LAW7213

The law of the internet ( 6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL)

Leader: Ms Melissa de Zwart / Ms Elspeth McNeil

Offered:
City First semester 2005 (On-campus)
Clayton First semester 2005 (OCL)
City Second semester 2005 (On-campus)

Synopsis: Legal issues such as copyright, defamation and censorship. The practical effects of legal regulation (or lack thereof) on the Internet. The nature of the Internet itself, how the different legal issues interrelate and how the application of different legal concepts may shape the future of the Internet.

Objectives: Upon completion of this subject, students should have an understanding of the Internet in its various guises and what legal principles affect the use and regulation of the Internet in Australia, encompassing more specifically: an understanding of the legal implications of selling goods and services via the Internet, including issues of consumer protection laws (including the law of passing off), trade marks and domain names and contracting and transacting on the Internet; an understanding of the applicability of traditional copyright principles to the digital environment of the Internet; an understanding of how copyright may be infringed on the Internet; an understanding of moral rights in the context of the Internet; an understanding of how the law of defamation operates in an on-line context including what constitutes publication and how this interacts with concepts of free speech; a detailed understanding of the laws affecting content regulation, focussing mainly on the Australian situation, with some reference to overseas developments; an understanding of privacy laws as they arise in the on-line context; an understanding of the international implications of the regulatory framework of the Internet; further development of legal research and writing and legal argument skills by undertaking systematic research into legal policy, rules and procedures relating to the use and regulation of the Internet; and further development of skills of oral presentation of legal concepts, rules and argument in an interactive seminar context.

Assessment: Research assignment (3750 words): 40% + Online discussion: 10% + Tasks: 10% + Take home examination (3750 words): 40%

Contact Hours: On-line unit