Bibliographie sélective OHADA

Le sujet de la thèse est la résolution en ligne des litiges (ODR) et l'objectif de la thèse est de proposer un modèle de système ODR basé sur l'expérience du mouvement de résolution des différends. ODR n’est pas un phénomène isolé de ces derniers temps, mais en raison de l'évolution des conflits et la résolution des différends. Initialement, les différends survenus entre les parties à la proximité géographique et pour laquelle les tribunaux traditionnels sont le principal moyen de résolution. Cependant, comme les gens ont commencé à voyager de plus grandes distances et de communiquer de loin, les conflits ont évolué comme ils ont augmenté en nombre, sont devenus frontière plus complexe et de plus en plus transversale. Résolution des différends évolués en règlement des différends parallèle et alternatif (ADR) a été utilisée. Cependant, les conflits ont évolué une fois de plus quand le monde est entré dans l'ère numérique. Non seulement les conflits sont devenus encore plus transfrontalier, mais de nouveaux conflits sont apparus qui proviennent exclusivement dans le cyberespace. Afin de satisfaire aux exigences de l'ère numérique, la résolution des différends fit sortir le concept de l'ODR. ODR est née de la combinaison de l'ADR et de la technologie de l'information et de la communication (TIC) de l'ère numérique. D'autres moyens de règlement des différends ont été transférés dans le monde virtuel et ont donné naissance à la résolution des litiges en ligne. ADR et ODR sont examinés largement, et l'examen comprend leurs concepts, leur origine, les principales formes de négociation, de médiation et d'arbitrage et leurs équivalents en ligne, ainsi que leurs avantages et leurs inconvénients. La thèse illustre l'évolution des conflits et la résolution des différends de l'ère analogique, lorsque la résolution des différends était face à face, à l'ère du numérique, lorsque les différends sont réglés dans le cyberespace. Il démontre que l'ODR est une nécessité de l'ère numérique, mais aussi qu'il a le potentiel pour être un moyen révolutionnaire, efficace et réussi à résoudre les différends; d'une manière qui sera l'avenir de la résolution des différends. Sur la base de l'expérience accumulée par l'examen de l'évolution de la résolution des différends et sur ? Lla base des conclusions tirées, la thèse formule une proposition pour le système ODR. La thèse décrit le système ODR, de son processus en trois étapes et la nécessité de l'arbitrage en ligne, sur le réseau ODR, la régulation du système ODR, l'architecture technologique des fournisseurs ODR, leur financement, ainsi que les mesures nécessaires de la sensibilisation et la confiance afin que ODR remplit son plein potentiel.

This dissertation uses Python-based programming to retrieve and analyze a sample of approximately 400,000 material contracts that companies filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission between 2001 and 2013, focusing on the dispute resolution mechanisms specified therein. The first chapter considers the effectiveness of two state-level efforts to attract dispute resolution business, examining how specialized “business courts” and the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act affected arbitration and choice-of-forum clause use in these material contracts. The second chapter examines whether and how companies and executives “customized” their arbitration clauses in response to Internal Revenue Code Section 409A, which increased both the likelihood and the complexity of potential disputes between these parties. The third chapter considers how companies and executives responded when the Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit’s anomalous refusal to enforce employment-related arbitration clauses. Each chapter finds that contracting parties adjusted their dispute resolution provisions in response to the policy change(s) at issue – suggesting that for the sophisticated parties in my dataset, these provisions receive careful thought and are not mere “boilerplate.”

The Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET) standard is the most important and, because of its flexible nature and its status as a ‘catch-all’ provision, most controversial investment protection standard in international investment treaties. The standard imposes the most far-reaching obligation of any aspect of such treaties. This thesis’ core contention is that the current investment tribunals’ interpretation of the FET standard prioritises the interests of foreign investors and neglects the perspectives of host developing countries. Therefore there is a pressing need to reconceptualise the interpretation of the FET standard. In service to depicting the perspectives of host developing countries, this thesis advances an understanding of classifications such as ‘developing’ and ‘developed’ that reflects the issues and challenges that these countries face in the investment dispute context, such as their lack of resources, administrative capacity, technology, and infrastructure, as much as the economic and social level of development international organisations generally emphasise in their classifications. It addresses socio-political circumstances such as political instability, social unrest, conflict and its aftermath, social and political transition, and economic crises and their impact on host developing countries in the investment dispute context. Through a detailed study of the approaches they have taken to such issues in their interpretation of the breach of FET standard in disputes involving host developing countries, it shows that current investment tribunals have taken inconsistent and inadequate approaches to the issues host developing countries face. It argues that a reconceptualised interpretation of the FET standard which acknowledges the developmental issues and challenges this thesis has identified would accommodate the needs of the host developing countries while continuing to give reasonable protections to foreign investors and therefore serve the needs of the system as a whole.

