This book discusses the importance of the digital economy and its most pressing challenge: the onset of quantum and critical technology. It looks at how its implementation, either on its own or coupled with artificial intelligence, impacts commercial and arbitration law.

International trade and investment are increasingly being integrated within national security policy and the law to protect the nation state. A failure to safeguard personal and commercial data will allow other state and non-state actors to set the rules that do not align with the values of the rule of law and transnational rules-based system. This book argues that it is necessary to establish a principles-based approach to governing the development and use of these technologies. Chapters touch on the application of smart contracts, arbitration, as well as mergers and acquisitions and their potential weaponisation in the digital economy due to their ability to transcend national security. Elements of intellectual property, particularly patents and trademarks, and how international legal instruments have directed national law-making are also explored.

This is a useful reference for governments, regulators, legal, technologists and policy experts. This is also of interest to scholars looking at personal and commercial data in relation to intellectual property, contracts and international commercial arbitration law.

Robert Walters is a solicitor, international arbitrator and legal scholar specialising in transnational commercial and private law across the digital economy. He has been engaged by national governments to address commercial and private law matters and develop legal-policy programs for the digital economy.