Digital products as Goods in International Sales Law

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 MA. in Private Law, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Digital products have been the subject of international trade over the recent decades. Due to such economic significance, the place of such new comer economic phenomenon in international sales law documents is becoming much more colorful for legal discussion, Nevertheless, the debate over the 1980 Vienna Convention which deals only with goods, has not been updated. The main question of this paper is what components of the term 'goods' under the Vienna Convention of 1980 and what attitude can be considered in digital content. The paper has tried to show how the word 'goods' has been used in European directives. In this regard, some of these recently adopted directives, such as the (Directive-SGD-2019), have been slightly softened and they have somehow treated digital products as goods. By employing these documents, finally, the present work answers its main problematic question about the CISG. Given the preamble to the convention and general principles of it, such as its international character, it can be said that this convention has confirmed contemporary custom of international trade, not just a historical usage of the pre1980s. Therefore, noting the possibility of physical reception through Articles 30, 53 and 60 of the Convention, those all refer to the ability of physical possess, it seems that the word 'goods' in the Convention remains on its own literal meaning. And the outgoing perception from mentioned articles will be the status of physical possession at the time of delivery of goods, as a condition in most digital products.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Comparative Law Review
Volume 13, Issue 1
Spring & Summer 2022
June 2022
Pages 165-184

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