Course Description
Exploration of the intersection of law, policy, and the modern connective technologies that many use daily. To this end, the course will look at copyright, fair use, and the changing concept of IP ownership.
Athena Title
Law and Connective Technology
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
• Students will gain a basic understanding of the law of: o Copyright, fair use, and open licensing o Data privacy and security o First amendment freedom of speech and freedom of the press • Students will be better able to navigate legal issues related to modern connective technologies • Students will be more intelligent users of technologies that collect user data
Topical Outline
• Background on U.S. law and the U.S. legal system o Constitutions, statutes, cases, and regulations o Federal and state court systems o The administrative state • Copyright law in the information age o The story of Napster and our changing views of ownership/authorship o History of copyright law and justifications for copyright o Copyright law fundamentals o Fair use, open licensing, the Open Access movement, and remix/mashup culture o The future of copyright and the internet  Topics including: European Copyright directive, SOPA/PIPA, and the future of copyright and internet • Privacy Law in the information age o The story of Edward Snowden o Foundations of U.S. privacy law: a patchwork approach to privacy o The FTC and privacy regulation o GDPR o Privacy and the internet of things  Topics including: data collection by social media platforms and by wearable technology o The future of privacy law • Copyright, privacy, and free speech/freedom of the press in the information age o Using copyright to protect privacy  Bollea v. Gawker Media  Garcia v. Google o Basic First Amendment law o How do copyright, privacy law, and the first amendment intersect?
Syllabus