International contracting : law and practice

List of Tables . . xvii
List of Exhibits . . xix
Preface to Third Edition . . xxi
Preface to Second Edition . . xxiii
Preface to First Edition . . xxv

CHAPTER 1 - Introduction to International Contracting . . 1

CHAPTER 2 - Principles of Contract Drafting . . 9
§2.01 A Note on International Negotiations . . 10
§2.02 Principles of International Contract Law . . 13
§2.03 The Bernina Case . . 15
§2.04 The Limitations of Language . . 17
§2.05 Generic Contract: Checklist . . 18
§2.06 Reasonable Person Theory of Contract Writing . . 29
§2.07 Interpreting Contracts: Fabricating the Reasonable Person . . 30
§2.08 Standard Form Contracts . . 35
§2.09 How Do Lawyers Begin Drafting a Contract? . . 37
§2.10 Model Forms . . 38
§2.11 Selecting the Right Form . . 40
§2.12 Structure of Agreement . . 42
§2.13 Creating a Contract Review Checklist . . 43
§2.14 Outsourcing of Legal Work . . 47
§2.15 Using Information Technology in Contract Drafting . . 48
§2.16 The Problem with Metadata . . 49
§2.17 Proactive Contracting . . 50
§2.18 Long-Term, Complex, Joint Venture, and Alliance Contracts . . 52
§2.19 Contract Design . . 52
§2.20 Transactional Lawyer's Role . . 54
§2.21 Risk and Uncertainty . . 54
§2.22 General References: Contract Drafting . . 57
§2.23 Strategic Contracting: References . . 58
§2.24 Government Procurement References . . 58

CHAPTER 3 - Common International Contract Clauses . . 59
§3.01 Preamble . . 60
§3.02 Definitions . . 60
§3.03 Contract Price . . 61
§3.04 Taxes Term . . 61
§3.05 Delivery Term . . 62
§3.06 Payment Term . . 64
§3.07 Merger or Final Integration Clause . . 64
§3.08 Modification or Change Clause: Writing Requirement . . 66
§3.09 Modification or Change Clause: Substance . . 67
§3.10 Choice of Law Clause . . 68
§3.11 Judicial Abrogation of Choice of Law . . 68
§3.12 Excluding Forum or Choice of Law: States' Conflict of Law Rules . . 70
§3.13 Dispute Resolution Clauses . . 71
§3.14 Arbitration and Mediation Clauses . . 73
§3.15 Standard Arbitration Clauses . . 75
§3.16 Conciliation and Mediation . . 78
§3.17 International Bar Association Guideline:for Drafting International Arbitration Clause . . 85
§3.18 Legality of Arbitration and Forum Selection Clauses . . 87
§3.19 Force Majeure Clause . . 89
§3.20 Just-In-Time Contracting . . 95
§3.21 Force Majeuire and Hardship Clauses . . 95
§3.22 Handcuffs Clause . . 99
§3.23 Termination Clause . . 99
§3.24 Liquidated Damages Clause . . 100
§3.25 Warranty Provision . . 102
§3.26 Operative Clauses in Sales Contracts . . 104

CHAPTER 4 - The Documentary Transaction . . 109
§4.01 Key Points in Documentary Collections (Without Letter of Credit) . . 110
§4.02 The Sales Contract and Documentary Transaction . . 112
§4.03 List of Export Documents . . 113
§4.04 Bills of Lading . . 115
§4.05 Issues Pertaining to Bills of Lading . . 117
§4.06 Air Waybill of Lading . . 121
§4.07 Letters of Credit . . 122
§4.08 Dispute Resolution Clause . . 130
§4.09 Guarantees of Performance . . 130
§4.10 Export License . . 134
§4.11 Foreign Import Restrictions and Requirements . . 139
§4.12 Assessment of Import Duties . . 140
§4.13 Trade Liberalization . . 143

CHAPTER 5 - National Laws Affecting International Contracts . . 147
§5.01 Negotiating an International Contract . . 147
§5.02 Pre-contractual Liability . . 149
§5.03 Common Law . . 150
§5.04 Civil Law . . 151
§5.05 Informal Writings . . 153
§5.06 Convergence and Divergence of National Laws . . 156
§5.07 National Contract Codes and Restatements of Law . . 159
§5.08 Russian Civil Code . . 159
§5.09 Contract Law of the People's Republic of China . . 165
§5.10 Chinese Contract Law: A Closer Look . . 167
§5.11 Summary of Selected Provisions of the Contract Law of China . . 168
§5.12 Standard Terms or General Conditions: PECL and German BGB . . 173
§5.13 Principles of European Contract Law . . 173
§5.14 Standard Terms Mandated by Law . . 175
§5.15 German Standard Provisions Law . . 176
§5.16 Conflict of Law Rules . . 179
§5.17 Issue Specific Regulations: Marking and Standards . . 180
§5.18 European Union: Products Liability and Unfair Practices Directives . . 182
§5.19 Anti-bribery Laws . . 182

