So, You Want to Have an E-Commerce Site?

Many businesses sell goods or book services online. Others promote themselves and connect with potential customers online, via a web site or social media.

All of these activities loosely fall into "e-commerce."

E-commerce businesses confront many of the same issues as a traditional "brick and mortar" business, but they also face legal issues specific to electronic transactions.

Ignoring e-commerce legal issues could result in financial liability, regulatory penalties, or infringement of company intellectual property.

Here are some issues to consider:

Company Name/Product Name/Domain Name: If your first choice of a domain name would require creative use of a hyphen, spelling, geographic tag, or a non-.com ending, you might have a trademark problem. You might not. Be very careful which site hosts your domain and where you search for availability. Some sites collect these searches and sell them, causing someone to snap up your name before you are ready to go. Trademarks are complex, with rights given by use, state governments or the federal government. Don't be afraid to consult legal help at this stage, as well as marketing help.

Works Made For Hire: Companies often assume if they pay for work to be done, they automatically own the work product.