Postgraduate Course: E-Commerce Law (LAWS11524)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course aims to provide an in-depth look at the legal issues surrounding electronic commerce (E-Commerce) in the European context, focusing on EU and UK law.
We will explore the key relevant regimes applicable to business conducted online, highlighting the different regulatory regimes applicable depending on the type and size of business.
We will detail the most relevant rules of EU instruments such as the E-Commerce directive, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Digital Services Act (DSA) or the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Throughout the course we will review issues surrounding E-Commerce business, particularly the protection of domain names, issues around jurisdiction, contract formation and payment systems.
We will look at consumer protection issues and general principles of fairness and transparency. We will discuss the limits imposed on online advertising both as a sales technique and as a business model. We will detail the liability regime applicable to all E-Commerce as well as the new rules imposed on online marketplaces and very large online platforms. We will also explore how competition law can shape the digital economy.
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| Course description |
1. Introduction to an expanding regulatory universe
2. Domain names: intellectual property and mediation
3. Contract and payment systems
4. Identification of consumers and businesses
5. Fairness and transparency
6. General rules of liability
7. Liability for marketplaces and large platforms
8. Online advertising as a tool for business and as a business model in itself
9. Competition law in the digital economy
10. Death, taxes, and other contemporary issues in E-Commerce
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 40,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
156 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One 1000 word mid-semester essay (20%) and one 4000 word final essay (80%).
Requirements for the course assessment will be outlined to students within the individual courses at the start of each semester. |
| Feedback |
Students will have the opportunity to obtain formative feedback over the course of the semester. The feedback provided will assist students in their preparation for the summative assessment.
Details of the School's feedback policy will be available at the start of the course. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate familiarity with basic principles, concepts and perspectives in respect of e- commerce.
- Articulate critical views on the law of e-commerce and its development, including the case for or against a greater degree of international harmonisation.
- Evaluate and critically assess the impact of the principles considered on individuals and businesses, from academic, practical and technological perspectives.
- Articulate a critical view on the possible divergence and convergence of e- commerce with other areas of business.
- Express and defend these views in oral discussion and in writing.
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Reading List
| A detailed list of key resources will be available at the start of the course. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will develop their skills and abilities in:
1. Research and enquiry, through e.g. selecting and deploying appropriate research techniques;
2. Personal and intellectual autonomy, e.g. developing the ability to independently assess the relevance and importance of primary and secondary sources;
3. Communication, e.g. skills in summarising and communicating information and ideas effectively in written form;
4. Personal effectiveness, e.g. working constructively as a member of an online community;
5. Students will also develop their technical/practical skills, throughout the course, e.g. in articulating, evidencing and sustaining a line of argument, and engaging in a convincing critique of another's arguments. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Nicolas Jondet
Tel: (0131 6)51 4528
Email: nicolas.jondet@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Clare Polson
Tel: (0131 6)51 9704
Email: Clare.Polson@ed.ac.uk |
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