Best E-commerce & Internet Law Lawyers in Carrigaline

About E-commerce & Internet Law in Carrigaline, Ireland

E-commerce and Internet Law in Carrigaline is governed primarily by Irish legislation and directly applicable European Union rules. Whether you run a local online shop serving Carrigaline and County Cork or you operate a platform that sells across the EU, the same Irish and EU legal framework applies. This area of law brings together consumer protection, data protection, electronic contracting, online advertising and marketing, payment security, intellectual property, platform liability, and cybercrime rules. Because many rules are harmonised at EU level, compliance often has cross-border impact.

In practice, businesses in Carrigaline need to ensure their websites and apps provide the right pre-contract information, fair terms, robust privacy and cookie notices, proper checkout and pricing transparency, secure payments, and clear returns processes. Platforms and online services must also consider intermediary liability and the newer obligations under the EU Digital Services Act. When issues arise, disputes are handled through Irish regulators and courts, with Cork based venues commonly used for local matters.

This guide offers general information only. It is not legal advice. For tailored guidance, consult a solicitor with Irish E-commerce and technology experience.

Why You May Need a Lawyer

Launching an online store or service. A lawyer can draft or review terms of sale, website terms of use, privacy and cookie notices, returns policies, and platform rules, making sure they meet Irish and EU requirements and are fair and enforceable.

GDPR and ePrivacy compliance. From cookie banners and consent to records of processing, international transfers, data processing agreements, and DPIAs, legal advice helps reduce regulatory risk with the Irish Data Protection Commission.

Consumer law and pricing transparency. The Consumer Rights Act 2022 and related EU rules impose strict obligations for distance selling, digital content, reviews transparency, and price reduction claims. A lawyer helps set compliant processes and training.

Marketplace and platform obligations. If you host user content or third party sellers, you may have new Digital Services Act duties such as notice-and-action, trader traceability, and reporting. Legal advice helps classify your service and implement proportionate measures.

Intellectual property and brand protection. Lawyers help register and enforce trade marks, address counterfeit goods, handle takedowns, manage copyright issues for content and software licensing, and navigate .ie domain disputes.

Advertising, influencers, and social media. Ensuring compliant advertising disclosures, substantiation for claims, and compliance with the ASAI Code and consumer protection laws can prevent enforcement and reputational harm.

Cybersecurity and incident response. In the event of a data breach or ransomware, counsel helps triage notification duties, liaise with the Data Protection Commission, engage forensic support, and manage communications.

Payments, VAT, and cross-border selling. Guidance on strong customer authentication, payment terms, chargebacks, VAT OSS or IOSS schemes, and post-Brexit customs considerations reduces friction and penalties.

Disputes and enforcement. From customer complaints and chargebacks to regulator inquiries and litigation, a local solicitor can help resolve matters efficiently and protect your position.

Local Laws Overview

Business formation and trading disclosures. Irish companies register with the Companies Registration Office. Sole traders and partnerships may need to register a business name. Your website must clearly identify the trading entity, geographic address, contact details, company number if applicable, and VAT number where registered.

Electronic contracts and signatures. The Electronic Commerce Act 2000 and the EU eIDAS Regulation recognise electronic contracts and certain electronic signatures. Online terms must be accessible, clear, and accepted in a way that evidences consent.

Consumer rights for distance selling. The Consumer Rights Act 2022 updates Irish law for goods, services, and digital content or services. Key points include a 14 day cooling off period for most distance contracts, clear pre-contract information, transparent total pricing, delivery within agreed time or within 30 days if not agreed, conformity guarantees and tiered remedies, and special rules for digital content updates and defects.

Cooling off exceptions. The 14 day right does not apply to certain goods or services such as made-to-order or clearly personalised items, sealed health or hygiene products once unsealed, perishable goods, and digital content supplied immediately with the consumer’s express consent and acknowledgment of losing the right to withdraw.

Price and review transparency. Recent EU reforms require honest presentation of prices and discounts. Announced price reductions should reference a genuine prior price. If you show consumer reviews, you must indicate whether and how you ensure they are from real purchasers.

