Understanding the Legal Implications of E-Commerce

Like many businesses, you are looking to harness the power of the Internet to grow profits. E-commerce has expanded beyond a company’s website, and your business needs to adjust to stay competitive. To stay competitive, your company must explore and leverage the new tools, techniques, and opportunities offered by e-commerce and Web 2.0 in order to expand your customer base and influence your customers’ purchasing decisions. Use of these new e-commerce tools and techniques --- such as social networking or social media (company “fan” pages on Facebook, profiles on LinkedIn, use of Twitter), word of mouth and viral campaigns, search-engine optimization, video podcasts,  blogs, or “crowdsourcing” (forums for customer comments)  --- can build brand loyalty through customer collaboration and contribution. 

But use of these Web 2.0 techniques and e-commerce tools also raise important legal questions, such as: 

• Who owns the content on these networks? 
• Have you addressed the rights of consumers and users? 
• How do you protect against copyright infringement? 
• Who owns the intellectual property? 
• How does your company protect itself against loss of its trade secrets? 
• How do you create binding terms and conditions on participation in a crowdsourced project? 
• How do you protect your company against defamation or misinformation, or other damage to your business reputation? 

Contact G&J or at (312) 236-8110 for effective, affordable legal solutions for all your E-business needs.

Our e-commerce attorneys understand the legal implications of evolving e-commerce, mobile technologies and social media, and can help your business lead the way by implementing sound policies to regulate the use of Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, blogs and other uses of social media, corporate networks, and electronic interactions with customers (and third parties).

Our Illinois E-commerce lawyers can help your business develop innovative, effective business policies, procedures & practices to help your company stay competitive, foster customer loyalty, preserve your business reputation and grow revenues. Potential solutions include drafting appropriate website terms and conditions, and putting into place the policies, procedures and mechanisms to ensure web users (and your vendors) accept your key terms and conditions.

The internet, e-commerce and technology lawyers at Griffith & Jacobson can help you address these and other important e-commerce issues.

Schedule an initial consultation with Chicago E-commerce attorneys Arieh M. Flemenbaum or Louis A. Rascia at 312.236.8110. The internet and e-commerce attorneys at Griffith & Jacobson will help harness the power of the internet to build your business and expand your profits.

Read why Griffith & Jacobson is the right choice for your business at: “What We are All About”.
Follow our e-commerce lawyers on Twitter @ILTechLawyer, or follow our blog, Chicago Business bLAWg for internet, e-commerce, tech, business and legal issues that affect your company.