Information Technology and Telecommunications Law

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Any comparisons across time are sometimes unrealistic but it is also stated that if a smart phone of today could be sent back in time by no more than 20 years, it would have been the most powerful computer in the world.

Alongside the development of processing capabilities, the last 4 decades have seen increasing integration between the computer and telecommunications networks. Much is said today about cloud computing. Increasingly, it is a matter of little importance whether data or processing capabilities are located on one's own computers or can be accessed remotely as and when needed.

As well as becoming an integral component of IT systems, the telecommunications industry has itself been subject to seismic changes. In a very short period of time, driven largely by the emergence of mobile telephony, we have moved from a position where the status quo was a public sector monopoly to today's fiercely competitive markets. At the mobile level, competing networks exist, whilst for fixed line communications, even though there may be limited competition at network level, competition does exist in relation to the provision of communication services.

All of these developments possess very significant legal implications and the key purpose of the LLM course is to give you a comprehensive introduction to the challenges that developments in the information technology and telecommunications sectors pose for the law and as to the manner in which legal systems are responding.

The teaching focus on the course will be on developments in the UK and the European Union but one of the fascinating aspects of the topic is that all countries are having to deal with the same issues and, in the era of globalization, there is political and economic pressure to arrive at global solutions.

Year 1

Semester One

Optional:

e-Commerce Law

Liability in the Information Society

Intellectual Property Law

Telecommunications Policy and Regulation

Access to Public Sector Information

Semester Two

Compulsory:

Dissertation

Intakes: October and February. Applications will be accepted at any time. For students wishing to commence in October, the application should be submitted by the end of the first week of September. Students wishing to start in February should apply by the end of the first week of January. In each case the full set of documentation required must be supplied in order for the application to proceed.A Second Class Bachelor's Degree in Law (or a degree with a substantial legal component) is normally required, but account may also be taken of practical work experience or professional qualifications within the relevant field of study. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Finding funding for postgraduate study in the UK is more difficult than for undergraduate study, as it is not customary for the government to provide assistance in the form of loans. International students should investigate funding opportunities in their home country.