e-Commerce and the Law: The legal Implications of doing business online(Financial Times Series)

e-Commerce is growing at an incredible pace but enthusiasm for this new means of doing business must be tempered with an awareness of the legal pitfalls which await the unwary. From the law relating to establishing an internet site to issues such as e-mail defamation; formation of contract by e-mail; intellectual property rights; and network security; businesses must recognise that e-commerce requires the same care and attention as any other business transaction. This briefing is one of the few sources in the UK on e-commerce law written from the perspective of the business rather than the lawyer. Essential reading for anyone involved in e-commerce projects or start-ups. Contents include: How to set up a business using e-commerce How to form an electronic contract Making and accepting payment over the Internet Digital signatures International and jurisdiction issues Intellectual property rights Security and confidentiality The law relating to advertising on the Internet

Table of Contents:
Foreword Table of cases Table of statutes Acknowledgements Introduction The business potential of the Internet 1.1 The attraction of the Internet 1.2 Tapping the potential of the Internet How to set up your e-commerce business 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Domain names 2.3 Your website development agreement 2.4 Spamming 2.5 Meta-tagging 2.6 Linking to other website 2.7 Framing 2.8 The Distance Selling Directive 2.9 Your website content provision agreement 2.10 The website hosting agreement Checklist: How to set up your e-commerce business How to form an electronic contract 3.1 Pre-contact considerations 3.2 Offer 3.3 True offer distinguished from invitation to treat 3.4 Disclaimers 3.5 Governing law 3.6 Electronic terms and conditions Checklist: How to form an electronic contract How to make and accept payment over the Internet 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Traditional payment process: the cheque 4.3 Electronic payment systems Checklist: How to make and accept payment over the Internet How to authenticate contracts concluded over the Internet 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Cryptography 5.3 Encryption 5.4 The Electronic Communications Act 2000 5.5 Digital signatures 5.6 Forgery Checklist: How to authenticate contracts concluded over the Internet How to manage your company’s e-mail risks 6.1 The law and electronic mail 6.2 Copyright 6.3 Defamation 6.4 The e-mail protocol Checklist: How to manage your company’s e-mail risks How to protect your intellectual property over the Internet 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Patents and the Internet 7.3 Copyright 7.4 Trade marks Checklist: Intellectual property and the Internet - copyright Advertising and the Internet 8.1 Background 8.2 Your webvertising agreement Checklist: Advertising and the Internet Data protection and the Internet 9.1 Background 9.2 The Data Protection Act 1998 Checklist: The Data Protection Act 1998 and the Internet Bibliography

About the Author :
Andrew Sparrow LLB (Hons) is a national award-winning solicitor. A partner with Lee Crowder solicitors in Birmingham, Mr Sparrow is a specialist in corporate law and has a wide experience in commercial legal matters. He qualified as a solicitor of the Supreme Court in 1989 and an early interest in industry and commerce attracted him to commercial law. He spent the period following his qualification working at one of the country’s leading national groups of legal firms. Mr Sparrow is the author of the FT Prentice Hall book The Responsibilities of Company Directors, and also the author of two multimedia CD-ROMs serving as client guides to the law. In addition, he wrote the script and planned the structure developments of the official CD-Rom for the 1998 G8 Summit of World Leaders, winning The Lawyer national award for "Best Use of Multimedia in the Law" for his CD-Roms in 1999. He has also written and appeared in over 16 television programmes aimed at training the legal profession in England and Wales. Mr Sparrow is also a regular contributor to a number of business magazines on commercial developments.