La responsabilité des intermédiaires d'Internet fait débat dans un univers numérique de plus en plus complexe. Les intermédiaires offrent des services en ligne. Ils créent ou facilitent des transactions entre des parties tierces (hébergement, e-commerce, fournisseurs d'accès…). A la fin des années 1990, un consensus s'est établi sur l'instauration d'une responsabilité limitée pour ces acteurs, dans le but de favoriser leur développement ainsi que celui d'Internet par des externalités croisées. Cependant, l'apparition régulière de nouveaux usages a induit des externalités négatives affectant certains agents économiques. La multiplication récente de décisions de jurisprudence parfois contradictoires, en particulier dans le domaine de la propriété intellectuelle, vient désormais remettre en cause cette exemption. Elle fait naître un risque juridique pour les intermédiaires d'Internet. Ces-derniers doivent alors prendre en compte ce nouveau contexte dans leurs modèles d'affaires. Notre recherche étudie les comportements spécifiques que la responsabilité des intermédiaires d'Internet engendre à travers l'exemple de la propriété intellectuelle. En premier lieu nous décrivons l'évolution historique de cette responsabilité. Nous développons ensuite un modèle théorique simple qui explore l'influence du risque légal dans un contexte de concurrence entre un intermédiaire et un ayant droit du copyright. Enfin nous étendons ce modèle de concurrence aux différents comportements de protection que peuvent choisir les intermédiaires.

The EU regulation no. 1346/2000. The proposal for a modification of the regulation. New trends.

Music has, and continues to play, an important role in society. It is therefore natural that more music composers enter the scene to capitalize upon this role that music has in society. It is however becoming more common place for music composers to start copying each other, either directly or indirectly. Fortunately, copyright laws have been developed to further protect the rights enjoyed by copyright holders, such as music composers, and these laws essentially protect the composers from the unlawful reproduction of their original music. Copying is, to some degree, inevitable, therefore, the question asked by this paper is to what extent is someone entitled to ‘copy’ from another person without it amounting to copyright infringement. In determining if there is copyright infringement, two tests must be applied and satisfied, namely, the causal connection test, and the substantial similarity test. Causal connection is usually met by establishing whether the alleged infringer had access to the original work. The substantial similarity test is the focus of this paper. The courts rely on this test to determine if that part which was reproduced from the original work is of substance i.e. if it is a part of the work which attributes uniqueness and quality to the original song. Of course, this test is notoriously difficult to understand and apply, hence the need for this paper to address the question on when there is substantial similarity in two works. This paper is of benefit to academics, authors (musicians) and lawyers, as not only is the substantial similarity test discussed from a theoretical point of view, but the question of when something is substantially similar is answered from a pragmatic point of view. It is hoped that this paper is used as a guideline in understanding and applying the substantial similarity test in music copyright infringement cases.

The Companies Act 71 of 2008 introduces a completely new system for the regulation of distributions by a company to its shareholders. The preferred method for protecting the interests of creditors in distributions is now based on a solvency and liquidity test. Regrettably, the provisions setting out the requirements for distributions on the one hand and the solvency and liquidity test on the other have been poorly drafted. This thesis first explains and then applies an innovative interpretation theory to these provisions with a view to piecing together coherent content. The thesis finds that creative interpretations will not suffice in various places, meaning that substantive revision is required. The thesis concludes with brief amendment proposals and accompanying commentary.

