LexisNexis合同法.docx

LexisNexis合同法.docx

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LexisNexis合同法

LexisNexis合同法

Chapter1

SOURCESANDDEFINITIONSOFCONTRACTLAW

§1.01WhatisaContract?

Acontractisformedinanytransactioninwhichoneorbothpartiesmakealegallyenforceablepromise.  Apromiseisacommitmentorundertakingthatagiveneventwillorwillnotoccurinthefutureandmaybeexpressorimpliedfromconductorlanguageandconduct.  Apromiseislegallyenforceablewhereit:

•wasmadeaspartofabargainforvalidconsideration;

•reasonablyinducedthepromiseetorelyonthepromisetohisdetriment;or

•isdeemedenforceablebyastatutedespitethelackofconsideration.

§1.02TypesofContracts

Contractmaybeofthefollowingtypes:

1）Express–anagreementmanifestedbywords

2）Implied-in-fact–anagreementmanifestedbyconduct

3）Implied-in-law（"quasi-contract"）–notatruecontractbutanobligationimposedbyacourtdespitetheabsenceofapromiseinordertoavoidaninjustice

§1.03SourcesofContractLaw

1）CommonLaw–inmostjurisdictions,contractlawisnotcodified,andthustheprimarysourceofgeneralcontractlawiscaselaw.

2）Restatement–writtenbytheAmericanLawInstitutetoprovideguidancetothebenchandbar,theRestatementofContracts（currentlyinthesecondedition）hasnolegalforcebutneverthelessprovideshighlypersuasiveauthority.

3）UniformCommercialCode（UCC）–createdundertheauspicesoftheAmericanLawInstituteandtheNationalConferenceofCommissionersonUniformStateLaws,hasbeenadoptedbyeverystateexceptLouisiana.  ProposedrevisionstoArticle2,governingcontractsforthesaleofgoods,havebeenfinalizedandpresentedtothestatesforenactment.

4）UnitedNationsConventiononContractsfortheInternationalSaleofGoods（CISG）–ratifiedbymanyoftheleadingtradingnationsincludingtheUnitedStatesandChina（butnottheUnitedKingdomandJapan）,itgovernsmanytransactionsforthesaleofgoodsbetweenpartieswithplacesofbusinessindifferentnations.

5）UNIDROITPrinciplesofInternationalCommercialContracts–non-bindingauthoritativetextsimilartotheRestatement.

6）UniformComputerTransactionsAct（UCITA）–addressesissuesarisingoutofcomputerlicensingbuthasonlybeenenactedinVirginiaandMaryland.

7）UniformElectronicTransactionsAct（UETA）–adoptedbymoststates,thisactdoesnotaffectbasiccontractdoctrinebutgovernstheuseofelectroniccommunications.  Itappliesto"transactions,"definedas"theconductofbusiness,commercialorgovernmentalaffairs."  Thus,itdoesnotgoverncontractssuchasthosebetweenfamilymembersorwithnon-profitinstitutions.

8）ElectronicSignaturesinGlobalandNationalCommerceAct（E-Sign）–thisfederallawallowsstatestopreemptitbyenactingtheUETA.

§1.04ContractsfortheSaleofGoods

[1]ApplicationofUCC

Article2oftheUniformCommercialCodecoversalltransactionsforthesaleofgoodsotherthansecurities（article9）andleases（article2A）.  Itappliestoanyparty;itisnotlimitedtomerchantsalthoughindividualprovisionsmaybe.

[2]"Goods"Defined

UndertheUCC,a"good"isanytangiblethingthatismoveable.  [UCC§2-105

（1）]  Inadditiontomanufacturedproducts,"goods"include:

•growingcropsortimber,unbornyoungofanimalsandotheridentifiedthingsattachedtoland（otherthanmineralsorthelikeorstructures）,regardlessofwhoseversthemfromthelandprovidedthattheycanberemovedwithoutcausingmaterialharmtotheland

•currencyexchangedasacommodity（asopposedtothemediumofpaymentforagood）

•mineralsorthelikeorastructureoritsmaterialstoberemovedfromrealtythataretobeseveredbytheseller

Theterm"goods"doesnotencompass:

•intangiblerightssuchasintellectualproperty

•investmentsecurities

•moneywhichisthemediumofpaymentforgoods

•mineralsorthelikeorastructureoritsmaterialstoberemovedfromrealtythataretobeseveredbythebuyer

[3]"Sale"Defined

UCC§2-106

（1）defines"sale"asthetransferoftitleforaprice.  Contractsthatinvolvebothgoodsandservicesmustbeevaluatedtoseewhichconstitutestheprimarypurposeofthecontract,withthesecondarypurposebeingtreatedasincidental.  Iftheprimaryfunctionofthecontractistoprovideaservice,theUCCdoesnotapply,evenifanincidentalsaleofgoodsoccurs.

[4]"Merchant"Defined

A"merchant"isone"whodealsingoodsofthekindorotherwisebyhisoccupationholdshimselfoutashavingknowledgeorskillparticulartothepracticesorgoodsinvolvedinthetransaction"orwhoemploysanagentorbrokerinsuchoccupation.  [UCC§2-104

（1）]

[5]"GoodFaith"Defined

Everycontractforthesaleofgoodsimposesanobligationofgoodfaithdealingonallpartiesinitsperformanceandenforcement.[UCC§1-203]  Allparties,includingnon-merchants,aresubjecttoUCC§1-201（19）whichdefines"goodfaith"as"honestyinfactintheconductortransactionconcerned."  Merchantsaresubjecttoanadditionalgoodfaithstandard,setforthinUCC§2-103

（1）（b）,whichrequires"honestyinfactandtheobservanceofreasonablecommercialstandardsoffairdealinginthetrade."