CHAPTER 6 - International Sales Contract . . 185
§6.01 The Export-Import Contract . . 185
§6.02 Model International Sales Contract . . 186
§6.03 Menu of Terms for an International Sales Contract . . 189
§6.04 Selecting a Trade Term . . 193
§6.05 General Conditions (Standard Terms) . . 201
§6.06 Unfair Contract Terms . . 210
§6.07 Securing Payment . . 211
§6.08 Product Liability . . 211
§6.09 Limitation Period . . 212
§6.10 UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts . . 214
§6.11 Principles of European Contract Law . . 218
§6.12 EU Consumer Sales Directive . . 223
§6.13 Common European Sales Law . . 224
§6.14 Countertrade . . 224
§6.15 UNCITRAL Countertrade Guide . . 230

CHAPTER 7 - International Sales Law: Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods . . 231
§7.01 International Sales Law . . 231
§7.02 Choice of Law and Conflict of Laws . . 232
§7.03 Seller versus Buyer: ICC Case No. 5713 of 1989 . . 232
§7.04 Choice of Law under the CISC . . 236
§7.05 Sale of Goods Defined . . 236
§7.06 The Parol Evidence Rule and the CISC . . 237
§7.07 Issues of Contract Law: CISC and Uniform Commercial Code . . 240
§7.08 Mechanics of Formation . . 245
§7.09 General Conditions and Standard Terms . . 247
§7.10 Written Confirmation . . 249
§7.11 Firm Offer Rule . . 250
§7.12 Battle of Forms . . 250
§7.13 Contract Interpretation . . 254
§7.14 The Importance of the Frigaliment Case . . 255
§7.15 Warranty Law . . 257
§7.16 Disclaimer of Warranty . . 258
§7.17 Buyer's Duty to Inspect, Give Timely and Proper Notice . . 259
§7.18 Nachfrist Notice . . 260
§7.19 Nachfrist Case Study . . 260
§7.20 Seller's Right to Cure . . 261
§7.21 Anticipatory Breach and Adequate Assurance . . 262
§7.22 Damages . . 262
§7.23 Contractual Excuses . . 264
§7.24 Excuse of Frustration . . 265
§7.25 Summary . . 266
§7.26 Opting Out of the CISC . . 268

CHAPTER 8 - General Principles of Service Contracting . . 271
§8.01 Sale of Services . . 271
§8.02 The Employment Relationship . . 272
§8.03 The Independent Contractor Contract . . 275
§8.04 Commercial Agency Contracts: The Foreign Sales Representative . . 275
§8.05 Consulting and Services Contracts . . 280
§8.06 Consulting Agreement .. 283
§8.07 Simple Consulting or Retainer Agreement . . 287
§8.08 Government Regulation of Agency Relationship . . 288
§8.09 More on EU Agency Law . . 289
§8.10 Service Contract: Standard Terms . . 290
§8.11 Best Practices . . 296
§8.12 Logistical Services . . 297
§8.13 Carriage of Goods Contracts . . 297
§8.14 Law of Freight Forwarding . . 299
§8.15 Risk Insurance . . 300
§8.16 Transit Insurance . . 301
§8.17 Liberalization of Trade in Services . . 304
§8.18 Internationalization of Accounting and Taxation . . 304
§8.19 Advertising Law . . 306
§8.20 Comparative Advertising . . 307
§8.21 Professional Standards of International Advertising . . 308

CHAPTER 9 - Distribution Agreements . . 311
§9.01 The Distribution Agreement . . 311
§9.02 Framework for Drafting Distribution Agreement . . 317
§9.03 General Terms . . 329
§9.04 Host Country Restrictions . . 330

