Contracts (CISG)

1. Contracts (CISG)

2. Convention applies (1) This Convention applies to contracts of sale of goods between parties whose places of business are in different States: (a) when the States are Contracting States; or • (b) when the rules of private international law lead to the application of the law of a Contracting State. • (2) The fact that the parties have their places of business in different States is to be disregarded whenever this fact does not appear either from the contract or from any dealings between, or from information disclosed by, the parties at any time before or at the conclusion of the contract. • (3) Neither the nationality of the parties nor the civil or commercial character of the parties or of the contract is to be taken into consideration in determining the application of this Convention.

3. Convention does not apply This Convention does not apply to sales: (a) of goods bought for personal, family or household use, unless the seller, at any time before or at the conclusion of the contract, neither knew nor ought to have known that the goods were bought for any such use; • (b) by auction; • (c) on execution or otherwise by authority of law; • (d) of stocks, shares, investment securities, negotiable instruments or money; • (e) of ships, vessels, hovercraft or aircraft; • (f) of electricity.

4. Taikymas • Vis pirma, pažymtina, kadKonvencijataikytinaprekipirkimo-pardavimosutartims. • Pirma, pagalKonvencijos 2 (a) straipsnį, jinėrataikytinavartojimosutartims. Tai reiškia, kadKonvencijataikytinatikkomerciniopobdžioprekiųpirkimo-pardavimosutartims. • Antra, jostaikymosritisapribotatikpirkimu-pardavimu. Galiausiai, Konvencijataikomatikprekių pirkimui-pardavimui. NorspatiKonvencijanepateikia “prekės” svokos, jos 2 straipsnisišvardijaatvejus, kuriemsjinrataikytina (pvz. jinetaikytinapirkimui-pardavimuiaukcione)

5. Contract terms v. Convention (1) In the interpretation of this Convention, regard is to be had to its international character and to the need to promote uniformity in its application and the observance of good faith in international trade. • (2) Questions concerning matters governed by this Convention which are not expressly settled in it are to be settled in conformity with the general principles on which it is based or, in the absence of such principles, in conformity with the law applicable by virtue of the rules of private international law.

6. AršalysgalipasirinktiVienosKonvenciją, kaipjąsudarytaipirkimo-pardavimosutariaitaikytinąteisę, jeiguneivienaišjųKonvencijostikslaissavoverslovietosneturivalstybse, kuriosyraKonvencijosdalyvs, tebeliekaginčytinuklausimu, tačiaupažymėtina, kaddaugumaautoriųmano, kadtokstaikytinosteisspasirinkimasteisiniupožiūriu būtųgaliojantis • kaikilęs ginčas yraišspręstinasarbitražo, tokiamšaliųpasirinkimuibūtųneabejotinaisuteiktateisinė galia, nesarbitraiKonvencijosnuostatasir UNIDROIT KomerciniųkontraktųprincipustaikonetgineatsižvelgdamišaliųpasirinkimuikaipLexMercatoria

7. Negotiations in bad faith • (1) A party is free to negotiate and is not liable for failure to reach an agreement. • (2) However, a party who negotiates or breaks off negotiations in bad faith is liable for the losses caused to the other party. • (3) It is bad faith, in particular, for a party to enter into or continue negotiations when intending not to reach an agreement with the other party.

8. Sąžiningumo pareiga • 1. Turėti tikslą sudaryti sutartį • 2. Atskleisti esminę informaciją • 3. Laikytis konfidencialumo

9. (Freedom of contract) • The parties are free to enter into a contractand to determine its content. • Limitation of party autonomy by mandatory rules • With respect to the freedom to determine the content of thecontract, in the first instance the Principles themselves containprovisions from which the parties may not derogate. • Moreover, there are both public and private law rules of mandatorycharacter enacted by States (e.g. anti-trust, exchange control or pricelaws; laws imposing special liability regimes or prohibiting grosslyunfair contract terms, etc.),

10. I l l u s t r a t i o n s • 1. A grants B forty-eight hours as the time within which B mayaccept its offer. When B, shortly before the expiry of the deadline,decides to accept, it is unable to do so: it is the weekend, the fax atA’s office is disconnected and there is no telephone answeringmachine which can take the message. When on the followingMonday A refuses B’s acceptance A acts contrary to good faithsince when it fixed the time-limit for acceptance it was for A toensure that messages could be received at its office throughout theforty-eight hour period.

