Welcome to the Competence Center in Digital Law

We support Swiss Higher Education Institutions (students, academic and administrative staff) in dealing with legal questions related to the digitalization process and the use of new media and technologies. 

DMLawTool

DMLawTool guides researchers through the most relevant legal aspects of research data management and proposes possible solution approaches to copyright and data protection issues. It has been developed by the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) in collaboration with the University of Neuchâtel (UNINE) within the  P-5 programme “Scientific information” of swissuniversities. More detailed information about the tool can be found here. To access the tool, use the button below.

DMLawTool

Showcases

Second Publication Right Discover if and how you can re-publish your scientific articles.
How to avoid Plagiarism Learn what plagiarism is and how you can avoid it.
Publishing on Social Media Become aware of various legal aspects you have to consider when publishing on social media.
Free & Open Source Software Learn how to recognize and publish free and open source software and discover various license types.
Creative Commons Discover what creative commons licenses are, how they facilitate the sharing of works and how to find and use works licensed under a CC license.

News

Data Management Plans for Language Data Workshop, legal and ethical perspectives

29.06.2026 Slides (English) Workshop organised by CLARIN-CH as part of the Language Data Across Disciplines (LaDaD) project funded by swissuniversities. Here are available the slides covering the legal and ethical aspects of DMPs for language data. Slides

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29.05.2026 – Visual Data and Open Science: Friends or Foes?

Have you heard about https://codevis.org/ , a new platform for managing visual data as open research data (OER)? It helps researchers work with visual materials in a responsible way, taking into account ethical, legal, and contextual sensitivities, while supporting…

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17. 10. 2024 – When is a work protected by copyright? – Originality

This time, we’re diving deep into what originality really means in the world of copyright protection. Here’s a quick tip: Ask yourself if others would have created the same work given the same task. Check out the video for some compelling examples that illustrate…

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12.11.24 – “Linking Open Data to your Research Articles Workshop”

💫 We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming workshop, “Linking Open Data to your Research Articles” hosted in Lugano by the Institute of Digital Technologies for Communication, CCDigitallaw and USI’s eLab – eLearning Lab and organized within the project Open Data…

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04.10.2024 – HOW SHOULD LIBRARIES HANDLE COPYRIGHT?

Curious about whether librarians are allowed to share entire journals and single scientific articles? Check out our carousel!

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11.10.2024 – When is a work protected by copyright? – Human Creation

Exciting News – We’re thrilled to share our very first Video Pill! In this debut episode, we explore a crucial topic: the importance of human contribution in copyright protection and what it means for works created by AI. Stay tuned and join us on this fascinating…

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On the 1st August, 2024 the European AI Act will come into force.

Be aware of it as it is also relevant for Switzerland! It applies not only to AI providers and users located in the European Union but also to those of third countries if the created AI outputs can be used in the EU.

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25.07.2024 – Understanding Personal Data Processing

🎯 This visual summary offers an exploration of data protection, explaining every step of the process comprehensively.  💫

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18.07.2024 – Understanding the key figures in Data Protection

🎯 Check out this graphic that outlines the actors involved in the field of Data Protection, both in Switzerland according to Federal and Cantonal acts, and under the GDPR 💫

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11.07.2024 – Understanding Personal vs. Sensitive Data: What’s the Difference❓

🎯 In this post, we’re diving into the key distinctions between personal data and sensitive data, illustrated in a graphic. ❗ It’s important to remember: while all sensitive data are personal data, not all personal data are sensitive data. 💫

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Services

FAQ FAQs, developed from real cases, allow you to quickly find answers to everyday digital law questions.
Knowledge Base A detailed knowledge base provides you insights into various legal aspects, currently with a focus on copyright issues.
Training A vast choice of on- and offline trainings are available together with interactive case studies to work through.
Advising A team of legal experts with competences ranging from copyright to data protection and licensing agreements are available for your questions.