Assessing Legal Challenges on the Mobile Internet

This article aims at describing the future legal challenges related to information products and services on the Mobile Internet and World Wide Web. Using a scenario-based methodology, we describe the most essential characteristics of the future Mobile Internet and how information products and services would be used on it. The scenarios are built using a systematic method. As the emerging problems are very complex, we must take into account several major factors that delineate the Mobile Internet and its use. We consider not only technological changes and economic factors, but also societal issues and how individuals feel and behave. The scenarios enable us to identify what kinds of legal challenges are likely to emerge. Based on our analysis of the scenarios, we conclude that the legal areas that will include most challenges on the Mobile Internet are intellectual property rights, privacy, and contracts. We also outline further research into how these challenges may be addressed or contained.