Unauthorised access to wireless local area networks: The limitations of the present Australian laws

Wireless local area networks (WLANs) have enjoyed a rapid increase in usage in recent years. WLANs serve to connect users to the Internet by means of radio or infrared frequencies. The rise in WLAN usage has however served to highlight some of the inadequacies of the present laws governing unauthorised access to WLANs. At present, the legislation serves to make unauthorised access, modification or impairment of electronic communications illegal. It is clear that the provisions prohibit the hacking of computer systems and denial of service attacks. However, it is unclear whether the legislation extends to additional forms of unauthorised access such as wardriving (using software to identify and map freely available WLAN) and joyriding (accessing a network with no further damage to the connection). The liability of Internet Service Providers and those engaged in unauthorised access in public places also remains unclear. Finally, the relationship of the offence of unauthorised access to the tort of trespass and the laws of copyright remain untested. The objective of this paper is to consider the measures necessary to increase the effectiveness of WLAN laws. The paper will begin by considering the nature of WLAN technology and the policy discourse to date. This will be followed by an examination of the present Australian law and an identification of areas of uncertainty. Finally, the paper will consider the measures required to enhance the certainty and effectiveness of the laws governing unauthorised access to WLAN.     

“人肉搜索”浅析

“人肉搜索”是一种大量网民参与、互动的信息搜索方式。“人肉搜索”作为转型期中国社会的特定产物尽管存在着诸多不足，但其维护正义及公益性本质为其自身发展提供了一个广阔前景。“人肉搜索”行为只要没有侵犯个人隐私，就不需要用刑法加以规制，而应完善网络法规对“人肉搜索”进行规范和引导。     

中国互联网内容监管的预期与效果——事实及评价

从监管预期与效果的落差来看,不同时期的案例证明,中国互联网"国家防火墙"仍会有间歇性失常,无论是冲动许可、维权春天还是哄客暴戾,民众表达仍然有弹性空间。西方的政治家和知识精英基于他们的自由价值立场和生活经验,对中国互联网内容监管提出了强烈批评,辩护者则注意到中国政府的现实权衡。批评者表达的是私人自由与公共权力之间的紧张,辩护者关注的是公共权力与统治秩序之间的调和。     

European national news

The regular article tracking developments at the national level in key European countries in the area of IT and communications – co-ordinated by Herbert Smith LLP and contributed to by firms across Europe. This column provides a concise alerting service of important national developments in key European countries. Part of its purpose is to compliment the Journal's feature articles and Briefing Notes by keeping readers abreast of what is currently happening “on the ground” at a national level in implementing EU level legislation and international conventions and treaties. Where an item of European National News is of particular significance, CLSR may also cover it in more detail in the current or a subsequent edition.     

网络环境下青少年心理健康教育研究

网络的推广与普及给青少年的身心带来了巨大的影响,它在拓宽青少年认知结构空间、促进其情绪宣泄和培养青少年多元价值观的同时,也容易导致青少年认知能力迷失、人际关系淡漠、生活意志丧失、抑郁、焦虑、敌对等一系列的心理问题。而我国当前在青少年网络心理问题的治疗过程中,存在着禁止青少年上网、只进行德育训诫、重治轻防和治疗人员专业水平较低等问题。提高青少年心理健康教育的效果,应建立家庭、学校和社会三位一体的教育和预防机制,开展网络心理教育,注重法制教育、德育教育与心理教育的有机结合并提高青少年网络心理疾病治疗人员的专业化水平。     

Efficiency, Viability and the New Rules of the Internet

What is the role of rational efficiency and evolutionary viability in explaining long-term processes of institutional change? The rapid changes surrounding the emergence of markets on and around the Internet are observed as evidence for such processes. Events involving rule emergence on the Internet observed between 1985 and 2000 are registered and ordered within a three-dimensional matrix of 90 cells. They are reported in a narrative account that gives a rough impression of the richness of rule and regime emergence. The account highlights major episodes to illustrate the more general process. The results confirm that efficiency maintains its explanatory power under the new circumstances, particularly in accounting for private rule adjustment behavior due to changes in transaction costs. The results also suggest that the evolutionary competition for viability of public organizations and institutions operates as another, complementary explanation. It explains, among other things, the overall growth of influence of new public-private organizations at the expense of national legal institutions.     

信息网络时代版权保护制度两大变革

信息网络时代版权保护制度正在衍变。文章探讨了信息网络时代版权保护制度的两大变革。第一，在版权侵权责任的归责原则上对传统的过错责任原则作了变革，产生了“通知后责任”制度，也就是其他论著中所说的网络服务提供者间接侵权制度，在这一点上，文章试图从一个新的角度也就是归责原则的变更角度对之进行探讨。第二是版权保护的中心从复制权转移到传播权的趋向，这一点还未引起学界的重视，文章试图论证这种变革正在发生。在数字世界，控制传播比控制复制具有更大的意义。     

电子商务中知识产权纠纷的可仲裁性

现代社会中电子商务活动日渐普遍,电子商务中知识产权的纠纷也逐渐增多。具体到知识产权纷争的解决途径,除司法审判和行政查处外,仲裁将成为解决知识产权纠纷的第三条有效途径。电子商务知识产权纠纷的可仲裁性,不但有程序法和实体法的依据,也有现实社会发展的紧迫需要。电子商务中涉及私权处分的知识产权纠纷,通过传统的书面仲裁协议或者在网络上明示并经交易对方认可的仲裁条款,都将赋予仲裁机关管辖权,使得该知识产权纠纷具有可仲裁性。在新的历史条件下,仲裁机构应当与时俱进地加以改革。     

Legal developments and industry issues relevant to IT,media and telecommunications law in key jurisdictions across the Asia Pacific

This column provides a country by country analysis of the latest legal developments, cases and issues relevant to the IT, media and telecommunications' industries in key jurisdictions across the Asia Pacific region. The articles appearing in this column are intended to serve as ‘alerts’ and are not submitted as detailed analyses of cases or legal developments.     

中国网络化政治参与及其应对

网络政治参与具有平等的参与主体、自由的参与空间、低成本的参与手段、虚拟的参与身份等各种特点。从功能上讲，它有双面效应。一方面，它能改善政治参与的途径和手段、激发公众的参与热情、扩大政治参与规模、提高网民的政治社会化程度和促进政府工作的廉洁高效；另一方面，网络政治参与的信息不可靠，可能会引发政治体系的合法性危机和新的社会不平等。为此，要从参与机制、参与者素质、参与文化和政府作用等方面来完善和推动中国网络化政治参与。