CHAPTER 10 - Intellectual Property Licensing . . 333
§10.01 International Conventions . . 333
§10.02 National Intellectual Property Law . . 335
§10.03 Protecting Your Product from IPR Infringement . . 337
§10.04 Revision of Russian Intelletual Property Law . . 340
§10.05 Business Method and Software Patents . . 340
§10.06 Technology Licensing . . 341
§10.07 Licensing in Germany . . 342
§10.08 Extraterritorial Application of United States Law . . 344
§10.09 The Gray Market . . 345
§10.10 Foreign Transfer Restrictions . . 347
§10.11 European Union Regulations . . 347
§10.12 Regulations of the People's Republic of China . . 349
§10.13 Chinese Technology Contract Law . . 350
§10.14 Due Diligence . . 351
§10.15 Important Contractual Provisions . . 354
§10.16 Grant Clause and Liability Limitation Clauses . . 355
§10.17 Choice of Law Clause . . 356
§10.18 Generic Transfer Clauses . . 357
§10.19 Software Contracts . . 367
§10.20 Foreign Registration and Approval . . 368

CHAPTER 11 - Joint Venture and Franchise Contracts . . 369
§11.01 Due Diligence . . 370
§11.02 Defining Joint Venture . . 371
§11.03 Selecting the Organizational Entity . . 372
§11.04 Key Joint Venture Negotiation Issues . . 373
§11.05 Generic Joint Venture Provisions . . 376
§11.06 Formation of Joint Ventures . . 376
§11.07 Purpose and Scope of Joint Venture . . 376
§11.08 Purchase Price . . 377
§11.09 Required Capital Contributions and Subsequent Funding . . 377
§11.10 Mutual Representations and Warranties . . 377
§11.11 Conditions to Closing . . 377
§11.12 Covenants . . 378
§11.13 Indemnification Provisions . . 378
§11.14 Termination . . 378
§11.15 Dispute Resolution . . 378
§11.16 Transfer of Joht Venture Interests . . 378
§11.17 Restrictive Covenants . . 379
§11.18 Miscellaneous Issues . . 379
§11.19 Exit Strategies for International Joint Ventures . . 379
§11.20 Ancillary Agreements and Documentation . . 383
§11.21 Strategic Contracts: Joint Ventures and Global Alliances . . 384
§11.22 Foreign Government Regulation . . 385
§11.23 People's Republic of China . . 385
§11.24 People's Republic of China Commercial Joint Venture Laws . . 385
§11.25 Franchising . . 389
§11.26 United States Franchise Law and the Franchise Agreement . . 389
§11.27 International Franchising . . 394
§11.28 UNIDROIT Guide to International Master Franchising . . 396
§11.29 EU Franchise Regulations . . 396
§11.30 Franchise Law of China . . 398

CHAPTER 12 - Confidentiality and Non-disclosure Agreements . . 401
§12.01 Introduction . . 401
§12.02 Unilateral versus Reciprocal Non-disclosure Agreements . . 402
§12.03 Specification of Uses of Information and Parties Gaining Access . . 402
§12.04 Agreement to Share Information . . 404
§12.05 Consultant Confidentiality Agreement . . 405
§12.06 Model Confidentiality Agreements . . 406
§12.07 Covenants Not-to-Compete . . 407

CHAPTER 13 - Electronic Contracting . . 413
§13.01 UNCITRAL's Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts . . 414
§13.02 EU Data Transfer Agreement . . 414
§13.03 National Contract Laws and E-Commerce . . 418
§13.04 E-Contracting and Standard Terms . . 421
§13.05 Electronic Data Interchange . . 422
§13.06 Electronic Commerce . . 422
§13.07 UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce . . 427
§13.08 United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts . . 430
§13.09 Domain Names and Trademark Infringement . . 432
§13.10 Personal Jurisdiction . . 433
§13.11 The 'Shrink-Wrap' Contract . . 434
§13.12 Electronic Documentation . . 436
§13.13 The New Electronic Services Industry . . 437
§13.14 E-Commerce Ethics . . 438
§13.15 General References: Electronic Contracting . . 438

APPENDIX 1 - General Sources . . 439
APPENDIX 2 - United Nations Convention on Contractsfor the International Sale of Goods (1980) . . 443
APPENDIX 3 - United Nations Convention on the Limitation Period in the International Sale of Goods . . 467
APPENDIX 4 - UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts . . 475
APPENDIX 5 - The Principles of European Contract Law (1998) . . 501
APPENDIX 6 - Common European Sales Law (Proposed) . . 533
APPENDIX 7 - Contract Law of the People's Republic of China (Excerpts) . . 617
Index . . 641