Computer Law & Lawyers

Computers and IT law covers the rules relating to computer contracts, use of computers in business, e-commerce and associated matters.

If you have a legal matter regarding the use of computers, then please complete your free legal enquiry form, on the right, to receive legal assistance.

IT Lawyers can advise you on any technology related legal matters including intellectual property, service level agreements, reseller agreements, domain issues, e-commerce and e-business.

IT Lawyers have specialist knowledge of the computer hardware, software, internet and telecoms industries and can represent you in relation to drafting agreements or resolving disputes.

If you need legal help drafting an agreement, then please complete your free enquiry form on the right, or click here.

If you’re looking for expert advice and information about computer law, you can find it here. Whether you’re interested in copyrights, patents, or trademarks as applied to computers, or have concerns about privacy and security, find what you’re looking for by exploring the rapidly increasing prevalence of computers and their myriad uses for communicating and sharing information demands that the field of computer law evolve swiftly. The steady emergence of new and unique technologies creates equally new and unique legal challenges, and the field continues to grow to meet them and to better address already existing challenges. Some examples of already existing computer law include computer-specific privacy laws, regulation of information tracking methods like website "cookies," and regulations related to copyrights, patents and trademarks in a digital age.

Computer Law often involves dealing with the following issues:

• Drafting and Negotiating Forms and Agreements;
• hardware acquisition;
• financing and maintenance;
• software licensing;
• development and maintenance;
• antitrust law;
• copyright;
• patent and trade secret protection of software;
• the Internet and electronic communications;
• electronic transactions;
• domain name registration;
• the computer contracting process;
• outsourcing;
• resellers;
• software publishing;
• work for hire;
• electronic fund transfers;
• the status of source codes under bankruptcy;
• litigating computer actions;
• the use of expert witnesses; including computer forensics

Computer Law is concerned with controlling and securing information stored on and transmitted between computers. Computer networks contain and store a great deal of private digital information: data on identities, internet access and usage; credit cards; financial information and information for electronic commerce; technical, trade and government secrets; mailing lists; medical records; and much more.

It is illegal to maliciously erase this type of data; acquire proprietary information; manipulate said data to obtain funds illegally, through bank withdrawals and transfers, identity theft and credit card use; and to access and use any of this data for any other reason, without authorisation.

Computer Law can also incorporate the following further subjects:

• Contract Law
• software license agreements, including "shrinkwrap contracts" (i.e., software license contract inside box of software)
• business transactions in cyberspace, so• called "e• commerce"
• contracts for data processing services
• contracts for development of custom software or hardware
• breach of warranty
• Copyright Law
• copyright protection for computer software
• copyright protection for text or pictures on Internet
• Trademark Law
• domain name disputes
• infringement or dilution of trademarks on Internet
• Patent Law
• patents for novel software
• patents for computer hardware
• Tort Law
• defamation
• trade disparagement, unfair competition law
• duty to maintain secure data (i.e., confidentiality)
• privacy issues in databases
• liability for errors or harmful information in content of databases
• products liability involving computer hardware or software
• Computer Crime
• unauthorized use of services
• denial of service (DoS) attacks on web sites
• larceny, malicious mischief, vandalism, etc.
• fraud
• malicious computer programs (e.g., computer virus, worm)
• harassment by email, stalking in cyberspace
• cyberbullying
• defamation
• Utility Law or Telecommunications Law
• assignment of domain names
• Search and seizure law (e.g., contents of computer hard drive, monitoring email, etc.)

If you have a legal matter regarding the use of computers, then please complete your free legal enquiry form, on the right, to receive legal assistance.

Further Resources - Computer Law & Lawyers