Computer Law


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Computer Law - Guide to IT Law



Information Technology Law Firms
Computer Law is concerned with controlling and securing information stored on and transmitted between computers. Computer networks contain and store a great deal of private digital information: data on identities, internet access and usage; credit cards; financial information and information for electronic commerce; technical, trade and government secrets; mailing lists; medical records; and much more.

It is illegal to maliciously erase this type of data; acquire proprietary information; manipulate said data to obtain funds illegally, through bank withdrawals and transfers, identity theft and credit card use; and to access and use any of this data for any other reason, without authorization.

Computer Law - US

  • ABA - Committee on Technology and Information Systems

    The Committee was created in 1997 as a successor to the Coordinating Commission on Legal Technology (CCOLT) and is comprised of representatives from a number of Association entities selected by the ABA President to provide guidance and oversight for the Association's technology initiatives.

  • BitLaw Legal Resource

    BitLaw is a comprehensive Internet resource on technology and intellectual property law. In this site, you will find complete copies of the United States Patent, Copyright, and Trademark statutes, as well as the relevant regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations. BitLaw also includes converted versions of the TMEP and MPEP (the office manuals created by the United States Trademark and Patent Offices, respectively). Each of these documents include links to the relevant statutory and regulatory sections. Finally, BitLaw contains a great deal of custom written descriptions of how these areas of the law affect the computer and technology industries.

  • Computer and Information Technology Law - Definition

    Information Technology Law (or IT Law) is a set of recent legal enactments, currently in existence in several countries, which governs the process and dissemination of information digitally. These legal enactments cover a broad gamut of different aspects relating to computer software, protection of computer software, access and control of digital information, privacy, security, internet access and usage, and electronic commerce. These laws have been described as "paper laws" for "paperless environment".

  • Computer Security Act of 1987

    In 1987, the U.S. Congress, led by Rep. Jack Brooks, enacted a law reaffirming that the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), a division of the Department of Commerce, was responsible for the security of unclassified, non-military government computer systems. Under the law, the role of the National Security Agency (NSA) was limited to providing technical assistance in the civilian security realm. Congress rightly felt that it was inappropriate for a military intelligence agency to have control over the dissemination of unclassified information.

  • Cornell Institute for Computer Policy and Law (ICPL)

    The EDUCAUSE / Cornell Institute for Computer Policy and Law provides leadership to colleges and universities in developing information technology policies. Founded in 1996 at Cornell University, the Institute incorporates experts from a wide variety of fields, including chief information officers, student judicial-affairs administrators, librarians, attorneys, policy officers, and many others. The Institute supports the professional development of information technology, policy and legal professionals within higher education to facilitate the creation and administration of effective information technology policies. It also monitors and analyzes changes in technology and law to assess the impact of those changes on academic information technology policy.

  • Digital Signature Legislation

    Legislators and business leaders long recognized that the passage of some kind of digital legislation was of central importance to the development of e-commerce. However, for several years Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress haggled over what should be included in such a bill. In the meantime, several states passed their own legislation allowing some forms of digital signatures to be legally binding in certain situations. When a major piece of national legislation went into effect in 2000, it was heralded as a giant step toward the harmonization of interstate and international laws, and was expected to help propel e-commerce forward in the early 2000s.

  • eSign Laws and Regulations

    On June 30, 2000 President Clinton signed the "Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act" (ESIGN) using his electronic signature ID, and thereby established the validity of electronic signatures for interstate and international commerce.

  • Health Information Technology Act of 2009

    This bill encourages the use of clinical health care informatics systems and services by offering monetary incentives to health care providers in order to offset the related costs of such technology. It would also seek to develop national standards regarding data and communication health information technology, working towards the goals of efficient data exchange and improved health care quality while protecting patient privacy and security.

  • National Institute of Standards and Technology - Computer Security Division

    The E-Government Act [Public Law 107-347] passed by the 107th Congress and signed into law by the President in December 2002 recognized the importance of information security to the economic and national security interests of the United States. Title III of the E-Government Act, entitled the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA), included duties and responsibilities for the Computer Security Division in Section 303 “National Institute of Standards and Technology.”

