Personal jurisdiction: Where cyberspace meets the real world - Part 1

Whereas traditional jurisdictional issues are geographically based, today electronic communication readily crosses borders without having any specific links to the territory where the technology is located and users engage in global activities without the need for physical presence within the forum state. As the Internet becomes part of daily life rather than a place deserving an occasional visit, the courts of different countries strive to adapt existing legal systems to ever nebulous out-of-state cyber defendants. Though online activity raises numerous legal issues, not least jurisdiction, this article is concerned only with personal jurisdiction.