Principles of Electronic Commerce

[David Farber <farber@central.cis.upenn.edu>]

Date: Sun, 23 Oct 1994 23:03:57 -0500
From: shaynes@research.westlaw.com (Steve Haynes)




On Tuesday last week Mega Project I ("Visions and Applications")
of the U.S. Advisory Council on the NII adopted its "Principles
of Electronic Commerce."  Although these will eventually be
fleshed out by Guideposts, Action Items and Issues, and although
the principles have not yet been approved by the full Council (I
will forward them when that occurs), this is a public document
and I think readers of this list will find the Principles
interesting.


Steve Haynes


                ------------------------------------------------


                PRINCIPLES FOR ELECTRONIC COMMERCE


                         MEGA PROJECT I


                    (Draft, October 19, 1994)


        Electronic commerce is commerce transacted using information
infrastructure capabilities.  Commerce includes domestic and
international transactions between businesses, individuals, and
government.


1.      Once the NII is widely used, the lives of individual
        Americans should be enhanced by the creation of new jobs,
        the availability of more and different products and
        services, lower costs for many products and services, and
        added convenience to every day living.  Similarly, the NII
        should positively impact the health of American businesses
        by creating new markets, expanding existing markets, and
        increasing productivity and efficiency.


2.      As the development and deployment of the NII takes place,
        workplaces will be transformed.  Worker training and
        adaptation mechanisms are necessary to ease the transition
        for individual workers and to make the most productive use
        of the new technologies.


3.      A vigorous competitive environment, led by the private
        sector, will accelerate the deployment of the NII and the
        development of a wide range of products and services for
        electronic commerce.


4.      Protection of intellectual property, transaction security,
        the rights of users, integrity of data, consumer protection
        and privacy are essential to widespread use of electronic
        commerce applications.


5.      The primary roles of government in the utilization of
        electronic commerce capabilities are to ensure consumer
        protection, vigorous competition, and intellectual property
        protection.  Government should work with the private sector
        and other stakeholds to ensure the development and use of
        security and privacy standards.


6.      Local, state and federal government should stimulate the
        development and use of the NII through electronic
        procurement of goods and services, offering government
        services to the public electronically, and through consumer
        awareness campaigns to promote the adoption of the NII.


7.      While the private sector should take the lead in the
        development of electronic commerce applications, the higher
        education and other research communities will continue to
        play a vital role in the advancement of research and
        development.  Government funding for electronic commerce
        should be primarily applied to pre-competitive research and
        the government procurement process.