Internet: Which Court Decides? Which Law Applies?

Cyberspace, the electronic super-highway or the Internet, as it is most commonly known, is a globally-networked, computer-sustained, computer-accessed and computer-generated multidimensional virtual reality, the use of which is increasing at a tremendous rate. Although much has been written on the legal issues relating to this new virtual reality, to date there has been little coverage of the private international aspects.

This new work aims to address two basic questions, namely, which court has jurisdiction and which law is to be applied when litigation arises from activity on the Internet? The book comprises seven key papers, presented by distinguished lawyers at the international colloquium organised by Utrecht University''s Molengraaff Institute of Private Law and the Hague Conference on Private International Law, which was held in Utrecht in June 1997.

The main topics covered include the following:

• • The role of law in cyberspace
• • Experiences in the field of intellectual property
• • Can private international law provide order to the chaos?
• • Problems concerning jurisdiction and applicable law
• • Conclusions and recommendations.