https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2025-2026/R_LTCLEDLawyers, 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."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 acquire core knowledge about digital competition and its regulation. They will learn about the core tenets of system thinking and complexity economics that underlie digital markets, including concepts such as increasing returns, non-ergodicity, network effects, switching costs, multi-sided markets, lock-in, disruption and non-linearity, etc. (lecture #1). They will then be introduced to digital competition law main rules and principles, including the standards used to assess practices, legality tests, the role of presumptions, etc. (lecture #2). The week will conclude with an in-depth exploration of the Digital Markets Act (“DMA”), which complements competition law in regulating digital markets. Students will analyze its underlying logic, core provisions, enforcement mechanisms, strengths and weaknesses (lecture #3). In the second week of this course, students will apply their knowledge in practical settings. The first seminar (seminar #1) will focus on pleadings related to the DMA. Students will represent either the European Commission, a big tech company, or a small European start-up. Following this, students will examine computational approaches to addressing competitive challenges in the digital economy, such as the use of machine learning by enforcers and network analysis (lecture #4). In the second seminar, they will present computational solutions aimed at addressing some of the DMA’s weaknesses. Here again, students will represent the interest of one party (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. 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 policy-making might complement the current policy approach (lecture #5). Martijn Snoep, Chairman of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, will join as a guest speaker for a session addressing future challenges (lecture #6). To conclude, students will present targeted proposals for improving EU regulations in a seminar that builds on the insights from the previous lectures (seminar #3). 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.-Students will receive two grades that will be combined into your their grade:One for in-class pleadings (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 three presentations during the seminars (instructions will be posted on Canvas). All students in a group will receive the same grade.One final exam (70% of your final grade): students will be tested on their knowledge and skills acquisition. 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. The exam will take place online on January 29, 2025, from 10:00 to 12:00 (refer to Canvas for details).The literature will be made available through Canvas.All master students. Computer scientists and economists are also welcome!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.-There is no recommended economic or technical background knowledge.