If you want to do global business, then Hague COnvention must go

[echarcha]

The following is quite important, especially for Internet based commerce and other related businesses.

You probably haven't heard of the Hague Convention on Jurisdiction and Foreign Judgments. Maybe your employer's corporate lawyer has.

But you need to know, and care. It's a quagmire in the making, and it could put your rights -- and maybe your property -- at risk.

The Hague Convention is a proposed treaty. It concerns legal jurisdiction. Participating nations would agree to honor -- and enforce -- other nations' court rulings in business conflicts.

In the abstract, this sounds like a reasonable idea in an increasingly global economy. If a company doing business in a foreign country breaks that nation's laws, there's no reason why it shouldn't be held accountable.

Read more at: http://www0.mercurycenter.com/business/top/005851.htm


Basically this law means that if a business is set up, say in India, and you have customers in Afghanistan. Then if your business - assume a internet news site - publishes something which is against the laws of Afghanistan; then you can be sued and punished as per the laws of Afghanistan!

To make this clearer:

Suppose you posted a bulletin board item criticizing Afghanistan's outrageous treatment of women. Could that repressive regime sue your Internet service provider, which might have global operations, in a nation that doesn't have a First Amendment and win damages? It's a possibility. But you can be sure your online provider would take your posting off the Net before putting itself at this kind of risk.

[aryaputra]

very good.

except that it pushes internet business in line with traditional business culture.

The Internet was supposed to be a NEW way of working globally. What happens to that?

[echarcha]

Originally posted by aryaputra
very good.

except that it pushes internet business in line with traditional business culture.

The Internet was supposed to be a NEW way of working globally. What happens to that?

Arya are you saying VERY GOOD for this new treaty or supporting the arguments that this treaty should go?

One thisng is for sure - if you lay too much constraints on any business, then there is no real growth and no real generation of wealth. Like India used to have License Raj for everything, even making toothpicks

This kind of treaty will enforce the same concepts of Licence Raj on a global scale!

[laal_langot]

Raju Chacha the treaty is too contentious to go through.....because it basically infringes on the freedom of most developed nations....this could be something similar to the patent crisis...I mean you could basically pick up almost anything and say it is against the views of SOMEONE....