Dispute resolution in cyberspace: UW leads way

The DVD player that you just bought online suddenly stopped playing, and the merchant in another state or country denied responsibility. What can you do about it?

UW scholars are in the forefront of answering that question.

“This is a hot topic as more people around the world buy on the Web,” said Anita Ramasastry, associate director of the UW’s Center for Law, Commerce & Technology.

Ramasastry was named last week by the American Bar Association as academic advisor to a task force on settling cyberspace disputes. The UW also will conduct research and host the group’s Web site.

Traditional means of resolving commercial disputes, Ramasastry said, are dictated by geography - the locale of a transaction governs access to the courts or an arbitrator. But when a sale takes place over the Internet, new questions arise.

Therefore, the American Bar Association-UW project will draft new guidelines and standards for settling conflicts without resorting to the courts. The ABA Task Force on E-Commerce and Alternative Dispute Resolution will hold public hearings in New York City and San Diego.

The issue also has great urgency abroad. European Union and U.S. negotiators agreed last month that creating an international e-commerce dispute system is crucial to generating the confidence necessary for free and open cross-border commerce.

For more information, click on http://www.law.washington.edu/ABA-eADR.