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Introduction to technology law: The legal protection of IT components — Part I

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0267-3649(03)00302-9Get rights and content

Abstract

Information technology law applies to content, hardware and software as well as to complex situations and activities enabled by developments in technology and global access to the Internet, such as e-commerce. It is no longer possible to maintain that this area lacks regulation, rather, a sophisticated system of laws and regulations has developed at national and international levels to address the complex situations that arise as a result of information’s electronic availability and ability to conduct commerce over the Internet.

The purpose of this article is to outline the essential concepts applicable to information technology in order to provide readers with a basic legal understanding of the sector. The article will be divided into three sections. The first two are dedicated to the legal protection of the different components of IT. The third is dedicated to electronic commerce. The examination of these important aspects of IT is conducted from an international perspective that seeks to address issues at the conceptual level and, as such, avoids an analysis of specific national laws or geographical restrictions, although such has been taken into consideration in the discussion within each section.

Section snippets

A. Legal protection of IT components

The IT sector is best considered as a group of products and services including computer programs, databases, multimedia products, web sites/pages, where the computer, telecommunications, information and entertainment industries meet. These components are at their most basic level protected by copyright laws, as well as laws that protect confidential information, patents and trade-marks.

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