Digital Law
Registration for summer 2025 opens in January 2025.
WHO IS THE COURSE FOR?
Undergraduates, masters students, PhD candidates, as well as junior professionals with a legal background and interest in digital law.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Topics that will be covered include cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, big data, digital privacy and online surveillance, free speech, consumer protection, legal issues of social media, Internet and telecom infrastructure, data protection, intellectual property, antitrust, and much more...
This is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the framework of a Digital law clinic and to discuss cutting edge Digital law and policy issues with academics (including researchers participating in the Digital Law Research Colloquium), practitioners, representatives of global policy makers, international organizations and leading institutions, including the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP).
In the previous years (2014-2022), the Digital Law Summer School (formerly Internet Law Summer School) gathered a group of highly talented participants from very diverse backgrounds and countries, including Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lithuania, Moldova, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the Netherlands, the UK, the US and Ukraine.
The summer school includes an exciting programme and affords the fantastic opportunity to build a global network of new friends as well as of Digital law and policy experts.
A video testimony of participants to the 2014 edition is available here!
ADMISSION
Due to the high number of applications for this course, admission can take up to 4 weeks.
COURSE CREDITS
The equivalence of 6 ECTS credits can be obtained (to be validated by the home university) upon submission of a paper.
Students of the summer school will receive a certificate for completing the summer school if they meet the compulsory attendance requirements.
Please note that it is the student’s own responsibility to validate this course for credit at their home university prior to the summer school, as specified in our Terms & Conditions.
Junior professionals: CHF 1,700
External students (*): CHF 1,400
UNIGE students (*): CHF 300
(*) Bachelor and master’s degree-seeking students and Ph.D. candidates only. The tuition fees for lifelong learning students are subject to employment status.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15 April 2024
Note: No course-housing packages are available for this course.
Course Directors:
Professor Jacques de Werra
Faculty of Law, University of Geneva
Jacques de Werra is professor of contract law and intellectual property law at the Law School of the University of Geneva, Switzerland. He was Vice-Rector of the university digital strategy among others. He was Faculty Fellow/Faculty Associate of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. He authored a doctoral thesis in Swiss and comparative copyright law which he completed as a visiting scholar at the Max-Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law in Munich in 1996. He then practiced law in Switzerland, before obtaining an LL.M. degree from Columbia Law School in New York City in 2001 and being admitted to the New York bar in 2002.
Jacques researches, publishes and speaks on topics related to various aspects of intellectual property law, contract law, particularly on the commercialization of intellectual property assets by way of transfer of technology, licensing and franchising, IT and Internet Law, as well as on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for IP and technology disputes. He is the coordinator of the WIPO - University of Geneva Summer school on Intellectual Property for the University of Geneva. Jacques is the editor of a scientific books series, propriété intellectuelle - intellectual property, in which the proceedings of annual intellectual property law conferences held at the University of Geneva are published (journées de droit de la propriété intellectuelle).
Professor Yaniv Benhamou
Faculty of Law, University of Geneva
Professor and Attorney-at-Law Yaniv Benhamou specializes in Intellectual Property, Data Protection and Art Law. He regularly advises private companies and public authorities with regard to Intellectual Property, Data Protection, Entertainment Law and Technology Law (including Big Data and Artificial Intelligence).
Besides his legal practice, Yaniv works at the University of Geneva, where he teaches the class "Data Protection in the Digital Economy" and is in charge of institutional missions relating to the digital transformation. He is also executive director of the Internet Law Summer School . He is appointed expert by WIPO for museums and copyright, author of the WIPO report on copyright practices and challenges of museums and co-author of the WIPO guide on Big Data and IP (forthcoming). He is also member of the board of directors of the Art-Law Centre Geneva. He was recently Visiting Researcher at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University (2018) as well as the Centre for Media and Communications Law at Melbourne University (2016).
In addition to these legal activities, he is involved in associative and cultural activities in the field of Art and Music, in particular he co-founded lab-of-arts and Artists Rights, free legal consultations for Swiss artists (i.e. Swiss volunteering lawyers for the arts).
Please note: Changes to the draft program may be made at any time prior to the start of the course.
It was an incredible learning experience and a great opportunity to engage and exchange ideas with fellows from around the world.
The summer school team did an excellent job in providing such a valuable learning activity. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and gained a lot from it. Although the visa for individuals from our region typically covers only the duration of the invitation (15 days), I wish I had a couple of extra days to explore the beautiful mountainous and remote villages of Switzerland.
Many of my LinkedIn and social media followers have inquired about the program and expressed interest in joining in the future.
Once again, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to you and your team for providing such a great opportunity. I look forward to engaging in other summer schools or events of my interest in the coming years.
