{"id":29138,"date":"2024-03-18T13:20:07","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T13:20:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prelive-tdw.visibleone.app\/insight-and-news\/the-hong-kong-market-entry-playbook-online-terms-of-service\/"},"modified":"2025-09-22T03:07:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T03:07:14","slug":"the-hong-kong-market-entry-playbook-online-terms-of-service","status":"publish","type":"insight-and-news","link":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/insight-and-news\/the-hong-kong-market-entry-playbook-online-terms-of-service\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hong Kong Market Entry Playbook: Online Terms of Service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n    \n\n<div style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/wp-content\/themes\/tanner-de-witt\/images\/insightdetails.jpeg')\"\n    class=\"insight-news-detail-hero\" id=\"insight-news-detail-hero\">\n\n\t\t<div style=\"background-color:\" class=\"insight-news-detail-hero-overlay \"><\/div>\n            <div class=\"z-[0]\">\n                <div class=\"insight-news-breadcrumbs flex items-end practice-areas-featured-breadcrumbs \">\n                    <a class=\"page-link no-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/\">Home<\/a>                <\/div>\n\n\n                <div class=\"hero-title\">\n                    <h1>\n                        The Hong Kong Market Entry Playbook: Online Terms of Service                    <\/h1>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                    <div style=\"\" class=\"hero-date \">\n\n                        <span class=\"month\">Mar<\/span>\n                        <span class=\"day\">18<\/span>\n                        <span class=\"year\">2024<\/span>\n                    <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n    \n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<script >\n    (function () {\n        document.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", () => {\n\n            const breadCrumbsContainer = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\".practice-areas-featured-breadcrumbs\"));\n\n            breadCrumbsContainer.forEach(container => {\n                const breadCrumbLinks = Array.from(container.querySelectorAll('.page-link'));\n                const breadCrumbSeperators = Array.from(container.querySelectorAll('.separator'));\n\n                if (Array.from(breadCrumbLinks).length === 1) {\n                    const homeNode = breadCrumbLinks[0];\n\n                    if (!homeNode) {\n                        return\n                    }\n\n                    const postTypeNode = homeNode.cloneNode(true);\n                    postTypeNode.textContent = \"Insights and News\";\n                    container.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `<span class=\"separator practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-slash\">\/<\/span>`)\n                    container.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', postTypeNode)\n                    breadCrumbLinks.push(postTypeNode);\n\n                    if (\"Insights\") {\n                        const categoryNode = homeNode.cloneNode(true);\n\n                        categoryNode.textContent = \"Insights\";\n                        container.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `<span class=\"separator practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-slash\">\/<\/span>`)\n                        container.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', categoryNode)\n                        breadCrumbLinks.push(categoryNode);\n                    }\n\n\n                    const titleNode = homeNode.cloneNode(true);\n\n                    titleNode.textContent = \"The Hong Kong Market Entry Playbook: Online Terms of Service\";\n                    container.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `<span class=\"separator practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-slash\">\/<\/span>`)\n                    container.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', titleNode)\n                    breadCrumbLinks.push(titleNode);\n\n\n\n\n                }\n\n                breadCrumbLinks.forEach((link, index) => {\n\n                    link.classList.add('practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-name');\n                    const origin = window.location.origin;\n                    const href = window.location.href;\n\n                    const originSplitter = window.location.href.includes(\"insight-and-news\") ? \"insight-and-news\" : window.location.href.includes('insights-and-news') ? \"insights-and-news\" : \"\"\n\n                    const paths = href.split(originSplitter);\n                    const links = paths[1].split(\"\/\").filter(Boolean)\n\n\n                    const resolvedOrigin = originSplitter ? (href.split(originSplitter)[0] || \"\") : (origin + \"\/\")\n\n                    if (index === 0) {\n\n                        if (!originSplitter) {\n                            link.href = origin\n                        } else {\n                            link.href = resolvedOrigin;\n                        }\n\n\n                    } else if (index === 1) {\n                        link.href = resolvedOrigin + originSplitter\n\n                    }\n                    else if (index === 2) {\n                        console.log(links)\n                        link.href = resolvedOrigin + originSplitter + \"\/\" + (links[0] || \"\")\n                    }\n                    else if (index === 3) {\n\n                        link.href = resolvedOrigin + originSplitter + \"\/\" + (links[0] || \"\") + \"\/\" + (links[1] || \"\")\n\n                    }\n\n\n\n                    \/\/ const words = link.textContent.split(\" \")\n                    \/\/ if (words.length > 4) {\n                    \/\/     link.textContent = words.slice(0, 4).join(\" \") + \"...