Editing Electronic signature (section)

===Legal definitions===
Various laws have been passed internationally to facilitate commerce by using electronic records and signatures in interstate and foreign commerce. The intent is to ensure the validity and legal effect of contracts entered electronically. For instance,

;[[PIPEDA]] (Canadian federal law)
:(1) An electronic signature is "a signature that consists of one or more letters, characters, numbers or other symbols in digital form incorporated in, attached to or associated with an [[electronic document]]";
:(2) A secure electronic signature is an electronic signature that
::(a) is unique to the person making the signature;
::(b) the technology or process used to make the signature is under the sole control of the person making the signature;
::(c) the technology or process can be used to identify the person using the technology or process; and
::(d) the electronic signature can be linked with an electronic document in such a way that it can be used to determine whether the electronic document has been changed since the electronic signature was incorporated in, attached to, or associated with the electronic document.

;[[Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act|ESIGN Act]] Sec 106 (US federal law)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.isaacbowman.com/electronic-signatures-in-global-and-national-commerce-act-esign |title=Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act ("ESIGN") |publisher=Isaac Bowman |access-date=2015-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311225345/http://www.isaacbowman.com/electronic-signatures-in-global-and-national-commerce-act-esign |archive-date=2015-03-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
:(2) ELECTRONIC- The term 'electronic' means relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities.
:(4) ELECTRONIC RECORD- The term 'electronic record' means a contract or other record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means.
:(5) ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE- The term 'electronic signature' means an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.

;[[EIDAS|Regulation No 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market]] Art 3 (European Union regulation)
:(10) ‘electronic signature’ means data in electronic form which is attached to or logically associated with other data in electronic form and which is used by the signatory to sign;
:(11) ‘advanced electronic signature’ means an electronic signature which meets the requirements set out in Article 26;
:(12) ‘qualified electronic signature’ means an advanced electronic signature that is created by a qualified electronic signature creation device, and which is based on a qualified certificate for electronic signatures;

;[[gpea|GPEA]] Sec 1710 (US federal law):
:(1) ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE.—the term "electronic signature" means a method of signing an electronic message that—
:(A) identifies and authenticates a particular person as the source of the electronic message; and
:(B) indicates such person's approval of the information contained in the electronic message.

;[[Uniform Electronic Transactions Act|UETA]] Sec 2 (US state law):
:(5) "Electronic" means relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities.
:(6) "Electronic agent" means a computer program or an electronic or other automated means used independently to initiate an action or respond to electronic records or performances in whole or in part, without review or action by an individual.
:(7) "Electronic record" means a record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means.
:(8) "Electronic signature" means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.

;[[Federal Reserve]] 12 CFR 202 (US federal regulation): refers to the ESIGN Act

;[[Commodity Futures Trading Commission]] 17 CFR Part 1 Sec. 1.3 (US federal regulations):
:(tt) Electronic signature means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.

;[[Food and Drug Administration]] 21 CFR Sec. 11.3 (US federal regulations):
:(5) Digital signature means an electronic signature based upon cryptographic methods of originator authentication, computed by using a set of rules and a set of parameters such that the signer's identity and the integrity of the data can be verified.
:(7) Electronic signature means a computer data compilation of any symbol or series of symbols executed, adopted, or authorized by an individual to be the legally binding equivalent of the individual's handwritten signature.

;[[United States Patent and Trademark Office]] 37 CFR Sec. 1.4 (federal regulation)
:(d)(2) ''S-signature.'' An S-signature is a signature inserted between forwarding slash marks, but not a handwritten signature ... (i)The S-signature must consist only of letters, or Arabic numerals, or both, with appropriate spaces and commas, periods, apostrophes, or hyphens for punctuation... (e.g., /Dr. James T. Jones, Jr./)...
:(iii) The signer's name must be:
:(A) Presented in printed or typed form preferably immediately below or adjacent to the S-signature, and
:(B) Reasonably specific enough so that the identity of the signer can be readily recognized.<ref name="USPTO Manual of Patent Examining Procedures (MPEP) §501">{{cite web| title=MPEP §501| url=http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/documents/0500_501.htm#sect501%7Cpublisher=USPTO| work=USPTO Manual of Patent Examining Procedures (MPEP)| access-date=October 5, 2017| archive-date=February 17, 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217103600/http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/documents/0500_501.htm#sect501%7Cpublisher=USPTO| url-status=live}}</ref>