METI HOME > Information Policy HOME > Electronic Commerce (EC) Promotion   Electronic Commerce (EC) Promotion Electronic commerce (EC) enables consumers to easily perform transactions at anytime, from anywhere. However, EC is relatively new to our society and economy, and therefore there are instances where it is not clear whether or not current laws can be applied to this growing form of business. Therefore, METI is establishing a series of new rules and guidelines that will allow everyone to participate in the ever-expanding realm of EC with both ease and confidence. Contact / Information Economy Division +83-3-3501-0397 Activities by METI Interpretative Guidelines for Electronic Commerce Alternative Dispute Resolution System (ADR) for B to C EC. Interpretative Guidelines for Electronic Commerce In some cases, it is unclear whether or not current laws, including the Civil Code, can be applied to EC. METI presents interpretative guidelines on how specific existing laws should be applied to EC with regards to various related legal issues. These guidelines will be continually revised as EC evolves through the practical handling of transactions, technological developments, and trends in international regulations.   Interpretative Guidelines on Electronic Commerce and Information Property Trading revised on Aug, 2008 (Tentative Translation) (PDF file: 1,875KB)   Interpretative Guidelines on Electronic Commerce and Information Property Trading revised on Mar, 2007 (Tentative Translation) (PDF file: 1,121KB)   Interpretative Guidelines on Electronic Commerce revised on Feb, 2006 (Tentative Translation) (PDF file: 714KB)   Interpretative Guidelines on Electronic Commerce revised on June, 2004 (Tentative Translation) (PDF file: 687KB) Page Top Alternative Dispute Resolution System (ADR) for Business-to-Consumer EC. Business-to-consumer EC transactions lack the direct contact between consumers and sellers, potentially leading to more disputes when compared to conventional face-to-face transactions. Furthermore, disputes related to the distribution of personal information may also increase with the popularization of EC. To address this issue, METI is developing an alternative dispute resolution system (ADR) that will provide a convenient way to resolve disputes, utilizing information technology, and serving as a complement to the existing legal system.   Annotation of the Act on Special Provisions to the Civil Code concerning Electronic Consumer Contracts and Electronic Acceptance Notices (the "Act") (PDF file: 124KB) Page Top