11. (Inconsistent Behaviour) • A party cannot act inconsistently with an understanding it has caused the other party tohave and upon which that other party reasonablyhas acted in reliance to its detriment. • This provision is a general application of the principle of good faithand fair dealing (Art. 1.7).

12. I l l u s t r a t i o n s • 1. A has negotiated with B over a lengthy period for a contract oflease of B’s land under which B is to demolish a building andconstruct a new one to A’s specification. A communicates with B interms that induce B reasonably to understand that their contractnegotiations have been completed, and that B can begin performance. • B then demolishes the building and engages contractors to build thenew building. A is aware of this and does nothing to stop it. A laterindicates to B that there are additional terms still to be negotiated. Awill be precluded from departing from B’s understanding.

13. Because of difficulties it is experiencing with its ownsuppliers, A is unable to make deliveries on time to B under theircontract. The contract imposes penalties for late delivery. Afterbeing made aware of A’s difficulties, B indicates it will not insiston strict compliance with the delivery schedule. A year later B’sbusiness begins to suffer from A’s late deliveries. B seeks torecover penalties for the late deliveries to date and to requirecompliance with the delivery schedule for the future. It will beprecluded from recovering the penalties but will be able to insist oncompliance with the schedule if reasonable notice is given thatcompliance is required for the future.

14. B is indebted to A in the sum of AUS $10,000. Though thedebt is due A takes no steps to enforce it. B assumes inconsequence that A has pardoned the debt. A has done nothing toindicate that such actually is the case. It later demands payment. Bcannot rely on A’s inaction to resist that demand.

15. Duty of confidentiality • Where information is given as confidential by one party in the course of negotiations, the other party is under a duty not to disclose that information or to use it improperly for its own purposes, whether or not a contract is subsequently concluded. • Where appropriate, the remedy for breach of that duty may include compensation based on the benefit received by the other party.

16. Linguistic discrepancies • Where a contract is drawn up in two or more language versions which are equally authoritative there is, in case of discrepancy between the versions, a preference for the interpretation according to a version in which the contract was originally drawn up.

17. A and B, neither of them native English speakers, negotiate and draw up a contract in English before translating it into their respective languages. The parties agree that all three versions are equally authoritative. In case of divergencies between the texts, the English version will prevail unless circumstances indicate the contrary.

18. Objective v. Subjective (1) For the purposes of this Convention statements made by and other conduct of a party are to be interpreted according to his intent where the other party knew or could not have been unaware what that intent was. (2) If the preceding paragraph is not applicable, statements made by and other conduct of a party are to be interpreted according to the understanding that a reasonable person of the same kind as the other party would have had in the same circumstances. • (3) In determining the intent of a party or the understanding a reasonable person would have had, due consideration is to be given to all relevant circumstances of the case including the negotiations, any practices which the parties have established between themselves, usages and any subsequent conduct of the parties.

19. Aiškinant sutartis atkreiptinas dėmesys: • Kam teikti pirmenybę – šalių ketinimams ar gramatiniam teksto aiškinimui; • Koks yra teismo vaidmuo aiškinant sutartis; • Kokiais principais vadovaujantis šalintini atskirų sutarties dalių prieštaravimai; • Kuo remiantis užpildytinos sutarties spragos.

20. SUTARČIŲ AIŠKINIMO TEORIJOS • Valios (subjektyvi) – subjektyvusis aiškinimas • Valios išraiškos (objektyvi) – objektyvusis aiškinimas

21. Tarptautinės kodifikacijos 2.1.UNIDROIT komercinių sutarčių principai (angl. Principles of International Commercial Contracts) 2.2. Europos sutarčių teisės principai –PECL (angl. Principles of European Contract Law)

22. UNIDROIT komercinių sutarčių principai 4.1 str - Šalių ketinimai • (1) – Sutartį reikia aiškinti pagal bendrą šalių valią (ketinimus); • (2) – Jeigu valia negali būti nustatyta, sutartį reikia aiškinti pagal tą reikšmę, kurią protingi asmenys, veikdami kaip sutarties šalys, suteiktų sutarčiai analogiškomis aplinkybėmis

