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Internet Contracts

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Jonathan D. Frieden is a principal of Odin, Feldman and Pittleman, P.C., a law firm in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. His practice include...  (more...)

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Commercial websites generally have "Terms & Conditions" or licensing terms which the site operator would seek to apply to users who transact business on the site. Such Internet or online contracts fall into three main categories, with each being treated slightly differently by the courts.

Note:  Some of the information contained in this lens was taken from Jonathan D. Frieden and Sean Patrick Roche, E-Commerce: Legal Issues of the Online Retailer in Virginia, 14 RICH. J. L. & TECH. 5 (Fall 2006), http://law.richmond.edu/jolt/v13i2/article5.pdf.

 

Shrink-wrap Agreements 

Shrink-wrap agreements are named for the license agreements contained in the packaging of commercial software products. Online, these contracts provide notice that continued use of the site will constitute the user's agreement to the site's terms and conditions. Generally, courts hold that these agreements are enforceable, if proper notice is provided to the website user.

Click-wrap Agreements 

Often, the user of a commercial website is asked to read a set of terms and conditions governing the activities and then asked to agree to those terms and conditions before making a purchase or obtaining the service offered by the website. Agreements entered into in this fashion are referred to as "click-wrap" agreements because the user typically indicates his or her agreement to the terms and conditions by clicking a button or hyperlink marked "I agree." Such contracts are generally binding, subject to traditional contract law principles.

Browse-wrap Agreements 

In some instances, websites contain terms and conditions which purport to bind any user who visits the website, without any other manifestation of affirmative agreement by the visitor. While notice of the terms and conditions usually appears on the website, the user is not required to view the provisions of the "agreement" or to undertake any affirmative action indicating an agreement to those terms. Accordingly, many courts are hesitant to enforce the these agreements.

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Internet Contracts Resources 

Other Online Resources for Information on Internet Contracts

Selected Online Contracts Cases (Eric Goldman)
Law professor Eric Goldman's list of selected court decisions dealing with Internet contracts.

E-Commerce Law Resources 

Other Online Resources for E-Commerce Law News and Information

Cyberspace Law Bibliography
A non-exhaustive, categorized list of e-commerce law cases provided by the UCLA Online Institute for Cyberspace Law and Policy.
E-Commerce Law
The lensmaster's blog, discussing news, trends, and legal issues in online marketing and sales.
Technology & Marketing Law Blog
Law professor Eric Goldman's Technology & Marketing Law Blog. For law students and attorneys, the blog includes a "Resources" link which leads to a list of seminal cases pertaining to the formation, interpretation, and enforcement of Internet contracts.
Richmond Journal of Law & Technology
The first exclusively online law review, published at the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond.

Disclaimer 

The information contained herein is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. The content herein contains general information and may not reflect current legal developments, verdicts or settlements.

Any information contained herein is not intended to be a substitute for legal counsel. No one should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included on this site but should instead seek the appropriate legal advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a properly licensed attorney. The lensmaster expressly disclaims all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all the contents of these materials.

By accessing this site you acknowledge that this information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to constitute legal advice. This site is not intended to be advertising and the lensmaster does not wish to represent anyone desiring representation based upon viewing this site in a state in which the site fails to comply with all laws and ethical rules.

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Jonathan D. Frieden is a principal of Odin, Feldman and Pittleman, P.C., a law firm in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. His practice includes the litigation of intellectual property disputes and other complex commercial disputes and the counseling of E-Commerce businesses in a variety of industries.


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