Legislation and ICT
Briefly summarise the key points regarding the 4 Acts of Parliament
The Health and Safety Act of 1974 was set up as a means to protect employees, the public, management and stop safety hazards at work. This is achieved by enforcing strict guide lines that all it may affect must abide by. Failure to do so can result in punishment and fines.
The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1989 makes it illegal to copy or steal software in order to protect the designer’s prophets. This is done by placing a © symbol on all products protected by this act. Breaking this can result in legal action and possible imprisonment.
The Data Protection Act of 1998 was developed to give protection and lay down rules about how data about people can be used for example criminal records and other such information. Breach of this act has serious consequences and can again result in imprisonment.
The Computer Misuse Act 1990 stops the misuse of computers and communications systems for example: Hacking, Data misuse and unauthorised transfer or copying, Email and chat room abuses, Pornography and Viruses. Obviously this act is computer based so it is enforced by means of blocking and monitoring certain websites for breaches of the act. Doing so can result in a fine or imprisonment.
