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Doing Business in The Information Age: John Corker
Doing Business in The Information Age: John Corker
Doing Business in The Information Age: John Corker
Information Age
John Corker
GENL0230
What is e-commerce?
Includes:
► Online business to business transactions
► Online business to consumer
transactions
► Digital delivery of products and services
► Online merchandising
► Automated telephone transactions eg
phone banking
► EFTPOS and other automated transfer
systems
Contracts
►Law of contracts
►Issues for e-commerce
Contracts - the basics
► Offer
► Acceptance
► Intentionto enter legal relations
► Consideration
► Legal capacity
► Genuine consent
Offer
► Contract
formed at time and place the
acceptance is communicated to offeror
Termination or
revocation of offer
► Valuable consideration
► Passing between parties to contract
► Can’t be unlawful or immoral
Intention
► Express
► Inferredfrom the circumstances
► Must be genuine consent - not obtained
under duress
Capacity
► Age
► Intellectual capacity
Terms and conditions
► Express
► Implied
Formalities
► Oral or written
► Writing required under statute eg for sale of
land
Practical concerns
for e-commerce deals
► Identityand capacity of seller or buyer
► Authenticity of offer and acceptance (digital
signatures)
► When and where contract formed
► Governing law
► Terms and conditions (click through)
Practical Concerns for
e-commerce deals(2)
► Agreement on electronic payment system
► Security of information exchanges
► Consequences on breach
► Storing electronic data to prevent alteration
Electronic Transactions Act
► Federal law with mirror State laws (NSW,
VIC, WA)
► To remove obstacles to electronic
transactions, communications, signatures
and record keeping
► 1 July 2001 applies to all federal laws unless
exempted
Electronic Transactions Act(2)
► Validates electronic transactions
► Given in writing met electronically now
Govt can specify technology requirements
Business requirement valid only with consent
► Signatures-partiesfree to agree on method
► Production and retention of documents
Method must ensure integrity and accessibility
► Timeand place of dispatch and receipt of
communications
Electronic Transactions(3)
Time of dispatch is when it enters the first
information system outside control of sender
Time of receipt is when it enters an
information system designated by the
addressee for receiving it.
Place of dispatch and receipt taken to be
respective places of business
Electronic Transactions (4)
► Record keeping OK electronically if law says:
Information to be recorded in writing
A written document to be kept
An electronic communication to be kept
► Records must be kept identifying origin,
destination, time of sending and receipt of
electronic communication
Making a contract
► Sole trader
► Partnership
► Company
► Trust
Sole trader
► All profits
► All losses
► All liabilities
► Own name or choose business name
► Register business name
Partnership
►Carrying on a business
►In common
►With a view to profit
►Established by written agreement, oral
agreement or conduct
Partnership
► Partnership Act 1892 (NSW)
► Directors duties