Learn how the Law Regulates the Cloud. Master the main legal and regulatory implications of using and providing cloud computing services.

4.9

stars

28 ratings

Christopher Millard +6 more instructors

Offered By

Cloud Computing Law SpecializationQueen Mary University of London

What you will learn

Analyse how cloud contracts and intellectual property rights shape cloud computing transactions.
Explain how EU rules that govern personal data and cybersecurity apply to the provision and use of cloud services.
Identify the implications for cloud customers and providers of law enforcement access requests, competition law, and potential tax liabilities.

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

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This Specialization is intended for anyone interested in understanding the legal rights and obligations of providers and customers of cloud services. Our three Courses cover the key legal and regulatory issues for cloud services, including cloud contracts, data protection law, law enforcement access, and much more! You will learn to describe cloud providers’ and customers’ legal rights, to identify and assess legal risks, and to suggest possible legal and technological solutions.

Applied Learning Project

In this Specialization, learners analyse case studies based on real-world issues. They apply their understanding of cloud computing law to help fictional cloud providers and customers solve legal problems, by answering a series of multiple-choice questions.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 3 months to complete

Suggested pace of 5 hours/week

English

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 3 months to complete

Suggested pace of 5 hours/week

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

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How the Specialization Works

Take Courses

A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.

Hands-on Project

Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.

Earn a Certificate

When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 3 Courses in this Specialization

Course1

Course 1

Cloud Computing Law: Transactions

4.9

stars

19 ratings

Have you ever wondered what’s in the small print of cloud contracts? Or who owns the information you upload to the cloud? And who can access and control it? If so, then this course is for you! You’ll learn to identify the legal risks involved in cloud computing transactions - and to suggest possible solutions.

To understand how cloud computing works, we’ll first describe different kinds of cloud services and explain how they differ from in-house IT in terms of control, access, and cybersecurity. To understand how the law applies to cloud computing transactions, we’ll focus on the contracts between cloud providers and their customers. You’ll learn to identify and interpret key contract terms and to assess whether customers might negotiate better terms with providers. Finally, we’ll explain how English law protects trade secrets and copyright works stored in the cloud. If you’re a lawyer, this course will be your guide to cloud infrastructure and supply chains. If you have a technical or commercial background, this course will introduce you to key legal issues in contracts and intellectual property. In short, if you’re interested in how the law applies to cloud computing, this course is for you.

Course2

Course 2

Cloud Computing Law: Data Protection and Cybersecurity

5.0

stars

19 ratings

Vast amounts of personal information are processed in the cloud. But who is legally responsible for such ‘personal data’ in cloud environments? What duties do cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have? And what rights can you, as an individual, exercise under data protection law? If you’d like to find out, then this course is for you!

First, we’ll look at how the European Union’s ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ (‘GDPR’) regulates the processing of personal data in cloud services. You’ll learn to identify controllers and processors, describe their roles and responsibilities, and understand how cloud customers and providers can comply in practice. Second, we’ll look at international transfers of personal data. We’ll explain how the GDPR can apply to cloud providers and their customers anywhere in the world, as well as how restrictions on international transfers apply to cloud services. Third, we’ll look at how the Network and Information Security (‘NIS’) Directive regulates the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure. You’ll learn to identify cloud providers’ duties to notify security breaches and to keep their services secure, and how to apply those duties to concrete case studies. In short, this course covers how the GDPR and NIS Directive apply to cloud services and what cloud providers and their customers should do to comply.

Course3

Course 3

Cloud Computing Law: Law Enforcement, Competition, & Tax

4.7

stars

10 ratings

Have you ever wondered how a police officer in Europe can obtain evidence from a cloud provider in the USA? Or whether a major cloud provider might abuse its market power? Or in which countries cloud providers pay taxes? If so, then this course is for you!

First, we’ll look at how law enforcement agents can request access to cloud data, including data stored outside their borders. You’ll learn to advise cloud providers on responding to access requests and on dealing with potential conflicts with European Union (‘EU’) data protection law. Second, we’ll cover EU competition law, including how to define the relevant market for cloud services and to assess market power. You’ll learn to identify when cloud providers might be found to have entered into anti-competitive agreements, or to have abused a dominant position in a market. Third, we’ll look at how the income from cloud services is taxed. We’ll cover how such income is classified and which countries have the right to tax cloud providers. You’ll learn how tax principles apply to cloud services today, and how this might change in future. In short, we’ll cover how the rules of law enforcement access, competition law, and tax law apply to cloud services – and you’ll discover the practical steps that cloud providers can take to comply with their obligations.

