The thesis analyses the concept ‘fairness’ in consumer contracts regulated by the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, mainly from the perspective of a freedom and fairness orientation. It discusses the evolution of ‘fairness’ as background to a more detailed discussion of the classification of fairness into substantive and procedural fairness. The thesis examines dimensions of fairness, factors which play a role in the determination of fairness, and fairness- oriented approaches in an attempt to formulate a framework for fairness in consumer contracts. The main aspects that should be taken into account to justify a finding of fairness, or to determine whether a contract is fair, are identified. This analysis addresses, too, the extent to which the fairness provisions of the Consumer Protection Act are appropriate (with reference to the law of South Africa, Europe, and England). / Mercantile Law / LL.D.

Tant pour la jurisprudence (constitutionnelle et administrative) que pour une partie de la doctrine, l’encadrement de la passation et de l’exécution des contrats administratifs de l’État et de ses établissements publics ainsi que des marchés des collectivités territoriales et de leurs établissements relève du domaine du règlement. Et ce, car à l’origine, l’association du droit de la commande publique aux matières relevant traditionnellement du pouvoir réglementaire autonome, telles que la procédure administrative non contentieuse et l’organisation des services publics est un fait établi. Pourtant, le désordre normatif dans les sources législatives et réglementaires du droit des contrats de la commande publique est largement dû à la place marquée du pouvoir réglementaire. Malgré la consolidation jurisprudentielle de cette dernière, des textes législatifs destinés à s’articuler avec les textes réglementaires se sont multipliés, accentuant la complexité de la matière. En général, le mouvement ascendant des sources du droit des contrats administratifs de la commande publique dans la hiérarchie des normes ces dernières années, y compris sa dimension communautaire, exige l’intervention préalable du législateur. De la sorte, la réorganisation des sources textuelles du droit des contrats de la commande publique s’impose avec la plus grande acuité par la ré-détermination des fondements constitutionnels des compétences normatives en la matière et, consécutivement, des rapports entre la loi et le règlement en faveur de la première dans l’encadrement du régime de la passation et d’exécution des contrats respectifs. L’unification du fondement constitutionnel de la compétence de la loi en matière contractuelle sur le fondement de l’article 34 qui attribue au législateur le soin de déterminer les principes fondamentaux des obligations civiles contribuera décisivement à la cohérence et à la systématisation des sources du droit de la commande publique. Une fois la compétence de la loi sauvegardée, le règlement se limitera à son rôle habituel, à savoir, un rôle secondaire et subordonné à l’égard de celle-ci. / According to the case law of the Constitutional Council and the administrative courts as well as to some public law theorists, the definition of the rules governing the award and the performance of Government administrative contracts, administrative contracts of State-depended public bodies and public contracts of local authorities falls within the scope of the regulatory powers of Government. More specifically it is argued that public procurement law is part of the rules governing the procedure of administrative decision making and the organisation of public services which are matters traditionally reserved to the autonomous regulatory power. The lack of coherence within the legislative and regulatory sources of public procurement law is mainly due to the predominant role of regulations. Despite the latter’s consolidation by the French courts, the growing number of legislative texts intended to build a coherent set of rules in this field has become a source of complexity. The transformation of the sources of the law of administrative contracts in the last few years – including the Community law dimension – requires the prior intervention of the Legislature. Therefore, the provisions governing the law of public procurement contracts should necessarily be restructured. This could be achieved through the redefinition of the constitutional basis of legislative and regulatory powers in the field of public contract law and consequently through a new balance between law and regulation with the intention of safeguarding the predominance of the former. Drafting the rules on the basis of Article 34 of the French Constitution which enables the Legislature to define the fundamental principles of civil obligations will clearly contribute to a more coherent and systematic approach regarding the sources of public procurement law.. Should the powers of the Legislature be safeguarded, the regulations will then be confined to their usual role, which is secondary and subordinate to Parliamentary Acts.

