Digital Sigs - Question from a Reader (2)

Hey! Looks who's back! Where have you all been? Actually, you don't have to explain...I know you've been out there squeezing the last drop possible out of summer. Hope yours has been as enjoyable as mine. Lets go - here's another question from a reader regarding digital signatures:

...I am envisioning receiving a pdf contract via email and then affixing my pdf signature to it to sign it. Is there some mechanism that prevents someone from copying my signature on the other end and putting it on other documents.  And if there is, is there also some mechanism that keeps my signature affixed to the pdf document that I have attached it to, so that it cannot be moved..say..to another version of the contract?

These are pretty tricky questions as the scenario he suggests has a yes, no and/or maybe answer and so many variations to that answer. Lets break it down into two parts: 1) receiving a PDF and "signing" that very PDF file 2) preventing someone from reusing MY signature.

Let's back up and remind ourselves that in previous posts we had been discussing the use of a signature image to "sign" a WORD document. In this scenario, we are looking to sign a PDF file while leaving it as PDF then returning it as a PDF file. Ya with me?

So how do we make this happen - that is how do we get to YES! You can easily sign  a PDF file with your "signature" IF two conditions are true: 1) you have a version of Adobe Acrobat or Standard that allows you to create stamps and 2) the document hasn't been secured by the sender. Here are a couple of sites that describe in great detail how to create that signature stamp:

• Acrobat for Legal Professionals: Creating Custom Stamps
• U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina: Adding a Signature Stamp to a PDF

Above I mention that you can sign PDF files that haven't been secured..next post we'll cover that which also answers Part 2 of this readers question. Until then!

Comments

[Jay Arrowood]

I just found your blog and this is a subject I hold near and dear to My heart :) I know I'm a little late to the party on this article post, but I'm curious about how Adobe signatures are authenticated and how they comply with E-SIGN and UETA requirements.

If it indeed complies, I feel it may not be the most comprehensive solution that lawyers need to use less trees and go paperless. Sure, lawyers can sign their name, but what about getting their client's signatures on contracts and forms? It seems rather limiting.

http://conxpoint.wordpress.com/2008/04/18/what-is-an-e-signature/
http://conxpoint.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/paperless-workflow-needs-e-signatures/

I hope you don't mind these links to articles I wrote on the subject. I'm glad I found your blog, and I look forward to reading future posts.