Online Dispute Resolution: Some Implications for the Emergence of Law in Cyberspace1

While courts and legislatures have been struggling to design legal rules that have authority in cyberspace, there have been a range of successful efforts in Online Dispute Resolution (ODR). Online dispute resolution uses the communication of information and the processing of information to negotiate, mediate and arbitrate online. These systems are important not only for resolving conflicts but for fostering environments in which agreed upon rules and standards can emerge. The article discusses the impact of ODR on how law will evolve in cyberspace and in how ODR technology can be employed in offline disputes.