The module introduces you to the laws and regulations that apply to online settings and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in general. While focussing primarily on the UK legal perspective, it develops also a comparative legal approach, in view of the cross-border performance of its subject matter.
Therefore, it engages with fundamental questions about the development of Internet governance, to then proceed with examining pertinent issues of jurisdiction and enforcement, the development of a seemingly borderless, global digital economy, and the range of liabilities which emerge from relevant ICT contexts.
In this respect, the module expands on the transactional aspects of e-commerce, looking at the specific challenges involved in setting up an e-commerce business, from minimum information requirements and the design of the relations between providers of goods and services and their customers through terms and conditions. Subsequently, it examines the formation of contracts online, the special obligations businesses incur in relation to consumer protection in the field of online provision of services, and the specific regulatory regimes which govern online payments.
Along these lines, it discusses cloud computing, cryptocurrencies, online legal tech, smart contracts, digital assets, disputes over the use of domain names and social media regulation.
Finally, the module touches briefly upon issues of licensing, online creativity and content, data protection and online defamation, which are explored in greater depth within other, dedicated modules.