149 – Lukas Abegg: Smart Contracts And The Law
Channel: Epicenter Podcast
Date: 20/09/2016

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That blockchains represents a fundamental technological revolution has become widely accepted. What is still more nebulous, but could turn out just as disruptive is how smart contracts while transform the legal system and our understanding of what contracts are and how they work.

Legal researcher Lukas Abegg who is currently finishing his PhD on patent law issues around 3d printing and has been researching smart contracts as well joined us to discuss the question whether code is law and what blockchain can learn form 3d printing.

Topics covered included:
- The patent law questions around 3d printing
- How legal issues around 3d printing are like issues around smart contracts
- How information theory can help us conceptualize smart contracts
- The thesis of Lessig's book 'Code is Law'
- The case for law regulating code
- Why Alternative Dispute Resolution has big potential for blockchain applications

Links mentioned in this episode: 

- Code is Law? Not Quite Yet http://bit.ly/2dd23x4
- Lessig's Code http://bit.ly/2clBUib
- Lawrence Lessig Talk 'Thinking Through Law and Code' http://bit.ly/2dd17J6
- EB125 - Florian Glatz A Legal Framework for DAOs http://bit.ly/28w82nA

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- Jaxx: Wallets that Unify the Blockchain Experience Across Devices http://jaxx.io
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- BitFiniti Conference in Miami Beach Oct 30 - Nov 2: Go to bitfiniti.com/epicenter for discounts on registrations and presenter packages

Show notes: http://epicenter.tv/149
YouTube: http://youtu.be/161_QEHJEgw
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-149

Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.