Legal issues arising on the electronic highway

Abstract

This document describes legal problems and issues regarding the electronic highway in four countries: France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, in order to answer the following research questions for each of the surveyed countries: What legal problems (regarding certain areas) have been experienced because of the electronic highway, and by whom? If any initiatives have been taken or are being taken to address these problems, what are they and who has initated them? If the problems have been or are being resolved by legislation, what are its rationale, objective and main elements? If any legislative initiatives have been withdrawn, which and why? What are considered to be the most important legal obstacles for the development of the information society? This report seeks to answer these questions by giving an assessment of the current situation in the surveyed countries in terms of the electronic superhighway.