A Legal Open Document Hackathon was held yesterday at the University of Bologna in Italy – focused on Akoma Ntoso documents. You can learn more about it here:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/c03pd1llrcvg7d0t0fj5sh41cbk
http://codexml.cirsfid.unibo.it/material-for-legal-open-document-dec-10/

I wasn’t able to directly participate but I had my own mini-hackathon as well. But, rather than focusing on another boring piece of legislation that nobody wants to read, I thought I would have a little fun with it. If you know me, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of The Big Bang Theory television show. You could say I have a few Sheldon-like tendencies of my own.

I’ve often thought that the complex roommate agreement that Sheldon had Leonard sign would make a great example for a legal document modeled in Akoma Ntoso. Of course, it’s not a piece of legislation, but surprisingly, it has many of the attributes of legislation. It is even, much like legislation, a bit of a chaotic mess. I had to make a number of extrapolations or “fixes” in order to get a reasonably consistent and workable document. I sure hope, if Sheldon’s desire to win a Nobel prize in physics is to be realized, that he is a better theoretical physicist than he is a legal drafter. Perhaps we should offer to give him a few pointers in document theory and the logical organization of ideas – he really needs them.

Nonetheless, the example afforded me an opportunity to show a number of features Akoma Ntoso:

1. In article 10, section 9, there is an example of conditional effectivity. The provision is only effective in the event the either roommate has a girlfriend. As Leonard has had a few on-again, off-again girlfriends, it was a bit of fun figuring out when this provision was in effect. I didn’t consider Amy to be Sheldon’s girlfriend as the pertinent issues have yet to arise.
2. In season 5, episode 15, Sheldon wins back Leonard’s friendship by amending the agreement to add “Leonard’s Day”.
3. There are a number of “addendums” to various articles. This isn’t something that is directly supported by Akoma Ntoso, so I used the extension facilities of Akoma Ntoso to add generic tags with @name attributes to model the extensions I needed.
4. The agreement is a complex document made up of the main document and at least three appendices

