Code can be brutal law sometimes. It gets gray when there is a mistake and the wrong person is in possession of data (i.e. funds) that do not "rightfully" belong to them. (Granted this hinges on the definition of "rightful".) In such a case you have no other recourse than to appeal to a real-life court or appeal to the honesty and goodwill of the adversary. The recent mishap with F2Pool is an example that I think showed the Golden Way. I don't agree with those who said F2Pool should have kept the incorrect fee; when the tech enforces brutal justice, it devolves upon human beings to show mercy. As this brings out the best in people, it obviates the need for courts, and I think that is a beautiful thing. But a dog-eat-dog world without courts where code is law could be extremely harsh. The moral of the story is: let us all strive to live in a way that makes courts unnecessary.