GRA 6288 Legal Tech
GRA 6288 Legal Tech
This course introduces students to a various set of legal norms which regulate today’s digital world.
The digital realm is an essential part of our everyday lives – and of the global economy. Since the widespread adoption of the Internet in 1990s, the need to regulate certain aspects of digital interactions became apparent. Yet, developing rules which could be universally applied proved to be a challenging task.
One of the areas of law which saw a change due to widespread adoption of technology is contract law. The course will explore the core requirements for entering into digital contracts, as well as different ways in which advancements in technology can be used to facilitate contract negotiation, adoption, interpretation and enforcement. The course will also introduce students to core European instruments regulating sales of digital goods and services, preparing them to work with the sale of digital assets. This will also be supplanted by the overview of the rules on fair marketing of products, which remain highly relevant in the digital world.
With the growth of online businesses and platforms, questions of consumer protection are becoming more pressing by the day. The course will strive to give students a good overview of European regulation in the area.
One of the core modules of the course will explore the relevance and application of intellectual property rights in the digital world. By introducing students to international and EU regulation of intellectual property, the course will enable students to gain the understanding of the importance of this field for the market actors. The primary focus will be on copyright law, where students will be introduced to core rights that copyright holders have. Following this, students will be introduced to the specific ways in which copyright law regulates protection of computer programs and databases. This will allow students to provide legal advice to a wide range of companies working with digital assets. Lastly, in the field of intellectual property, the course will strive to give students an overview of basic rules of trademark law.
Protection of personal data – and privacy in general – remains a core topic when designing digital products and services. Students will be introduced to core regulations pertaining to this field, with a large focus on General Data Protection Regulation.
Lastly, the course will introduce students to topics pertaining to regulation of online platforms. It will introduce students to some of the core rules on net neutrality and cross-border portability of digital content. It will also explore the system of intermediary liability, outlining the cases in which digital platforms can be held liable for user’s illegal conduct.
The course will have a heavy emphasis on challenges posed by new technologies, such as machine learning and AI. Practical implications will be considered by students, in the light of existing and proposed regulations. The course will have a heavy emphasis on case studies and other forms of practical work.
After attending the course, the student will have acquired knowledge of:
- Digital contracts and use of technology for negotiating, entering into and checking compliance with contracts
- Rules on sales of digital goods and services
- Consumer protection and fair marketing online
- Subject matter of copyright and related rights, as well as system of international treaties for protecting copyright
- Protection of computer databases and computer programs
- Core issues in trademark law
- Core issues in privacy and data protection, with focus on lawfulness of processing of personal data under GDPR
- Regulation of cybersecurity obligations
- Regulation of online platforms, including rules on net neutrality, intermediary liability and cross-border content portability
- Legal challenges posed by emerging and new technologies
After attending the courses, the student will have learned how to:
- recognize core issues stemming from use of digital services;
- identify core problems related to offering goods and services online;
- provide advice on digital contracting;
- recognize subject matter subject to copyright and trademark protection, and understand the general scope of exclusive rights conferred on owners;
- provide advice on lawful use of computer databases and computer programs;
- give advice on legal basis for processing of personal data under GDPR;
- apply legal methodology to recognize problems stemming from use of new technologies.
After attending the courses, the student will have the following general competence:
- understand the central regulatory instruments in the digital world;
- be able to use legal methodology to recognize problems emerging from use of the existing and new technological solution;
- be able to critically reflect on ethical and legal dilemmas stemming from use of advanced digital tools, such as machine learning and AI.
The course will content the following topics:
- Digital contracts. Sale of digital goods and services.
- Consumer protection and fair marketing of products online.
- Copyright. Subject matter and scope of protection. Exclusive rights. Scope of international treaties.
- Protection of computer programs. Database protection.
- Trademark law. Digital branding.
- Introduction to privacy. GDPR. Personal data. Core terms.
- Legal basis for processing of personal data under GDPR.
- Digital platforms. Liability rules and intermediary liability. Net neutrality and cross-border content portability.
A variety of learning methods will be used, from regular lectures to webinars, and discussions of cases and questions on digital platform in class.
There will one written assignment which we will go through in class.
Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.
All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have spesific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.
Covid-19
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there may be deviations in teaching and learning activities as well as exams, compared with what is described in this course description.
Teaching
Information about what is taught on campus and other digital forms will be presented with the lecture plan before the start of the course each semester.
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| Assessments |
|---|
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Invigilation Weight: 100 Grouping: Individual Support materials:
Duration: 3 Hour(s) Exam code: GRA 62881 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
| Activity | Duration | Comment |
|---|---|---|
Prepare for teaching | 72 Hour(s) | Everyone has to read the specified curriculum before class. |
Student's own work with learning resources | 2 Hour(s) | Videos: for introduction and expectation regulation, and for repetition purposes |
Teaching | 36 Hour(s) | We expect students to meet in class every lecture. |
Group work / Assignments | 32 Hour(s) | Work in groups, individual hand ins, review in class. |
Examination | 18 Hour(s) | Exam and preparation for the exam. |
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.