Kicking off Day 2 with the BILETA-EJLT prize presentations. Many more updates on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/bile...

Geoff Mulgan April 14th, 2026 The myth of STEM only growth holds back the UK

‘Why did the USSR, with its fantastic scientists and engineers and heavy investment in STEM, nevertheless stagnate?’
Excoriating from @geoffmulgan.bsky.social on the undervaluing of social science and humanities research
blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsoci...

Full-funded (home or international) collaborative PhD studentship (Kew and Royal Holloway, University of London) available. Deadline 8 May.

Topic: ‘Just acquisitions? Law and ethics over time in Kew’s overseas plant collecting history’ #Skystorians

This is a comprehensive investigation of patent abuse of a Keytruda & the best I've ever seen patent data visualisation of evergreening practices and the resulting thicket until 2046 - another extra twenty years of patent monopoly right

h/t @clancyny.bsky.social

Cox v. Sony Music Comes to Hollywood The Supreme Court’s newest copyright decision is already being used to argue that an AI video generator should be treated the same as an ISP.

The Supreme Court's Cox v. Sony Music ruling is three weeks old. It's already being cited to defend an AI video generator that produces Darth Vader on demand. Full story, up now on Copyright Lately:

copyrightlately.com/cox-v-sony-m...

Māori weaving, or raranga, is a traditional art of identity, heritage and expression of spirituality. The patterns woven into items such as cloaks and baskets all have meaning #womensart

MR. ABRAMS: No, Your Honor. THE COURT: And the phrase "particularly disfavored, " which is in quotes in your brief, "attributed to Planned Parenthood, " does not appear anywhere in Planned Parenthood. There is also in your briefs Planned Parenthood cited for the proposition that under the mandatory -- heightened mandatory injunction standard, plaintiffs must show not just a fair chance of success, but a substantial likelihood or a heavy and compelling weight of evidence. I don't view Planned Parenthood as standing at all for that proposition. And then you also cite for the mandatory injunction standard the case of Packard Elevator, which does not discuss mandatory injunctions at all. You also cite Nken v. Holder, 556 U.s. 418, for the proposition that when a mandatory injunction interferes with the government's core functions, the balance of equities weighs more heavily against the movant. That's your quote. Nken does not discuss mandatory injunctions or core government functions. In addition, you cite the case of 22nd Avenue Station for the proposition that the requested relief would force ICE to overhaul the operational and security protocols

of Whipple, and the public interest in efficient and secure law enforcement outweighs plaintiffs' speculative claims of harm. The 22nd Avenue Station case concerns the constitutionality of a zoning ordinance restricting adult entertainment. It does not concern operational and security protocols of a government facility, nor the public interest. I'm not sure how we got here. I expect better of the United States Government. I expect better of the Department of Justice. I am quite surprised that you are not ready to address this today and that neither of you seemed to know what I was talking about yesterday when it was fully set out for you in the reply brief. I do want an explanation. I expect an explanation, and I expect it to come from someone who is senior to both of you in the Department of Justice. We're going to take a 15-minute recess and then see where we are. THE CLERK: All rise. (Recess taken at 1:45 p.m. till 2:19 p.m.)

“I'm not sure how we got here. I expect better of the United States Government. I expect better of the Department of Justice.” rip the presumption of regularity for doj, 1870-2025

Interesting thread on charging for museums (via @stephenkb.bsky.social excellent morning newsletter!)

Everyone Cheering The Social Media Addiction Verdicts Against Meta Should Understand What They’re Actually Cheering For First things first: Meta is a terrible company that has spent years making terrible decisions and being terrible at explaining the challenges of social media trust & safety, all while prioritiz…

This is an incredibly important piece by @masnick.com about the verdicts against Meta and I really hope you read it, because I think very few people understand the situation. Two things can be true...Meta and Zuckerberg are terrible, but so are these verdicts. www.techdirt.com/2026/03/26/e...

PhD scholarship on copyright and private regulation supervised by @kathybowrey.bsky.social, UNSW and L. Buckingham, Arts Law Centre of Australia www.unsw.edu.au/law-justice/...
Deadline: 13 April 2026

Maybe we will get to see this litigated after all…

Are AI Systems Incompatible with Data Privacy? It may not be possible to reconcile AI with data privacy without constraining what systems are allowed to learn, write Paul Bouchaud and Pedro Ramacciotti.

