La preuve et la conservation de l'écrit dans la société de l'information
It is becoming commonplace to say that we have entered a so-called "information society". In the process, we have witnessed a transformation characterized by an increased use of information and communication technologies that has revolutionized the way we communicate, learn and conduct business. The traditional communication formats (i.e., paper) gradually yield their place to new technological formats which affect the effectiveness and the speed of transactions, there by enabling the rise of ecommerce. The advent of virtual networks calls into question the monopoly of paper. From a legal perspective, the new paradigm has a huge impact on civil law rules, which were largely anchored in a paper context. The advent of the digitization and the phenomenon of the dematerialization of formats raised several new legal issues that we could summarize in the following manner: What is the relationship between writing and its various formats (e.g., other than paper)? What characterizes writing in an electronic environment? Can this type of writing act as evidence? If so, what will be its conclusive force? How can the integrity of documents be ensured? This thesis examines these various questions within the context of two different legislations: France and Québec. Two issues are addressed: 1) the evolution ofwriting in an electronic, networked environment; 2) the legal framework around evidence and archiving ofwriting in the information society.
Evidence Writing Communication formats Information and communication technologies