The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (the CISG or the Vienna Sales Convention) was adopted at a diplomatic conference of the United Nations held in Vienna during 1980. The Convention came into force on 1 January 1988. According to its preamble, the Convention is based on the premise that “the adoption of uniform rules which govern contracts for the international sale of goods and take into account the different social, economic and legal systems would contribute to the removal of legal barriers in international trade and promote the development of international trade”. The CISG has proven to be successful in its endeavour and currently has 74 member states representative of all legal traditions. As an international convention, the CISG has been lauded for its “simplicity, practicality and clarity”. Schlechtriem observed that the CISG has now gained worldwide acceptance. It has even been stated that the CISG has established a “world law on international sales” and that it has influenced several domestic sales laws. It is submitted that the CISG constitutes an important component of modern international commercial law or of the modern lex mercatoria. Therefore, a study that aims to establish a better understanding of the scope and functioning of the CISG and its relationship with domestic law, is of special relevance for the international business and legal community. The two basic methods of the unification of law, ie the unification of substantive law and the unification of private international law, have both been utilised in the field of the international sale of goods. The CISG is the most notable example of first mentioned method of unification.

This seminar paper considers whether OHADA - an experiment in unifying business law in African countries - has been a success. Following a prologue that explains the origins of the paper, the first part of the paper sets out basic information about the Organisation pour l’Harmonisation du Droit des Affaires en Afrique (“Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa,” known by the acronym OHADA). This part is followed by a review of law and development literature to assess the value of this literature for an evaluation of the success (or not) of OHADA. A third part then focuses on one specific uniform law, the law of secured transactions. The paper concludes that notwithstanding challenges the OHADA institutions exist and have produced uniform business laws for the formal business sector. Whether OHADA has been the cause of increased investment and trade requires studies that have not been carried out.

In Europe and especially in France, the African business law landscape, as well as the legal discourse, for developing West African countries is almost exclusively dedicated to OHADA, the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa, created in 1993. While economic development in the Member States is the obvious underlying reason for the modernization and unification of African business law, the exact nature of such development remains uncertain, as does the manner in which a such result can or will be achieved. OHADA’s Uniform Acts are, with some minor exceptions, a carbon copy of French business law. The only goal is to increase international investment, which, in turn, is expected to generate economic development, but all without taking any notice of equality or social justice issues. That, without a doubt, is the reason why OHADA is constantly criticized as a law that benefits foreign investors, while remaining ineffective, even illusory, for local traders. To go beyond the criticism, the authors have decided to focus on the relationship between law and the informal sector and to draw lines between formal and informal rules in the business sector.

Recently, South African company law underwent a dramatic overhaul through the introduction of the Companies Act 71 of 2008. Central to company law is the promotion of corporate governance: companies no longer are accountable to their shareholders only but to society at large. Leaders should direct company strategy and operations with a view to achieving the triple bottom-line (economic, social and environmental performance) and, thus, should manage the business in a sustainable manner. An important question in company law today: In whose interest should the company be managed? Corporate governance needs to address the entire span of responsibilities to all stakeholders of the company, such as customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers and the community at large. The Companies Act aims to balance the rights and obligations of shareholders and directors within companies and encourages the efficient and responsible management of companies. The promotion of human rights is central in the application of company law: it is extremely important given the significant role of enterprises within the social and economic life of the nation. The interests of various stakeholder groups in the context of the corporation as a “social institution” should be enhanced and protected. Because corporations are a part of society and the community they are required to be socially responsible and to be more accountable to all stakeholders in the company. Although directors act in the best interests of shareholders, collectively, they must also consider the interests of other stakeholders. Sustainable relationships with all the relevant stakeholders are important. The advancement of social justice is important to corporations in that they should take into account the Constitution, labour and company law legislation in dealing with social justice issues. Employees have become important stakeholders in companies and their needs should be taken into account in a bigger corporate governance and social responsibility framework. Consideration of the role of employees in corporations entails notice that the Constitution grants every person a fundamental right to fair labour practices. Social as well as political change became evident after South Africa's re-entry into the world in the 1990s. Change to socio-economic conditions in a developing country is also evident. These changes have a major influence on South African labour law. Like company law, labour law, to a large extent, is codified. Like company law, no precise definition of labour law exists. From the various definitions, labour law covers both the individual and collective labour law and various role-players are involved. These role-players include trade unions, employers/companies, employees, and the state. The various relationships between these parties, ultimately, are what guides a certain outcome if there is a power play between them. In 1995 the South African labour market was transformed by the introduction of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995. The LRA remains the primary piece of labour legislation that governs labour law in South Africa. The notion of industrial democracy and the transformation of the workplace are central issues in South African labour law. The constitutional change that have taken place in South Africa, by which the protection of human rights and the democratisation of the workplace are advanced contributed to these developments. Before the enactment of the LRA, employee participation and voice were much-debated topics, locally and internationally. In considering employee participation, it is essential to take due cognisance of both the labour and company law principles that are pertinent: the need for workers to have a voice in the workplace and for employers to manage their corporations. Employee participation and voice should be evident at different levels: from information-sharing to consultation to joint decision-making. Corporations should enhance systems and processes that facilitate employee participation and voice in decisions that affect employees. The primary research question under investigation is: What role should (and could) employees play in corporate decision-making in South Africa? The main inquiry of the thesis, therefore, is to explore the issue of granting a voice to employees in companies, in particular, the role of employees in the decision-making processes of companies. The thesis explores various options, including supervisory co-determination as well as social co-determination, in order to find solutions that will facilitate the achievement of employee participation and voice in companies in South Africa.

