Internet Law

Module code: LAW5112

Credits: 15.0
Semester: SEM1

Contact: To Be Confirmed

Internet law in the UK includes any legal issue which is related to the internet. This thought-provoking module will ask students to think about whether the internet should be controlled. Any activity that is carried out over the internet can engage different areas of the law but whose responsibility is it to regulate the content that is put on the internet? Should it be regulated at all? The Internet Law and Regulation module focuses on policies, ethics and regulation of the internet as well emerging frameworks that respond to how the internet is being utilised.

Suggested Content:
Platform Design and Regulation - focusing on the business models and the challenges they pose that might need regulation.

Week 1 and 2 - Introductory Elements
Intermediary Liability - What role do internet intermediaries play in the digital environment, and how are their activities regulated? Explains what internet law is, the functioning of core technologies, and whether we can regulate the digital environment.

Week 3 - Contract Law - everyday transactions reading the T&Cs
Online Marketplaces and Electronic Contracts: Looking at contracts in electronic commerce and their implications for the traditional contract law and perhaps also looking at consumer protection

Week 4, 5 and 6 (Introduction to copyright and trademark; copyright; trademark) Copyright Law - use of songs, ChatGPT and images etc Trademark Law - replica items for sale, market places, impersonation:
Intermediary liability and accountability for copyright infringement: How digitalisation has affected copyright law? When are intermediaries liable for their user's copyright infringements? - Primary and secondary infringements. Also looking at Website Blocking and injunctions for copyright infringements
Intermediary Liability and Trademarks: The scope of liability for trademark infringement; Domain name disputes

Study week 7

Week 8, 9 and 10
Defamation Law; Privacy; Content Moderation - focusing on who should be responsible for the material posted online, HR dimension, Privacy Law and harassment - over social media, deep fakes, revenge porn; Policing Illegal Content and Obscenity - pornography, terrorist material, child sexual abuse material, synthetic images or deep fakes etc. Looking at the Online Safety Act and perhaps the EU Digital Services Act; Regulating Harmful Content/Speech - malicious communications, hate speech, digital defamation etc (Online Safety Act and Defamation Laws)
Content Moderation and Free Speech- focusing on how moderation works and the implications it has on free speech. What is the Fair Moderation Process? Algorithmic Content Moderation, filtering, ranking and Speech Management

Week 11
Case study review

Week 12
Revision and assessment preparation

Connected course(s): UDF DATA
Assessment: 100.0% Coursework
Level: 5