-
Courses
Courses
Choosing a course is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make! View our courses and see what our students and lecturers have to say about the courses you are interested in at the links below.
-
University Life
University Life
Each year more than 4,000 choose NUI Galway as their University of choice. Find out what life at NUI Galway is all about here.
-
About NUI Galway
About NUI Galway
Since 1845, NUI Galway has been sharing the highest quality teaching and research with Ireland and the world. Find out what makes our University so special – from our distinguished history to the latest news and campus developments.
-
Colleges & Schools
Colleges & Schools
NUI Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching across a range of key areas of expertise.
-
Research & Innovation
Research & Innovation
NUI Galway’s vibrant research community take on some of the most pressing challenges of our times.
-
Business & Industry
Guiding Breakthrough Research at NUI Galway
We explore and facilitate commercial opportunities for the research community at NUI Galway, as well as facilitating industry partnership.
-
Alumni, Friends & Supporters
Alumni, Friends & Supporters
There are over 90,000 NUI Galway graduates Worldwide, connect with us and tap into the online community.
-
Community Engagement
Community Engagement
At NUI Galway, we believe that the best learning takes place when you apply what you learn in a real world context. That's why many of our courses include work placements or community projects.
Ian Ó Maolchraoibhe
Mr Ian Ó Maolchraoibhe
PhD Student
LLB, LLM (Distinction)
Biography
Ian holds an LLB and LLM in Law and Computers in which he graduated with Distinction from Queen’s University, Belfast.
Prior to completing his LLM Ian worked with The Revenue Commissioners, Collector General’s Division as Executive Officer within the Insolvency Unit , being responsible for drafting court reports, representing the Revenue Commissioners in creditor’s meetings, monitoring liquidation proceedings and ensuring compliance from solicitors and liquidators under statutory guidelines.
On completing his LLM, Ian was twice awarded an América Latina—Formació́n Académica (ALFA) research scholarship, renewed under the auspices of the Legal Framework for the Information Society (LEFIS), an EU sponsored network based at Universidad de Zaragosa 2005-2006. Under this award, he conducted research on government policy in providing access to Information and Communication technologies in Habana, Cuba and Santiago de Chile, Chile. Subsequently he received a University of Reading Graduate Scholarship, 2006-2008 and is currently receipt of an Ollscoil na hEireann, National University of Ireland Teaching Fellowship, 2008-2012 .
Ian is also the Copyright Correspondent for Ireland with Kluwer Intellectual Property Cases, Kluwer Law International and provides head-notes, full texts and authoritative summaries of selected Irish copyright cases as and when they are delivered, paying specific attention to cases with pan-European significance.
Research
Research Interests
Free software and open source software licensing; copyright; intellectual property theory; philosophy of technology; copyright-contract intersection.Research Projects
PhD Thesis
‘Freedom of Contract and the Limits of Free Software Licensing’
Abstract: This thesis challenges the ‘subversive’ and ‘revolutionary’ conceptions of free software licensing, arguing that the licensing practice represents the codification of private motivations in the space afforded by the principle of freedom of contract. This argument implies that codification of soft law principles for free software to provide a uniform choice-of-law condition in licenses would reflect this fact on a global level and make it easier for judicial forums to provide uniform results in disputed cases as opposed to leaving local courts to apply only local law.
Other Projects
Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago de Chile, Chile
América Latina Formación Académica (ALFA) Visiting Scholar November 2005-June 2006
Investigated the potential of the ‘Mi Primer PC’ initiative, a government sponsored attempt at enabling low income families access to ICTs whilst liaising with co-members of the scholarship network.
Ministerio de Justicia, Habana, Cuba
ALFA Visiting Scholar October 2005-November 2005
Investigated the use of ICTs in the implementation of government policy whilst liaising with co- members of the scholarship network.
Research Publications
Conference Papers
- “Free software licensing: revolution, subversion or freedom of ‘contract’?” Campus international d’ été: Les dynamiques du droit d’auteur. Paris 9-13 July 2012. CERDI, Universités Paris-Sud et Panthéon-Sorbonne, France.
- “A Hedeggerian perspective of free software & open source software licensing.” Graduate workshop, May 2008, University of Reading, UK.
- “Los problemas con ‘Mi Primer PC’.” ALFA research meeting, March 2006, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
Case Reports
- EMI Records & ORS v. EIRCOM Ltd., High Court Dublin (An Ard-Chúirt), 16 April 2010. Kluwer IP Cases, Kluwer Law International
- EMI Records (Ireland) Ltd v. Eircom PLC, High Court (An Ard-Chúirt), 24 July 2009. Kluwer IP Cases, Kluwer Law International
Teaching Areas
- Tutorial Leader - Legal Skills and Methods, NUI Galway (September 2011- ongoing)
- Tutorial Leader - Company Law, NUI Galway (September 2010 - June 2011)
- Assistant Lecturer - Intellectual Property Law Theory, NUI Galway (January - June 2009)
- Tutor - Contract Law and Intellectual Property Law, University of Reading, Reading, UK (October 2006 - September 2008)