This thesis aims to provide an analytical framework to which investor-State arbitral tribunals can refer in cases where international trade law is invoked. The starting point of the present study is the trend in commentary on international trade and investment law, which makes the argument that international trade and investment law should be reconciled due to the clear "convergence" between (some of) their constitutive elements. This convergence argument is not misguided: there are similarities between the underlying principles of global trade and investment and, as such, a better coordination of these principles would be helpful for several reasons. Such reasons include legal certainty, reduction of transaction costs, better coherence in the operation of international agreements that now combine both trade and investment provisions, to name a few. However, no matter how reconcilable or converging the two disciplines may be, their enforcement mechanisms are structurally different and are likely to remain so even if the reforms towards a modernization of the investment dispute settlement (currently discussed at the EU policy level) are eventually implemented in the near future. In light of this last point, it is possible to claim that integration between trade law and investment law will only have limited or even negative effects if the trade and investment adjudicators continue to exercise their functions in an isolated manner, without taking cognizance of (i) the norms contained in the other discipline and (ii) the other adjudicator's scope of authority. Effective convergence of trade and investment entails a two-way process pursuant to which one adjudicator can use (i.e. take into account, refer to, apply, interpret and enforce) the law of the other and vice-versa. The thesis envisages one of the two dimensions of this process, namely the use of trade law by the investment adjudicator. Looking into the details of the convergence argument, the role of investment dispute settlement mechanism and the use of trade norms over the past two decades by litigants and arbitrators, the present study identifies both the legal techniques and obstacles these actors shall apply or go beyond in order to use trade norms in the most appropriate way and, more importantly, benefit from this use.

The purpose of this thesis is to do a comparative reappraisal of debt relief measures available to natural person debtors in the South African insolvency law. Although the broader South African natural person insolvency system currently includes three statutory debt relief procedures, namely, the sequestration procedure regulated by the Insolvency Act 24 of 1936, the administration order procedure in terms of the Magistrates Courts Act 32 of 1944 and the debt review procedure found in the National Credit Act 34 of 2005, not all natural person debtors have access to the system. The majority of this marginalised group are debtors with no income and no assets (the so-called No Income No Asset (NINA) debtors). Also, only one measure provides real debt relief in the form of a statutory discharge of debt. Furthermore, the existing measures have developed in a haphazard fashion which has led to a multiplicity of procedures, regulators and forums that resulted in ineffectiveness, inequality and uncertainty. The larger system therefore lacks proper policy considerations. This thesis provides the reasons for reform by, amongst others, arguing that the present situation is unconstitutional as it unreasonably and unfairly discriminates against the NINA group of debtors in particular. It measures the broader South African system against internationally accepted principles of efficient and effective natural person insolvency regimes. In this regard it is found that the system as a whole is seriously deficient. With reference to international principles and guidelines as well as suitable attributes found in foreign jurisdictions, the thesis concludes with suggestions for real law reform. Both substantive and procedural recommendations are made.

