Concentration in CyberLaw Studies
Bentley offers a concentration in Cyberlaw Studies to undergraduate students having a special interest in the intersection of business, law and technology. The concentration is especially suitable for e-commerce managers.
LA 109 — Law and Ethics for Cybersociety
This course will discuss the latest news and events relative to cybersociety from a Constitutional and national security perspective including a focus on recent anti-terrorism legislation. The balance between preserving civil rights and protection of our national security will be explained. Other topics will include the legal, social and ethical concerns relative to online privacy rights, the use of databases containing personal information, and copyright encryption that may interfere with an individual's fair use of downloading digital products. Cybercrimes including hacking, digital forgery, online gambling and embezzlement will be discussed along with government censorship of obscene material. Government regulation of the Internet and proposals for a non-regulated Internet will also be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on a discussion and explanation of the ethical theories as they relate to the development of a Cyberethics policy.
LA 300 — Cyberlaw - Professor Gerald R. Ferrera
Computer technology continues to change the laws relative to both the acquisition of information and doing business in cyberspace. This course will explain and discuss those legal and ethical issues arising from that change with a major focus on such topics as contracts and torts related to the Internet; property rights including copyright and trademark associated with a web site; protected speech on the Web under the First Amendment including issues related to defamation and obscenity, and privacy rights of the Internet user. These topics will address the potential liability associated with establishing a "domain name" and maintaining a "web presence" on the Internet. Court decisions, federal and state statutes, administrative rulings and legal literature surrounding Internet law will be presented. The course syllabus may be viewed on the Bentley web site: Courses on the Web.
LA 301 — Global Cyberlaw
This course will discuss the international online environment with a special emphasis on the legal consequences of global e-commerce. The course will explain leading and relevant United States treaties, cases, statutes, regulations and European Union directives as they govern and regulate global online transactions.
International e-commerce involves an understanding of such topics as where a multi-national e-business will be tried, how to protect intellectual property, (i.e. trademarks, copyrights, and patents), how different countries view the privacy rights of its customer/users, defamation of others on a Web site's bulletin board, pornography and other social issues as viewed from a foreign country’s perspective.
The ethical and social issues relevant to a multi-national e-business will also be discussed.
LA 302 — Marketing Law for the Cyberage
This course is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the law relating to marketing activities. The goal of the course is to acquaint students with traditional laws of marketing and to apply them to the Internet and e-commerce while at the same time focusing on the rapidly developing changes in these laws and constantly evolving issues precipitated by the distribution of ideas, goods and services via the Internet. The course will provide a framework within which to examine the legal issues that arise as businesses develop Internet marketing strategies designed to facilitate doing business in the e-commerce/business environment.
The course is intended to train the business student to be a better manager capable of making more informed decisions when confronted with legal issues posed by the marketing of goods or services. Emphasis will be placed on the prevention of legal problems that could result in legal liability and/or disputes. Additionally, the law will be viewed as a means to create orderly and effective decision-making.
PS 325 — Cyber Psychology (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): PS 132 or SO 132
Cyber Psychology examines the influences of information technology on human behavior. Current literature and the results of recent research will be analyzed to demonstrate these influences. Issues of interpersonal communication, personality, cognitive and social development, addiction and perceptual behavior will be addressed in depth.
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