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Companies conducting business over the Internet, or electronically, are required to comply with the laws of the United States, and other countries, regulating the export of products. These law often apply whether or not products or services actually leave the boundaries of the United States.
Most important for internet based businesses is the concept of a "deemed export." This concept is used by U.S. government agencies charged with enforcing export regulations. As applied to your business, it means that if a person in a country other than the U.S. accesses technology in the U.S., that technology is exported - even if there is no physical export of the technology.
As with most other laws, you are charged with knowledge of them - even if you are unaware that they exist. For example, if you host a website operated by a terrorist organization you may have violated a number of U.S. export restrictions. It is critical for businesses to understand these regulations, and develop effective compliance plans to avoid inadvertent violation of them.
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