The Institute for Computer & Communications Law
(ICCL/IT Law Unit)
Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London.
Tel. +44 (0)20 7882 5125
fax +44 (0)20 7882 7704
Email
admin@iccl.ccls.edu
The Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London
About the ICCL
Research opportunities within the ICCL
Some ICCL online reports and
articles in HTML format
Detailed information on courses run by the
ICCL
News: Transfer to new WebCT server.
WebCT courses have been transferred to the college server
http://webct.qmul.ac.uk.
Your webct ids remain unchanged but your passwords have been
changed on the new server to be the same as your webCT ids. This
rule applies to all CCLS WebCT users (designers and students). Users
whose ids are less than 4 characters will have to add zeros to make it up
to 4. Please change your passwords to something else as soon as you
log in - (top right hand side of your homepage - Password Settings). From
1st September Courses run on the College server only. If you have
trouble logging in please contact Jay Akroku - j.akroku@qmul.ac.uk
News: We are taking applications for December 2003 entry into our
Computer and Communications Law LLM/Diploma distance
learning program. The program application form is available here.
Course modules offered include Intellectual Property Foundation,
Internet Content Regulation, Information Security, Jurisdiction &
Online Dispute Resolution, Media Law, European
Telecommunications Law, Consumption Tax, and Privacy & Data
Protection. This is a distance teaching course of the highest quality,
with extensive tutorial and materials support. For further details,
email admin@iccl.ccls.edu and see the Computer &
Communications Law Program Specification
NEW: For CCL sudents, information on accessing webCT and
using the Queen Mary legal databases can be found at
accessing_webCT.htm
New: Bulletin board for ICCL/IT Law Unit alumni &
current students at: http://itlaw.proboards22.com/
Existing students can get straight to the Queen Mary
webCT server at
http://webct.qmul.ac.uk/
The ICCL is part of the ECLIP international research network.
ICCL pages Frames version
Photos of the ECLIP Summer School 2003 in Palma de Mallorca
Updated 10 October 2003
University of London LLM
The University of London's intercollegiate LLM programme forms part of the largest centre
for postgraduate legal study in Europe. The course attracts students from countries
throughout the world, which gives the course a unique multi-jurisdictional flavour. Within
the LLM programme students are able to choose four subjects from nearly 130 options.
Each year the Centre for Commercial Law Studies teaches around 225 graduate students
from over 25 countries. The Information Technology Law Unit is responsible for several
courses within the LLM programme:
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Information Technology Law
Telecommunications Law
Electronic Banking Law (Half-option course)
Internet Law
Taxation of Electronic Commerce (Half-option course)
Space Law (Half-option course)
Teaching in all subjects is supplemented by online teaching through the WebCT
teaching software package. Our page on On-line teaching explains how to
register and use the system. To go directly to the IT Law Unit's online LLM teaching
through WebCT homepage, click here.
Information Technology Law
This full-option course sets out to examine the numerous legal issues raised in the field of
information technology. Although the technical, economic and politcial importance of
information technology has long been recognised, legislators, industry and the legal profession
itself have generally been slow to appreciate the legal significance of this increasingly
important area. This course is designed to redress the balance.
The course commences with an overview of computer technology which is followed by an
analysis of the general methodologies which might be adopted to deal with the legal issues
raised by information technology. A number of specific topics are then examined. These
include computer contracts, intellectual property mechanisms for the protection of computer
software, tortious liabilty, computer crime, evidential value of electronic records, EDI and
dematerialisation, data protection and transborder data flow issues and the impact of
European comeptition law.
IT Law Syllabus 2002-03
Internet Law
This full option in the University of London LLM programme examines the legal issues which
arise from the use of the Internet for the transmission of information and the conclusion of
commercial transactions. It will concentrate on laws and regulations which govern the new
types of commercial activity which the Internet has made possible. Because the internet
ignores national boundaries, the course will adopt a comparative approach, using English law
only as the starting point in each session.
Internet Law Syllabus 2002-03
Telecommunications Law
In the telecommunications industry the current international trend is away from national
monopolies and towards competition in a regulated and increasingly global market. The
principles underlying this process of liberalisation and re-regulation are in need of
examination. This full-option course is the only one of its kind in the UK to focus on this
rapidly developing industry.
The course examines the legal structure and arrangements, both national and international,
which regulate and control the provision of telecommunications networks, products and
services. In particular the course considers the licensing and regulatory regimes that have
been established to encourage the growth of a competitive market within the European Single
Market.
Telecoms Law Syllabus 2002-03
Electronic Banking Law
This half-option course examines the legal framework regulating the use of computers and
telecommunications technologies to provide banking services. Modern banking is principally
concerned with information, a continuous exchange of messages between customers and their
banks and between the banks themselves. In legal terms, the electronic exchange of
information challenges traditional banking principles and practices.
The topics considered during the course include the major Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
networks, both national and international; the legal position when such transfers go wrong;
consumer issues; digital cash; and the move towards the dematerialisation of financial
instruments, such as the Bank of England's Crest Project for paperless share-dealing.
Electronic Banking Law (outline)
This course is not being offered in the 2002-03 academic year.
Tax and e-Commerce Law.
With the ever-increasing use of the internet, a greater number of commercial transactions are
taking place electronically. While electronic commerce is being promoted by many national
governments, there is also great concern over the potential loss of tax revenue, particularly
because the internet facilitates transactions across national boundaries. Important questions
arise as to the classification of transactions for tax purposes, and the applicable tax regime.
There are also collection and enforcement problems because of the international and
intangible nature of many electronic commerce transactions. These developments create new
challenges for policy makers in adapting existing tax principles to this developing context, or
in reforming tax rules to govern this new area of commerce. International organisations such
as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] and the European
Commission, are in the process of developing policies to meet the challenges of this
commercial environment.
This half option will consider the implications of electronic commerce for international and
domestic tax law. It will examine the application of existing tax rules and principles to this
commercial environment and consider the extent to which these rules need to be adapted.
Questions will be considered such as: where an English company sells goods or services
through a website based on an internet server in the Bahamas, to customers in the United
States, what are the applicable tax laws?
Students will not be expected to have had any background in international tax law or information
technology law.
TAX AND E-COMMERCE LAW (outline)
Space Law
This is a new option in the 2002 academic year.
Space Law Syllabus 2002-03
All these courses are open to the legal profession to attend and can be followed in fulfilment of
professional development hours.
Tel. +44 (0)20 7882 5125 fax +44 (0)20 7882 7704 Email itlaw@qmw.ac.uk
The Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London
Research
Home | About | Research | Publications | Courses
The Institute for Computer and Communications Law
has a very strong record of research activities, at both a
national and international level. Through the ECLIP
research and teaching network the ICCL also has longstanding connections with similar research units
throughout Europe, such as Oslo and Namur (Belgium),
which provides an important network of information and
research resources.
In addition to the individual research interests of the
members of the ICCL, the ICCL is involved in a range of
other research actvities:
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Research students
Commissioned research
ECLIP