Finance & Economy Intellectual Property Act

[Library of Parliament]

Original Legislation:
Passed Bill Link: https://cityrp.org/threads/intellectual-property-act.3869/
Final Vote: 6-1-0
Ratified: September 21, 2026
Note: This is a duplicative law. It both amends another act, but also exists on its own because of its own contents.
Amendments:
- Amended November 1, 2026, by the Modern Contracts Act

---

Author: Multi Man
Sponsor: Multi Man, MP

Intellectual Property Act
Preamble: Intellectual property rules are spread across several Acts. This bill brings them together, protects creative expression, guarantees freedom of panorama, places government works in the public domain, makes author attribution on bills optional, and protects the Azalea Isles from claims arising from Parliament's official use of existing intellectual property.

1. Short title and definitions
(a) This Act may be cited as the "Intellectual Property Act".
(b) "Person" includes an individual, company, and other legal entity. "MEA" means the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
(c) "Public entity" means the government of the Azalea Isles or any of its bodies, including Parliament, Districts, Ministries, Departments, agencies, courts, and government-owned entities.
(d) "Public domain" means free of copyright. Anyone may copy, change, publish, distribute, or sell a public-domain work without permission, payment, or credit, subject to laws other than copyright.

2. Works protected by copyright
(a) Copyright arises automatically when a work is recorded in a form that can be seen, heard, or reproduced. The work must originate within the Azalea Isles, including its build world and Discord spaces directly connected to the Isles.
(b) A work must be independently created and contain at least a small amount of creativity, which may be referred to as a modicum of creativity. Time, money, labor, skill, or collecting information alone does not qualify; mere "sweat of the brow" is not enough.
(c) Qualifying works include writing, computer code, music, drama, images, logos, recordings, films, broadcasts, page layouts, architectural designs, and buildings.
(d) Copyright protects creative expression. It does not protect facts, data, ideas, discoveries, methods, systems, or procedures. A creative selection or arrangement of facts may be protected, but the facts remain free for others to use under copyright law.
(e) Names, titles, short phrases, and colors alone are not protected. A creative combination, such as a logo, may qualify. A work's public availability alone does not place a protected work in the public domain.
(f) Derivative works shall be governed as follows:

(i) A derivative work adapts one or more existing works, such as a translation, remix, or revised building design. For a derivative work, the originality requirement in paragraph (b) applies to the creator's new contribution.​

(ii) Copyright in a derivative work covers only its new creative expression. It does not extend to preexisting material nor change the ownership, scope, or duration of copyright in that material. Public-domain material remains in the public domain.​

(iii) Use of protected expression from the original work requires the owner's permission unless an exception under this Act applie​

(g) Copyright terms shall be governed as follows:

(i) Copyright in architectural works and buildings, including architectural plans and designs, shall last one calendar year. Copyright in all other works, including photographs and recordings of buildings, shall last six calendar months.​

(ii) The copyright term runs from the later of the work's first publication or the date this Act takes effect. It expires on the corresponding date in the month of expiry, or on that month's last day if there is no corresponding date. Before publication, copyright continues under paragraph (a), subject to the other provisions of this Act.​

(iii) For this paragraph, publication means first making the work available to the public by or with the copyright owner's permission. This includes sharing copies, public display or performance, and making a building or its design visible from a place open to the public. Publication of a design in any form counts as publication of that design.​

(iv) Registration, transfer, inheritance, republication, or reproducing a work in another form does not restart or extend its copyright term.​

(v) When the copyright term expires, the work enters the public domain.​

(vi) Expiry does not erase liability for infringement committed while copyright was in force. No continuing copyright order may prevent a use made lawful by expiry.​

3. Copyright ownership and use
(a) In general, the creator of a work owns that work's copyright unless a work's ownership upon publication of the work.
(b) Subject to the exceptions in this Act, the owner controls copying, adapting, distributing, publishing, publicly displaying, and publicly performing the protected expression. This includes building or pasting a copy of a protected design.
(c) A person infringes copyright by using protected expression in one of these ways without the owner's permission.
(d) Fair use.