23. UNIDROIT komercinių sutarčių principai 4.2 str. – Pareiškimų ir kitokių veiksmų aiškinimas – atsižvelgiant į tikruosius šalių ketinimus, jeigu kita šalis juos žinojo ar turėjo žinoti arba kaip juos esant tokiai situacijai tokioje padėtyje esantis protingas asmuo;

24. UNIDROIT komercinių sutarčių principai 4.3 str. – Susijusios aplinkybės. • Taikant 4.1 ir 4.2 straipsnius, turi būti atsižvelgiama į visas aplinkybes, įskaitant (a) preliminarias šalių derybas; (b) tarp šalių susiklosčiusią praktiką; (c) šalių elgesį sudarius sutartį; (d) sutarties prigimtį ir tikslą; (e) konkrečioje verslo srityje visuotinai priimtą atitinkamų sąlygų ir teiginių reikšmę; (f) papročius

25. PECL 5.101(1) str. – sutartis turi būti aiškinama pagal bendrą šalių valią, net jei ji skiriasi nuo pažodinės žodžių reikšmės; 5.101(2) str. – jei nustatoma, kad viena šalis suteikė sutarčiai tam tikrą reikšmę, o kita šalis sutarties sudarymo metu tos reikšmės negalėjo nežinoti, sutartis turi būti aiškinama pagal pirmosios šalies sutarčiai suteiktą reikšmę ; 5.101(3) str. – jei valia negali būti nustatyta vadovaujantis (1) ir (2) dalimis, sutartis turi būti aiškinama, atsižvelgiant į tai, kokią reikšmę jai suteiktų analogiški protingi asmenys, veikdami tokiomis pat aplinkybėmis.

26. PECL 5.102 str. – Susiję aplinkybės (be UNIDROIT 4.3. str. nurodytų aplinkybių, PECL dar nurodoma: sutarties sudarymo aplinkybės; reikšmę, kurią šalys yra suteikusios tokioms pat sutarties sąlygoms; šalių tarpusavio santykių praktiką; sąžiningumo ir doros dalykinėje praktikoje principus. 5.103 str.- Contra Proferentem taisyklė – neaiškių sutarties sąlygų aiškinimas jas pasiūliusios šalies nenaudai; 5.104 str. – Individualiai aptartų sutarties sąlygų pirmenybė

27. Sutarčių aiškinimo taisyklės (CK 6.193 str.) • sąžiningas aiškinimas; • nagrinėjami tikrieji šalių ketinimai; • jeigu tikrųjų ketinimų negalima nustatyti, sutartis aiškinama “protingo asmens” akimis; • atsižvelgiama į sutarties sąlygų tarpusavio ryšį, sutarties esmę ir tikslą bei jos sudarymo aplinkybes; • neaiškiai sąvokai priskiriama priimtiniausia reikšmė, atsižvelgiant į sutarties prigimtį, esmę bei jos dalyką; • sąlygos dėl kurių abejojama aiškinamos jas pasiūliusios šalies nenaudai ir jas priėmusios šalies naudai (contra proferentem ) Visais atvejais sutarties sąlygos aiškinamos vartotojų naudai ir sutartį prisijungimo būdu sudariusios šalies naudai. • atsižvelgiama į šalių derybas iki sutarties sudarymo, šalių tarpusavio santykių praktiką, šalių elgesį po sutarties sudarymo ir papročius.

28. Intent • There must be evidence that the parties had each from an objective perspective engaged in conduct manifesting their assent, and a contract will be formed when the parties have met such a requirement. An objective perspective means that it is only necessary that somebody gives the impression of offering or accepting contractual terms in the eyes of a reasonable person, not that they actually did want to contract.

29. Usages • (1) The parties are bound by any usage to which they have agreed and by any practices which they have established between themselves. • (2) The parties are considered, unless otherwise agreed, to have impliedly made applicable to their contract or its formation a usage of which the parties knew or ought to have known and which in international trade is widely known to, and regularly observed by, parties to contracts of the type involved in the particular trade concerned.

