Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

Cyber Law Research Guide

Introduction
Westlaw, LexisNexis, CCH
Computer Law Treatises - U.S.
Specialized Journals
Free Web Sites
Cyber Law Blogs
Other Research Guides
Intellectual Property Resources
Contracts Resources
Privacy Resources
International, Globalization, Policy Issues


( Image: 'circuit board' www.flickr.com/photos/87273935@N00/2389195738)

 

Introduction

Cyber Law is "the area of law dealing with the use of computers and the Internet and the exchange of communications and information thereon, including related issues concerning such communications and information as the protection of intellectual property rights, freedom of speech, and public access to information." yourdictionary.com (citing Webster's New World Law Dictionary).

As stated above, Cyber Law draws from various other legal topics, including contract law, tort law, intellectual property, and privacy law. Frequent issues which arise include jurisdiction, choice of law, sovereignty, and globalization.

Westlaw, LexisNexis, CCH

Westlaw: Try this Directory path to find computer law treatises, law reviews, etc - Topical Materials by Area of Practice> Science and Computer Technologies Law. Also try related topics such as Commercial Law and Contracts or Intellectual Property. If desired, when in the directory of a related topic, find more specific resources to search by typing "computer or internet"into the search box below the Directory Location path.

LexisNexis: Legal> Area of Law by Topic> Cyberlaw & E-Commerce - Emerging Issues section may give you paper topic ideas. Treatises are under the Search Analysis, Law Reviews and Journals section.

CCH: CCH Business and Finance database - Click on the tab "Intellectual Property, Computer & Internet Law." Includes Guide to Computer Law, Computer & Internet Cases, Computer & Internet Treatises - Search by Topic. [This database available to Cleveland-Marshall College of Law students only.]

 

Computer Law Treatises - U.S.

Internet and Online law / Kent D. Stuckey.   KF390.5 .C6 S78 1996 (updated; current).   Includes contracts, privacy & defamation, obscenity law, intellectual property law, government regulation. Westlaw - IOLAW

Internet Law and Practice.   Westlaw - INTERNET.   Covers starting and managing an online business, contracts, taxation, antitrust, personal jurisdiction, e-discovery, intellectual property, free speech, state regulation, computer crime

Computer Law.   LexisNexis - COMPLW.   Includes personal jurisdiction, software and data protection, open source software, intellectual property, evidentiary issues in computer law cases.

Law of the Internet / F. Lawrence Street and Mark P. Grant.    KF390.5 .C6 S78 (Reference) (updated; current).   LexisNexis - LAWINT.   Includes jurisdiction, contracts, privacy, intellectual property, computer crime, defamation, taxation, securities, open source software.

E-Commerce Law & Business / Mark E. Plotkin.   KF390.5 .C6 E112 (latest supplement 2005).   Covers setting up and financing an e-business. software licensing, contracts, intellectual property, privacy, international privacy, foreign trade controls, antitrust, content liability, information security.

Virtual Law: navigating the legal landscape of virtual worlds / Benjamin Tyson Duranske.   KF390.5 .C6 D87 2008

Internet Law in a Nutshell / Michael L. Rustad.   Download via SSRN (53 pages) or in library,  KF390.5.C6 R87 2009  Covers jurisdiction, contracts, international e-commerce, torts, consumer regulations, privacy, cybercrime, content regulation, intellectual property. "A brief exposition of the law of the Internet."


To Find More:

**Browse the library shelf at Call Number KF390.5 (Atrium level)
**See Westlaw, LexisNexis, CCH section above.
**Do subject search in Scholar (computers - law and legislation; computer networks - law and legislation).

 

Specialized Journals

Law Journals

Browsing recent editions of computer law journals may help identify paper topics. See Findlaw - List of Cyberspace Law Journals

Once you find the title of Law Review or Journal you are interested in, a good place to browse article titles is HeinOnline Law Journal Library

Also see Finding Articles in Law Reviews & Journals guide.

Multidisciplinary Journals

 

Free Web Sites

For more, see one of the Other Research Guides, below

Cyber Law Blogs

Good for paper topic ideas and current awareness.