(i) Fair use of a copyrighted work, including for criticism, commentary, parody, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, is not infringement and requires no copyright permission or royalties.​

(ii) A court must consider the purpose and character of the use, including its commercial nature and whether it serves a different purpose or adds new meaning; the nature of the original work; the amount and importance of the material used; and the effect on the actual or potential market for, or value of, the original work.​

(iii) The court must weigh these factors together. No factor or listed purpose automatically establishes fair use. Commercial use or the original work's unpublished status alone does not rule out fair use.​

(iv) This paragraph does not limit freedom of panorama under section 4, use of public-domain material, or any other exception in this Act.​

4. Freedom of panorama
(a) Anyone may make, copy, edit, publish, distribute, display, and sell photographs, screenshots, videos, drawings, or other two-dimensional depictions of buildings, structures, and artwork visible from a place open to the public. This includes public interiors and views within the build world where public access is allowed.
(b) This right applies even when the work is the main subject, and to commercial and noncommercial use, including advertising, news, maps, films, and streams. No copyright permission, payment, or credit is required. A copyright notice or license cannot remove this right.
(c) This section does not authorize three-dimensional copies of buildings, structures, or artwork, pasting builds, exporting schematics, or reproducing functional redstone designs. It does not authorize trespassing, bypassing access controls, or violating another person's privacy.

5. Government works and the public domain
(a) Government works are in the public domain from creation. They include works created by a public entity and works created by its officials or employees as part of their official duties. Bills placed before Parliament and their official revisions are also to be considered government works. New works commissioned by a public entity after this Act takes effect are also government works.
(b) All copyright owned by a public entity when this Act takes effect ends at that time. Any copyright later acquired by a public entity ends upon acquisition. This includes copyright acquired through a commission or contract.
(c) A public entity cannot require copyright permission, royalties, or attribution for government works. No agreement may restore copyright in a government work or remove its public-domain status.
(d) A private work does not become a government work merely because it is filed, registered, quoted, displayed, or used by a public entity. Copyright in preexisting private material included in a government work or commission remains subject to this Act.
(e) Public-domain status does not require disclosure of confidential records or grant access to private property. Information-access, privacy, and lawful confidentiality rules still apply. Research-patent rights are governed by section 8.

6. Transfers and inheritance
(a) Copyright must be registered with the Ministry of Economic Affairs before it can be transferred between private parties. A sale or other agreed transfer must be recorded in a signed, dated agreement that identifies the work and the rights transferred. An owner may also make a recorded declaration placing registered copyright in the public domain.
(b) After legal death under the Death Act, registered copyright passes to the heirs entitled under the Inheritance and Succession Act. The estate's lawful representative may register a work before transfer. If no entitled heir can receive the copyright within 30 days after legal death, it enters the public domain.
(c) In a family division under section 6(d) of the Inheritance and Succession Act, copyright in a build follows the property on which it stands only to the extent the deceased owned that copyright. No heir receives another person's copyright.

7. Parliament: authorship and immunity
(a) Author credit on bills is optional. No parliamentary procedure, bill template, or official record may require author identification as a condition of introducing, considering, passing, publishing, or recording a bill or Act. Leaving authorship unstated does not invalidate a bill or Act. The member who introduces or sponsors a bill may still be required to be identified. Voluntary credit does not create copyright nor restrict anyone's use of a government work.
(b) No civil suit or claim arising from Parliament's use of existing intellectual property in its official work may be brought or continued against the Azalea Isles or a public entity. This immunity covers damages, compensation, and orders to prevent or undo that use, regardless of how the claim is labeled. An official-capacity suit nominally against a private party is treated as a suit against the relevant public entity.
(c) This immunity does not cover a person's private acts or a public entity's separate use outside Parliament's work. It does not transfer a private owner's rights to the public or authorize others to copy that owner's work.

8. International research patents
(a) Regalis must notify the International Trade Representative of research investment opportunities through a dedicated Parliament channel. Access is limited to the Representative and persons who require access for administration. The notice must describe the technology, its use and crafting recipe, expected development time, chance of success, and the investor's period of patent exclusivity.
(b) The Representative must promptly open an auction in the Ministry of Economic Affairs Discord with that information. The auction must last at least 72 hours, with its opening and closing times stated at the start.
(c) Individuals, businesses, and the government may bid. A business bidder must identify the business in each bid. The Prime Minister may bid for the government only after a majority of Parliament authorizes bidding and approves a budget. Each government bid must be identified and remain within that budget.
(d) If development succeeds, the winning investor receives the stated period of patent exclusivity. Research success and completion dates are not guaranteed. Delay beyond the expected development time creates no legal or contractual liability. When the exclusivity period ends, everyone must have access to the crafting recipe.
(e) Government transactions remain subject to the Government Contracts Act 2.0. Its general auction rules do not reduce the 72-hour minimum in this section.

