On the Dilemma and Solutions of the No-Reading Problem in Digital Standard Form Consumer Contracts

The problem that consumers often fail to read the standard form contracts they willingly enter into has been recognized by many scholars.This is a pressing issue because it may result in the consumers being disadvantaged in bargains.Several laws have already been put in place to protect consumers,but the protection is often inadequate.This essay assesses how the current solutions are carried out and investigates whether new methods can be put in place.It argues that the key to dealing with the no-reading phenomenon is to make contracts more accessible to consumers so that they can be more inclined to guard their own interests.

Closed-loop supply chain network equilibrium strategy model with environmental protection objectives

With the increasing popularity of ecological civilization and sustainable development,enterprises should consider environmental protection measures in their operations in addition to pursue their economic interests.This paper establsihes a closed-loop supply chain network model composed of multiple suppliers,manufacturers,retailers,recyclers,and demand markets—regarding their dual goals of the profit maximization and the minimization of carbon emissions.The conditions necessary for establishing overall equilibrium and an equilibrium model of the entire closed-loop supply chain network are determined by applying variational inequality and dual theory.A modified projection contraction algorithm is used to design a model-solving program.Finally,using numerical examples,the paper conducts a comparative static analysis on important parameters such as the weight coefficients of environmental protection objectives and consumers'awareness of low-carbon environmental protection and attains some beneficial enlightenment on management.The results indicate that when the environmental protection objectives of a certain type of enterprise increases,both the economic benefits and environmental protection performance will improve;when the environmental protection objectives of all enterprises increases simultaneously,environmental protection performance improves significantly,but the changes in economic benefits of different enterprises are inconsistent and profit coordination is more complex.Although consumers’awareness of low-carbon preference could improve environmental performance,it reduces the overall profits of network members and the entire closed-loop supply chain network as a whole.The above conclusions can be used as a reference for the government in designing low-carbon environmental protection policy and in closed-loop supply chain research.

E-commerce development in rural and remote areas of BRICS countries

E-commerce plays an essential role in modern trade today.It is expected that e-commerce volume amounted to 29 trillion USD in the world in 2017,and would grow with the spread of the Internet and information and communication technologies(ICTs).Brazil,Russia,India,China and South Africa(BRICS),together with many others,consider e-commerce a means to facilitate rapid,inclusive and sustainable economic growth,improving the living standards and alleviating poverty.This article examines areas for potential cooperation by BRICS countries in e-commerce development across rural and remote areas to fight poverty.It analyses the current state of e-commerce development in rural and remote areas in each of the BRICS countries,including cases of public and private initiatives to support it.The article also defines the opportunities which e-commerce brings to people living in rural and remote areas.Moreover,it evaluates the existing challenges and risks.The article concludes that despite the rapid e-commerce development in BRICS countries,and significant opportunities created,there are still issues of disproportionate e-commerce in varied regions and the lack of BRICS cooperation in this sphere.Based on a comparative and normative in-depth,systematic analysis,the article develops a set of recommendations for deepening BRICS countries'cooperation in the following areas:infrastructure in rural and remote regions;education;consumer protection;online dispute resolution;coordinated policy in the international scene,including representation of BRICS countries in international indexes,such as the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD)Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness Index(STRI).

Digital assets rights management through smart legal contracts and smart contracts

Intellectual property rights(IPR)management needs to evolve in a digital world where not only companies but also many independent content creators contribute to our culture with their art,music,and videos.In this respect,blockchain has recently emerged as a promising infrastructure,providing a trustworthy and immutable environment through the use of smart contracts,which may enable more agile management of digital rights and streamline royalty payments.However,no widespread consensus has been reached on the ability of this technology to adequately manage and transfer IPR.This paper presents an innovative approach to digital rights management developed within the scope of an international research endeavour co-financed by the European Commission named MediaVerse.The approach proposes the combined usage of smart legal contracts and blockchain smart contracts to take care of the legally binding contractual aspects of IPR and,at the same time,the need for notarization,rights transfer,and royalty payments.The work being conducted represents a contribution to advancing the current literature on IPR management that may lead to an improved and fairer monetization process for content creators as a means of individual empowerment.