Laws are like rules that everyone in a society must follow.
They exist to control or change our behavior, and breaking them can lead to consequences like
fines or going to prison.
For example, the law in Canada states that we must drive our cars on the right-hand side of a
two-way street.
If people were allowed to choose at random which side of the street to drive on, driving would
be dangerous and chaotic.
Even in a well-ordered society, people have disagreements and conflicts arise.
The law must provide a way to resolve these disputes peacefully.
If two people claim to own the same piece of property, we do not want the matter settled by a
duel: we turn to the law and to institutions like the courts to decide who is the real owner and
to make sure that the real owner’s rights are respected.
LAW AND TECH RELATIONSHIP
1. Law and exploitation of natural resources (energies): energies can be exploited
thanks to the emergence of modern technologies. The law regulates the
production, processing, distribution of energies and natural resources.
2. Law and food: the food chain requires the regulation of technologies related
to food in order to guarantee, for example, high-quality standards.
3. Law and biology: in order to provide a legal framework for medically assisted
procreation or for cloning we have to deal with the technologies which allow
obtaining gametes, stem cells, crossbreds, chimeras.
4. Law and medicine: some choices related to the end-of-life issues which are
legally significant are dependant on medical notions such as that of brain
death. The same notion of therapeutic tenacity must be measured against the
available technologies.
5. Law and information technologies: IT has made available tools such as edocuments and esignatures. The law must cope with these technologies to
regulate them or to make them legally available.
6. The relation between law and technology has several implications. Let’s focus
on three of them.
LAW AND ETHICS
Ethics, or moral philosophy, involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of
right and wrong conduct
Ethics defines what is good for individuals and society, establishing the nature of duties. While
law often embodies ethical principles, they are not coextensive. Many acts condemned as
unethical may not be prohibited by law, and vice versa.
Ethics in Information Technology:
IT Professionals: IT professionals, including programmers, system analysts, network specialists,
etc., face various ethical issues.
Common Ethical Issues:
Software Piracy: Use of pirated software tools, which is less likely in other professions.
Trade Secrets: Challenges in guarding intellectual property due to the nature of digital products.
Resume Inflation: Difficulty in verifying the competence and credentials of job applicants.
Conflict of Interest: Colleagues working for rival companies, raising concerns about information
sharing.
Diverse Roles: IT professionals, in various roles such as programmers, analysts, and
administrators, encounter a spectrum of ethical issues due to the diverse nature of their
responsibilities.
Legal Recognition: The absence of a statutory mechanism to license IT professionals underscores
the importance of self-regulation and adherence to ethical principles.
Ongoing Debates: Ethical discussions within the IT community revolve around issues like
software piracy, resume inflation, and conflicts of interest. These debates contribute to shaping
industry norms and standards.
ETHICS AND LAW
Moral Guidance: While laws provide a structured framework for societal behavior, ethics offers
a deeper understanding of what is morally right or wrong. It serves as a guiding force for
individuals and communities in making moral choices.
Ethics as a Basis for Laws: Some laws are explicitly derived from ethical considerations. For
example, laws against murder or theft align with the ethical principles that regard these actions
as morally wrong.
Evolving Nature: Ethics can influence the evolution of laws over time. As societal values change,
ethical considerations may drive the reform or creation of laws to better reflect the moral
compass of the community.
4. Intellectual Property, Privacy, and Freedom of Information:
Intellectual Property Rights: Ethical considerations regarding the protection of intellectual
property rights are translated into legal frameworks that govern patents, copyrights, and
trademarks.
Privacy Legislation: Privacy concerns, a significant ethical consideration, lead to the
development of privacy laws. These laws aim to balance individual privacy rights with the
benefits of information exchange.
Access to Information: Laws governing freedom of information aim to strike a balance between
the right to access information and the ethical considerations of safeguarding sensitive data.
1. Define Law and its Purpose in Society:
What is the purpose of laws in society?
How do laws control or change behavior?
What are the consequences of breaking laws?
2. Explain the Canadian Driving Law Example:
How does the law regulate driving in Canada?
Why is it important for society to have such traffic regulations?
What could happen if people disregarded these rules?
3. Explore the Role of Law in Dispute Resolution:
How does the law help resolve disputes in society?
Provide an example of a dispute that would be settled through legal means.
Why is it preferable to resolve conflicts through the legal system rather than personal means?
4. Discuss the Relationship Between Law and Technology:
How does the law regulate the exploitation of natural resources and energies?
Provide examples of how technology requires legal regulation in areas like food, biology, medicine, and information
technology.
What implications arise from the relationship between law and technology?
5. Highlight Three Implications of the Law and Technology Relationship:
Explain the implications mentioned in the text.
Provide examples or real-world scenarios for each implication.
Discuss the importance of addressing these implications.
6. Define Ethics and Its Relationship with Law:
Define ethics or moral philosophy.
How does ethics differ from law?
In what ways can ethical principles be embodied in law?
7. Explore Ethics in Information Technology:
Identify common ethical issues faced by IT professionals.
Discuss the challenges related to software piracy, trade secrets, resume inflation, and conflict of interest.
Explain the importance of ethical discussions within the IT community.
8. Discuss the Relationship Between Ethics and Law:
How does ethics provide moral guidance beyond legal regulations?
Provide examples of laws derived from ethical considerations.
Explain how ethical considerations can influence the evolution of laws.
9. Examine Intellectual Property, Privacy, and Freedom of Information:
Explore how ethical considerations translate into legal frameworks for intellectual property rights.
Discuss the ethical concerns related to privacy and how privacy laws address them.
Explain the balance between the right to access information and the need to protect sensitive data in the context of
freedom of information laws.
10. Conclude with the Interplay Between Ethics and Law:
Summarize the interconnectedness of ethics and law.
Highlight how ethical principles contribute to the development and evolution of legal frameworks.
Emphasize the importance of ethical considerations in shaping societal norms and values.