International business law
Inhoud
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................11
Topic 1 – Actors and sources of international business law.................................................................11
1. What is IBL?..................................................................................................................................11
2. Who are the actors of IBL?...........................................................................................................11
3. Immunity of States.......................................................................................................................12
4. Who creates the norms of IBL?.....................................................................................................13
5. What is “Lex mercatoria”..............................................................................................................14
6. Why doesn’t international business enjoy the (regulatory) autonomy it does?...........................14
7. Conclusions...................................................................................................................................15
Topic 2 – Private international law: foundations..................................................................................15
1. What is private international law (PrIL)........................................................................................15
2. Sources of PrIL..............................................................................................................................15
3. Approaches to PrIL: European and American...............................................................................15
A. European approach v American approach...............................................................................15
B. Policy considerations................................................................................................................15
i. Public policy exception (ordre public)....................................................................................16
ii. Overriding mandatory law....................................................................................................16
iii. Fundamental freedoms........................................................................................................17
4. Issues of relevance to IBL:.............................................................................................................17
A. Contracts..................................................................................................................................17
B. Property....................................................................................................................................18
C. Torts.........................................................................................................................................19
5. Uniform law..................................................................................................................................19
7. Conclusions...................................................................................................................................20
Topic 3 – Sales......................................................................................................................................20
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................20
A. Fragmentation of Sales Law......................................................................................................20
B. Why International Sales Law?...................................................................................................21
2A. CISG............................................................................................................................................21
A. Context.....................................................................................................................................21
B. Material Scope of Application...................................................................................................22
i. Sale of goods..........................................................................................................................22
1
, ii. Excluded from CISG...............................................................................................................22
iii. Mixed contracts...................................................................................................................23
C. Territorial Scope of Application................................................................................................23
i. Direct application (voie directe).............................................................................................23
ii. Indirect application (voie indirecte)......................................................................................24
iii. Exception..............................................................................................................................25
D. Regulated matters....................................................................................................................25
E. Interpretation and Gap-Filling...................................................................................................26
i. Matter governed by CISG?.....................................................................................................26
ii. Principle of autonomous interpretation...............................................................................26
iii. Gap-filling.............................................................................................................................26
F. Opt-out and Derogation............................................................................................................27
G. General provisions....................................................................................................................27
i. Intepretation..........................................................................................................................27
ii. Usages and practices.............................................................................................................28
iii. No formal requirements.......................................................................................................28
H. Formation.................................................................................................................................28
i. Offer.......................................................................................................................................28
ii. Acceptance............................................................................................................................29
I. Standard Terms..........................................................................................................................29
J. Seller’s obligations.....................................................................................................................30
i. Delivery..................................................................................................................................30
ii. Conformity............................................................................................................................30
Conformity to the goods.......................................................................................................30
Fit for ordinary purposes......................................................................................................31
Different standards in different countries............................................................................31
Quality..................................................................................................................................32
iii. Passing of Risk......................................................................................................................32
Definition and relevance.......................................................................................................32
When?..................................................................................................................................33
iv. Conformity & Examination...................................................................................................33
Examination..........................................................................................................................33
Notice...................................................................................................................................34
v. Conformity & Validity............................................................................................................34
vi. Transfer of property.............................................................................................................34
K. Buyer’s Obligations...................................................................................................................35
2
, 3. Sales – Incoterms..........................................................................................................................36
A. General.....................................................................................................................................36
i. Rules for any mode of transport............................................................................................36
ii. Rules for sea and inland waterway transport.......................................................................37
B. Content.....................................................................................................................................37
4. Sales – Other Sales Terms.............................................................................................................37
2B. CISG............................................................................................................................................38
L. Remedies..................................................................................................................................38
i. General principles..................................................................................................................38
ii. Liability in case of performance entrusted to another..........................................................39
Chain model..........................................................................................................................39
Star model............................................................................................................................39
Complex model.....................................................................................................................39
iii. Hardship...............................................................................................................................40
iv. Specific performance...........................................................................................................40
v. Suspension............................................................................................................................41
vi. Avoidance.............................................................................................................................42
vii. Price reduction....................................................................................................................43
viii. Damages.............................................................................................................................43
General.................................................................................................................................43
Interest.................................................................................................................................44
M. Set-Off.....................................................................................................................................45
5. NY Limitation Convention.............................................................................................................45
6. International Sales Outside CISG..................................................................................................46
Topic 4 – General Contract Law............................................................................................................47
1. Conflict rules.................................................................................................................................47
