The Structure and Legal Interpretation of Computer Programs
summary
Argues programs have three distinct legal meanings: naive functional meaning (what a particular execution actually does, e.g. an ATM debits but crashes), literal functional meaning (what a correctly functioning implementation of the language does, e.g. spec or reference interpreter vs. browser CSS differences), and ordinary functional meaning (what a bug‑free program in its technical community is expected to do, e.g. sendmail not permitting worm installation via buffer overflow). Claims literal and ordinary meanings depend on social conventions like language specs, versions, and tests.
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chapters (6)
- 0:00Legal vs program interpretation
- 3:58Naive functional meaning problems
- 10:58Buggy software meaning
- 14:54Switching interpretive strategies
- 17:46Legal theory implications
- 18:07Q&A
