On 3/16/24 22:26, nix via agora-business wrote:
> CFJ: Agora owns at least 1 stamp
>
> Arguments:
> {
> Earlier this week, Mercury attempted to pay a fee of a stamp to Agora to
> join the raffle, as described in R2687.
>
> However, stamps aren't ownable by Agora. Their definition only lists
> players (R2659). R2576 also allows them (and every asset), to be owned
> by the L&FD.
>
> I believe that Mercury stamp is either still in Mercury's possession, or
> the L&FD. And I believe the raffle just doesn't work correctly.
> }
>
> As Arbitor, I number this CFJ 4074. I assign CFJ 4074 to kiako.
>
Gratuitous:
CFJ 3665 [0] held that the following rule (not in evidence, but at [1])
'does not seem to necessarily "restrict is ownership," but rather expand
ownership':
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rule 2483/11 (Power=2)
Economics
The following currencies are defined, and are tracked by the
Treasuror. They can be owned by Agora, players, and facilities.
1. ore
2. stones
3. lumber
4. apples
5. cotton
6. corn
7. coins
8. papers
9. fabric
10. steel
Stones, apples, corn, and steel are considered unrefinable
currencies; ore, lumber, and cotton are considered refinable
currencies; and papers, fabric, and steel are considered refined
currencies.
Coins are the official currency of Agora.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
That is, since it does not say ownership is "restricted", it is instead
construed to expand the possibility of ownership beyond the default of
Agora, players, and contracts.
This was based on the version of Rule 2576 then in force:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rule 2576/0 (Power=3)
Ownership
Each asset has exactly one owner. If an asset's backing document
restricts its ownership to a class of entities, then that asset
CANNOT be gained by or transferred to an entity outside that
class, and is destroyed if it is owned by an entity outside that
class. The restrictions in the previous sentence are subject to
modification by its backing document. By default, ownership of an
asset is restricted to Agora, players, and contracts.
If an asset would otherwise lack an owner, it is owned by the Lost
and Found Department. Rules to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Lost and Found Department can own assets of every type. Assets
owned by the Lost and Found Department can be transferred or
destroyed by any player without objection.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Compare this with the version of Rule 2576 now in force (at [2]):
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rule 2576/3 (Power=3)
Ownership
Each asset has exactly one owner.
If ownership of an asset is restricted to a class of entities,
then that asset CANNOT be gained by or transferred to an entity
outside that class. By default, ownership of an asset is
restricted to Agora, players, and contracts, but an asset's
backing document may modify this.
An asset "in abeyance" is one whose owner is nonexistent,
indeterminate, or invalid. If an asset would otherwise be in
abeyance, then it is owned by the Lost and Found Department (if
possible) or destroyed (otherwise), subject to modification by its
backing document (provided that the modification either destroys
it or prevents it from being in abeyance). Rules to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Lost and Found Department can own assets of
every type. Assets owned by the Lost and Found Department can be
transferred or destroyed by any player without objection.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sentence creating the default has been changed by adding ", but an
asset's backing document may modify this", apparently in Proposal 8484
[3], but no reason was given for this in the proposal. It does not
appear that this was intended to legislatively overturn the precedent.
So, as best as I can tell, the reasoning for this precedent stands.
Now consider the following rules (also from [2]):
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rule 2659/5 (Power=1)
Stamps
Stamps are a category of asset ownable by players . The
Collector is an office. The Collector tracks Stamps in eir weekly
report.
For each person there is a corresponding type of stamp. Stamps of
any given type are a currency.
Any player CAN, once per week, pay X Stamps, where each specified
Stamp is a different type, to gain (X^2)-X radiance.
Any player CAN, once per week, pay X Stamps, where each Stamp is
the same type, to gain (X-1)*2 radiance.
Any active player CAN win by paying N Stamps, where N is the
current number of active players and each specified Stamp is of a
different type.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rule 2555/12 (Power=2)
Blots
Blots are an indestructible fixed currency with ownership
restricted to persons. A person with 1 or more blots is Impure, a
person with 0 blots is Pure. An impure unregistered person is a
Fugitive. The Referee is an office, and the recordkeepor for
blots.
To expunge a blot is to destroy it. Creating and destroying blots
is secured with a Power Threshold of 1.7
A person CAN, by announcement, create a specified number of blots
in eir possession.
Any player who has not expunged a blot by this method this week
CAN expunge 1 blot from a specified player by announcement. E
CANNOT specify emself for this if e has gained any blots this or
the previous week.
At the beginning of each quarter, half (rounded down) of each
fugitive's blots are destroyed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rule 2640/5 (Power=2)
Stones
A stone is a unique indestructible liquid asset defined by the
rules. To define a stone, the definition must include:
(i) A name unique among stones;
(ii) The smoothness of the stone, which is a non-negative integer;
(iii) A description of the stone's properties
(iv) Optionally, a frequency, which must be one of daily, weekly,
monthly, or quarterly.
Ownership of stones is entirely restricted to Agora and players.
If a stone is owned by the Lost and Found Department or in
abeyance, it is immediately transferred to Agora.
The Stonemason is an office, and the recordkeepor of stones.
Mossiness is a Stone switch with values of non-negative integers
and a default of 0 tracked by the Stonemason. When a stone is
transferred from Agora to a player or from a player to Agora, its
Mossiness is set to 0. The mossiest stone(s) in a set of stone is
(are) the stone(s) with the highest Mossiness value.
The Slipperiness of a stone is that stone's smoothness plus its
mossiness.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The stamps rule says "ownable by players", while blots uses "ownership
restricted to persons", and stones uses "Ownership [...] is entirely
restricted to Agora and players". The latter two are clear in that they
are claiming to be a complete set (though in both cases overridden by
R2576's L&FD clause), while stamps could be read either expansively or
restrictively.
To be clear, I do not necessarily *agree* with this precedent, but a
judgement contradicting it should be explicit that it is overturning it
or give a reason that the precedent does not apply.
[0]: https://agoranomic.org/cases/?3665
[1]:
https://mailman.agoranomic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/private/agora-official/2018-October/012622.html
[2]:
https://mailman.agoranomic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/private/agora-official/2024-March/017654.html
[3]: https://agoranomic.org/assessor/proposal/8484.txt
--
Janet Cobb
Assessor, Rulekeepor, Stonemason
