Websites: Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues

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Let's take a closer look through a discussion of the general ethical, legal and regulatory issues and then link to specific information for each of the three websites, which you can draw on for your final copy.

1. Please describe the legal, ethical, and regulatory issues that the three following Web sites must address.

In general, e-commerce and entertainment websites need to follow the following legal, ethical and regulatory issues. The ones that apply directly to the website is looked at following.

Legal, ethical and regulatory issues

There are many legal and web site regulatory issues involved. Electronic copyright, e-commerce, credit/cash policies, international trade, tariffs, privacy, digital media offers, and security are a few of the items to be considered.

· Copyright Infringement (legal issue)

Watch out for this particular crime of sites that copy your website text (legal issues) or name while trying to pawn off some other item they are selling (as though you are endorsing it - NOT) See: copyright law "Digital Millennium Copyright Act"
See: Business ethics manual procedures & standards for ethics compliance in e-business from: Center for Virtual Organization and Commerce @ LSU, "Business-to-Business Ecommerce, Supply Chain Management" B2B Challenges

· Email Marketing (legally regulated: privacy and security issues)

Email has a number of regulations implemented by the US government. Email marketing (opt-in Vs. opt-out, Vs. double opt-in) View IAB, Interactive Advertising Bureau Standards and Guidelines - eMail Guidelines. Share your comments at unsolicited b2b and b2c emails "The Email Junk Mail Trash Heap" Pop up ads, email, instant messengers, consumer privacy information, and online security threats. Ads that make you double click at a wrong location and the very click installs some sort of adware, spyware, or malware on your computer. See: "CPACSA" [Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act]

· Consumers Survey Scams And Hoaxes

This is one to watch out for closely! Beware Phone "Survey" Scams, "Charity" Appeals for Chainmail, online security, and spam. Another area that can be a real pain, is "The Never-Ending Hoax Viruses". See: http://www.sans.org/rr for other articles related to consumer security.

· Other Website Issues

Unethical redirects to other pages with completely different information than what was shown in the search results. For an example (*note: site may no longer be available. *** Warning See: webmasters guidelines) of this type of spamming ethical issues in B2C website: do a search for ethical and legal issues on a B2B vs. B2C website. One of the top results is/was an example ...