URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/R_LTCLED

Course Objective

Lawyers, economists, and computer scientists have different expertise, skills, ambitions, and histories. Each plays an important role in modern society and needs to specialize more than ever before. But specialization should not be at the expense of constructive discussions. And for discussions to take place, lawyers, economists, and computer scientists must understand each other. With this in mind, this course not only provides law students with an introduction to the economic theories and technical insights that underlie the digital economy, but also explores the interactions between law, economics, and technology. In short, this course seeks to provide tomorrow’s lawyers with a holistic view of the questions and possible answers related to the modern, dynamic, digital economy. It explores what one may call “Law & Technology & Economics.”

Course Content

This course embraces a “system theory” approach. Courses in law school typically look at problem A, and how the law (whether existing laws or new laws) can solve it. This course looks at how law, market, and technology co-evolve. Problem-solving is approached from a Lego perspective. More specifically: ➝ In the first week of this course, students will be introduced to digital markets and their dynamics (main focus: economics). They will learn about the core tenets of system thinking and complexity economics, including concepts such as increasing returns, non-ergodicity, network effects, switching costs, multi-sided markets, lock-in, disruption and non-linearity, etc. (class #1). They will then be introduced to the economics of technology (i.e., the engine behind complex economies), including innovation commons, combinatorial evolution, and Darwinian selection (class #2). ➝ In the second week of this course, students will be introduced to digital market laws, their substance, limits, and possibilities (main focus: law). They will delve into the newly adopted Digital Markets Act, exploring its strengths and weaknesses using the concepts studied during previous classes (class #3). A first seminar (seminar #1) will be dedicated to pleadings focusing on the DMA. Students will then explore alternative – computational – ways to address competitive issues in the digital economy, i.e., including the use of machine learning by enforcers, network analysis, etc. (class #4). They will present a computational solution during a second seminar (seminar #2). ➝ In the third week of this course, students will be introduced to promising digital technologies, their dynamics, and how regulation & enforcement impact these dynamics (main focus:technology). They will explore how artificial intelligence in creating competitive pressure on tech giants, how the DMA and the AI Act might impact these dynamics, and how complexity-minded policymaking might complement the current policy approach (class #5). They will propose targeted improvements to EU regulations during a seminar (seminar #3) Students will also be introduced to blockchain, the competitive pressure Web3 creates against the tech giants, and the role enforcers could play to protect this dynamic (class #6). By the end of the course, students will acquire a holistic understanding of digital markets, their underlying technologies, and how the law can shape them.

Teaching Methods

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Method of Assessment

Students will receive two grades which will be combined into their final grade: ➝ One for in-class presentations (30% of your final grade): during the first class, all students will be divided into several groups (one group will represent a tech giant, another group will represent a newly created startup, and another group will represent the European Commission). These groups will then give several presentations during the course (instructions will be posted on Canvas). All students in a group will receive the same grade. ➝ One “table exam” (70% of your final grade): students will be tested on their knowledge during a 2-hour examination on campus. The exam will take the form of a case study. Students will be asked to combine their legal background with the economic and technical knowledge acquired during the course (i.e., the Lego standpoint). This grade will be individual.

Literature

The literature will be made available through Canvas.

Target Audience

All master students. Computer scientists and economists are also welcome!

Custom Course Registration

Apart from regular master students, the course is also available to students from other universities or faculties, exchange students, and contract students (i.e., students – such as professionals – who register for a single course only). Subject to faculty policy, students can only enroll in the course as a secondary course if they have the prerequisite diploma for the master/specialization and if they are enrolled in a master's program.

Entry Requirements

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Recommended background knowledge

There is no recommended economic or technical background knowledge.
Academic year1/09/2431/08/25
Course level6.00 EC

Language of Tuition

  • English

Study type

  • Master