Advantage ISP: Terms of Service as Media Law Academic Article

abstract

• All users must access the internet through ISPs on the basis of contracts known as `terms of service' or `acceptable use policies' that are becoming de facto law for internet communications. This article examines contracts fr om over two dozen ISPs. Findings include a knowledge differ ential between users and ISPs regarding rules and their applications. User s have liability irrespective of intention, while ISPs do not. User s must license content to ISPs. And ISP agreements disregard constitutional standar ds regarding freedom of expr ession and privacy. Public forum analysis provides a legal foundation for seeking ter ms of service more protective of constitutionally-based civil liberties and intellectual property rights.

authors

• Braman, Sandra

published proceedings

• New Media & Society

author list (cited authors)

• Braman, S., & Roberts, S.

citation count

• 27

complete list of authors

• Braman, Sandra||Roberts, Stephanie

publication date

• September 2003

publisher

• SAGE Publications  Publisher

published in

• New Media & Society  Journal

keywords

• 16 Peace, Justice And Strong Institutions

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1177/14614448030053007

start page

• 422

end page

• 448

volume

• 5

issue

• 3

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14614448030053007

user-defined tag

• 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions