#205 - Software & Free Speech

<p>When should software lose free speech protections?</p><p>This podcast covers software and the First Amendment, tracing the history from Cold War export controls to recent restrictions on advanced AI models. </p><p>My goal: the internet's most comprehensive explainer on speech and code, from cryptography to cryptocurrency to AI.</p><p>In this episode, you'll hear from leading experts on the legal layer of software and free speech:</p><ul><li>Peter Van Valkenburgh, Executive Director at Coin Center</li><li>Laz Pieper, Director of Research at Coin Center</li><li>Eugene Volokh, First Amendment scholar and Fellow at the Hoover Institution</li><li>Jane Bambauer, Brechner Eminent Scholar at the University of Florida</li><li>Preston Byrne, Managing Partner at Byrne &amp; Storm</li><li>Sam Enzer, partner at Cahill Gordon &amp; Reindel and co-chair of CahillNXT</li></ul><p>By the end of this episode, I promise you'll be in the top percentile for understanding when code is protected speech, regardless of where you're starting from. (You just might need to listen twice. There's a lot here.)</p><p>This episode is presented by Altitude, visit <a href="https://altitude.xyz/law" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Altitude.xyz/law</a> to learn more about their financial operating system.</p><p>Timestamps:</p><p>0:00 Anthropic AI export controls</p><p>6:17 Introduction</p><p>9:39 Reading the First Amendment</p><p>10:38 Eugene Volokh on his First Amendment philosophy</p><p>13:42 The machine gun sculpture: speech vs function</p><p>19:24 Peter Van Valkenburgh interview</p><p>25:50 The Cold War, munitions list and Phil Zimmermann</p><p>29:57 The Bernstein case</p><p>34:53 Strict scrutiny</p><p>38:48 The Corley case</p><p>49:17 Sorrell, Stevens and where the Supreme Court is heading</p><p>53:25 Preston Byrne on the Supreme Court's AI case</p><p>57:23 Defense Distributed and 3D-printing</p><p>1:04:00 Where publication ends and professional conduct begins</p><p>1:15:20 Lowe v. SEC and the agency line</p><p>1:45:45 Compelled speech, the IRS broker rule and tobacco labels</p><p>2:04:17 Laz Pieper on Sorrell and third-party liability</p><p>2:11:29 Preston Byrne on the GRANITE Act and foreign censorship</p><p>Newsletter: Stay updated on emerging tech law for free at lawofcode.fm. <a href="https://www.lawofcode.fm/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.lawofcode.fm/</a></p><p>Any feedback on this episode? Or how to improve the podcast? Click here. <a