Law, Ethics and Technology [INFCB214]

Learning outcomes

This course aims to familiarise students with the legal and ethical context of new information and communication technologies. At the end of this course, students will be able to
- analyse technological resources with a critical and constructive eye;
- apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations in the digital context;
- develop a sense of empirical analysis by studying the different models proposed by the digital economy and the legal issues they raise;
- work and reflect in groups;
- become familiar with the language and reasoning of experts (lawyers, computer scientists, etc.);
- make connections between legal and non-legal thinking;
- developing personal reflections and arguing to defend one's point of view.

 

Objectives

The objective of the course is to make students aware of some fundamental issues of ICT, so that they acquire the necessary reflexes to implement the law in a technological environment. In this context, the course focuses on the following two main themes:
- Knowledge of mechanisms and rules of law specific to the digital environment;
- Reflection on the application of legal rules to innovative contexts.

Content

After a brief general introduction to the law and the Belgian legal system, the course will address the essential subjects of ICT law, notably:
- The right to privacy and its implications on the construction of computer systems and on data processing (protection of personal data, cybersurveillance of workers,...);
- Intellectual property in the digital age (overview of different rights, copyright, special regimes applicable to software and databases, trademark law, protection of domain names, etc.);
- Digital services law  (online advertising, electronic contracting, contracts with cloud providers, smart contracts and blockchain, evidence in the digital world, responsibilities in the digital world,...);
- Law and Ethics

The course is likely to evolve according to the current events and the reflections proposed by the students.

Exercises description

Unsupervised exercises are organised as part of this course. They are corrected collectively during the following lecture.