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    Jurimetrics Spring 2019

    Volume 59 Issue 3  

    Technology

    The Darkening Storm of Cyberterrorism: International Policy Adaptation for Automotive Cybersecurity Regulations

    James Golden

    Heralded as the “third transportation revolution,” autonomous vehicle (AV) technology is one of the greatest transportation innovations since the invention of the combustion engine. However, there are numerous and underappreciated risks associated with this revolutionary technology. Chief among these risks is the distinct possibility that certain groups, such as hackers or cyberterrorists, could hijack autonomous vehicles to serve as instruments of violence or disruption.

    Comments

    Technology

    The Uniform Regulation of Virtual-Currency Business Act: Advancing State Regulatory Interests in a Truly Cashless Economy

    Zachary Hubbell

    Americans are engaging in increasingly fewer cash transactions, opting instead to use fast and secure electronic and digital transaction tools such as debit and credit cards, online banking portals, and Apple Pay. These services, combined with the widespread use of direct deposit, are advancing the evolution of a cashless economy that is unencumbered by the practical constraints of physical currency.

    Health

    Talcum Powder and Expert Power: Admissibility Standards of Scientific Testimony

    Nicole Prefontaine

    Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay billions of dollars to tort plaintiffs from 2016 to 2018. These billions were almost exclusively awarded by juries in the 22nd Judicial Circuit of St. Louis, Missouri, to non-Missouri residents. Missouri embodies the perfect storm for companies like Johnson & Johnson, touting a lax standard of admissibility for scientific expert witness testimony and a long-arm jurisdiction statute. In New Jersey, however, two plaintiffs had similar cases against Johnson & Johnson dismissed.

    Note

    Technology

    House of the Rising Sun: SolarCity Corp. v. Arizona Department of Revenue and the Taxation of Leased Solar Panels

    Justin J. Larson

    This Note analyzes the Arizona case of SolarCity v. Arizona Department of Revenue. Specifically, this Note contends that both appellate courts—the Arizona Court of Appeals and the Arizona Supreme Court—incorrectly held the Arizona Depart-ment of Revenue could not tax leased residential solar panels as it does similar equipment used by utility companies. The Arizona Court of Appeals also incorrectly found a statute applying a zero-valuation to residential solar systems “designed . . . for on-site consump-tion” to be constitutional under both the Exemptions Clause and the Uniformity Clause of the Arizona Constitution.

    Book Review

    Intellectual Property

    The End of Ownership by Aaron Perzanowski and Jason Schultz

    Reviewed by Aaron Fellmeth and Amena Kheschtchin-Kamel

    Until recently, consumers viewed intellectual property (IP) law as an arcane legal specialty, remote from their daily lives. IP law is such a difficult subject that courts cannot consistently agree on the interpretation of its most fundamental doctrines. What hope does a consumer have? Most of humanity is not an engineer or research scientist, does not write music professionally, and is not producing commercial software or a major motion picture. He might want to know a few basics about criminal law, family law, and even tax law; surely he cannot be expected to delve into the profundities of IP law that baffle even experts. Then came the Digital Age.