Title

IV.2.2 - Silence by offeree

Content

No. IV.2.2 - Silence by offeree

(a) Silence by the offeree does not in and of itself amount to acceptance.

(b) Silence by the offeree amounts to acceptance if the offeree begins with the performance of his contractual obligations or is required to reject the offer due to a long-standing business relationship with the offeror or is subject to a practice which the parties have established between themselves or a trade usage requiring rejection of the offer ("qui tacet consentire videtur").

Commentary

1 The Principle confirms that, unless the parties agree otherwise or have established a usage or course of dealing between them, mere silence of the party that has received an offer to conclude a contract does not amount to acceptance because that silence does not constitute a binding declaration of will.

2 This situation must be distinguished from scenarios in which, though the party receiving an offer does not issue a statement, an implied acceptance of the offer can be inferred from its conduct, e.g. because that party begins to perform the contract. In such a case, acceptance becomes effective once the act indicating the party's implied acceptance is performed, even though the offeror may not have taken note of this act at this point in time.

References

Arbitral Awards

ICC Award No. 3243, Clunet 1982, at 968 et seq.ICC Award No. 3344, Clunet 1982, at 978 et seq.ICC Award No. 543, Internationale Wirtschaft, December 1934, at 7 et seq.ICC Award No. 5904, Clunet 1989, at 1107 et seq.ICC Award No. 6309, Clunet 1991, at 1046 et seq.ICC Award No. 8365, Clunet 1997, at 1078 et seq.Insurer v. Shipowner, German Maritime Arbitration Association Award of 30 November 2000, YCA 2005, 13

Doctrine

Bianca, C. Massimo/ Bonell, Michael Joachim, Commentary On The International Sales Law, Art. 18, Milan 1987Black, Henry Campell, Black's Law Dictionary, 6th ed., St. Paul 1990Blessing, Marc, Das neue internationale Schiedsgerichtsrecht der Schweiz - Ein Fortschritt oder ein Rückschritt?, in: Böckstiegel (ed.), Die internationale Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit in der Schweiz (II), Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Munich 1989, at 13 et seq.Crook, John R., Applicable Law In International Commercial Arbitration: The Iran-US-Claims Tribunal Experience, 83 AJIL 1989, at 278 et seq.Derains, Yves, note to ICC Award No. 3243, Clunet 1982, at 970 et seq.Derains, Yves, note to ICC Award No. 5904, Clunet 1989, at 1111 et seq.Domingo, Ortega, Rodriguez-Antolin, Zambrana, Principios de Derecho Global, Navarra, 2006Fouchard, Philippe, L'Arbitrage Commercial International, Paris 1965Gaillard, Emmanuel, note to ICC Award No. 3344, Clunet 1982, at 983 et seq.Knütel, Rolf, Rechtseinheit in Europa und römisches Recht, 3 ZEuP 1994, at 244 et seq.Krampe, Christoph, Qui tacet, consentire videtur - Über die Herkunft einer Rechtsregel, in: Festschrift Mikat, Berlin 1989, at 367 et seq.Langen, Eugen, Transnationales Recht, Heidelberg 1981.Lorenz, Werner, Rechtsvergleichung als Methode zur Konkretisierung der allgemeinen Grundsätze des Rechts, JZ 1962, at 269 et seq.Marrella, Fabrizio, La nuova lex mercatoria, Principi Unidroit ed usi di contratti des comercio internazionale, CEDAM, Tratto di dritto commerciale e di dritto publico dell‘economia, Volume 30, Padova 2003Mustill, Michael, The New Lex Mercatoria: The First Twenty-five Years, Arb.Int'l 1988, at 86 et seq.Paulsson, Jan, La Lex Mercatoria dans l‘Arbitrage C.C.I, Rev.d.Arb. 1990. at 55 et seq.Rothermel, Martin / Dahmen, Julius RIW 2018, 179 et seq.Schlechtriem, Peter (ed.), English Commentary on the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG), Comment on Art. 18 by Peter Schlechtriem, Oxford 1998Wühler, Norbert, Application of General Principles of Law, in van den Berg (ed.), Planning efficient Arbitration Proceedings - The Law Applicable in International Arbitration, p. 553 et seq.

International Legislation

Fontaine, Marcel, OHADA Uniform Act On Contract Law Preliminary DraftOrganization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA), Uniform act relating to general commercial lawUnited Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG)

Model Laws

Principles of Latin American Contract Law (PLACL)

National Legislation

Civil Code Québec 1991Contract Law of the People's Republic of ChinaDanish Contracts ActEthiopian Civil CodeFinnish Contracts ActFrench Civil Code 2016Louisiana Civil Code 2015Saudi Arabia Civil Transactions Law - Royal Decree No. M/191, June 18, 2023, official translation

Principles / Restatements

OHADAC principles on international commercial contractsPrinciples of European Contract Law - PECLPrinciples of Law and Equity - Grounds and Rudiments of Law and Equity, Alphabetically Digested (London 1751)UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts 2016