium and immediately slammed the gavel down, demanding that the courtroom remain in order. This was very necessary, as the raucous and casual atmosphere would undoubtedly interfere with the flow of the game if it was allowed to continue, although Rock enjoyed the opportunity to do so. When he examines both sides of this legal dispute, he deftly hides his joy. He ignored their formal attire and focused only on their expressions. The McClasons apparently didn't have as much legal experience as he did, as they struggled to keep a smirk on their faces. Maggie had the usual innocuous smirk on her face, and Jo did her best to calmly exude a serious but unreal look.

This is followed by the initial formalities. The judge's assistant gave the time, date and case number of the trial, and the judge called on the parties to make their opening statements. This is a remake of the pre-trial conference, in which the plaintiff gives a brief summary of the alleged copyright infringement, while Maggie defends herself, claiming fair use for research purposes. Amy McClason was then asked to prove the validity of the other party's arguments, and she brilliantly presented all the data she could gather. This is not a criminal case, so she fails to dig deep into the private lives of Maggie and Joe. However, she hired a private investigator from Butte

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The D-4 brought back some related lace news.

It's no surprise that 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 received an anonymous donation in Maggie's name during a video game tournament. Amy presented the findings alongside a series of online comments that suggest none of this would have happened if her avatar hadn't been so much like Melinda Spaclist. She then tried to turn that claim into a claim that the girl used her copyrighted appearance for personal gain, which would seriously damage her fair use defense. However, the judge categorically rejected this argument.

His exact words were: "It's so fine, I can use it to floss my teeth."

Next, the McClasons brought in their first witness, Mr. Charles, the owner of Maggie's pet snake. If they send him to another solar system for this hearing, they would really use all their strength. The man was asked to describe the specifics of his one-time barter agreement, which he said 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 the main factor in his decision, but added that he did not know who the actress was because he did not watch soap operas.

Judge Locke seems more convinced of the attempt to discredit Maggie's claims of non-profit this time. Of course, this is not a big obstacle, but it is a small victory for the plaintiff's side. Amy uses her advantage by citing minor incidents in which different people are lenient or partial to the defendant simply because of her looks. She's very adamant about profiteering, and for good reason. The law firm contacted several psychology experts and asked them to analyze the validity of the data from the Maggie's study. They all said that the documents provided were almost bulletproof. No respected scientist would consider her meticulously documented findings to be fraudulent or frivolous. It was impossible to convince the judge that her experiment was fake, so the McClasons had no choice but to go all out financially.

However, this approach seems to backfire. When the judge allowed Maggie to speak, the girl refuted all of their allegations, revealing that preferential treatment based on physical appearance was a major focus of her research. She also reached out to some prominent figures in Lancaster-3 academics to ask them to testify in court about the potential benefits of these experiments. She could do the same herself, but her words carry far less weight than someone with decades of experience in the field. The girl finally selected the most influential witnesses.

The person who spoke on her behalf was Harford Ji-Agtrith Mill Spring-Spring-Knight, who to his friends was "Harold". As can be seen from his strange full name, he is not a native. However, Harold is not only a foreigner, but also a non-human, intelligent creature from across the galaxy. His appearance is completely obscured by a bloated red and black personal ecosuit suit, although its shape suggests that he is a bulbous man with three legs, three arms, and a pyramid-shaped head. He expressed his eternal fascination with the human psyche in a supple and melodious tone, which is why he chose to live with the inhabitants of the third largest British Empire. He then almost began to sing the praises of the virtues that Maggie had discovered, declaring them wonderful, enlightening, funny, and strangely related. Harold concludes his statement, 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.

When the wise man left the witness stand and jumped out of the chamber, the crowd almost applauded. None of them had ever seen an alien with their own eyes, and this particular person was so flamboyant that he caused a sensation as soon as he appeared. Of course, they hadn't seen him since the dress blocked his way, but they didn't pay much attention to the technical details. The referee shouted seven times before the small group was quiet. Except for a drunk man who was forcibly kicked out of the courtroom because he kept babbling gibberish and shouting "Illuminati"

After that, the excitement of the trial dropped significantly. The McClasons and Maggie keep throwing out small arguments and counter-arguments, each trying to strengthen their own point of view or weaken the other's. At one point, the lawyer brothers try to cross-examine Joe with the goal of getting him to slip of the tongue and expose something that is not good for his girlfriend's case. However, three minutes later, the judge put a stop to it by declaring the man an unreliable witness. It's a good way to put it, he is believed to have the intelligence of an unpainted synthetic plank, and anything he says will only confuse the court.

After four and a half hours of hearing, the judge announced that he had heard enough and was ready to make a ruling. Most of the people in the room felt a pang of pent-up disappointment when they heard the news. They obviously want to enjoy a little more. In fact, Judge Locke thinks the same way, but he has been dragging it out for too long. In fact, he had 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, it is an indisputable fact that you are personally profiting from the intellectual property of Bubble Spotlight Studios without the knowledge or permission of the owner. You yourself admit it. Whether this is your purpose or intent, it doesn't matter from a legal point of view. ”

"Your Excellency, the actual value of these so-called profits is in fact irrelevant," Maggie pointed out calmly. "In accordance with the specific provisions of Article RH-0035, paragraph 12-E of the Imperial Intellectual Property Law, such proceeds must exceed "

The judge raised his hand and interrupted her.