美國聯邦最高法院廣達v.LG案的判決結果，再次確認「專利權耗盡原則」之適用原則及標準。被告廣達電腦乃為台灣資訊代工產業的龍頭，該判決除了限制專利權人對產業鏈的不當控制外，也將影響整個產業供應鏈對於專利風險的承擔及專利授權策略。廣達案除了建立「未完成品足以體現專利物之必要特徵，且唯一用途係該專利物」及「方法權利項」適用專利權耗盡的重要標準，但也留下「附條件銷售或授權」合法性的爭議。在廣達案後續判決，對「專利權耗盡原則」的詮釋及適用，更值得加以重視。台灣資訊產業在產業供應鏈多居於「製造或組裝」角色，卻受制於上游關鍵元件的強勢及品牌客戶的訂單壓力，而被迫必須承擔產品引發的所有專利侵權的風險。如何善用廣達案及後續各國相關判決，將有助於台灣資訊代工廠商處理國際專利爭訟、專利授權等議題，並做為專利侵權抗辯手段的參考。 本論文首先從經營策略及代工模式，探討台灣資訊代工產業發展與面臨的困境。其次，從專利權與專利侵害的法律規範，到專利權耗盡原則的法理基礎做一完整論述，加以美國先前相關案例的整理及類型分析，對「專利權耗盡原則」的理論與發展做一完整的探討。更進而整理廣達案判決後美國、中國大陸及台灣重要案例，探討「專利權耗盡原則」在其專利法制及實務案例的適用及影響。接著，探討在「契約自由原則」與「專利權耗盡原則」的衝突與調和下，其對於專利授權實務的操作及影響。最後，整理台灣資訊代工產業的代工類型化與廣達案前後美國、中國大陸及台灣權利耗盡重要判決之關聯性，並提出看法及建議。本文初步結論，美國法院案例可初步解析侵權風險及專利權耗盡的適用，並在專利授權談判可提出有效因應條款。廣達案後，美國各級法院均大致遵守此一判決先例，惟中國大陸及台灣法院實務判決仍未完全採取美國的判斷原則。對於後續的研究建議，新興3D列印科技發展及應用，其引發的複雜智慧財產權及「專利權耗盡原則」適用的爭議，確實值得重視。 / Quanta v. LG reaffirmed the applicable principles and standards of the "patent exhaustion principle". As the Quanta plays the lead role in Taiwan’s Information ODM/OEM industry, this US Supreme court’s decision not only limits the patent holder improper control of the industrial chain, but also affects the entire supply chain face the risks and patent license strategies. Quanta establishes the index that "unfinished finished enough to reflect the essential features of the patent and the sole purpose thereof " and "method claim" apply to patent exhaustion. However, "conditional sale or license" is still controversial. Therefore, the Post-Quanta interpretation is worthy of attention. Taiwan's IT Industries most account for the role of "manufacture or assembly" in the supply chain. Subject to the upstream suppliers of the key components or downstream brand customers, they bear all risks caused by infringement of patented products. The Quanta case and its post development will help Taiwan Information foundries to deal with international patent litigation, patent license and etc., and take it as a means to defend against patent infringement claim. Firstly, this thesis explores the development of Taiwan's information ODM/OEM industry and the difficulties of its business strategies and ODM/OEM models. Secondly, it turns to discuss the development of the "patent exhaustion doctrine", and then reviews US critical cases of "patent exhaustion doctrine". In addition, it analyzes post-Quanta cases of the United State, China and Taiwan to discuss the application and impact of the "patent exhaustion doctrine". Furthermore it explores its operation and effect on patent license practice under the conflict and reconciliation of "freedom of contract" and "patent exhaustion doctrine". Then, it identifies Taiwan’s information OEM/OEM industry in a variety of models and associates the models with the important cases of the United States, China and Taiwan regarding patent exhaustion, and makes remarks and suggestions. Finally, this thesis preliminarily concludes that US court cases basically resolve the risk of infringement and patent exhaustion application, and patent license negotiation may be made to respond effectively to the situation. After Quanta, US courts are substantially in compliance with this precedent judgment, but not for China and Taiwan. For subsequent study suggestion, it is worth attention about dispute of the emerging 3D printing technology development and application, which link complex intellectual property rights and the application of "patent exhaustion doctrine".