Sheldon’s Roommate Agreement

I present to you, Sheldon’s Roommate Agreement, as much as is known to date and with a few “corrections” on my part:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<akomaNtoso xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0/CSD05"
   xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
   xsi:schemaLocation="http://docs.oasis-open.org/legaldocml/ns/akn/3.0/CSD05 akomantoso30.xsd">
   <act name="roommateAgreement" contains="multipleVersions">
      <meta>
         <identification source="#sheldon">
            <FRBRWork>
               <FRBRthis value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/roommateAgreement/main"/>
               <FRBRuri value="/us/usc/bigBangTheory/roommateAgreement"/>
               <FRBRdate date="2013-12-10" name="generation"/>
               <FRBRauthor href="#sheldon" as="#lessor"/>
               <FRBRcountry value="us"/>
            </FRBRWork>
            <FRBRExpression>
               <FRBRthis
                  value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/roommateAgreement/en@/main"/>
               <FRBRuri value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/roommateAgreement/en@"/>
               <FRBRdate date="2013-12-10" name="generation"/>
               <FRBRauthor href="#sheldon" as="#lessor"/>
               <FRBRlanguage language="en"/>
            </FRBRExpression>
            <FRBRManifestation>
               <FRBRthis
                  value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/roommateAgreement/en@/main.xml"/>
               <FRBRuri value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/roommateAgreement/en@.akn"/>
               <FRBRdate date="2013-12-10" name="generation"/>
               <FRBRauthor href="#vergottini" as="#marker"/>
            </FRBRManifestation>
         </identification>
         <publication name="roommateAgreement" date="2013-12-10"
            showAs="Sheldon's Roommate Agreement"/>
         <lifecycle source="#sheldon">
            <eventRef id="gen__s_1__ep_1" date="2007-09-24" 
               source="#sheldon" type="generation"/>
            <eventRef id="gen__s_1__ep_17" date="2008-05-19"
               source="#sheldon" type="generation"/>
            <eventRef id="gen__s_2__ep_1" date="2008-09-22"
               source="#sheldon" type="generation"/>
            <eventRef id="gen__s_3__ep_1" date="2009-09-21" 
               source="#sheldon" type="generation"/>
            <eventRef id="gen__s_3__ep_19" date="2010-04-12"
               source="#sheldon" type="generation"/>
            <eventRef id="gen__s_4__ep_24" date="2011-05-19"
               source="#sheldon" type="generation"/>
            <eventRef id="gen__s_5__ep_7" date="2011-10-27"
               source="#sheldon" type="generation"/>
            <eventRef id="gen__s_5__ep_14" date="2012-01-26"
               source="#sheldon" type="generation"/>
            <eventRef id="gen__s_5__ep_15" date="2012-02-02"
               source="#sheldon" type="generation"/>
            <eventRef id="amd__s_5__ep_15" date="2012-02-02"
               source="#sheldon" type="amendment"/>            
         </lifecycle>
         <analysis source="#sheldon">
            <passiveModifications>
               <textualMod type="insertion" id="adds_leonards_day" 
                  incomplete="false">
                  <source href="#s_5__ep_15"/>
                  <destination href="#add_1"/>
               </textualMod>
            </passiveModifications>
         </analysis>
         <temporalData source="#sheldon">
            <temporalGroup id="period_1">
               <timeInterval refersTo="#signed" 
                  start="#gen_s_1__ep_1"/>
            </temporalGroup>
            <temporalGroup id="period_102">
               <timeInterval refersTo="#proposed" 
                  start="#gen__s_5__ep_15"/>
            </temporalGroup>
            <temporalGroup id="period_roommate_has_girlfriend">
               <timeInterval refersTo="#datingPenny1"
                  start="#gen__s_1__ep_17" end="#airing__s_2__ep_1"/>
               <timeInterval refersTo="#datingPriya1" 
                  start="#gen__s_3__ep_1" end="#airing__s_3__ep_19"/>
               <timeInterval refersTo="#datingPriya2"
                  start="#gen__s_4__ep_24" end="#airing__s_5__ep_7"/>
               <timeInterval refersTo="#datingPenny2"
                  start="#gen__s_5__ep_14"/>
            </temporalGroup>
         </temporalData>
         <references source="#bigBangTheory">
            <TLCRole id="lessor" 
               href="/ontology/role/lessor" 
               showAs="Lessor"/>
            <TLCRole id="lessee" 
               href="/ontology/role/lessee" 
               showAs="Lessee"/>
            <TLCRole id="marker" 
               href="/ontology/role/marker" 
               showAs="Lessee"/>
            <TLCPerson id="sheldon" 
               href="/ontology/person/cast/sheldonCooper"
               showAs="Sheldon Cooper"/>
            <TLCPerson id="roommate" 
               href="/ontology/person/cast/roommate"
               showAs="Roommate"/>
            <TLCPerson id="vergottini" 
               href="/ontology/person/xcential/vergottini"
               showAs="Grant Vergottini"/>            
            <TLCEvent id="s_2__ep_6"
               href="/ontology/tvShow/bigBangTheory/season2/episode6"
               showAs="Season 2 Episode 6"/>
            <TLCEvent id="s_2__ep_10"
               href="/ontology/tvShow/bigBangTheory/season2/episode10"
               showAs="Season 2 Episode 6"/>
            <TLCEvent id="s_3__ep_15"
               href="/ontology/tvShow/bigBangTheory/season3/episode15"
               showAs="Season 3 Episode 10"/>
            <TLCEvent id="s_3__ep_21"
               href="/ontology/tvShow/bigBangTheory/season3/episode21"
               showAs="Season 3 Episode 21"/>
            <TLCEvent id="s_3__ep_22"
               href="/ontology/tvShow/bigBangTheory/season3/episode22"
               showAs="Season 3 Episode 22"/>
            <TLCEvent id="s_4__ep_2"
               href="/ontology/tvShow/bigBangTheory/season4/episode2"
               showAs="Season 4 Episode 2"/>
            <TLCEvent id="s_4__ep_21"
               href="/ontology/tvShow/bigBangTheory/season4/episode21"
               showAs="Season 4 Episode 21"/>
            <TLCEvent id="s_4__ep_24"
               href="/ontology/tvShow/bigBangTheory/season4/episode24"
               showAs="Season 4 Episode 24"/>
            <TLCEvent id="s_5__ep_15"
               href="/ontology/tvShow/bigBangTheory/season5/episode15"
               showAs="Season 5 Episode 15"/>
            <TLCEvent id="s_5__ep_18"
               href="/ontology/tvShow/bigBangTheory/season5/episode18"
               showAs="Season 5 Episode 18"/>
            <TLCEvent id="s_6__ep_15"
               href="/ontology/tvShow/bigBangTheory/season6/episode15"
               showAs="Season 6 Episode 15"/>
         </references>
      </meta>

      <preface>
         <block name="title" id="title">
            <docTitle>The Roommate Agreement</docTitle>
         </block>
      </preface>

