valens agere (vay-lenz aj-[schwa]r-ee). [Law Latin] Hist. Able to act. “A person is said to be valens agere when, from age and position, he is able to protect his rights against the invasion of them by others: against such a person not protecting his rights prescription runs, while prescription does not run against one who […]
National Security Agency. A unit in the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for protecting U.S. information systems as well as producing foreign intelligence information. • The agency uses code makers and code breakers. — Abbr. NSA.
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A principal whose identity is revealed by the agent to a third party. • A disclosed principal is always liable on a contract entered into by the agent with the principal’s authority, but the agent is usu. not liable. [Cases: Principal and Agent 92–137. C.J.S. Agency §§ 44, 47, 73, 143–165; Architects § 21–22, 24.]
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piracy, n. 1. Robbery, kidnapping, or other criminal violence committed at sea. [Cases: Criminal Law 45.50.] 2. A similar crime committed aboard a plane or other vehicle; hijacking. [Cases: Aviation 16. C.J.S. Aeronautics and Aerospace §§ 284–285, 287.] air piracy. The crime of using force or threat to seize control of an aircraft; the hijacking
lawful fence. A strong, substantial, and well-suited barrier that is sufficient to prevent animals from escaping property and to protect the property from trespassers. — Also termed legal fence; good and lawful fence. Cf. SPITE FENCE . [Cases: Animals 92; Fences 1, 19. C.J.S. Animals §§ 243–246, 248.]
mature-minor doctrine. Family law. A rule holding that an adolescent, though not having reached the age of majority, may make decisions about his or her health and welfare if the adolescent demonstrates an ability to articulate reasoned preferences on those matters. • The mature-minor doctrine was recognized as constitutionally protected in certain medical decisions (esp.
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design, n. 1. A plan or scheme. 2. Purpose or intention combined with a plan. formed design. Criminal law. The deliberate and fixed intention to kill, though not necessarily a particular person. See PREMEDITATION. [Cases: Homicide 535.] 3. The pattern or configuration of elements in something, such as a work of art. 4. Patents. The
Speech deriving from a corporation and protected under the First Amendment. • It does not lose protected status simply because of its corporate source.
Intellectual property. A transformative use of a well-known work for purposes of satirizing, ridiculing, critiquing, or commenting on the original work, as opposed to merely alluding to the original to draw attention to the later work. • In constitutional law, a parody is protected as free speech. In copyright law, a work must meet the
manufacturing clause. Hist. 1. A component of the Copyright Act of 1976 prohibiting imports of more than 2,000 copies of a nondramatic English-language literary work by an American author, unless the material was manufactured in Canada or the U.S. • The manufacturing clause expired in 1986. 2. A component of the Copyright Act of 1909
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