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Electronic Commerce BranchElectronic Commerce BranchUNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentUNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Overview of Selective Legal and Regulatory Issues in Electronic

Commerce

Dr. Carlos MorenoCuraçao 25-27 June 2002



E-commerce Legal Issues

E-contracting Security/authentication

Applicablelaw

Jurisdiction Disputeresolution(ADR)

Intellectualproperty

Consumerprotection

Privacy/Dataprotection

InternetGovernance

Contentregulation

Taxation Cybercrime Spam Negotiability/documents oftitle

E-money



Legal issues

• Legal uncertainties

• Basic legal infrastructure for building trust

• International solutions

• Policy considerations



Recognition of Electronic MessagesRecognition of Electronic Messages

writing

document

original

signature



I - Commercial law: Evidentiary value of data messages,storage of data messages, validity and formation of contracts, incorporation of general terms and conditions.

Legal uncertainties



Legal uncertaintiesII - Intellectual property issues

WIPO Treaties and Domain Names

III - Consumer protection OECD Guidelines/EU Directive

IV - Authentication and securityElectronic signatures legislation

V - Jurisdiction and applicable lawADR/ODR Mechanisms



Legal uncertainties

VI - Taxation WTO standstill on customs duties on

e-transmissions.VII - Internet content regulation EU Commerce Directive (ISPs)

VIII - Computer crime Convention on Cybercrime (Council of Europe).

IX - Data privacy OECD Guidelines, Council of Europe Conv. EU Directive, US legislation... .



Basic Legal Infrastructure for Building Trust

• Legal recognition of e-messages

• E-signatures legislation

• Online dispute resolution



Source:Source: “ “New Yorker”New Yorker”



Electronic SignaturesFunctions

• Data origin authentication

• Message integrity

• Non-repudiation



Legislative Approaches

• Minimalist: removes legal obstacles to recognition/enforceability of e-signatures.• Digital signature: establish legal framework for PKIs.• Two-tier: standards for the operation of PKIs and broad view of e-signature.



Online Dispute Resolution (ODR)

• Online Settlement

• Online Arbitration

• Online Mediation

• Online Resolution of Consumer Complaints



Main ADR Forms and Processes

CorporateComplaint

Services

AssistedNegotiation Mediation Arbitration Litigation

FacilitationConciliation

On a Sliding Scale:

Automated, or not

More or less activeguidance by the neutral

Voluntary or mandatoryparticipation

No obligation on theparties to agree, beforeentering ADR, that theoutcome will be binding

Voluntary or mandatorysubmission

Automated or not

Final and binding

Informal to Formal ADR

Source: "Building Trust in the Online Environment: B2C Dispute Resolution". Joint Conferenceof the OECD, HCOPIL, and ICC. The Hague, 11-12 December 2000. OrientationDocument.



Legal solutions

• National legislation;

• International legal instruments;

• Contractual solutions;

• Self-regulation.



International solutions

I - Model laws/guidelines

UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce

UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures

EU Directives on Electronic Commerce



But…... UNCITRAL Model Law might

not be sufficient to overcome

legal obstacles arising from

mandatory international

conventions.

(Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969).



International solutionsII - Contractual approaches

European Model EDI Agreement

ECE Model Interchange Agreement

ECE Electronic Commerce Agreement



Problems encounteredby contractual solutions

(i) Obligations arising from mandatory

legislation.

(ii) Rights and obligations of third parties.

(iii) Communication in an open network.



III - Code of Conduct - Self regulation

International solutions

OECD work

UN/CEFACT Model

IV - International Convention

Draft UNCITRAL Convention on e-contracting



Policy Considerations

• There is a need for a favourable legal environment to accommodate e-commerce;

• Governments should not over-regulate;

• Legislation adopted should be technology-neutral;

• Party autonomy should be preserved.

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