30405 - FUNDAMENTALS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW

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.

• 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.

• Deal with the main issues regarding Internet regulation and the protection of fundamental rights in the digital era.

• Assessing the increasing or decreasing of protection of the fundamental rights at stake depending on the judicial balancing between contrasting values.

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

• 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

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.

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

Cases and materials provided on the Bboard platform.

• 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).