Cyberlaw (LAW-667-001)
Morris
Meets: 08:00 PM - 09:50 PM (T) - Room 524
Enrolled: 20 / Limit: 34
Notices
The syllabus, through week 2, is available for download from the link below and MyWCL.
Description
The digital world of cyberspace presents a host of challenging legal questions. This overview course will examine current struggles among individuals, corporations, and governments for control over and/or ownership of the global Internet and its content. The course will first look at on-going debates about governance of the Internet and jurisdiction over Internet speakers, and then address the critical topics of Internet neutrality, free expression and censorship, protection of privacy, and national security considerations. Throughout the course we will consider how technology is reducing or otherwise affecting the power of traditional regulatory tools, but at the same time is creating new ways to address policy goals. Although the course will discuss some aspects of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, it will not spend significant amounts of time looking at core intellectual property issues, nor will it address pure e-commerce issues such as online contracting and EULAs. No prior knowledge of Internet technology is needed or required, but a willingness to learn about the technology on which the Internet is built is essential. Students will be responsible for seven brief writing assignments throughout the semester, and a final exam.
Textbooks and Other Materials
The textbook information on this page was provided by the instructor. Students should use this information when considering purchases from the AU Campus Store or other vendors. Students may check to determine if books are currently available for purchase online.
Bellia, Berman, Frischmann and Post's Cyberlaw: Problems of Policy and Jurisprudence in the Information Age, 4th (Patricia L. Bellia, Paul Schiff Berman, Brett M. Frischmann, David G. Post Book - hardbound), Copyright: 2011 (ISBN-13: 9780314917539)
First Class Readings
Class 1 – Intro to Cyberlaw, and to the Internet – Tuesday, Jan. 11
Assigned reading:
“A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace,” by John Perry Barlow, 1996 at http://homes.eff.org/~barlow/Declaration-Final.html
Casebook, pp. 1-16
“A Brief History of the Internet,” by Barry Leiner, et al. at http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml (READ QUICKLY – do not dwell on the details)
Casebook, pp. 16-24
If you are not able to do the casebook readings for the first class, please read at least parts 1-9 of the following (which is in any event strongly recommended if you are unfamiliar with Internet technology):
“How Internet Infrastructure Works,” by Jeff Tyson at http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet-infrastructure.htm
Syllabus
Use your MyAU username and password to access the syllabus in the following format(s):
Adobe Acrobat (PDF)