in this video we will discuss the common-law mirror image rule for contracts the mirror image rule tells us that to have a contract the acceptance must be on the same terms as the offer if the acceptance has the same terms as the offer then we can have a contract let's say a farmer offers to sell a thousand red apples to a businessman with delivery by truck to the businessmen city the next day by noon that's the farmers offer and let's say the businessman says he agrees and delivery is to be by train the terms of the acceptance are not exactly the same as the terms of the offer the farmer is offering delivery by truck but the businessman is asking for delivery by train the mirror image rule tells us that the businessman rejected the farmers offer and that the businessman made a counteroffer for delivery of the apples by train now the farmer has a choice he can choose not to deliver the apples because there is no contract or he can accept the counteroffer and he's obligated to ship a thousand apples by train the mirror image rule tells us that the acceptance has to be on the same terms as the offer if the terms are not the same we do not have a contract please remember the UCC the Uniform Commercial Code has different rules and we'll talk about that in a separate video if you'd like to discuss the mirror image rule or any other matter related to US law stop by the message board and please visit my blog also feel free to submit your comments below and to send me an email