Computer Law Commons^™

Institutional Liability In The E-Health Era, James Williams, Craig Kuziemsky

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper examines the jurisprudence on institutional liability for medical er- ror. We argue that the existing jurisprudence relies on assumptions that have been made obsolete by technological advances. In particular, we concentrate on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the health care domain. As we demonstrate, the use of these tools does not merely increase efficiency and support new health care functions; among other effects, ICT can have a profound influence on how health care practitioners make observations, exercise judgment and perform tasks. These tools influence human capabilities (at both the individual and systems level) in …

Overcoming The Digital Tsunami In E-Discovery: Is Visual Analysis The Answer?, Victoria L. Lemieux, Jason R. Baron

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

New technologies are generating potentially discoverable evidence in electronic form in ever increasing volumes. As a result, traditional techniques of document search and retrieval in pursuit of electronic discovery in litigation are becoming less viable. One potential new technological solution to the e-discovery search and retrieval challenge is Visual Analysis (VA). VA is a technology that combines the computational power of the computer with graphical representations of large datasets to enable interactive analytic capabilities. This article provides an overview of VA technology and how it is being applied in the analysis of e-mail and other electronic documents in the field …

The Internet And Protection Of Children Online: Time For Change, Jill Scott

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article explores the risks for children online and their privacy, with particular focus on the implications of widespread collection, use and retention of data about them. It touches on international standards and national laws that impact Internet activities and the special risk to children’s privacy in today’s ubiquitous computing environment. This is a complex topic that transcends national boundaries and involves both legal and policy issues confronting governments across the world.

Section I provides a brief outline of the online risks for children arising from the scope of data collection and the regulatory challenges of the Internet as it …

Direct-To-Consumer Advertising Of Pharmaceuticals On Television: A Charter Challenge, Elvina C. Chow

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The Supreme Court of Canada has consistently wrestled with the conflict between legislation designed to protect consumers’ health and the constitutional guarantee of the fundamental freedom of expression. This paper investigates the justification for the current regulatory framework for pharmaceutical advertising on television. Aware that the provisions in the FDA are able to withstand Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter) scrutiny, several possible policy initiations are nevertheless proposed.

The paper is divided into five separate sections. Having first introduced DTCA of pharmaceuticals on television in Section I, I will now turn to a more comprehensive examination of DTCA in Canada …

L'Impact D'Internet Sur Les Paradigmes De La Régulation De L'Audiovisuel, Gilles De Saint Exupéry

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Nous nous intéresserons particulièrement à la mutation du paradigme de la régulation de l’audiovisuel classique13 dû à plusieurs facteurs: pour être diffuseur sur les ondes hertzienne il fallait être titulaire d’une licence accordé par l’Etat, sur Internet tout le monde peut l’être à sa guise. Les moyens techniques et financiers ne sont plus une barrière à l’ entrée, le nombre de joueurs qui e ́ tait jusque-là restreint devient, en théorie, incalculable. Le mécanisme de responsabilité mis en place est remis en cause, par la dilution des frontières, l’anonymat, ou l’insolvabilité des diffuseurs. Les modèles d’affaires doivent être revus, le …

Electronic Discovery- Sedona Canada Is Inadequate On Records Management - Here's Sedona Canada In Amended Form, Ken Chasse

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

A paper record can exist without its records system; an electronic record cannot. To use, corrupt, or destroy a paper record, one needs physical access to the records system wherein it is stored. But to use, corrupt, or destroy an electronic record one merely needs electronic access to its records system, from anywhere. Therefore any set of rules or principles for controlling the use of electronic records for any purpose, including electronic discovery, should incorporate the established policies and practices of electronic records management.

As to cost, rules of electronic discovery are needed with which to punish par- ties with …

Lessons From Bilski, Haewon Chung

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In this paper, I will examine how the U.S. and Canadian courts have approached the patentability of intangible inventions and discuss whether any lessons can be learned from the U.S.’s patent dilemma. In section 2, I will review the American jurisprudence on patentability of intangible inventions. In section 3, I will discuss the potential impact Bilski may have on the American jurisprudence. Section 4 will assess the Canadian jurisprudence on patentability of intangible inventions. In section 5, I will discuss the Federal Court of Canada’s decision in Amazon/FCC. I argue that based on recent events in the American jurisprudence, Canadian …