30. FORMATION OF THE CONTRACT • (1) A proposal for concluding a contract addressed to one or more specific persons constitutes an offer if it is sufficiently definite and indicates the intention of the offeror to be bound in case of acceptance. A proposal is sufficiently definite if it indicates the goods and expressly or implicitly fixes or makes provision for determining the quantity and the price. (2) A proposal other than one addressed to one or more specific persons is to be considered merely as an invitation to make offers, unless the contrary is clearly indicated by the person making the proposal.

31. I l l u s t r a t i o n • 1. A and B enter into negotiations with a view to setting up ajoint venture for the development of a new product. Afterprolonged negotiations without any formal offer or acceptance andwith some minor points still to be settled, both parties begin toperform. When subsequently the parties fail to reach an agreementon these minor points, a court or arbitral tribunal may decide that acontract was nevertheless concluded since the parties had begun toperform, thereby showing their intention to be bound by a contract.

32. constitutes an offerif • 1.it is sufficiently definite • 2. indicates the intention of the offeror to be bound in case of acceptance.

33. Examples of binding offers • A buyer was found to have indicated its intent to be bound when it sent the seller an "order" that stated that "we order" and "immediate delivery". A communication in the English language sent by a French seller to a German buyer was interpreted by the court as expressing the seller's intent to be bound. Where both parties had signed an order indicating a computer programme and its price, the buyer was unable to establish that the order merely indicated an intention to indicate details of a contract to be concluded at a later time rather than an intention to conclude the contract by the order. Another buyer's order specifying two sets of cutlery and the time for delivery was likewise interpreted as indicating the intent to be bound in case of acceptance notwithstanding buyer's argument that it had merely proposed to conclude future purchases.

34. Definiteness of proposal • To be deemed an offer, a proposal to conclude a contract not only must indicate an intent to be bound by an acceptance but also must be sufficiently definite. A proposal is sufficiently definite if it indicates the goods and expressly or implicitly fixes or makes provision for determining the quantity and the price. Practices established between the parties may supply the details of quality, quantity and price left unspecified in a proposal to conclude a contract. One court has concluded that, if the intent to be bound by an acceptance is established, a proposal is sufficiently definite notwithstanding the failure to specify the price. Article 14 does not require that the proposal include all the terms of the proposed contract. If, for example, the parties have not agreed on the place of delivery or the mode of transportation the Convention may fill the gap.

35. Indication of the goods • A proposal must indicate the goods. • There is no express requirement that the proposal indicate the quality of the goods. One court found that a proposal to buy "chinchilla pelts of middle or better quality" was sufficiently definite because a reasonable person in the same circumstances as the recipient of the proposal could perceive the description to be sufficiently definite. Another court assumed that an offer to purchase monoammoniumphosphate with the specification "P 205 52% +/- 1%, min 51%" was a sufficiently definite indication of the quality of the goods ordered. • If, however, the parties are unable to agree on the quality of the goods ordered there is no contract.

36. Definiteness of an offer • Even essentialterms, such as the precise description of the goods or the services to bedelivered or rendered, the price to be paid for them, the time or placeof performance, etc., may be left undetermined in the offer withoutnecessarily rendering it insufficiently definite: all depends on whetheror not the offeror by making the offer, and the offeree by accepting it,intends to enter into a binding agreement, and whether or not themissing terms can be determined by interpreting the language of theagreement in accordance with Arts. 4.1 et seq., or supplied inaccordance with Arts. 4.8 or 5.1.2.

37. Fixing or determining the price • A proposal must expressly or implicitly fix or make provision for determining not only the quantity but also the price. • A proposal was found to be sufficiently definite in the following cases: a proposal to sell pelts of varying quality "at a price between 35 and 65 German Marks for furs of medium and superior quality" because the price could be calculated by multiplying the quantity of each quality by the relevant price; the price for similar goods in a previous contract between the parties supplied the price for a transaction in which there was no specific agreement on price because the parties had established a course of dealing; a proposal that the prices are to be adjusted to reflect market prices; agreement on a provisional price to be followed by the definitive price after the buyer resold the goods to exclusive final buyer because such an arrangement is regularly observed in the trade. • The following proposals were found to be insufficiently definite: a proposal that incorporated several alternatives but did not indicate a proposed price for some elements of the alternative proposals; an agreement that the parties would agree on the price of additional goods ten days before the new year. • One court has concluded that if the intent to be bound by an acceptance is established a proposal is sufficiently definite notwithstanding the failure to specify the price.

