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Privacy and Legal Issues in IT I hope all of you have developed your own framework of analysis on IT issues by now. Legal challenges in IT could have significant impact on IT development path. One of the classic examples is the lawsuits around “deep link.” If you are interested, checkTicketmaster vs. Microsoft and eBay vs. Bidder’s edge. In the last week discussion on ethic issues, you may wonder whether the employer has the right to monitor employee communication or keystroke. This is an important question. In this week’s reading, I included one chapter, “electronic communications in the workplace” from the book “Law of Electronic Commerce” for your review. This piece talked some interesting issues about using email during work. For example, could the employee use the email for personal issue during the work? The answer is a conditional yes. Look at the last two sections for reference about this. Because of the logical malleable feature of the computer, in the near future, we probably still have to deal with such murky issues in IT. Another chapter (chapter 14) from the same book was also included in this week’s reading. It covers many issues like intellectual property, privacy, etc. 

This chapter should be combined with theoretical readings listed below. The third reading is Dr. Lessig’s “the Law of Cyberspace,” it discusses the regulation of cyberspace behavior and indecency on the Net. You are also required to watch his recent speaking in main campus via online video. This speaking focuses on intellectual property issues. He talked the Remix culture and you will find a lot of fun from his demo of some Remix works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uARgOkRlbrI The fourth reading is Moor’s “Toward a Theory of Privacy for the Information Age.” In this paper, he points out that in the US, the concept of privacy has evolved from earlier concerns involving intrusion into one’s personal space and interference with an individual’s personal affairs to current concerns that center on control over and access to personal information. It is an interesting to read this evolution with Moor’s beautiful writing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program) Reference: Lessig, L. (1998). The Laws of Cyberspace. Taiwan Net '98, Taipei, Taiwan. Moor, J. H. (1997). "Towards a Theory of Privacy in the Information Age." Computers and Society 27(3): 27-32. Winn, J. K. and B. Wright (2000). Electronic Communications in the Workplace - Chapter 21. Law of Electronic Commerce, Aspen Law & Business. Winn, J. K. and B. Wright (2000). Privacy and Collections of Data - Chapter 14. Law of Electronic Commerce, Aspen Law & Business. Dr. Lessig Speech Watch Video Week 13: Discussion (1) Share your comments on Dr. Lessig's speaking. Do you agree with what he proposed? or disagree? Why? Anything else you want to add? (2) After you review the last two papers in the reading list and the PRISM entry in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program) What is your perspective on PRISM system and why?