Institute for Internet Policy & Law @ Beijing Normal University

On 19 March 2025, Jamaica Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of the UN and the WTO jointly organized the hybrid “Capacity building session on creating an enabling policy environment for e-commerce and digital economy”.

Developing economies face complex challenges in creating enabling frameworks that facilitate e-commerce and digital trade while ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth. Many countries are striving to improve their regulatory framework and strengthen regulatory capacity to address new regulatory challenges. Internationally, efforts to harmonize e- commerce regulatory frameworks and practices are advancing through key multilateral bodies. The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) has developed model laws and standards for electronic transferable records, while the World Trade Organization (WTO) leads negotiations through a Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce, aiming to create a set of common international rules across a range of e-commerce areas such as enabling e-commerce, openness, and trust in digital trade.

As Jamaica aims to create a conducive policy environment for e-commerce and align its domestic regulations with international standards, including in the ongoing processes on E-Transactions Act and the Consumer Welfare and Protection Policy, this webinar session aims to inform about, and discuss, the current development in global rule-setting on e-commerce and digital trade. It will focus on how these international rules can shape and influence the future of digital trade as well as facilitate legislative and regulatory processes in Jamaica. This webinar will also delve into practical approaches to domestic policy implementation, highlighting crucial enabling legislative frameworks that can foster and accelerate e-commerce growth.

Prof. Xue, along with other high-level officials from Jamaica, ITC and UNCITRAL, gave a keynote speech on “Developing enabling policy frameworks for e-commerce – experience of China”. Prof. Xue compared the Chinese E-Commerce Law and the Jamaican E-Transaction Act, elaborated the Chinese legal innovation regarding regulating digital trade, and shared the Chinese experience on e-commerce platform governance. The speech was well-received by the policymakers and key authorities responsible for e-commerce and the digital economy.

The session engaged the stakeholders in ongoing consultations regarding the issues being discussed in the WTO Work Program on E-commerce (WPEC) and the development of Jamaica’s position on the WTO Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) (E-commerce negotiations).

2024年12月7日，由北京市法学会电子商务法治研究会主办，北京外国语大学法学院、北京工商大学法学院等单位承办的北京市法学会电子商务法治研究会2024年年会暨数字经济领域消费者权益保护与促进发展研讨会成功举办。来自国家市场监管总局、中国消费者协会、北京市法学会、北京市市场监管局、北京互联网法院、北京大学、清华大学、中国政法大学、平台企业、律师事务所、新闻媒体等40多家单位共120余位电子商务领域专家学者和研究会理事、会员齐聚一堂，回顾总结2024年研究会的最新工作进展、展望2025年电子商务法治发展新的愿景，围绕“数字经济领域消费者权益保护与促进发展”主题开展深入交流讨论、分享和交流各自的观点。

北京师范大学法学院教授、互联网政策与法律研究中心主任薛虹以“网络虚拟财产权：回顾与展望”为题作主题演讲，指出网络虚拟财产与知识产权（特别是版权存在本质性区别），从物质性财产权的角度，研究其性质和权属更加合理。但受限于系统拥有者的终极控制，更类似于用益物权，希望未来能有更好的法律框架来保护数字消费者的权益。

又到“双十一”，直播电商迎来新一轮热潮。然而，近年来不少知名主播出现带货产品“翻车”的事件，让网友从过去追逐优惠与低价，逐渐转向看重直播带货商品的品质和售后服务。最新的《中国互联网络发展状况统计报告》显示，截至2024年6月，我国网民规模近11亿人，今年上半年新增网民742万人，其中，10-19岁青少年占新增网民的49.0%。相较于更有自控力的成年人而言，未成年人在直播中对于主播的连番推荐更容易失去判断力。随着互联网技术的不断发展、产业生态不断进步、法律法规相继出台，平台治理正在不断“水涨船高”。我们要持续提高自身网络素养，与法律法规、互联网平台、直播商家形成合力，携手营造健康、向上的良好网络消费环境。

　　【北京师范大学教授、北京市电子商务法治研究会副会长薛虹】

根据《网络直播营销管理办法（试行）》、广告法等规定，主播所在的企业属于直播间运营者，主播本人是直播营销人员，承担着广告发布者、经营者或代言人的义务。“我们要警惕主播以广告提供者之名，推卸商品经营者之责。”薛虹教授认为，当相关主播已明显出现了销售的典型行为，就需要因为自身虚假营销手段和错误陈述，承担相关的法律责任，而不是将责任推向商家。随着电商经济的迅猛发展，互联网平台已在曾经的网络内容服务提供者的身份之外，增加了新的电子商务平台经营者的身份。对此，互联网平台也将担负起更多监管责任。消费者相信商品就是直播间或主播直接销售的，他们需要承担相关法律所规定的经营者对消费者的责任。

直播电商为消费者提供了与销售方密切互动的机会，实现了与商家的真正沟通，而不再是面对“冰冷”的屏幕。薛虹教授注意到，当前，老年人沉迷网络直播的情况不容小觑。他们往往因为孤独，而在直播间里获取“归属感”；且老年群体具备一定的消费潜力，很容易陷入保健品营销套路，或者遭遇假冒亲属诈骗。

