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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2011/2012
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Law : Law

Postgraduate Course: Information: Control and Power (LAWS11180)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Law CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Course typeStandard AvailabilityAvailable to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) Credits20
Home subject areaLaw Other subject areaNone
Course website http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/ahrc/teaching/llm/ Taught in Gaelic?No
Course description
This module will investigate, through a range of legal disciplines and perspectives, the growing focus placed on, and value attached to, information by society and individuals; concerns as to its control and misuse; and the impact of this on business and government, particularly in the light of the opportunities and challenges of evolving $ú and converging - technologies. The module will consider legal regimes relating to privacy, freedom of information and data protection; the extent to which present regulatory, co-regulatory and self-regulatory systems conform to expectations in respect of information privacy and access; the extent to which basic data, information and content is or should be protected by intellectual property or other information rights, particularly in the light of new means of creating, obtaining, recording, sharing and exploiting that information; human rights law and policy, with particular reference to (online) privacy, electronic surveillance, access to information and the conflict between freedom of expression and reputation and image rights; the ability of competition law and policy to intervene in respect of misuse of information and its control by individuals, companies and groups, by the use of existing and ground breaking technologies; the impact of the WTO and the possible impact of different regulatory structures. A wide ranging international approach will be adopted, with contributions sought from students in respect of their own jurisdictions.

Session titles are:

1.Introduction to Information Law
2.Regulation, co-regulation and self regulation
3.Information privacy
4.Data protection
5.Freedom of information
6.Control of online content 1: copyright enforcement and web-blocking
7.Control of online content 2: user generated content and social media
8.Surveillance and social control
9.Competition & technology transfer
10.Reputation and image rights

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs Students should have regular and reliable access to the Internet.

Print consumables (paper and ink) would be recommended to provide hard copy of some on screen text and materials (e.g. articles).
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2011/12 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1) WebCT enabled:  Yes Quota:  None
Location Activity Description Weeks Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
No Classes have been defined for this Course
First Class First class information not currently available
Additional information This course is taught by distance learning.
No Exam Information
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
The aims of this module are to:
1.explore the extent to which access to and use of information and data is controlled;
2.consider the implications of this for privacy, commercial and international development, and freedom of expression;
and:
3.assess whether academic and policy debate in this area is progressing in a sufficiently holistically manner, and whether there are opportunities for further interaction of disciplines.

By the end of this module the student should be able to:

1.Assess when rights or obligations arise under data protection and freedom of information legislation;
2.Evaluate when information should and should not be recorded, retained, re-used or shared;
3.Analyse the extent to which developments in information and privacy can impact upon individuals and business, and the appropriate balance between these interests;
4.Form a view on the roles of IP, competition, world trade law and regulation, human rights and ethics in the field of information control, and the implications for private, public and corporate interests wherever situated;
5.Assess when, if ever, and to what extent control of information should be possible and identify situations where rights to create, share and access information may conflict with rights to privacy and personal autonomy.
Assessment Information
One essay of up to 5,000 words (60%); one piece of assessed work (20%); contribution to online discussions (20%).
Special Arrangements
This course is taught by distance learning.
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Not entered
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Not entered
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsInformation. Intellectual Property. Competition. Regulation. Surveillance. Copyright enforcement. So
Contacts
Course organiserMs Judith Rauhofer
Tel: (0131 6)50 2008
Email: Judith.Rauhofer@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Clare Neilson
Tel:
Email: clare.neilson@ed.ac.uk
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