In the event that damage is caused as a result of the Year 2000 problem, who will be responsible for compensating the victims of such damage? Should the developers, vendors or licensors of non-compliant software be held liable if their products do not continue to function correctly through the change in the millennium? Should those who provide "fixes" to the Bug which do not work properly be accountable for damage caused? Do end-users have a duty to ensure that their software is Year 2000 compliant? These questions, among others, will not be answered fully until the courts have had an opportunity to rule upon disputes which will no doubt arise. Other matters to be considered include the type of agreement that has been entered into between the parties, which rules will therefore apply and what defences, if any, may be available to the defendant. Insurance is also a big issue. Many insurance companies are stating that damage resulting from the Millennium Bug will not be covered by existing policies, and defences such as force majeure and act of God have been raised. What will happen when these issues come to litigation remains to be seen. This special issue of the "Comparative Law Yearbook of International Business" discusses the legal implications of the Millennium Bug in various countries. It describes the way in which agreements relating to software are viewed by different jurisdictions and the possible attribution of liability for damage caused by the Bug.

The information provided in this book aims to provide a starting point for foreign investors in their investigation of the environmental regulations and the related social priorities which will have an increasing impact on their investment decisions and strategies. Lawyers from Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and the United States have combined to provide this analytical overview of the regulatory schemes and major environmental issues in their respective jurisdictions. A separate chapter is included on the rules of the EC.

The concept of the nation-state has as an essential element the control of territory, legal and political authority over the acquisition, ownership, use and disposition of land. The rapid increase during the 1970s in the pace of foreign 1 investment -with the acquisition of real property as a centerpiece-has stirred new concern for the ability and disability of aliens to invest in and acquire title 2 to the physical territory of a given state. With a variety of factors now stimulating 3 foreign investment in land, increased attention has been given in many countries to the role of the state in controlling, inhibiting or prohibiting investment in real property by aliens. English law long ago established that the alien would be subject to significant 4 disabilities in connection with the ownership of land. The imposition of similar 5 restrictions on aliens is found in the early law of most nation-states. Such disabilities have their roots in the feudal period, and it was not until the eighteenth century that the countries of Continental Europe abandoned the absolute 6 prohibition on succession to real property by aliens. The prohibition was replaced by a tax imposed on aliens who withdrew the property of the state of which the decedent was a citizen. Common Law rules restricting alien succession developed in the thirteenth century.

More than a decade has passed since economist Richard N. Cooper reflected upon the trend toward increasing economic interdependence in the international community: During the past decade there has been a strong trend toward economic interdependence among the industrial countries. This growing interdependence makes the successful pursuit of national economic objectives much more difficult. Broadly speaking, increas ing interdependence complicates the pursuit of national objectives in three ways. First, it increases the number and magnitude of the disturbances to which each country's balance of payments is subjected, and this in turn diverts policy attention and instruments of policy to the restoration of external balance. Second, it slows down the process by which national authorities, each acting on its own, are able to reach their domestic objectives. Third, the response to greater integration can involve the community of nations in counter-acting motions which leave all countries worse off than they need be . . . J Nothing has occured in the 1970s to suggest that Cooper's assessment is inaccurate. Indeed, the process which he identified has accelerated. By the mid-1970s, if one is to mention but one example, exports accounted for twenty per cent of the combined gross national product of the Member States of the European Communities, and exports provided seven per cent of the 2 gross national product of the United States."

DENNIS CAMPBELL AND MARK MILLER Introduction Within the last decade, there has been significant expansion in both the frequency and quantity of direct foreign investment by Western countries and multinational 1 corporations (MNC's) in the forni of joint ventures in Eastern Europe. These joint ventures, as well as other forms of mutual-cooperation trade arrangements, represent positive evidence of the increasing enthusiasm towards East-West trans actions now found on both sides of the European frontier. The spirit with which Western governments and business interests have sought to expand involvement in the East European market has been well documented. However, there has been relatively little attention paid to the extremely important internal changes which have come about within the foreign-trade policies of the Eastern European coun tries and which have served to accommodate the growth of trade with the West. This dramatic increase in direct foreign investment in the form of joint ventures results primarily from the passage of enabling legislation in a number of the East European states, legislation which has facilitated and attracted business invest ment from the West. Thus, it is opportune to examine and review the policy reforms and amendments which have been enacted in Eastern Europe and the Western responses thereto. As a preliminary matter, the term 'joint venture', as well as other mechanisms for foreign investment as used here, should be defined and distinguished."

This text examines the increasingly important area of consumer protection law in an international context. The contributing authors are legal practitioners and scholars from a variety of jurisdictions who have focused on the intricacies of consumer protection in their countries. Consumers are often aware that they have rights when purchasing, but are not always sure exactly what those rights are. This book elucidates and clarifies the many confusing aspects of this area of law, giving special regard to service standards, testing, advertising claims, trade descriptions and price controls.

In the past six years, more than 55 countries have begun adopting UNCITRAL's (United National Commission on International Trade Law) Model Laws of 1999 and 2001 regarding the use and validity of e-signatures. Dozens of pieces of legislation and legislative proposals now exist around the world on the subject of e-signatures. While the model laws may look the same on paper, in practice they can vary widely. Finally, you can be certain that your clients are in compliance when using digital signatures.
The Center for International Legal Studies, in cooperation with UNCITRAL, has gathered experts in over 25 jurisdictions to analyze the impact of these standards in their respective domestic e-commerce regimes. These experts show how the Model Laws are actually implemented today in each of these countries. Now you can have on-the-ground feedback about how UNCITRAL's Uniform Rules on Electronic Signatures, the Model Law on Electronic Commerce 1996, and the Model Law on Electronic Signatures 2001 are being implemented.
A must have reference for:
Any lawyer working on a business transaction or contract using the Internet to exchange forms
Government Lawyers
Intellectual Property Lawyers
Topics covered include:
Application and enforceability of electronic transactions
Defining key terms, including 'writing, ' 'signature, ' and 'original' documents
Legal recognition of data messages
Formation of contracts
Attribution of data messages
Retention of data messages
Trustworthiness of e-signature
Electronic Commerce
Analyzes the global impact of:
UNCITRAL's Uniform Rules on Electronic Signatures
Model Law on Electronic Commerce1996
Model Law on Electronic Signatures 2001

The annual Journal of the International Institute for Law and Medicine examines legal issues relating to health care, medicinal products, intellectual property rights in pharmaceuticals, and liability in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The Journal is published annually by the International Institute for Law and Medicine, providing commentary on current issues in the interplay among law, medicine, and health care by lawyers, physicians, and health care professionals from countries throughout the world.