Digital Signatures Nearly Dry.

• Position: Brief Article

With the passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of the conference report on S.761 ("Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act") digital signatures will soon be as legal and binding as those of ink on paper. The bill reads, "A signature, contract, or other record... may not be denied legal effect, validity or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form." The president of the American Electronics Association was quoted as saying, "High-tech companies now conduct a substantial and fast-growing amount of business on-line. To continue the robust growth of on-line commerce, these companies absolutely need an atmosphere of legal certainty." The Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives also...