Best E-commerce & Internet Law Lawyers in Utena

About E-commerce & Internet Law Law in Utena, Republic of Lithuania

E-commerce and internet law in Utena operates within Lithuania's national legal system and the European Union framework. Whether you sell goods online, run a marketplace, provide software-as-a-service, or offer digital content, your activities are shaped by a combination of Lithuanian statutes and directly applicable EU regulations. Core topics include consumer rights, electronic contracts, platform governance, data protection and privacy, online advertising, payments, cybersecurity, intellectual property, taxation, and domain names.

Because Utena is part of Lithuania, the same rules apply as in Vilnius, Kaunas, or other regions. Local practicalities can still matter, such as where you register your business, how you handle returns and logistics, and which consumer dispute bodies or regulators you may interact with. If you target Lithuanian consumers, you should provide clear pre-contract information in Lithuanian, display prices in euros including VAT, and meet distance selling obligations. Many businesses also face EU wide obligations such as the Digital Services Act for platforms and GDPR for personal data.

This guide is informational and not legal advice. For specific issues, consult a qualified lawyer licensed in Lithuania.

Why You May Need a Lawyer

Launching or scaling an online store or platform. A lawyer can draft compliant terms and conditions, privacy and cookie notices, and marketplace policies that reduce risk and reflect your operations.

Cross border sales. Selling to consumers in multiple EU states raises questions about VAT OSS or IOSS, language requirements, delivery risk, return logistics, and applicable law and jurisdiction clauses.

Digital Services Act compliance. Online platforms, hosting providers, and marketplaces have tiered duties on notice-and-action, trader traceability, reporting, risk assessments, and advertising transparency.

Marketing and advertising. Influencer campaigns, user reviews, price reduction announcements, and email or SMS marketing must comply with the Law on Advertising, unfair commercial practices rules, and consent rules for electronic communications.

Data protection and cookies. GDPR and e-privacy rules require lawful bases, records of processing, DPIAs where needed, vendor management and data processing agreements, appropriate cookie banners, and security measures.

Consumer disputes and chargebacks. A lawyer can advise on the 14 day withdrawal right, refunds for digital content, non conformity remedies, and how to handle complaints through the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority.

Technology and content agreements. Vendor, SaaS, software development, licensing, SLA, and content moderation agreements benefit from clear risk allocation, IP ownership terms, and Lithuanian law compliance.

Intellectual property. Protecting trademarks, designs, and copyrighted content, and responding to infringement notices or domain name disputes under the .lt registry rules.

Cybersecurity and incident response. Preparing policies, classifying incidents, managing breaches, notifying the data protection authority and affected users where required, and coordinating with the National Cyber Security Center.

Payments and fintech. PSD2 strong customer authentication, refunds, terms with payment service providers, and AML thresholds for certain business models.

Local Laws Overview

Consumer protection and distance contracts. Lithuanian law implements EU consumer rules. For B2C distance sales you must give clear pre contract information, provide a 14 day withdrawal right with model withdrawal form, and process refunds promptly. There are exceptions for sealed health goods once unsealed, personalized items, and certain digital content once performance begins with express consent. Goods and digital content must conform to the contract, with remedies under the Civil Code and EU directives on sale of goods and digital content.

E commerce information duties and liability. The Law on Information Society Services requires clear provider identification details on your site, including company name, registration code, address, contact email or form, and VAT number if applicable. Hosting and platform providers benefit from limited liability safe harbors for mere conduit, caching, and hosting when they act expeditiously upon obtaining knowledge of illegal content.

Digital Services Act. The DSA applies directly in Lithuania. All intermediary services must set out clear terms, handle notices properly, publish transparency reports, and cooperate with authorities. Online platforms and marketplaces must verify trader information, label advertising and recommender logic basics, and provide notice to users about content moderation decisions with appeal options. Very large platforms have additional systemic risk duties.

Personal data and privacy. GDPR applies, supplemented by the Law on Legal Protection of Personal Data. You must identify lawful bases, honor data subject rights, implement security measures, maintain records, appoint a DPO where required, and sign data processing agreements with vendors. Cross border transfers require suitable safeguards. Cookie storage and similar tracking are governed by the Law on Electronic Communications, generally requiring prior consent for non essential cookies and similar technologies.

Electronic marketing. Sending direct marketing by email, SMS, or similar channels to natural persons generally requires prior opt in consent, with simple opt out available in all messages. B2B marketing may have slightly different rules, but unfair practices and privacy norms still apply. Cold calls and automated calls have specific restrictions.

Advertising and consumer fairness. The Law on Advertising and unfair commercial practices rules prohibit misleading claims. The Omnibus Directive amendments require transparency about rankings, authenticity of consumer reviews, and how price reductions are calculated, including using the lowest price in the previous 30 days when announcing discounts to consumers.

Payments and PSD2. Payment services are regulated by the Bank of Lithuania. Merchants accepting card or account to account payments must support strong customer authentication where applicable and provide clear refund and chargeback terms. Holding customer funds or offering wallets may require a payment or e money license.

Cybersecurity. The Law on Cyber Security sets requirements for critical and important entities, and all online businesses should adopt appropriate technical and organizational measures. Sectoral rules may apply to communications and trust services. Incident reporting may be required depending on your status and the severity of the incident.

Intellectual property and domain names. Copyright and related rights, trademarks, and design protection apply online. The .lt country code top level domain is administered by the .lt registry, with policies on domain registration, WHOIS accuracy, and dispute resolution mechanisms. Platforms should implement notice and takedown procedures for IP claims.

Tax and VAT. Lithuanian VAT is PVM. For cross border B2C sales within the EU, use the OSS scheme to simplify VAT reporting, and IOSS for low value imports. Prices shown to consumers must be total prices including VAT and mandatory charges, with shipping shown before checkout. Invoice and record keeping requirements apply.