\"\n                    \/\/ }\n\n                })\n\n                breadCrumbSeperators.forEach(separator => {\n                    separator.textContent = \"\/\"\n                    separator.classList.add('practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-slash')\n                });\n\n\n            })\n\n\n        })\n        removeDivTag()\n    })();\n\n    function removeDivTag() {\n        console.log(\"remasfljas\");\n        const editorContainer = document.querySelector(\".editor-wysiwyg\");\n        \/\/ editorContainer.innerText = editorContainer.innerText.replace(\"<\/div>\", \"\")\n        Array.from(editorContainer.childNodes).forEach(el => {\n            if (el.textContent.includes(\"<\/div>\")) {\n                el.textContent = \"\"\n            }\n        })\n    }\n<\/script>\n<div class=\"editor-wysiwyg my-[40px]\">\n<div class=\"single-section\"><div class=\"single-section\">\n<p>Hong Kong has a long history of being a business-friendly location to set up both as a regional business hub and to access the sophisticated local market. In the next of a series of articles exploring the attraction of Hong Kong as a regional and international business centre, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/our-people\/padraig-walsh\/\">P\u00e1draig Walsh<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/\">Tanner De Witt<\/a> explains key points of contract for online terms of service in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zWWOgRJpvJE?feature=oembed\" title=\"Hong Kong Market Entry Playbook - Online Terms of Service\" width=\"1778\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Terms of Service:<\/strong> Online Terms of Service are usually uploaded on a company\u2019s website or downloaded with an application, and provide the contractual terms for the use of the website in question and the online purchase of goods or services via the website or application.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Electronic contracts:<\/strong> Terms of Service often contain provisions in relation to the formation of contract and making payments via the website or application. In Hong Kong, the Electronic Transactions Ordinance is the governing law in respect of electronic contracts, and provides that contracting online is subject to the same requirements as contracting on paper. A contract will not be invalid or unenforceable on the sole ground that an electronic record was used to form the contract. As a matter of principle, electronic acceptance of contract offers is permitted under the Hong Kong law.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Click-wrap:<\/strong> Click-wrap acceptance of online terms occurs when the contracting party agrees with the Terms of Service by clicking a button or checking the \u201cI agree\u201d box. This commonly arises when the Terms of Service are displayed in a pop-up box in full or on a hyperlink. The general view is that clickwrap acceptance of Terms of Service is effective in Hong Kong, as active action is required from the user to confirm acceptance of the Terms of Service.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Browse-wrap:<\/strong> Browse-wrap acceptance of online terms occurs by notifying the online terms to the user, and deeming acceptance by their continued use of the website or application in question. The users are not required to actively agree to the Terms of Service, and there is no requirement that the user has to tick an \u201cI agree\u201d box. There is not a definitive guidance in Hong Kong law on whether browse-wrap acceptance is enforceable. The prevailing view is that, most likely, browse-wrap acceptance would not be valid in consumer contracts, and may not be valid in business-to-business contracts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Electronic signatures:<\/strong> The Electronic Transactions Ordinance recognises the validity of electronic signatures, subject to limited exceptions, and adopts a technology neutral approach to what constitutes an electronic signature. The basic requirement is that the letters, characters, numbers or other symbols in digital form are attached to or logically associated with the electronic record of the contract, and were executed or adopted for the purpose of authenticating or approving the electronic record. In terms of business or sales contracts, generally, electronic signatures would suffice.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Online payment:<\/strong> There is an active market for the provision of online payment services in Hong Kong. The provision of money service operations will require a licence in Hong Kong. Consequently, most online sellers will avoid directly conducting the online payment transaction, and will engage licensed third parties to conduct online payment services. Online payment services are provided by licensed banks, payment system operators, stored value facility operators and money service operators.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong><em>P\u00e1draig Walsh <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>* This article is an expanded version of our contribution to the <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.itechlaw.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>iTech Law<\/em><\/a><em> global publication \u201cStartup Legal Playbook\u201d, which can be accessed on this <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.itechlaw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Startup%20Legal%20Playbook.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>link<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If you want to know more about the content of this article, please contact:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/our-people\/padraig-walsh\/\">P\u00e1draig Walsh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Partner | <a href=\"mailto:padraigwalsh@tannerdewitt.com\">padraigwalsh@tannerdewitt.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Disclaimer: This publication is general in nature and is not intended to constitute legal advice. You should seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters dealt with in this publication. This article was last updated<\/em> <em>on 18 March 2024<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hong Kong has a long history of being a business-friendly location to set up both as a regional business hub and to access the sophisticated local market. In the next of a series of articles exploring the attraction of Hong Kong as a regional and international business centre, P\u00e1draig Walsh of Tanner De Witt explains [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"insight-category":[1121],"insight-month":[1156],"insight-practice-area":[1127,1126,1125],"insight-year":[1159],"class_list":["post-29138","insight-and-news","type-insight-and-news","status-publish","hentry","insight-category-legal-updates-and-insights","insight-month-march","insight-practice-area-commercial","insight-practice-area-corporate","insight-practice-area-corporate-and-commercial","insight-year-1159"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news\/29138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/insight-and-news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news\/29138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30358,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news\/29138\/revisions\/30358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29138"},{"taxonomy":"insight-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-category?post=29138"},{"taxonomy":"insight-month","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-month?post=29138"},{"taxonomy":"insight-practice-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-practice-area?post=29138"},{"taxonomy":"insight-year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-year?post=29138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}