Our goal is to help the private sector and consumers build upon existing laws and existing self-regulation. We are particularly concerned that Article 15 of the Draft Regulation constitutes a significant departure from the spirit of the original Brussels Convention. The original article, Article 13, afforded the consumer the right to sue in his own country a company established in another country only under certain, highly restricted criteria . In the on-line world, buyers and sellers come together at the buyer s initiative. We must remember that the Internet is an invitational medium, not an intrusive one.
Consumers only seek out information about products and services they find meaningful.
This places much of the control in the hands of the consumer. The consumer must also take some responsibility for commercial transactions they enter, whether it s at the corner store or on an Internet Website. Since the Internet is accessible globally, there is no longer a physical interaction between buyers and sellers. Buyers around the globe are able to seek out sellers from around the globe. The consumer should have the ability to choose the law that applies to that transaction.