Much has been written about legal aspects of the use of the electronic medium in the conduct of business, but Electronic Documents in Maritime Trade: Law and Practice is the only book to focus specifically on the use of electronic documents in maritime trade covering all of the potential obstacles and providing solutions to those problems. The book examines the issues that arise when attempting to conclude such complex transactions, making it an invaluable reference for anyone contemplating using or advising on paperless trade and its legal implications.

The focus of this work is on the function of electronic documents in cross-border business-to-business contracts for the sale of goods carried by sea. Focusing on international standards and English law, the book compares other domestic laws such as those of the United States, Canada and Australia, and emerging systems in China, Singapore and South Korea. It provides a practical analysis of this commercial activity, examining recent trends in practice and testing the ability of electronic alternatives to achieve legal functions performed by the paper documents they replace.

The book covers the relevant legal barriers and standards including the issue of fraud, in particular the problem of confidence as a practical bar to uptake, and also the laws relating to electronic signatures and data protection. Practical barriers to the use of electronic documents are also considered including a detailed look at specific systems for payment processing, the issue and transfer of rights over goods in transit, and cargo insurance. Demand and supply of alternative systems is also discussed as are the risks and liabilities involved in the use of such systems, and infrastructural problems that may require legislative and/or regulatory intervention to be resolved.

Author: Miriam Goldby, Visiting Scholar, George Washington University; Lecturer in Law, Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary, University of London

ISBN: 9780199660292

Publisher: Oxford University Press | 25 July 2013

Format: Hardback, 400 pages | 246x171mm

CONTENTS:

Part I - Background  1: Documents used in international trade  2: Legal aspects of electronic communication

Part II - Electronic Alternatives: Legal Barriers and Legal Standards  3: International sale contracts  4: A legal framework to govern electronic payment and presentation of documents  5: Carriage documents  6: A legal framework to govern electronic transport documents  7: Cargo insurance documents  8: A legal framework to govern electronic cargo insurance documents

Part III - Electronic Alternatives: Emerging Practices  9: Practical barriers to the use of electronic alternatives in international sale transactions  10: Electronic systems for payment processing  11: Electronic systems for the issue and transfer of rights over goods in transit  12: Electronic systems for cargo insurance