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              | Date: 1998-11-01 
 
 E-Kommerz: Fantastilliarden durch Metaphysik-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.-
 
 Von 30 Milliarden Dollar auf 400 Millarden wär's ein hübscher
 Wachstumsschritt, vor allem, wenn dieses binnen drei Jahren
 passieren soll. Oder sollte, denn der Faktor, der dieses
 Timing steuert, ist metaphysischer & damit höchst
 zweifelhafter Natur: "Vertrauen" heisst er. Im
 Konsumentenvolke ist dies bis dato recht wenig ausgeprägt.
 
 
 
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 Tracy LeMay
 October 28, 1998
 ....
 The paint-scorching potential growth of e-commerce --
 transactions using digital technology, on open computer
 networks (the Internet) or private networks, and credit or debit
 cards -- has been predicted far and wide for some time. One
 forecast pegs yearly revenue of global e-commerce on the
 Internet at about $30-billion (US); by 2002, it predicts revenue
 will hit $400-billion (US).
 
 But how fast the market will grow is debatable. Internet
 shoppers are fairly rare these days. Surveys show 80% of
 Internet users in Canada and the U.S. don't buy on-line.
 Why? Market confidence is shaky, mainly because of
 worries over privacy and consumer protection.
 ....
 Policymakers from leading industrialized countries have
 opted for a go-slow approach to market regulation. At a
 recent Organization for Economic Co-operation and
 Development conference in Ottawa, business representatives
 stressed governments should play a minimal role in privacy
 and consumer protection regulations. Their fear is the
 market's explosive growth will be smothered by over-zealous
 bureaucrats. To their credit, OECD governments are willing to
 give industry self regulation a chance.
 ....
 For example, the European Union has adopted data
 protection standards to be enforced by governments;
 generally, the policy restricts collection and use of personal
 data on the Internet and prevents the flow of data to countries
 without similar protections.
 
 The U.S., however, argues for complete industry self-
 regulation. Bridging this divide is vital; if the EU standard is
 enforced, cross-border data flows could be imperilled, thus
 throwing a large spanner into e-shopping. Luckily, indications
 are many EU countries will hold off implementation in the
 interest of promoting a long-term solution.
 ....
 Knowing governments are trying to work things out is
 reassuring, but there are still potential pitfalls.
 ...
 >From the customer's point of view, it would make sense if
 laws in the buyer's country apply. "It's hard for consumers to
 be aware of laws" in foreign lands, points out Philippa
 Lawson, a lawyer with the Ottawa-based Public Interest
 Advocacy Centre.
 
 But resorting to the courts should be the last resort, Ms.
 Lawson says. Ideally, the first stop in these disputes should
 be the seller's own complaint procedure, she says. If that
 fails, the parties should employ a third party dispute
 resolution mechanism, a process which is only now gaining
 ground on the Net.
 .....
 
 full text
 http://www.nationalpost.com
 http://www.nationalpost.com/financialpost.asp?s2=columnists
 &s3=lemay&f=9810 28/1969640.html
 
 relayed by
 offshore@email.msn.com
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 edited by
 published on: 1998-11-01
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