Friday, July 25, 2014

Serious Legal Questions

I've been following the attempted takeover bid of Rupert Murdoch and Time Warner. The Time Warner brass is starting to get worried that Rupert will be successful (even though they have rejected his offers), because he is working on a hostile takeover now. According to the New York Post (owned by Rupert)..."Time Warner’s board took its first step toward warding off a takeover by eliminating a provision in its bylaws that lets shareholders call special meetings."

So here are my questions.

If corporations are people too (thanks again for that Supreme Court), what do you call it when one person takes over another person against his or her will? Wouldn't we have a clear case of kidnapping?

For that matter, what do you call it when one corporation (person) forces the second corporation (person) to cease to exist (through competition, pricing, distribution or any other means)? I know it's just business. But if you're a person and you've ended the life of another person, don't we call that something else?

Here's another serious question. If a corporation doesn't have a pulse, and is older than any previous person in recorded history (say 130 years old), can't they simply be taken to court and declared dead?

I used to think these were ridiculous legal arguments brewing in my head, but after the recent court ruling striking down obamacare subsidies because of essentionally a typo, maybe they aren't that ridiculous.