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-- JonathanMo - 14 Sep 2015

The internet

The internet is a network of computers. No one owns it and it has no central location or administration. For most users connection is made through a company that offers internet connections - an internet service provider (ISP). Legal issues relating to internet use are usefully divided into two main areas:
  • the publication of information and provision of content including text, sound and images
  • the sale of goods and services - known generally as e-commerce.
The issues include:
  • ownership and control of the content being published, including copyright
  • consumer protection laws
  • the classification regime
  • privacy
  • the legislation and common law that regulates e-commerce.
The three types of people or organisations involved in enabling access to the internet are:
  • the internet content provider - the person who creates the material, which will be uploaded on to a website
  • the internet content host - the person or organisation that provides the website (the space on the internet for this content) and has control over what is uploaded (published)
  • the internet service provider (ISP) - the organisation that supplies internet carriage services so that the material can be transmitted to individual computers, and then viewed and downloaded by members of the public.

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