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Information technology, especially the electronic network known as the World Wide Web, is changing the way that businesses and consumers interact. This expansive electronic network allows both businesses and consumers to transcend global barriers, gaining access to products and information in ways that were once unimaginable. However, travelling outside the realm of the terrestrial marketplace with its commercial and geographic restraints can also mean moving in an unpredictable environment without the security that traditional marketplace practices and consumer protection laws provide.
In March 1997, the OECD Committee on Consumer Policy, along with the OECD Committee on Information, Computer and Communications Policy convened an international gathering of information technology policy experts, consumer advocates, business and government representatives. This report, based on this diverse gathering, examines ways to protect and empower consumers to make informed choices in this expanding global online marketplace.
The Guidelines for Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce are designed to help ensure that consumers are no less protected when shopping on line than they are when they buy from their local store or order from a catalogue. By setting out the core characteristics of effective consumer protection for online business-to-consumer transactions, the Guidelines are intended to help eliminate some of the uncertainties that both consumers and businesses encounter when buying and selling on line. The Guidelines reflect existing legal protections available to consumers in more traditional forms of commerce. Their aim is to encourage: - fair business, advertising and marketing practices; - clear information about an online business’s identity, the goods or services it offers and the terms and conditions of any transaction; - a transparent process for the confirmation of transactions; - secure payment mechanisms; - fair, timely and affordable dispute resolution and redress; - privacy protection; and - consumer and business education.
Genetic tests are being developed at an impressive rate and a significant number has already reached the market. Substantial involvement of the private sector has led to unprecedented growth in commercial genetic testing services and in trade of such services. This trend is expected to increase as knowledge gained from the mapping of the human genome and of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is applied to the identification of disease-causing genes and of inherited differences in drug response. The potential socio-economic and ethical impacts are staggering. This report provides a state-of-the art review of advances in genetic testing and of main international policy concerns drawing from the OECD workshop on "Genetic Testing: Policy Issues for the New Millennium", held in Vienna on 23-25 February 2000.
The Guidelines for Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce are designed to help ensure that consumers are no less protected when shopping on line than they are when they buy from their local store or order from a catalogue. By setting out the core characteristics of effective consumer protection for online business-to-consumer transactions, the Guidelines are intended to help eliminate some of the uncertainties that both consumers and businesses encounter when buying and selling on line. The Guidelines reflect existing legal protections available to consumers in more traditional forms of commerce. Their aim is to encourage: - fair business, advertising and marketing practices; - clear information about an online business’s identity, the goods or services it offers and the terms and conditions of any transaction; - a transparent process for the confirmation of transactions; - secure payment mechanisms; - fair, timely and affordable dispute resolution and redress; - privacy protection; and - consumer and business education.
The Guidelines for Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce are designed to help ensure that consumers are no less protected when shopping on line than they are when they buy from their local store or order from a catalogue. By setting out the core characteristics of effective consumer protection for online business-to-consumer transactions, the Guidelines are intended to help eliminate some of the uncertainties that both consumers and businesses encounter when buying and selling on line. The Guidelines reflect existing legal protections available to consumers in more traditional forms of commerce. Their aim is to encourage: - fair business, advertising and marketing practices; - clear information about an online business’s identity, the goods or services it offers and the terms and conditions of any transaction; - a transparent process for the confirmation of transactions; - secure payment mechanisms; - fair, timely and affordable dispute resolution and redress; - privacy protection; and - consumer and business education.
The Guidelines for Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce are designed to help ensure that consumers are no less protected when shopping on line than they are when they buy from their local store or order from a catalogue. By setting out the core characteristics of effective consumer protection for online business-to-consumer transactions, the Guidelines are intended to help eliminate some of the uncertainties that both consumers and businesses encounter when buying and selling on line. The Guidelines reflect existing legal protections available to consumers in more traditional forms of commerce. Their aim is to encourage: - fair business, advertising and marketing practices; - clear information about an online business’s identity, the goods or services it offers and the terms and conditions of any transaction; - a transparent process for the confirmation of transactions; - secure payment mechanisms; - fair, timely and affordable dispute resolution and redress; - privacy protection; and - consumer and business education.