      <body period="period__1">
         <article id="art_1">
            <num>1</num>
            <heading id="art_1__heading">Upon becoming a roommate</heading>
            <section id="art_1__sec_1">
               <num>1</num>
               <content id="art_1__content">
                  <p>A roommate gets an ID Card, a lapel pin, FAQ sheet and a
                     key. New roommates may be interested in the live webchat on
                     Tuesday nights called “Apartment Talk.”</p>
               </content>
            </section>
            <section id="art_1__sec_3">
               <num>3)</num>
               <content id="art_1__sec_3__content">
                  <p>(call for an emergency meeting)</p>
                  <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_3" href="#s_2__ep_10"
                        >Season 2 Episode 10</ref>)</p>
               </content>
            </section>
            <section id="art_1__sec_5">
               <num>5</num>
               <subsection id="art_1__sec_5__ssec_A">
                  <num>A</num>
                  <content id="art_1__sec_5__ssec_A__content">
                     <p>Roommate must drive Sheldon to and from work, the comic
                        book store, the barber shop, and the park for one hour
                        every other Sunday for fresh air.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_4" href="#s_3__ep_15"
                           >Season 3 Episode 15</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </subsection>
               <subsection id="art_1__sec_5__ssec_B">
                  <num>B</num>
                  <content id="art_1__sec_5__ssec_B__content">
                     <p>Roommate is tasked to bring home all take out dinners. (
                        Standard orders are located in Appendix B, and are also
                        down-loadable from Sheldon’s FTP server)</p>
                  </content>
               </subsection>
            </section>
            <section id="art_1__sec_9">
               <num>9</num>
               <heading id="art_1__sec_9__heading">Miscellany</heading>
               <paragraph id="art_1__sec_9__para_1">
                  <num>[1]</num>
                  <heading id="arc_1__sec_9__para_1__heading">Flag</heading>
                  <content id="art_1__sec_9__para_1__content">
                     <p>The apartment's flag is a gold lion rampant on a field
                        of azure” and should never fly upside down—unless the
                        apartment’s in distress.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_1" href="#s_3__ep_22"
                           >Season 3 Episode 22</ref>_</p>
                  </content>
               </paragraph>
               <paragraph id="art_1__para_2">
                  <num>[2]</num>
                  <content id="art_1__para_2__content">
                     <p>If one of the roommates ever invents time travel, the
                        first stop has to aim exactly five seconds after this
                        clause of the Roommate Agreement was signed.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_2" href="#s_3__ep_22"
                           >Season 3 Episode 22</ref>_</p>
                  </content>
               </paragraph>
            </section>
            <section id="art_1__sec_27">
               <num>27</num>
               <paragraph id="art_1__para_5">
                  <num>5</num>
                  <content id="art_1__para_5__content">
                     <p>The roommate agreement, like the American flag, cannot
                        touch the ground.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_6" href="#s_6__ep_15"
                           >Season 6 Episode 15</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </paragraph>
            </section>
            <section id="art_1__sec_37">
               <num>37</num>
               <subsection id="art_1__sec_37__ssec_B">
                  <num>B</num>
                  <heading id="art_1__sec_37__ssec_B__heading">Miscellaneous
                     duties</heading>
                  <content id="art_1__sec_37__ssec_B__content">
                     <p>Roommate is obligated to drive Sheldon to his various
                        appointments, such as to the dentist. Roommate must also
                        provide a "confirmation sniff" to tell if questionable
                        dairy products are edible.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_7" href="#s_3__ep_15"
                           >Season 3 Episode 15</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </subsection>
            </section>
            <section id="art_1__sec_209">
               <num>209</num>
               <content id="art_1__sec_209__content">
                  <p>Sheldon and roommate both have the option of nullifying
                     their roommate agreement, having no responsibilities or
                     obligations toward each other, other than paying rent and
                     sharing utilities.</p>
                  <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_8" href="#s_5__ep_15"
                        >Season 5 Episode 15</ref>)</p>
               </content>
            </section>
            <section id="art_1__sec_XX">
               <num>XX</num>
               <heading id="art_1__sec_XX__heading">Settling ties</heading>
               <content id="art_1__sec_XX__content">
                  <p>All ties will be settled by Sheldon.</p>
                  <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_9" href="#s_3__ep_22"
                        >Season 3 Episode 22</ref>)</p>
               </content>
            </section>
         </article>

