In the early days of networking what is now known as the Internet, it could be said that there was no such thing as Internet law, but rather that it was merely the application of traditional legal provisions to network-specific issues.
Internet law covers the areas of law that are relevant for the use of the internet. These include, for example, data protection law, copyright law, competition law and trademark law.
Internet law regulates issues that arise in connection with the use of the internet, such as:
- the processing of personal data when using online services
- The liability of online service providers, e.g. in the event of technical faults or illegal content
- The use of content published on the internet, such as music, videos or texts
- The rights and obligations of users and providers when using online services, such as terms and conditions or privacy policies
Internet law is a constantly evolving field of law, as the use of the internet and the legal issues associated with it are constantly growing and changing. It is therefore important to be informed about the current legal requirements of internet law and to comply with them.
German lawmakers began addressing this issue in the late 1990s, creating very specific regulations for the internet. The imprint requirements are a good example of this – and to this day, they are still the cause of warnings from time to time. In addition, online shops are subject to a variety of distance selling regulations.
Above all, Internet law requires a certain technical interest on the part of the lawyer. It is difficult to formulate typical data protection instructions for an Internet offer if you cannot imagine what a task an IP address may have and how it is assigned. In this case, you can expect a specialist lawyer in information technology law to have the appropriate technical knowledge.
The fact that the term "Internet law" is not clear is often evident when clients call our telephone switchboard and request an "attorney for Internet law". It often turns out that the matter at hand actually has nothing to do with "Internet law". For example, if you have purchased an item on eBay but do not receive the goods after paying for them in advance, you initially have a problem with a purchase contract.
Only sometimes is it necessary in these cases for the lawyer to also deal with the technical facts of the case. Very few eBay users, for example, are aware of the PayPal Buyer Protection program and what it offers in such a case.