of this course is devoted to intellectual-property law – the issue of who owns software and digital content and how that ownership can be protected by the law. You’ll learn about copyright and patents, and international agreements aimed at harmonising laws in this area. We will look at how the laws aimed at protecting public goods can also be exploited to protect the public good. Software is acquired or developed for a specific purpose, with the relationship between purchaser and supplier governed by some sort of contract. What should such a contract cover? Software can do people harm in a number of ways – including by making public information that should be kept private, by defamation, or by supplying false information that leads people into error. Who should be held liable? How can the law protect you?