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Now you can sign on the dot-com line

Email signatures given European go-ahead...

By Mark Graham

Published: 19 July 2001 13:16 BST

Contracts sent on email with an electronic signature are legally binding in Europe as of today.

A European Commission directive 18 months ago has come into force today meaning digital signatures have the same legal status as handwritten ones.

Roger Crocombe, secure ebusiness solutions director at Intergris said: "This carries the same weight as a hand written signature and will get rid of the huge log jam of paperwork."

He added it would speed up ebusiness transactions citing an example of when he applied for a mortgage online.

"I had the deal worked out in an hour and a half online, but then had to drive 90 miles with my passport to verify who I was. This type of ridiculous time wasting will no longer be the case. Not to mention it'll save a few trees."

Security concerns have been raised but he claims it is more difficult to forge an electronic signature than a hand written one.

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