MGT 3608

MGT 3608

Technology Law and Ethics

Summer 2013

MTWTh 2:40 - 4:10 pm Room: Lecture B

Instructor: Jordan (Jody) Blanke

E-mail: blanke_j@mercer.edu

Website: www.blanke.net/GT/MGT3608

Textbook

CyberLaw Text and Cases, 3rd Ed., by Ferrera, Reder, Bird, etc., ISBN 0-324-399972-3

Course Description

Virtually every aspect of business and management decision-making is touched by computing, information technology, and digital media. These influences are pervasive in private and public communication, transactions, and social interactions and often serve as the infrastructure for organizations including commercial, banking and financial organizations, federal, state and local government and politics, utilities, national defense, educational organizations, and entertainment. This class will examine some of the ethical and legal issues associated with computers, information systems, and public and private networks including the Internet as they relate to management decision-making in a wide variety of areas. Some of the areas to be covered include intellectual property protection, business-related crime, viruses, privacy, security, reliability, work environments, liability, and artificial intelligence. Balancing of the needs and desires of individuals or groups against those of other individuals or groups (including business, economic, professional, individual, governmental and social interests) within a business context will be a focus of the class.

Prerequisites

MGT 2106 or its equivalent with a passing grade and Junior/Senior Status

Course Objectives

1. Students will gain an understanding of why the ethics and law of technology is important in the business environment.

2. A heightened awareness of the legal, ethical and social implications of modern technology, on both an individual and organizational level.

3. Students will develop critical thinking skills in evaluating and analyzing ethical dilemmas and legal issues.

4. Students will be able to identify a variety of legal and ethical issues generated by emerging technologies.

Classes

The structure of the class will be primarily lecture, although participation is strongly encouraged. Please read the assigned materials before class and be prepared to participate. The class is much more interesting if it is not presented as a monologue.

Cell Phones, Laptops and other Devices

Please turn off all your cell phones and other devices during class. You may use your laptop or tablet to take notes and to do activities related to class. If you need to use it for other purposes, please leave the classroom to do so.

Covered Material and Absence Policy

You are responsible for all assigned readings from the textbook, all additional readings assigned (as posted on the website), and all class discussions (whether you are there or not). If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. I recommend getting class notes from at least two classmates. If you miss more than two classes, your grade will automatically be lowered one letter grade; if you miss more than four classes, your grade will automatically be lowered two letter grades.

PowerPoints

There will be PowerPoint presentations for many of the classes. I will post them to the website (usually after class). Please do not mistake possession of the PowerPoints with mastery of the subject matter. They are merely outlines of the material presented.

Grading

There will be three exams (including the third exam, which will be a non-comprehensive final). Each exam will cover approximately a third of the material and will consist of a combination of multiple choice questions and short essays. Final grades will be determined according to this calculation:

Exam #1 30%

Exam #2 30%

Exam #3 30%

Class Participation 10%

There are no make-up exams or extra-point assignments. If you are going to miss an exam for a legitimate reason (e.g., significant illness, death (yours or others), tell me beforehand and be prepared to provide the appropriate documentation.

Grades will be based upon this scale:

A 90-100

B 80-89

C 70-79

D 60-69

F 59 and below

Students are not permitted to remove examination materials from the classroom during the examination or after its completion. Upon completion of the examination, students must turn in their answer sheets and examination questions.

The Exams

The exams are not open book exams. You are not permitted to use any written or electronic media during the exams. You are expected to complete the exams by yourself.

Student Honor Code

Students are expected to be aware of and abide by the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Academic Honor Code with respect to all aspects of their participation in the course, including Article II, Section 3 establishing student responsibilities with respect to academic integrity. Compliance with the Academic Honor Code also includes all aspects of the Honor Agreement signed by students as a condition of their enrollment in the College of Management. Any student suspected of engaging in behavior in violation of the Academic Honor Code or the Honor Agreement shall be referred to the Office of Student Integrity and the Office of the Dean of Students for appropriate action.

Disability Accommodation

The Georgia Institute of Technology has established policies with respect to disability accommodation through Access Disabled Assistance Program for Tech Students (ADAPTS). These policies may be accessed at the ADAPTS website located at http://www.adapts.gatech.edu. Students seeking disability accommodation are specifically referred to the student guide and documentation pages on this website. Students failing to comply with the requirements set forth in ADAPTS will not receive accommodation.

Legal Disclaimer

Any and all opinions or statements as to legal matters made by the instructor are for classroom purposes only and are not intended and should not be construed as dispensing legal advice. This disclaimer includes conversations with students during and outside of class.

Schedule

This schedule should provide a fairly good timetable for coverage of topics. The exams will be given on the dates listed.

Date	Topic	Assignments
Jun 24	Introduction to the Law	Ch.1 & Ch. 2
Jun 25	Introduction to the Law
Jun 26	Introduction to the Law
Jun 27	Introduction to the Law
Jul 1	Copyright Law	Ch. 5 Read the "Happy Birthday" articles (below)
Jul 2	Copyright Law	Read DaVinci Code article Read Copyright Law in the Digital Age Read SunTrust v. Houghton Mifflin
Jul 3	Copyright Law	Read Ripping and Digital Copies articles Read Tales From the Public Domain
Jul 4	Patent Law	Ch. 6
Jul 8	Patent Law	Read Patent cases and articles
Jul 9	Exam #1
Jul 10	Trademark Law	Ch. 4
Jul 11	Trademark Law	Ch. 4 Read Trademark articles
Jul 15	Trade Secret Law	Ch. 7
Jul 16	Jurisdiction	Ch. 8 (pp. 235-250) Read Trademark Parody article
Jul 17	Rights of Publicity	Read No Doubt article
Jul 18	Jurisdiction	Ch. 8 (pp. 235-250) Read the Jurisdiction material
Jul 22	Exam #2
Jul 23	Review Exam #2 Litigation & Arbitration	Read the Yahoo case (p. 241) Ch. 5 (pp. 250-259) Read the forum selection article
Jul 24	Contract Law	Ch. 9 (pp. 275-276, 285-287, 288-291, 292-295) Make sure you read the cases beginning on pages pp. 275, 288, 290 & 294
Jul 25	Employment Law Covenants Not to Compete	Ch. 10 (pp. 317-321, 323)
Jul 29	Privacy	Ch. 12 Read the privacy articles
Jul 30	Privacy	Ch. 12
Jul 31	Privacy Policies
Aug 1	Security and Crime	Ch. 13 (pp. 401-421)
Sat., Aug 3 (11:50) 12:30-3:20	Exam #3