Course 2018-2019 a.y.

30405 - FUNDAMENTALS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW

Department of Law

Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 25
BEMACS (8 credits - II sem. - OB  |  IUS/09)
Course Director:
ORESTE POLLICINO

Classes: 25 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 25: ORESTE POLLICINO


Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

The course aims at providing a general overview on IT law and how it has evolved in order to respond to the rapid technological and social change. The first module basically introduces the key concepts of the relevant legal systems. The second module explores the relationship between law and technology with a view to highlighting the most critical legal issues raised by technological developments. Particularly, a focus is devoted to the analysis of the evolution of the legal concepts of sovereignty and regulation in the age of globalization. Finally, the third module of the course focuses on the law of the governance of the Internet. After a general framework, protection of fundamental rights (freedom of speech and data protection) and the emergence of new rights and actors on the Internet are examined.

CONTENT SUMMARY

  • Introduction to the relevant legal systems.
  • Law and technology.
  • Constitutions from atoms to bit.
  • Internet governance.
  • The law of the Internet: general framework.
  • Freedom of speech.
  • Privacy and data protection.
  • The legal regime of Internet service providers.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Deal with the main issues regarding Internet regulation and the protection of fundamental rights in the digital era.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Assessing the increasing or decreasing of protection of the fundamental rights at stake depending on the judicial balancing between contrasting values.

Teaching methods

  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
  • Group assignments

DETAILS

  • Guest speakers’ talks include lectures given by experts and professionals working in the IT industry.
  • Case studies are discussed at the beginning of each class in order to introduce the subject of the relevant lectures.
  • Group assignments consist of presentations given by students on a selection of issues concernintransnational and comparative public law

Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
    x
  • Group assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
x    
  • Active class participation (virtual, attendance)
x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Attending students are tested on the cases and materials discussed throughout classes in the general written exam, attributing up to 80% of the final grade. The remaining 20% of the final grade is based on the groups’ presentations. Active class participation also is taken into account.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Non attending students are tested on the textbook in the general written exam, attributing 100% of the final grade.


Teaching materials


ATTENDING STUDENTS

Cases and materials provided on the Bboard platform.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • G.F. FERRARI, Introduction to Italian Public Law, Milan, last edition (selected chapters).
  • J. OSTER, European and International Media Law, Cambridge, last edition (selected chapters).
Last change 21/06/2018 15:14