Others from Law X.0 Directory

 

 

Other Research Guides

 

Intellectual Property Resources

General

Copyright

  • Nimmer on Copyright (11 vol.).    KF2991.5 .N5 1978 (updated; current).   LexisNexis - NIMMER.   See especially Ch 12A Copyright Protection Systems and Management Information, CH 12B Liability for Online Copyright Infringement, CH 27 Computers.

Trademark/Lanham Act

  • McCarthy on Trademarks & Unfair Competition (7 vol.).   KF3180 .M3 1996 (updated; current).   Westlaw - MCCARTHY
  • Gilson on Trademarks.   LexisNexis - GILSON.   See especially CH. 7A Trademark Law and the Internet.
  • Milgrim on Licensing.   LexisNexis - LICENS - Various appendices pertain to computer law.
  • McGrady on Domain Names.   LexisNexis - MCONDN.
  • Domain Names - Global Practice and Procedure.   Westlaw DOMAIN-GPP.

Patent

  • Chisum on Patents.   LexisNexis - CHISUM.
  • Patent Law Fundamentals (5 vol.).   KF3114 .R68 (updated; current).   Westlaw - PATLAWF


To Find More:

**Browse the library shelf at Call Numbers KF2900 - KF3100 (Atrium level)
**Westlaw - Topical Materials by Area of Practice> Intellectual Property
**LexisNexis - Legal> Area of Law by Topic> Trademark Law OR Copyright Law OR Patent Law
**See Computer Law Treatises - U.S. section above (specific chapters in these books).

 

Contracts Resources

  • Computer Law: Drafting and Negotiating Forms and Agreements.   Westlaw - CLDNF.
  • Computer Contracts.   LexisNexis - CMPCON.
  • BNA E-Commerce Publications.   LexisNexis - BNAECL - Great for current awareness.
  • Uniform Laws Annotated, Vol. 7A, page 211.   KF879.A45 U5 (Reference)  v.7A pt.1.   Westlaw -ULA - Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. Uniform act states that have adopted it, state to state differences in language.
  • Most of the big contract sets such as Williston on Contracts (KF801 .L67 1990 Reference - current) have only scattered references to Cyber Law issues. Look in the index under computer, electronic, etc.


To Find More:

**Books on computer contracts may be in the contracts area of the library (around KF905) or computer law area (around KF390.5).
**Do Subject search in Scholar (computer contracts - united states OR electronic commerce - law and legislation).
**See Computer Law Treatises - U.S. section above (specific chapters in these books).

 

Privacy

Generally

To Find More:

**Browse the library shelf around Call Number KF1262 - KF1263 (Atrium Level).
**On Westlaw try Search for a Database box on the left, and type in "privacy."
**Do subject search in Scholar (data protection - law and legislation - United States; privacy, right of - United States - may want to limit this one further).
**See Computer Law Treatises - U.S. section above (specific chapters in these books).

Employee Privacy

  • Employee use of the Internet and e-mail : a model corporate policy with commentary on its use in the U.S. and other countries / editors David M. Doubilet and Vincent I. Polley.   KF3457 .E453 2002
  • The naked employee : how technology is compromising workplace privacy / Frederick S. Lane. HF5549.5.E428 L36 2003

To Find More:

**Browse the library shelf around Call Number KF3457 (Atrium Level) - may find more in the big employment law sets.
**See Westlaw, LexisNexis, CCH section above.
**Do keyword subject search in Scholar (example: SU=employee and SU=privacy)

International, Globalization, Policy Issues

  • Legal issues in the global information society / Dennis Campbell and Chrysta Bán, editors.  K564.C6 L45 2005 base level.
  • Cyberspace & International Law on Jurisdiction - possibilities of dividing cyberspace into jurisdictions with help of filters and firewall software / Henrik Spang-Hanssen.  K564.C6 S68 2004 base level.
  • International encyclopaedia of laws. Cyber law / Jos Dumortier, editor.   K564.C6 C93 (last updated 2007).
  • Regulating cyberspace : the policies and technologies of control / Richard A. Spinello.   TK5102.5 .S6633 2002 (Atrium level).
  • Cyberlaw : national and international perspectives / Roy J. Girasa.   KF390.5.C6 G57 2002


To Find More:

**Browse the library shelf around call number K564 (base level).
**Do subject search in Scholar (cyberspace - government policy).
**Do keyword search in Scholar (international cyberlaw).

 

 

SA, Feb 2009 ; links checked 8/09

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