Computer Law still delivers

Reviewing a textbook such as Reed's and Angel's Computer Lawis particularly challenging. The subject matter is broad andrequires a practitioner or academic specialized in the subjectto be able to assess the content properly. The book is alsoa proven brand, and its sixth outing serves as evidence thatit continues to be a popular one. As a reviewer, one shouldkeep in mind     

eBay Law: The legal implications of the C2C electronic commerce model

This article addresses some of the legal implications of the popular consumer-to-consumer electronic commerce model, in particular the implications of the successful and popular auctions site eBay.     

The software patent debate

Legal context. This article has practical application for thoseworking in the patent field, particularly with regards to thefiling of software patent applications. Key points. The article provides a detailed explanation of thestate of the art with regards to the legal protection of software,and describes the latest legal developments in the area, includingthe failed Directive on Computer Implemented Inventions andsome recent cases that may shed more light on some of the technicalissues involved in the area of software. The paper also exploressome of the arguments put forward by those in favour and opposedto software patents, in order to ascertain their validity. Practical significance. Existing case law may provide help tosolve the problem of patentability, but it might also be a goodidea to resurrect the idea that there should be a sui-generissoftware right.     

Attack of the killer acronyms: the future of information technology law

This paper looks at the field of information technology (IT) law and its reliance on the buzzwords, jargon and acronyms that tend to alienate serious discussion about some of the deeper socio‐legal issues involved. It is often easy to become confused by the terminology and the technology, which has led to some non‐issues receiving too much interest (the year 2000 bug for example) and some valuable and worthy topics being almost ignored. Some writers and researchers may be tempted to neglect the field because of a lack of understanding of the technology, which may eventually lead to the end of IT law as a serious field of research. This paper will attempt to re‐ignite the jurisprudential debate about the future of IT law research, teaching and practice by looking at the possible trends emerging from the literature.     

An impressive line-up of law and economics experts ...

Reviewing edited books is sometimes a difficult task, particularlywhen faced with interdisciplinary collections of articles. IntellectualProperty Rights: Innovation, Governance and the InstitutionalEnvironment is such a book, and therefore a true analysis ofits impact may elude this reviewer because of a lack of knowledgein some of the topics covered within the work. Nevertheless, even a non-specialist can recognize a good collectionwhen he sees one. The book presents an impressive line-up ofexperts in the increasingly relevant field of law