International Commercial and Technology Law

Program Overview

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This online LLM in International Commercial and Technology Law equips legal professionals with the expertise to navigate the complexities of digital commerce and boost their careers in areas like online privacy, intellectual property, and AI law. The program offers a flexible study format, combining theoretical knowledge with applied skills, and is taught by experienced academics and practitioners who are at the forefront of their fields. Graduates will be well-positioned for promotion or higher-level roles in the rapidly evolving legal landscape of digital commerce.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

This online Master of Laws (LLM) in International Commercial and Technology Law is designed for legal professionals who want to stay ahead of the curve in the fast-paced world of digital commerce and boost their career prospects in areas like online privacy, intellectual property, and AI law.

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Objectives:

• Gain a comprehensive understanding and specialized skills to navigate the rapidly evolving legal landscape shaped by technology.
• Study the impact of AI, blockchain, crypto economy, and FinTech on law.
• Develop practical expertise by applying knowledge to real-world scenarios, honing research and communication skills throughout the program.

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Description:

The program offers a unique blend of law and technology, combining theoretical knowledge with applied skills to tackle the challenges of the future. It provides a flexible study format, allowing students to pursue their LLM while managing their current workload from anywhere in the world.

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Outline:

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Content:

• Explores the legal context, risks, and opportunities arising from the digital revolution.
• Covers a range of contemporary issues surrounding technology and commerce, including FinTech, AI, big data, cryptocurrency, intellectual property, and cyberspace.
• Evaluates different approaches to regulation and legislation to address new challenges collaboratively, in a global context.
• Gains a broad understanding of commerce and tech, and a nuanced appreciation of the role of law for a safe and effective digital future.

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Structure:

• The program is delivered entirely online, allowing students to learn from anywhere with an internet connection.
• The engaging curriculum combines the latest research from faculty with a variety of learning methods, including video content, reading material, self-tests, online tutorials, and online assessments.
• While most of the course is accessible asynchronously, there are opportunities for live interaction with lecturers and peers during online seminars.

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Course Schedule:

• Year 1: Two 30-credit units
• Year 2: Two 30-credit units, followed by a research project
• Each unit lasts 15 weeks.

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Individual Modules:

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Corporations, Technology and Law (30 credits):

• Covers key topics and themes in business organizations law, including the legal nature of business organizations, the role of technology within them, and related legal and regulatory issues.
• Explores the operation and regulation of business organizations such as corporations and DAO.
• Focuses on the regulation of companies in England and Wales, examining the fundamental principles and key internal relationships, including directors’ duties and shareholder remedies.
• Considers the implications of using corp tech (corporate technology) for improving corporate governance.
• Examines matters of enforcement and finance such as IPO, ICO, and STO, taking a transnational law approach.

Online Privacy, Defamation and Data Protection Law (30 credits):

• Examines the ability to control personal information online in the World Wide Web context.
• Considers various legal instruments and jurisdictions, including English privacy and defamation law, as well as supranational pieces of legislation on data protection law, such as the GDPR.
• Explores the extent to which individual autonomy and dignity should be protected online as opposed to the pivotal importance of freedom of expression.
• Covers topics of online privacy and the ‘right to be forgotten’, examining the complex history of privacy law in England and Wales, closely intertwined with the ECHR and the HRA 1998.
• Examines the change to society prompted by the rise in social media and the internet, and the perennial problem of private information as disclosed online.
• Covers the importance of freedom of expression online, providing a counterbalance to privacy interests.
• Considers the history of EU data protection law (the 1995 Directive), inefficiencies, the adoption of the GDPR, and its effectiveness and implementation across the EU and the UK.

Financial Law and FinTech (30 credits):

• Identifies and explores the fundamental principles of financial regulation relating to financial institutions, investment contracts, and financial technologies (FinTechs).
• Covers regulatory fields including conduct of business, financial promotion and investor protection, market abuse, financial crime, and data governance.
• Analyzes the legal, regulatory, and policy issues associated with cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings, online lending, new payments, and wealth management technologies.
• Considers the evolving relationship between FinTechs, regulators, and traditional financial institutions.

Intellectual Property Law in the Digital Ecosystem (30 credits):

• Examines the legal and technological framework that emerged to protect digital intellectual property.
• Explores the emerging legal and technological framework for the protection of intellectual property rights in the digital environment.
• Considers the challenges posed by technological developments to the application and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
• Introduces the foundations of intellectual property (IP) law and explores core issues arising in IP policy.
• Develops an understanding of how IP protection works, examining historical theories underpinning intellectual property law and the socio-economic role that intellectual property law plays.

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Project (60 credits):

• Involves a supervised dissertation project on a subject of the student's choice.
• Includes a 700-word research plan, an 8,000-word supervised individual research project (dissertation/research paper), and a 10-minute recorded video presentation with a poster or PowerPoint slides.

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Assessment:

• Each taught course unit is worth 30 credits and is assessed through different methods, including multiple choice questions, short essays, podcasts, and recorded video presentations.
• The 60-credit supervised research project is assessed based on the research plan, dissertation/research paper, and video presentation.

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Teaching:

• The program is entirely online, with a combination of delivery methods to allow students to work at their own pace.
• Interactive material is available through the online virtual learning environment (VLE), including recorded videos, downloadable documents, graphics, and discussion boards.
• Live lectures and seminars are delivered online, allowing students to interact with fellow students and ask questions in real-time.

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Careers:

• The program equips students with the expertise to navigate the complex legal landscape of digital commerce, putting them in prime position for promotion or a higher-level role in areas like online privacy, intellectual property, and AI law.
• The program helps students develop sharpened problem-solving skills and fine-tuned critical thinking, preparing them to address new challenges and shape new approaches.
• The relevance and breadth of the issues covered help students understand the big picture, enabling them to transfer their skills and adapt to an inevitably changing landscape.
• The program helps students build relationships with academics and professionals across the world, creating a global network that opens up exciting new opportunities.

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Other:

• The program is developed by scholars of the Manchester Law Department, known for their expertise in international law.
• The program fosters valuable connections with legal professionals and international experts.
• The program is designed for working professionals who value flexibility.
• The program is taught by experienced academics and practitioners who are at the forefront of their fields.
• The program is informed by the latest research, guaranteeing up-to-the-minute knowledge and encouraging leading-edge thinking and debate.