Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Summer Semester 2026

Cyber Law (Online)

CYBR 3950-30I

Course: CYBR 3950-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Summer Semester 2026
Department: CSIS
CRN: 20146

Course Description

An overview of the nature and function of law, with emphasis on those areas of law most relevant to the internet. Topics include cyber entrepreneurs, intellectual property law, legal issues of operation, management and wind up of e-commerce firms and human resources and government regulations. (Summer - As Needed) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): CYBR 3750 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C-

Required Texts

Brian Craig, Cyberlaw: The Law of the Internet and Information Technology, 1st ed., Prentice Hall, 2012. (ISBN 10: 0-13-256087-9; ISBN 13: 978-0-13-256087-0).

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
·         Describe the history and development of the Internet.

·         Discuss jurisdictional issues in cyberspace.

·         Explain the scope of copyright protection for online content and the fair use defense.

·         Describe the purpose and major provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. 

·         Explain the scope of trademark protection for Internet content, software, and other technology related products and services.

·         Explain the scope of patent protection for Internet patents and what is meant by obviousness.

·         Compare and contrast clickwrap agreements and browsewrap agreements

·         Explain the enforceability of e-contracts.

·         Discuss tax-related issues in the online environment.

·         Explain the main federal statutes associated with computer crimes and the penalties associated with cybercrimes.

·         Describe the different tort actions available the online environment, including invasion of privacy.

·         Explain the scope of the First Amendment freedom of speech and the press in the Internet age.

·         Discuss the scope and immunity provision under the Communications Decency Act.

·         Explain the right of privacy in the online environment afforded under the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, and statutes.

·         Explain the legal and policy issues surrounding privacy with social networking sites, search queries, online advertising, data mining, online privacy policies, and workplace policies.

Course Requirements

To succeed in this course, the student must (1) view all classes of instruction and/or actively observe all electronically published instructional presentations, (2) work with the software outside of scheduled class times, for a minimum of 90 hours that are typically required for a 3-credit course, and (3) focus on mastering the student learning outcomes published for this course.

Course Outline

Week 01:
                Addendum 00 – An Overview on College Technical Writing
                Chapter 01 – Jurisdiction and Venue in Cyberspace
                Chapter 02 – Copyright Law in the Digital Age          
                Assignment - SUU Commenced Attendance Quiz (2 points)
Assignment – Discussion Question (5 points)
Assignment – Discussion Question (5 points)
Assignment – Homework Questions from chapter readings (10 points)
Assignment – Homework Questions from chapter readings (10 points)
Assignment – Open Book Practice Quiz from Publisher (take as many times as
the student wishes) (5 points)
Assignment – Open Book Quiz from Publisher (student can take only once) (10
points)
Assignment – Open Book Practice Quiz from Publisher (take as many times as
the student wishes) (5 points)
Assignment – Open Book Quiz from Publisher (student can take only once) (10
points)
Assignment – Chapter Exercise (15 points)
Assignment – Chapter Exercise (15 points)
Extra Point work – Discussion Question (5 points)
Extra Point work – Student Video Introduction (10 points)
Extra Point work – Entrance Quiz (10 points)
Extra Point work – Plagiarism Quiz (10 points)
Week 02:
                Chapter 03 – Trademarks in E-Commerce
                Chapter 04 – Patents and Trade Secrets in the Information Age
Assignment – Discussion Question (5 points)
Assignment – Discussion Question (5 points)
Assignment – Homework Questions from chapter readings (10 points)
Assignment – Homework Questions from chapter readings (10 points)
Assignment – Open Book Practice Quiz from Publisher (take as many times as
the student wishes) (5 points)
Assignment – Open Book Quiz from Publisher (student can take only once) (10
points)
Assignment – Open Book Practice Quiz from Publisher (take as many times as
the student wishes) (5 points)
Assignment – Open Book Quiz from Publisher (student can take only once) (10
points)
Assignment – Chapter Exercise (15 points)
Assignment – Chapter Exercise (15 points)
 
