Course Level

intermediate - advanced / 3rd - 4th year

Course Language

English

Course Classification

This is a Themis course. It is also open to non-Themis students.

Teaching Mode

Online course with self-study chapters, with a live meeting on campus and a live online discussion session

Contact Hours

Apart from the live meeting on campus and from the live online discussion, students will not have to be online during regular course hours. All content will be available at any time.

Class Schedule

Students work through course materials and submit a number of quizzes throughout the semester on a weekly basis, commencing on 16 October. You will be able to study independently at your own pace most of the time.

The on-campus live session will take place on 1 or 4 December. The date will be announced in October and will be published in our electronic course catalogue.

The date for the virtual discussion session will be announced after the beginning of the course.

Class Materials

The course materials consist of a collection of cases and reading materials, posted at www.prof-determann.info. Students have to work through these cases independently and answer a series of quizzes sent via email. 

ECTS-credits

5 (if exam has been passed)

Frequency

This course will be held at irregular intervals. It will be available in the winter term 2024/25.

Course Content

Based on case studies focused on generative artificial intelligence (AI), this course explores laws, industry practices, and policy considerations relating to the development, protection, and commercialization of software, computers, and information technology services. The primary focus will be on U.S. and EU intellectual property law, but you will also cover contracts, antitrust, international and commercial issues, as well as different technology and business models, including artificial intelligence, cloud computing and open source licensing. You will cover data as an asset, but not information privacy or data protection law topics (which are covered separately in my course on Data Privacy Law, which I am planning to teach again in a future semester).

My AI and IT Law Course is focused on practical problem-solving, exercises and quizzes. The class meets for one in-person session at Free University Berlin around 3 December, probably mid-day (exact time to be announced in October). You will work through course materials and submit a number of quizzes throughout the semester on a weekly basis, as explained in the syllabus. You should submit the quizzes before each deadline (within 5 days of receipt) and you should complete the assignments in writing for your own benefit (but you do not have to send in the written assignments). The class will meet a second time virtually for a discussion on AI Regulation. You will receive a grade based on the responses to quizzes you submit. You may receive a positive, upward grade adjustment for contributions during the "live" session, probably on 3 December 2024 at 1 PM, and for written assignments you voluntarily submit. You do not have to write any separate exam.

Prior courses in intellectual property topics are recommended, but not strictly required. If you have never studied copyright, patent, and trade secret law, then you will have to work harder than students who are already proficient in these areas, but if you are interested in the subject, the extra workload should be manageable. An engineering or programming background is not necessary.

Restricted Enrollment

no (that means that everyone who signs up for this course on time can take part in this course)

Course Registration and organisation

It will not be possible for the students themselves to sign up for this course on Campus Management.

Students may register for this course before 14 October 2024 via email sent to lothardetermann@outlook.com and frances.say@bakermckenzie.com to receive course materials, assignments and quizzes per email.

For each class, please prepare by working through assignments, starting with the assignments for Class 1, attached to this message.

Every week, you will receive another file with

• sample answers, considerations and outlines pertaining to the assignments for the previous class, which you can compare to your own answers and deepen your understanding of the subject matter
• a Quiz with 10 multiple choice questions to expand and check on your progress; please submit your answers to the Quiz within 5 days of receipt to frances.say@bakermckenzie.com and lothardetermann@outlook.com.

Every following week you will receive another installment of course materials teaching AI and IT Law subjects, assigning problems to you and giving you a Quiz to complete. All of the materials you will receive are accompanied by a short message that gives you more information about what to do.

Around 3 December 2024 at 1 PM, you will meet for an in-person class at Freie Universität Berlin, all other session are remote/virtual.

Please direct any questions you may have to frances.say@bakermckenzie.com and lothardetermann@outlook.com.

The Examination Office will sign you up for this course on Campus Management in November, once it has received the participant list from Professor Determann.

De-Registration from this Course

You may drop this course with a valid cause until 14 days prior to the final exam. Please contact the International Office at the Law Department if you have to use this option.

Type of Exam and Exam Period

The course is focused on practical problem-solving, exercises and quizzes. 

Registration for the Exam

Students will automatically be registered for the exam when they sign up for this course.

De-Registration from the Exam

Students who drop this course are automatically de-registered from the exam. Students who do not drop this course via Campus Management and do not take the exam, are going to finish this course with a non-passing grade (0 points).

Grade Release

via Campus Management