         <article id="art_2">
            <num>2</num>
            <heading id="art_2__heading">Co-habitation</heading>
            <section id="art_2__sec_1">
               <num>1</num>
               <subsection id="art_2__sec_1__ssec_A">
                  <num>A</num>
                  <content id="art_2__sec_1__ssec_A__content">
                     <p>No "hootennanies", sing-alongs, raucous laughter,
                        clinking of glasses, celebratory gunfire, or barbershop
                        quartets after 10.p.m.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_10" href="#s_5__ep_18"
                           >Season 5 Episode 18</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </subsection>
               <subsection id="art_2__sec_1__ssec_B">
                  <num>B</num>
                  <content id="art_2__sec_1__ssec_B__content">
                     <p>Roommate does not now nor does intend to play percussive
                        or brass instruments.</p>
                  </content>
               </subsection>
               <subsection id="art_2__sec_1__ssec_C">
                  <num>C</num>
                  <heading id="art_2__sec_1__ssec_C__heading"
                     >Temperature</heading>
                  <content id="art_2__sec_1__ssec_C__content">
                     <p>The thermostat must be kept at 71 degrees at all
                        times.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_11" href="#s_3__ep_22"
                           >Season 3 Episode 22</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </subsection>
            </section>
            <section id="art_2__sec_2">
               <num>2</num>
               <heading id="art_2__sec_2__heading">Television and
                  movies</heading>
               <subsection id="art_2__sec_2__ssec_B">
                  <num>B</num>
                  <content id="art_2__sec_2__ssec_B__content">
                     <p>Roommates agree that Friday nights shall be reserved for
                        watching Joss Whedon's brilliant new series Firefly.</p>
                     <p class="soruceNote">(<ref id="ref_12" href="#s_3__ep_15"
                           >Season 3 Episode 15</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </subsection>
            </section>
            <section id="art_2__sec_3">
               <num>3</num>
               <content id="art_2__sec_3__content">
                  <p>Roommate has the right “to allocate fifty percent of the
                     cubic footage of the common areas”, but only if Sheldon is
                     notified in advance by e-mail.</p>
                  <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_13" href="#s_3__ep_22"
                        >Season 3 Episode 22</ref>)</p>
               </content>
            </section>
            <section id="art_2__sec_4">
               <num>4</num>
               <heading id="art_2__sec_4__heading">[Pets]</heading>
               <content id="art_2__sec_4__content">
                  <p>Pets are banned under the roommate agreement, with the
                     exception of service animals, like cybernetically-enhanced
                     helper monkeys.</p>
                  <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_14" href="#s_3__ep_21"
                        >Season 3 Episode 21</ref>)</p>
               </content>
            </section>
            <section id="art_2__sec_5">
               <num>5</num>
               <heading id="art_2__sec_5__heading">[Take-out
                  restaurant]</heading>
               <content id="art_2__sec_5__content">
                  <p>The selection of a new take-out restaurant requires public
                     hearings and a 60-day comment period.</p>
                  <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_15" href="#s_4__ep_21"
                        >Season 4 Episode 21</ref>)</p>
               </content>
            </section>
            <hcontainer name="addendums" id="art_2_addendums">
               <hcontainer name="addendum" id="art_2_add_A">
                  <num>A</num>
                  <content id="art_d_add_A_content">
                     <p>Sheldon [will] ask at least once a day how roommate is
                        even if he doesn't care.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNode">(<ref id="ref_16" href="#s_3__ep_15"
                           >Season 3 Episode 15</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </hcontainer>
               <hcontainer name="addendum" id="art_2__add_B">
                  <num>B</num>
                  <content id="art_2__add_B__content">
                     <p>Sheldon [will] no longer stage spontaneous biohazard
                        drills after 10 p.m. </p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_17" href="#s_3__ep_15"
                           >Season 3 Episode 15</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </hcontainer>
               <hcontainer name="addendum" id="art_2__add_C">
                  <num>C</num>
                  <content id="art_2__add_C__content">
                     <p>Sheldon [will] abandon his goal to master Tuvan throat
                        singing. </p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_18" href="#s_3__ep_15"
                           >Season 3 Episode 15</ref> )</p>
                  </content>
               </hcontainer>
            </hcontainer>
         </article>

         <article id="art_3">
            <num>3</num>
            <heading id="art_3__heading">The Bathroom</heading>
            <section id="art_3__sec_1">
               <num>1</num>
               <content id="art_3__sec_1__content">
                  <p>Roommates will acknowledge and use the two pieces of tape
                     in the bathroom designated for specific purposes:</p>
                  <blockList id="art_3__sec_1__content_ul_1">
                     <item id="art_3__sec_1__content_ul_1__item_1">
                        <p>Tape A: Located in front of the sink. Person must brush
                        and floss teeth behind the line.</p>
                     </item>
                     <item id="art_3__sec_1__content_ul_1__item_2">
                        <p>Tape B: Located in front of the toilet, those who stand
                        up to pee must stand in front of it.</p>
                     </item>
                  </blockList>
               </content>
            </section>
            <section id="art_3__sec_2">
               <num>2</num>
               <content id="art_3__sec_2__content">
                  <p>Before the use of a shower, the party agrees to wash his or
                     her feet in his or her designated bucket.</p>
               </content>
            </section>
            <section id="art_3__sec_7">
               <num>7</num>
               <intro id="art_3__sec_8__intro">
                  <p>The shower can have at most one occupant, except in the
                     event of an attack by water soluble aliens.</p>
               </intro>
               <subsection id="art_3__sec_8__ssec_B">
                  <num>B</num>
                  <paragraph id="art_3__sec_8__ssec_B__para_9">
                     <num>9</num>
                     <content id="art_3__sec_8__ssec_B__para_9__content">
                        <p>The right to bathroom privacy is suspended in the
                           event of force majeure.</p>
                        <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_19"
                              href="#s_4__ep_21">Season 4 Episode 21</ref>)</p>
                     </content>
                  </paragraph>
               </subsection>
            </section>
            <hcontainer name="addendums" id="art_3__addendums">
               <hcontainer name="addendum" id="art_3__add_J">
                  <num>J</num>
                  <content id="art_d__add_J__content">
                     <p>When Sheldon showers second, any and all measures shall
                        be taken to ensure an adequate supply of hot water.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_20" href="#s_4__ep_21"
                           >Season 4 Episode 21</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </hcontainer>
            </hcontainer>
         </article>

