Internet Law

Internet law, also known as cyber law, is one of the newest sections of legal studies and litigation. The origin of this field of law can be traced back to the mid-1990s, around the time the Internet became available to the general public. When the [Page 514]Internet emerged, regulation did not seem necessary. However, with ever-increasing numbers of users, and the wide variety of online activities, Internet-related activities cannot do without regulation. This entry describes Internet law and discusses legally relevant characteristics of the Internet. It then discusses the various fields of Internet law: (a) Internet governance, (b) intellectual property, (c) e-commerce, (d) cybercrime and cybersecurity, and (e) data protection and privacy.

Internet law can be described briefly as the field of law where the Internet ...