Apple v. Franklin: An Essay on Technology and Judicial Competence

Commenting on the close relationship between technological and legal developments, Grant Gilmore once wrote: "The reason for the dramatic change in English law during the second half of the eighteenth century is not far to seek. We know it as the industrial revolution."' His insight, although directed to trends in commercial law in eighteenth century England, is not limited to a particular legal discipline or a single historical epoch. Indeed, the many new activities and products stemming from recent technological innovations are provoking changes in American law comparable in magnitude to those experienced during the industrial revolution.