         <article id="art_10">
            <num>10</num>
            <heading id="art_10__heading">Visitors</heading>
            <section id="art_10__sec_8">
               <num>8</num>
               <heading id="art_10__sec_8__heading">Over-night guests</heading>
               <intro id="art_10__sec_8__intro">
                  <p>There has to be a 24 hour notice if a non-related female
                     will stay over night.</p>
                  <p>(<ref id="ref_21" href="#s_3__ep_21">Season 3 Episode
                        21</ref>)</p>
               </intro>
               <subsection id="art_10__sec_8__ssec_C">
                  <num>C</num>
                  <heading id="art_1-__sec_8__ssec_C__heading">Females</heading>
                  <paragraph id="art_10__sec_8__ssec_C__para_4">
                     <num>4</num>
                     <heading id="art_10__sec_8__ssec_C__para_4__heading"
                        >Coitus</heading>
                     <content id="art_10__sec_8__ssec_C__para_4__content">
                        <p>Roommates shall give each other 12 hours notice of
                           impending coitus.</p>
                        <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_22"
                              href="#s_3__ep_22">Season 3 Episode 22</ref>)</p>
                     </content>
                  </paragraph>
               </subsection>
            </section>
            <section id="art_10__sec_9" period="period__roommate_has_girlfriend">
               <num>9</num>
               <heading id="art_10__sec_9__heading">Cohabitation Rider</heading>
               <intro id="art_10__sec_9__content">
                  <p>[This clause is] activated when roommate starts "living
                     with" a girlfriend in the apartment.</p>
                  <p>A girlfriend shall be deemed "living with" roommate when
                     she has stayed over for A: ten consecutive nights or B: for
                     more than nine nights in a three-week period or C: all the
                     weekends of a given month plus three weeknights.</p>
                  <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_23" href="#s_2__ep_10"
                        >Season 2 Episode 10</ref>)</p>
               </intro>
               <subsection id="art_10__sec_9__ssec_A">
                  <num>A</num>
                  <content id="art_10__sec_9__ssec_A__content">
                     <p>Upon a live-in girlfriend, there shall be a change in
                        the distribution of shelves in the fridge.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_24" href="#s_2__ep_10"
                           >Season 2 Episode 10</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </subsection>
               <subsection id="art_10__sec_9__ssec_B">
                  <num>B</num>
                  <content id="art_10__sec_9__ssec_B__content">
                     <p>Apartment vacuuming shall be increased from three to
                        four times a week to accommodate the increased
                        accumulation of dead skin cells.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_25" href="#s_2__ep_10"
                           >Season 2 Episode 10</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </subsection>
               <subsection id="art_10__sec_9__ssec_C">
                  <num>C</num>
                  <content id="art_10__sec_9__ssec_C__content">
                     <p>A change in the bathroom schedule shall be
                        implemented.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_26" href="#s_2__ep_10"
                           >Season 2 Episode 10</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </subsection>
               <subsection id="art_10__sec_9__ssec_D">
                  <num>D</num>
                  <content id="art_10__sec_9__ssec_D__content">
                     <p>Girlfriend does not now nor does she intend to play
                        percussive or brass instruments.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_27" href="#s2__ep_10"
                           >Season 2 Episode 10</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </subsection>
            </section>
         </article>

         <section id="sec_XX">
            <num>XX</num>
            <heading id="sec_XX__heading">Durable power of attorney</heading>
            <content id="sec_XX__content">
               <p>The other roommate get power of attorney over you, and may
                  make end-of-life decisions for you (reciprocal).</p>
               <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_28" href="#s_4__ep_24">Season
                     4 Episode 24</ref>)</p>
            </content>
         </section>

         <hcontainer name="addendums" id="addendums" period="period__102">
            <hcontainer name="addendum" id="add_1">
               <num>1</num>
               <heading id="add_1__heading">Leonard's Day</heading>
               <content id="add_1__content">
                  <p>Once a year, Leonard and Sheldon take one day to celebrate
                     the contributions Leonard gives to Sheldon's life, both
                     real and imaginary. Leonard does not get breakfast in bed,
                     the right to sit in Sheldon's spot, or permission to alter
                     the thermostat; the only thing that Leonard gets is a
                     thank-you card. This day is called "Leonard's Day."</p>
                  <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="ref_29" href="#s_5__ep_15"
                        >Season 5 Episode 15</ref>)</p>
               </content>
            </hcontainer>
         </hcontainer>

