Consumers in Digital Markets

The course deals with the key legal issues which underpin the development of e-Commerce, with a particular focus on the European Union digital single market strategy.

Electronic commerce has become central in consumers’ life. Advancements in technology have also reshaped the way consumers behave thus exposing them to new risks and vul-nerabilities. This course will deal with the regulatory chal-lenges that have arisen with e-commerce. A particular focus is dedicated to the digital single market strategy started by the European Commission in 2015. That strategy is aimed at ensuring access to online goods and services for individuals and businesses under conditions of fair competition, consum-er and data protection, removing geo-blocking and copyright issues.

1. European Commission, Communication - A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe - COM(2015) 192 final;

2. European Commission, Communication on the Mid-Term Review on the implementation of the Digital Single Market Strategy - A Connected Digital Single Market for All - COM(2017) 228 final;

3. Bertin Martens, JRC Technical Reports - Institute for Pro-spective Technological Studies Digital Economy, What does Economic Research tell us about Cross-border e-Commerce in the EU Digital Single Market? A Summary of Recent Research, Working Paper 05, 2013;

4. Marc Hermeking, Culture and Internet Consumption: Contributions from Cross-Cultural Marketing and Adver-tising Research, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communi-cation, 11, 192, 2006;

5. Michal S. Gal and Niva Elkin-Koren, Algorithmic Con-sumers, Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, Vol. 30, Number 2, 2017;

6. Pablo Ibáñez Colomo, Copyright Licensing and the EU Digital Single Market Strategy, in Roger D. Blair and D. Daniel Sokol, eds., Handbook of Antitrust, Intellectual Property and High Technology, Cambridge University Press, 2016.

Considering the rapidly changing subject matter of the course, the assigned readings may be revised throughout the semester.

Materials will be available on the University’s website. The link and the password to access the materials will be shared during the first lecture of the course.

These materials are only for class use. Further dissemination is prohibited.

After completing the course, a student will be able to:

- Frame the relevant differences between digital and tra-ditional markets;

- Understand the main legal issues which underpin the development of e-Commerce;

- Discuss the key features of the EU relevant legislation and policy.

Active participation in the course and scenario questions/essay.