{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.02699309478970496, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.202334630350195, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Web Services and the Law: A Sketch of the Potential Issues

The function of the World Wide Web (the "Web") has passed through stages. The first stage, often known as web publishing, represented the provision of static information. The second stage, "Web application", was the provision of computing applications on the Web. The latest stage, "Web Services", promises to integrate business applications via the Internet regardless of differences in platforms. The promises of Web Services have yet to materialise. Operational and security issues still dog its adoption by individuals, businesses and other organisations. This paper confines itself to an examination of the possible range of new and old legal issues that Web Services might throw up. It concentrates on "network contracts" (among multiparty partners) for the supply of goods (as well as information) and services, end-to-end security, data and privacy protection, intellectual property and dispute resolution. The paper argues that, whilst Web Services extend current capabilities towards the ubiquitous network, they nevertheless do not prompt a radical departure from the currently evolving legal framework. The likely impacts of Web Services on the law in general and the attendant risks and responsibilities of all participants in particular will appear to be linked with the breadth of their reach. Yet, one cannot say exactly how the legal response will shape out finally. It may be hazarded that the nature of contracts and jurisdictional issues will be the most extensively impacted, consequently too dispute resolution.