This authoritative work describes the nature and growth of the law of the Internet and explains the legal obligations, opportunities, rights, and risks inherent in this complex medium.

The Internet is changing the way people communicate and the way companies dobusiness. At the same time, it is transforming the law. Whether you buy or sellgoods and services online, publish information via the World-Wide Web, exchangemessages via e-mail, electronically distribute digital content, or makepayments online, you will be faced with new legal questions that arechallenging businesses and attorneys alike. Written for the layperson, but extensively annotated for the experiencedlawyer, Online Law provides clear guidance through the rapidlydeveloping law of electronic commerce. Based on sound legal principles, thiscomprehensive handbook draws on the extensive knowledge of experiencedattorneys at the forefront of today's emerging online legal issues. Online Law provides answers to the toughest online legal questions,such as: What rules govern advertising online? What are the legal issues involved in setting up a Web site? How do you create and enforce online contracts? How can you use digital signatures to facilitate electronic commerce? Who owns the rights to online information? When can you "borrow" online materials from others? What are the rules for using sexually explicit material on the Net? What constitutes illegal conduct online? Can employers legally read their employees' e-mail? A collaborative effort, Online Law was written by the attorneysof the Information Technology Law Department at McBride Baker & Coles andsponsored by the Software Publishers Association. Thomas J. Smedinghoff, J.D., editor and lead author of OnlineLaw, cochairs the Information Technology Law Department of the Chicagolaw firm of McBride Baker & Coles, chairs the Electronic Commerce andInformation Technology Division of the American Bar Association, and serves asintellectual property counsel to the Software Publishers Association. He is theauthor of The Software Publishers Association Legal Guide to Multimedia(Addison-Wesley, 1994). The Software Publishers Association is the principaltrade association of the PC software industry. With over 1,200 membercompanies, it has been a leading force in fostering electronic commerce andprotecting intellectual property in a digital world. 0201489805B04062001

"No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." Did you know that these twenty-six words are responsible for much of America's multibillion-dollar online industry? What we can and cannot write, say, and do online is based on just one law—a law that protects online services from lawsuits based on user content. Jeff Kosseff exposes the workings of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which has lived mostly in the shadows since its enshrinement in 1996. Because many segments of American society now exist largely online, Kosseff argues that we need to understand and pay attention to what Section 230 really means and how it affects what we like, share, and comment upon every day. The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet tells the story of the institutions that flourished as a result of this powerful statute. It introduces us to those who created the law, those who advocated for it, and those involved in some of the most prominent cases decided under the law. Kosseff assesses the law that has facilitated freedom of online speech, trolling, and much more. His keen eye for the law, combined with his background as an award-winning journalist, demystifies a statute that affects all our lives –for good and for ill. While Section 230 may be imperfect and in need of refinement, Kosseff maintains that it is necessary to foster free speech and innovation. For filings from many of the cases discussed in the book and updates about Section 230, visit jeffkosseff.com

This book provides an overview of recent and future legal developments concerning the digital era, to examine the extent to which law has or will further evolve in order to adapt to its new digitalized context. More specifically it focuses on some of the most important legal issues found in areas directly connected with the Internet, such as intellectual property, data protection, consumer law, criminal law and cybercrime, media law and, lastly, the enforcement and application of law. By adopting this horizontal approach, it highlights – on the basis of analysis and commentary of recent and future EU legislation as well as of the latest CJEU and ECtHR case law – the numerous challenges faced by law in this new digital era. This book is of great interest to academics, students, researchers, practitioners and policymakers specializing in Internet law, data protection, intellectual property, consumer law, media law and cybercrime as well as to judges dealing with the application and enforcement of Internet law in practice.

The focus of this book is the regulatory framework of the internet and e-commerce. It considers how the law has developed in the context of rapid technological change and analyses how it is being applied to define rights and obligations in relation to the online infrastructure, content and practices.

101 Things You Need to Know about Internet Law is the first complete guide to Internet Law prepared for e-business people. Entertaining, jargon-free, and accessible, this book is a concise and comprehensive guide to the legal issues and answers involved in all facets of electronic commerce.Prospective e-business people will learn about contracts, taxes, rights, options, obligations, limitations, relations, liabilities, debt collection, advertising, billing, refunds, intellectual property protection, and eight-eight other essential bits of information. This book will save them time and money by helping them avoid common Internet legal problems.Jonathan Bick, an internationally published Internet lawyer and Internet law professor, uses his experience to help e-consumers and e-businesses successfully avoid difficulties in the ever-growing and ever-confusing world of Internet law.

Advance praise for The GigaLaw Guide to Internet Law “I read this book from cover to cover. The examples of case law are of enormous illustrative value. Some of them will raise your blood pressure (well, mine went up several notches, anyway). Well worth the time to read!” —Vint Cerf, chairman, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) “Doug Isenberg pulls off the toughest hat trick in legal writing—he and his contributing authors map out the legal landscape of cyberspace in language accessible and friendly to lay readers, providing a comprehensive guide for lawyers who want to gain a quick grasp of cyberlaw, and they do all this with scholarly care for accuracy and precision.” —Mike Godwin, author of Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age “A treasure trove of information that is a relief to find, a pleasure to read, and a snap to apply to dozens of your most pressing Internet legal questions.” —Carol Darr, director of the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet “Doug Isenberg is the authority on all issues regarding Internet law. His insight is exceptional, his experience unsurpassed. This book is both a reference work and a bible, enlightening and showing the way—a quintessential, all-encompassing work for both the novice and the veteran.” —Marc Adler, chairman and CEO, Macquarium Intelligent Communications Doug Isenberg is an attorney and the founder of GigaLaw.com, an award-winning website about Internet law. He writes regularly as a columnist for The Wall Street Journal Online and CNET News.com and has represented numerous high-tech and Internet clients. For more information about The GigaLaw Guide to Internet Law, visit: http://GigaLaw.com/guide

Jurisdiction is a fundamental concept in law, as it provides the link between a government, its territory, and its people. Data travels through the internet without concern for any borders. This book argues how and why the concept of jurisdiction needs to be adapted across public and private areas - from criminal to commercial law.