JUTECLIG – Electronic Communications Law and Internet Governance
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
Note: This course will be given a new code from spring semester 2006, and you will find all relevant information JUR5640 – Electronic Communications Law and Internet Governance (discontinued)
This 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).
A second strand of the course concentrates on the emergent regulatory field termed “Internet governance”, which may loosely be defined as the various sets of norms (legal and non-legal) that determine how the Internet and its related applications function. The course examines the regulatory role played by Internet architecture itself and how the standards for that architecture are developed. Special consideration is given to domain name allocation and dispute resolution processes. Account is also taken of the impact on Internet governance of the new EU legal framework for electronic communications and of Phase 2 of the United Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society.
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; broadcasting; self-regulation; Internet standards; domain names.
Learning outcome
The primary objective of this course is to facilitate an understanding of the main elements of EU regulatory policy for the electronic communications sector, together with the main issues arising with respect to Internet governance.
A secondary objective is to facilitate an understanding of the relationship between, on the one hand, EU rules dealing specifically with telecommunications and, on the other hand, general EU competition law. Both sets of rules apply to the electronic communications sector yet each is associated with different obligations.
Additionally, the course aims to encourage critical reflection over adopted regulatory policies. Students will be challenged to question whether the extent to which the new EU regulatory framework for electronic communications will achieve the policy goals set for the sector. Students will also be encouraged to discuss what are the most appropriate policies for governing development and use of the Internet.
Admission
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If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Prerequisites
Recommended previous knowledge
Least 3 years of law studies.
Teaching
Lectures/seminars
Examination
6-hours written exam
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.