ICT laws and regulations (overview)

Complex but regulated

There is no single ICT law. ICT law and regulation has several regulations. These can include Information Technology and Internet law:

• The Copyright Act (including art 45h et seq.);
• The Databank Act;
• The Dutch Patent Act;
• The Law on Topographies of Semiconductors (Microchips);
• And EU directives on those subjects.

Related to ICT law are the following laws or legal doctrines:

• The Telecommunications Act;
• The Personal Data Protection Act – privacy law;
• The ‘Cyber crime convention’ o.a.;
• The Bankruptcy Act, e.g. in relation to software.

The Civil Code a.o. on:

• ITC liability; source code escrow; pledge (6:162; 7:600, 3:236 ev BW)
• Contract law; distance selling (e-commerce) (7:46 a-j BW)
• Liability in electronic legal transactions (6:196 b BW)
• Information society services (3:15d and 6:196 c BW)

This is not an exhaustive list. There is also case law as a source of law.