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With increasing use and reliance on electronic means in international trade, the field of e-commerce is getting more and more important and nobody can deny that the use of electronic means plays a key role in an efficient worldwide growing field of international commerce. The rapid development of new technologies makes it difficult to keep pace and the number of international e-contracts increases constantly. This poses a challenge to lawyers and legislators around the world, as the field of e-commerce in international trade law has so far not been in the focus of the general public. This dissertation presents and analyzes the UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communication in International Contracts 2005, being - apart from the CISG as the most adopted Convention when it comes to international trade - the only binding Convention in terms of international e- commerce. A comparison of both Conventions demonstrates their advantages, disadvantages, as well as their importance and impact on global e-commerce.

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Roksana J. Malek studied law at the University of Mannheim and the Goethe University in Frankfurt. She completed a LL.M. Master program at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in 2007 with an emphasis on International Commercial Law. After having worked for a renowned media company, she is now practicing as a lawyer in Munich.

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