Poliana Szernek, Brazil, 2023 Edition
It was my first time in Geneva. Although I have been told by a friend that had already lived there that this would be a fantastic experience, I could never be prepared for how fantastic it truly was. The first day I arrived, I stopped in front of Uni Mail and took the time to just stand there for a few minutes, letting the reality sink in. I knew that after I walked in, I would not come out the same person as I was before. And I was so right! The experience of learning is so beautiful, so having the chance to be in the presence of world-class professors and professionals just made it all the more special. Coming back home confirmed that I am now transformed by everything I lived and that I will always have Geneva and UNIGE with me - both personally and professionally. It was beautiful!
Saghar Gandomani, University of Geneva, Switzerland, 2022 Online Edition
I am so happy for participating to the summer school at the Geneva Summer Schools, University of Geneva. It is the great opportunity for me to learn more about digitalization in the law fields. Thank you all organizers for your efforts and detailed schedules.
Maria Rego, ITS Rio, Brazil, 2022 Online Edition
I’m so happy to have been part of the summer course in Digital Law promoted by the Digital Law Center, University of Geneva. The last 2 weeks were intense, but all worth it! It was a period of constant learning with amazing teachers and colleagues from different nationalities. The multidisciplinary environment fosters debates that make us leave our comfort zone and remember why we keep studying more and always: the more we study, the more we realize that there is a lot to learn. Thank you for the opportunity given, Instituto de Tecnologia e Sociedade (ITS Rio)
Anderson Röhe
At the end of the Digital Law Summer School 2021 I was very impressed how the Institute of Technology and Society - ITS Rio and the University of Geneva are on the same page concerning the interactions between humanities and emerging technologies. Mainly about a more inclusive and integrated environment for cybersecurity in face of global platforms and different types of its regulation (such as the US, European, Chinese and even Brazilian framework). Thank you, again, for the opportunity. Next time, I hope to be there in person to take part in another remarkable and insightful experience. I'm already missing you, dear colleagues! Greetings from Brazil!
Angela Butalid, Philippines, 2022 Online Edition
The Digital Law course 2022 gave me a much-needed holistic perspective of the field. It discussed the broad subject matter through various angles: philosophical, technical, regulatory, as a consumer, as part of the industry, as a litigation lawyer. All the professors and guest lecturers were very insightful and ably addressed all the questions from our very diverse group. Although two weeks certainly were not enough to cover everything, we were given the basic concepts in each field that we can definitely build on in our future studies or profession. I came out of this course with more questions than I had when I entered it - and that is a good thing!
Isabella Aragão, 2020 Online Edition
Thanks so much for the Digital Law Center of the Université de Genève for these 2 immersive weeks in the Digital Law Summer School! It was amazing to discover a whole new world of research opportunities and enhance my professional and personal skills with all of the great discussions, with so many talented people around the world. I hope I can see all of you in the future, in person, and that we keep in touch for more inspiring debates and mutual growth!
Larissa Guarnieri, ITS Rio, 2020 Online Edition
I had the chance to participate in the Digital Law Summer School offered by the Digital Law Center of Université de Genève. Due to Covid-19 crisis we couldn't be physically there in Switzerland. Even so, it was a great experience and a pleasure to meet (by Zoom! rs) brillant professionals and colleagues. Big thanks to Instituto de Tecnologia e Sociedade (ITS Rio) and all the professors, especially to Ana Andrijevic, Jacques de Werra and Yaniv Benhamou.
Fabio Aspis, Brazil, Internet Law Summer School 2019
We [...] had the opportunity to interact and learn from different perspectives [...] such as by journalists and philosophers.
The Internet Law Summer School has provided a broader view of key global discussions in the digital environment. Students had the opportunity to have contact with different regulatory views from different parts of the world. Key topics discussed included privacy and data protection, legal issues of social media, current intellectual property issues and cybersecurity. With a flawless organization, the course provided a dynamic study methodology, with a colloquia and conferences held at strategic locations of Geneva such as International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Foundation Hardt. It is important to point out that the course is not just for lawyers. We also had the opportunity to interact and learn from different perspectives on the topics covered, such as by journalists and philosophers.
Nadja Rabeneck, Germany, Internet Law Summer School 2019
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended! I've never met so many inspiring people at one spot! The speakers were always interested in having a conversation/discussion with us instead of holding a monologue. Thus, everybody could address the topics and questions interesting him/her the most!