      </body>
      <attachments>
         <doc name="appendix">
            <meta>
               <identification source="#sheldon">
                  <FRBRWork>
                     <FRBRthis value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/takeOutOrders/main"/>
                     <FRBRuri value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/takeOutOrders"/>
                     <FRBRdate date="2013-07-26T05:14:38" name="generation"/>
                     <FRBRauthor href="#sheldon" as="#lessor"/>
                     <FRBRcountry value="us"/>
                  </FRBRWork>
                  <FRBRExpression>
                     <FRBRthis
                        value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/takeOutOrders/en@/main"/>
                     <FRBRuri value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/takeOutOrders/en@"/>
                     <FRBRdate date="2013-07-26T05:14:38" name="generation"/>
                     <FRBRauthor href="#sheldon" as="#lessor"/>
                     <FRBRlanguage language="en"/>
                  </FRBRExpression>
                  <FRBRManifestation>
                     <FRBRthis
                        value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/takeOutOrders/en@/main.xml"/>
                     <FRBRuri
                        value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/takeOutOrders/en@.akn"/>
                     <FRBRdate date="2013-07-26T05:14:38" name="generation"/>
                     <FRBRauthor href="#vergottini" as="#marker"/>
                  </FRBRManifestation>
               </identification>
            </meta>
            <preface>
               <block name="title">
                  <docNumber>Appendix B</docNumber>
                  <docTitle>Standard take-out orders</docTitle>
               </block>
            </preface>
            <mainBody>
               <clause id="app_B__cls_1"> </clause>
            </mainBody>
         </doc>
         <doc name="appendix">
            <meta>
               <identification source="#sheldon">
                  <FRBRWork>
                     <FRBRthis
                        value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/futureCommitments/main"/>
                     <FRBRuri value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/futureCommitments"/>
                     <FRBRdate date="2013-07-26T05:14:38" name="generation"/>
                     <FRBRauthor href="#sheldon" as="#lessor"/>
                     <FRBRcountry value="us"/>
                  </FRBRWork>
                  <FRBRExpression>
                     <FRBRthis
                        value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/futureCommitments/en@/main"/>
                     <FRBRuri
                        value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/futureCommitments/en@"/>
                     <FRBRdate date="2013-07-26T05:14:38" name="generation"/>
                     <FRBRauthor href="#sheldon" as="#lessor"/>
                     <FRBRlanguage language="en"/>
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                  <FRBRManifestation>
                     <FRBRthis
                        value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/futureCommitments/en@/main.xml"/>
                     <FRBRuri
                        value="/us/cbs/bigBangTheory/futureCommitments/en@.akn"/>
                     <FRBRdate date="2013-07-26T05:14:38" name="generation"/>
                     <FRBRauthor href="#vergottini" as="#marker"/>
                  </FRBRManifestation>
               </identification>
            </meta>
            <preface>
               <block name="title">
                  <docNumber>Appendix C</docNumber>
                  <docTitle>Future commitments</docTitle>
               </block>
            </preface>
            <mainBody>
               <clause id="app_c__cls_37">
                  <num>37</num>
                  <heading id="app_c__cls_37__heading">[Large Hadron
                     Collider]</heading>
                  <content id="app_c__cls_37__content">
                     <p>In the event one friend is ever invited to visit the
                        Large Hadron Collider, now under construction in
                        Switzerland, he shall invite the other friend to
                        accompany him.</p>
                     <p>(<ref id="app_c__ref_1" href="#s_3__ep_15">Season 3
                           Episode 15</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </clause>
               <clause id="app_c__cls_AA">
                  <num>[AA]</num>
                  <heading id="app_c__cls_AA__heading">[Super powers]</heading>
                  <content id="app_c__cls_AA__content">
                     <p>Specifies what happens if one friend gets super powers
                        (he will name the other one as his sidekick)</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="app_c__ref_2"
                           href="#s_2__ep_10">Season 2 Episode 10</ref>)</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="app_c__ref_3"
                           href="#s_3__ep_15">Season 3 Episode 15</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </clause>
               <clause id="app_c__cls_BB">
                  <num>[BB]</num>
                  <heading id="app_c__cls_BB__heading">[Zombies]</heading>
                  <content id="app_c__cls_BB__content">
                     <p>Specifies what happens if one friend is bitten by a
                        Zombie (the other can't kill him even if he turned)</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="app_c__ref_4"
                           href="#s_3__ep_15">S3 Ep15</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </clause>
               <clause id="app_c__cls_CC">
                  <num>[CC]</num>
                  <heading id="app_c__cls_CC__heading">[MacArthur
                     grant]</heading>
                  <content id="app_c__cls_CC__content">
                     <p>Specifies what happens if one friend wins a MacArthur
                        grant </p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="app_c__ref_5"
                           href="#s_3__ep_15">Season 3 Episode 15</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </clause>
               <clause id="app_c__cls_DD">
                  <num>[DD]</num>
                  <heading id="app_c__cls_DD__heading">[Bill Gates]</heading>
                  <content id="app_c__cls_DD__content">
                     <p>Specifies what happens if one friend gets invited to go
                        swimming at Bill Gate's house (he will take the other
                        friend to accompany him)</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="app_c__ref_6"
                           href="#s_3__ep_15">Season 3 Episode 15</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </clause>
               <clause id="app_c__cls_EE">
                  <num>[EE]</num>
                  <heading id="app_c__cls_EE__heading">[Skynet]</heading>
                  <content id="app_c__cls_EE__content">
                     <p>Specifies what happens if one friend needs help to
                        destroy an artificial intelligence he's created and
                        that's taking over Earth.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="app_c__ref_7"
                           href="#s_2__ep_6">Season 2 Episode 6</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </clause>
               <clause id="app_c__cls_FF">
                  <num>[FF]</num>
                  <heading id="app_c__cls_FF__heading">[Body
                     snatchers]</heading>
                  <content id="app_c__cls_FF__content">
                     <p>Specifies what happens if one friend needs help to
                        destroy someone they know who's been replaced with an
                        alien pod.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="app_c__ref_8"
                           href="#s_2__ep_6">Season 2 Episode 6</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </clause>
               <clause id="app_c__cls_GG">
                  <num>[GG]</num>
                  <heading id="app_c__cls_GG__heading">[Godzilla]</heading>
                  <content id="app_c__cls_GG__content">
                     <p>Specifies what happens if someone threatens to destroy
                        Tokyo.</p>
                     <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="app_c__ref_9"
                           href="#s_2__ep_6">Season 2 Episode 6</ref>)</p>
                  </content>
               </clause>
               <clause id="app_c__cls_74">
                  <num>74</num>
                  <subclause id="app_c__cls_74__scls_C">
                     <num>C</num>
                     <heading id="app_c__cls_74__scls_C__heading"
                        >[Robots]</heading>
                     <content id="app_c__cls_74__scls_C__content">
                        <p>The various obligations and duties of the parties in
                           the event one of them becomes a robot.</p>
                        <p class="sourceNote">(<ref id="app_c__ref_10"
                              href="#s_4__ep_2">Season 4 Episode 2</ref>)</p>
                     </content>
                  </subclause>
               </clause>
            </mainBody>
         </doc>
      </attachments>
   </act>
</akomaNtoso>

