IT Law and Practice

From Calculating machine to the microchip:

The  use of the mechanical to aid mathematical calculations dates back some 5,000 years to the  invention of the abacus in Asia Minor. Moving forward several millennia,  more complex mechanical devices capable of being programmed to perform a range of different tasks were designed by many pioneers.

Much pioneering work was carried out during the Second World War in connection with the Allies attempts to break the cryptographic systems employed by the Germans and Japanese by use of the computing device known as Colossus. In essence, however, Colossus was a machine designed for one specific purpose.

The first computer with the capability of performing a range of tasks in accordance with specific sets of instructions (programs) was the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator) machine developed in the US in 1947.

Computer and the Laws today:

The world's first computer-specific statute was enacted in 1970, by the German state, in the form of a Data Protection Act. Computer crime statues can be dated from the early 1980s and specific intellectual property provisions from the mid-1980s.

A short history of cyberspace:

The word 'cyberspace was coined by William Gibson in his science fiction novel Necromancer, published in 1984. It has subsequently become widely used as a means of denoting the apparent - or virtual - location within which electronic activities are undertaken. The imaginary location where the word of the parties meet in conversation is what is referred to as Cyberspace.

Computer Law and Security Review:

The Computer Law and Security Review (CLSR) is an international journal of technology law and practice providing a major platform for publication of high quality research, policy and legal analysis within the field of IT law and computer security. Published six times a year the journal provides a robust peer reviewed platform and policy forum for dissemination of knowledge, analysis and discussion, supported by a powerful Editorial and Professional Board and, through its Editor-in-Chief, more than 25 years publishing experience in the field.

CLSR is accessible to a wide range of academics, researchers, research institutes, companies, libraries and governmental and non governmental organisations in both the public and private sectors as well as professionals in the legal, IT and related business sectors in more than 90 countries. It is available on ScienceDirect, the world's foremost provider of electronic scientific information to more than 17 million subscribers.

Its authors come from leading academics, international specialists and early career researchers from many of the most renowned research centres and universities in the world. Contributors are also located in the major international law firms, specialising in technology law, who provide essential comment and analysis built upon widespread experience of applying IT law in practice. CLSR also welcomes policy analysis from legal specialists, the judiciary, professional and business organisations operating in IT and from those with regulatory responsibilities for information and communications technology from both the public and private sectors.

CLSR publishes refereed academic and practitioner papers on topics such as Web 2.0, IT security, Identity management, ID cards, RFID, interference with privacy, Internet law, telecoms regulation, online broadcasting, intellectual property, software law, e-commerce, outsourcing, data protection, EU policy, freedom of information, computer security and many other topics. In addition it provides a regular update on European Union developments, national news from more than 20 jurisdictions in both Europe and the Pacific Rim. It is looking for papers within the subject area that display good quality legal analysis and new lines of legal thought or policy development that go beyond mere description of the subject area, however accurate that may be. It welcomes papers that will challenge existing assumptions, explore and criticise legal policy and legislation and propose reform.

The journal boasts distinguished Editorial Board comprising leading academic specialists from major research centres and universities all over the world. Its Professional Board of practitioners is sourced from senior members of the major international law firms, barristers' chambers and consultancies specialising inter alia, in information technology, telecoms and security regulation.