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E-Signature News

Latest global legal news on e-signatures, digital contracts, and compliance. Curated by SignatureAPI.

  • 2025-03-03

Israeli Court Recognizes Electronic Promissory Notes

An Israeli court recently issued a landmark ruling recognizing the legal validity of electronic promissory notes, marking a significant step toward digitization in financial transactions. This ruling emphasizes the acceptance of electronic signatures and digital documents under existing legal frameworks. The case addressed concerns about enforceability, highlighting that electronic documents can satisfy formal requirements traditionally reserved for paper-based instruments, according to an article by Ori Rodriguez at Barnea Law Firm.

  • 2025-02-26

Texas Court Affirms Emails as Signed Settlement Agreements

A recent appellate decision in Texas has clarified the role of electronic communications in formalizing legal agreements under state law. In Thang, et al v. Defy International, LLC, the Court of Appeals of Texas held that an exchange of emails between attorneys constituted a signed Rule 11 settlement agreement, even in the absence of formally executed documents. The ruling, analyzed in the Digital Transformation: eSignature and ePayment News and Trends newsletter by DLA Piper, underscores the legal significance of typed names and automatic signature blocks in emails, affirming their sufficiency to satisfy signature requirements in certain settlement contexts under Texas law.

  • 2025-02-14

Germany Advances Digital Labour Law Reform

Germany has introduced several key updates facilitating the use of electronic signatures and digital formats in labour law contexts, according to an article by Annette Knoth at Gowling WLG. Notably, qualified electronic signatures are now accepted for issuing employee reference letters. Additionally, the reform enables digital communications, such as email, for parental and caregiver leave requests, retirement age contract clauses, and dissemination of working hours regulations, reflecting a broader governmental initiative to digitize employment processes.

  • 2025-02-12

Everyday Use of Electronic Documents in Poland

In Poland, electronic signatures are gaining traction alongside traditional written documents. As described in an article by Agnieszka Stawiarska and Klaudia Szatan at Schoenherr, Polish law recognizes different levels of electronic signatures, including the qualified electronic signature (QES), which holds the same legal weight as handwritten signatures. Notably, widely-used electronic signing platforms typically do not provide qualified certificates, limiting their legal status to “document form” rather than fully equivalent written form under Polish law.

  • 2025-02-11

Indonesia's New Regulation Expands Bank Services

An article by Assegaf Hamzah & Partners highlights Indonesia’s recent regulatory developments aimed at expanding banking services through digital means, including the use of electronic signatures. The new regulations enable banks to adopt electronic signatures to streamline customer transactions, enhancing accessibility and operational efficiency. This initiative forms part of Indonesia’s ongoing efforts to modernize its financial sector and align with international technological practices, underscoring a broader shift toward digitalization in financial services.

  • 2025-02-10

Canada Court Recognizes Emoji as Contract Acceptance

In a recent article by Carina Chiu and Katherine Akladios at McMillan LLP, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal affirmed that a “thumbs-up” emoji could constitute valid acceptance of a contractual agreement, thus meeting signature requirements under the provincial Sale of Goods Act. This case, arising from a commercial dispute involving flax supplies, highlights evolving judicial interpretations of electronic signatures and digital communications in Canadian contract law, particularly regarding the clarity of intent in informal electronic exchanges.

  • 2025-02-07

EU-Switzerland Electronic Signature Mutual Recognition

Switzerland and the EU currently lack mutual recognition of qualified electronic signatures (QES), complicating cross-border transactions, according to an article by Härting Rechtsanwälte. To address this, Switzerland’s Federal Council intends to negotiate with the EU, aiming for mutual recognition between Swiss ZertES legislation and the EU’s eIDAS regulation. Such alignment would facilitate smoother digital transactions and enhance legal certainty in electronic communications across jurisdictions.

  • 2025-01-08

Signing Transaction Documents in the UK: Legal Considerations

This article by Brodies LLP addresses the legal considerations involved in signing transaction documents when selling a company in the UK, highlighting differences between Scots and English law. It specifically outlines the execution requirements for contracts, including situations where electronic signatures might be used, compared to traditional “wet ink” signatures. The discussion emphasizes ensuring legal validity during this crucial phase of a corporate transaction, reflecting the increasing adoption and acceptance of electronic signatures in commercial practice.

  • 2025-01-04

Illinois Amends Biometric Privacy Act to Recognize Electronic Signatures

Illinois updated its Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), explicitly allowing electronic signatures as valid forms of written consent for the collection or sharing of biometric data, as discussed in an article by Torsten M. Kracht at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. The amendment addresses business concerns about liability by limiting violations to one per individual, irrespective of repeated biometric scans. However, the law’s applicability to past incidents remains uncertain.

  • 2024-12-11

Thailand Releases Draft of Amended Electronic Transactions Act

Thailand has released a draft amendment of its Electronic Transactions Act (ETA), initially enacted in 2001, aiming to modernize and address existing enforcement limitations. According to an article by Tilleke & Gibbins, the revised ETA proposes significant changes, including updated definitions, the introduction of trust-mark certification for electronic transaction service providers, clearer rules for electronic transferable instruments, and enhanced reliability standards for electronic transactions.

  • 2024-12-06

Romania Digitalizes Shareholders’ Meetings Under Amended Companies Law

Romania recently amended its Companies Law to allow digital participation in shareholders’ meetings, reflecting an increasing global trend toward corporate digitalization. This legislative update also acknowledges the validity of electronic signatures in shareholder interactions, enhancing efficiency and accessibility. The changes, discussed in an article by CMS Law-Now, align Romania with other European jurisdictions that have embraced electronic procedures, significantly influencing corporate governance and shareholder engagement practices across the country.

  • 2024-11-06

Digital vs. Electronic Signatures in Colombia

Electronic signatures and digital signatures are distinct concepts under Colombian law, each with specific technological and legal implications. According to an article by Edwin Cortés and Anna Catalina Pérez at Holland & Knight, digital signatures require certification from an accredited entity, ensuring a higher security standard. In contrast, electronic signatures are broader, encompassing various forms of signature technology, including simple actions like pasting an image of a signature into a document. Understanding these differences is crucial given the increasing reliance on digital interactions.