The legal framework of e-commerce
The Georgian Law on Electronic Commerce governs legal relations connected with electronic commerce, and for the purposes of the law e-commerce means the supply of information-society services. The law's aims are to promote the proper functioning of the internal market through the free movement of such services, to protect consumer rights in e-commerce, and to define the rights and duties of intermediary service providers. The law applies to entrepreneurs registered in Georgia and to branches of foreign commercial societies; it does not cover areas such as court representation, tax and customs matters, real-property registration, notarial activity or the gambling business.
Core definitions
Article 2 defines an information-society service — remotely supplied, for remuneration, at the individual request of the recipient, by electronic means. Remote supply means the parties are not simultaneously present; electronic means — devices for data processing and storage through which the service is transmitted by wire or radio waves. The law also defines commercial communication, the service provider and recipient, the order, intermediary services — mere conduit, caching and hosting — and the electronic contract, a contract concluded by electronic means. These definitions determine who falls under which regime.
Supply of services and conclusion of the contract
Under Article 3, the supply of information-society services is not subject to licensing, permitting or authorization — unless the activity falls under a licensing regime by another law. The electronic contract is a full-fledged contract: where confirmation by signature is required, it is concluded in accordance with Georgian legislation — electronic form does not diminish its force. These two positions create the initial calm for business: the entrance is open, and the form is reliable.
Information and the order process
Article 8 requires that before an electronic contract is concluded the provider clearly and intelligibly supplies the recipient with information on every technical stage of concluding the contract, the conditions of its electronic storage and availability, the available languages, and the technical means of identifying and correcting errors. Article 9 governs the order mechanism: where an order is placed electronically, the provider immediately acknowledges receipt by electronic means; the order or acknowledgement is deemed received where it is factually available to the recipient; and before final placement the recipient must have technical means of correcting errors. For consumer protection, agreeing on a rule different from these requirements is possible only where the recipient is not a consumer.
The law's scope is precisely defined: it applies to entrepreneurs registered in Georgia and to branches of foreign commercial societies, while it does not apply to court representation, matters covered by the tax and customs codes, registration of rights to immovable property in the public registry, registration of rights requiring a special form, notarial activity, the gambling business, television and radio broadcasting services, services provided by voice telephone means, exchange of information unconnected to commercial activity, the National Bank's sphere of regulation, and the exercise of an administrative organ's public-law authority. Such a detailed list of exceptions gives business a purely practical answer: if your model is an online shop, a service platform or a seller of digital content, the law is about you; if the relationship fits another regime, that regime applies. Precise classification is the first step from the outset, because both the mandatory information and the consumer-protection rules depend on it.
Intermediary services and the boundaries of liability
The law's terms define three types of intermediary service — mere conduit, caching and hosting — and precisely this division creates the legal relief of platforms: one of the law's aims is to define the rights and duties of intermediary service providers and to protect them from the imposition of a general monitoring duty. A person who merely transmits information or stores it temporarily for effective distribution is in a different position from one who sells its own content. Understanding this distinction matters practically for determining which information duties and liability boundaries attach to a given model. At the same time, the special rules on information and orders do not extend to contracts concluded by individual communication means — an exception that preserves lightness for private relationships.
The practical conclusion is two-sided: for a platform, the sales interface is itself a legal document — the blocks on technical stages, storage, languages and error correction are mandatory elements whose archive carries evidentiary force in a dispute. For the consumer, immediate acknowledgement of the order and the possibility of correcting errors are a legally protected minimum. The Legal.ge team assists with e-commerce legal documentation — from the rules to the forms of the order process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does e-commerce need a license?
No — supplying information-society services is not subject to licensing, permitting or authorization, unless the activity falls under another law's licensing regime.
What information must be given before the contract?
Technical stages, conditions of electronic storage and availability, available languages, and error-identification and correction means — clearly and intelligibly.
When is an order deemed received?
Where it is factually available to the recipient; on electronic placement the provider immediately acknowledges receipt electronically.
May a different rule be agreed?
Yes, but not with a consumer recipient — a different rule may be written only with non-consumer parties.
How We Help on Legal.ge
Compliance with the e-commerce rules protects both sides of the transaction. On Legal.ge you can consult a lawyer who will assess your platform against these requirements. Submit a request on the site and get qualified assistance.