Digital Signature Blog

Earlier this month, the IRS published requirements for digital signatures on 4506-T forms, and we're happy to announce that SIGNiX's digital signatures don't just meet the requirements, they exceed them! 

The legal issues surrounding e-signatures can be pretty confusing. Sure, digital signatures are secure, but how do you know that they’ll hold up in court? Luckily, you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Seventy lawyers from the American Bar Association (ABA) spent four years developing the ABA’s Digital Signature Guidelines. We took the ABA’s recommendations to heart by implementing these key guidelines in our products.

It's always great to see industries in discussion about electronic signatures.

For the past few months, we’ve been exploring all of the various ways that digital signatures can provide an amazing return on investment, whether in costs, time, productivity, or most recently in the legal realm. Our last blog provided the eight key items to think about in any electronic signature solution, and now we’re going to focus in on digital signature technology, specifically that used by SIGNiX’s MyDoX digital signature service, to see why it offers superior legal defensibility when compared to both wet ink signatures as well as other e-signature technologies on the market.

Recently we’ve been bringing you news of a number of court cases around the use of electronic signatures.  A Michigan appeals court recently passed down an interesting decision regarding an electronic signature used to sign an online life insurance beneficiary change form. 

 John Gregory over at Slaw, Canada's online legal magazine, wrote a great article about The Myth of Non-Repudiation. This is why SIGNiX uses digital signatures, an audit log and strong authentication.

We came across an interesting press release from the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah...

Are Digital Signatures Legal? In the growing age of digital communication and the advent of virtual businesses, how can we address the ever present need for signatures on documents? While some businesses are obtaining these signatures the good old fashioned way - via snail mail - others are grabbing technology by the horns and implementing digital signature systems into their business platforms. But before you jump in head first, adding this concept into your organization's processes, you probably want to know the answer to this question, "Are digital signatures legal?" What Laws Govern Digital Signatures? According to the U.S. ESIGN Act of 2000, an electronic signature can be defined as any electronic sound or process associated with a contract or other record, executed by the signatory with the intent to sign or execute. Similar language can be found in virtually any country; Canada, Europe, Asia. Based upon this legal language, digital signatures pack the same legal punch as the more traditional technique of ink and paper. It is important to note that electronic signatures can include both verbal confirmations via recordings, or in writing. Both methods must be executed and documented for the purpose of creating a legally binding document. Building a Digital Signature Process When designing a new digital signature process, it is important to consider three critical factors, including: 1.      Document creation and revision capabilities 2.      Document circulation, approval and execution capabilities 3.      Document archival and retrieval processes As you give each of these processes consideration, be sure to choose a digital signature partner that provides these added benefits to ensure that your process is not only seamless, but legally binding. Authentic - Does the platform offer a sense of credibility to the end user? Integrity - Can the end user be assured that their signature and the final document can't be tampered with following execution and archival? Non-Repudiation - Will either party have the ability to repudiate the validity of the document in the future? Taking the time to not only consider the processes needed for your unique business, but choosing a partner such as SIGNiX that offers the added benefits needed to provide a legally binding process, will ensure that you are satisfied with this business procedural change. If you would like even more information, CLICK HERE to download our whitepaper about ensuring compliance with digital signatures.