Prohibiting Medical Method Patents: A Criticism Of The Status Quo, Mark S. Wilke

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Methods of medical treatment are not patentable in Canada. This means that inventions involving the performance of surgery, administration of medicine, or extraction of fluids or tissue for diagnostic tests cannot directly be protected under the current patent regime. However, this prohibition is not an absolute ban. Many medical innovations are patentable, including surgical tools and devices, drugs and other chemical compounds, medical “uses”, diagnostic assays and methods of treat- ing “natural” conditions. The practical reality is that the distinction between what is and what is not patentable is poorly defined. This uncertainty presents a steep challenge for inventors and …

Tax Implications For Non-Residents Conducting E-Commerce In Canada, Mike Nienhuis

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper focuses on taxation issues faced by non-resident e-commerce companies with no sustained presence in Canada apart from a web site. The tax liability of foreign corporations with a Canadian subsidiary, a physical Canadian office, or Canadian-based employees or agents will not be considered, even though there is substantial overlap in some of the relevant issues. By e-commerce companies we refer broadly to any firms conducting their primary business — whether business- to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) — by means of the internet.

In the first section we outline the framework for Canada’s taxation of non-residents conducting business in …

Location-Based Services And Privacy, Teresa Scassa, Anca Sattler

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In this paper we begin by describing location-based services, their evolution and their future directions. We then outline privacy issues raised by such services. In Part III we consider how current Canadian data protection laws apply to location-based services, and indicate where such laws fall short of addressing the full range of issues raised by location-based services. Part IV of the paper explores some technological methods to address the privacy challenges raised by location-based services. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations.

Teens, Technology, And Cyberstalking: The Domestic Violence Wave Of The Future?, Andrew King-Ries

Faculty Law Review Articles

The American criminal justice system, (therefore), is facing a future domestic violence crisis. Unfortunately, authorities-both parents and law enforcement-tend to minimize the seriousness of violence within adolescent relationships and to minimize the seriousness of stalking. In addition, given the prevalence and embrace of technology by teenagers, criminalizing "normal" teenage behavior seems counter-productive. While an effective criminal justice system response to this problem has yet to be developed, the first step will be for parents and law enforcement to recognize the risk and take it seriously. The second step will be to "renorm" unhealthy teenage relationship norms. It is possible that …

First-Class Objects, James Grimmelmann

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

What is the difference between "James Grimmelmann" and "@grimmelm" and why should we care? Some computer systems, like Facebook and credit reporting agencies, are inherently "about" people. Others are not. This essay argues that the key technical difference is whether they use unique identifiers to refer to people in their databases. From this single distinction, a host of social and humanistic consequences follow. The essay taxonomizes them and teases out some of their implications for privacy law.

Vulnerable Software: Product-Risk Norms And The Problem Of Unauthorized Access, Richard Warner, Robert H. Sloan

All Faculty Scholarship

Unauthorized access to online information costs billions of dollars per year. Software vulnerabilities are a key. Software currently contains an unacceptable number of vulnerabilities. The standard solution notes that the typical software business strategy is to keep costs down and be the first to market even if that means the software has significant vulnerabilities. Many endorse the following remedy: make software developers liable for negligent or defective design. This remedy is unworkable. We offer an alternative based on an appeal to product-risk norms. Product-risk norms are social norms that govern the sale of products. A key feature of such norms …

The Board's Responsibility For Information Technology Governance, 28 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 313 (2011), Lawrence J. Trautman, Kara Altenbaumer-Price

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

With accusations that boards of directors of financial institutions were asleep at the wheel while their companies engaged in risky behavior that erased millions of dollars of shareholder value and plunged the country into recession, increasing pressure is now being placed on public company boards to shoulder the burden of risk oversight for the companies they serve. This article provides an overview of some of the main considerations relative to every director’s duty to govern IT risk. In particular, this comment will address directors’ roles in the risk oversight of the corporations they serve, their role in governance of IT, …

The Need For Better Analysis Of High Capacity Services, 28 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 343 (2011), George S. Ford, Lawrence J. Spiwak

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In 1999, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) began to grant incumbent local exchange carriers (“LECs”) pricing flexibility on special access services in some Metropolitan Statistical Areas (“MSAs”) when specific evidence of competitive alternatives is present. The propriety of that deregulatory move by the FCC has been criticized by the purchasers of such services ever since. Proponents of special access price regulation rely on three central arguments to support a retreat to strict price regulation: (1) the market(s) for special access and similar services is unduly concentrated; (2) rates of return on special access services, computed using FCC ARMIS data, are …

