Cyber Consumer Law and Unfair Trading Practices

Cristina Coteanu is an Avocat and Member of the Brussels Bar, Belgium. She is also an Associate at the Institute of European Studies, Université Libre de Bruxelles. Starting in summer 2004, she will be a non-residential Fellow with the Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society. Coteanu is an active member of the Advisory Board of the PIR (Public Interest Registry, Reston, US) for Europe, the Internet Society, USA (domain names), CEPANI 'Centre belge d'arbitrage et de médiation', Brussels, and of the Commission on European law, Brussels Bar Association.

'The author is one of these gifted people who has a knowledge of technology and an ability to explain it to others. She combines this with a sound grasp of law both in Europe and the US. She provides abundant analysis of relevant case law... Her reputation as a scholar of distinction will be further enhanced by this present work.' Geraint Howells, Sheffield University, UK (taken from the Series Editor's Introduction) 'A very interesting book on a fascinating - and rapidly evolving - subject...Mrs Coteanu has made an intelligent and wide-ranging analysis of a whole scale of issues...This analysis is refreshingly practical, illustrating some of its necessarily abstract themes with examples drawn from everyday (e-commerce)experience.' T. Huydecoper, Advocate-General, Netherlands Supreme Court 'This book provides a wide-ranging international and comparative guide to the policies and practical legal issues of consumer protection in cyberspace. It will be warmly welcomed by all those interested in the present and future development of this important dimension of consumer law and policy in the 21st century'. Iain Ramsay, York University, Canada and President of the International Association of Consumer Law '...[Coteanu's] book is very useful for all those who are interested in the technical background of online B2C transactions, as well as an in-depth analysis of the economic and legal impact of cyber trade on consumer interests.' CTLR, The Journal of e-Commerce, Technology and Communications 'The text is accessible and superbly written allowing the reader to become quickly engaged in the material. The author makes excellent use (where appropriate) of flow charts and tables. These set out the issues clearly allowing the reader to quickly check points. The footnotes are also excellent: allowing the reader to undertake further research...I would wholeheartedly recommend this text to anyone interested in this area of law.' Student Law Journal

• Contents: Preface, Ian Walden; Infrastructure of the electronic marketplace; Electronic market failures and consumer confidence; Standardization of online contracts; Electronic agents; Online dispute resolution; Disclosure of online information: from the asymmetry of information to the 'dominance of technological information'; Online misleading advertising; Fair trading legal models in commercial practices: from a national or community principle to an international model; Fair trading principle - the starting point for online consumer law in Europe?; General conclusion; References; Index.