// lived experience: the study park & thomas, USENIX security 2026 "sticking their heads out above the parapets" ○ first systematic study of legal risk in research 36 researchers -- UK & US | 130 projects | 30+ years + 8 support professionals --thousands of researchers the community had the anecdotes, now we have data https://eprint.iacr.org/2026/1207

// the threats, measured 01 legal threats in 30% of projects discussed >> cease & desist == the standard delivery ◦ > most never reach court; many would fail there "might as well have been drafted in Crayola" Security Research Legal Defense Fund ○ the risk map, ranked: contract & ToS first then CFAA.DMCA.defamation.CMA.fraud . data growing: defamation, fraud, political threats 03 own lawyer: 30 of 127 projects --rarer in the UK https://eprint.iacr.org/2026/1207=