What is Tech Law?

Tech law is a lot of things. It’s the rules that govern just about everything that has to do with technology. Okay sure that’s obvious, but is it really?

Let's think for a moment, what really is technology?

When we think of a CD(compact disk) do we really think of technology? Or when we think about youtube, do we think of that it as a technology?

The reality is that these are some of the biggest technologies affecting our entire society at the times that they were invented as well as far into the future.

The general rule for technology law is that “Technology leads. The law follows”. People can’t simply make laws for something that they don’t know is going to exist or what role it’ll play.

The Music Industry

A very glaring example of tech law can be found in the music industry.

Back in the day, it was simple and the technology that allowed music to be more easily accessible was through records. These were physically large, relative to today's standards, mediums for listening to music.

Then eventually came CDs which were basically miniaturized records. Along with CDs came easy means to “burn” CDs or in other words duplicate them which is essentially printing money for free in a certain way of thinking.

Naturally, laws had to follow this new technology. And we were forced to create laws regarding the illegal practice of duplicating CDs that were originally sold by an artist with copyrights on said art.

Self Driving Cars

Again another topic that people are still trying to figure out.

Self-driving cars could very well be one of the most impactful technology changes that we see in our lifetime. It only makes sense that we’re going to be seeing a massive change in the laws governing these “devices” in the very near future.

How old do you really need to be to operate a self-driving car if you don’t have to do any of the work? Could a 10-year-old technically “drive” a car if they simply need to type in a destination and off they go.

All of these questions would fall under the category of technology law and for good reason.

Digital Goods

This format of technology could have its very own part of law separate from technology law as far as I’m concerned.

Almost all goods can have a digital version. If you were to take every country on Earth in the next 10 years, or even right now, and calculate how much GDP comes from digital purchases or goods you can better believe that that is going to be one juicy slice of the GDP pie chart.

And to think that almost 10 years ago digital purchases didn’t even exist apart from maybe services like Itunes. Imagine where it’s going to be 10 years from now.

Thinking about where it’s going to be 10 years from now can give us an idea of where laws might be. Remember “Technology leads. The law follows”.

3D Printing

3D printing is another technology that could have massive implications for everyone.

Let's just take the possibility of people who’re saying that we’re going to be able to start cheaply 3D printing food in our kitchens soon.

Who makes the blueprints of what we’re printing?

All food regulation organizations are going to have their work cut out for them if this technology becomes as prolific as most claim it will inevitably become.

Google’s CEO testifying before Congress

Not long ago Google’s very own CEO testified before Congress because of how powerful their platform is. And out of this hearing the question of how much power any one company should have arrises.

More than these ideas of what role governments should be allowed play in situations like this where one company holds so much power over how everyone does every day things come to the forefront and must be dealt with in some fashion.

It’s important that leaders of our country understand the technology that runs our society so as to make the best decisions regarding how certain technologies need to be either more regulated or regulated less.

See this and other great informative law articles here.