y of their information during their purchase transaction. Most websites contain messages to consumers regarding the safety of their transaction online. Companies generally use what’s called a “firewall” between local area networks to provide security to their consumers (Alschuler, Grossman, Stein, & Kahan). Jurisdiction on the World Wide Web Another major issue that a marketer must focus on when dealing with the Internet is jurisdiction. A marketer must understand the international nature of the Internet, and know that its path may not only lie within the United States. Due to the fact that many laws over the Internet are not grounded or unresolved, it can leave the marketer in a very difficult and long law battle. There are seven main Cyberlaws to date that have been created: “jurisdiction and related issues; freedom of expression; intellectual property; privacy protection; safety concerns; equal access, and electronic commerce” (UCLA Online Institute). Marketers can first protect themselves by not committing a crime such as defamation, harassment, or use copyrighted material. The issue still remains not so much in who committed the crime but in what jurisdiction is it considered a crime in. For example, pornography although not always greatly admired in the United States still falls under the freedom of speech amendment and is therefore legal. The same site however can be viewed in Pakistan, a strict muslim culture, where it is illegal. Does Pakistan have the right to sue the person responsible for the web site hosted in the United States? Even though cases of unlawful websites have occurred, and verdicts reached, courts are still battling out these issues. According to Internet Marketing: “even in the face of world wide exposure, some U.S. advertisers and marketers choose simply to ignore foreign laws, and take the ill-advised position that if the advertising has been cleared in the U.S., then it w...
