Law and Technology LLM

This module maps the landscape of digital disruption and explores how digital technologies affect the legal and regulatory landscape in several domains. The module will address questions of law, regulation, and normativity, and will explore the legal, social, ethical, and economic dimensions of innovation. The module will also consider the effects of these technologies on privacy, data protection, social justice, trade, governance, and more. This module provides a comprehensive overview of the key issues and debates at the forefront of digital transformation and provides critical tools and conceptual frameworks necessary to navigate this complex and rapidly-evolving field.

This module examines the emerging opportunities and the risks posed by new digital technologies in the public and private sectors. It explores the legal and regulatory frameworks governing the development of new technologies and explores the field of socially and ethically responsible innovation. The module outlines the practical approaches that all organisations must or can adopt to ensure regulatory compliance and an adequate protection of fundamental rights.

The Dissertation module gives you an opportunity to engage in independent research in a topic of your choice within the range of subject matter you have studied within other modules on the LLM in Law and Technology. You can choose to undertake a ‘traditional’ dissertation or take a project-based approach to the development of a speculative solution to a legal problem – the legal problem and/or the proposed solution needs to engage with technological aspects of the chosen legal subject matter. You’ll be supported through 1-to-1 supervision and research methods training workshops.

This module explores how technoscientific developments and the proliferation of expert voices in a variety of fields pose significant regulatory questions to legislatures and are captured by law. It explores a number of examples of how the interventions of those with technoscientific expertise in particular fields is governed and responded to through policy and regulation. It will provide opportunities for you to engage with notions of expertise, ethics, and governance.

This module explores the challenges posed by today’s digital technologies to the regulation and governance of data. You’ll critically evaluate the extent to which antagonistic interests – such as those informing the technology and innovation demands of the data-driven society, the need to protect the fundamental right to data protection and privacy, as well as other legal rights – are addressed and reconciled. This module creates opportunities to critically analyse the extent to which current policies and structures contribute to empower individuals and other stakeholders to exert meaningful control over their data and rights, in an automated and global environment.

This module examines emerging modes of normativity at the intersection of law and blockchain technology. Environmental and political crises paired with the disruptive power of blockchain technology (and the potential of web3.0 more generally) opened a new frontier of governance. This frontier is characterised by a move away from centralised structures towards decentralised networks, and from traditional public institutions to a proliferation of private actors. Consequently, it necessitates a reevaluation of the interplay between market forces and state authority, giving rise to novel hybrid models and alternative approaches.

Throughout this module, we will meticulously examine these global and local developments, delving into concepts such as network states, the emergence of startup cities, the intricacies of jurisdictional design, innovative ReFi (regenerative finance) models, the functioning of DAOs (decentralised autonomous organisations), the emergence of blockchain-based climate commons, and the dynamics within metaverse communities. Additionally, we will critically analyse the economic, political, and societal motivations underpinning these emerging normativities, providing insight into the forces shaping their trajectory.

Cross-border data transfers are vital for all sectors, driving innovation in technologies such as AI. However, the widespread exchange of data has raised concerns, leading to a decline in trust among citizens, businesses, and governments. This module explores the landscape of policies and regulations concerning cross-border data flows and the challenges related to data privacy protection, law enforcement, and digital industrial policies. Additionally, it examines the interests and policies informing data innovation and their role in fostering trust in cross-border data sharing.

This module maps the landscape of international and regional space law and engages with the disruption generated by new technologies and by new practices in this field of law, including the challenges and opportunities presented by privatisation of space-based activities. The module will tackle legal questions, as well as explore the social, ethical, and economic dimensions of space technological innovation, and consider the implications of new technologies for international, regional, and national governance, security, and economic prosperity. This module provides a comprehensive overview of the key issues and debates at the forefront of digital transformation in space and provides critical tools and conceptual frameworks that are necessary to navigate this complex and rapidly-evolving field.

This module considers the relevant law and practice within the creative industry sectors such as literary publishing, music, advertising, sports, film and TV, sports, and the media. In particular, the module requires the comprehension of rights within the particular industry sectors in accordance with relevant intellectual property such as copyright, moral rights, passing off, trademark, performers’ rights, defamation and misuse of private information. Further consideration is given to the exploitation thereof by the ‘rights holder’ pursuant to commercial contracts entered into with third parties such as literary and music publishers, record companies, film production companies and commercial entities in general. The avoidance of liability under existing contracts by means of the law on contracting with minors, undue influence and restraint of trade is also considered.

This module analyses commercial Intellectual Property rights in an international context, with a particular focus on challenges to IP in the new online environment. Topics covered include Copyright and Fair Use, Trademarks and Domain Names, Passing off, Patents and Design Rights, and Confidentiality Rights - Trade Secrets, Privacy and Personality.

This module considers the protection provided to creative works by intellectual property law within the general framework of theoretical and economic justifications for IP rights. It examines the legal issues such as substantive protection, control, exploitation, creation and proliferation, and balance and enforcement. Areas include authors, owners, media, internet, directors and many others. The module aims to:

• provide students with the essential principles governing and the theoretical underpinnings of IP rights
• develop an analysis of various IP rights in various branches of the entertainment business
• consider both the European and international dimension
• consider legal and non-legal intervention and remedies.

This module will analyse aspects of the regulation of content and control of various elements of the media. It covers the contemporary regulatory framework that determines the permissible extent of cross-media ownership in light of technological advancement, and also examines forms of censorship of material within the media. It looks at both the law and the various statutory bodies who have a regulatory function in this area.

This module considers how law and technology has created and influenced law in relation to the digital entertainment business including the creation and distribution of products. It examines how technological advances have affected relationships and rights within the digital entertainment business, including the creation and regulation of online social media. It analyses ways law has responded to the digital environment and technological changes as well as examines extralegal attempts to deal with infringement of legal rights.