9. Confidential information and agreements
(a) A nondisclosure agreement, or NDA, is a written contract to keep specified information confidential. It must state, in clear, agreed terms, who the parties are, what information is protected, and how long the duty lasts. Recorded chat showing each party's assent meets the writing requirement.
(c) A term requiring concealment of a crime is void. A person may make a good-faith disclosure to protect the public or national security without contractual liability.
(d) Confidentiality is distinct from copyright. Information excluded from copyright may still be protected by a valid NDA. An NDA cannot create copyright nor prevent use of public-domain material obtained independently and lawfully.

10. Names and identifying marks
(a) A logo may qualify for copyright protection under section 2, but registering a company name does not itself create an exclusive intellectual property right in that name. Business registration remains governed by the Business Reform Act.
(b) Political parties cannot be registered with a name or code that could reasonably be confused with an already registered party. Other party registration requirements remain under the Electoral Crimes and Registration Act.

11. Registration and ownership disputes
(a) The MEA must maintain the copyright register and ownership records. Registration is optional except where section 6 requires it. Registration is evidence of a claim, not proof that an unprotectable work qualifies.
(b) A person disputing ownership or seeking cancellation may apply to the MEA. Earlier public records or an earlier physical work may support the claim. The Minister or Deputy Minister may cancel or correct ownership on proof, after giving affected persons seven days' notice and an opportunity to appeal.
(c) An inconclusive decision or timely appeal goes to an impartial panel of three to five MEA members. Other ministers or deputy ministers may serve if fewer than three eligible MEA members are available. Either party may appeal the panel's decision once to the courts.
(d) An official must not decide a claim they own or a matter requiring recusal under the Government Corruption Act. A claim owned by the Minister or Deputy Minister starts with the panel. If an impartial panel cannot be formed, the dispute goes directly to court.
(e) A person may bring an infringement claim directly in court. Starting an MEA dispute does not extend the civil filing deadline. A court may pause a timely case while the MEA process is completed.

12. Civil enforcement and remedies
(a) Copyright infringement is a civil matter. The claimant must prove that copyright protected the expression when the alleged infringement occurred, their right to bring the claim, unauthorized use, and a basis for the requested relief by showing that each is more likely true than not. Registration is not required to sue. Conduct allowed by sections 4 or 5 is not infringement; section 7(d) bars the claims it describes.
(b) A court may award all income gained from infringing use, compensation for proven harm, additional compensation for especially serious violations or harm whose direct financial value cannot be proved, and legal fees.
(c) For an infringing building, the court may award the reasonable value of the copied design if the copyright owner chooses it. Otherwise, it may order removal of the infringing parts. The Ministry of Urban Development must carry out that order within seven days, at the infringer's expense.
(d) A person harmed by a false copyright claim that blocks lawful access to or use of publicly available material may recover compensation and legal fees. The court sets compensation according to the harm proved.

13. Relationship to other law
(a) This Act governs copyright, the research-patent scheme, and the specific confidentiality and identifying-mark rules it states. General contract, inheritance, procurement, competition, criminal, and court law continues to apply except where this Act expressly provides otherwise.
(b) Consistent common law may supplement this Act. This Act does not limit the Constitution or the Supreme Court's power of constitutional review.

14. Repeals and amendments
(a) The following Acts are repealed:

(i) The Establish Copyright Protections Act;​

(ii) The International Research Act; and​

(iii) The Authorship Protection Act.​

(b) The Contract Establishment Act is amended as follows:

(i) Replace section 1(b) as follows:​

(b) Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA): A legally binding contract that establishes a confidential relationship between parties. The signing parties agree that sensitive information they may obtain will not be made available to others.
(b) A nondisclosure agreement, or NDA, is an agreement governed by section 9 of the Intellectual Property Act.

