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ARTICLE · 12 MARCH 2008

Forming Contracts Online

Lawrence Graham LLP: Commerce & Technology
Explore more from Lawrence Graham LLP: Commerce & Technology

Rapid advances in computer technology and the advent of the internet have created numerous new ways of doing business and, therefore, forming contracts. So what is the legal status of such online agreements? This article looks at the legislation governing online signatures in electronic commerce and direct selling, focusing in particular on the Trading Scheme Regulations 1997 and associated guidance.

United KingdomMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
Hannah Rigby
Hannah Rigby

Signing up, virtually speaking

Rapid advances in computer technology and the advent of the internet have created numerous new ways of doing business and, therefore, forming contracts. So what is the legal status of such online agreements? This article looks at the legislation governing online signatures in electronic commerce and direct selling, focusing in particular on the Trading Scheme Regulations 1997 and associated guidance.

The Electronic Communications Act 2000 granted the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR, formerly known as the Department of Trade and Industry ("DTI")) a specific power to introduce regulations under which any legal requirement that a document be in writing, signed, copied or printed can be satisfied electronically.

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