Legal issues for information professionals IX: An overview of recent developments in the law, in relation to the internet

This paper aims to provide an update to the last major review by Burrull and Oppenheim of legal aspects of information management in relation to the web.

The paper reports developments in the primary areas of law in relation to the internet since 2004. Topics covered include: copyright, domain names and trademarks, linking, framing, caching and spamdexing (the use of artificial means to enhance one's position in search engines' outputs), patents, censorship, defamation, liability, conflict of laws and jurisdiction and legal deposit.

The paper shows that legal issues surrounding the internet are likely to become increasingly difficult and that either a new system is needed to resolve disputes, or that a new body of law is needed. It also suggests that information professionals need to contribute more to the ongoing legal debate.

The paper systematically describes legal issues associated with the management of electronic information.