disLEXia

Wednesday, 06. November 1996

"NetLaw: Your Rights in the Online World" by Lance Rose

BKNETLAW.RVW 950406

"NetLaw: Your Rights in the Online World", Lance Rose, 1995, 0-07-882077-4,
U$19.95
%A Lance Rose
%C 2600 Tenth St., Berkeley, CA 94710
%D 1995
%G 0-07-882077-4
%I McGraw-Hill
%O U$19.95 510-548-2805 800-227-0900 lkissing@osborne.mhs.compuserve.com
%O pmon@osborne.mhs.compuserve.com
%P 372
%T "NetLaw: Your Rights in the Online World"

Very similar to his earlier "Syslaw" (cf. BKSYSLAW.RVW), this is a general guide to various legal aspects of life online. The major changes are the broadening of the scope from BBS level systems to include online services and the Internet, and very handy (and interesting) sidebars, which give a thumbnail sketch version of the topic under discussion. These usually include a reference to some specific case.

Chapters address the issues of censorship, contracts, commerce, and copyright. Chapter four, which deals with the responsibility of the system operator in light of online dangers, does touch on the topic of malicious software. I was disappointed that this is limited to a not terribly accurate defining of terms, and almost no discussion of the admittedly confused legal situation. Further chapters cover privacy, crime, search and seizure, and a rather disappointing chapter on obscenity. Appendices include some very useful sample contracts, and various US laws.

Given recent developments which have strongly indicated the international nature of the net and international legal ramifications, it is discouraging to see that Rose still presents only a limited and US-centric view. However, the general principles he describes are held in common law, and this book should at least provide guidance for the broader online world.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKNETLAW.RVW 950406

Vancouver Institute for Research into User Security Canada V7K 2G6 ROBERTS@decus.ca Robert_Slade@sfu.ca rslade@cyberstore.ca rslade@sfu.ca [Rob Slade <roberts@mukluk.hq.decus.ca> via risks-digest Volume 18, Issue 60]
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