(ii) Replace section 3 as follows:​

3. Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
(a) NDAs, as defined under this Act, shall be considered legally binding and enforceable by law.
(i) Any NDAs requiring an individual to not disclose information about crimes committed are not legally binding and thus not enforceable by law.
(b) NDAs must clearly outline the confidential information to be protected, the parties involved, and the duration of the confidentiality obligation.
(c) All parties must sign the NDA, include the date of signing, and indicate their agreement to the terms and conditions.
d) Any NDA may be tried and contested within a court of law.
(e) Any party that breaches an NDA shall be subject to legal penalties and may be sued for damages resulting from the breach.

3. Nondisclosure agreements
(a) Section 9 of the Intellectual Property Act governs NDA requirements, enforcement, remedies, and exceptions. The other provisions of this Act apply to NDAs subject to that section.

(iii) In the heading of section 4 and in section 4(a), delete "or NDA" as follows:​

4. Legal Recourse for Breach of Contract or NDA
(a) Any individual or entity that experiences a breach of contract or NDA may file a lawsuit against the offending party.

(iv) In the heading of section 5 and in sections 5(a) and 5(c), replace "Contracts and NDAs" with "Contracts" as follows:​

5. Requirements for Valid Contracts and NDAs Contracts
(a) Contracts and NDAs Contracts must be in written form and signed by all parties involved.
(c) Contracts and NDAs Contracts that do not meet these requirements shall not be considered legally binding under this Act.

(v) Replace section 6 as follows:​

6. Whistleblower Protections

(a) Individuals who disclose information in the public interest, such as in journalistic investigations, court inquiries of information, or when withholding information that threatens national security, shall be protected under this Act.

(b) Whistleblowers shall not be held liable for breach of an NDA or contract if the disclosure was made in good faith to protect the public or national security.

6. Protected disclosures

(a) The protections in section 9(c) of the Intellectual Property Act apply to every contract governed by this Act.

(c) Replace section 6(d)(vi) of the Inheritance and Succession Act as follows:

(vi) Items and blocks shall be considered a part of whatever property they are located on, as shall the full ownership of the build (intellectual property and physical materials) on the property it is located on. Only what was owned by the deceased shall transfer - if the deceased did not own the build's intellectual property rights, those are not transferred.
(vi) Items, blocks, and the physical materials of a build are part of the property on which they stand. Copyright in the build passes only as provided by section 6 of the Intellectual Property Act. Only assets and rights owned by the deceased may pass to heirs.

(d) Replace section 2(c)(iii) of the Fair Competition Act as follows:

(iii) This does not apply to patents granted for international research.
(iii) The exception for international research patents is governed by section 8(f) of the Intellectual Property Act.

(e) Replace section 3(b) of the Government Contracts Act 2.0 as follows:

(b) Auctions are contracts that are publicly posted for the public to bid on, where a member of the public offers payment to receive a service or good, such as buying a patent from the government.
(b) Auctions are publicly posted contracts in which members of the public bid to pay for a good or service, such as a government patent sale. Auctions under section 8 of the Intellectual Property Act must also meet that section's requirements.

(f) Replace section 1(d)(i) of the Electoral Crimes and Registration Act as follows:

(i) New parties cannot register with a name or code which may be reasonably confused with an already registered party.
(i) New party names and codes must meet section 10(b) of the Intellectual Property Act.

(g) The Parliamentary Procedure Act is amended as follows:

(i) At the end of section 4(b), add the following:​

(b) Any newly proposed bill must generally adhere to the standards in the Template. Author identification is optional under section 7(a) of the Intellectual Property Act. A bill must not be rejected or delayed merely because its author's identity is omitted.

(ii) Replace section 5(b) as follows:​

(b) Once this has been done the bill is proposed. If the author is a member of parliament, or the bill has a sponsor who is a member of parliament then they may notify the speaker to move the bill to debate. No other member of parliament may do so unless they have met said conditions.
(b) Once this has been done, the bill is proposed. Only a Member of Parliament publicly identified as the bill's introducing member or sponsor may ask the Speaker to move it to debate. This identification does not require a claim of authorship.

