JUS5641 – Electronic Communications Law

Course description

• Course content
• Learning outcome
• Admission
• Prerequisites

• Overlapping courses
• Teaching
• Examination
• Evaluation

Course content

This course is discontinued and will be replaced with a new course "JUS5690 Robot Regulation" fall semester 2018.

The course examines how the European Union (EU) regulates one of its most dynamic, innovative industries: the electronic communications sector. The course concentrates on the efforts of the EU to deregulate and re-regulate electronic communications networks and services in order to achieve Union-wide competition in the sector. Account is also taken of the global context for this area of regulation. Accordingly, account is taken of the regulatory roles played by non-EU actors in the field, particularly the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and World Trade Organization (WTO). The main legal instruments examined in the course are Directives 2002/21/EC, 2002/19/EC, 2002/20/EC, and 2002/22/EC (all as amended), Regulation (EC) 1211/2009, along with relevant Commission recommendations and guidelines.

A salient set of issues taken up in the course concern the interaction and respective roles of, on the one hand, rules on Significant Market Power and, on the other hand, rules of general EU competition law.

The themes taken up in the course can be summed up with the following key words: liberalization; harmonisation; competition; access; interconnection; market analysis; significant market power; universal service; authorization; network neutrality

Learning outcome

The primary objective of the course is to impart a solid understanding of the central EU rules governing electronic communications and the provision of services based on such communications.

A secondary objective is to impart understanding of the main ways in which general EU competition law interacts with the rules dealing specifically with electronic communications, along with the principal similarities and differences between the two sets of rules.

A further aim of the course is not just to elucidate the relevant legal rules as they currently stand but also to encourage critical appraisal of them. This involves analysing and challenging the assumptions upon which the rules are based, and discussion of alternative regulatory possibilities.

Admission

You may register for this course if you have admission to a Master’s programme at UiO or the faculty's exchange programme. You can also register for this course if you do not have admission to any programme at UiO, but meet the formal prerequistites.

All students are required meet the formal prerequistites.

Have you met the formal prerequisites at another institution than the University of Oslo, and the results are not formally registered at UiO, you must apply for admission to courses at Master’s level . Students with admission to Master’s degree programmes at other faculties than The Faculty of Law must also apply for admission.

When your admission is in order you must register for courses in StudentWeb

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisite knowledge

Students must fill one of these requirements:

• Passed 1st - 3rd year of the 5-years degree Master of Laws (Master i rettsvitenskap at UiO) (or exams that qualify for exemption for these) or
• Hold a 5-years Master’s degree in Laws (Master i rettsvitenskap at UiO) or equivalent.

Exemptions from the formal prerequisites will be given to students with admission to the faculty's own exchange or master’s degree programmes. This rule does not apply to students with admission to other master’s degree programmes at the University of Oslo, unless otherwise agreed.

Recommended previous knowledge

Three years of law studies.

Overlapping courses

• 5 credits overlap with JUR1640 – Electronic Communications Law (BA) (discontinued)
• 5 credits overlap with VALTELE – Telecommunications Law (discontinued)
• 5 credits overlap with VALECLIG – Electronic Communications Law and Internet Governance (discontinued)
• 5 credits overlap with JUTTELE – Telecommunications Law (discontinued)
• 5 credits overlap with JUTECELIG
• 5 credits overlap with ICTLTELE – Telecommunications Law (discontinued)
• 6 credits overlap with ICTLCLIG
• 5 credits overlap with JUR5640 – Electronic Communications Law and Internet Governance (discontinued)
• 10 credits overlap with JUR1641 – Electronic Communications Law (BA) (discontinued)
• 10 credits overlap with JUS5640 – Electronic Communications Law (discontinued)

Teaching

Lectures/seminars, 20 hours.

Language of teaching for this course is English. This means that all communication during lectures/seminars will be in English, and all literature and auxiliary materials are in English.

Examination

Exam consists of two parts: a mid-term paper and a 4 hour written examination. Students who fail or do not deliver the mid-term essay will not be allowed to sit for the 4 hour examination.

In case of retake, a candidate must retake both examinations, even if the candidate has successfully passed one of the examinations.

Please note that if a student wish to file an appeal in only one of the examinations, both examinations will automatically undergo a regrading.

Examination support material

Regulations for support materials permitted at examination for courses taught in English . Please read all three chapters.

Previous exam papers

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

The mid-term paper will account for 30% of the total grade, while the written examination will account for 70%. One grade is given for the whole coursework.

Marking criteria for written examination

This  guide is used by examiners for grading elective courses at the Faculty of Law.

Explanations and appeals

• Explanation of grades and appeals

Resit an examination

• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Resitting an examination.
• There are special rules for resitting a passed examination in the master's programme in Law.

Withdrawal from an examination

It is possible to take this exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.

There are special rules for resitting a passed examination in the master's programme in Law.

Special examination arrangements

Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.

Evaluation

The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.

Other

The language for this course is English. Students enrolled in the Masterprogrammet i rettsvitenskap must pass one English subject as part of their degree, this course will meet these obligations.

This subject is taught at Master 's level. The subject is also taught at Bachelor's level (15 ECTS credits), see JUR1640 – Electronic Communications Law (BA) (discontinued). Please see the chapter above, regarding overlap. For instances of overlap, credits will be deducted on the subject at Bachelors's level.