隨網際網路之發展邁入所謂之第二代網路，電子契約的問題，應從早期的假設性探討及側重電子貿易契約之研究，進入新的研究領域，此時尚需配合我國電子簽章法之制定就其與民法之適用問題，加以論述。雖早於該法頒行前，即有論者針對電子商務契約所涉之法律問題加以討論，但在電子簽章法正式頒行後，吾人以為該法尚無法完全解決電子交易所須面臨的民事問題，而電子契約的探討，除電子簽章法之規定外，亦應就其與現有民事法規之關聯性與相容性加以涵蓋；例如，在當事人身分之確認問題上，有關民法第三條與電子簽章法第九條之適用關係；在自動化電腦系統與電子代理之應用問題上，有關民法代理規定之適用可能性；在數位商品為交易標的之問題上，有關民法中權利客體概念之適用；在非對話意思表示之生效時點問題上，有關民法第九十五條與電子簽章法第七條之適用與撤回之可能性等，均為著例。此外，究應如何判斷電子契約締結過程中，電子訊息的出處或歸屬？如何評價「再確認」機制之法律性質？均有待吾人加以探究。基此，本文擬以民事契約之基本規範為基礎，遵循網路規範之發展模式，自國際而內國的角度來檢視當前我國電子契約法制所面臨之挑戰；並將納入我國頒行電子簽章法後所涉之問題，及其與國際規範或其他國家相關法律制度發展方向之歧異，進而回歸到我國基礎民事法相關規定之探討，以作為我國後續法規調適之參考。

Following the development track of so called second-generation internet, legal issues concerning electronic contract also evolve. It seems necessary to extend from the hypothetical study and the electronic trade issues of early stage to the new frontier, especially the challenges derived from the enactment of Electronic Signature Act and the application of contemporary Civil Law. While it is true that the academic review may indicate to us various electronic commerce related legal articles in Taiwan, new issues concerning the application of Electronic Signature Act, which is taken as the foundation for conducting an electronic contract, should be added. Further, it also becomes unavoidable to include the issues that are commingled with both the Electronic Signature Act and Civil Law, for the incompleteness of the Act in covering all the electronic contract related problems. For instances, the relationship between article 3 of the Civil Law and article 9 of the Act in determining the identity of contracting parties; the applicability of agency rules of Civil Law in computerized electronic agent; the applicability of traditional concept of subject matter illustrated under Civil Law in governing the digital merchandise; and the relationship between article 95 of Civil Law and article 7 of the Act in determining the revocability of a non-oral presentation as well as the enforceability of said presentation. For others, the attribution of electronic information among parties and the legal definition of “reconfirm” are similarly deserves our special notice. Basing upon the basic rules governing the civil contract, it’s been this paper’s ideology to follow the pace of norm development model for internet. This paper tried to examine on the challenges that our electronic contract system faced, in line with related international developments. Further, this paper looked into the new issues derived from the enactment of our Electronic Signature Act as well as their differences with international or American development. Finally, the paper reexamined the related contract rules of our Civil Code and proposed a recommendation for our future amendment.