(iii) In the bill Template, first post, replace the author field as follows. The Speaker must update the displayed template accordingly:​

Author: <NAME> MP
Author (optional): <NAME, OR OMIT THIS FIELD>

(h) Replace section 3(f) of the Legislative Clarity Act as follows:

(f) These cases are to be handled under expedited hearings by default, and the court is to rule under the preponderance of the evidence standard. Bill authors must represent themselves, or obtain their own legal counsel for these lawsuits, even though the case filing will be against the Azalea Isles. The bill author shall be named as a second party, under a class.
(f) These cases are to be handled under expedited hearings by default, and the court is to rule under the preponderance of the evidence standard. The case must be brought against the Azalea Isles. No person must be identified, joined as a party, or required to obtain counsel merely because they authored, introduced, or sponsored the bill.

(i) The Ministry Clarity Act is amended as follows:

(i) Replace section 3(d) as follows:​

(d) Once written, Ministers are to send their Impact Summary to both the Speaker (or Deputy Speaker in the Speaker's absence), and the author of/individual proposing the bill. This is to then be posted in Parliament by one of the two individuals, whoever has the opportunity to do it first, so Parliament may consider the Minister’s expertise while debating and voting.
(d) Ministers must send their Impact Summary to the Speaker, or the Deputy Speaker in the Speaker's absence, and the Member of Parliament who presented the proposal under paragraph (a). One of those recipients must post it in Parliament as soon as they can, so members can consider it during debate and voting.

(ii) Replace section 3(e) as follows:​

(e) If a Minister is the author of the bill, they do not need to provide an Impact Summary, nor notify themselves. They are still obligated to follow the relevant procedures for other ministries affected by the bill.
(e) A Minister publicly identified as the bill's introducing or sponsoring Member of Parliament need not provide an Impact Summary for their own ministry or notify themselves. They must still follow the procedures for other affected ministries.

15. Transition
(a) Existing registrations, transfers, research-patent awards, agreements, and valid orders continue under the corresponding provisions of this Act. No person shall be required register an existing valid registration again for pre-existing protection to continue. Existing patent expiry dates do not restart.
(b) Sections 2, 4, and 5 govern all uses made after commencement, including uses of older works. Government-held copyright ends under section 5 even if previously registered or transferred. No future royalty is owed merely for a use that this Act makes free. Royalties already earned and agreed payments for completed work or an earlier transfer remain payable.
(c) For matters governed by this Act, continuing administrative references to the Establish Copyright Protections Act mean the corresponding provisions of sections 1–7 and 11–12. References to the International Research Act mean section 8; references to the Authorship Protection Act mean section 7(a)–(c). Administrative instructions shall continue only to the extent consistent with this Act.
(d) Notwithstanding paragraph (c), the authorship and procedure changes in sections 7(a)–(c) and 14(g)–(i) govern steps taken after enactment of this Act, including steps on existing bills and Acts and in pending cases. In a pending case, the court must remove any person made a party solely under former section 3(f) of the Legislative Clarity Act and proceed against the Azalea Isles. These changes do not erase liability for earlier conduct nor reopen final judgments. Historical author credits need not be deleted.

Enactment: This Act comes into force immediately upon its passage.

 

[Library of Parliament]

Amending Legislation:
Passed Bill Link: https://www.cityrp.org/threads/modern-contracts-act.4009/
Final Vote: 8-1-0
Ratified: November 1, 2026
Note: This is a duplicative law. It both amends another act, but also exists on its own because of its own contents.

---

Sponsor: Multi Man, MP

Modern Contracts Act
Preamble: Contracts should be enforceable without unnecessary formalities. This Act states the general rules for agreement, breach, remedies, and existing rights. It also protects ordinary citizens from predatory contractual clauses and preserves a right to action in the courts regarding contractual disputes.

1. Short Title and Enactment
(a) This Act may be cited as the "Modern Contracts Act".
(b) This Act takes effect immediately upon passage.

2. Application and definitions
(a) This Act governs contracts between private parties and contracts with the government.
(b) A "void" agreement or term is an agreement or term with no binding legal effect.
(c) A "voidable" agreement or term is an agreement or term that remains binding until the party entitled to void it gives the other parties notice of that decision.

(i) Any notice given to void a voidable agreement or term must identify the agreement or term and the grounds for voiding it. ​

(d) In the context of a contract, "the bargain" refers to the substance of the voluntary agreement between two or more parties in exchange for consideration.