Week 03:
                Chapter 05 – E-Commerce and Online Contracts
                Chapter 06 – Online Tax Related Issues
Assignment – Discussion Question (5 points)
Assignment – Discussion Question (5 points)
Assignment – Homework Questions from chapter readings (10 points)
Assignment – Homework Questions from chapter readings (10 points)
Assignment – Open Book Practice Quiz from Publisher (take as many times as
the student wishes) (5 points)
Assignment – Open Book Quiz from Publisher (student can take only once) (10
points)
Assignment – Open Book Practice Quiz from Publisher (take as many times as
the student wishes) (5 points)
Assignment – Open Book Quiz from Publisher (student can take only once) (10
points)
Assignment – Chapter Exercise (15 points)
Assignment – Chapter Exercise (15 points)
Assignment – Mid-Term paper due (100 points)
Week 04:
                Chapter 07 – Online Tax Related Issues
                Chapter 08 – Tort Law in Cyberspace
Assignment – Discussion Question (5 points)
Assignment – Discussion Question (5 points)
Assignment – Homework Questions from chapter readings (10 points)
Assignment – Homework Questions from chapter readings (10 points)
Assignment – Open Book Practice Quiz from Publisher (take as many times as
the student wishes) (5 points)
Assignment – Open Book Quiz from Publisher (student can take only once) (10
points)
Assignment – Open Book Practice Quiz from Publisher (take as many times as
the student wishes) (5 points)
Assignment – Open Book Quiz from Publisher (student can take only once) (10
points)
Assignment – Chapter Exercise (15 points)
Assignment – Chapter Exercise (15 points)
Week 05:
                Chapter 09 – Online Speech and Defamation
                Chapter 10 - Constitutional and Statutory Privacy Protections     
Assignment – Discussion Question (5 points)
Assignment – Discussion Question (5 points)
Assignment – Homework Questions from chapter readings (10 points)
Assignment – Homework Questions from chapter readings (10 points)
Assignment – Open Book Practice Quiz from Publisher (take as many times as
the student wishes) (5 points)
Assignment – Open Book Quiz from Publisher (student can take only once) (10
points)
Assignment – Open Book Practice Quiz from Publisher (take as many times as
the student wishes) (5 points)
Assignment – Open Book Quiz from Publisher (student can take only once) (10
points)
Assignment – Chapter Exercise (15 points)
Assignment – Chapter Exercise (15 points)
 
Week 06:
                Chapter 11 – Special Topics in Online Privacy
                Assignment – Video Case Study and Response (20 points)
Assignment – Discussion Question (5 points)
Assignment – Homework Questions from chapter readings (10 points)
Assignment – Open Book Practice Quiz from Publisher (take as many times as
the student wishes) (5 points)
Assignment – Open Book Quiz from Publisher (student can take only once) (10
points)                
 
Week 07:
                Assignment – Final paper due (150 points)
                Assignment – Final Exam (200 points)
 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

DELIVERABLES:
No deliverable will be accepted late for any reason. At the discretion of the Professor, with extreme documented circumstances, a deliverable may be accepted late. Any deliverable accepted late will, maximally, only be worth half of its original point value.

MISSED EXAMS:
Any missed exams can be made-up BUT if it is an open book exam, then the make-up becomes closed book. There is also a penalty of 10% deduction.

CALCULATION OF GRADES:
NOTE: This class is worth 1000 points!!!
To calculate a student grade, take the total points as shown and divide by 10. This score will be the final grade based upon the grading scale for this class.

GRADE CURVING/EXTRA WORK POLICY:
No grades are curved. There are 50 extra points available for any student to earn. No other extra points are awarded.

Attendance Policy

ATTENDANCE:
It is always a student’s responsibility to drop/withdraw from class by the published drop/ withdraw date. Students enrolled in class at end of term will be issued a grade. The instructor is not required to provide makeup provisions for missed coursework unless there is a documented medical excuse.

Course Fees

There is a $20.25 fee for this class.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.