| A decade or so ago there was no such thing as | | | | which covers trademarks, patents, copyrights, and |
| computer law. This niche of the legal system has | | | | trade secrets. The U.S. Patent Office requires |
| come into being out of necessity with the | | | | attorneys practicing before it to hold a bachelor's |
| proliferation of the Internet and the issues that come | | | | degree in the areas of engineering or science at the |
| along with the technology that makes worldwide | | | | very least. |
| communication and transactions possible. | | | | Some traditional areas of law are evolving to include |
| Traditional law does not cover many of the issues | | | | ever-changing computer laws. Early on it was |
| that occur in the online realm. Therefore it is crucial | | | | declared that software would be classified as |
| that we have a particular branch of law that exists | | | | "goods", but the difference between normal goods |
| to deal with legal problems that may arise by the | | | | and software "goods" is that one only owns the |
| very nature of the Internet and are not able to be | | | | media that the software is stored on and a license to |
| covered by local jurisdictions. | | | | the use of the software which is now covered under |
| There may be disagreements over copyright or | | | | the Uniform Commercial Code. |
| ownership of a domain or website which cannot be | | | | Those who hack into computer systems without |
| resolved due to the parties being in different states | | | | authorization and use that computer's resources or |
| or even different countries. The problem that arises | | | | steal information from it are guilty of pretty much |
| here is that there are complex problems in deciding | | | | the same thing as what traditional law would call |
| what state or country's law and jurisdiction will have | | | | burglary. However, since by definition burglary means |
| the authority to resolve the issue. In situations like | | | | entering an actual physical residence, specific laws |
| this the area of law known as "Conflicts of Law" | | | | were added to cover this offense. |
| comes into play. | | | | One of the biggest problems with the Internet and |
| The increasingly complex area of computer law is | | | | one that grows even larger annually is that of |
| exceedingly demanding in its educational requirements | | | | copyright theft and piracy. Anyone with a computer |
| for attorneys who practice in this niche. The term | | | | and access to the Internet can easily steal the |
| "computer law" is kind of a misnomer since it is really | | | | intellectual property of another. Additionally, the |
| the information on the computer such as software, | | | | piracy of media such as movies and music is an |
| personal info, and possible trade secrets that are the | | | | enormous problem that is plaguing those industries |
| issue as well as the possibility of international disputes | | | | today. It is a fact that the area of computer law will |
| over domain names and copyright violations. For | | | | continue to expand and be used more in the future |
| these reasons, those who practice computer law are | | | | as the use of the Internet to commit crimes |
| usually the same attorneys who specialize in | | | | continues to grow. |
| Intellectual Property Law, also known as IP Law, | | | | |