3. Agreement
(a) A contract forms when an offer is accepted, consideration is present, and the parties intend a binding agreement.

(i) In bilateral contracts, consideration is present when each party gives or promises something in exchange to the other. In contracts involving more than two parties, consideration is present when each party is given or promised something by at least one other party and each party gives or promises something to at least one other party.​

(b) Acceptance may be spoken, written, or shown by conduct. Silence alone is not acceptance.

(i) An amendment requires the assent of each party whose rights or duties it changes. Assent may be spoken, written, or shown by conduct.​

(c) An agreement includes an implied reasonable term to fill in minor details when the parties intended to be bound without fixing those minor details.
(d) An agreement remains binding without an unenforceable term if it can operate without that term and preserve the essential bargain.
(e) A term that gives a private person or body the power to impose a binding decision in a contract dispute is void.

(i) A contract term that excludes courts from deciding a contract dispute is void.​

4. Defects in agreement
(a) An agreement is voidable by a party who agreed because of material deception or a threat to commit an independently unlawful act.
(b) Material deception means a knowingly or recklessly false statement about a material fact, or deliberate concealment of a material fact that a party was legally required to disclose.
(c) An agreement is voidable by a party if both parties were mistaken about a basic fact that existed when they agreed, the mistake materially changes the bargain, and that party did not accept the risk of mistake.
(d) An agreement is voidable by a party who made a material mistake about a basic fact that existed when the parties agreed, if the other party knew or clearly should have recognized the mistake.
(e) An unconscionable term is void. A term is unconscionable when it is unconscionable per se or per quod.

(i) A term that is unconscionable per quod is a term that creates a severe, unjust imbalance in the rights and obligations of the parties, especially when heavily favoring the side that drafted the agreement while exploiting or oppressing the other party.​

(ii) Any term that is as follows shall be a term that is unconscionable per se:​

(1) Terms that waive liability for gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional torts, or waive all liability;​

(2) Terms that require arbitration or mediation, whether binding or non-binding, before a party may file a lawsuit;​

(3) Terms that require one party to pay for all legal costs and damages when the agreement is not performed, while the party with greater bargaining power has no or only a minimal corresponding obligation;​

(4) Terms that bind a party to provide services or remain employed indefinitely without a reasonable way to end that duty;​

(5) Terms that waive in advance a statutory protection or constitutional right that applies to a party;​

(6) Terms that prohibit a party from joining a class in a civil lawsuit against a counterparty or third party;​

(7) Terms that require a party to give notice to prevent automatic renewal by a deadline that is unreasonably far before the renewal date;​

(8) Terms that permit one party to make changes to the product or service to be provided to the counterparty, where such changes may be made unilaterally and without a valid reason;​

(9) Terms that permit one party to increase the final price of goods or services on or shortly before delivery, without giving the counterparty the option of canceling the contract if the price is much higher than initially agreed;​

(10) Terms that prevent a party from ending affected future duties after the other party's material breach;​

(11) Terms whereby a party prohibit a counterparty from, penalizes a counterparty for, or functions to prevent a counterparty from:​

(A) seeking or accepting work from another individual or other entity where such work would begin after the conclusion of employment associated with the term's agreement; or​

(B) operating a business after the conclusion of the employment associated with the term's agreement.​

(iii) When a civil lawsuit is filed and a question of whether a term or agreement is void is posed, a court may equitably limit the term (rather than treating it as wholly void) only when the party that would be disadvantaged by the void clause's enforcement affirmatively seeks such a remedy. ​

(iv) Relief for unconscionability is limited declaring the term or agreement void, limiting the term, and restoring benefits under paragraph (g).​

(v) A party may settle an existing dispute over a statutory protection or constitutional right if they know the relevant facts, understand the right being released, and agree voluntarily.​

(f) An agreement is voidable by a party who did not understand the agreement's basic nature and consequences, when a counterparty knew or clearly should have known that the party lacked understanding of the basic nature and consequences of the agreement.
(g) When an agreement or term is void or voided under this section, each party must restore to the other the benefits received under that agreement or term where practicable.
(h) An advance waiver of protection against material deception, threats of independently unlawful acts, unconscionability, or known or apparent incapacity is void.
(j) A party loses the right to void a voidable agreement or term if that party knows the relevant facts, understands that they may void it on that ground, and voluntarily confirms to the other parties that they will remain bound by it.