GDPR was designed for a world in which sensitive data had to be actively collected. But what happens when AI systems infer sensitive characteristics without ever being asked to do so? Paul Bouchaud and Pedro Ramacciotti say the social media platform X provides a stark illustration.

Wait a Minute…What If I Don’t Want to Use AI? AI is everywhere right now. It writes summaries, explains theories, fixes grammar, and recommends playlists.But here’s the thing nobody says out loud: you’re allowed not to use it. Whether you feel…

By popular demand, here is the full, glorious message from Aberystwyth University Library, on their blog:

wordpress.aber.ac.uk/librarian/?p...

Hat tip to @walkyouhome.bsky.social for prompting me to realise it was a blog post, and thus available to you all ❤️

An interesting new IP front in the AI wars. Between this and the recent Grammarly debacle, I wonder whether trademark and rights of publicity will prove more potent bases for infringement claims than copyright

Where Duolingo falls down: how I learned to speak Welsh with my mother The long read: Once violently defended from extinction, Welsh is still a part of daily life. By learning my family’s language, I hoped to join their conversation

'Once violently defended from extinction, Welsh is still a part of daily life. By learning my family’s language, I hoped to join their conversation.' www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...?

Jo Malone sued by Estée Lauder for using her name in Zara collaboration The perfumier sold the rights to her name in 1999 but has previously said she regretted the move.

Will be interesting to see how contracting away the rights to your own name goes… www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The sneering arrogance coupled with their lack of knowledge/competence nicely sums up our path to trumpism.

"More expensive oil is bad for Europe, Japan and Korea, all big importers. It is actually a net benefit to the U.S., as an exporter and the world’s biggest producer."

Wall Street Journal...just saying it out loud

I am reposting this for info/highlighting for others. I have already been operating at a baseline that is pretty high in fury lately. I *accidentally* watched some of these depositions earlier today and have still not stopped continously imploding with actual rage. Engage at your own risk I suppose.

Grammarly Is Facing a Class Action Lawsuit Over Its AI ‘Expert Review’ Feature The feature, which Grammarly shut down Wednesday, presented editing suggestions as if they came from established authors and academics—without their consent.

I'm suing Grammarly over its paid AI feature that presented editing suggestions as if they came from me - and many other writers and journalists - without consent.

State law requires consent before someone's name can be used for commercial purposes.

www.wired.com/story/gramma...

I used to waste years preparing gourmet meals. It was creative, an expression of my humanity, and fostered zen.

Thanks to McDonalds, I don't have to do that!

#Satire

I would love to be able to follow litigation on Grammarly’s use of expert names like this, but are they really going to try to defend it? Who signed off on this idea, seriously!

Sutton Trust reaction to the Government's response to consultation on unpaid internships - The Sutton Trust The Government has published its response to the consultation on unpaid internships.

paid internships must be the norm, transparently advertised and properly enforced.

Opportunity shouldn’t depend on your parents’ bank balance. www.suttontrust.com/news-opinion...

We have FOUR excellent paper prizes to be awarded at the conference: Paul Maharg Legal Ed; BILETA-EJLT; Taylor & Francis IRLCT; Ken Russell Prize (Best PG)... All with a £250 award, potential publication... & general fame & fortune. Full paper due 17 Mar. Details: www.bileta.org.uk/annual-confe...

I mean, you’re not wrong! Shows my friends worked on for years were canceled and then used as tax write-offs.

Sixty years on, a Star Trek writer is still creating strange new worlds Diane Duane’s early days writing fan fiction have led to a remarkable career as a novelist, comic writer and screen writer.

Sixty years on, a Star Trek writer is still creating strange new worlds. Diane Duane’s early days writing fan fiction have led to a remarkable career as a novelist, comic writer and screen writer.

This is amazing.

www.getyourfuckingmoneyback.com

Pancake expert here. The annual rush to harvest pancakes on a single day has extremely deleterious effects on the local pancake ecosystem. By all means pick a few pancakes for your own use, but please leave some on the bush so that it can recover in its own time.

Cartoon: If anyone in Chicago knows this school or an anti ICE organization affiliated with them I would be happy to donate this art. I only wish I could have fully Sal Buscema-ed that punch :)

Ripon starlng murmuration captured with Victorian-era techniques

Today in non AI art and news… www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/....