L'objet principal de notre recherche sera d'essayer d'éclairer l'obscurité relative à la figure du contrat normatif, existante particulièrement en espagne, en élaborant une étude minutieuse et en profondeur qui fait actuellement défaut dans la littérature juridique. de même, il sera aussi bien nécessaire d'analyser si la notion de contrat normatif, telle qu'elle est proposée par la doctrine et jurisprudence espagnole et surtout italienne, peut être transposée au droit français des contrats. et, d'autre part, si la notion française de contrat-cadre correspond à celle, espagnole, de « contrato marco ». pour ce faire, il sera nécessaire d'entamer une étude de ses différences et similitudes au moyen d'une comparaison de l'emploi, par les professionnels du droit de chaque pays, de chacun des termes. finalement il sera envisagé, le cas échéant, l'opportunité d'une éventuelle transposition de la figure du contrat-cadre au droit espagnol à travers celle de « contrato marco », l'intégrant comme équivalente ou application de la figure de contrat normatif.ainsi, une fois notre recherche achevée nous serons en mesure de proposer une définition complète et claire de contrat normatif, de déterminer sa nature juridique, d'obtenir ses principaux caractères, d'en tirer sa portée et, enfin, de rassembler ces principales applications pratiques. et ce, naturellement sans oublier de relever tant l'histoire ou la genèse de cette figure que sa valeur actuelle, en tant que nouvelle forme de négociation, d'autorégulation et de limitation volontaire de la liberté contractuelle. / How far are now individuals free to create the most appropriate contractual tool to achieve the satisfaction of their needs and interests? What they have in common figures as diverse as a joint-venture agreement, a franchise agreement or a marriage contract? Is the old general theory of contract adapted to the contractual practice of the XXI century? A deep study of the normative contract in this book provides answers to these and to many other momentous matters of Private Law of Contract. Reconstructed from the detailed analysis of the theory and legal practice, the notion of normative contract as an agreement of cooperative nature could constitute the bridge to a new and inspiring way of conceiving the contract. Not surprisingly, as shown by its main practical manifestations, the contract is often more than just an instrument to organize an exchange of goods and services, a powerful regulatory tool of reality and human behavior. To put it briefly, if on the one hand in this essay the author seeks find a remedy for a situation of great uncertainty regarding the so-called normative contract, in the other hand he also invites the legal community to reflect calmly on the role played by contract in present society.Keywords: Normative contract, Normenvertrag, Alfred HUECK, genesis, concept, pactum de modo contrahendo, contrat-cadre, framework agreements, distribution, collective agreement, financial transactions, joint venture, marriage contract, codes of conduct, Spanish private law, French private law, contractual clause, cooperative agreement, intuitus personae, no-obligational and obligational content of the contract, union of contracts, regulatory function of contract, general contract theory, theory of legal regulation, Hans KELSEN , freedom of contract.

In this thesis the position of parties under a fixed-term agreement under section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 is analysed critically. The purpose of this thesis is first to establish whether parties to a fixed-term agreement are better protected in terms of section 14 of the CPA when the consumer needs to terminate the contract based on the material failure to perform by the supplier, than under the common law. Second, this thesis explores whether the maximum duration of fixed-term agreements should be limited by statute. Various aspects affecting parties to these agreements, for instance the freedom to contract, pacta servanda sunt, and standard-form agreements, are considered. The South African position is then compared to the position in Singapore under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, and to the United Kingdom under the Consumer Rights Act, to gain perspective and objectively evaluate the provisions of section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 to establish whether South Africa can benefit from lessons learnt from these jurisdictions. Finally, principle-based amendments to the provisions of the CPA are recommended to improve the position of the consumer under fixed-term agreements to effect best practice solutions and ensure adherence to the aims and purposes of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and international guidelines. This thesis is based on the law as at 18 June 2020, found in sources available in South Africa, and Singaporean law available in the database of the National University of Singapore. / Hierdie proefskrif is ’n kritiese analise van die posisie van partye tot vastetermynkontrakte ingevolge artikel 14 van die Suid-Afrikaanse verbruikersbeskermingswetgewing, die Consumer