5. Reliance on promises
(a) A person who reasonably relies on a clear promise is entitled to compensation from a second person who made it if the second person should reasonably have expected the first person to have relied upon that promise.
(b) Compensation covers proven losses caused by the reliance if those losses were reasonably foreseeable when the promise was made. The amount must account for benefits received through that reliance and exclude reasonably avoidable losses.

6. Breach and ending duties
(a) A party may end future duties affected by the other party's material breach.
(b) A breach is material when it substantially defeats the bargain. A clear refusal to perform before performance is due is an anticipatory breach when communicated.

(i) A party who substantially performs remains liable under section 7 for losses caused by defects or omissions.​

(c) When future duties end, the parties must account for work performed and payments received.
(d) If a later event makes performance impossible or unlawful, and the affected party neither caused the event nor accepted its risk:

(i) affected duties are suspended while the obstacle prevents performance; and​

(ii) a party may end affected future duties by notice if the obstacle is permanent or the delay substantially defeats the bargain.​

(e) Mere changes in costs or the occurrence of a party's insufficient funds do not make performance impossible for purposes of paragraph (d).
(f) A party may end affected future duties by notice if:

(i) a counterparty's inactivity has blocked performance for a period that materially affects the agreement; and​

(ii) reasonable attempts have been made to contact that party, or that party has legally died.​

(g) A party must return unearned advance payments for duties that end under paragraphs (d) or (f).
(h) A notice under paragraph (d) or (f) must identify the affected duties and the grounds for ending them.

(i) Notice takes effect when sent to the other parties through contact channels they have used or publicly provided.​

(ii) Notice for a party who has legally died takes effect when sent to their estate administrator, if one has been appointed, or otherwise through that party's contact channel.​

7. Remedies
(a) A party harmed by a breach is entitled to compensation that puts them in the position they would have been in if the contract had been properly performed.
(b) Compensation covers proven losses caused by the breach that were reasonably foreseeable when the agreement was made. The amount must account for performance and payments under the agreement and exclude reasonably avoidable losses.
(c) A term that sets the amount to be paid for a specified breach is void unless that amount was a reasonable estimate of the losses expected when the parties agreed to the term. An amount due under a valid term replaces compensation for actual losses. This amount due may be referred to as "liquidated damages".
(d) A term that limits liability for breach to a maximum amount is void, except for compensation under paragraph (c).
(e) A court may award punitive damages for intentional or reckless breach unless a valid term under paragraph (c) requires liquidated damages for that breach.
(f) Recklessness means consciously disregarding a substantial, unjustified risk of breach.
(g) A court may order a party to perform personal work. When monetary compensation would be inadequate, it may order the transfer of particular property. Compensation under paragraphs (a) and (b) covers losses such an order does not remedy.
(h) An order requiring personal work must identify the work, state how completion will be measured, and set a reasonable deadline.
(j) A court may award a small sum as nominal damages for a proven breach that caused no compensable loss.
(k) A court must not order personal work or a property transfer to enforce personal monetary liability that has been discharged in bankruptcy.

8. Time to file and existing agreements
(a) A claim arising from a material or minor breach must be filed within the statute of limitations specified under the Judiciary Act, with the clock beginning at the time of the breach. Any contractual term that shortens or extends this filing period is void.
(b) Each distinct breach shall have its own filing period. Continued failure to perform the same obligation after it becomes due is a single breach.
(c) Accumulated failures become a material breach when they first substantially defeat the bargain.
(d) A creditor seeking monetary relief satisfies paragraph (a) by filing a claim in a bankruptcy proceeding before a court within the applicable period. The claim must identify the agreement, the breach, and the monetary relief sought.
(e) This Act's breach remedies and filing deadlines apply to breaches after enactment. Breaches before enactment retain their previous remedies and filing deadlines.
(f) The parties must reaffirm a previously unenforceable informal agreement after enactment to make it enforceable under this Act.

