Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 214-225).

This thesis analyses the traditional notion of jurisdiction in the light of Internet based activities which are inherently decentralised and ubiquitous. It is clear that the unique nature of the Internet has undermined the very foundation of the traditional notion of jurisdiction and the territorially based concepts of law and their application. Which court should hear disputes arising out of Internet activities? On what grounds may a court assert or decline the jurisdiction? These are perplexing questions currently facing courts worldwide because of the trans-national nature of the Internet by which people can transcend borders readily and rapidly. One simple and straightforward factor confronting lawmakers is that while most laws have a territorial nexus, the Internet defies the notion of territoriality. Traditionally, judicial jurisdiction has been exercised on a number of bases, such as where the defendant resides, whether the defendant is present within the forum and whether the defendant has property in the forum or not. These elements have been made largely irrelevant by the Internet. The Internet does not respect traditional boundaries and territories and it can even enable people to cross borders without any physical mobility. For instance, people are able to interact and even do business without revealing their identity. In the absence of any definite international law on Internet jurisdiction, how have the courts responded to this challenge? This thesis has examined the recent case law in Australia, United States of America and France. In examining the case authorities, the only conclusion that can be reached is that current court approaches are unworkable. This thesis has also examined some international proposals on the matter and found them to be deficient. Now, the dilemma before us is this: on the one hand, the present court approaches on Internet jurisdiction are unworkable. On the other hand, there is no clear international guidance to govern the jurisdictional issue. I believe this book makes a small contribution towards this perplexing question by proposing a new transnational principle which could be achieved through a "trans-national judicial dialogue". Trans-national judicial dialogue can play a significant role in the creation, recognition, and enforcement of global norms. There are a number of benefits to be gained if this approach is adopted in Internet jurisdiction cases. Ideally, trans-national judicial dialogue would reduce the conflicts among courts and foster a consensual approach, thus providing a stable and predictable paradigm for the crucial issue of jurisdiction. Moreover, the parties involved in a case would be prevented from forum shopping in search of a forum with a greater likelihood of a favourable decision. Also, courts would not be able to decline jurisdiction merely because of foreign elements involved. This may be the most appropriate global approach which is urgently required to address an increasingly global problem.

Cyberspace produces friction when the law is implemented by domestic courts using 'state-laws'. These laws are based on a ‘physical presence’ of an individual within the territory. It elevates conflicts relating to cyberspace jurisdiction. This research examines private international law complications associated with cyberspace. The paradigm of libel that takes place within the domain of social media is used to evaluate the utility of traditional laws. This research is conducted using ‘black-letter’ methodology, keeping in mind the changes constituted by the Defamation Act 2013. It pinpoints that the instantaneous nature of social media communication demands an unambiguous exercise of 'personal-jurisdiction', beyond the doctrine of territoriality. An innovation to the code of Civil Procedure is recommended to revise the process of service for non-EU defendants. The permission to serve a writ via social networks (or to the relevant Embassy of the defendant’s domicile state), can accelerate the traditional judicial process. This thesis can be utilised as a roadmap by libel victims for preliminary information. It contributes to the knowledge by discovering that the thresholds under Section 1 and Section 9 of the Defamation Act 2013 overlap with the conventional ‘forum-conveniens’ tests. This crossover is causing legal uncertainty in the application of existing rules to the digital libel proceedings. Section 1 and Section 9 thresholds do not fulfil the purpose of eliminating ‘libel-tourism’ and maintaining a balance between speech freedom and reputation rights. They raised the bar for potential victims and restricted their rights to justice. It is proposed that the traditional ‘conveniens test’ must be used for social media libel victims to produce legal certainty in cyberspace defamation.

In the context of the Internet, spam generally refers to unsolicited and unwanted electronic messages, usually transmitted to a large number of recipients. The problem with spam is that almost all of the related costs are shifted onto the recipients, and many of the messages contain objectionable content. Spam has become a significant problem for network administrators, businesses and individual Internet users that threatens to undermine the usefulness of e-mail. Globally, spam spiralled to account for over 60% of all e-mail near the end of 2004. It is a problem that costs the global economy billions of dollars a year in lost productivity, anti-spam measures and computer resources. It has forced governments to enact legislation against the problem and it has prompted the development of numerous technical countermeasures. Spam can only be defeated by a combination of legal measures, informal measures (including self regulation and social norms), technical measures and consumer education. Because spam is a relatively recent and evolving problem, the application of various common law mechanisms are explored, including the law of privacy and the law of nuisance. Various constitutional concerns may also arise in the context of spam, and the right to freedom of expression must be balanced against other competing rights and values, including the right to privacy. Comparative legislation is examined, because it is important to recognise trends in spam legislation in other jurisdictions so as to ensure a measure of interoperability with those laws. The practical difficulties in identifying spammers, and the lack of jurisdiction over offshore offenders affect the practical implementation of the current protection offered by the ECT Act. In conclusion, this thesis identifies the need for direct anti-spam legislation in South Africa, and suggests various clauses that will need to be catered for in the legislation. It is submitted that "opt-in" legislation should be preferred over "opt-out" legislation. It is further submitted that a definition of spam should be based on the volume and indiscriminate nature of the e-mail, and not only on whether the communication was commercial. Therefore, a definition of bulk unsolicited e-mail is proposed. / Criminal & Procedural Law / LLD

In the context of the Internet, spam generally refers to unsolicited and unwanted electronic messages, usually transmitted to a large number of recipients. The problem with spam is that almost all of the related costs are shifted onto the recipients, and many of the messages contain objectionable content. Spam has become a significant problem for network administrators, businesses and individual Internet users that threatens to undermine the usefulness of e-mail. Globally, spam spiralled to account for over 60% of all e-mail near the end of 2004. It is a problem that costs the global economy billions of dollars a year in lost productivity, anti-spam measures and computer resources. It has forced governments to enact legislation against the problem and it has prompted the development of numerous technical countermeasures. Spam can only be defeated by a combination of legal measures, informal measures (including self regulation and social norms), technical measures and consumer education. Because spam is a relatively recent and evolving problem, the application of various common law mechanisms are explored, including the law of privacy and the law of nuisance. Various constitutional concerns may also arise in the context of spam, and the right to freedom of expression must be balanced against other competing rights and values, including the right to privacy. Comparative legislation is examined, because it is important to recognise trends in spam legislation in other jurisdictions so as to ensure a measure of interoperability with those laws. The practical difficulties in identifying spammers, and the lack of jurisdiction over offshore offenders affect the practical implementation of the current protection offered by the ECT Act. In conclusion, this thesis identifies the need for direct anti-spam legislation in South Africa, and suggests various clauses that will need to be catered for in the legislation. It is submitted that "opt-in" legislation should be preferred over "opt-out" legislation. It is further submitted that a definition of spam should be based on the volume and indiscriminate nature of the e-mail, and not only on whether the communication was commercial. Therefore, a definition of bulk unsolicited e-mail is proposed. / Criminal and Procedural Law / LLD