"Yes, I remember that less than half an hour ago you eloquently pointed it out. However, the question is not how much money you have made so far, but the potential profit that you are prepared to collect in the near future. Based on my understanding of your research objectives, you intend to continue the work you have done so far. If I allow this to happen, I have no doubt that it will lead to a rapid increase in your current meager popularity, which in turn will lead to economic success, which will take you beyond the limits described in Article RH-0035, paragraph 12-E. The copyright owner can and will appeal my decision now and will result in a reconsideration, and they will win because your fair use defense will no longer be viable. ”

Locke said this from the standpoint of knowledge and experience. There are overwhelming precedents to support his reasoning. Thousands of similar cases occurred throughout the 3BE region, with results more or less exactly consistent with what he described, several of which he was directly involved in.

"For the record, I personally sympathize with your plight and do not wish to take away that face that you and your partner are clearly getting fond of."

He wasn't the only one who felt that way. Quite a few onlookers supported the glamorous girl and the all-powerful underdog to win.

"However, as an adjudicator, I must be impartial and put aside my personal feelings in this matter. Therefore, I decided to nip this case in the bud so that we would no longer have to worry about a public retrial. ”

These people are naturally disappointed, because such chaos is obviously not going to happen. Even the siblings, who are lawyers, are a little saddened by the turnaround, but their guilt is overwhelmed by the excitement of the impending victory. Understandably, Joe was the most upset, already with his head down. As for Maggie, even though she was about to lose, her confident smile didn't waver in the slightest.

"I understand, Your Honor." She nodded. "However, before you render your verdict, I wish to draw your attention to a final, rather important piece of evidence."

The judge raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but motioned for her to continue. The girl walked up to his podium and pulled out a USB stick that was different from the one she used to store her "research data". Locke's eyes widened when his implant informed him that the device had the digital seal of Her Majesty's army. He hurriedly instructed his assistant to scan the hard drive and send the information from it to a personal monitor installed on the judge's podium. The man stared at the document in front of him in complete disbelief, and even rubbed his eyes, as if to make sure he was right.

"Miss," he looked back at her, still stunned. "Why didn't you tell us earlier that you were a diplomat?"

When the McClalsons understood what was going on, the blood on their faces suddenly disappeared. Maggie's British citizenship comes with diplomatic status attached, which provides her with certain benefits, including protection from any civil lawsuits. If she had committed a felony, she could still be taken to criminal court, but this copyright issue is a trivial issue that can be immediately thrown out of the proverbial window. She doesn't need to fly to another solar system to face the studio's legal representatives, and the case doesn't need to reach a real courtroom. If she had couriered the military's signature USB stick from the start, McClason's lawyers would have been sent by McBugge

Lied.

So the judge, the lawyer, the assistant, and everyone in the room who was in the know were thinking the same question – why didn't she do that?

"Because then it's not fun," she said happily.

Locke thought quietly for a few seconds, then laughed.

"Okay,. I guess that's the solution, isn't it? He shrugged exaggeratedly. "The Tribunal hereby recognizes the diplomatic status of the accused and drops all charges against her. Bubble Spotlight Studios is hereby ordered to cease and desist from giving any notice of cease and desist to Miss Wu until her diplomatic status is revoked. The case is dismissed!"

He struck three times with his gavel to officially declare the trial over.

"For the record," he said, turning to Maggie again, "thank you for your hospitality today." It's funny. ”

This is another point of view that almost everyone present agrees with. The trials were few and far between, and none of the recent memories proved to be as interesting or exciting as this one. There were all kinds of witnesses, all kinds of evidence, heated arguments, and an extravagant expert, even reversed at the end. Maggie's desire to experience first-hand the inner workings of the 3BE justice system inadvertently gave all of them a show that they would never forget. This, in turn, made her surprisingly happy. She finds it nice to bring joy to others, even if they are a group of strangers she doesn't care about at all.

The only person who doesn't like this good vibe is Joe. He tries not to show it so as not to spoil everyone's mood, but he is actually angrier than Amy and Ike. Although he didn't know all the details, he grasped the gist of what happened. That said, Maggie could have handled the trouble with ease, but instead she chose the hard way to deal with it, just to see what would happen. This is good. This unrealistic curiosity on her part is completely understandable and completely predictable. She had done similar things before, and Joe was often fooled by her pranks. This trend is likely to continue in the future. He didn't mind her habit because he trusted her to keep them both safe, not to mention seeing Maggie happy, and it was all worth it in the end.

However, Joe's bottom line is to have to put on a suit for no reason.

He really doesn't like suits.