Website Terms Conditions
Website Terms Conditions Lawyers
At a very high-level Website Terms Conditions Lawyers main issue is with Internet regulation or Internet governance. Although there are ever increasing volumes of laws which in theory regulate the Internet, the Internet is, in practice, still largely unregulated or at most only informally regulated. At a more detailed level Website Terms Conditions Lawyers are concerned with how website terms and conditions will help support specific business planning strategy. For example: how will target markets affect intellectual property and jurisdiction?
Website Terms Conditions Lawyers Political Oversight
There is no broad based political oversight of the Internet. Organisations like ICANN, the United Nations Commission on International Trade, the Hague Conference on Private International Law, the Council of Europe, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Trade Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the International Telecommunications Union and the European Commission do not regulate the internet globally. Various attempts to harmonise Internet related laws through these organisations have not necessarily been effective. As a consequence, it is arguable that perhaps the Internet is beyond regulation.
Website Terms Conditions Lawyers Internet Culture
The Internet is not owned or controlled by anyone. If you want to set up a website, provided you can code and you rent some space on a server you can. No one gives you a licence to do so. There is no global agency that ensures quality control of websites or that websites adhere to certain benchmark standards, including having website policies, codes of conduct or ethics. The fact is that only few businesses bother to have professionally drafted website policies. It would not be totally without foundation to suggest that there is a general culture of indifference to website contracts both by businesses and by users until something goes wrong. When something does go wrong it is usually very difficult to get anything effective done about it particularly when the website is based overseas.
Jurisdiction, Intellectual Property and Data Protection
Even when businesses have website terms, they don’t necessarily consider issues like jurisdiction, intellectual property and data protection in much depth. A significant number of websites that target the UK, host their website and customer data outside of the UK, in Poland, the USA, India and other parts of the world. However very few website terms and conditions actually state where personal data is being held, and if they comply with the safe harbour scheme.
The more savvy websites use a combination of website contracts and geo-location filtering software to restrict access to viewers from particular countries. The vast majority of websites do not use such software. Another issue with geo-location software used by websites and mobile apps is with the privacy implications for users.
Website Terms Conditions Lawyers Conclusion
Since the explosion of the Internet we are still only scratching the tip of its commercial possibilities. However it is arguable that the Internet has still not received mainstream recognition as reliable and trustworthy. It still maintains the taint of the dot com bubble as just a place full of hype, filled with cowboys, and people with a grudge. This perception of the lawlessness of the Internet is an opportunity for those businesses that practice the highest ethical and responsible business standards to differentiate themselves from the rest. A good place to start would be appropriate terms and conditions which not only comply with the law but set a high standard of ethical business practices.
To book a face to face consultation for commercial legal advice you should contact a Website Terms Conditions Lawyers (charge rates may apply and may vary).