Internet Law

The need for a specific project dealing with Internet Laws arises from the lack of knowledge and awareness in Macedonia. There has been no attempt to meticulously construct a legal regime to provide solutions, or at least guidelines, for difficulties and legal issues* that impact persons and institutions when they go online. The project will be focused on introducing these issues to the formal education system, through a joint effort with relevant institutions in Macedonia (such as the Faculty of Law, Skopje), and raising awareness of legal professionals (lawyers, judiciary, and civil servants) as well as of the general public via debates, lectures, and publications. This will be a two-year project (2006 and 2007).

The Internet law curriculum will consist of two components: introduction to the Internet, and introduction to Internet-specific legal framework. The first will provide basic understanding of the technologies, terminology, and services provided by the use of contemporary ICTs. The apparent lack of knowledge of these areas hampers the efforts of Macedonian legal professionals when faced with ICT-connected issues, both in lawmaking and general practices, such as cyber-crime court cases. The second part of the curriculum will include specific instruction on emerging Internet-related legal frameworks with global impact. The world's biggest economies, the USA and the EU, have both developed legislative mechanisms for coping with challenges posed by the digital era. The course will cover the current official solutions, lawmaking processes, their harmonization on global (UN), multilateral, and bilateral levels, and include international nongovernmental initiatives which provide alternatives, checks and balances to governmental and corporate interests.

*Issues include free speech, intellectual property, privacy, safety, equity, jurisdiction, and e-commerce.