Bibliographie sélective OHADA

《联合国国际货物销售合同公约》作为国际货物销售领域的基石性法律文件，其诞生背景远早于全球电子商务的兴起，却持续适用于跨境电子商务交易。本文在形式自由与送达主义框架内，论证CISG因其内在的合同法中立原则而对电子合同有效性所具备的强大解释力。在此基础上，论文剖析CISG在数字时代面临的深层挑战，即其核心范畴“货物”概念在数字产品领域的边界争议、对B2C消费者合同的结构性排除所引发的法律适用碎片化，以及具体电子通信规则供给不足导致的解释不确定性。通过比较分析美国、德国等法域的最新司法实践，并引入《国际合同使用电子通信公约》作为功能性补充工具，最终论证CISG的现代化路径无须诉诸可能破坏其统一性的文本修订，而应结合不同学说理论，借由司法能动主义对其一般原则进行目的性解释，并与外部公约形成功能互补，从而协同构建一个能够适应技术快速迭代、兼具稳定、统一与可预期性的全球数字贸易法律生态 Although conceived in a pre-digital era, the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the Inter-national Sale of Goods (CISG) continues to serve as the governing law for a vast number of cross-border e-commerce transactions. This article posits that the CISG’s foundational principles, notably the freedom of form and the receipt rule for contract formation, provide a robust framework for validating electronic contracts. It then delves into the profound challenges the CISG encounters in the digital age: the contentious delineation of “goods” to encompass digital products, the structural exclusion of B2C consumer contracts which leads to legal fragmentation, and the lack of specific rules for electronic communications fostering interpretive ambiguity. Through a comparative analysis of recent jurisprudence from the United States, Germany, and Singapore, and by integrating the UNCITRAL Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts as a functional complement, this study contends that the CISG does not require textual amendment. Instead, its continued relevance can be secured through judicial activism that engages in an evolutionary interpretation of its general principles, coupled with strategic synergy with external conventions, thereby forging a stable, uniform, and predictable legal ecosystem for global digital trade.

Internet a révolutionné le commerce à distance en abolissant littéralement les barrières territoriales qui existaient entre le commerçant et le consommateur pour permettre des échanges dans un environnement dématérialisé. La pandémie de la Covid19 a été un tournant important pour le e-Commerce puisque le confinement qui s’en est suivi a presque obligé le monde à se tourner vers le virtuel qui a connu un boom spectaculaire. Presque tout se fait virtuellement au point que les épiceries aussi offrent la possibilité d’achat en ligne. Mais force est de constater que même dans le cyberespace, la relation entre le consommateur et le commerçant demeure déséquilibrée puisque ce-dernier reste celui qui édicte les règles du jeu. Dans ce travail, nous posons la question de savoir si les protections et garanties du consommateur, consacrées notamment par le Code Civil du Québec et la Loi sur la protection du consommateur, ont survécu avec le e-Commerce ou faut-il d’autres protections pour le consommateur dans le cyberespace? Nous postulons que le contrat intelligent peut être un moyen de sécuriser le consommateur dans le cadre du e-Commerce puisqu’il oblige le commerçant à clarifier les termes du contrat, offrant ainsi une prévisibilité de la relation contractuelle. Dans le cadre de notre travail, nous allons analyser les protections offertes actuellement au consommateur du commerce électronique en procédant à une analyse de droit comparé entre le Québec et la France dans le cadre de l’Union européenne. Puis nous verrons les avantages et inconvénients du contrat intelligent ce qui nous permettra de répondre à la question que nous posons à savoir s’il est un procédé salutaire qui remettrait l’équilibre dans la relation entre commerçant et le consommateur en assurant ainsi une protection adéquate à ce dernier. The Internet has revolutionized e-Commerce by literally abolishing the territorial barriers that existed between the merchant and the consumer to allow exchanges in a dematerialized environment. The Covid19 pandemic was an important turning point for e-Commerce since the subsequent lockdown almost forced the world to turn to the virtual, which experienced a spectacular boom. Almost everything is done virtually. Even grocery stores offer the possibility of online shopping. But even in cyberspace, the relationship between the consumer and the merchant remains unbalanced since the latter remains the one who dictates the rules of the game. In this work, we ask the question of whether consumer protections and guarantees, enshrined by the Quebec Civil Code and the Consumer Protection Act, have survived with e-Commerce or are there other consumer protections needed in cyberspace? We postulate that the smart contract can be a way to secure the consumer in the context of Ecommerce since it requires the merchant to clarify the terms of the contract. As part of our work, we will analyze the protections currently offered to consumers in electronic commerce by conducting a comparative law analysis between Quebec and France in the context of the European Union. Then we will see the advantages and disadvantages of the smart contract, which will allow us to answer the question whether it is a beneficial process that would restore balance in the relationship between merchant and consumer by ensuring adequate protection for the latter.

