Legal Considerations For E-Commerce Businesses

Nearly all companies now use online or mobile websites and/or social media network pages to promote their businesses, sell goods or services, conduct business transactions, and connect and communicate with customers, clients, or other businesses. While these "e-commerce businesses" confront a variety of the same legal issues faced by traditional brick-and-mortar companies, they also must manage other challenges that are unique to conducting business operations and transactions in an electronic environment. The range of legal issues to consider and manage continues to grow, and ignoring this reality could lead to financial liability, regulatory penalties, or unauthorized exploitation of company intellectual property. Set forth below is a non-exhaustive list of potential legal issues to consider in connection with minimizing the risks associated with operating an e-commerce business.