Electronic identification and signatures. eIDAS recognizes electronic signatures, including qualified electronic signatures with legal effect equivalent to handwritten signatures. Electronic contracts and clickwrap agreements are generally valid if consent is clear and demonstrable.

Language and consumer focus. If you target Lithuanian consumers, provide pre contract information, T and Cs, customer support, and complaint handling in Lithuanian. Make returns, warranty, and contact details easy to find. Choose applicable law and jurisdiction clauses carefully and in a consumer friendly manner consistent with EU rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to register a company to sell online from Utena

You can trade as a company or as a sole proprietor depending on your risk profile and plans. Most merchants register a company with the Centre of Registers to limit liability and to obtain a registration code and VAT number if required. Marketplaces and payment providers will usually require formal business registration.

What information must my website display to comply with Lithuanian law

Display your legal name, company code, registered address, contact email or form, VAT number if applicable, prices including VAT, delivery costs, key contract terms, right of withdrawal information, and complaint handling options. Marketplaces must also identify professional traders and provide trader contact details to consumers.

How do returns and refunds work for online consumer sales

Consumers generally have 14 days to withdraw without giving a reason. You must refund all payments including the standard delivery cost within 14 days of receiving the return or proof of return. Some goods are excluded, such as personalized items or sealed hygiene products once unsealed. Digital content refunds depend on whether performance started with express consent and acknowledgment of losing the withdrawal right.

Do I need a cookie banner on my site

If you use non essential cookies or similar trackers for analytics, advertising, or personalization, you need prior consent that is specific, informed, and freely given. Essential cookies needed for the service can be used without consent, but you should still disclose them in your cookie notice.

Can I send marketing emails or SMS to customers without consent

For natural persons, prior opt in consent is usually required. You may use a soft opt in to market similar products to existing customers whose contact details you obtained during a sale, provided you offer a clear and easy opt out in every message and collected the data lawfully. Keep records of consent.

What are my obligations under the Digital Services Act as a small online store

If you only run your own store, you are typically a content provider rather than an intermediary service. If you host third party content, comments, or listings, you may be a hosting service or platform. You must provide clear terms, a notice mechanism for illegal content, act on notices in a timely manner, and publish transparency about moderation. Marketplaces have extra duties to collect and verify trader details and to inform consumers about product safety and origin of traders.

How should I show prices and discounts to consumers

Show total prices including VAT and mandatory fees. Before checkout, show delivery costs and any extra charges. When announcing a price reduction, indicate the reference based on the lowest price applied in the previous 30 days for that product, unless a specific legal exception applies. Keep evidence to substantiate price claims.

What data protection steps are essential at the start

Map your data processing, identify lawful bases, prepare a privacy notice, implement a consent mechanism for cookies, sign data processing agreements with service providers, enable strong access controls and encryption, create processes for data subject rights, and document decisions. Consider a DPIA if you engage in higher risk processing.

Do I need to charge VAT to customers in other EU countries

Yes for B2C sales, with the place of supply rules and OSS simplifying compliance. Register for the OSS to declare VAT due in other EU states through a single Lithuanian filing. For imports to EU consumers of low value goods, consider IOSS. For B2B sales, reverse charge rules may apply with valid VAT numbers.

What should I do if I suffer a data breach

Activate your incident response plan, contain and assess the breach, document facts and effects, notify the State Data Protection Inspectorate within 72 hours if the breach is likely to result in a risk to individuals, and notify affected individuals if there is a high risk. Review contracts and security controls and record all remedial steps.

Additional Resources

State Data Protection Inspectorate of the Republic of Lithuania - supervisory authority for GDPR and privacy matters, guidance on lawful processing and breach notifications.

State Consumer Rights Protection Authority - consumer dispute resolution, unfair commercial practices oversight, and guidance on distance selling and returns.

Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania - guidance on electronic communications, cookies, and certain trust services.

Bank of Lithuania - regulator for payment services, e money institutions, PSD2 and strong customer authentication guidance.

National Cyber Security Center - recommendations on cybersecurity measures and incident handling.

Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania - competition and consumer protection issues related to pricing and advertising practices.

State Tax Inspectorate - VAT registration, OSS and IOSS participation, and invoicing rules.

Centre of Registers - company incorporation and changes to company data needed for website legal notices.

.lt Registry - information about .lt domain registration policies and dispute procedures.

European Consumer Centre Lithuania - assistance for cross border consumer disputes within the EU.

Next Steps

Define your business model. Clarify whether you are a store, platform, marketplace, SaaS, or content provider, your target markets, and whether you process personal data from EU residents outside Lithuania.

Gather key documentation. Collect your company registration details, VAT status, product descriptions, pricing and discount logic, delivery and return schemes, and a data map of personal data flows and vendors.

Book a consultation with a Lithuanian e commerce lawyer. Ask for a compliance audit covering consumer law, DSA applicability, GDPR and cookies, advertising and influencer policies, payments and PSD2, IP, and tax positioning including OSS or IOSS.

Implement policies and contracts. Roll out tailored terms and conditions, privacy and cookie notices, internal moderation and takedown workflows, supplier and processor agreements, and a returns and warranties framework aligned with Lithuanian law.

Set up governance. Assign responsibilities, train staff, create incident response and breach notification procedures, and schedule regular reviews of legal updates affecting your sector.

Monitor and improve. Track regulatory updates, platform guidance, and enforcement trends, test your consent and checkout flows, audit cookies and tags, and maintain evidence of compliance including logs, consent records, and policy versioning.

Engage early with regulators when needed. For payment or licensing questions, seek written guidance from the competent authority and adjust your operations before launch in Utena or nationwide.