Computer Law - International

  • Computer Law Association (CLA)

    The Computer Law Association (CLA) is one of the world’s largest international organizations of information technology law professionals. With members on all continents except Antarctica, and with 70 percent of new members joining from countries other than the United States, CLA enjoys a unique position in bringing together the world’s information technology law community.

  • Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID)

    The Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (GAID), an initiative approved by the United Nations Secretary-General in 2006, was launched after comprehensive worldwide consultations with governments, the private sector, civil society, the technical and Internet communities and academia.

  • United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force

    In March 2001, the United Nations Economic and Social Council requested the Secretary-General to establish an Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Task Force. This initiative is intended to lend a truly global dimension to the multitude of efforts to bridge the global digital divide, foster digital opportunity and thus firmly put ICT at the service of development for all.

Organizations Related to Computer Law

  • Canadian IT Law Association

    The Canadian IT Law Association ("IT.CAN") was founded in 1997 by a group of Canadian information technology lawyers from across the country. It was intended to provide a national forum for Canadian practitioners to discuss the uniquely Canadian aspects of IT law and related fields of e-commerce and intellectual property.

  • Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility - CPSR

    CPSR is a global organization promoting the responsible use of computer technology. Founded in 1981, CPSR educates policymakers and the public on a wide range of issues. CPSR has incubated numerous projects such as Privaterra, the Public Sphere Project, EPIC (the Electronic Privacy Information Center), the 21st Century Project, the Civil Society Project, and the CFP (Computers, Freedom & Privacy) Conference. Originally founded by U.S. computer scientists, CPSR now has members in 26 countries on six continents.

  • Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

    From the Internet to the iPod, technologies are transforming our society and empowering us as speakers, citizens, creators, and consumers. When our freedoms in the networked world come under attack, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is the first line of defense. EFF broke new ground when it was founded in 1990 — well before the Internet was on most people's radar — and continues to confront cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights today. From the beginning, EFF has championed the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights.

  • International Association for Artificial Intelligence and Law (IAAIL)

    IAAIL is a nonprofit association devoted to promoting research and development in the field of AI and Law, with members throughout the world. IAAIL organizes a biennial conference (ICAIL), which provides a forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest research results and practical applications and stimulates interdisciplinary and international collaboration.

  • ITechLaw

    ITechLaw is a not-for-profit organization established to inform and educate lawyers about the unique legal issues arising from the evolution, production, marketing, acquisition and use of information and communications technology. We provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and in-depth examination of information technology and telecommunications law issues.

  • Law Enforcement Information Technology Standards Council (LEITSC)

    The Mission of LEITSC is to foster the growth of strategic planning and implementation of integrated justice systems. Together, participants from these organizations represent the voice of law enforcement as a whole on information technology standard issues.

Publications Related to Computer Law

  • Info / Law - Information Law

    What is Information Law? We see it as an obvious convergence of intellectual property doctrine, communications regulation, First Amendment norms, and new technology. As information becomes the most precious commodity of the 21st century, the law surrounding it will have to evolve. That’s what we want to talk and think about here — along with various related and not-so-related threads (“information” covers a lot of ground!).

  • International Journal of Law and Information Technology

    The International Journal of Law and Information Technology provides cutting edge and comprehensive analysis of Information Technology, communications and cyberspace law as well as the issues arising from applying Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to legal practice. International in scope, this journal has become essential for legal and computing professionals and legal scholars of the law related to IT.

  • John Marshall Journal of Computer and Information Law

    The John Marshall Journal of Computer & Information Law is an international law review dedicated to current issues in information technology and privacy law. As one of the first of its kind, the Journal fills a unique niche among legal academic publications, addressing cutting-edge topics with input from scholars around the world.

  • Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal

    First in its field, the Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal strives to keep judges, policymakers, practitioners and the academic community abreast of the dynamic legal issues arising from society's interaction with computers and emerging technologies. Rutgers law students founded the Journal in 1969, far in advance of the ubiquity of computers and networking technology. Since its inception, the Journal has maintained a tradition of excellence and has designed each issue to foster critical discourse on the technological breakthroughs impacting the legal landscape. The Journal's success is reflected in a subscription base of about four hundred national and international subscribers, as well as in its citation in numerous texts, articles and judicial opinions, including those of the United States Supreme Court.

