This book is the first comprehensive study on the legal aspects of trustmarks: labels or visual representations indicating that a product, process, or service conforms to specific quality characteristics.

Trustmark Organisations (TMOs) are independent parties which provide e-merchants with such trustmarks. Security, privacy, and business practice are three areas in which trustmarks play an important role. TMOs will issue a trustmark to e-merchants only if they have demonstrated that they conform to the policy of TMOs regarding security and/or privacy and/or business practice. E-merchants hope that, by displaying the trustmark on their websites, e-consumers will trust their certified practice and be more likely to divulge their personal data and transact with them. Past research has focused on the economic aspects of trustmarks. However, there are no legal studies to be found on the matter.

This book aims to fill that gap. It describes the pros and cons of trustmarks for e-economy, e-society and e-policy, assesses TMOs’ practice, and focuses on TMOs’ liability. The book is valuable reading for academics and practitioners in the IT and ICT field and for all those involved in e-commerce both at a European and global level.

Dr Paolo Balboni is currently an Associate at Baker & McKenzie, IT/Communications and Intellectual Property Department, in the Milan office in Italy. He is also a Research Associate at Tilburg University, both at the Tilburg Institute for Law Technology, and Society TILT and at the Tilburg Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies and Conflict Resolution Systems TISCO.

This is Volume 17 in the Information Technology and Law (IT&Law) Series