The field of customs is commonly referred to as that of imports and exports. It is perceived as a maze of processes, procedures, and forms required to enable a customs administration to perform their wide range of responsibilities. One of the responsibilities of a customs administration is the collection of duties, which necessitates classification of the goods in question. This study sets out to determine the extent of customs control in relation to tariff classification in South Africa. The starting point is the establishment of the foundations of customs, both internationally and in South Africa. After origin and valuation, tariff classification is the third technical customs-related focus area. An analysis of the responsibilities of the customs administration in South Africa confirms the importance of revenue collection and, subsequently, tariff classification. As a result of South Africa’s membership of the World Customs Organization, specific obligations in relation to tariff classification are incurred. The implementation and application of the international provisions are considered and compared in South Africa, Australia, and Canada. Not only is South Africa’s existing legislation considered, but also two new Acts. It is found that despite similarities in the implementation of the Harmonized System Convention into the legislation of the three countries, South Africa’s existing legislation makes the most detailed provision for the Harmonized System and its aids. This is based on the finding that the legislation in Australia and Canada, as well as the two new Acts in South Africa, do not have the same comprehensive provisions. A critical review of the varying processes of classification in the three countries suggests that more suitable and effective processes could be implemented in South Africa. In addition, a synopsis of some of the principles developed in case law is provided and compared. In relation to facilitation, the access to relevant information and the adequacy thereof, as well as the availability of rulings, are considered. Differences in the approach to dispute resolution in the three countries are furthermore provided. Proposals are made to address the discrepancies in the implementation and application of the legislation, the process of classification, the principles developed in case law, the enhancement of related guides, the publication of tariff classification rulings, and the extent of facilitation and dispute resolution. Finally it is recommended that an independent and expert tribunal is established to adjudicate technical customs matters.

There is extensive literature on conflict of legal norms and interests in international investment law. The dominant discourse is on the implications of treaty-based investment protection for sovereign regulatory autonomy. Mainstream scholarship critical of the scope and effect of investment treaties has taken the legal status of these treaties for granted. Little systematic attention has been paid to the capacity of states to make investment treaties and the obligations states can or cannot agree to under those treaties in light of their public interest obligations. Yet, this issue is of fundamental importance for three reasons. First, the case for states’ regulatory autonomy arises out of their primary duty to regulate in the public interest. This duty has its legal justification in national constitutions and international law. Second, treaty obligations are founded on the existence of legal norms necessary for the treaty to come into existence and which define the juridical consequences attached to the conclusion of the treaty. These matters are also determined by national constitutions and international law. Third, the limitations inherent in state-specific defences in international investment disputes settlement compel a proactive rethink of the conclusion of investment treaties and how they are interpreted. The question this thesis assesses with reference to Ghana then is: does a state that is legally required to act both under the terms of its constitution and international law in the public interest have the capacity to conclude investment treaties that expressly prevent or abridge the exercise of its public interest regulatory powers, and how should treaties adopted in breach of these obligations be interpreted? To address this question, three areas of public interest regulation that have featured prominently in investment arbitration serve as case studies: the jurisdiction of municipal courts, environmental protection and development policy. Based on the impact and potential limitations of standards of investment protection on these areas, the thesis argues that some treaties are incompatible with the public interest regulation obligations of Ghana under the Constitution and international law. The core proposition of the thesis is that the legal source and public purpose of the State’s powers prevent it from concluding agreements that directly prohibit public interest regulation or indirectly achieve that effect. Accordingly, the thesis proposes that the express and implied limitations on the duty to regulate in the public interest placed on investment treaty making powers of the State must inform the making of investment treaties and their interpretation. By its approach, this thesis establishes a principled basis for reflection on the limits to the State’s capacity to conclude investment treaties and on how they should be interpreted.

There is increasing interest in social and environmental issues throughout the world, especially in developed countries, where governments, organizations, and society well recognise the impact of business activities on the environment and society. Consequently, companies have potentially no alternative but to behave in a responsible manner, socially and environmentally, and to prove this by disclosing information about their related conduct. In this regard, banks play two important roles: first, as providers of social and environmental information in much the same manner as nonfinancial companies; and second, as providers of finance, by encouraging—if not obliging—bank customers to consider society and the environment in their bank-financed projects. Banks fulfil the latter role by requiring social and environmental information from companies when making lending decisions. Only a few Libyan studies have examined social and environmental issues in relation to economic activity, and these have generally revealed low levels of disclosure practice by organisations, including banks, in these areas. In addition, many changes have taken place in the Libyan economy and banking sector in recent years, including the establishment of a market exchange; decreased government participation in economic activities; and increased growth of the private sector that results, especially in the banking sector, with the entrance of foreign investors. These changes have placed a new emphasis on bank operations and the participation of banks in the Libyan economy. Thus, studying Libyan banks, in terms of their role in the environment and society, has attracted growing interest. As such, the core objective of this thesis has been to investigate the position of Libyan banks in relation to social and environmental issues and disclosure by considering their dual role as both providers and users of such information.

