license

Definition

Legal permission slip for adults to do something specific without getting sued, typically printed in eye-watering font sizes and buried under seventeen pages of terms nobody reads. In software, it's the invisible leash keeping you from actually owning what you bought.

Example Usage

Our software license permits installation on five devices, and you will be audited.

Source: Legal and business terminology

Related Terms

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successor liability

When a company buys another company and inherits its legal problems like a cursed inheritance. It's why due diligence exists—to discover you're not just buying assets but also three pending lawsuits and a toxic waste cleanup.

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venire

The pool of prospective jurors summoned to court from which the jury is selected, Latin for 'to come.' Essentially a random collection of citizens hoping their number isn't called.

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ancillary jurisdiction

The power of federal courts to hear claims related to the main case even if those claims wouldn't independently qualify for federal court. It's the 'while we're here anyway' principle of judicial efficiency.

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licence

Legal permission to use, sell, or distribute a product, software, or intellectual property under specific terms and conditions; basically a contract disguised as freedom.

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pleaded

The act of formally responding to legal charges or begging someone really, really nicely for something (often mercy). In court, it's how you tell the judge "guilty," "not guilty," or "it's complicated" in official legal speak. Defense attorneys do this professionally while standing up straight and trying to look convincing.

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malice

The legal term for the intentional desire to cause harm, distinguishing crimes of passion from cold-blooded calculation. It's what prosecutors try to prove when they want to upgrade charges from manslaughter to murder, or from negligence to intentional tort. In everyday workplace usage, it's what you hope HR doesn't find evidence of in those Slack messages you sent while angry.

⚖️ Legal

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