E-Commerce

Electronic commerce (also referred to as EC, e-commerce or ecommerce) consists primarily of the distributing, buying, selling, marketing and services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks.

The information technology industry sees it as an electronic business application aimed at commercial transactions.

It can involve electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, online marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), automated inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems.

It typically uses electronic communications technology such as the Internet, extranets, e-mail, e-books and mobile phones.

Legal aspects of E-Commerce

• Digital Signatures• Digital Documents • Digital Copyrights

Types of digital documents

• Imaging (TIFF)• Structured documents (SGML)• Distributed hypertext (HTML)• Active or Compound (OLE)

Document Imaging

An imaging system passes a paper document through a scanner that renders it digital & stores the digital data as a bit-mapped image.

Use key words for indexing & searching

Problems:

Contains only images & not textNo formal internal structure

TIFF (Tag Image File Format)

• TIFF format is standard in document imaging and document management systems

• Created by company Aldus jointly with Microsoft for postscript

• Supports black & white images – to conserve storage capacity

• Supports multiple pages

Limitation of document image

Does not allow repackaging

Solution: Structured documents

Structured documents

• Users can manipulate, edit and work with document content• Apply database structuring capabilities to documents to allow tools

to manipulate document content• Documents may be lengthy, complex, spreadsheets, graphics etc.• Example : TOC (Table Of contents)

Capabilities of structured documents

1. Document formatting & rendering

Companies give their CDs containing manuals to customers. This reduces printing & packaging costs and faster updates of critical information

Audio rendering of documents opens up a new world for visually handicapped.

2. Create easily modifiable structures

Allows more dynamic documents, user interaction & manipulation (bookmark, highlight text, write notes)

Documents can be edited, linked to other items such as graphics, video, photo etc.

3. Easier to search & query given the right structure & interface

Formats:

(i) Document interchange formats (ODA - Office Document Architecture, CDA - Compound Document Architecture)

Adv:

Generate platform & application independent info

Keep format & styling

Support audio, graphics & video

Disadv:

Require expertise to use

Formats make users dependent on applications that can recognize the

encoding used

(ii) Document structure languages (SGML – Standard Generalized Markup Language)

Adv:

Allows creation of document type definition

Disadv:

Does not support non-text elements

Hypertext documents

Hypertext makes document based information more mobile.

Reasons for mobility of info:– Info in enterprise is located in server but distributed throughout

the organization– Split the large document into smaller pieces– Reuse document fragments for composing new documents

Active Documents

• Provide interactive interface • Allow business teams to develop & interchange information• Combine composition of info with the distributed nature of info• Allow users to create interfaces that are dynamically updated from

remote data & computation objects that may be stored in the document libraries on the n/w

• Examples:- OLE , CORBA

Digital copyrights

Copyright:-The legal right granted to an author, composer, publisher, or distributor to exclusive publication, production, sale, or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work. Abbreviated as (c) or ©.

Digital copyright wording in on-line database

Categories of permissions/conditions/terms• No downloading at all• No electronic storage• No copies or distribution, even internally• No copies or distribution to third parties• Specific limitations on various types of use (search results)

Enforcing digital copyrights using technology

• Controlling access to copyrighted works– Restrict access to the source of the work– Restrict manipulation of file containing work

• Controlling server accesscompletely uncontrolled accesspartially controlled accesscompletely controlled access

• Controlling document accessunique file formats/w to prevent viewing / use of work without authorization from info provider

access restriction thru encryption

• Controlling use of the work

hardware / software• Authenticating the work

Digital signature – the work being protected– the DS algo used– the key used

• Implementing electronic contracts (license)– Authorship, copyright ownership, date of creation, last modification,

terms, conditions– Customer should purchase a key

E-Commerce framework

Common business services infrastructure (security/authentication, electronic payment,

directories/catalogs)

The messaging & information distribution infrastructure

Multimedia content & network publishing infrastructure

The information superhighway infrastructure (telecom, cable TV, wireless, Internet)

Public policy legal & privacy

issues

Technical standards for electronic documents, multimedia

& n/w protocols

E-commerce applications

• Supply chain management• Video on demand• Procurement & purchasing• On-line marketing & advertising• Home shopping