La validité des clauses de non-concurrence et de non-sollicitation dans les contrats d’achat d’actions ou d’actifs d’entreprise repose sur des critères précis établis par la jurisprudence, à savoir que les clauses restrictives doivent être limitées quant à leur durée, territoire et activités visées à ce qui est nécessaire pour protéger les intérêts légitimes de l’acheteur au moment de la transaction. Depuis l'arrêt Payette c. Guay, la jurisprudence a évolué pour offrir une plus grande flexibilité dans l’interprétation de ces clauses dans les contrats de vente d'entreprises, favorisant ainsi la liberté commerciale. Le rôle des tribunaux, dans l’évaluation de la validité de ces clauses et dans l’interprétation de leur portée, devient donc crucial, surtout en raison des lacunes législatives en la matière. Dans un contexte où les parties exercent leurs activités commerciales dans ou à l’aide du domaine technologique ou numérique, l’analyse des clauses doit tenir compte des réalités du marché, où l’évolution rapide des technologies et l’absence de limites géographiques remettent en question les présupposés traditionnels. Cependant, malgré cette évolution dans l’analyse des clauses de non-concurrence et de non-sollicitation, le cadre juridique actuel tend à privilégier presque exclusivement les intérêts privés des parties contractantes, au détriment de la considération de l’intérêt public. Cela soulève la question de savoir si cette approche, qui favorise la liberté contractuelle, ne devrait pas être rééquilibrée par une meilleure prise en compte des intérêts publics, tout en tenant compte des nouvelles réalités technologiques. The validity of non-compete and non-solicitation provisions in purchase of shares or assets agreements is based on specific criteria established by case law. Indeed, such restrictive covenants must be limited in terms of duration, territory, and activities covered to what is necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the buyer at the time of the transaction. Since the Payette v. Guay decision, case law has evolved to offer greater flexibility in the interpretation of these clauses in sale of business contracts, promoting commercial freedom. Thus, the role of the courts in assessing the validity of these restrictive provisions and interpreting their scope has become crucial, particularly due to the lack of legislative guidance. In contexts where the parties to such business transaction conduct their commercial activities in or with the help of technology, the analysis of the validity of non-compete and non-solicitation clauses must also take into account such new realities, where rapid technological advancements and the absence of geographical limits challenge traditional assumptions. However, despite recent evolutions in the analysis of non-compete and non-solicitation clauses, the current legal framework tends to almost exclusively prioritize the analysis of private interests of the contracting parties, at the expense of considering the public interest. This raises the question of whether this approach, which favors contractual freedom, should be rebalanced by a better consideration of public interests, while reflecting recent technological impacts.

随着我国电子商务的快速发展，消费纠纷的高频化、小额化与跨地域性特征对传统争议解决机制提出挑战。当今社会各方面发展都强调数字化转型，数字赋能正如火如荼为电子商务行业源源不断地注入能量。从技术层面来说，电商消费纠纷仲裁可以通过在线流程、区块链存证等技术手段实现，从而显著降低纠纷解决成本并提升效率。但在数据尚未正式在法律层面确权或者明确为某种权益的背景下，加之消费纠纷对立双方在信息、地位、经济上天然的不对等性，设计何种仲裁规则才能实质上促使纠纷双方形成平等的法律地位，从而公正地保护双方合法权益，有效化解纠纷是一个值得研究的问题。本文在传统商事仲裁、消费仲裁在域外实践以及国内最新试验实践的基础上，研究在我国电子商务场域建立消费仲裁制度的必要性、可能性与可行性，设置“消费者友好型”的仲裁规则，以期为消费仲裁制度制定者与电商平台治理者提供参考。 With the rapid development of e-commerce in China, the high-frequency, small amount and cross-regional nature of consumer disputes have challenged the traditional dispute resolution mechanism. All aspects of development in today’s society emphasize digital transformation, and digital empowerment is in full swing to inject energy into the e-commerce industry. From the technical level, e-commerce consumer dispute arbitration can be realized through online processes, blockchain deposits and other technological means, thus significantly reducing the cost of dispute resolution and improving efficiency. However, against the backdrop of data not yet being formally recognized or defined as a specific right at the legal level, and considering the inherent inequality between the opposing parties in consumer disputes in terms of information, status, and economic power, designing arbitration rules that can effectively promote equality in legal status between the disputing parties, thereby fairly protecting the legitimate rights and interests of both sides and effectively resolving disputes, is a question worthy of in-depth study. On the basis of traditional commercial arbitration, consumer arbitration in overseas practice and the latest domestic experimental practice, this paper studies the necessity, possibility and feasibility of establishing consumer arbitration system in China’s e-commerce field, and sets up “consumer-friendly” arbitration rules, with a view to providing references for the makers of consumer arbitration system and e-commerce platforms’ governors.

