Principal acteur de la communication au public en ligne, le fournisseur d'accès à Internet offre une connexion, contrôle les points d'accès, identifie les utilisateurs. Ses responsabilités extra-contractuelles résultent de ses multiples fonctions : prestataire technique, responsable de traitement des données, exécutant d'injonctions judiciaires. Ses responsabilités sont abondantes et parfois surabondantes. Toutefois, malgré un régime de responsabilité qui lui est spécifiquement applicable, la notion de "fournisseur d'accès à Internet" n'est toujours pas juridiquement définie. Cette imprécision de la notion entraîne une profusion de régimes juridiques imposant le statut de fournisseur d'accès à des acteurs dont l'activité principale n'est pas la fourniture d'une connexion à Internet : Universités, entreprises, particuliers. Dès lors, les responsabilités extra-contractuelles pénales, civiles et administratives se multiplient et créent un régime obligationnel instable, obscur, voire abscons. Cet éclatement lexical et juridique est encore aggravé par l'application fonctionnelle à l'activité de fourniture d'accès, du droit des communications électroniques et de la société de l'information. Il est alors nécessaire de proposer une définition formelle du fournisseur d'accès à Internet susceptible d'unifier son régime de responsabilité autour de notions juridiques stabilisées. Cette reconstruction affectera inévitablement la réglementation relative à la communication au public en ligne et à ses acteurs, mais proposera une possible fondation au droit des communications électroniques / Internet Service Providers are major actors of the Information Society. They offer connections, controls access points, and can also identify their users. Their many liabilities result from their multiple functions as technical services provider, data controller or performers of judicial orders. These legal obligations are numerous and sometimes overabundant. In spite of an existing and specific liability status, the very notion of "Internet service provider" still remains legally undefined. This lacuna entails a profusion of legal status imposing an ISP status to players for which the main activity is not to provide an Internet connection : Universities, companies, individuals. From then on, criminal, civil and administrative liabilities multiply and create an instable, obscure and even abstruse status. This lexical and legal scattering is even worsened by the functional application of the electronic communications and Information Society legal framework to access providing activities. It is then necessary to unify the legal regimes associated to those activities according to stabilized legal concepts. This reconstruction will inevitably affect the Information Society legal framework as a whole. Eventually, it will open on a possible ground for the electronic communications legal framework

This paper discusses the history and recent developments pertaining to ISPs' liability for copyright infringement in the European Union. Section I. explains ISPs' basic roles on the Internet, discusses practical grounds justifying a special liability regime for ISPs and outlines the EU legal framework providing safe harbor provisions for ISPs' liability and transposition of these rules into the legal system of the Czech Republic. Section II. describes how judicial decisions in the EU Member States eroded safe harbor rules and how these decisions were subsequently overturned by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJ). The section continues with an examination of the latest judgment of the CJ in UPC Telekabel Wien concerning new rules (or lack thereof) for website-blocking injunctions. Section III. discusses notable examples of EU Member states' legislation or legislative proposals which aimed to put a stop to "online piracy" and copyright infringement. Considerable part of this section analyzes the recent controversial system set up by the Italian communications regulator AGCOM. Section IV. describes examples of increasing voluntary collaboration between ISPs and content owners, which has the potential to effectively combat online piracy and benefit all parties involved. Section V. explores...

Internet is viewed as the most vital digital technology in the globe. Eastern Africa has the least penetration of ICT per capita in the world. Internet is a valuable resource that has propelled enormous economic growth in many developed countries. In order for Eastern African governments to narrow the socio-economic divide between developed countries and themselves, there is need to overcome this digital handicap. Enormous investments in ICT infrastructure are essential. The governments must participate in making crucial decisions to wisely allocate the limited resources to improve the current infrastructure.This thesis investigates Internet use, access and penetration in Eastern Africa. Theoretical research has been carried out to elaborate on the subject matter. Through empirical study, we will come up with a fresh way to verify and understand the Internet situation in the region. / Program: Magisterutbildning i informatik