César Augusto Fontanillo López, Spain, Internet Law Summer School 2019
Internet Law Summer School provided the participants with better insights
Internet Law Summer School provided the participants with better insights about the different regulatory strategies to steer, guide, limit or promote the Internet. Participants studied not only the corpus of law and jurisprudence that surround the Internet but also learnt about cybersecurity, privacy and data protection, competition, and intellectual property law. I am confident that the lessons I took from this Summer School will help me to understand how to better participate in the debate and discourse that is sure to come on the legal implications of the Internet, as a professional sufficiently informed about the state-of-the-art of regulation of new and emerging digital technologies
Adrien Buensod, Geneva, Internet Law Summer School 2018
It was a pleasure to attend this summer course...
During this summer, I had the chance to attend the Internet Law Summer School in the University of Geneva. It was a wonderful opportunity. The course organizers had everything planned, they were extremely friendly and helpful.
About the course itself: the professors and experts brought in were extremely interesting. Their varying backgrounds made the diverse subjects they talked about even more compelling. Allowing the classes to be held outside the campus (at the Hardt Foundation, ITU, etc) allowed for us to not feel cramped up in a class and helped making those two weeks flow. Furthermore, I very much enjoyed working with my fellow course attendees when I had the chance. Speaking of us, I have met incredible people. The more they talked about themselves, the more amazing they all seemed to be and all came from such different origins and backgrounds. Their intelligence and motivation struck me and motivated me to concentrate and their kindness made me regret no being able to spend more time with them.
It was a pleasure to attend this summer course and it was a pleasure to meet every single person I met there, be it a professor, an assistant or a fellow student.
Irmak Erdogan, Turkey, Internet Law Summer School 2018
... we had the best time in the beautiful city of Geneva.
For the people who are interested in internet law, Geneva Internet Law Summer School must be on your list. It helped us to get a wide perspective regarding each aspect of internet law and best experts and academicians in this field flared our curiosity even more. It was not only the courses which were well organized, but also outdoor activities were planned ahead to make sure we had the best time in the beautiful city of Geneva.
Clémence Segenreich, France, Internet Law Summer School 2018
I will do it again, for sure !
Attending the Internet L@w Geneva Summer School during the Summer 2018 was a real enriching experience for me.
Those 2 weeks were a perfect opportunity to combine the discovery of a new fascinating issue within the legal constellation, to increase my personal competences in terms of operational business analysis, planning and decision taking in a team as well as to allow me to create and share experience within a network of lovely people from all walks of life, with a strong group identification.
Organisation was excellent, schedule and topics were very diversified : a 2-week stay with classic courses, conferences, seminaries, meeting with professionals and free time to work on personal projects or enjoy the wonderful city and Swiss culture of Geneva.
As a consequence, I fully recommend this summer school for those who want to improve their skills on that specific topic of internet law or just for those eager to have more than one string to their bow ! Courses are suitable for everybody thanks to a tailored range of topics going from the introductory course to the specialization course in more specific areas.
I will do it again, for sure !
Fernando Ravelo Guillen, Spain, Internet Law Summer School 2018
The program was well organised
The Internet Law Summer School was a remarkable program which covered the main issues relating to internet, data protection, cybersecurity, intellectual property, digital platforms (just to name a few!). The speakers came from universities, institutions and companies from many countries. They made their presentation materials available, answered questions and offered to be contacted to address other topics of interest for the students.
Another strong point of this course were the students. They provided a dimension of diversity, not just because of the different nationalities but also because of their backgrounds (lawyers, engineers, anthropologists, etc). The discussions in and off class were so much interesting because of that.
The program was well organised. We had the schedule beforehand and there were different channels of communication thus any question or doubt by the students could be rapidly answered. The Summer School also organised many social activities aimed at discovering the city of Geneva and enjoying the free time among classmates.
Adriana Sarkis, Brazil, Internet Law Summer School 2018
It is really worth it and I strongly recommend!
It was a great experience to join the 2018 Internet Law Summer School in Geneva. The course exceeded all expectation in terms of classes, seminars, professors and classmates. An amazing atmosphere, with incredible colleagues from all over the world allowed us to share academic and professional experiences while discussing the most challenging topics of law and digital economy. Also, the opportunity to be in the international environment of Geneva makes the experience even more exciting as we are invited visit the main international organizations and learn from great professionals. It is really worth it and I strongly recommend.
Vagisha Priya Srivastava, India, Internet Law Summer School 2018
You will not come out the same as you went in!
Attending the Internet Law summer School was a great learning experience for me. Being a computer science student I just had an overview of the legal issues involved in cybersecurity. This summer school gave me a clear understanding of topics such as Data Privacy, Data protection issues in ecommerce, Internet governance and human rights, platform liability etc. which according to me is important when you are at the developing front of the softwares. The speakers were some of the best people from the field from around the world and I enjoyed attending all the lectures.
The class hosted a bunch amazing people from all over the world with different backgrounds. The conversations were never dull or boring. I got to learn a great deal of things from my fellow classmates. The organizers were great, always ready to help you out with anything you need.