I built the legislative drafting tool used by the Office of the Legislative Counsel in California. It was a long and arduous process and took several years to complete. Issues like redlining, page & line numbers, and the complexities of tables really turned an effort that, while looking quite simple at the surface, into a very difficult task. We used XMetaL as the base tool and customized it from there, developing what has to be the most sophisticated implementation of XMetaL out there. We even had to have a special API added to XMetaL to allow us to drive the change tracking mechanism to support the very specialized redlining needs one finds in legislation.

Using an XML editor allows one to develop a very precise and accurate solution. The price you pay is the rigidity imposed upon you by the XML structure enforced by the editor. We worked very hard to loosen up that rigidity by providing a rules-based system that allowed the user to work within some wiggle room relying the application to sense what was intended and produce the desired rigid structure that XML demands. Another approach, taken by many, is to use a word processor to generate the document, relying on styles or lightweight tagging in the word processor to guide an XML generator or transformer after-the-fact. This gives the drafter more flexibility, at the expense of the accuracy when the drafter deviates outside of the expected range of document patterns that the XML generator can handle.

I have often wondered if a web-based editor wouldn’t be a better approach, allowing us to achieve the flexibility the user needs with the rigidity that makes XML useful to downstream processing. In the end, the question has always been whether such an editor is even possible. When the Writely word processor (now Google Docs) came along in 2005, the answer seemed to be a tentative yes. Looking into it a little bit I discovered that while feasible, given all the browser incompatibilites of the time, achieving a worthwhile editor of the sophistication needed to draft and manage legislation would still be a daunting task. So the idea has always remained in the back of my mind waiting for browser technology to mature to the point where building such an editor comes within a shot of being a reasonable approach.

That point has now arrived. With HTML5, it is now possible to build a full fledged browser-based legislative editor. For the past few months I have been building a prototype legislative editor in HTML5 that uses Akoma Ntoso as its XML schema. The results have been most gratifying. Certainly, building such an editor is no easy task. Having been working in this subject for 10 years now I have all the issues well internalized and can navigate the difficulties that arise. But I have come a long way towards achieving the holy grail of legislative editors – a web-based, standards-based, browser-neutral solution.


There are a lot of challenges. Interacting with all the browser events to maintain an undo stack is no easy task. Building a change tracking mechanism from scratch gives me lots of freedom but getting your head around all the variations is bewildering at times. And how do you build something that is useful to multiple jurisdictions and is sufficiently flexible to adapt to all the varying needs? This takes a trick – but one I have thought long and hard about.

HTML5 is not yet a fully defined standard. None of the browsers fully support what is defined. The same can be said for CSS, JavaScript, XML Support, and on and on. But the editor I have built works with the latest version of all four major browsers. I don’t have a single CSS quirk at all. In fact, the only substantive browser incompatibility that I have had to deal with arises from the fact that Internet Explorer’s XML implementation pre-dates the standard in this area and the API does not yet match the full standards-based API. This is the case despite IE having been the pioneer in this area.

