E-Pharmacy and Tech Law: An Interface (Part I)

Posted on October 2, 2019October 2, 2019 by Tech Law Forum NALSAR

This is the first part of a 2-part post authored by Anubhuti Garg, 4th year, and Gourav Kathuria, 2nd year, of NALSAR University of Law. Part II can be found here.

The growth of the Internet and rise of companies like Amazon and Flipkart has meant that e-commerce is rapidly gaining traction in India. A notable emergence in this regard has been that of e-pharmacies, which provide heft discounts and hassle-free deliveries to attract consumers. Their arrival on the scene has been acknowledged by the government which has tried to bring in a draft policy in order to regulate these entities, however it is yet to be implemented. The existing laws are inadequate when it comes to dealing with e-pharmacies and there is an urgent need for new legislation governing the issue which is precisely what the Sale of Drugs by E-Pharmacy (Draft Rules) aim to do.

Artificial Intelligence is a Road Map to Transmogrification of Legal Industry

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Tech Law Forum NALSAR

This piece, taking an optimistic view of the use of AI in the legal industry, has been authored by Priyal Agrawal and Laxmi Rathore. They are currently in their 3rd year at the Kirit P. Mehta School of Law, NMIMS, Mumbai.

“In the long term, artificial intelligence and automation are going to be taking over so much of what gives humans a feeling of purpose.” – Matt Bellamy

Emergence of OTT Market in India: Regulatory and Censorship Issues

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Tech Law Forum NALSAR

This post has been authored by Gaurav Kumar, a 3rd year student at Dr. Ram Manhar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Lucknow. He is also a Contributing Editor at the RMLNLU Arbitration Law Blog.

The media industry in recent times is witnessing a revolution when it comes to censorship of streaming content. As compared to theatres it has become comparatively much easier for the web industry to dodge any moral scrutiny when releasing its work. While the release of the Narendra Modi biopic during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections caused significant controversy, a web series on the same subject was allowed to air without any issues, though it was later removed by the Election Commission for having violated the Model Code of Conduct.

Smart Derivative Contract: The Dark Horse of the Securities Market?

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Tech Law Forum NALSAR

This post has been authored by Arnav Maru, currently in his 4th year at Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Mumbai.

In a previous post, the concept of smart contracts as used in the legal field was explained comprehensively. Smart contracts are pieces of software that are formed when certain operational terms of a contract are written in the form of electronically executable codes. They were originally envisaged by Nick Szabo and theorized in a paper titled ‘Smart Contracts: Building Blocks for Digital Markets’. He used a rudimentary example of a vending machine to explain the concept. A consumer inserts cash into the machine and enters his preference. The machine then automates the execution of the contract and the goods are delivered to the consumer. The introduction of Blockchain technology has added another dimension to this concept and has exponentially increased its application. Self-executing contracts, based on the Blockchain are a reality now, and have found applications in a myriad of fields. An increasing popularity of the Blockhain and its uses has necessitated an overview of the progress made on this front, both, in terms of legal developments as well as feasibility of actual use.

The Effect of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on Ola and Uber

Posted on September 16, 2019June 12, 2024 by Tech Law Forum NALSAR

This quick read has been authored by Shauree Gaikwad, a 3rd year student at Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Aurangabad.

[Ed. Note: Since the post was written, the Bill has become law and the amendments have now come into force.]

De-linking the Deep Links: An Insight Into the PVR-Justdial Controversy

Posted on July 27, 2019July 27, 2019 by Tech Law Forum NALSAR

This post by Archita Prawasi, currently in her 3rd year at NALSAR University of Law, was originally published here. In an explanatory piece, she brings forth the impact of technology on IPR.

A recent dispute between PVR and Justdial has highlighted the connection between various facets of networking and IP infringement that ensues through the use of regular networking tools like deep links, meta tags and frames. With the interim order by the Delhi High Court against Justdial, it seems that new age digital awareness is catching up with the old and still relevant IP laws in the country. Before discussing the facts of the dispute, it is relevant to discuss the implications of the networking tools forming the dispute.

Are Smart Contracts a Smart Option?

Posted on July 25, 2019July 26, 2019 by Tech Law Forum NALSAR

This post has been authored by Harshit Goyal, currently in his 3rd year at National Law School of India University, Bangalore. In a well-reasoned piece, the author presents a simplified analysis of the feasibility of smart contracts.

Smart contracts are a set of self-propelled contracts which use blockchain as a platform to complete the transactions. This concept was introduced by Nick Szabo back in 1996. Since then, a lot of nations have endorsed this concept for being a technological revolution. In this post, I will endeavour to show that smart contracts are not really a smart option as they are riddled with several unsolvable legal issues. The analysis is primarily focussed on the smart contracts made on ethereum blockchain.

Does Web Crawling Contravene the Indian Copyright Act, 1957?

Posted on July 18, 2019July 18, 2019 by Tech Law Forum NALSAR

[Ed Note: The following post has been authored by Shivang Agarwal, currently in his final year at NALSAR University of Law. In an interesting read, he analyzes the nature of web crawling actions and the kind of information collected to assess whether claims of copyright infringement may be brought against entities running such search engines.]

Web crawling is a process by which programs, which are colloquially known as ‘web spiders’ or ‘web robots’, browse the World Wide Web in a methodical and automated manner in order to index information found on every web page they come across. Many legitimate service providers, including search engines, employ web spiders to provide up-to-date information and data to their users.

Data Protection: Consumer Perspectives at Facebook Design Jam

Posted on July 18, 2019July 18, 2019 by Tech Law Forum NALSAR

[Ed Note: This post is the first in a series of posts by members of TLF who attended the Facebook Design Jam in Hyderabad on 10 July 2019. It has been authored by Namratha Murugeshan, a final year student at NALSAR University of Law and member of TLF.]

Members of TLF’s Organizing Committee were invited to attend Facebook’s Data Awareness Design Jam on the 10^th of July 2019. A Design Jam is an event that provides a platform for start-ups and designers to pitch and improve their products. They are typically very interactive and informative sessions that help the participants gain new perspectives about their products and learn more about compliance with law and policy. Likewise, Facebook’s event too was an excellent opportunity for us to interact with start-ups, professionals, policymakers, designers and surprisingly, quite a few lawyers too. A key takeaway for the TLF members present at the event was gaining knowledge about the consumer perspectives surrounding data protection in India. A panel discussion on the same topic was organized at the Jam. The speakers included Smriti Parsheera from NIPFP (National Institute of Public Finance and Policy), Shagufta Gupta from CUTS (Consumer Unity & Trust Society) and Prerak Mehta from Dalberg Global Development Advisors. This post is a brief on the panel discussion.

Metadata by TLF: Issue 1

Posted on July 15, 2019December 20, 2020 by Tech Law Forum NALSAR

Welcome to our fortnightly newsletter, where our editors put together handpicked stories from the world of tech law! You can find other issues here.

SC Decides Not to Intervene in Delhi Govt.’s School CCTV Plan

On 6 July 2019, Delhi CM launched a mission to install CCTV cameras in all government schools in Delhi by November. The decision was challenged through a petition filed by an NLU student before the Supreme Court. In the latest development, the Supreme Court has refused to stay the Delhi govt’s plan to install CCTV cameras in school classrooms, which includes a plan to live stream the feed to parents of students. A Bench headed by Ranjan Gogoi did not entertain the plea that this move violated the right to privacy, despite the government making no moves to gain the approval of either the students or parents for the same. This decision is surprising given the recognition of the right to privacy as a fundamental right by a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court in Justice KS Puttaswamy v. Union of India.