Internet Business

The internet has changed the face of business in the last decade. Before the internet, commerce was in large part dominated by those who had the means to open stores or offices in multiple cities and multiple states.

As the internet gained more and more users, first in their homes, then at their jobs and now in almost every facet of their lives, the internet also grew more and more accepted as a platform for commerce. The relatively low cost and long reach of the internet now makes it possible for anyone with enough motivation and enough business savvy to sell products and services internationally. Known as e-commerce, this relatively new form of business is rapidly becoming a significant portion of retail sales in the United States. According to Forrester Research1, e-commerce accounted for 5% ($125.1 billion USD) of retail sales in 2008 and is expected to account for 8% ($211.7 billion USD) by 2012.

With the proliferation of the internet and foundation of e-commerce also came a large body of statutory and common law to dealing with e-commerce. Not only must an internet business conform to all the laws regulating traditional commerce, but internet businesses must also heed the laws and implications concerning e-commerce.

This section of the website is almost entirely devoted to discussing some of the special e-commerce laws that apply to business conducted over the internet. These laws apply to any business conducting e-commerce, either as the whole of its business or as an online component to augment the sales of a larger, "brick and mortar" business.

1. "US eCommerce Forecast, 2008 to 2013" by Forrester Research, February 2, 2009.