My Teacher Sux! [Censored]: Protecting Students' Right To Free Speech On The Internet, 28 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 385 (2011), Katherine Hokenson

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This comment will discusses the problem posed by student speech made on the Internet, how free speech issues are generally addressed by courts, the Supreme Court cases that have specifically addressed the First Amendment rights of students, and factors that courts dealing with student speech made on the Internet have attempted to use in their decisions. The comment will further look at how courts have analyzed online student speech cases in light of available Supreme Court precedent, and will propose that the Court adopt a hybrid of the Tinker test when addressing student speech made on the Internet, which will …

Schools: Where Fewer Rights Are Reasonable? Why The Reasonableness Standard Is Inappropriate To Measure The Use Of Rfid Tracking Devices On Students, 28 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 411 (2011), Alexandra C. Hirsch

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In an unsuccessful attempt to heighten security, schools are implementing a technology that offers access to children’s personal information and minute-by-minute location. Although not entirely new, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology use has recently been expanding within the school arena. Skeptics knowledgeable about the downfalls of the technology, however, have reason to be concerned. In order to understand the true urgency of this issue, this comment will explain the background of RFID technology, specifically what RFID tags are, how they are used, their purposes, and how they have become unsafe. Included will be an explanation of the reasons that schools …

Bugs For Sale: Legal And Ethical Proprieties Of The Market In Software Vulnerabilities, 28 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 451 (2011), Taiwo A. Oriola

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The pertinent questions therefore are: first, could software vulnerabilities be obviated simply by ameliorating factors responsible for market failure as canvassed by the literature on the economics of software security, drawing on the strength of the theory of information asymmetry, or are vulnerabilities inevitable irrespective of market dynamics and solutions? Second, to what extent is vulnerabilities research or the surreptitious exploitation of software vulnerabilities by hackers tantamount to trespass, and what are the legal implications, if any? Third, to what extent is the peddling of software vulnerabilities valid or enforceable in law? Fourth, what are the implications of software vulnerabilities …

The Protection Of Digital Information And Prevention Of Its Unauthorized Access And Use In Criminal Law, 28 J. Marshall Computer & Info. L. 523 (2011), Moonho Song, Carrie Leonetti

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Carry That Weight: Victim Privacy Within The Military Sexual Assault Reporting Methods, 28 J. Marshall Computer & Info. L. 551 (2011), Emily Hansen

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Stuxnet As Cyberwarfare: Applying The Law Of War To The Virtual Battlefield, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 1 (2011), John Richardson

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Amended Eu Law On Eprivacy And Electronic Communications After Its 2011 Implentation; New Rules On Data Protection, Spam, Data Breaches And Protection Of Intellectual Property Rights, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 29 (2011), Vagelis Papakonstantinou, Paul De Hert

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Thirtieth Annual John Marshall Law School International Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Bench Memorandum, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 75 (2011), Russell Bottom, Matthew T. Andris, Robin Ann Sowizrol

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Thirtieth Annual John Marshall Law School International Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Brief For The Petitioner, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 103 (2011), Nate Lindsey, Chris Omlid

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Thirtieth Annual John Marshall Law School International Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Brief For The Respondent, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 139 (2011), Elena Jacob, Steven Osit, Darya Zuravicky

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

School Discipline Of Cyber-Bullies: A Proposed Threshold That Respects Constitutional Rights, 45 J. Marshall L. Rev. 85 (2011), Laura Pavlik Raatjes

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Three Cs Versus The Dinosaur: Updating The Technologically Archaic Fdcpa To Provide Consumers, Collectors, And Courts Clarity, 44 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1033 (2011), Melissa Travis

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Free Speech On The Battlefield: Protecting The Use Of Social Media By America's Soldiers, 44 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1085 (2011), David Johnsen

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Regulating Online Behavioral Advertising, 44 J. Marshall L. Rev. 899 (2011), Steven C. Bennett

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Timely Demise Of The Fourth Amendment Third Party Doctrine, Stephen E. Henderson

Faculty Articles

In what may be a slightly premature obituary, in this response to a forthcoming paper by Matthew Tokson I argue that the Fourth Amendment third party doctrine "has at least taken ill, and it can be hoped it is an illness from which it will never recover." It is increasingly unpopular as a matter of state constitutional law, has long been assailed in scholarship but now thoughtful alternatives are percolating, and it cannot – or at least should not – withstand the pressures which technology and social norms are placing upon it. Even the Supreme Court seems loath to defend …