Lukas Abegg: Smart Contracts and the Law

That blockchains represents a fundamental technological revolution has become widely accepted. What is still more nebulous, but could turn out just as disruptive is how smart contracts while transform the legal system and our understanding of what contracts are and how they work.

Legal researcher Lukas Abegg who is currently finishing his PhD on copyright issues around 3d printing and has been researching smart contracts as well joined us to discuss the question whether code is law and what blockchain can learn form 3d printing.

Topics covered in this episode:

• The copyright questions around 3d printing
• How legal issues around 3d printing are like issues around smart contracts
• How information theory can help us conceptualize smart contracts
• The thesis of Lessig’s book ‘Code is Law’
• The case for law regulating code
• Why Alternative Dispute Resolution has big potential for blockchain applications

Episode links:

• Code is Law? Not Quite Yet
• Lessig's Code
• Lawrence Lessig Talk 'Thinking Through Law and Code'
• EB125 - Florian Glatz A Legal Framework for DAOs

This episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/149