Abstract not available.

Various initiatives by regulators in different jurisdictions over the past two decades have completely reshaped the airline industry in ways that were unimaginable in 1992. From an industry dominated by Pan Am and Trans World Airlines (TWA), and newly privatized airlines such as British Airways, today's industry is dominated by government-owned intercontinental airlines based in the Middle East and carrying passengers the majority of whom are ultimately destined for States other than the States where the airlines are based. Insufficient thought has been given to whether this evolution is desirable, whether it involves profound competitive distortions or whether it is in the public interest that the majority of Australians visiting Europe are carried by an airline based in neither jurisdiction or that a similar claim might be made with respect to traffic between South Asia and the Americas. This thesis examines the events that have reshaped the international aviation industry over the two decades between 1992 and 2012. It will critically analyze the major developments and the regulatory responses and highlight some of the incompatible and disjointed regulations that are in effect at either end of international routes. It ultimately proposes that Australia, Canada, the European Union (EU), New Zealand and the United States (US) form a small international organization, to be known as the Open Skies International Aviation Block (OSIAB). OSIAB would be based on expanding the membership of the US-EU Joint Committee foreseen in the 2007 US-EU Open Skies Agreement and expanding its scope to cover every aspect of the regulation of international commercial aviation. This thesis argues such a forum is necessary to ensure that regulations in different countries are aligned so that competitive distortions potentially caused by regulatory disharmony are minimized, thus allowing the international airline industry to compete on the level international playing field that so many international agreements have promised to create.

Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment is a regulatory framework, which is unique to South Africa. This dissertation reflects upon the evolution of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment programme, from the commencement of apartheid to date. Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment was implemented by government, with the objective of resolving the injustices created by the apartheid regime. Government seeks to achieve this objective by integrating the historically disadvantaged individuals within South Africa into the mainstream of the economy. However, the reality is that the implementation of the Black Economic Empowerment programme has not been entirely successful. This dissertation is a critical analysis of the application of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and related legislation. It aims to highlight the challenges faced by government in enforcing the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment programme, with a particular focus on the following issues: fronting, misrepresentations and common misperceptions. This dissertation begins by reflecting upon the historical context of South Africa toward democratization, secondly it analyses the current applicable legislation and explores the current issues. This research shows that Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment is essentially a work in progress programme as there is much room for improvement. Scholars have established that companies and other entities regularly circumvent the Act. Furthermore, many individuals misunderstand the programme and its purpose. The research concludes Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment does have potential for success. In considering the approach taken by Malaysia, it is established that the key to overcome these major issues is education.

This thesis challenges the traditional view of national contract laws as facilitative regimes and argues that contract law on the national level has been progressively re-oriented to perform an efficiency-driven regulatory function. To develop the argument the thesis studies the contract law remedial regime of two common law and one civil law jurisdiction – the US, England and Bulgaria, in two specific contracts – the sale-of-goods and the construction contract. The introductory chapter puts the main theme in context and outlines the project. Exploring the limits of promissory theory and neoclassical economics, the second chapter develops an innovative interdisciplinary methodology joining the new institutional economics with the comparative law method. The third, fourth and fifth chapters offer taxonomies of remedies, types of contracts and remedial effects to set the stage for a meaningful comparison across the different legal traditions. Since economic theory has advanced most in the study of incentives generated by damages, the third chapter focuses on the latter remedy and shows that the common law classification of damage measures (expectation, reliance, restitution), on which traditional law-and-economics accounts are based, can be applied to study a civil law jurisdiction like Bulgaria. Distinguishing discrete and long-term contracts and demonstrating that the differentiation between sale-of-goods and construction contracts in the compared national legal systems does not necessarily go along the lines of the discrete/long-term distinction in economics, the fourth chapter argues that the positive comparison should be made with an eye on the market for substitute performances even if the compared factual scenarios are classified under different legal categories in the different jurisdictions. For the uninitiated, the fifth chapter reconstructs and criticises the standard economic model rationalising damages as incentives. The final chapter applies the approach developed here to contractual termination. The exemplary analysis identifies trends in the compared legal systems and suggests that all of them converge in charging the termination remedy with a regulatory function. Finally, I generalise to make some bolder claims about contract law.