Module: Intellectual Property & Information Technology Law

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Intellectual Property & Information Technology Law
Module Code	LG364 (ITS) / LAW1039 (Banner)
Faculty	Humanities & Social Sciences	School	Law & Government
Module Co-ordinator	Kevin O'Sullivan
Module Teachers	Edoardo Celeste, Iain McMenamin, Ronan Condon
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Coursework Only

Description

This module aims to offer a comprehensive overview of Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law. The digital revolution is profoundly changing the society in which we live, raising significant legal challenges. The legal system attempts to solve these issues by adapting existing norms and developing new areas of law. The first part of the module examines the law on recognition and exploitation of legal rights in intellectual property and explores how it is changing in the context of the digital society. The second part of the module will analyse new areas of law that have been recently developed to face the legal challenges of the digital age, focusing in particular on online crime, e-commerce, privacy and data protection, and regulation of online content.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify and critically assess the main legal challenges generated by the advent of the digital revolution.
2. Have a systematic understanding of national, European and international norms regulating intellectual property rights and information technology.
3. Apply principles of intellectual property and information technology law to factual situations.
4. Evaluate the legal, economic and social justifications for the regulation of intellectual property rights, data privacy and online content.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	24	No Description
Independent Study	101	No Description
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Intellectual Property Law
Intellectual property law in Ireland; legislation and case law on the protection of copyright, patents and trademarks; intellectual property in the information society: domain names, databases, search engines and software.

Information Technology Law
Online crime; regulation of e-commerce and consumer protection; privacy and data protection; regulation of online content; social media regulation.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Group project	n/a	30%	n/a
Essay	n/a	70%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Robert Clark, Shane Smyth, and Niamh Hall: 2016, Intellectual Property Law in Ireland, 4th, Bloomsbury, London,
Andrew Murray: 2019, Information Technology Law, OUP, Oxford,

Other Resources

None