38. I l l u s t r a t i o n • 1. A has for a number of years annually renewed a contract withB for technical assistance for A’s computers. A opens a secondoffice with the same type of computers and asks B to provideassistance also for the new computers. B accepts and, despite thefact that A’s offer does not specify all the terms of the agreement, acontract has been concluded since the missing terms can be takenfrom the previous contracts as constituting a practice establishedbetween the parties.

39. Offer • An offer is an expression of willingness to contract on certain terms, made with the intention that it shall become binding as soon as it is accepted by the person to whom it is addressed, the "offeree". • The "expression" referred to in the definition may take different forms, such as a letter, newspaper, fax, email and even conduct, as long as it communicates the basis on which the offeror is prepared to contract.

40. invitation to treat • An invitation to treat is not an offer, but an indication of a person's willingness to negotiate a contract.

41. Effectiveness of offer • (1) An offer becomes effective when it reaches the offeree. • (2) An offer, even if it is irrevocable, may be withdrawn if the withdrawal reaches the offeree before or at the same time as the offer.

42. Į klausimą, kada pranešimai tampa galiojantys ir teisiškai pareigojantys šalis,tarpusavyje nepalaikanias tiesioginio ir momentinio ryšio, praktika bei doktrina pateikia keletą galimų atsakymų.

43. informacinė teorija (ang. information theory), • gavimo arba recepcijos teorija (ang. reception theory), • Pašto dėžutės teorija (angl. mail box rule) • Formulavimo teorija (angl. formulation theory)

44. informacinėteorija • bet koks pranešimas įsigalioja tik nuo to momento, kai gavėjas sužino apie tokio pranešimo turinį

45. recepcijosteorija • bet koks pranešimas įsigalioja nuo to momento, kai gavjas realiai fiziškai gavo tą pranešimą ar jis gavėjui tapobent jau prieinamas, nors gavėjas dar nėra sužinojęs jo turinio.

46. Pašto dėžutės teorija • pranešimas įsigaliojakai tik yra išsiunčiamas

47. Formulavimoteorija • pranešimas įsigalioja nuoto momento, kai gavėjas pradeda formuluoti savo atsakymąį gautą pranešimą

48. How to revoke (1) Until a contract is concluded an offer may be revoked if the revocation reaches the offeree before he has dispatched an acceptance. (2) However, an offer cannot be revoked: • (a) if it indicates, whether by stating a fixed time for acceptance or otherwise, that it is irrevocable; or • (b) if it was reasonable for the offeree to rely on the offer as being irrevocable and the offeree has acted in reliance on the offer. • An offer, even if it is irrevocable, is terminated when a rejection reaches the offeror.

49. Acceptance • (1) A statement made by or other conduct of the offeree indicating assent to an offer is an acceptance. Silence or inactivity does not in itself amount to acceptance. (2) An acceptance of an offer becomes effective at the moment the indication of assent reaches the offeror. An acceptance is not effective if the indication of assent does not reach the offeror within the time he has fixed or, if no time is fixed, within a reasonable time, due account being taken of the circumstances of the transaction, including the rapidity of the means of communication employed by the offeror. An oral offer must be accepted immediately unless the circumstances indicate otherwise. • (3) However, if, by virtue of the offer or as a result of practices which the parties have established between themselves or of usage, the offeree may indicate assent by performing an act, such as one relating to the dispatch of the goods or payment of the price, without notice to the offeror, the acceptance is effective at the moment the act is performed, provided that the act is performed within the period of time laid down in the preceding paragraph.

50. Counter offer (1) A reply to an offer which purports to be an acceptance but contains additions, limitations or other modifications is a rejection of the offer and constitutes a counter-offer. (2) However, a reply to an offer which purports to be an acceptance but contains additional or different terms which do not materially alter the terms of the offer constitutes an acceptance, unless the offeror, without undue delay, objects orally to the discrepancy or dispatches a notice to that effect. If he does not so object, the terms of the contract are the terms of the offer with the modifications contained in the acceptance. • (3) Additional or different terms relating, among other things, to the price, payment, quality and quantity of the goods, place and time of delivery, extent of one party's liability to the other or the settlement of disputes are considered to alter the terms of the offer materially.