Articles on HG.org Related to Computer Law

  • Open Wi-Fi Network Owner Not Liable for Copyright Infringement - Malta
    In a recent ruling, a Finnish District Court held that when an act of copyright infringement takes place through the use of a person’s open Wi-Fi network, by somebody other than the owner of the network, that same owner cannot be held liable for the infringing acts. The case was brought by the Finnish Anti-Piracy Centre, a coalition of intellectual property right holders. They collectively sued a woman who owned the network for €6,000.
  • Surprising Crimes in the Casino
    It may surprise you to learn that the majority of crimes committed inside of casinos do not involve the gambling itself. Instead, the 10 casinos in Pennsylvania reported that accounts of theft of wallets and purses for this year far outweighed the crimes of passing counterfeit money and forgery. Part of the reason for this shift in the type of crimes committed involves the modernization of gambling machines.
  • Copyright: The Next Generation - Australia
    Broadband is a game changing development and policy-makers are still in “catch-up” mode. Legislatures and courts have so far taken a fairly traditional approach to dealing with the protection of online copyright works. Ultimately, it is expected that creative creators will continue to think outside the square to develop new business models – and that this group will manage to stay “ahead of the curve” when it comes to generating value (and new revenue streams) from their creative efforts.
  • Cyberstalking is a Crime in Illinois
    A little over a year ago, Naperville Illinois resident Travis Edwards was convicted of computer fraud, computer tampering and cyberstalking related to his ex-girlfriend, who was attending Northern Illinois University.
  • Cybercrime Under the CFAA: It Depends on the Jurisdiction
    In a decision filed on April 10, 2012, the Ninth Circuit in United States of America v. Nosal, No. 10-10038 (9th Cir. 2012), put itself squarely in conflict with the Fifth, Eleventh and Seventh Circuits.
  • Computer Crimes: How Much Do You Really Know?
    In today’s technologically savvy world the use of computers is now used for business dealings as well as personal pleasures. For some individuals, the pastimes spent on computers can become a criminal offense and will be charged and convicted as a computer crime.
  • Accused of Phishing, Hacking or Identity Theft? Why You Need a Kansas City Internet Fraud Attorney
    With the explosive and continued growth of the internet, it is no surprise that more and more crimes are committed such as phishing, computer hacking, identity theft, fraudulent transactions and other illegal activity. If you have been accused of such an offense, it is critical that you speak with a capable Kansas City internet fraud attorney right away. Without effective legal counsel, your reputation, career and future are at stake.
  • Child Pornography Enforcement: Changing With the Times
    A serious offense prosecuted by the state and federal courts, child pornography can carry serious ramifications. Child pornography is defined as sexual depiction through various means such as videos or photographs which display children under the age of 18 in a sexual manner or engaging in sexual acts. The laws on child pornography are growing to handle the current times, expanding and increasing in strictness to defend against new means of exploitation including the many uses of the internet.
  • Do's and Don'ts on How to Use Google for Legal Work
    Unfortunately, about two out of three new clients come to our firm because they have a problem with their signed contract or legal documentation. Too late, they have received the previously unconsidered information that their contract does not have a jurisdictional provision (so they are being sued in Idaho); or their contract doesn’t allow for....
  • Cyberbullying on the Rise
    According to a report by the National Crime Prevention Council, 43 percent of teens have experienced some form of cyberbullying online. With the advent of social networking and social media sites, staying connected online has become a major part of people's lives. This is especially true for teenagers. Over 95 percent of teenagers have an email account and 97 percent of teens report using the Internet at home for personal or school purposes.
  • All Science and Technology Law Articles

    Articles written by attorneys and experts worldwide discussing legal aspects related to Science and Technology including: biotechnology, chemical law, computer and software, data protection, information technology, internet law, research and development, telecommunications law.

Science and Technology Law Attorneys