Sir Isaac Newton, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Galileo were all geniuses in various historical time periods, whose capacities to invent, to envision, and to see beyond the obvious transcended their time periods. As a consequence of their genius and the inability of their peers to create, identify, imagine, actualize and foresee the future, they were often the subject of controversy, ridicule, disbelief, negative criticism, legal and religious opposition, and rage. Each of them and their achievements demonstrate the truth of these quotes about genius:

"Genius is the capacity to see 10 things, where the ordinary man sees one." - Ezra Pound

"There is no off position on the genius switch"
- David Letterman

"The principle mark of the genius is not perfection, but originality-the opening of new frontiers."
- Arthur Koestler

"To see things in seed, that is genius." Lao Tzu

Newton's Castle Homepage

Often when one is a genius and expresses one artistic or scientific vision or truth, one comes into conflict with the law or is subject to a civil litigation.

Detail the cases that Galileo, Da Vinci and Newton were directly involved in themselves. Explain whether they were civil, criminal, or religious(which was part of civil case law in that time period)). To what extent would these cases or actions not stand under today's democratic system in 21st Century USA? To what extent are these legal conflicts inherent in being a genius?

Many times the exercise of genius or demonstration of it currently in the United States gets the artist or scientist in trouble with first amendment issues. Can you provide examples of this?

How has Da Vinci, through the popular Da Vinci Code book, become embroiled in first amendment issues? Would this case be even more litigious were it tried in Da Vinci's own time?

What were the reactions and responses of these three geniuses to the legal difficulties and challenges they faced? To what extent , if any, is it possible or practical to exempt Genius from some laws that infringe on creativity and invention?

To what extent do current intellectual property, copyright infringement laws, and free speech guarantees plus search and seizure laws curb or restrain the unlimited exercise of artistic freedom and scientific invention?

Should there be stricter laws and more enforcement and heavier penalties in this arena?

Detail the cases and legal issues involving these geniuses. Include published articles about them.