Browse-Wrap Agreements: Validity of Implied Assent in Electronic Form Agreements

35 Pages Posted: 15 Jul 2010

See all articles by Christina L. Kunz

Christina L. Kunz

Mitchell Hamline School of Law

John Ottaviani

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP

Elaine D. Ziff

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP - New York Office

Juliet M. Moringiello

Widener University - Commonwealth Law School

Kathleen Porter

Robinson & Cole, LLP

Jennifer Debrow

Gray, Plant, Mooty, Mooty & Bennett, P.A.

Date Written: November 1, 2003

Abstract

This Article examines the rules of law governing implied assent, arguments for and against valid implied assent in the context of browse-wrap agreements, principles of contract law addressing implied assent in the "paper world," and the application of these principles to the electronic contract setting. Based on the precedents discussed in this Article, as well as policy arguments, the authors posit that a user validly and reliably assents to the terms of a browse-wrap agreement if the following four elements are satisfied:

(i) The user is provided with adequate notice of the existence of the proposed terms. (ii) The user has a meaningful opportunity to review the terms. (iii) The user is provided with adequate notice that taking a specified action manifests assent to the terms. (iv) The user takes the action specified in the latter notice.

This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or downloaded or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.

Keywords: implied assent, browse-wrap agreements, contracts, electronic forms

Suggested Citation

Kunz, Christina L. and Ottaviani, John and Ziff, Elaine D. and Moringiello, Juliet M. and Porter, Kathleen and Debrow, Jennifer, Browse-Wrap Agreements: Validity of Implied Assent in Electronic Form Agreements (November 1, 2003). Business Lawyer, Vol. 59, No. 1, 2003, William Mitchell Legal Studies Research Paper , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1640185

Christina L. Kunz (Contact Author)

Mitchell Hamline School of Law ( email )

875 Summit Ave
St. Paul, MN 55105-3076
United States

John Ottaviani

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP ( email )

Elaine D. Ziff

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP - New York Office ( email )

Four Times Square
NY 10036
United States

Juliet M. Moringiello

Widener University - Commonwealth Law School ( email )

3800 Vartan Way
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9380
United States
717-541-3917 (Phone)

Kathleen Porter

Robinson & Cole, LLP ( email )

280 Trumbull Street
Hartford, CT 06103-3597
United States

Jennifer Debrow

Gray, Plant, Mooty, Mooty & Bennett, P.A. ( email )

3400 City Center
33 South Sixth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402-3796
United States

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