Many rules governing ecommerce are too complex and therefore hard to follow. That can lead even to problems like threat letter abuse.

Many rules no longer serve the aim once intended: consumer protection. By being too complicated, they lead to a flood of information that swamps rather than helps the consumer. We want to help by advocating the common interests of traders and consumers: transparency and simplicity.

One problem is, that the German law requires – in deviation of the underlying European law – that commercial sellers provide specific information in writing before the conclusion of the contract. A website is by some courts not to be considered, "in writing," which complicates the situation for commercial sellers. There is no justification for this obligation: Buyers only need the relevant information in writing once - for documentation purposes after the conclusion of the contract.  Prior to that, providing information on a website is sufficient.

Next Issue: Trust and Safety in the Internet