9. Amendments
(a) The Intellectual Property Act is amended as follows:

(i) Section 2(f)(iii) is amended as follows:​

​

(iii) Copyright in the new contribution does not authorize use of protected expression from the original work. That use requires the owner's written permission unless an exception in this Act applies, including freedom of panorama under section 4.​

(iii) Use of protected expression from the original work requires the owner's permission unless an exception under this Act applies.​

​

(ii) Section 3(c) is amended as follows:​

​

(c) Using protected expression in one of these ways without the owner's written permission infringes copyright. Independently creating a similar work does not infringe it. Permission to use a work does not by itself transfer ownership.​

(c) A person infringes copyright by using protected expression in one of these ways without the owner's permission.​

​

(iii) Section 9(a) is amended as follows:​

​

(a) A nondisclosure agreement, or NDA, is a contract to keep specified information confidential. It must identify the information, parties, and duration of the duty in clear, agreed terms. All parties must sign and date it. Written forms include electronic documents and in-game books.​

(a) A nondisclosure agreement, or NDA, is a written contract to keep specified information confidential. It must state, in clear, agreed terms, who the parties are, what information is protected, and how long the duty lasts. Recorded chat showing each party's assent meets the writing requirement.​

​

(iv) Section 9(b) is struck:​

​

(b) An NDA meeting these requirements is enforceable and may be challenged in court. A person harmed by its breach may sue for proven losses, punitive damages where justified, and legal fees. The general rules of the Contract Establishment Act, or successor acts governing contract law, also apply.​

​

(v) Section 9(c) is amended as follows:​

​

(c) An NDA requiring a person to hide a crime is unenforceable. No person is liable for breaching an NDA or contract by a good-faith disclosure made to protect the public or national security, including through journalism or a court inquiry.​

(c) A term requiring concealment of a crime is void. A person may make a good-faith disclosure to protect the public or national security without contractual liability.​

​

(vi) Section 12(b) is amended as follows:​

​

(b) A court may award all income gained from infringing use, compensation for proven harm, additional compensation for especially serious violations or harm whose direct financial value cannot be proved, and legal fees. The same loss must not be recovered twice. The Damages Reform Act governs legal costs.​

(b) A court may award all income gained from infringing use, compensation for proven harm, additional compensation for especially serious violations or harm whose direct financial value cannot be proved, and legal fees.​

​

(vii) Section 12(e) is struck:​

​

(e) Civil filing deadlines, court powers, and appeals are governed by the Court Reformation Act. This Act creates no criminal offense. Separate crimes still require proof of their own elements; copying alone is not proof of theft or fraud.​

(b) Financial Consumer Protection Act is amended by adding the following as Section 4(e):

(e) A court may enforce a proven loan despite noncompliance with this section's document or disclosure requirements.

(c) Amend the Inactive Requisition Act as follows:

(i) Section 5(h) is amended as follows:​

​

(h) If a verified creditor exists, any remaining principal owed to the creditor will be taken out of the requisitioned balance and provided to them. Interest shall be removed from the calculation. If any funds are left over after this, they shall go to the government balance.​

(h) The agency must use the requisitioned balance to pay verified creditors the principal and lawful accrued interest they are owed, then transfer any surplus to the government balance.​

​

(ii) Section 6(f) is amended as follows:​

​

(f) If a verified creditor exists, any remaining principal owed to the creditor will be taken out of the requisitioned balance and provided to them. Interest shall be removed from the calculation. If any funds are left over after this, they shall go to the government balance.​

(f) The agency must use the requisitioned balance to pay verified creditors the principal and lawful accrued interest they are owed, then transfer any surplus to the government balance.​

(d) The Government Contracts Act 2.0 is amended as follows:

(i) Section 4(d) is added as follows:​

​

(d) The government may accept a bid only after the tender or auction closes under this section.​

​

(ii) Sections 5(g) and 5(h) are added as follows:​

​

(g) The parties must agree on the terms required by paragraph (d) before approval.​

​

(h) A direct agreement becomes binding once the approvals required by this section have been granted and the required waiting periods and votes have ended.​

​

(iii) Section 6(b)(iii) is added as follows:​

​

(iii) The payout in subparagraph (i) or (ii) is the government's full liability for cancellation under this paragraph.​

10. Repeals

(a) The Contract Establishment Act is repealed in full.

​