今年7月1日起实施的《中华人民共和国消费者权益保护法实施条例》第十五条规定，经营者不得通过虚假或者引人误解的宣传，虚构、夸大商品或者服务的治疗、保健、养生等功效，诱导老年人等消费者购买明显不符合其实际需求的商品或者服务。

“我们还应该给予老年人更多的关心和关怀，他们在现实生活中有温暖和寄托的话，在网络直播间受骗的概率也会相应减少。”薛虹说。

近年来，不少“未成年人打赏主播上万元”“小学生线上抽盲盒花掉数万元”等新闻频上热搜。今年暑期，为切实加强未成年人网络保护，营造更加健康安全的网络环境，中央网信办在全国范围内开展了为期两个月的“清朗·2024年暑期未成年人网络环境整治”专项行动。在重点整治的六大问题中，电商平台便是重要一项。比如，向未成年人售卖软色情手办文具、动漫周边等商品；提供有偿代骂，制作恶搞同学、学校的图文视频等服务；以售卖动漫剧作、电子游戏等为名，引流未成年人至第三方平台，违规提供涉黄涉暴资源等。

薛虹教授提醒，遇到类似情况家长可以提供相应证据，证明账号实际操作人或控制人是未成年人，此时该交易就不能成立。同时，借鉴短视频平台和网络游戏中的“未成年人模式”，直播电商也可以考虑增加相应的未成年人保护机制。

薛虹坦言，行业政策、法规体系构建完善方面，已经基本适应了当前电商行业的发展需要，现在更应该考虑监管手段和方式的创新。在这方面，《直播电商行业高质量发展报告（2023—2024年度）》中给出了诸多建议。比如，在平台策略方面，要完善审核机制，建立自动化预警系统，及时发现和处理潜在违规行为；提升技术防护手段，采用先进数据加密技术，防止数据泄露，保护消费者信息安全；建立健全内容管理制度，对直播内容进行实时监控，及时删除违规内容，设立有效用户投诉、举报渠道，鼓励用户参与监督等。

2024年10月30日下午，北师大全球发展战略合作伙伴计划专项“参与电子商务国际贸易立法实践研究”讲座在北京师范大学教九502成功举办。此次讲座由北京师范大学法学院薛虹教授担任主讲人，米兰大学名誉教授、罗马LUISS大学知识产权和竞争法高级教授、国际知识产权教学与研究促进会前任主席Gustavo Ghidini先生作为客座嘉宾。

薛虹教授详细讲解世界贸易组织（WTO）多边贸易体制及世界贸易组织知识产权协定（TRIPS协议）的主要法律制度。客座嘉宾回顾了知识产权法的历史，认为TRIPS协定给予发展中国家和最不发达国家的过渡期过短使它们处于不利地位，主张给予最不发达国家永久性豁免。薛虹教授解释了多边贸易体制和TRIPS协定对于我国等发展中国家的积极意义，指出客座嘉宾观点的偏狭和不足，鼓励同学们深入思考兼听则明。

讲座的精彩内容开拓同学们的视野，并引发同学们的思考和讨论，取得了良好的效果。

On the evening of October 29, 2024, UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Day Memorial Lecture & BNU International Expert Lecture Series (Number 8) was successfully held at the Law School of Beijing Normal University.

Professor Xue Hong of the Law School of Beijing Normal University introduced that BNU, as one of the CLOUT Partner Organizations, had been working closely with UNCITRAL, including presenting at the UNCITRAL Seminar on Development of Electronic Transferable Records and Electronic Bills of Lading held in Dalian May 2024 and the CLOUT virtual networking meeting in November 2024. Prof. Xue also elaborates the newest Model Law on Automatic Contracting and other Model Laws developed by UNCITRAL over 2023-2024.

Prof. Xue then invite Mr. Gustavo Ghidini, Honorary Professor of the University of Milan, Senior Professor of Intellectual Property and Competition Law at the LUISS University of Rome, and former President of the International Association for the Promotion of Intellectual Property Teaching and Research, to give the keynote speech.

Prof. Gustavo Ghidini delved into the impact of the European Artificial Intelligence Act and the challenges of AI-generated content to IP. He emphasized the duality of AI systems, distinguishing between systems driven by detailed human instructions and self-generated systems, and noted that AI outputs should not be protected by copyright if they lacked human authorship, advocating a case-by-case approach. At the same time, he discussed the potential conflict between the use of AI training data and existing intellectual property rights, proposing a new intellectual property paradigm that aims to reconcile innovation with fair compensation for data owners. Professor Ghidini emphasized that regulation on AI innovation and the need for the law should keep up with technological advances.

Professor Xue Hong pointed out as the commentator that the Prof. Ghidini’s three-part discussion on AI algorithms, generated content and training data is very insightful and relevant to the auto-contracting process pervasive in digital economy, and his views on the use of training data by artificial intelligence are very enlightening in copyright law, but the proposition of excluding some so-called simple instruction-generated content from copyright protection may only be theoretical hypotheses, lack of feasibility, and is inconsistent with the judicial practice in Europe and China.

The Lecture attracted graduate students and international exchange students from China, Poland, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, and Italy. At the end of the Lecture, two Professors patiently answered the questions of many doctoral students, master-degree students and international exchange students. The healthy academic confrontation and the wonderful interaction between the lecturer and the reviewer aroused the students’ interest in learning, and everyone discussed extensively and thought deeply, and spoke highly of the lecture.