Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

It always is, at least in the US. See (the legal doctrine of) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consideration.

Specifically this part:

> Consideration cannot be illusory

A contract without consideration is void. If you promise to give someone X (that you own) if they give you Y (that they own), and you never give them X, then you don't own their Y, even if it's already in your possession.

You just (non-forcefully) stole their Y—same as if you e.g. asked to borrow someone's phone and then walked away with it.



Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: