-- 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.