Law 281: Introduction to Information Technology Law
The John Marshall Law School
Professor David E. Sorkin
Spring 2002

SYLLABUS

Overview

This course is designed to introduce students to the field of information technology law. Among the topics to be addressed are protection of computer software, information access and control, privacy and security, Internet law, and electronic commerce. This course is particularly appropriate for students who are preparing to participate on the Journal of Computer and Information Law or who are considering advanced studies in information technology law.

Instructor

David E. Sorkin, Associate Professor of Law
Office: 321 South Plymouth Court (CBA Building), room 1607
Telephone: (312) 987-2387
E-mail: david@sork.com
Office hours: Mondays 3:30-5:30 pm, and by appointment

Textbook

Mark Lemley, Peter S. Menell, Robert P. Merges & Pamela Samuelson, Software and Internet Law (Aspen Law & Business 2000) (ISBN 0-7355-1312-0). [Updates; compare prices]

Course requirements and grading

The class meets on Monday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The final examination will be given on Monday, May 13, 2002, at 6:00 pm. Class attendance is expected, and students will be held responsible for material covered at all class meetings. The class will be taught using a lecture-and-discussion format, and students must be prepared to discuss the assigned reading materials in class. If you wish to attend class but are unprepared to discuss the assigned materials, you should leave a signed note to that effect on my desk before class begins.

The course grade will be determined based upon a final examination at the end of the semester, with the possibility that grades may be adjusted upward or downward by one half letter grade based upon attendance and class participation.

We will address topics in the sequence outlined below. Each topic will require approximately one class session. Additional topics or assigned readings may be added during the semester. You should plan to stay at least one topic ahead in the readings. (Links to most or all of the materials other than the casebook are available on the course web site, at http://www.citpl.org/itlaw.)

1.  Introduction

• Casebook pp. 1-45, 773-774
• Barry M. Leiner et al., A Brief History of the Internet

  2.  Domain Names and Trademarks

• Casebook pp. 799-835
• Network Solutions, Inc. v. Umbro Int'l, Inc., 529 S.E.2d 80 (Va. 2000) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), P.L. 106-113, tit. 3, 113 Stat. 1501 (1999)
• ICANN Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (Oct. 24, 1999)

  3.  Domain Names and Trademarks, continued

• Casebook pp. 835-859
• Sporty's Farm, L.L.C. v. Sportsman's Market, Inc., 202 F.3d 489 (2d Cir. 2000) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• Virtual Works, Inc. v. Volkswagen of America, Inc., 238 F.3d 264 (4th Cir. 2001) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• Shields v. Zuccarini, 254 F.3d 476 (3d Cir. 2001) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• People for Ethical Treatment of Animals v. Doughney, 263 F.3d 359 (4th Cir. 2001) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• Parisi v. Netlearning, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 2d 745 (E.D. Va. 2001) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• Sallen v. Corinthians Licenciamentos LTDA, 273 F.3d 14 (1st Cir. 2001) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• Telstra Corp. v. Nuclear Marshmallows, No. D2000-0003, 2000 UDRP LEXIS 2, 2000 WL 33646365 (WIPO Feb. 18, 2000)
• FAMOSA v. Palameta, No. D2000-1689, 2001 UDRP LEXIS 422, 2001 WL 1457182 (WIPO Mar. 14, 2001)
• Vivendi Universal v. Sallen, No. D2001-1121, 2001 UDRP LEXIS 1265 (WIPO Nov. 7, 2001)

  4.  Copyright and Patent Law in Cyberspace

• Casebook pp. 859-920
• EBay, Inc. v. Bidder's Edge, Inc., 100 F. Supp. 2d 1058 (N.D. Cal. 2000) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Reimerdes, 111 F. Supp. 2d 294 (S.D.N.Y. 2000) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc., 239 F.3d 1004 (9th Cir. 2001) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• Amazon.com, Inc. v. Barnesandnoble.com, Inc., 239 F.3d 1343 (Fed. Cir. 2001) [Lexis; Westlaw]

  5.  Jurisdiction and Choice of Law

• Casebook pp. 775-797
• Intercon, Inc. v. Bell Atlantic Internet Solutions, Inc., 205 F.3d 1244 (10th Cir. 2000) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• State v. Heckel, 24 P.3d 404 (Wash. 2001) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• Yahoo! v. La Ligue Contre Le Racisme et L'Antisemitisme, 169 F. Supp. 2d 1181 (N.D. Cal. 2001) [Lexis; Westlaw]

  6.  Content Regulation

• Casebook pp. 921-970
• ACLU v. Reno, 217 F.3d 162 (3d Cir. 2000) [Lexis; Westlaw]

  7.  Privacy, Anonymity, and Encryption

• Casebook pp. 991-1024
• Federal Trade Commission, Online Profiling: A Report to Congress (Part 2): Recommendations (July 2000) [HTML; PDF; press release]
• U.S. Department of Commerce, Safe Harbor Overview
• Junger v. Daley, 209 F.3d 481, 2000 Fed. App. 0117P (6th Cir. 2000) [Lexis; Westlaw]

  8.  Electronic Commerce

• Casebook pp. 1025-1068
• Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN), P.L. 106-229, 114 Stat. 464 (2000)

  9.  Computer Crimes

• Casebook pp. 971-990

  10.  Internet Governance

• Casebook pp. 1069-1088

  11.  Copyright Protection for Computer Software

• Casebook pp. 49-53, 95-170, 228-247

  12.  Patent, Trademark, and Sui Generis Protection

• Casebook pp. 259-267, 312-326, 369-395, 412-437
• Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. v. Connectix Corp., 203 F.3d 596 (9th Cir. 2000) [Lexis; Westlaw]

  13.  Licensing

• Casebook pp. 439-505, 517-534
• New York Times Co. v. Tasini, 533 U.S. 483 (2001) [Lexis; Westlaw]

  14.  Antitrust Law

• Casebook pp. 539-543, 564-579, 594-609, 624-627
• AT&T Corp. v. City of Portland, 216 F.3d 871 (9th Cir. 2000) [Lexis; Westlaw]
• United States v. Microsoft Corp., 253 F.3d 34 (D.D.C. 2001) [Lexis; Westlaw] -- also see proposed settlement

Posted:  01 Jan 2002 Last modified:  07 Jan 2002