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About this wiki

eSignatureLegalWiki is a project set to create a free, complete, up-to-date and reliable world-wide electronic signature legislation guide. It is built in collaboration by lawyers, users and experts from around the globe. The project was inspired by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, and by the needs of companies, legislators and software vendors for an up-to-date source for electronic signatures legislation.

Below are two tables and a list of books:


Featured Country - Australia

The Bill is fashioned after the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce. "The Act creates a light handed regulatory regime for using electronic communications in transactions. The Act facilitates electronic commerce in Australia by removing existing legal impediments that may prevent a person using electronic communications to satisfy legal obligations under Commonwealth law. The Act gives business and the community the option of using electronic communications when dealing with Government agencies." [1]


Read more about Australia...

Electronic Signature Legislation by Country

The following table lists countries and their electronic signature legislation. Click the country name for a more detailed description of the legislation in that country.

Country Legislation Status[2] Year Enacted Digital Signatures Presumption[3] Requires Timestamping Requires Smart Cards Excluded Documents[4] Case Law
Austria Signature Law Enacted 2000 Yes No No Unknown None
Argentina Law #25506 Enacted  ? No No No Unknown None
Australia Electronic Transactions Act Enacted 2000 No No No Unknown None
Bangladesh Information Technology (Electronic Transaction) Act Enacted 2002 No No No Unknown None
Belgium Signature Law Enacted 2001 Yes No No Unknown None
Bulgaria Electronic Document and Electronic Signature Act[1] Enacted 2001 Yes No No Yes None
Brazil Provisional Measure 2.200-2/2001 Enacted 2001 Yes No No Unknown None
Cambodia - None - No No No Unknown None
Canada Uniform Electronic Commerce (UECA) Enacted 1999 No No No Unknown None
Chile Law on Electronic Signatures and Documents Enacted 2001 No No No Unknown None
China Electronic Signature Law Enacted 2004 No No No Unknown None
Colombia Law #527 Enacted 1999 No No No Unknown None
Costa Rica Digital Signature Law 8454 Enacted 2005 No No No Unknown None
Cyprus Electronic Signatures Law of 2004 Enacted 2004 No No No Unknown None
Czech Republic Act on Electronic Signatures Enacted  ? Yes No No Unknown None
Denmark Lov om elektroniske signature Enacted 2000 Yes No No Unknown None
England, Scotland and Wales Law on Electronic Signatures Enacted 2002 Yes No No Unknown None
Estonia Digital Signature Law Enacted 2000 Yes No No Unknown None
EU Electronic Signatures Directive 1999/93/EC Enacted 1999 No No No Unknown None
Finland Laki sähköisistä allekirjoituksista Enacted 2003 Yes No No Unknown None
Germany German Signature Law Enacted 2001 Yes No No Unknown None
Greece Presidential Decree 150/2001 Enacted 2001 Yes No No Unknown None
Hong Kong Electronic Transaction Ordinance Enacted 2000 No No No Unknown None
India Information Technology Act Enacted 2000 No No No Unknown None
Indonesia Bill on Electronic Information and Transaction Enacted 2008 No No No Unknown None
Ireland, Republic of Irish Electronic Commerce Act Enacted 2001 Yes No No Unknown None
Israel Electronic Signature Law Enacted 2001 Yes No No Yes None
Italy Legislative decree 82/2005 Enacted 2005 Yes No No Unknown None
Japan Law Concerning Electronic Signatures and Certification Services Enacted 2001 No No No Unknown None
Laos - None - No No No Unknown None
Lithuania Law on electronic signature Enacted 2002 Yes No No Unknown None
Luxembourg Loi du 14 août 2000 relative au commerce électronique Enacted 2000 Yes No No Unknown None
Macau - None - No No No Unknown None
Malaysia Digital Signature Act - Act 562 Enacted 1997 No No No Unknown None
Malta Electronic Commerce Act Enacted 2001 Yes No No Unknown None
Mexico Digital Signature Law 8454 Enacted 1998 No Yes No Unknown None
New Zealand Electronic Transactions Act Enacted 2002 No No No Unknown None
Norway Electronic Signature Act Enacted 2001 Yes No No Unknown None
Pakistan Electronic Transaction Ordinance Enacted 2002 No No No Unknown None
Philippines Electronic Commerce Act Enacted 2000 No No No Unknown None
Peru Law 27269 (Law on Digital Signatures and Certificates) Enacted 2000 No No No Unknown None
Romania Legea semnăturii electronice Enacted 2001 Yes No No Unknown None
Russian Federation Electronic Signature Law Enacted 2001 No No No Unknown None
Singapore Electronic Transaction Act Enacted 1998 No No No Unknown None
Slovenia Electronic Business and Electronic Signature Act Enacted 2000 Yes No No Unknown None
Spain Ley 59/2003 , de 19 de diciembre, de firma electronic Enacted 2003 Yes No No Unknown None
South Korea Electronic Signature Law Enacted 1999 No No No Unknown None
Sri Lanka - None - No No No Unknown None
Sweden Qualified Electronic Signatures Act Enacted 2000 Yes No No Unknown None
Taiwan - None - No No No Unknown None
Thailand Electronic Transaction Act Enacted 2001 No No No Unknown None
Venezuela Law on Data Messaging and Electronic Signatures Enacted 2001 No No No Unknown None
Vietnam Electronic Transaction Law Enacted 2005 No No No Unknown None
USA Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) Enacted 2000 No No No Unknown None
USA Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) Enacted 2000 No No No Unknown None
Country Legislation Status Year Enacted Digital Signatures Presumption Requires Timestamping Requires Smart Cards Excluded Documents Case Law

Other Related Legislation

The following table lists industries and their electronic signature related legislation. Click the country name for a more detailed description of the legislation in that industry.

Industry (Country) Regulation Status Status Year Enacted Digital Signatures Presumption
Life Sciences (USA) FDA 21 CFR Part 11 Enacted 1997 No No

Books

For books in English on the law relating to electronic signatures, see:

   * Amelia Boss and Wolfgang Kilian, "The United Nations Convention on Electronic Communications in International Commerce: An 
     In-Depth Guide and Sourcebook (Kluwer International, 2008)
   * Stephen Mason, Electronic Signatures in Law (Tottel, second edition, 2007)
   * Dennis Campbell, editor, E-Commerce and the Law of Digital Signatures (Oceana Publications, 2005)
   * Lorna Brazell, Electronic Signatures Law and Regulation (Sweet & Maxwell, 2004)
   * M. H. M Schellenkens, Electronic Signatures Authentication Technology from a Legal Perspective (TMC Asser Press, 2004)

For translations of electronic signature cases from Europe, Brazil, China and Colombia into English, see the Digital Evidence and Electronic Signature Law Review

External links

  • Digital signature: This link provides additional information about ARX's digital signature.

Notes

  1. [ http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/Committee/acc_ctte/completed_inquiries/1999-02/itlaw/submissions/sub23.doc ] Attorney-General’s Portfolio Submission to the PJC-NCA Inquiry into the law enforcement Implications of New Technology
  2. Enacted, Drafted or None
  3. It is presumed by the state/country that digital signatures satisfy all legal requirements of replacing a paper-based signature
  4. Documents such as wills which are explicitly excluded and cannot be signed with electronic signatures
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