Month: December 2014

Being an avid fan of Ian Lloyd’s Information Technology Law, I have been looking forward to this new edition since I reviewed the sixth edition back in 2013.  It was a little surprising to learn, in such a fast moving area of law, that three years passed between the sixth and seventh editions.  In that time there have been continued changes in this fast-moving area of law.  For this new edition of Information Technology Law, Lloyd has made substantial revisions including (a) a new chapter on electronic money and online gambling, (b) new sections on expanding topics like cyber-terrorism and cyber-warfare and (c) expanded treatment of issues relating to online criminality.  All of these changes add to the quality of the text meaning Information Technology Law remains one of the key texts on IT law.

Written by an extremely experienced and highly regarded academic, Information Technology Law is split into five parts: privacy, anonymity, and data protection; computer-related crime; intellectual property issues; e-commerce; and internet specific issues.  Each part has a number of chapters.  For example, the first part includes chapters on: the emergence of data protection; the data protection principles; and transborder data flows.  The second part includes chapters on: the phenomenon of computer-related crime; legislating for computer crime; and detecting and prosecuting computer crime.

Information Technology Law continues to be one of my favourite texts.  It is superbly written; Lloyd has the ability to explain difficult topics in a user-friendly and accessible way (and this is very much part of the text’s simplicity).  There are also numerous footnotes which provide a treasure-trove of research material for an essay, dissertation or thesis.  The online resource centre has three resources: web links; an IT law blog (written by Professor Lloyd); and updates.  Unfortunately (and by the time of this review), there are currently no updates and Professor Lloyd’s blog has not been updated since March 2013.

If you are looking for an engaging and thought-provoking text on information technology law then I have no hesitation in recommending Information Technology Law.  It is an impressively written and logical analysis of this evolving, topical and fascinating area of law.  It is very readable because complex legal issues are broken down into a series of small (and understandable) steps.  By adopting this approach, Lloyd ensures that Information Technology Law is a vital text for students and practitioners alike.  Lloyd’s blog is also an excellent idea and gives a real insight into the author’s mind (and it is hoped it is updated in the future).  Information Technology Law already is (and will continue to be) an important text for years to come.

Reviewed on 14 December 2014