A. Rome I......................................................................................................................................47
i. General..................................................................................................................................47
ii. Scope and connecting factor.................................................................................................47
iii. Consumer Contracts.............................................................................................................48
iv. Absence of choice of law......................................................................................................48
v. Applicable law to COL agreements........................................................................................49
vi. Specific issues on choice of law............................................................................................49
B. Other instruments....................................................................................................................50
2. EU law and contracts....................................................................................................................50
A. Case study: online platforms....................................................................................................50
3
, 3. UNIDROIT Principles for International Commercial contracts (UPICC).........................................56
A. General.....................................................................................................................................56
B. Interpretation and gap filling....................................................................................................57
C. Judicial acts...............................................................................................................................57
D. Precontractual stage................................................................................................................58
E. Formation.................................................................................................................................58
F. Authority of agents...................................................................................................................58
G. Validity.....................................................................................................................................59
i. Negative reflex effect.............................................................................................................59
ii. 4 grounds..............................................................................................................................59
iii. Exercise of the right.............................................................................................................60
H. Substantive validity..................................................................................................................60
I. Contents of contracts in general................................................................................................60
J. Modalities of performance........................................................................................................60
K. Non-performance.....................................................................................................................61
i. Overview of remedies............................................................................................................61
Overview of remedies for non-performance........................................................................61
General principles.................................................................................................................61
Distinction: type of non-performance..................................................................................61
ii. Withholding performance.....................................................................................................62
iii. Specific performance...........................................................................................................62
iv. Termination..........................................................................................................................62
v. Damages...............................................................................................................................63
L. Set-off.......................................................................................................................................63
M. Limitation of actions................................................................................................................63
Topic 5 – Distribution...........................................................................................................................64
1. Distribution in general..................................................................................................................64
A. Why distribution agreements?.................................................................................................64
B. Forms of distribution................................................................................................................64
C. Legal framework.......................................................................................................................65
2. Distributorship..............................................................................................................................65
A. General characteristics.............................................................................................................65
B. Drafting a distributorship agreement.......................................................................................66
C. Legal framework.......................................................................................................................66
i. General framework................................................................................................................66
ii. Belgium.................................................................................................................................67
4
Inhoud
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................11
Topic 1 – Actors and sources of international business law.................................................................11
1. What is IBL?..................................................................................................................................11
2. Who are the actors of IBL?...........................................................................................................11
3. Immunity of States.......................................................................................................................12
4. Who creates the norms of IBL?.....................................................................................................13
5. What is “Lex mercatoria”..............................................................................................................14
6. Why doesn’t international business enjoy the (regulatory) autonomy it does?...........................14
7. Conclusions...................................................................................................................................15
Topic 2 – Private international law: foundations..................................................................................15
1. What is private international law (PrIL)........................................................................................15
2. Sources of PrIL..............................................................................................................................15
3. Approaches to PrIL: European and American...............................................................................15
A. European approach v American approach...............................................................................15
B. Policy considerations................................................................................................................15
i. Public policy exception (ordre public)....................................................................................16
ii. Overriding mandatory law....................................................................................................16
iii. Fundamental freedoms........................................................................................................17
4. Issues of relevance to IBL:.............................................................................................................17
A. Contracts..................................................................................................................................17
B. Property....................................................................................................................................18
C. Torts.........................................................................................................................................19
5. Uniform law..................................................................................................................................19
7. Conclusions...................................................................................................................................20
Topic 3 – Sales......................................................................................................................................20
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................20
A. Fragmentation of Sales Law......................................................................................................20
B. Why International Sales Law?...................................................................................................21
2A. CISG............................................................................................................................................21
A. Context.....................................................................................................................................21
B. Material Scope of Application...................................................................................................22
i. Sale of goods..........................................................................................................................22
1
, ii. Excluded from CISG...............................................................................................................22
iii. Mixed contracts...................................................................................................................23
C. Territorial Scope of Application................................................................................................23
i. Direct application (voie directe).............................................................................................23
ii. Indirect application (voie indirecte)......................................................................................24
iii. Exception..............................................................................................................................25
D. Regulated matters....................................................................................................................25
E. Interpretation and Gap-Filling...................................................................................................26
i. Matter governed by CISG?.....................................................................................................26
ii. Principle of autonomous interpretation...............................................................................26
iii. Gap-filling.............................................................................................................................26
F. Opt-out and Derogation............................................................................................................27
G. General provisions....................................................................................................................27
i. Intepretation..........................................................................................................................27
ii. Usages and practices.............................................................................................................28
