RSU Publishes Collective the Monograph Fundamentals of Information Society Law

Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) recently held a book launch for the impressive 679-page monograph Informācijas sabiedrības tiesību pamati [The Fundamentals of Information Society Law]. The book was edited by Uldis Ķinis, a professor at RSU, and published by the RSU Publishing and Printing Unit.

Several well-known lawyers and media experts can be found among the book’s authors, and it covers topics like the transformation of law in the information society, internet governance, electronic governance, electronic media rights, cyber security, data protection, e-commerce, and copyright in the digital environment.

The monograph Informācijas sabiedrības tiesību pamati  is a comprehensive work that is permeated by the idea of protecting human rights and the legal interests of individuals in the information society.

‘This monograph is a unique contribution by Latvian legal researchers to the development of legal science not only in Latvia, but also in Europe and the entire world. There are not many such large-scale studies on the interaction of law and information technology.

When such studies are conducted, the books are usually written by an international team of authors. That this book is unique is also confirmed by the fact that academic research on the transformation of law in the information society, internet governance, electronic governance, and media rights has not been conducted in Latvia before. Only a few publications can be found on cyber security, data protection, e-commerce, and copyright in the digital environment,’ says Prof. Ķinis.

By analysing issues related to the protection of personal rights and legal interests in cyberspace, the book looks at a wide range of international and national laws and regulations, scientific articles and monographs, the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights, and other courts. This monograph will help not only aspiring and practising lawyers, but also IT professionals, media experts and other interested parties understand legal issues in the digital environment.

The information society is a knowledge society, and this encompasses not only ordinary knowledge, but also digital literacy, which, amongst other things, includes knowledge of technology, the ability to work in a team, critical thinking. This knowledge is vital for lawyers to be able to perform their duties in the information society.

Cyberspace, which is often used as a synonym for the word “internet”, is a multicultural, global, borderless, multi-layered information space that is difficult to regulate. Member States of the European Union and several other countries have been using the principle “what is illegal off-line must also be illegal on-line” since 1996. However, in practice, it is difficult and sometimes even impossible to achieve this equivalence through national or international law alone. It is therefore necessary to find solutions to ensure that the information society is inextricably linked with the duty of states to ensure respect for human rights regardless of the environment, as decided at the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis, states the scientific editor of the book.

The authors of the monograph are Irēna Barkāne, Rihards Gulbis, Sanita Osipova, Anda Rožukalne, Ieva Andersone, Madars Laurs, Madara Meļņika, Katrīna Sataki, and its scientific editor is Uldis Ķinis. Aija Lapsa is the editor-in-chief of the monograph that has been published under the auspices of the RSU Publishing and Printing Unit headed by Tenis Nigulis. The editors are Indra Orleja and Inga Lievīte. The layout of the monograph was prepared by Ilze Stikāne, and the cover was designed by artist Egils Turss.