eCommerce

Recent Articles

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  05/02/2025

  Germany

  German Accessibility Strengthening Act Accessible products in the EU

  From 28 June 2025, many products in the consumer electronics sector may only be placed on the market in Europe if they are designed to be accessible to all.It will not always be possible to make products accessible using software solutions alone. It is therefore high time to check whether your own product portfolio needs to be made accessible and, if so, what specific product adaptations are necessary to ensure that the products concerned can be kept on sale after the deadline. Incidentally, this applies not only to manufacturers, but also to importers that wish to import and market products in...

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  04/02/2025

  Germany

  German Accessibility Strengthening Act: The countdown has started

  From 28 June 2025, many products and services must be designed to be accessible to all. The scope of application of the law ranges from smartphones and notebooks to online shops.In view of the large number of enquiries we have received, our article on this topic, which we published back in 2021, was in need of an update. We will also be taking a closer look at the specific requirements for products and services in two more blog posts.The German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) transposes Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the accessibility requirements...

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  03/02/2025

  Germany

  Accessibility to be made a requirement for the private sector

  Previously, only public sector bodies had to offer an accessible website to ensure no visitors faced any barriers. The German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) has now considerably expanded the requirements to ensure accessibility on the basis of European provisions. From 28 June 2025, companies will have to make services and products accessible to consumers on a large scale. This will affect services and products that enable digital participation in society. In future, they will be expected to also be accessible to people with cognitive or physical disabilities. The scope of the law is very...

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  15/01/2025

  China

  2025 – Topics that may Concern You

  Companies doing business in China constantly have to deal with changes in regulations and new laws. This will also continue in 2025.Topics such as the new PRC Company Law, new PRC Tariff Law, PRC Regulations on Export Control of Dual-Use Items, network data security management, data transfer, opening up capital markets to foreign investment, and raise of statutory retirement age of employees etc. will continue to be a concern for many companies in China in 2025.Complying with regulatory requirements is one of the key challenges for foreign companies and investors in China, not only in terms of...

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  14/10/2024

  United Kingdom

  This is the end, beautiful friend: the ASA clamps down on misleading practices when changing and ending offers to consumers

  In two series of rulings issued on 9 October 20224, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled against misleading practices in relation to (i) end dates for discount promotions, and (ii) price changes in the course of subscription contracts.End dates for price promotionsThe CAP Code has lengthy but ambiguous rules on disclosing the end date of promotions. End dates are listed as a “significant condition” for promotions which should be disclosed (rule 8.17.4), but the same rule goes on to say that “[c]losing dates are not always necessary” (rule 8.17.4.a). If omitting...

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  09/10/2024

  Netherlands

  Neth­er­land’s Supreme Court rulings shake up Dutch e-commerce: what you need to know

  On 4 October 2024, the Dutch Supreme Court delivered two landmark rulings that have significant implications for e-commerce platforms. The rulings clarify that buttons labeled "place order," "order," or "complete order" do not meet the requirements set out in Article 6:230v of the Dutch Civil Code, which is derived from Article 8(2) of Directive 2011/83/EU on Consumer Rights. This provision mandates that consumers must explicitly acknowledge that placing an order implies an obligation to pay. Other key points of the rulings include the following: Non-Compliant Order Buttons – buttons...

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