I would highly recommend the Internet Law Summer School. So, If you want to learn about internet law, if you want to meet amazing people, if you want to make memories you would cherish for your entire life and all of it within a duration of a few weeks then please apply for the course. You will not come out the same as you went in.
Aye Al-Jarrah, Switzerland, Internet Law Summer School 2018
Don’t hesitate and go for it!
Being part of the Internet Law Summer School was a wonderful experience. Not only are you able to discuss various topics related to the internet with highly qualified and interesting speakers and colleagues alike, but you also get to meet amazing people from all around the world. Thus, it’s a great opportunity to broaden your perspective and learn how different cultures and legal systems approach certain issues as well as make some great friends. These two weeks are such a unique experience that I couldn’t recommend highly enough. My advice: don’t hesitate and go for it
Ana Maria Draganuta, Romania, Internet law Summer School 2018
I highly recommend it...
The organization and the programme itself exceeded all my expectations: well-reputed speakers, greatly prepared lectures and practical exercises, amazing vibe within the group mostly due to the social activities prepared for us. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get an inside glimpse into the internet law world and to create long-term professional and friendship relationships.
Ana Andrijevic – Switzerland - Internet Law Summer School 2017
Go for it!
In my case, the Internet Law Summer School has been a life changer considering where it led me today. I did not know much about Internet Law before starting the summer school but I had basic knowledge in cybersecurity or private international law. First of all, this summer school gave me an overview of topics such as digital privacy, online surveillance, free speech, intellectual property, cybersecurity etc., with some of the best speakers from all around the world. Our discussions during the classes and during the social events led me to another level of thinking in all these areas and helped me also to choose my PhD subject.
But most importantly, I met a lot of incredible people from all around the world (Brazil, the UK, the US, Georgia, India, Italy, to name a few) during the summer school and with whom I am still in touch. They are not only lawyers but also computer scientists or policy makers for instance.
I really recommend the Internet Law Summer School because it will not only give you the opportunity to meet extraordinary people but it will also extend your knowledge in different areas and will bring you more that you might expect. Therefore, if you are interested in any topic related to Internet Law or Internet policies, even if you are not a lawyer, my only advice would be: go for it!
Usman Ahmed Khan - Pakistan – Internet Law Summer School 2017
My name is Usman Ahmed Khan. I am currently working as a senior civil Judge in Karachi, Pakistan. I attended the summer school on Internet Law in 2016 and the course really helped me to gain deeper understanding of the governance of the cyber world. This course gave me an in-depth understanding of Internet Law. I have found the things I learned throughout the course constantly coming up in a workplace setting. This course also equipped me with the ability to explore and understand the issues of the cyber world from an international perspective.
Vanya Rakesh - India - Internet Law Summer School 2017
Participating in the Geneva summer school on internet laws was an invaluable experience. Discussing and studying about key issues encompassing the field with students from across the globe and experts from organisations like WIPO, ITU, ICRC, etc. Paved way for me in this domain and helped me evolve as a technology and internet laws enthusiast. I could take back home fond memories and a great learning experience.
Ana Cristina Carvalho - Waterloo, ON Canada - Internet Law Summer School 2017
You will not regret!
The University of Geneva has the best summer course on internet law, covering a broad range of topics under an international approach, as well as discussing domestic legislations from different countries. The professors have a terrific reputation and come from international organizations, institutes and universities all over the world. The methodology adopted in this course allows students from different levels, since graduation until post-doctorate, to discuss about Internet Law and to get important research sources to developfuture works in the area. The group project on practising cyber law,under the coordination of Professor Chris Bavitz, was surely one of the highlights, bringing us a very practical approach of the topics discussed over the two weeks. Besides making new friends and a great networking, we left Geneva with a valuable knowledge in areas such as Internet Governance, Contract Law, Competition Law, Human Rights, Intellectual Property and Data Protection. (GoAbroad Review)
S M - Internet Law Summer School 2016
Great exposure and a wonderful community
I had heard about the GSS Internet Law programme from a friend, who spoke so highly of its course structure, speakers and fellow attendees that I had no doubts in considering it to be a worthwhile course. Today I too recommend it to any person interested in the field of internet law. I appreciate the breadth of our exposure provided by the course as well as the fact that speakers are from different backgrounds, including policy, education and business.The organisers were helpful and always there to address our concerns, being especially understanding with respect to financial aid. It was wonderful meeting so many other attendees from across the world with an interest in this field and hearing their views on the subject. (GoAbroad Review)
Katerina Baklan
Unbelievable School with the best experts in different fields and wonderful atmosphere. (Facebook Review)