[6]"Record"Defined

TheproposedrevisionofArticle2reflectsthecontemporaryuseofelectroniccommunicationsbysubstitutingallpriorreferencesto"writing"with"record,"definedinproposedUCC§1-201（33a）as"eitherawritingoraretrievableinformationinacomputer'smemory,acomputerdisk,orthelike."

Chapter2

OVERVIEWOFCONTRACTFORMATION

§2.01MutualAssent

Contractformationrequiresmutualassenttothesametermsbytheparties,generallymanifestedbyanofferandacceptance（seechapters3and4）.  Currentlawfavorsanobjectivestandardfordeterminingaparty'sintenttobecontractuallybound.  Thus,ingeneral,communicationsaregiventhemeaningthattherecipientofthecommunicationshouldhavereasonablyunderstood.  Neverthelesssubjectiveintentisrelevantindeterminingwhetherthepartiesintendedtobebound.  Withoutsuchsubjectiveintent,thereisnocontract.

§2.02BasisforRemedy

Avalidlyformedcontractmustprovideabasisfordeterminingtheexistenceofabreachandforgivinganappropriateremedy[Restatement§33;UCC§2-204].  Non-goodscontracts,accordingtotheRestatement,mustincludetermsthataresufficientlydefiniteandcertain;goodscontracts,ontheotherhand,do"notfailforindefinitenessevenifoneormoretermsareleftopenifthepartiesintendedtomakeacontractandthereisareasonablycertainbasisforgivinganappropriateremedy."

§2.03ContractFormationbyElectronicAgents

ProposednewUCC§2-204（4）recognizesthelegaleffectofcontractformedbyelectronicagentsresultingfrom:

（1）  theinteractionofelectronicagentsoftheparties,evenintheabsenceofdirectparticipationinsuchcontractbytheparties（i.e.,theprogrammingofsuchelectronicagentssuffices）

（2）  theinteractionofanindividualwithanelectronicagent,e.g.,awebsite,wheretheindividualhastheoptionofrefusingortakingactionormakesastatementthattheindividualhasreasontoknowwill:

（a）  causetheelectronicagenttocompletethetransaction;or

（b）  indicateacceptanceofanoffer,regardlessofotherexpressionsoractionsbytheindividualtowhichtheelectronicagentcannotreact.

§2.04ReceiptofElectronicCommunications

Anumberofcommunicationsrelevanttocontractformation–suchasanoffer,revocationofoffer,orrejectionofoffer–areeffectiveuponreceiptbythepersonforwhomthecommunicationisintended.  Incontractsforthesaleofgoods,anylegallyeffectivecommunicationsentbyelectronicmeanshaseffectuponreceiptbytheintendedrecipient'selectronicsystem,e.g.,e-mailbox,evenifheisunawareofsuchreceipt.[proposednewUCC§2-213]

Chapter3  OFFER

§3.01WhatisanOffer?

[1]"Offer"Defined

Anofferisamanifestationofanintenttobecontractuallybounduponacceptancebyanotherparty.  Anoffercreatesintheoffereethepowertoformacontractbyanappropriateacceptance.[Restatement§24]  

[2]Communicationsthatdonotconstituteoffers

Thefollowingtypesofcommunications,whichdonotmanifestanintenttobecontractuallybound,donotconstituteoffers:

1）  opinionsaboutfutureresults,includingprofessionalopinions

2）  statementsofintention（includinglettersofintentwhichmerelymemorializenegotiations）

3）  invitationstosubmitabid

4）  priceestimates–However,wheretheestimateisdeemedtobeafactualmisrepresentationbecauseitwasmadebyanexpert,estoppelmaybeinvokediftheoffereereliedtohisdetrimentontheestimate.

5）  advertisements,catalogsandmassmailings–Courtshaveruledthatitisunreasonableforonetobelievethatthemerchantintendstobeboundwithallwhomreceiveorreadsuchliteratureunlessthepowerofacceptanceisclearlylimitedtothefirstperson（s）thatfulfillstheactforwhichtheincentiveisoffered.

6）  auctionswithreserve–Anauctionis"withreserve"unlessannouncedtothecontrary.  Inanauctionwithreserve,theauctioneersolicitsoffersintheformofbids.  However,iftheauctionisannouncedtobe"withoutreserve,"theauctioneer'srequestforbidsorhisstatementthatanitemwillgotothehighestbidderwillbedeemedanoffer.

§3.02WhenistheOfferEffective?

[1]Receiptofoffer

Anofferisnotvaliduntilreceivedbytheoffereeorhisagent.  [Restatement§68]

[2]Durationofoffer

Iftheofferhasastatedtimewithinwhichtheacceptancemustbemade,anyattemptedacceptanceaftertheexpirationofthattimewillfailandwillmerelyconstituteacounter-offerbytheofferee.  Ifnospecifictimeisstatedwithinwhich