Digital Comms Law & E-Commerce

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from the lecture notes on e-commerce law.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Online communications between business partners with closed economic relationships (suppliers)

Functional Equivalence

The principle that the law should not differentiate what mode of communication is used by parties–the requirements and consequences should be the same.

Acceptance

An unconditional agreement to the offer made by the offeror.

Counter Offer

Exists when conflicting or additional terms and conditions are added; it is a rejection of the original offer.

Information Theory

States that there must be actual conscious agreement between the parties.

Direct Communication acceptance

The validity and effectiveness of an offer becomes valid when it comes to the subjective knowledge of the person accepting it

Dispatch Theory/Postal Rule

The offer is effective once it has been properly mailed

Reception Theory

A contract is formed at the time (and place) at which the offeror receives the acceptance (But does not have to take subjective notice of reception to make it effective)

Automated contracts

Contracts formed through automated systems (e.g., online purchases, smart contracts).

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

Standard method of exchanging business documents electronically between organizations (e.g., invoices, purchase orders).

Interchange Agreements

Legal agreements between parties engaged in EDI transactions, outlining rights, responsibilities, and security measures.

Smart Contracts

Self-executing contracts with terms dircetly written into code, operating on blockchain technology

Incorporation by reference ('click wrap')

occurs when a contract includes terms and conditions from another document without fully restating them, requiring users to agree to terms by clicking an 'I Agree' or similar button.