Protection Act 68 van 2008 (CPA). Die doel van die analise is eerstens om vas te stel of partye tot ’n vastetermynkontrak ingevolge artikel 14 van die CPA beter beskerming geniet ingevolge die CPA wanneer die verbruiker die vastetermynkontrak moet beëindig weens die wesenlike wanprestasie deur die verskaffer, as ingevolge die gemenereg. Tweedens ondersoek die proefskrif of dit wenslik is dat die maksimum duur van vastetermynkontrakte deur wetgewing beperk word. Verskeie aspekte wat die posisie van partye tot vastetermynkontrakte beïnvloed word ondersoek, onder andere kontrakteervryheid, die leerstuk pacta servanda sunt en standaardkontrakte. Die Suid-Afrikaanse posisie word dan vergelyk met dié in Singapoer, ingevolge die Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA), en die Verenigde Koninkryk, ingevolge die Consumer Rights Act (CRA) om perspektief te kry op die studie, en ten einde die bepalings van artikel 14 objektief te oorweeg om vas te stel of Suid-Afrika kan kersopsteek by hierdie jurisdiksies. Laastens word voorstelle gemaak om die posisie van die verbruiker tot vastetermynkontrakte ingevolge die CPA te verbeter om beste gebruikspraktyke te implementeer, en te verseker dat die doelwitte van die CPA en internasionale verbruikersriglyne bereik word. Hierdie studie weerspieël die regsposisie soos op 18 Junie 2020 in bronne wat plaaslik beskikbaar is, asook in bronne aan my beskikbaar gestel deur die Nasionale Universiteit van Singapoer tydens ’n navorsingsbesoek daar. / Kule thesisi isimo sezinhlangano ezingaphansi kwesivumelwano sesikhathi esinqunyiwe, ngaphansi kwesigaba 14 koMthetho 68 ka 2008, uMthetho weZokuvikelwa koMthengi uhlaziywa ngendlela egxekayo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukusungula ukuthi mhlawumbe lezi zinhlangano ezingaphansi kwesivumelwano sesikhathi esinqunyiwe sivikeleke kangcono ngaphansi kwesigaba 14 se-CPA uma kunesidingo sabathengi sokuqedwa kwesivumelwano esencike phezu kokwehluleka ukwenza umsebenzi waloyo ongumthumeli wempahla, okwehlukile emthethweni owejwayelekile. Okwesibili, le thesis iphenya ukuthi mhlawumbe isikhathi isikhathi esinde sesivumelwano sesikhathi esinqunyiwe kufanele sincishiswe ngokomthetho oshayiwe. Izinto ezahlukahlukene ezithinta lezi zivumelwano, njengesibonelo, inkululeko yokungena esivumelwaneni pacta servanda sunt, kanye nesivumelwano ezingaguquki, kuyizinto ezibhekwayo. Isimo seNingizimu Afrika siqhathaniswa nesimo sezwe laseSingapore ngaphansi koMthetho wezokuVikelwa kwabaThengi (Fair Trading), kanye nasezweni laseUnited Kingdom ngaphansi koMthetho owaMalungelo abaThengi, ukuthola umqondo kanye nokuhlola izimiso ngaphansi kwesigaba 14 soMthetho 68 ka 2008, uMthetho oVikela abaThengi ukuthola ukuthi ngabe iNingizimu Afrika kukhona ekuzuzile kwizifundo ezifundwe kulezi zakhiwo zemithetho. Okokugcina, izichibiyelo ezisuselwe kwimigomo mayelana nalokho okushiwo yi-CPA inconywe ukuthi yenze ngcono isimo sezinhlangano ezingaphansi kwezivumelwano zesikhathi esinqunyiwe ukuletha izisombululo ezingcono kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi kulandelwa izinhloso kanye nemisebenzi yoMthetho 68 ka 2008, okunguMthetho oVikela abaThengi kanye nemihlahlandlela yezizwe zomhlaba. Lolu cwaningo lususelwe phezu komthetho kusukela mhla zi 18 uNhlangulana 2020, luyatholakala emithonjeni yaseNingizimu Afrika, kanye nomthetho waseSingapore uyatholakala emthonjeni yedatha yaseNational University of Singapore. / Mercantile Law / LL. D.

What makes real life contractual arrangements? How does the law influence real life contractual arrangements? These are everyday questions for businesspeople and commercial lawyers. The traditional ‘imperative’ view of law assumes that business people contract ‘in the shadow of the law’ and contractual arrangements conform to what the law says. But empirical studies on contract practice suggest that contract law may, in fact, play a very insignificant role in real life contractual arrangements. This thesis provides a sociological view of the role of contract law in real life contractual arrangements in the context of the Vietnamese market. Specifically, this thesis applies an institutional law & economics approach to investigate how social structures of the market influence contractual arrangements to marginalize contract law in the Vietnamese market. Drawing on two surveys of contract behaviour in the Vietnamese market, this thesis finds that real life contractual arrangements respond to the institutional structure of the market as a whole, rather than only ‘the shadow of the law’. Institutional changes in the Vietnamese market suggest that there exists a merchant law system, constituted of traditional moral norms and social structures in the market. This merchant law system continues to order contractual arrangements in the market, despite the introduction of a transplanted contract law system. Disagreeing with the imperative approach, this thesis claims that contract law reform should conform to the institutional structure of the market to reduce transaction costs of contracting and to provide an effective framework for real life contractual arrangements.