Richmond Journal of Law and Technology

The first exclusively online law review.

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Prediction Markets Come in From the Cold

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On March 12, 2026

In Blog Posts

Prediction Markets Come in From the Cold

By: Sabeeka Khan

Imagine a market where you can trade on whether a popular video game releases before December 2026, whether a CEO mentions “growth” on an earnings call, or whether the Supreme Court makes a particular ruling. Prices move up and down based on the collective beliefs about future events and a “share” priced at ten cents today promises one dollar if the event happens by the deadline. This is a new reality. Prediction markets operate just like stock markets, instead of betting on the financial growth of companies like Apple or Amazon, participants bet on the likelihood of real-world events.[1]

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Trademarks For Your Online Business: Are You Conducting Interstate Commerce?

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On March 11, 2026

In Blog Posts

Trademarks For Your Online Business: Are You Conducting Interstate Commerce?

By: Skylar Shafer

Under the Lanham Act, to register a trademark and receive protection under federal law, a mark must be used in or actively affect interstate commerce.[1] For traditional cases of physical commerce, the interstate commerce test has been refined over centuries.[2] This interstate component as a means of getting access to federal loss is not new, and is instead based on the Commerce Clause.[3] But what about when that commerce is over the internet? How do we determine if it is interstate commerce? How can a business-owner know if they can register their trademark or not? Let’s get into it.

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Untangling the Grid: Navigating Legal Barriers for Intelligent Energy Solutions That Are Sustainable

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On March 6, 2026

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Untangling the Grid: Navigating Legal Barriers for Intelligent Energy Solutions That Are Sustainable

By: Rachel Thury

The 21st century brings with it an ever-growing need for sustainable energy systems that can endure modern challenges. Energy grids from the past are now struggling because they were constructed to support centralized fossil fuel power plants which no longer meet today’s demands. These traditional systems were not designed to handle the decentralized, dynamic flows of renewable energy, nor to adapt to increasingly digital energy demands.[1]

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When Protecting Your Patent Goes Wrong – Strava v. Garmin. By: Theresa Small

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On March 6, 2026

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When Protecting Your Patent Goes Wrong – Strava v. Garmin.

By: Theresa Small

Most endurance athletes have heard of the titan of the GPS tracking industry – Garmin. Garmin was founded in 1989 by two electrical engineers and since then they have risen to not only global prominence but dominance.[1] Their watches range anywhere from a few hundred (the average being around four hundred) to two thousand dollars.[2] A good GPS watch is an endurance athletes best friend, from tracking heart rate, to sleep, workouts, calories burned, stress on the body. Garmin even recommends workouts for you based on the data it has collected.[3]

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Smart Doorbells and the Legality of the Audio Recording Feature

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On March 2, 2026

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Smart Doorbells and the Legality of the Audio Recording Feature

By: Reese Bell

There has been much fear—and fear-mongering—surrounding the use of mass-surveillance across the U.S., and who exactly may have access to recordings collected by such surveillance. At the center of much of this discussion is an increasingly popular device known as a smart doorbell, frequently associated with the Amazon-subsidiary brand, Ring. The Ring doorbell is a camera and audio system, often placed on the front doors of residential buildings.[1] Ring doorbells provide users with video and audio recordings of activity around their front door, most often for the purpose of increasing the security and protection of their homes.[2] While video recordings capturing the goings-on of a smart doorbell-user’s front yard and adjacent public space is of little legal concern in most states, the audio feature included with these devices has sparked significant legal controversy.

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The Coldplay Couple: A Cautionary Tale

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On February 27, 2026

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The Coldplay Couple: A Cautionary Tale

By: Karina Chatha

This past summer, the world was locked in the drama of internet strangers with the “Coldplay Couple”. The incident occurred over a KissCam at a Coldplay concert, where the camera caught a man and a woman in an embrace.[1] However, once they realized they were on camera, they ducked and hid their faces, leading Chris Martin, Coldplay’s singer, to quip “either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.”[2] Someone in the crowd recorded the KissCam on the Jumbotron and uploaded the video to the popular video-sharing platform, TikTok.

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Born to Die: Planned Obsolescence and the Lack of Legal Recourse

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On February 27, 2026

In Blog Posts

Born to Die: Planned Obsolescence and the Lack of Legal Recourse

By: Elena Overstreet

In 2024, technology was the largest category of consumer spending during the holiday season, and it was projected that the 2025 holiday season would be the same.[1] Spending in this area seems to increase each year, with people finding the latest phones, kindles, and Oura Rings under their Christmas trees.[2] The thrill of new devices does not come without a cost, however. By 2030, the annual volume of electronics placed on the market is estimated to have risen to 120 billion kilograms – approximately 264 billion pounds.  While some progress has been made in collecting and recycling the materials used, this progress barely makes a dent in the magnitude of electronic waste being generated.[4] Yet, the trouble does not stop there.

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OTA: The Government’s Favorite Tool for Acquiring Innovative Technology

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On February 11, 2026

In Blog Posts

OTA: The Government’s Favorite Tool for Acquiring Innovative Technology

By: Hunter Conetta

Technological innovation has rapidly become a core feature of national security policy for the United States. The Department of Defense and armed services have prioritized the acquisition of everything from online data collection programs to AI-integrated weapons systems in order to outpace the innovation of adversaries and develop dynamic cyber capabilities. This awakening may best be exemplified in a memo issued by the Secretary of Defense, who wrote, “software-defined warfare is not a future construct, but the reality we find ourselves in today.”[1] The Secretary of Defense is not alone in his belief, as a host of executive branch and legislative officials are enacting policies and making laws to enable the expedited acquisition of software and technology.

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Virtual Infidelity: Is Cheating with an AI Girlfriend Considered Adultery?

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On November 28, 2025

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Virtual Infidelity: Is Cheating with an AI Girlfriend Considered Adultery?

By: Carolyn Potts

Her, a film about a man who falls in love with a virtual assistant, was released in 2013.[1] When the movie came out, virtual affairs may have seemed like science fiction, but now, twelve years later, “virtual infidelity” has become a harsh reality for a growing number of couples. For many people, Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is seen as a tool to answer questions or to manage tasks, but for some, it provides a sense of romantic companionship. Platforms generating AI girlfriends are experiencing a massive growth in popularity, with millions of users.[2] While most of these searches are initiated by young single men, many users engaging in relationships with AI chatbots are married to real life people.[3] The recent rise in AI love affairs begs the question, how do these virtual relationships factor in to divorce cases?

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