STP - 307

The Internet: Business, Law and Strategy

Instructors: Jean Camp and Jonathan Zittrain
Monday / Wednesday 4:00 - 5:30
Weiner Auditorium, Taubman, KSG

Project Groups


Group Project Assignment:

The Group Projects should be the equivalent of 15,000 word papers or projects, only in Web site format.  The projects should address both the policy and/or legal issues and the technical issues underlying your topic.  Aim to influence the global (or national or local) debate on your topic; raise the level of the dialogue.  You should aim to frame the question or issue; be clear about definitions and terminology; present the policy and tech issues in a compelling fashion; and consider specific implementation issues related to your topic.  You need NOT come up with a "solution" but you do need to explore options related to the issue.

A grade will be assigned to the project as a whole.  Your individual grade will be no further than two steps away from the project grade (i.e., if the project grade is a "B", you'll get no lower than a "C+" and no higher than an "A-").  Each student will provide a grade for each of the other students in the project.

Upcoming deadlines:

Due March 20: please prepare a 250-word (in total for the whole group) description of the role delineation for your project (i.e., one line on "Jill will do..." and a line on "Bob will be responsible for..." etc.).  

Due April 24: your draft site should be up.  (PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A NEW DUE DATE FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT). 


1. How can taxation issues arising out of Internet traffic/e-commerce, interstate and international transactions be resolved?

Group A
Andy Dodge
Thomas Ranese
Kalama Lui-Kwan
Alina Antoci
Marcela Escobari

Group B -- Summary Received
Jennifer Janis
Norman Bishop
Tony Feuerstein


2. Internet streaming video: challenge or complement to television?  New business models, legal issues and technology.  

Summary Received

Justin Tsang
Phil Lamb
Emy Tseng
Kelvin Liao


3. The Napster lawsuit: will enforcing traditional music copyright laws stifle emerging technology?

Summary: Our group will be investigating the issues surrounding the Napster v. RIAA case and the distribution of MP3s and other digital media over the Internet.  Of particular interest to us is the clash of business interests with consumer interests.  We see in this case an echo of other legal battles over attempts to regulate online communities and those communities responses to interference, which have been vehemently anti-regulation.  Additionally, we will investigate the effects of recent governmental legislation and jurisprudence on copyright and digital distribution of media, and how this may change the landscape of intellectual property law and enforcement.

Greg Ferkel
Helen Kim
Raefer Gabriel


4. Regulation and prosecution of internet crime (hate speech, fraud, assault).

Group A -- Summary Received
David Lein
Terry Hackett
Nereus Dooley
Amy Bantham
Ron Koo
Roanak Desai
   

Group B Summary: In our project, we plan to address the topic of Internet crime -- specifically, hate speech, fraud, hacking, and 'stalking.'  We will consider whether the law ought to treat these crimes differently when committed on the Internet than when committed in real life.  What arguments support (and oppose) this position?  What jurisdiction ought governments to have over Internet crimes -- particularly Internet crimes which do not take place in that government's territory?  Do governments need new tools to fight Internet crime?  What tools have governments sought to deal with these crimes, and why do governments regard these tools as necessary?  How do civil libertarians respond?  How should governments punish Internet crimes?  Is there any justification for treating Internet fraud, hate speech, assault, etc., more seriously than other crimes?

We plan to address these questions through four interactive case studies -- one for each type of crime we will address.  Our site's visitors will play the role of law enforcement officials trying to prosecute these crimes.  We will present information about current legal precedents in each of these areas and arguments in favor of and against various kinds of regulation or government action, as related to the questions posed above.  Our site will also include informational links and a discussion board.

Rachel Kovner
Yehuda Shaffer

Nik Chandra
Joe DiPasquale
Pa
rul Singh


5. Legality and National Boundaries: how can a country regulate/enforce users systems globally?

Summary Received

Tony Engel
Yoshi Nakagawa
Ben Dorr
JW Kim
Oscar Yang


6. Wireless Internet Access

Summary Received

Jonathan Liew
Sohil Parekh
Sipho Majola

Peter Weed


7. Philanthropy/Open Source

Summary Received

Emma Smith
Mark Haddad
Beth MacKenzie

Serena Syme


8. E-commerce and government procurement e-system (system and law).

Summary Received

Carlos Osorio
Tomas Fiorito
Sandra Gonzalez
Madhurima Pande

Eduardo Gonzalez
Gilberto Carrasquero


9. Global Knowledge Network, focusing on IT training or online publishing.

Summary Received

Biao Huang
Jing Zuo
Yimei Li
Simone Boeckle
Mark Schmitt


10. Should sovereign governments enact policies to insure universal internet access? If so, how?  If not, how can the free market achieve this objective?

Kamal Latham
Samuel Moreno
Shoshanah Falek
Sinan H. Semiler
Hani Shakeel