Civil Liability of IoT Manufacturer and Service Provider; A Comparative Study in the Laws of the European Union, the United States and Iran

The importance of the civil liability of product manufacturer and Internet of Things service provider is caused by the emerging damages of the Internet of Things to consumers. The integration of hardware, software and service in the Internet of Things is a product that is a continuous goods and service at the same time. The approach of the laws and judicial procedure of the European Union, the United States and Iran are almost the same whether software is a good or a service. In the mentioned legal systems, the basis of the civil liability of the producer of the Internet of Things product is Strict liability, and the basis of the civil liability of the provider of the Internet of Things service is Negligence. Due to the special type of Internet of Things product, on the basis of Strict liability, the element of Negligence in civil liability lawsuits is removed and it is enough to prove the Causal Link by the consumer. Malfunction of the Internet of Things device causes life and financial damage to the consumer and unauthorized access and misuse of personal data. The producer and the Internet of Things service provider are responsible for paying the damage caused to the consumer and any other person who is harmed by the consumption of the goods. Due to the inadequacy of the laws, Iran's laws in the field of civil liability of product manufacturer and Internet of Things service provider need to be legislated.