The Guidelines for Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce are designed to help ensure that consumers are no less protected when shopping on line than they are when they buy from their local store or order from a catalogue. By setting out the core characteristics of effective consumer protection for online business-to-consumer transactions, the Guidelines are intended to help eliminate some of the uncertainties that both consumers and businesses encounter when buying and selling on line. The Guidelines reflect existing legal protections available to consumers in more traditional forms of commerce. Their aim is to encourage: - fair business, advertising and marketing practices; - clear information about an online business’s identity, the goods or services it offers and the terms and conditions of any transaction; - a transparent process for the confirmation of transactions; - secure payment mechanisms; - fair, timely and affordable dispute resolution and redress; - privacy protection; and - consumer and business education.
The Guidelines for Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce are designed to help ensure that consumers are no less protected when shopping on line than they are when they buy from their local store or order from a catalogue. By setting out the core characteristics of effective consumer protection for online business-to-consumer transactions, the Guidelines are intended to help eliminate some of the uncertainties that both consumers and businesses encounter when buying and selling on line. The Guidelines reflect existing legal protections available to consumers in more traditional forms of commerce. Their aim is to encourage: - fair business, advertising and marketing practices; - clear information about an online business’s identity, the goods or services it offers and the terms and conditions of any transaction; - a transparent process for the confirmation of transactions; - secure payment mechanisms; - fair, timely and affordable dispute resolution and redress; - privacy protection; and - consumer and business education.
The Guidelines for Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce are designed to help ensure that consumers are no less protected when shopping on line than they are when they buy from their local store or order from a catalogue. By setting out the core characteristics of effective consumer protection for online business-to-consumer transactions, the Guidelines are intended to help eliminate some of the uncertainties that both consumers and businesses encounter when buying and selling on line. The Guidelines reflect existing legal protections available to consumers in more traditional forms of commerce. Their aim is to encourage: - fair business, advertising and marketing practices; - clear information about an online business’s identity, the goods or services it offers and the terms and conditions of any transaction; - a transparent process for the confirmation of transactions; - secure payment mechanisms; - fair, timely and affordable dispute resolution and redress; - privacy protection; and - consumer and business education.
Few topics in the life sciences today provoke as much debate as the availability of patent protection on "genetic inventions". Some hold that protection is essential to encourage innovation and development of new products. Others argue that patents restrict access to the very innovations they are intended to promote. Yet others object to property rights at all for our genetic blueprint. This report presents the findings of an OECD Workshop held in Berlin to establish the impact of patents and licensing on development and access to genetic technology. The workshop drew on empirical studies and concluded that despite sometimes controversial licensing practices the patent system has broadly achieved what is intended. The report provides recommendations to policy makers for improving the functioning of the licensing system.
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This report deals with public sector research. It provides a comprehensive review of the challenges that call for changes in the governance of OECD countries’ science systems. It highlights emerging policy responses developed in these countries indicating better practices to deal with the challenges, and draws policy lessons that can inspire the reform process. Supporting chapters provide detailed descriptions and analyses of the structures of science systems, the procedures for priority setting, the changes to funding, and the management of human resources in R&D.
Stimulating innovation is key for achieving sustainable economic growth. Recently, however, prevailing practices and institutions of innovation governance have come under pressure. This publication examines the sources of these pressures, and provides lessons on how governments can adapt their governance practices to achieve better coherence and co-ordination of policies to promote innovation. The changes under way point to the emergence of a "third generation" of innovation policy: a broadly based, strategic policy area, crossing traditional ministerial boundaries.
This book presents case studies of governance of innovation policy in selected OECD countries. It reviews the ongoing changes in these countries with a focus on providing an analysis of governance challenges, institutional changes and policy learning practices. The book provides fresh insight into the emerging third-generation of innovation policy and how governments strive for making innovation policy more coherent.
This book provides lessons from case studies in policy governance for the information society and sustainable development. It highlights important lessons from these policy areas for the governance of innovation policy, and illustrates mechanisms and practices for better co-ordination and integration across policy areas.
