Can agents close contracts
Frances M.T. Brazier, A. Oskamp, Maurice H.M. Schellekens, N.J.E. Wijngaards · Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) · 2003
One of the tasks of software agents on the Internet will be to close contracts on behalf of their owner.The closing of a contract is subject to liabilities.In this, there is no distinction between the real world and the virtual world.Like in the real world, within the virtual world a distinction has to be made between the precontractual phase and the contractual phase.The liabilities in these phases are different.Therefore negotiation protocols for agents need to distinguish between these phases and different responsibilities may exist in the different phases.This paper presents some of the issues involved, viewed from a technical and legal perspective.