Data protection and cookies. The GDPR applies across Ireland, enforced by the Data Protection Commission. The ePrivacy Regulations require consent for non-essential cookies and similar technologies. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and granular. Interfaces should present accept and reject choices with equal ease, and pre-ticked boxes are not valid.

Security and breach notification. You must implement appropriate security measures. Certain breaches must be notified to the Data Protection Commission without undue delay and, where feasible, within 72 hours, and to affected individuals in higher risk cases. Payment card processing is also subject to PCI DSS through your acquiring bank.

Advertising and marketing. The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland Code applies to online ads and influencer marketing. Email and SMS marketing generally require opt-in consent, with a limited soft opt-in for existing customers for similar products, alongside a clear unsubscribe in every message.

Digital Services Act and intermediary liability. Irish law historically implemented the EU eCommerce Directive safe harbours for hosting, caching, and mere conduit services. The EU Digital Services Act now adds obligations for providers of intermediary services, including points of contact, notice-and-action processes for illegal content, terms transparency, and for platforms that allow consumers to contract with traders, trader traceability and additional user protection measures. Larger services have extra duties.

Intellectual property. The Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 and subsequent EU measures protect creative works and software. Trade marks can be registered at Irish or EU level. For .ie domains, the IE Domain Registry requires a real connection to Ireland and offers a dispute policy for bad faith registrations.

Payments and strong customer authentication. EU payment rules require strong customer authentication for most online card payments using two independent factors. Your checkout and payment service providers should support compliant flows such as 3DS2.

Cybercrime and unlawful online activity. Irish criminal law prohibits unauthorised access and interference with information systems. Businesses should have policies and incident playbooks and should consider reporting cyber incidents to An Garda Siochana.

Tax and cross-border compliance. Online sellers must consider VAT obligations including the One Stop Shop for EU cross-border B2C sales or the Import One Stop Shop for low value imports. Post-Brexit trade with the UK involves customs and duties and may require EORI registration.

Dispute resolution and forums. Consumer disputes can be escalated through your internal complaints process, Alternative Dispute Resolution bodies where available, or the Irish courts. The Small Claims procedure may be suitable for lower value consumer disputes. Check the current monetary limit with the Courts Service. Jurisdiction and governing law clauses must not deprive consumers of mandatory protections of their home country.

Local context for Carrigaline. Carrigaline businesses commonly deal with regulators located in Ireland and with court venues in County Cork for local cases. Local Enterprise Office supports and regional professional networks can assist with compliance and growth planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information must my website show to comply with Irish e-commerce rules

Display your legal name or registered business name, geographic address, contact email or webform, and a telephone number where feasible. Include your company registration number and VAT number if applicable. Provide clear terms of sale, privacy and cookie notices, delivery and returns information, and pricing that includes taxes and fees where required. If you are a marketplace, identify third party sellers and their details where the law requires.

Do I need both a privacy policy and a cookie banner

Yes in most cases. A privacy policy explains what personal data you collect, why, legal bases, retention, sharing, and user rights. A cookie banner and preference tool are required to obtain prior consent for non-essential cookies and similar technologies. Consent must be as easy to refuse as to accept, and you should not drop non-essential cookies until consent is given.

Can I choose a foreign law and courts in my online terms when selling to Irish or EU consumers

You can propose governing law and jurisdiction clauses, but consumers retain mandatory protections of their home country law. Clauses that mislead consumers or attempt to waive mandatory rights are likely unfair and unenforceable. Seek advice to draft fair and compliant jurisdiction terms.

What refund and return rights do Irish consumers have for online purchases

Consumers typically have a 14 day cooling off period from delivery for distance purchases, with a further 14 days to return the goods. You must refund within 14 days of the withdrawal notice, but can withhold until you receive the goods back or proof of return. Consumers may be responsible for return shipping costs if you informed them clearly. Certain goods and services are exempt.

How do GDPR obligations differ from cookie rules

GDPR governs the processing of personal data generally, including legal bases, transparency, rights, security, and accountability. Cookie rules under ePrivacy focus specifically on storing or accessing information on a user device. Many cookies involve personal data, so both regimes can apply. You need a GDPR compliant privacy policy and an ePrivacy compliant consent mechanism for non-essential cookies.