Companion volumes to this edition are:
- Governance of Innovation Systems – Volume 1: Synthesis Report
- Governance of Innovation Systems – Volume 2: Case Studies in Innovation Policy
How does government funding of corporate R&D affect the behaviour of firms? Ongoing efforts to boost business investment in R&D demand better methods of evaluating the effectiveness of government policy instruments. Efforts to explicitly measure changes in the ways firms conduct R&D as a result of government policy – so-called “behavioural additionality” effects – have remained relatively underdeveloped. This publication explores the emerging concept of behavioural additionality and summarises results of a multinational effort to develop better ways of measuring it. Evaluations should investigate not only how much additional business R&D spending is stimulated by government support or how much additional output is generated as a result, but also how government funding influences the conduct and direction of business R&D.
This report deals with public sector research. It provides a comprehensive review of the challenges that call for changes in the governance of OECD countries’ science systems. It highlights emerging policy responses developed in these countries indicating better practices to deal with the challenges, and draws policy lessons that can inspire the reform process. Supporting chapters provide detailed descriptions and analyses of the structures of science systems, the procedures for priority setting, the changes to funding, and the management of human resources in R&D.
This report presents the results of a survey of over 800 genetic testing laboratory directors in 18 OECD countries. It provides the first detailed overview of the availability and extent of molecular genetic testing across OECD member countries. The survey allowed the OECD to compare practices in individual countries in order to inform international action in setting standards and developing guidelines for practice. Based on the survey results, the report puts forward recommendations for action for better quality assurance and proficiency of molecular genetic testing. It shows, for example, that requirements for licensing and accreditation/certification of diagnostic molecular genetic testing laboratories have not penetrated OECD countries to a high degree or with any consistency. Considerable variations exist in mechanisms of licensing, certification and accreditation, including the standards by which tests are performed, results are reported, and the qualifications for laboratory personnel.
Plan Avanza, Spain’s national Information Society strategy, has created a strong momentum for furthering information society (IS) policy in Spain, mobilising close to EUR 9 billion over four years from national, sub-national and non‑governmental stakeholders.
But what have these important investments contributed to wider societal goals such as public sector modernisation and increasing citizens’ trust in government; creating job opportunities and preparing a future work force for a competitive, globalised economy; supporting economic reform; improving citizens’ welfare and promoting equity? This report takes inventory of the Plan’s main achievements thus far and its remaining challenges for the future, reflecting on how its next phase (2010-2015) can best serve society.
In particular, the report looks at how Plan Avanza has helped integrate citizens, business and the public administration into the knowledge economy. It identifies areas on which Spain should continue to work: convergence with EU and OECD countries’ levels of access to and use of ICT; growth of the ICT sector; and development of e-government services.
The experiences of Spain and other OECD countries suggest that building a strong policy and governance framework is key for the success of IS policies. Indeed, to increase the impact of IS strategies policy makers must continuously look for ways to improve the performance of these frameworks. This can include identifying potential co‑ordination gaps between stakeholders and leveraging existing institutions; ensuring that policy sequencing contributes to strategic objectives; strengthening funding mechanisms and incentive structures for stakeholders; and improving evaluation and oversight. Using Plan Avanza as a case study, this study highlights the importance of each of these factors in maximizing the impact, and improving cost-effectiveness, of IS strategies in times of growing fiscal constraints.
Green skills, that is, skills needed in a low-carbon economy, will be required in all sectors and at all levels in the workforce as emerging economic activities create new (or renewed) occupations. Structural changes will realign sectors that are likely to decline as a result of the greening of the economy and workers will need to be retrained accordingly. The successful transition to a low-carbon economy will only be possible if workers can flexibly adapt and transfer from areas of decreasing employment to new industries. This report suggests that the role of skills and education and training policies should be an important component of the ecological transformation process.
Digital technologies and data are transformational. People, firms and governments live, interact, work and produce differently than in the past, and these changes are accelerating rapidly. How can we realise the immense promises of digital technologies and data for growth and well-being in a fast evolving world? This report charts the road ahead. It identifies seven policy dimensions that allow governments – together with citizens, firms and stakeholders – to shape digital transformation to improve lives. It also highlights key opportunities, challenges and policies related to each dimension, offers new insights, evidence and analysis, and provides recommendations for better policies in the digital age.