Earlier quoted context omitted.
> In law, intentions matter. This is almost always the sticking point when people from tech misunderstand law. The fact that computers do not understand intent is fundamental to learning code. I think that leads to a lot of tech folks not groking that one of the primary functions of the legal system is to systematically determine intent.
There's an excellent article that I've read multiple times about this exact idea called "What Colour are your bits". It's written in response to a company that tried to get around the legal system by pretending that intentions don't matter. https://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/entry/23
A lot of the conversations I've had about this involve licensing, especially mixing things developed for the government and things developed independently. I once answered a question with "the answer to that question just changed because a room full of people heard you ask it." That is very disconcerting to computer scientists, but not to particle physicists.