What are my obligations under the EU Digital Services Act

If you provide intermediary services such as hosting user content or operating a marketplace, you must maintain a single point of contact, publish clear terms, and operate notice-and-action processes for illegal content. Marketplaces must verify trader information and provide user-facing transparency. Larger services have additional compliance and reporting duties. Pure first party online shops with no hosting features have fewer obligations, but many sites host reviews or user uploads, which can bring DSA duties into scope.

Can I email past customers with marketing without fresh consent

Irish ePrivacy rules allow a limited soft opt-in. You can market your own similar products or services to existing customers whose details you collected in the context of a sale, provided you offered a clear opt-out at the time and include an unsubscribe in every message. For other recipients or different products, obtain prior opt-in consent.

How should I handle online reviews and influencer campaigns

Do not post or procure fake reviews. If you present reviews, state whether you verify that they are from real customers and how. Influencer content must clearly disclose commercial relationships using clear labels and must not be misleading. Substantiate claims and comply with the ASAI Code and consumer protection laws.

What should I do if I suffer a data breach

Activate your incident response plan, contain and assess the breach, and document all steps. Determine risk to individuals and whether you must notify the Data Protection Commission within 72 hours and inform affected individuals. Consider law enforcement engagement for cybercrime. Review contracts with processors and engage forensic and legal support promptly.

How can I protect my brand and content online

Register trade marks, secure relevant domains including .ie where eligible, use brand protection monitoring, include IP clauses in your terms, and use notice-and-takedown processes with platforms and hosts against infringement. For .ie domains, the IE Domain Registry offers a dispute process for bad faith registrations.

Additional Resources

Data Protection Commission. Ireland’s independent authority for GDPR and ePrivacy compliance. Provides guidance, breach reporting, and enforcement information.

Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. Guidance on consumer rights, pricing transparency, and unfair commercial practices. Handles certain consumer enforcement matters.

Courts Service of Ireland. Information on court processes, including the Small Claims procedure and local court venues serving County Cork.

Local Enterprise Office Cork South. Business supports for Carrigaline and surrounding areas, including mentoring on compliance and digital transformation.

Enterprise Ireland. Supports for scaling and exporting digital businesses, including market access and compliance advice.

IE Domain Registry. Policies for .ie domain registration and dispute resolution, and guidance on eligibility and brand protection.

Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland. The self-regulatory code and guidance on online advertising and influencer marketing.

An Garda Siochana and Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau. Points of contact for reporting cybercrime and obtaining crime prevention advice.

Revenue Commissioners. Information on VAT registration, OSS and IOSS schemes, customs, and e-commerce tax compliance.

European Consumer Centre Ireland. Assistance for consumers and traders in cross-border EU disputes and guidance on EU consumer rules.

Coimisiun na Mean. Online safety and media regulation, including development of online safety codes relevant to certain online platforms and services.

Next Steps

Map your operations. List what you sell, where your customers are, what personal data you collect, which cookies you use, what third party services you rely on, and what user content you host.

Get your documents in order. Prepare or update terms of sale, website terms of use, privacy policy, cookie policy and consent banner settings, returns and complaints procedures, and platform policies if you host third parties.

Check key compliance areas. Verify pre-contract information and pricing transparency, cooling off and returns workflow, SCA ready checkout, age appropriate practices where children could be users, and security controls including vendor due diligence and incident response plans.

Assign responsibilities. Identify who in your team handles consumer complaints, takedown requests, data subject rights, breach notifications, and DSA notices. Keep a clear audit trail.

Seek legal advice early. Contact a solicitor in County Cork with E-commerce and data protection expertise. Ask about a fixed-fee document review, a GDPR and ePrivacy compliance check, and a consumer law audit tailored to your site or app.

Plan for cross-border growth. If you sell outside Ireland, assess VAT OSS or IOSS registration, customs implications post-Brexit for UK trade, and any geo-compliance issues.

Prepare for incidents. Keep regulator contact details, forensic and legal support contacts, and your communications templates at hand. Remember the 72 hour GDPR breach notification timeline where applicable.

This guide is general information for Carrigaline based businesses and individuals. Always obtain advice tailored to your specific circumstances before taking action.