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Applicable law in e-commerce (1)
UN Convention on the Sale of Goods (BGBl 96/1988): only
applicable for goods
International private law
Austria: conflict of laws act (IPR-Gesetz)
EU
Rome Convention [Römer Übereinkommen über das auf vertragliche Schuldverhältnisse anzuwendende Recht (EVÜ)] Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I), OJ L 177, 4.7.2008, p. 6 Regulation (EC) No 864/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 on the law applicable to non- contractual obligations (Rome II), OJ L 199, 31.7.2007, p. 40 Parties are free to choose In absence: State to which the contract has the closest connection Presumption: State of the party performing the characteristic obligation
Applicable law in e-commerce (2)
Consumer contracts: law of the consumer must be applied if
either:
Conclusion of contract because of a specific invitation to the
consumer or by advertising in the consumer„s member State
Seller received the consumer„s order in the consumer„s
member State
WWW-indicators: domain name, language, content of website, activities of business so far, marketing
Trend to harmonise Consumer Protection Law on European level
Distance Selling Directive
Consumer„s Interests Directive
Directive on Distance Marketing of Consumer Financial
Services
E-commerce providers
Subject to national law
Targeting & e-commerce websites
Opinion of General Advocate TRSTENJAK in cases C-585/08 Pammer and
C-144/09 Hotel Alpenhof (no English version available): Für das „Ausrichten“ der Tätigkeit im Sinne von Art. 15 Abs. 1 Buchst. c der Verordnung Nr. 44/2001 reicht es nicht aus, dass die Website des Vertragspartners, der eine berufliche oder gewerbliche Tätigkeit ausübt, im Wohnsitzmitgliedstaat des Verbrauchers im Internet abrufbar ist. Das nationale Gericht hat unter Berücksichtigung aller Umstände des Falles zu beurteilen, ob der Vertragspartner, der eine berufliche oder gewerbliche Tätigkeit ausübt, seine Tätigkeit auf den Wohnsitzmitgliedstaat des Verbrauchers ausrichtet. Wichtige Beurteilungsfaktoren sind insbesondere der Inhalt der Website, die bisherige Geschäftstätigkeit des Vertragspartners, der eine berufliche oder gewerbliche Tätigkeit ausübt, die Art der verwendeten Internetdomain und die Nutzung der Möglichkeiten, über das Internet oder auf sonstige Weise zu werben. Targeting of activities to the State of residence of consumer Website retrievable in State of residence of consumer not relevant Content of website, activities of business so far, type of internet domain and use of possibilities of marketing on the internet
Extra-judiciary dispute settlement
Online (Online Dispute Resolution – ODR) or offline
Freedom of choice of means of dispute settlement in public
international law
Business
Recognition of arbitration awards according to the New York Convention 1958 Hague Convention of 30 June 2005 on Choice of Court Agreements Encouragement of extra-judicial dispute settlement by Art. 17 E- Commerce-Directive
New initiative by UNCITRAL for online dispute resolution
Other International Organisations
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) „Think tank“ of industrialised states Broad guidelines for e-commerce Global Information Infrastructure, data protection, encryption, consumer protection („charge backs“)
UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission for International Trade Law) Lex mercatoria for internet trade 2005 - United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts 2001 - UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures 1996 - UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce 1985 - Recommendation on the Legal Value of Computer Records In negotiation: online dispute resolution
EU: competence of internal market and telecommunications, action programmes (e.g. secure use of the internet), eEurope, ccTLD .eu
Legal framework for electronic commerce (1)
Directive 2000/31/EC on electronic commerce, OJ L 178/2000, 1- COM (98) 586, amended: COM (1999) 427 Common Position: February 2000 Austria: E-Commerce-Act (Federal Gazette (BGBl.) I 152/2001)
Information society services
Directive 98/48, OJ L 217/1998, 18, art 1 Information Society services, both business to business and business to consumer, and services provided free of charge to the recipient - e.g. funded by advertising or sponsorship revenue and services allowing for on-line electronic transactions such as interactive tele-shopping of goods and services and on-line shopping malls Service providers established within the EU Place where an operator actually pursues an economic activity through a fixed establishment, irrespective of where web-sites or servers are situated or where the operator may have a mail box
Legal framework for electronic commerce (3)
No prohibitions and restrictions for on-line contracts
Conclusion is regulated by national law.
Information requirements for the conclusion of electronic
contracts
Liability of intermediaries
Limitation of liability for passive role: "mere conduit" of information, storage of information
Commercial communications (such as advertising and direct
marketing)
Commercial communications by e-mail should be clearly identifiable; right of objection (Robinson list)
