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                Date: 1998-11-01
                 
                 
                E-Kommerz: Fantastilliarden durch Metaphysik
                
                 
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      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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