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.
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.
After a brief general introduction to Belgian law and the Belgian legal system, the course will cover the essential topics of new technology law, namely:
The course is also likely to evolve in line with current events and the ideas put forward by students.
Unsupervised exercises are organised as part of this course. They are corrected collectively during the following lecture.
The teaching is given in the form of ex cathedra lessons, but there is ample opportunity for exchanges with the students. Students are also asked to solve several small case studies in groups during unsupervised practical sessions. These case studies will then be reviewed in the next class.
Subject covered by the assessment: The assessment covers all the material covered in the course.
Type of assessment: Two-hour written examination
Assessment characteristics: The assessment is closed book. However, students may bring all the legislative texts studied during the course. These may of course be highlighted, but may not be annotated (only cross-references between articles are permitted). Post-it notes are permitted as long as they do not contain any information (except for the title of the legislation). Case law decisions and other documents used in the course may not be taken to the examination.
The examination consists of four questions:
H. Jacquemin et T. Tombal (coord.), Chronique de jurisprudence en droits des technologies de l’information: 2018-2020, numéros spéciaux de la R.D.T.I., nos 82-83, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2021 (spécialement les Titres “Contrats de l’informatique et commerce électronique” ; “Droits intellectuels” et “Droit au respect de la vie privée et à la protection des données en lien avec les technologies de l’information”).
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Computer Science | Standard | 0 | 5 | |
| Bachelor in Computer Science | Standard | 2 | 5 |