Tracking the receipt of digital documents via the internet
What is the best/cheapest way to:
- Known when a digital document is received via the internet,
- Know who received it,
- Have them sign that they received it, and
- Reduce the odds that they will alter or tamper with the document, or be able to tell if they have?
Have some idea, that if needed might address all of these questions, but it'd require me creating a custom solution, instead of just using a service.
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I am sure lots of people will have answers. This new site just came across my desk: https://signsquid.com/ – Joseph Barisonzi 12 years ago
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+1 @Joseph Barisonzi: Thanks, since no one else is posting any additional answers, I went ahead and posted your comment as the answer. Please feel free to cut-n-paste my answer as your own and repost it, and I'll delete mine; just don't want to leave the answer open forever. – Blunders . 12 years ago
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I am one of the co-founder of Signsquid, if you have any question or comments please let-us know. Thnaks for the good answer! – Vinny G 12 years ago
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+1 @VinnyG: Sure, are you aware of any case that your product was contested, and later upheld? On your [Signsquid legality webpage](https://signsquid.com/legality/), it's possible that I'm missing it, or due to my basic knowledge missing an indirect reference, but I do not see any references to the following: "[21 CFR Part 11](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_21_CFR_Part_11)" or "[Federal Rules of Evidence](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Rules_of_Evidence)" -- are these of any relevance to using your system, and if so, have they been addressed, and if not, why? – Blunders . 12 years ago
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I will ask the lawyer that is co-founder with us in Signsquid and I'll get back to you but our product was never contested yet. – Vinny G 12 years ago
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See the explanation below – Vinny G 12 years ago
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+1 @VinnyG: Yes, I saw [Christian Sarailis answer below](http://answers.onstartups.com/a/36789/4764), thanks; I'd also venture to guess the information would be of use to others, in part because aside from two parts being able to know a contract is signed and validate which contract version they're referencing if needed to the other part, knowing within a country, especially the United States, if the contract would be able to be presented as evidence in a trial at least on the federal level is important I would believe. Again, thanks for moving the ball forward on that. Cheers! – Blunders . 12 years ago
2 Answers
Signsquid lets you legally sign contracts online, and also appears to be the only service currently that requires two-factor authentication by email and phone.
Signsquid works by:
- You uploading your document,
- You inviting your signatories,
- Signatories getting the related email invites,
- Signatories validating their identity via phone to sign document, and
- Signatories downloading the signed PDF for your records, and
- You downloading the signed PDF for your records.
Currently Signsquid charges $9 for 10-contracts, and offers one-month free, with no credit card required.
Note: It's important to note that just because this service exist, it's up to every user to understand the legal implications of using it. For example, according to Nolo, a leading publisher of do-it-yourself legal guides, some contracts must be on paper (learn more here) -- among other issues.
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the background work was all yours blunders! You deserve the upvotes. Thank you. – Joseph Barisonzi 12 years ago
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Just want to add that you can now send the code by SMS or directly in the email. Also we modified the CSS so you got a better view when your on your phone. – Vinny G 11 years ago
@blunders I am Signsquid's lawyer. Sorry for the delay to answer your question, we had to do some extensive validations before answering since I am Canadian lawyer and not a US one. So I did a review of the "US Federal Rules of Evidence" as you asked, and we have the opinion that Signsquid is compliant to those rules. However, note that some states may have rules for evidence requiring a handwritten signature (some but few have this requirement).
Most of the states require the followings for an electronic signature be valid:
- That the signature be unique to the person using it.
- It is capable of verification.
- It is under the sole control of the person using it.
- It is linked to data in such a manner that if the data are changed, the digital signature is invalidated.
We can guaranty that Signsquid respects all those criterions.
I hope this answer your questions and feel free to contact me if you need more information.
Enjoy the simplicity of using Signsquid for you signature needs!
Christian Saraïlis Esq. LL.B, lawyer
Quebec city, Canada
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How does Signsquid verify the identity of the person signing? I am familiar with notaries who require one to produce identification like a drivers license with a photo. How do you verify identity over the phone? – Jonny Boats 12 years ago
