Program Overview

Introduction to the Fellowship Program

The fellowship program, a joint venture between InternetNZ and the Faculty of Law at Victoria University of Wellington, aimed to produce research on internet-related legal subjects. This initiative sought to enhance New Zealand's understanding of legal issues as they pertain to the internet and related technologies.

Program Overview

The program was sponsored by InternetNZ, a not-for-profit organization that fosters the coordinated and cooperative development of the internet in New Zealand. The organization encourages debate and development of public policy in an open and transparent environment, believing that this fellowship project adds significant value to the decision-making process.

Research Areas and Outputs

The fellowship program focused on producing research in various areas related to internet law. Between 2007 and 2010, four fellows were appointed, each producing a monograph published by the Victoria University of Wellington Law Review. The research areas and corresponding monographs include:

• Judit Bayer: "Liability of Internet Service Providers for Third Party Content" (2007)
• Philip J Greene: "Keyword Advertising, and Other Invisible Uses of Third-Party Trade Marks in Online AdvertisingA New Zealand/Australasian Perspective" (2008)
• Cynthia Laberge: "To What Extent Should National Security Interests Override Privacy on a Post 9/11 World?" (2009)
• Jonathon Penney: "Open Connectivity, Open Data: Two Dimensions of the Freedom to Seek, Receive and Impart Information" (2010)

Program Achievements

The fellowship and the research produced under its auspices achieved the goal of enhancing New Zealand's understanding of legal issues related to the internet and related technologies. The program demonstrated the value of collaborative research initiatives in advancing public policy and legal discourse.