iii. No formal requirements.......................................................................................................28
H. Formation.................................................................................................................................28
i. Offer.......................................................................................................................................28
ii. Acceptance............................................................................................................................29
I. Standard Terms..........................................................................................................................29
J. Seller’s obligations.....................................................................................................................30
i. Delivery..................................................................................................................................30
ii. Conformity............................................................................................................................30
Conformity to the goods.......................................................................................................30
Fit for ordinary purposes......................................................................................................31
Different standards in different countries............................................................................31
Quality..................................................................................................................................32
iii. Passing of Risk......................................................................................................................32
Definition and relevance.......................................................................................................32
When?..................................................................................................................................33
iv. Conformity & Examination...................................................................................................33
Examination..........................................................................................................................33
Notice...................................................................................................................................34
v. Conformity & Validity............................................................................................................34
vi. Transfer of property.............................................................................................................34
K. Buyer’s Obligations...................................................................................................................35
2
, 3. Sales – Incoterms..........................................................................................................................36
A. General.....................................................................................................................................36
i. Rules for any mode of transport............................................................................................36
ii. Rules for sea and inland waterway transport.......................................................................37
B. Content.....................................................................................................................................37
4. Sales – Other Sales Terms.............................................................................................................37
2B. CISG............................................................................................................................................38
L. Remedies..................................................................................................................................38
i. General principles..................................................................................................................38
ii. Liability in case of performance entrusted to another..........................................................39
Chain model..........................................................................................................................39
Star model............................................................................................................................39
Complex model.....................................................................................................................39
iii. Hardship...............................................................................................................................40
iv. Specific performance...........................................................................................................40
v. Suspension............................................................................................................................41
vi. Avoidance.............................................................................................................................42
vii. Price reduction....................................................................................................................43
viii. Damages.............................................................................................................................43
General.................................................................................................................................43
Interest.................................................................................................................................44
M. Set-Off.....................................................................................................................................45
5. NY Limitation Convention.............................................................................................................45
6. International Sales Outside CISG..................................................................................................46
Topic 4 – General Contract Law............................................................................................................47
1. Conflict rules.................................................................................................................................47
A. Rome I......................................................................................................................................47
i. General..................................................................................................................................47
ii. Scope and connecting factor.................................................................................................47
iii. Consumer Contracts.............................................................................................................48
iv. Absence of choice of law......................................................................................................48
v. Applicable law to COL agreements........................................................................................49
vi. Specific issues on choice of law............................................................................................49
B. Other instruments....................................................................................................................50
2. EU law and contracts....................................................................................................................50
A. Case study: online platforms....................................................................................................50
3
, 3. UNIDROIT Principles for International Commercial contracts (UPICC).........................................56
A. General.....................................................................................................................................56
B. Interpretation and gap filling....................................................................................................57
C. Judicial acts...............................................................................................................................57
D. Precontractual stage................................................................................................................58
E. Formation.................................................................................................................................58
F. Authority of agents...................................................................................................................58
G. Validity.....................................................................................................................................59
i. Negative reflex effect.............................................................................................................59
ii. 4 grounds..............................................................................................................................59
iii. Exercise of the right.............................................................................................................60
H. Substantive validity..................................................................................................................60
I. Contents of contracts in general................................................................................................60
J. Modalities of performance........................................................................................................60
K. Non-performance.....................................................................................................................61
i. Overview of remedies............................................................................................................61
Overview of remedies for non-performance........................................................................61
General principles.................................................................................................................61
Distinction: type of non-performance..................................................................................61
ii. Withholding performance.....................................................................................................62
iii. Specific performance...........................................................................................................62
iv. Termination..........................................................................................................................62
v. Damages...............................................................................................................................63
L. Set-off.......................................................................................................................................63
M. Limitation of actions................................................................................................................63
Topic 5 – Distribution...........................................................................................................................64
1. Distribution in general..................................................................................................................64
A. Why distribution agreements?.................................................................................................64
B. Forms of distribution................................................................................................................64
C. Legal framework.......................................................................................................................65
2. Distributorship..............................................................................................................................65
A. General characteristics.............................................................................................................65
B. Drafting a distributorship agreement.......................................................................................66
C. Legal framework.......................................................................................................................66
i. General framework................................................................................................................66
ii. Belgium.................................................................................................................................67
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