Droids in the Kingdom of Jod

## Background

The Kingdom of Jod restricted droids to use of the Agencies & Jod Military Forces (JMF) only. Owning a droid as a private citizen, private company, or public company was considered highly illegal and could lead to both fines & imprisonment.

Droids & larger automation use within the Kingdom was restricted by the Right to Work & Droid Safety Act, Human Interaction Safety Protocol Against Automation Act, and Required Evidence of Operational Need for Droids Actof 30 BBY, all three acts being spawned by horrible consequences from both droids and automation killing well over 1 1/2 million people in several incidents spanning 27 years, with over 1 million lives alone lost during the Droid Crisis of 33 BBY on Kalsink 3.

## Private Citizens Owning Droids

There were two exceptions that a private citizen could own a droid. In light of that, however, private companies & public companies were strictly forbidden from operating droids, unless in the good interests of safety, in which only the *safety exception* (read below) droids were allowed and in strictly controlled numbers.

Both private citizens and companies were responsible for their droids' actions and were required to have both a restraining bolt and regular selective memory wipes performed at least every 2 years on every droid they owned. If a droid committed a crime, then it would be the owner of the droid (person or company) to face the legal consequences. The droid or droids who committed the crime would automatically be destroyed.

### **Safety Exceptions**

Three exceptions to this rule was the sale of the LE-series CMB Repair Droid (Civilian Market Body), H-1ME Battle Mechanic Droid, and M3-M1 Medical Droid, as all three were seen as *safety essential* (if one could afford them) for Jods traveling by realspace, air travel, maritime transport, or by land transportation, as well as hospital use (M3-M1).

### **Government Sale**

Droids that were considered obsolete, broken beyond repair, or no longer needed for a particular job could be memory wiped and scrapped by the government or Jod Military Forces. Such droids were listed in the Deactivated Droid Registry and were furthermore permanently marked with a serial number in several highly classified locations---both physically, yet invisible without a special tool to read, and in factory data settings---to identify the droid by government officials. Furthermore, droids which were in the registry were required by law to have a yellow left arm (or side of sphere in the case of the H-1ME or leg in the case of the T3-series).

Removal of either the permanent serial number or the yellow left arm was punishable by both fines & imprisonment. Government Sale droids could forgo the safety exceptions requirement, enabling a wider range of droids to be in both private & company ownership.

## Bias Against Droids

Bias against droids is common within the Kingdom of Jod. While this prejudice against droids may not be outwardly visible all the time, the bias is there---at least under the surface---by most people who lived before, during, and immediately after the Droid Crisis of 33 BBY that lead to both the Right to Work & Droid Safety Act and Human Interaction Safety Protocol Against Automation Act, both of which took effect roughly 28 years ago (during King Alex the "Just" third year of his reign).

While violence against droids is less common within the Kingdom, it is nonetheless there. The Free the Droids Movement and Jods Against Droid Violence are both very active and outspoken activism groups for the support of Droid Rights.

## Droid Models

Droids include:

* AD-series Weapons Maintenance Droid
* BAF-320 Repair Droid
* B1-series Worker Droid
* H-1ME Battle Mechanic Droid
* M3-M1 Medical Droid
* PIM Dock Droid
* T3-series Utility Droid