Comparative study of bill of lading function as title document

One of the new transformations in scope of maritime transportation in relation with shipping documents includes non-paper (electronic) shipping documents. Three main functions of bill of lading in maritime transportation comprise receipt of carriage of good, reason for carriage contract, and title document. The majority of researches are about to realize functions of carriage receipt and reason for carriage contract within substitution of electronic documents such as replacement of paper bill of lading with electronic bill of lading while there is not a same conclusion in relation with function of title document and this doubt in result is beyond the replacement of paper documents with electronic documents caused by ambiguities in considering bill of lading as title document of goods and function of bill of lading as a title document. In general, transfer of bill of lading does not mean transfer of ownership while ownership is transferred through contract of goods’ sale and bill of shading is considered as a document that indicates property of goods to facilitate transactions within commercial transactions