eDirectives: Guide to European Union law on e-commerce. Commentary on the Directives on distance selling, electronic signatures, electronic commerce, copyright in the information society and data protection

Book abstract:

This book is subtitled 'Commentary on the Directives on Distance Selling, Electronic Signatures, Electronic Commerce, Copyright in the Information Society, and Data Protection'. Alongside these, it discusses four key Directives concerned with regulating the European Union's electronic commerce. These are broken down, broadly, into the following categories: distance selling, electronic signatures, electronic commerce, and copyright in the information society.

The editors take the idea of the Web as the 'easy window' to the global market as a starting point. They aim, however, to provide more than just a summary of the problems and issues at stake. Each chapter is designed so that contributors can cross-examine a number of EU Directives on e-commerce at once. Another advantage is that the book's appendices contain the text of both the Directives and their preceding recitals

Chapters are structured in chronological order. Chapter one provides an introduction or overview. Chapter two, on Directive 97/7/EC, examines the protection of consumers in respect of distant contracts. Chapter three looks at Directive 1999/93/EC, on finding a community framework for electronic signatures, and chapter four, on Directive 2000/31/EC, discusses certain aspects of information society services, in particular the development of electronic commerce in the Internal Market. Chapter five, on Directive 2001/29/EC, deals with the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related 'rights' in the information society.

The book is aimed at academics, students, practitioners such as attorneys, lawyers and consultants, but also at a readership outside the European Union, in countries like the United States of America where e-commerce is developing.