Identity management is a cornerstone of digital trade and a core component of trust services, starting with electronic signatures. However, there is limited awareness of its legal and technical implications. The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) has prepared a Model Law on the Use and Cross-border Recognition of Identity Management and Trust Services to provide uniform guidance on how to establish an enabling legal environment for identity management and trust services. The Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) has developed the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) and its digital counterpart the verifiable LEI (vLEI) as universal solutions for a secure and cost-effective persistent business identifier. This paper illustrates how the MLIT and the vLEI may interact to provide legal and operational certainty to identification needs, thus fostering global economic growth.

Avec de plus en plus de transactions commerciales effectuées par voie électronique, les litiges résultant d'intérêts conflictuels ou de malveillance deviennent inévitables, car Internet est devenu un terreau fertile pour divers abus. Ces abus vont de la rupture de contrat et des actes délictuels aux actes criminels. Il en résulte que l'utilisation d'Internet a donné une dimension différente à ces litiges. Cependant, comme le dit la célèbre maxime Ubi Jus Ubi Remedium, là où il y a un droit, il y a un remède. Le Cameroun, suivant cette tendance, a adopté un cadre juridique qui offre une panoplie de recours disponibles pour les victimes de violations du commerce électronique et d'infractions connexes, dans l'intention de rapprocher la partie lésée le plus possible de la position qu'elle aurait occupée s'il n'y avait pas eu d'abus. Le but de cet article est d'évaluer l'efficacité du cadre actuel pour remédier aux victimes de violations du commerce électronique et d'infractions connexes. L'article examine donc les bases des responsabilités en commerce électronique et les recours disponibles pour les victimes, mettant en évidence les difficultés qui rendent ces recours moins efficaces à cet égard. Plusieurs recommandations ont été proposées par cet article pour améliorer le statu quo. With more and more business being conducted through electronic means, disputes stemming from conflicting interests or malice become inevitable, as the internet has become a breeding ground for diverse abuses. These abuses range from contractual breaches and tortious acts to criminal acts. It follows that the use of the internet has given a different dimension to these disputes. However, as the famous maxim Ubi Jus, Ubi Remedium states, where there is a right, there is a remedy. Cameroon, following this trend, adopted a legal framework that provided a panoply of remedies available to victims of breaches of e-commerce contracts and related offenses to bring the aggrieved party as close as possible to the position he would have been in if there had been no abuse. The purpose of this article is to assess the efficiency of the present framework for remedying victims of e-commerce breaches and related offenses. The article thus examines the basis for liabilities in e-commerce and the remedies available to victims, bringing out the difficulties which render these remedies less efficient for the purpose. Several recommendations have been proffer by this article to improve the status quo.

Le commerce électronique au Mali connaît une forte croissance, mais l’inadaptation du régime fiscal, notamment en matière de TVA, engendre d’importantes difficultés. La nature immatérielle et extraterritoriale des transactions numériques complique leur contrôle, favorisant ainsi l’évasion fiscale et la fraude. De plus, l’identification des acteurs du commerce numérique reste un défi majeur, rendant l’application de la législation fiscale inefficace. Pour y remédier, une réforme s’impose particulièrement par la mise en place d’un mécanisme de collecte de la TVA par les plateformes en ligne, comme l’ont fait le Kenya et le Nigeria. Cette mesure permettrait de mieux encadrer la fiscalité du commerce électronique, d’assurer une concurrence équitable et d’optimiser la mobilisation des recettes fiscales.