What’s more, I have achieved this with Akoma Ntoso as the internal XML schema. Akoma Ntoso is itself a proposed standard within OASIS. Certainly not everything has been smooth sailing and I have submitted a whole slew of issues to the drafters of Akoma Ntoso, but I have been able to find my way to a workable implementation. It works!

Our plan is to use this prototype for the Unhackathon at UC Hastings and Stanford Law School on May 19th and then in follow-on events elsewhere. In a few days I will provide a link to the prototype for everyone to try it out. It’s still early days and the editor is far from being a complete and robust tool suitable for production, but what I have now confirms my belief that the next generation of legislative systems will be web-based and built on open-standards.

In my next post I will provide a little mini-tutorial to set the stage for the upcoming pre-beta release.

Got six million dollars? That’s the ballpark figure for a complete legislative system and it is too much. A decade ago when the technologies were still new, the risks were high, and experience was scarce, the reasons for this were easily explained. But now it’s time to move beyond the early-adopter market towards a more mature, affordable, and predictable market for legislative systems. The key to moving to this new era is standards.

Towards this end I am participating as a member of the OASIS LegalDocML Technical Committee. Our charter is to develop a common standard for legal documents. We had our initial meeting in March and are defining our deliverables for this important mission.

The wide variety of legal systems and traditions ensures that there are never going to be off-the-shelf solutions in legislative systems. However, all the differences should not deter us from finding what we have in common. It is this commonality that provides the basis for the development of common applications that can be cost-effectively adapted to local requirements. Of course, to achieve this goal you need a common information model. The OASIS TC is using Akoma Ntoso as the starting point for this information model.

Okay, so what is Akoma Ntoso? Akoma Ntoso is an XML schema developed at the University of Bologna and supported by Africa i-Parliaments, a project sponsored by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. It defines an XML-based information model for legislative documents. In the last few years it has been gaining traction in Europe, Africa, South America, and now slowly in North America as well.

Do you find the name Akoma Ntoso intimidating? Well, you’re not alone. However, it’s easy to say once you know how. Simply pronounce it as in “a-coma-in-tozo” and you’ll be close. Akoma Ntoso means “linked hearts” in the Akan language of West Africa.

If you find all the talk about XML confusing, then we have a solution for you. Through my company Xcential, I am working with Ari Hershowitz @arihersh of Tabulaw, Charles Belle @brainseedblog of UC Hastings, and Pieter Gunst @DigitalLawyer of Stanford and LawGives.org to host two “unhackathons” on May 19th at UC Hastings and at the Stanford Law School, both near San Francisco. The point of our unhackathons is to provide participants with an entry-level and fun introduction to the world of XML markup and Akoma Ntoso. And once we’re done with the May 19th events around San Francisco, we’re going to stage other events in other locations around the world to bring the same knowledge to a much wider audiance

If you would like to attend one of these events please sign up at the Eventbrite.com site and/or contact one of the organizers. And if you would like to host or participate in a virtual unhackathon in June, please let one of us know as well. We’re looking for volunteers.

Within the next week I will be posting a prototype of a new legislative editor for use at the unhackathon.  It’s an HTML5-based editor built entirely around Akoma Ntoso. While we don’t yet have any productization plans, this editor will demonstrate the coming era of cost-effective and standardized components which can be mixed and matched to produce the next generation of legal informatics solutions. Stay tuned…

An international open standard for legislative documents will be an important next step for making legislative information available to the people. An open standard will promote the creation of tools and services worldwide that will enable citizen participation in the legislative process and will enhance how governments make the laws they produce more transparent.

Today there is a great deal of inconsistency in how open participation and transparency are achieved around the world. Putting cultural and political differences aside, part of the reason for the inconsistency is the tremendous effort and cost involved in building the infrastructure to support these new objectives. An open standard will start to solve this problem by promoting the establishment of a real legal informatics industry of interoperable tools and services which can easily be put together to address whatever committment a government has made to open and transparent government.

Akoma Ntoso is an emerging standard the promises to do just this. It is an XML schema, developed by the University of Bologna in Italy. It was developed for Africa i-Parliaments, a project sponsored by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. In the coming weeks, an OASIS technical committee will begin the process of turning this standard into an international standard. I am a participant on that TC.

To further promote and to publicize Akoma Ntoso, I am working with Ari Hershowitz #arihersh to stage an international hackathon within the next few months. The idea is to provide an event for people that will demystify XML and Akoma Ntoso (yes, it is hard to say) by providing a really easy way for anyone to create a document using the proposed standard. Our goal will be to collect a world’s worth of legislative samples. This could be an important step towards building a library that stitches together all the world’s laws and regulations in an open and transparent way.

We’re currently seeking sponsors, participants, and venues for this hackathon. The interest we have found so far has been quite amazing. If you are interested in helping us make this event a success, please let either Ari or me know.