New focus for internet law partnership

Non-profit organisation InternetNZ has announced it will explore new ways to promote public understanding of the internet and the law, after eight years funding research fellowships in partnership with Victoria University of Wellington.

Four Cyber Law Fellows have been funded at Victoria's New Zealand Centre of International Economic Law (NZCIEL) since November 2003, exploring such topics as liability of ISPs for third-party content, and issues of cyber privacy in a post-9/11 world.

Now, according to InternetNZ chief executive Vikram Kumar, the time has come for the partnership to change tack.

"Our goals remain the same," Kumar says, "but there is a need and an opportunity to take into account emerging trends.

Instead of hosting research fellows, NZCIEL will deliver a series of conferences and publications promoting awareness of cyber law issues.

Three conferences will be held over four to five years, with the first scheduled for the first half of 2012.

NZCIEL co-director, Professor Susy Frankel, says cyber law is an exciting area of law which is relevant to a vast number of New Zealanders.

"We will provide a neutral forum where interested parties can get together to discuss the issues and hear about the latest advances," Frankel says.