e-Contracting in Collaborative Networks Scenarios 

Aims and Scope

Collaborative Networks, Virtual Organizations, e-Commerce scenarios are changing the ways people get involved in contracting. And the key to the success for e-Commerce is clarity of the legal framework governing the relationship between seller and buyer, supplier and customer.

Despite the rapid evolution of e-Commerce and the increasing complexity of legal constraints, there is nonetheless a legal framework applicable to transactions made over the Internet. Valuable parallels useful for the solution of e-Contract difficulties may be drawn from the current legal framework as it applies to paper contracts and to e-Commerce. However, the new issues raised by B2B and B2C e-relationships demand new and more appropriate solutions. Positive application of such a framework would provide business with the kind of confidence essential to inspire customers to turn to electronic media for transactions.

The e-Contract session seeks to provide a forum for real debate fed by expert presentations from lawyers, computer science professionals, and legal experts from academic institutions.

The session will address issues such as the different ways of e-Contracting and its different legal implications, the use of electronic signatures, the need for services provided by trusted third parties, the implications of electronic notaries services, the threats and opportunities related to the need of assuring reliable and long time accessible electronic archive services, the roles of software agents and virtual organizations, the privacy issues, particularly concerning personal data transfers, and unsolicited commercial communications focussing on opt-in and opt-out solutions. These will be examined in the light of the European Commission Directives, namely the ones related to e-Commerce and Information Society services. Other vital issues to be addressed include the evidence issues, having in mind both electronic documents and electronic evidence, the new approaches to civil procedures, the adaptation of commercial rules, the necessity of practical means to secure payment over the Internet, the question of certainty of jurisdiction for e-transactions, and the availability of mechanisms for alternative dispute resolution, with an obvious attention to on-line dispute resolution methods.

The e-Contract session is designed to make a significant and valuable contribution towards building confidence in procedural frameworks, both legal and otherwise, as applied to the new and uncharted territory of e-Commerce.

Deadlines 

Full paper submission: 28 . February . 2007
Acceptance notice: 30 . April . 2007
Camera-ready submission: 12 . May . 2007 

Paper Submission

Papers must be submitted through the PRO-VE 2007 Conference submission link.

Call for Papers 

The Call for Papers for this special session is available here.

Attendance

At least one author of each accepted paper is required to attend the session to present the paper and register in the main Conference.

Program Committee

Alessandra Villecco Bettelli - Italy
Anja Oskamp - The Netherlands
Claudia Cevenini - Italy
Daniele Bourcier - France *
Filipe Borges - France
Francisco Andrade - Portugal
Giovanni Sartor - Italy
Jane K. Winn - USA
José Neves - Portugal
Luís Couto Gonçalves - Portugal
Paulo Novais - Portugal
Pedro Romano Martinez - Portugal

* To be confirmed

Organizing Committee

Francisco Andrade -  Law School, Universidade do Minho
Luís Couto Gonçalves - Law School, Universidade do Minho
José Neves - Engineering School, Universidade do Minho
Paulo Novais - Engineering School, Universidade do Minho

Contact Information

Paulo Novais
University of Minho - Department of Informatics

Campus de Gualtar - 4710-057 Braga, Portugal

Tel.: +351-253 604 437/70

Fax: +351-253 604 471

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