As technology continues to advance, more trade is moving online. The increase in digital trade brings with it both opportunities and challenges in the international trade field. The increase in digital trade could for instance result in a spike in digital trade imports which may subsequently cause or threaten to cause serious injury to domestic industries and platforms dealing in like or directly substitutable digital data/content and services. This would necessitate the application of safeguard measures to avert any such serious injury or threat to serious injury caused to the domestic industries and platforms. The procedure for applying safeguard measures to digital trade currently is unclear. The current legal framework on safeguard measures does not apply to digital trade despite increased digital trade over the years. Thus, this study explores the prospects and practical challenges relating to safeguard measures’ application to digital trade with a specific focus on African domestic industries and platforms. While domestic industries and platforms in any part of the world could be affected by surges in digital trade imports, Africa is in a precarious position. Intra-Africa digital trade volumes could be increased and disadvantages of African domestic industries and platforms by surges in digital trade imports could be prevented through regulation and judicious use of safeguard measures. This study established the need to regulate to tap into the potential of digital trade and prevent African industries and platforms from falling behind and from the disadvantage of market dominance by big techs from outside Africa. In conclusion, the study noted legal and institutional gaps in the application of safeguard measures to digital trade. The study has recommended that specific institutions at the global, continental and national levels take necessary actions to build a clear and robust framework for safeguard measures in digital trade.

The article examines whether and how the 1980 UN Conven tion on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) remains fit for purpose in an economy reshaped by digitalization. The paper maps the core CISG institutes, particularly the scope and formation (Articles 1, 14–24), parties’ rights and duties, and final provisions, in light of contemporary practices such as: electronic contracting, platform based commerce, and smart-contract workflows. Particular attention is given to electronic communications and signatures (Articles 8, 11, 13), notices (Articles 22, 27), and the evidentiary use of digital records, highlighting practical issues of authenticity, integrity, and burden of proof. The paper also addresses jurisdiction and choice-of-law ques tions arising from cross-border digital sales, including the interaction of Article 1(1)(a) and (b) with party autonomy and forum selection. In comparative perspective, the analysis situates the CISG alongside the UNCITRAL Model Law framework, the UNIDROIT Principles, and EU initiatives on digital content, showing areas of convergence and persis tent gaps. Looking forward, the author assesses the implications of AI enabled contract management and blockchain-based transaction logs, noting where property/title effects remain governed by domestic law. The article concludes that the CISG’s technology-neutral rules continue to provide a robust baseline for international sales, but effective use in fully digital environments requires careful contract drafting, explicit communications protocols, agreed custodianship of electronic evi dence, and complementary reference to soft-law instruments and regional measures. Рад анализира у којој мери и на који начин Бечка конвенција о међу народној продаји робе (CISG, 1980) остаје примерена дигитализованој привреди. Аутор мапира кључне институте Конвенције—нарочито домет примене и закључење уговора (чл. 1, 14–24), права и обавезе страна и завршне одредбе—на савремену праксу електронског угова рања, платформске трговине и “смарт” уговора. Посебно се обрађују електронске комуникације и потписи (чл. 8, 11, 13), достављање обаве штења (чл. 22, 27) и употреба дигиталних трагова као доказа, уз нагла шене практичне проблеме аутентичности, интегритета и терета доказивања. Разматрају се и питања надлежности и меродавног права у прекограничној дигиталној продаји, укључујући интеракцију чл. 1(1)(а) и (б) са аутономијом воље и избором форума. У компаративној равни, CISG се смешта уз UNCITRAL модел-законе, UNIDROIT принципе и иницијативе ЕУ за дигитални садржај, чиме се идентификују подудар ности и преостале празнине. У погледу будућих трендова, разматра се утицај AI-подржаног управљања уговорима и блокчејн евиденција, уз напомену да питања својине и државине остају у домену националног права. Закључак је да технолошки неутрална правила CISG-а и даље нуде чврсту основу за међународну продају, али да ефикасна примена у дигиталном окружењу захтева пажљиво уговорно уређивање, јасне протоколе комуникације, договорено чување е-доказа и ослањање на допунске soft-law и регионалне инструменте. Кључне речи: Бечка конвенција о међународној продаји робе (CISG), дигитализација, електронско уговарање, дигитални докази, блокчејн у међународној трговини.