The objective of this course is to provide students who are engaged in various aspects of data science with the knowledge and skills required to enable them to develop and apply appropriate legal and ethical principles to their work. We will review statutes, regulations, principles and policies, with guidance on their application in a variety of situations. From a lay person’s perspective, the development of the fields of intellectual property, privacy, freedom of expression, contract and criminal law as they relate to present day technology and its use will be explored. Systems of ethics and codes of practice as applied to real life situations that those working in data science may encounter will be surveyed with a view to providing a sound bases for judgment.

Text: Robert N. Barger, Computer Ethics: A Case-Based Approach, Cambridge University Press, 2018

References

• Grimmelmann, James, Internet Law: Cases and Problems, 12th edition, Semaphore Press, 2022
• Stim, Rich, Patent, Copyright & Trademark, 7th edition, Nolo, 2022
• Schubert, Frank A., Law and the Legal System, 3rd edition, Carolina Academic Press, 2010
• Stahl, Bernd Carsten, Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: Case Studies and Options for Addressing Ethical Challenges, 1st edition, Springer, 2023