Smart Contracts and International Trade: European Legal Strategies for Managing Challenges
Objective: the automation inherent in smart contracts makes them an attractive tool for global trade applications, especially for the automation of transactions. The prospects foreseeable will significantly impact international economic relations and the transformation of international trade rules....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Digital Technologies and Law |
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| Online Access: | https://www.lawjournal.digital/jour/article/view/311 |
| _version_ | 1797248775080640512 |
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| author | Th. D. Lamappulage Donn |
| author_facet | Th. D. Lamappulage Donn |
| author_sort | Th. D. Lamappulage Donn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: the automation inherent in smart contracts makes them an attractive tool for global trade applications, especially for the automation of transactions. The prospects foreseeable will significantly impact international economic relations and the transformation of international trade rules. This fact determines the study objective - to identify the possibilities of transforming the said rules and the political and legal strategies adopted by European countries to implement smart contracts in international trade.Methods: the study, devoted to the current international trade regulation in the context of contracts digitalization and spread of smart contracts, uses a combination of formal-legal and comparative-legal methods. They allow researching the international trade rules, analyzing and comparing the UK and the EU political and legal positions on the smart contracts introduction in international trade, as well as predicting the legal consequences of using smart contracts in international trade.Results: the research shows that the proliferation of smart contracts has significant implications for international trade and its regulation. Smart contracts have numerous advantages, such as increased efficiency, reduced costs, and wide availability. However, they may lead to legal challenges when harmonizing traditional legal principles with the digital environment, in particular concerning the authentication of subjects, enforceability under specific circumstances of a case, and jurisdictional issues.Scientific novelty: the current literature on the transformation of international trade regulation in the context of digitalization processes and the spread of smart contracts is complemented by the results of a comparative analysis of the legal positions existing in the European legal space and developed on the basis of problems, lessons and achievements in the smart contracts implementation in international trade.Practical significance: understanding the legal implications of smart contracts is important for businesses involved in international trade. The study provides insights into the UK and the EU legal positions from which guidance can be provided to companies navigating the digital landscape. Policymakers can also benefit from the findings when developing appropriate legal acts to balance the benefits of smart contracts with the need for legal certainty and protection in international trade. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:25:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cd2162e76ab0430181fe1e83dac8fdcf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2949-2483 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T20:19:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Digital Technologies and Law |
| spelling | doaj.art-cd2162e76ab0430181fe1e83dac8fdcf2024-03-22T10:07:20ZengKazan Innovative University named after V.G. TimiryasovJournal of Digital Technologies and Law2949-24832023-12-01141042105710.21202/jdtl.2023.4548Smart Contracts and International Trade: European Legal Strategies for Managing ChallengesTh. D. Lamappulage Donn0University of GreenwichObjective: the automation inherent in smart contracts makes them an attractive tool for global trade applications, especially for the automation of transactions. The prospects foreseeable will significantly impact international economic relations and the transformation of international trade rules. This fact determines the study objective - to identify the possibilities of transforming the said rules and the political and legal strategies adopted by European countries to implement smart contracts in international trade.Methods: the study, devoted to the current international trade regulation in the context of contracts digitalization and spread of smart contracts, uses a combination of formal-legal and comparative-legal methods. They allow researching the international trade rules, analyzing and comparing the UK and the EU political and legal positions on the smart contracts introduction in international trade, as well as predicting the legal consequences of using smart contracts in international trade.Results: the research shows that the proliferation of smart contracts has significant implications for international trade and its regulation. Smart contracts have numerous advantages, such as increased efficiency, reduced costs, and wide availability. However, they may lead to legal challenges when harmonizing traditional legal principles with the digital environment, in particular concerning the authentication of subjects, enforceability under specific circumstances of a case, and jurisdictional issues.Scientific novelty: the current literature on the transformation of international trade regulation in the context of digitalization processes and the spread of smart contracts is complemented by the results of a comparative analysis of the legal positions existing in the European legal space and developed on the basis of problems, lessons and achievements in the smart contracts implementation in international trade.Practical significance: understanding the legal implications of smart contracts is important for businesses involved in international trade. The study provides insights into the UK and the EU legal positions from which guidance can be provided to companies navigating the digital landscape. Policymakers can also benefit from the findings when developing appropriate legal acts to balance the benefits of smart contracts with the need for legal certainty and protection in international trade.https://www.lawjournal.digital/jour/article/view/311algorithmic codeblockchain technologycomputer softwaredigital agreementdigital technologiesdigitalizationelectronic forminternational tradelawsmart contract |
| spellingShingle | Th. D. Lamappulage Donn Smart Contracts and International Trade: European Legal Strategies for Managing Challenges Journal of Digital Technologies and Law algorithmic code blockchain technology computer software digital agreement digital technologies digitalization electronic form international trade law smart contract |
| title | Smart Contracts and International Trade: European Legal Strategies for Managing Challenges |
| title_full | Smart Contracts and International Trade: European Legal Strategies for Managing Challenges |
| title_fullStr | Smart Contracts and International Trade: European Legal Strategies for Managing Challenges |
| title_full_unstemmed | Smart Contracts and International Trade: European Legal Strategies for Managing Challenges |
| title_short | Smart Contracts and International Trade: European Legal Strategies for Managing Challenges |
| title_sort | smart contracts and international trade european legal strategies for managing challenges |
| topic | algorithmic code blockchain technology computer software digital agreement digital technologies digitalization electronic form international trade law smart contract |
| url | https://www.lawjournal.digital/jour/article/view/311 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT thdlamappulagedonn smartcontractsandinternationaltradeeuropeanlegalstrategiesformanagingchallenges |