Comment by cobbzilla

> The last time we attributed liability to non-human things was the deodand of the Middle Ages.

I can think of a couple of counter examples:

Civil asset forfeiture: your property is charged with the crime, you have to petition the government to get it back or else they sell it at auction.

Similar: When products deemed unsafe are ordered to be destroyed; it’s the same end effect as the deodand although liability sits with the manufacturer.