CS-622: ETHICS, LAW, and POLICY

©1998 Daniel J. Ryan

 

Reading AND Homework Assignments

 

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

 

NOTE that readings in addition to those enumerated here may also be assigned via the Discussion facility.

 

Please read very carefully the separate document containing instructions pertaining to submission of homework assignments.

 

Week 1: Property On-Line - Protection of Intellectual Capital

(Reading assignment only; no deliverables)

Copyright. Patents. Trademarks. Unfair Competition. Trade Secrets.

 

TEXT READING ASSIGNMENT: Chapter 3

 

Cases:

• Sega Enterprises Ltd. v Maphia, 857 F. Supp. 679 (N.D. Cal. 1994)
• Sega Enterprises Ltd. v Maphia, 948 F. Supp. 923 (N.D. Cal. 1996)
• U.S. v LaMacchia, No. 94-10092-RGS (D.Mass. 1994)

 

Source material:

• Protection of Intellectual Capital http://members.tripod.com/~Dan_Ryan/intelcap.ppt
• Intellectual Property http://www.findlaw.com/01topics/23intellectprop/index.html
• Property Law in General http://www.findlaw.com/01topics/33property/index.html
• Software Piracy http://www.spa.org/piracy/homepage.htm
• The INSLAW Case http://www.eff.org/pub/Legal/Cases/INSLAW/inslaw_case.article
• Copyright FAQ http://www.eff.org/pub/Legal/copyright.faq

 

 

Week 2: Civil Misbehavior (Torts)

(Reading assignment AND deliverable)

Willful actions that cause injury. Reckless behavior. Negligent behavior: Defamation, Misrepresentation. Product liability

 

TEXT READING ASSIGNMENT: Chapter 4

 

Cases:

• New York Times v Sullivan, 376 U.S.254, 84 S.Ct. 710, 11 L.Ed.2^nd 686 (1964)

 

Source material:

• Tort Law  http://members.tripod.com/~Dan_Ryan/torts.ppt
• Torts http://www.findlaw.com/01topics/22tort/index.html

 

DELIVERABLE for Week 2: Due 12 Jul 98: Prepare a software licensing policy for your organization. Discuss the ethical, moral and legal implications of each part of your policy.

 

 

Week 3: Privacy and Adult Materials

(Reading assignment only; no deliverables)

Privacy: Common law invasion of privacy. Fourth Amendment. Fifth Amendment. Mail and e-mail Privacy. Wiretap statutes. Pseudonymity. Anonymity. Fair information practices.

Obscenity and indecency: The law of obscenity. Obscenity laws and on-line behavior. Child pornography. Indecency. Compliance issues.

 

TEXT READING ASSIGNMENT: Chapters 1, 5, and 8

 

 Cases:

• Doe V Septa http://www.eff.org/pub/Legal/Cases/Doe_v_SEPTA/doe_v_septa_122805_appeal.decision
• US v Thomases http://www.eff.org/pub/Legal/Cases/AABBS_Thomases_Memphis/

 

Source material:

• The Electronic Privacy Information Center http://www.epic.org/

 

 

Week 4: Computer Crime and Criminal Behavior in Cyberspace

(Reading assignment AND deliverable)

Computers as instrumentalities in conspiracy and crime. Encryption and related law enforcement issues.

The Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Computer fraud and Abuse Act. State computer crime laws.

Search and seizure.

 

TEXT READING ASSIGNMENT: Chapters 6-7, Appendices B, C, and I.

 

Cases:

• U. S. v Morris, 928 F.2^nd 504 (2^nd Cir. 1991)
• Steve Jackson Games v U.S. Secret Service, 816 F. Supp. 432 (Dist. Ct. Okla. County 1994)
• U. S. v Riggs, 743 F. Supp. 556 (N. D. IL. 1990)
• U. S. v Fernandez, 1993 U. S. Dist. LEXIS 3590 (S.D.N.Y 1993)
• Bernstein V Dept. of State http://www.eff.org/pub/Privacy/ITAR_export/Bernstein_case/Legal/960726_filing/

 

Source material:

• Telephonic snooping, with nation by nation accounting of technologies, laws, disinformation, deception, complicity, commerce and teletone ops http://www.ii-mel.com/interception
• Crypto-Privacy, Security, Steganography and Anonymity Tools http://www.eff.org/pub/Net_info/Tools/Crypto/
• Insurance Claims Privacy Protection Act (ICPPA) Insurance Claims Privacy Protection Act

 

DELIVERABLE for Week 4: Due 26 Jul 98: Details to be provided later. Note that this deliverable will become a part of your portfolio.

 

Assignments for Presentations for Final Class Day: On or about the end of Week 4, you will be provided with case materials describing certain factual situations. These materials will be the subjects for discussion on the last day of class. Students will be assigned in pairs to present and argue the ethical, moral and legal implications of designated situations. Details of how the cases are to be presented wil be provided along with the case materials.

 

 

Week 5: Contract Law

Shrink-wrap and point-and-click contracts.

FAX, e-mail, telegraph and telex, EDI, EFT and Electronic commerce.

 

TEXT READING ASSIGNMENT: Chapter 2, Appendix A.

 

Cases:

• Parma Tile v. Short http://www.law.cornell.edu/ny/ctap/comments/i96_0033.htm

 

Source material:

• Contract Law Research http://www.findlaw.com/01topics/07contracts/index.html
• Contract Law http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/contracts.html
• International Commercial Law http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/
• More Contract Law http://www.lawlead.com/florida/law/contcon.html
• Electronic Commerce http://www.spa.org/ecwr/

 

 

Week 6:Research and Preparation for Final Day's Presentation

 

Presentation for Final Day of Class:

Presentations for the final day of class will consist of debates between pairs of students, and therefore each student is free to work on his/her own. Students may choose to work together, meet, or coordinate research in preparing for their presentations, but meetings and coordination are not required.