- Docente: Federico Ferretti
- Credits: 6
- SSD: IUS/05
- Language: English
- Teaching Mode: In-person learning (entirely or partially)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in International Management (cod. 6803)
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from Feb 09, 2026 to Mar 10, 2026
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course students are able to: - apply the regulatory environment for competitive purposes - develop teamwork and research skills - recognise legal contexts for businesses and measuring impacts from the legal perspective
Course contents
Module Outline
This is a module under the Jean Monnet Chair in Digital Market Law.
The Chair is financed by the European Union.
The module aims to provide students with essential knowledge about the regulation of digital markets, as well as the theoretical rationales and policy arguments for their regulation within the context of international business.
The goal of the module is to introduce and critically assess the innovations brought by digitalisation and the resulting markets. In recent years technological innovation has brought many changes in markets for goods and services with a strong impact of on public and private decision-making processes, business models, and market structures.This is an interdisciplinary module on the legal, economic, policy and regulatory issues faced by the regulatory authorities, market players and policy makers in the digital sector and international business. The module reflects on the main issues of digital markets and the complex relationship between existing rules and new technologies.
In order to allow students to enjoy a full understanding of the challenges of regulation in the technological realm, the first part of the module will look at the role and rationales for market regulation. Thereafter, the module will present sectoral analyses of the core issues (e.g. data protection and the GDPR, legal and regulatory issues raised by artificial Intelligence, big data, cloud computing, etc.)
Learning Outcomes
The module provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
A. Knowledge and Understanding
- Demonstrate a sound understanding of, and familiarity with, the basic structure and fundamental rules which govern digital markets, developing skills which are useful in the legal profession, as well as in business and administration.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the main features of digitalisation and the relevant law, and ability to recognise the connections between the substantive and theoretical issues linked to digitalisation, law and policy.
- Demonstrate a critical approach to the themes discussed.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the rationales underlying the core principles of digitalisation and international business, as well as the underlying norms.
- Demonstrate an understanding and an ability to apply knowledge of principles of digital markets to a number of areas of law, as well as complex problem and essay questions.
B. Cognitive (thinking) Skills
- Demonstrate an ability to analyse the relevant law.
- Demonstrate an ability to assess critically, where relevant, the law and policy underlying it.
C. Other Skills and Attributes (Practical/Professional/Transferable)
- Demonstrate ability to research and assemble information and materials that are relevant to the law and, in some instances, policy.
- Demonstrate an ability to produce a structured, logical, analytical and accurately referenced synthesis of relevant materials.
- Demonstrate an ability to present cogent oral and written arguments
Indicative Content
The Law and Digital Markets
- Privacy and data protection
- The regulation of personal and non-personal data- Data markets and data-related rights- Privacy and Data Protection
- the regulation of Artificial Intelligence
- Consumer protection
- The Digital Markets Act
- The Digital Services Act
- Intellectual Property and digital markets
Readings/Bibliography
Essential Reading
- Federico Ferretti, Allegra Canepa, Francesca Mattassoglio, EU Digital Markets Law (Kluwer Law International, 2025)
Other reading (recommended but not compulsory)
- Trebilcock MJ and Trachtman, Advanced Introduction to International Trade Law (2nd ed. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2020)
- Moses ML, The Principles and Practice of International Commercial Arbitration (Cambridge University Press, 2017)
- Material provided in class (if any)
Teaching methods
Lectures, seminars, group readings, students' presentations
Assessment methods
The assessment of this course will be:
- 50% by performance in class (intermediary test); and
- 50% by submission of a written research project (coursework) of up to 3.000 words in length (excluding bibliography and/or bibliographical references in the footnotes) on a topic released in the last teaching week. The coursework shall be submitted in WORD format (for the check of the number of words and plagiarism, including the use of chatbots) via email to f.ferretti@unibo.it by the exam date at the stated time. Coursework will not be accepted after that time and date! Equally, coursework will not be accepted for failure to register for the exam; and
- compulsory group presentation (pass/fail). Failure to contribute to the presentation and a poor presentation equal to a fail.
All students are entitled to refuse the partial or overall mark given, or may fail. In these cases they may resubmit for assessment on the basis of 100% submission of a newly given written research project (coursework) in the following exam session. All resubmissions shall be of a length between min. 8.000 words and max 10.000 words (excluding bibliography and/or bibliographical references in the footnotes) on a topic released on the virtual learning environment 3-4 weeks before the exam date. The coursework shall be submitted in WORD format (for the check of the number of words and plagiarism, including the use of chatbots) via email to f.ferretti@unibo.it by the exam date at the stated time. Coursework will not be accepted after that time and date! Equally, coursework will not be accepted for failure to register for the exam.
For those who have been exempted from attending, the assessment on this course will be 100% by submission of a written research project (coursework) of a length between min. 8.000 and max 10.000 words (excluding bibliography and/or bibliographical references in the footnotes) on a topic released on the virtual learning environment 3-4 weeks before the exam date. The coursework shall be submitted in WORD format (for the check of the number of words and plagiarism, including chatbots) via email to f.ferretti@unibo.it by the exam date at the stated time. Coursework will not be accepted after that time and date! Equally, coursework will not be accepted for failure to register for the exam.
The use of Artificial Intelligence is strictly forbidden.
Mark descriptors:
• <18 insufficient - not pass
• 18-23 pass, sufficient
• 24-27 pass, good
• 28-30 pass, very good
• 30 cum laude pass, excellent
Teaching tools
Powerpoint presentations, textbooks, reading material
Office hours
See the website of Federico Ferretti
SDGs
This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.