The emergence of new technologies and applications has begun to influence significantly the way companies do business. Bearing this in mind, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center is developing an online, Internet-based system for administering disputes. This online dispute resolution facility and all related information will be accessible through these Online Dispute Resolution pages of the Center's web site.
Digital communication tools will allow the parties to file requests by completing electronic forms and to submit documents and exchange correspondence online through secure channels. The parties, the neutrals and the Center will thus communicate electronically (in addition to using any available audio and video facilities), reducing the need for other potentially time-consuming and expensive means of communication and in-person meetings and hearings. The WIPO facility will generate automatic notifications, as well as databases to support the logging and archiving of documents. Financial transactions in the course of the proceedings, including online credit card payment, are to be supported by special financial databases.
The rapid expansion of electronic commerce puts a premium on the time- and cost-effective resolution of disputes arising out of such transactions. It may be expected that parties conducting business online will want to settle their disputes in the same manner. The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center believes that its online dispute resolution facility will also prove to be an effective model for the settlement of other commercial disputes.