{
 "@context": "https://schema.org",
 "@type": "DefinedTerm",
 "@id": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/entities/contract-interpretation",
 "identifier": "kaal:entity:contract-interpretation",
 "name": "Contract interpretation",
 "termCode": "contract-interpretation",
 "inDefinedTermSet": {
  "@id": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/entities/index.json"
 },
 "author": {
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Wulf A. Kaal",
  "identifier": "https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0757-275X"
 },
 "dateModified": "2026-07-29",
 "canonicalForm": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/entities/contract-interpretation.md",
 "sha256": "44314331527ebaa94f3d2af35cc68448943ad1e2633914f5c01a9ebc5d30027a",
 "additionalProperty": [
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   "@type": "PropertyValue",
   "name": "status",
   "value": "derived"
  },
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   "name": "claim_count",
   "value": 3
  },
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   "name": "work_count",
   "value": 3
  },
  {
   "@type": "PropertyValue",
   "name": "year_span",
   "value": [
    "2017",
    "2019"
   ]
  },
  {
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   "name": "non_current_claims",
   "value": 0
  }
 ],
 "subjectOf": [
  {
   "@type": "Claim",
   "@id": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/claims/2992962-017",
   "identifier": "kaal:claim:2992962-017",
   "text": "Because smart contracts are coded for computer programming rather than for a human observer, courts may not be able to hypothesize a reasonable human's interpretation of a given smart contract.",
   "abstract": "Because of the emphasis on code for computer programming (and artificial intelligence), courts may not be able to hypothesize a reasonable human's interpretation of a given smart contract.",
   "citation": "Wulf A. Kaal, Craig Calcaterra, Crypto Transaction Dispute Resolution (2017). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2992962",
   "datePublished": "2017",
   "claim_type": "failure",
   "confidence": "argued",
   "is_failure_mode": true,
   "scope_conditions": [
    "contract interpretation disputes over coded smart contracts"
   ],
   "source_pdf_sha256": "80b92e67594394e38af41b769327936833de8e25d6cf3def966a6ba13bc83d17",
   "status": "current"
  },
  {
   "@type": "Claim",
   "@id": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/claims/3017612-003",
   "identifier": "kaal:claim:3017612-003",
   "text": "Although shareholder agreements are authorized and shaped by corporation code provisions, their construction is governed by ordinary contract interpretation rules, so statutory authorization does not displace contract doctrine.",
   "abstract": "While the agreements are governed by legislation, general rules applicable to contract interpretation govern the construction of shareholder agreements.",
   "citation": "Wulf A. Kaal, Shareholder Agreements - National Report of the United States of America (2017). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3017612",
   "datePublished": "2017",
   "claim_type": "mechanism",
   "confidence": "evidenced",
   "is_failure_mode": false,
   "scope_conditions": [
    "United States, Delaware law illustrated by Salamone v. Gorman"
   ],
   "source_pdf_sha256": "33821db406f92efbe1698fbaed37687595c13b7ce5463b4a879df679fd4af1ac",
   "status": "current"
  },
  {
   "@type": "Claim",
   "@id": "https://wulfkaal.github.io/claims/3441904-031",
   "identifier": "kaal:claim:3441904-031",
   "text": "The cost of translating coded contractual intent into natural language has the potential to become overwhelming for the existing centralized legal infrastructure, because coded intent may be unclear and natural language intent often cannot be used for interpretation.",
   "abstract": "Coded contractual intent may be unclear and natural language intent can often not be used for interpretation.",
   "citation": "Wulf A. Kaal, Blockchain-Based Corporate Governance (2019). SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3441904",
   "datePublished": "2019",
   "claim_type": "failure",
   "confidence": "argued",
   "is_failure_mode": true,
   "scope_conditions": [
    "smart contract disputes brought before existing courts and regulators"
   ],
   "source_pdf_sha256": "e6b562527f7f19accaa35491db0a0db168b6a936755e1dca424e9f30bee7a815",
   "status": "current"
  }
 ],
 "description": "3 claims in the published works of Wulf A. Kaal carry the concept tag 'contract-interpretation'. Derived node: a roster, not an adjudicated definition."
}