JUR5640 – Electronic Communications Law and Internet Governance
Course description
Course content
New course codes starting from the fallsemester 2011 - please see the website for JUS5640 – Electronic Communications Law (discontinued) or JUS5680 – Transnational Platform Governance (the courses now gives 10 credits each).
This course examines how the European Union (EU) regulates one of its most dynamic, innovative industries: the electronic communications sector. The course concentrates on the efforts of the EU to deregulate and re-regulate electronic communications networks and services in order to achieve Union-wide competition in the sector. Account is also taken of the global context for this area of regulation. Accordingly, account is taken of the regulatory roles played by non-EU actors in the field, particularly the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and World Trade Organization (WTO).
A second strand of the course concentrates on the emergent regulatory field termed “Internet governance”, which may loosely be defined as the various sets of norms (legal and non-legal) that determine how the Internet and its related applications function. The course examines the regulatory role played by Internet architecture itself and how the standards for that architecture are developed. Special consideration is given to domain name allocation and dispute resolution processes. Account is also taken of the impact on Internet governance of the new EU legal framework for electronic communications and of Phase 2 of the United Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society.
The themes taken up in the course can be summed up with the following key words: liberalization; harmonisation; competition; access; interconnection; market analysis; significant market power; universal service; authorization; broadcasting; self-regulation; Internet standards; domain names.
Learning outcome
From the course, one gains a solid understanding of the central EU rules governing electronic communications and the provision of services based on such communications. One gains also insight into the steering and management of core elements of Internet infrastructure, particularly data transmission protocols and the Domain Name System.
Admission
You may register for this course if you have admission to a Master of Law-programme at UiO, the faculty's exchange-programme or have admission to Law-electives at masters-level. All applicants must fill the formal prerequisites.
International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
- Admission to the faculty’s exchange-programme or
- Active study-right for a study programme, masters-level at the University of Oslo or
- Norwegian Masters of Laws degree or equivalent or
- Passed forth year, 96 – Cand. Jur programme (or exams that are equivalent) or
- Passed JUR3000, Masters of Laws programme at the University of Oslo (or exams that are equivalent).
Recommended previous knowledge
Three years of law studies.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with JUR1640 – Electronic Communications Law (BA) (discontinued)
- 15 credits overlap with VALTELE – Telecommunications Law (discontinued)
- 15 credits overlap with VALECLIG – Electronic Communications Law and Internet Governance (discontinued)
- 15 credits overlap with JUTTELE – Telecommunications Law (discontinued)
- 15 credits overlap with JUTECELIG
- 15 credits overlap with ICTLTELE – Telecommunications Law (discontinued)
- 15 credits overlap with ICTLCLIG
- 5 credits overlap with JUS5680 – Transnational Platform Governance
- 5 credits overlap with JUS5641 – Electronic Communications Law (discontinued)
- 5 credits overlap with JUR1641 – Electronic Communications Law (BA) (discontinued)
Teaching
Lectures/seminars.
Examination
4 hour written examination.
Examination support material
Auxiliary materials allowed during examinations for courses taught in English.
Language of examination
Students may answer the examination question in English, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish pursuant to Regulations governing studies and examinations at the University of Oslo. (§ 5.4 Forskrift om studier og eksamener ved Universitetet i Oslo)
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Resitting an examination.
- There are special rules for resitting a passed examination in the master's programme in Law.
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take this exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
There are special rules for resitting a passed examination in the master's programme in Law.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Please se Detailed regulations for the Faculty of Law, Chapter 3 regarding application, responsibilities and special measures.
Evaluation
The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.
Other
This subject is taught at Master 's level. The subject is also taught at Bachelor's level (15 ECTS credits), see JUR1640 – Electronic Communications Law (BA) (discontinued). Please see the chapter above, regarding overlap. For instances of overlap, credits will be deducted on the subject at Bachelors's level.