Intellectual Property, Technology Licensing, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity in the Innovative Economy

This course will examine the legal and policy issues that are challenging consumers, producers and distributors of digital works in the content and software industries. The course will move beyond the black letter law to allow students to critically examine the socio-economic policy debates involving intellectual property, technology licensing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity (including data privacy) in the innovative economy. Course topics will include: intellectual property protection for digital works; the impact of artificial intelligence on the software industry; licensing and business strategies for content producers; privacy in the digital environment; and cybersecurity in the world of interconnected “smart” devices (from cars to appliances). The course will focus on the Canadian context, but will also draw on international developments, particularly in the US and EU.