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Information Technology Contracting Law (LAWS70362)
Graduate coursework level 7Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
October
Lecturers
Mr Jonathan Gill (Coordinator)
Mr Michael Carrick
Email: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability(Quotas apply) | October |
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Fees | Look up fees |
Information technology is critical to almost all modern organisations and processes. The development, acquisition and use of such technology raises a myriad of complex legal issues extending beyond conventional contractual issues and includes ownership rights, rights of use and risk management. This subject explores those issues with a particular emphasis on contracting and intellectual property issues associated with the development and sourcing of information technology products and services. Both lecturers are information technology lawyers with extensive practical experience acting for both providers and purchasers of such products and services.
Principal topics include:
- Overview of information technology and the Australian information technology development industry
- Roles and relationships of the various parties to information technology agreements
- Copyright protection afforded to technology products and services, including online products and services
- Open source licensing arrangements
- Patent protection afforded to information technology products and services
- Employees and contractor rights and obligations in the context of the creation and development of information technology
- Software creation, development and exploitation
- Hardware supply arrangements
- Network management, security and maintenance
- Cloud services: risks and liability
- Database and content management issues including privacy
- Risk allocation and management of information technology contracts (including insurance and escrow arrangements).
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have an advanced and integrated understanding of the legal principles related to the contracting for the development and exploitation of information technology products and services (including recent developments in this field of law and practice) (“those Legal Principles”)
- Be able to critically examine, analyse, interpret and assess the effectiveness of those Legal Principles
- Be an engaged participant in debate regarding the contractual, copyright and other legal issues that arise in relation to the development and exploitation of information technology products and services
- Have a sophisticated appreciation of the issues that arise in relation to the development and exploitation of information technology products and services
- Have an advanced understanding of relationships between the legal issues that arise and the commercial environment in which information technology products and services are developed and exploited
- Have a detailed understanding of the law and its impact on the development of information technology products and services
- Have the cognitive and technical skills to generate critical and creative ideas relating to information technology contracting law and to critically evaluate existing legal principles and concepts with creativity and autonomy
- Have the communication skills to clearly articulate and convey complex information regarding information technology contracting law to relevant specialist and non-specialist audiences
- Be able to demonstrate autonomy, expert judgment and responsibility as a practitioner and learner in the field of information technology contracting law.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Melbourne Law Masters Students: None
JD Students: Successful completion of all the below subjects:
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50028 | Constitutional Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50029 | Contracts | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50027 | Dispute Resolution | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50023 | Legal Method and Reasoning | Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50031 | Legal Theory |
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
November (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50026 | Obligations | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50024 | Principles of Public Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50025 | Torts |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
November (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Additional details
- Class participation (10%)
- Take-home examination (5,000 - 6,000 words) (90%) (23 - 26 November)
or - Research paper (8,000 words) (90%) (16 January 2019) on a topic approved by the subject coordinator
A minimum of 75% attendance is a hurdle requirement.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- October
Principal coordinator Jonathan Gill Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 24-34 hours Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 10 September 2018 Pre teaching requirements The pre-teaching period commences four weeks before the subject commencement date. From this time, students are expected to access and review the Reading Guide that will be available from the LMS subject page and the subject materials provided by the subject coordinator, which will be available from Melbourne Law School. Refer to the Reading Guide for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 8 October 2018 to 12 October 2018 Last self-enrol date 31 August 2018 Census date 8 October 2018 Last date to withdraw without fail 30 November 2018 Assessment period ends 16 January 2019 October contact information
Lecturers
Mr Jonathan Gill (Coordinator)
Mr Michael CarrickEmail: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students.
Enrolment is on a first come, first served basis. Waitlists are maintained for subjects that are fully subscribed.
Students should note priority of places in subjects will be given as follows:
- To currently enrolled Graduate Diploma and Masters students with a satisfactory record in their degree
- To other students enrolling on a single subject basis, eg Community Access Program (CAP) students, cross-institutional study and cross-faculty study.
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist printed materials will be made available free of charge from the Melbourne Law School prior to the pre-teaching period.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If required, please contact law-admissions@unimelb.edu.au for subject coordinator approval.
Last updated: 3 November 2022