Internet and information technology is the rubric for a developing area of the law which considers the myriad and sometimes unique legal problems arising out of the exchange of information. This course is designed to give students a practical understanding of the application of the laws of contract, intellectual property, privacy, jurisdiction, taxation and criminal law as they apply to activities and information technology transactions including transactions concluded using the Internet. Additionally, the course will examine the new laws and systems of rules that have been developed to address issues of electronic commerce, privacy, consumer protection and domain name allocation.

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated by two methods, a final paper and class participation. There is no final written examination. 90% of a student's mark will be based on his or her final paper computed in accordance with the scheme set out below. 10% of a student's mark will be based on attendance and class participation. A student who attends 9 or more classes and demonstrates that he or she has done the required reading for each class can expect to receive full marks for class participation.

Students will be required to write a paper (15 – 20 pages) (4000 – 5500 words) on one of the suggested topics, or on a topic of their own choosing with the prior approval of the instructors. Papers should be double-spaced using 12 point font. Quotations longer than two lines should be single spaced and indented. Full legal citations should appear in footnotes and be prepared in accordance with the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation. Students are encouraged to use appropriate headings within the body of their papers. A cover page clearly setting out the student's name or code name, the paper's title, the date of submission and the number of words (including footnotes and quotations) should be added to the front of each paper.

Papers will be evaluated as follows:

Identification and understanding of relevant legal issues /20
Demonstrated familiarity with relevant legal authorities /20
Clarity of writing style /20
Legal reasoning /20
Mechanics – spelling, grammar, citations, headings /10

Total /90

Students are required to select their paper topic by November 7, 2005 and advise the instructors of their choice. Changes to paper topics after November 7, 2005 will not be accepted without consulting the instructors. The papers are due on the last day of classes, November 29, 2005. Students should submit a copy of their paper to Deborah Needley at the faculty office and transmit an electronic copy of their paper to Mark Davis at mdavis@heenan.ca.  Papers received after 5:00pm (P.S.T.) on November 29, 2005 will have marks deducted at a rate of 5 numerical marks or one letter grade per day. Numerical marks will be converted into letter grade equivalents in accordance with the standard faculty equivalencies. The instructors may grant extensions to the deadline on the basis of factors that they deem relevant and will, in consultation with the Associate Dean, grant an extension where there is sufficient evidence to support an academic concession on the basis of illness, accident, or family affliction.

In preparing their papers, students are expected to adhere to the University of Victoria's policy on Academic Integrity and plagiarism will be dealt with in accordance with that policy.

If a student wishes to have his or her paper returned, he or she should so indicate on the cover page of the paper.

Methodology

The course will be delivered as a series of lectures by the instructor with guest instructors invited to lead various components. Class participation will be encouraged. Required and suggested readings will be posted on the course web site www.itlaw.com.

Delivery of Course Content

The course is made available to students at UVic using video teleconferencing technology which will allow students to interact with the instructors at a distance.