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Internet business law
A lawyer concerned withfunctions in the sector of Internet business law should begin from a background of expertise in generally relevant legislation, as well as in more specifically targeted Internet business regulation. Advice directed toward both Internet business law practitioner and Internet business operators is offered online by the federal government at a .gov web address.
Internet business law subject mattter
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Internet business law might be found to have been violated on the basis of failure to pay taxes or observe othersâ copyright-secured privileges, among other inadvisable courses of action for an Internet-located business enterprise. An Internet business owner or operator could also fail to take advantage of the potential benefits provided through Internet business laws in such forms as the copyright protections potentially open to such people and the security and privacy programs for defense against outside interference.
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Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
This regulatory and enforcement body is the main authority with which people concerned with the different provisions of Internet business law will have to deal. Some of the Internet business activities which come under the FTCâs supervisory powers include the use of e-mails for advertising and marketing through websites banner ads and others, as well as related issues arising in regard to the right to privacy on the part of consumers.
According to the authorizing legislation of the Federal Trade Commission Act, the FTC can act against âdeceptive or unfair acts or practicesâ by Internet businesses or any other group or individual engaged in commercial or business activities.
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âDeceptive or unfairâ definition
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The Federal Trade Commission holds its powers and fulfills its role according to the language contained in the FTC Act. Section 5 of this legislative package holds that business policies and practices meeting the definition of being actively âdeceptiveâ can be said to do so  when they simultaneously âmislead consumersâ and âaffect consumersâ behaviors or decisions about the product or service.â
A charge of âunfairness,â however, can stem from an Internet business carrying out an âact or practiceâ of an Internet business which provokes âsubstantialâ injury to others ânot outweighed by other benefitsâ to those affected and ânot reasonably avoidableâ on the business owner or operatorâs part.
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Internet business law understanding of liabilityÂ
If an Internet business is based in part or in whole on the practice of selling space or otherwise offering opportunities for advertising, then the owners or operators of the business will accordingly take on responsibilities, and potentially incur liability, on the ground of potentially allowing marketers to make deceptive claims.
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Avoiding FTC prosecutionÂ
In order to forestall any later, potentially applicable action from the FTC, the Internet business at question should make its marketing partner carry out due diligence in affirming the accuracy of the claims and facts presented. If inaccurate information still comes to the web through the actions of an Internet business, then documentation of the previous process can be pointed to in order to avoid further and adverse legal consequences.
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Disclaimers
In order to further assure that consumers have the reasonable ability to inform themselves as to the legal considerations inherent in content presented by an Internet business, disclosures and disclaimers should be present and reasonably accessible through the websites maintained by Internet businesses, as can help avoid adverse regulatory and legislative consequences. âClear and conspicuousâ disclosures and disclaimers satisfy this requirement as maintained by the FTC.