Instructors

Offered by

Queen Mary University of London

Queen Mary University of London is a leading research-intensive university with a difference – one that opens the doors of opportunity to anyone with the potential to succeed. Ranked 117 in the world, the University has over 28000 students and 4400 members of staff. We are a truly global university: over 160 nationalities are represented on our 5 campuses in London, and we also have a presence in Malta, Paris, Athens, Singapore and China. The reach of our education is extended still further through our online provision.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Can I take the course for free?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.
Can I take this Specialization if I’m not a lawyer?
Absolutely! We’ve designed each course so that it should be straightforward to follow for both lawyers and non-lawyers alike. We start by reviewing the basic legal concepts at a beginner level, before applying them to the cloud. For example, we first discuss what a contract is and how it is formed, before looking at the terms of cloud contracts. For lawyers, this serves as a useful reminder of the underlying principles; while for non-lawyers, it provides a helpful introduction to the fundamentals of the law.
Can I take this Specialization if I don’t have a technical background in cloud computing?
Yes, you can! We’ve designed the Specialization so that you don’t need a technical background to understand the content. We begin the first course by covering the basics of cloud computing, including how cloud technologies works and how cloud services differ from traditional, in-house IT. So, we recommend that learners start by reviewing the content in Week 1 “Intro to Cloud Computing” of Course 1 “Cloud Computing Law: Transactions”. Through this week, you’ll learn key concepts like cloud service types, deployment models, and cloud layering, which underpin the legal analysis that follows.
Do I need to take the Courses in a specific order?
No, you don’t. We’ve designed the Specialization so that each course – and each week within each course – can be taken on its own. This means you can start with whichever course – or week – sounds most interesting to you. For example, if you are most interested in data protection law, you can go straight to Course 2 “Cloud Computing Law: Data Protection and Cybersecurity”. That said, we recommend that learners start by reviewing the content in Week 1 “Intro to Cloud Computing” of Course 1 “Cloud Computing Law: Transactions”. Through this week, you’ll learn key concepts like cloud service types, deployment models, and cloud layering, which underpin the legal analysis that follows.
How can I participate in this Specialization?
The Specialization offers different enrolment options. The three main ways to access the Specialization are listed below.
(1) Auditing: To view videos and readings for free, audit a course. Go to 1 of the 3 course pages, click ‘Enrol for free’, and select ‘Audit the course’.
(2) Enrolment: To access all content, including quizzes, enrol in the Specialization for USD $49 or GBP £42 per month, with a 7-day free trial. If you enrol, you can choose to take 1, 2, or all 3 courses for a certificate, in any order you like. You can cancel your subscription at any time. If you cannot afford the enrolment fee, apply to Coursera for financial aid.
(3) Coursera Plus: If you have Coursera Plus membership, then you can access the Specialization already!
How do I access Course content for free?
If you only want to read and view course content for free, you can audit the three courses in this Specialization for free. To do so, simply go to the course page for the course you are interested in, then click on the 'Enrol for free' button, and select the 'audit the course' option. (You won't be able to take quizzes or obtain a certificate.)
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
That’s largely up to you. We have designed the Specialization so that it consists of 10 weeks of learning, split across three Courses. Each week has between 4 and 6 hours of learner content. So, if you follow this schedule, it would take around 10 weeks to complete, or 2.5 months. Of course, you don’t need to follow our suggested schedule. You can take as much (or as little) time as you like completing the course!
What is the difference between a Specialization and a Course?
A course consists of the learning materials that will help you achieve a set of defined learning objectives, such as gaining a new skill. A Specialization is a series of related courses designed to help you master a specific topic. For example, this Specialization in Cloud Computing Law consists of three courses, each of which focuses on different learning objectives. You can take any single course for a Course Certificate, or you can take all three courses to obtain the Specialization Certificate.
I want to purchase this Specialization for my employees! How can I do that?
Visit coursera.org/business for more information, to pick up a plan, and to contact Coursera sales.

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Cloud Computing Law Specialization

What you will learn

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

Applied Learning Project