Colin Rule

Note New date

Monday April 10, 2006
12:30-1:30 PM
Room 95
Stanford Law School
Open to All
Lunch Served

As people around the world increasingly interact with each other in cyberspace it is inevitable that disputes will arise. If the internet is to become a trusted environment for both commerce and content, individuals and organizations must have access to redress systems to resolve their online disputes. In the face-to-face world we rely on the courts to address disagreements, but courts are not well designed to handle online disputes because judicial systems are usually too tied to geography and jurisdiction. Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) is a better solution for many online conflicts because it is effective, efficient, and trans-boundary by nature. As an organization pioneering the creation of online marketplaces eBay has long acknowledged the need for effective online redress, and that is why eBay and PayPal have invested heavily in ODR processes and partnerships. The work done by eBay in this area offers a blueprint for how other institutions, especially public institutions, can provide redress systems as they steadily move their operations online.
Colin Rule is eBay and PayPal’s first Director of Online Dispute Resolution. Prior to joining eBay Colin co-founded and led Online Resolution, one of the first online dispute resolution (ODR) providers. Colin is the author of Online Dispute Resolution for Business, published by Jossey-Bass in September 2002, and he has contributed more than 40 articles to prestigious publications in the dispute resolution field. He holds a Master's degree from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in conflict resolution and technology, a B.A. in Peace Studies from Haverford College, and he is currently Co-Chair of the Online Dispute Resolution Committee of the American Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Section.