JUS5670 – Electronic Commerce Law
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
This course is discontinued and will be replaced with a new course JUS5671 – Legal Technology: Artificial Intelligence and Law spring semester 2019.
The growth and widespread use of the Internet has spurred the development of electronic commerce and the EU is aiming to create a digital single market. People are buying and selling goods and services online, either directly or with the help of agents, including electronic agents. Firms are increasingly doing business online and new forms of commercial co-operation are emerging. These transactions have or may bring about legal consequences for the parties involved as well as third parties, such as online intermediaries.
The course concentrates on European Union (EU) legal instruments and policy to regulate various aspects of electronic commerce, covering primarily business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions. Where appropriate, reference is made to the legal position in countries outside the EU such as the United States, for comparative purposes.
Key issues include managing risks for the involved parties in the on-line environment (such as liability risks for online intermediaries) and establishing trust on the Internet (including through the use of electronic identity (eID) and trust services). Moreover, consumer rights play a major role, particularly in electronic contracting. The course reviews legal code (primarily EU regulatory instruments) also its interaction with computer code. This role of the latter is examined, inter alia, in the context of electronic payment systems and cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin. Computer code is also the key focus when the course discusses the increasing importance of artificial intelligence systems in electronic commerce.
Last not least, the course addresses disputes about electronic commerce, again with a particular focus on the protection of consumers. This raises problems regarding jurisdiction and choice of law, particularly when disputes are brought to the courts. However, in recent years the EU has also emphasised the potential of, and lain the ground for, on-line dispute resolution.
Learning outcome
The primary aim of the course is to identify and discuss the principal legal issues that emerge from commercial Internet transactions. The course sheds light on the special position of the consumer in online transactions and distinguishes between situations where the customer is a business from those in which the customer is a consumer.
A further aim of the course is not just to provide knowledge of 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.
Overlapping courses
10 credits overlap with ICTLECOMM – E-Commerce 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.
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
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 deliver the final assignment.
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.
Use of sources and rules for citing.
Be sure that you are familiar with the use of sources and the rules for citing/quoting from others’ work
UiO uses a plagiarism checking tool as one of several instruments for detecting suspicion of cheating and attempted cheating.
Examination support material
Regulations for support materials permitted at examination for courses taught in English . Please read all three chapters.
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 grade, while the written examination will account for 70%.
Guidelines for the evaluation of grades at The Faculty of Law.
Explanations 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.