QuickLinks - Digital signatures

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Issue no. 237 - 16 June 2002

• DE - Germans show little interest in digital signatures (IDG)
  German Internet users have shown little interest in using digital signatures so far, according to a study by the market research group Fittkau & Maass GmbH. The study comes on the heels of an announcement by the German government of an initiative to promote electronic verification technology in the public sector.

Issue no. 221 - 26 January 2002

• Deutschland - Digitale Signatur und E-Mail-Sicherheit werden flächendeckend in der Bundesverwaltung eingeführt (Pressemittteilung)
  Das Bundeskabinett hat die flächendeckende Einführung der digitalen Signatur in der Bundesverwaltung beschlossen. Davon profitieren die Beschäftigten an mehr als 200.000 Arbeitsplätzen in Ministerien und Behörden. siehe Beschluss des Bundeskabinetts zur Sicherheit im elektronischen Rechts- und Geschäftsverkehr mit der Bundesverwaltung und Bericht KPMG (Kurzfassung).

• German government employees get electronic signatures (IDG)
  Germany's federal government is introducing electronic signatures for its employees, a step it hopes will help make the security procedure generally accepted in the country. More than 200,000 employees of ministries and agencies will be able to sign electronic documents using a chip card with an encrypted key, giving them the same legal weight as paper documents with a handwritten signature. see also Electronic Signature in Germany (Sicherheit-im-Internet).

• USA - Quicken Loans signs on to e-signatures (IDG)
  Mortgage vendor Quicken Loans is deploying what may be the first electronic signature network for high-value business-to-consumer transactions. Unlike emerging efforts to implement electronic signatures in other consumer settings, Quicken's loan process won't require consumers to use private keys, download digital certificates or use specialized signing software to authenticate themselves. Instead, the company will combine information provided by the consumer during the loan application process with a unique user name and information such as details of an auto loan to authenticate users.

Issue no. 201 - 26 June 2001

• Québec établit un cadre juridique autour de l'utilisation des technologies de l'information (Multimédium)
  Le parlement québécois a finalement adopté le projet de loi 161 concernant le cadre juridique des technologies de l'information, qui accorde notamment aux documents électroniques une reconnaissance juridique équivalent à celle des documents d'encre et de papier.

• Standards for electronic signature (RAPID)
  Erkki LIIKANEN, Member of the European Commission responsible for Enterprise and the Information Society, European Electronic Signature Standardization Initiative (EESSI) Conference, Brussels, 19 June 2001.

Issue no. 192 - 26 March 2001

• Imposters Obtain Microsoft Digital 'Signatures' (Reuters)
  Security software maker VeriSign said that an individual posing as a Microsoft employee was able to obtain two digital certificates - the online equivalents of signatures - that could potentially allow him to send harmful or virus-ridden software to unsuspecting Internet users.

Issue no. 187 - 17 February 2001

• Germany - Bundestag beschließt Gesetz zur digitalen Signatur (Heise Online)
  Die elektronische Unterschrift soll künftig als gleichwertige Alternative zur handschriftlichen Signatur gelten. Der Bundestag beschloss ein Gesetz, das die entsprechende EU-Richtlinie 1999/93/EG in deutsches Recht umsetzt. siehe auch Experte: E-Signatur-Gesetz begünstigt Missbrauch

Issue no. 181 - 10 December 2000

• An Analysis of International Electronic and Digital Signature Implementation Initiatives (ILPF)
  The Internet Law and Policy Forum publishes its international survey, prepared by Chris Kuner from the Brussels office of Morrison & Foerster LLP and Stewart Baker from the Washington, D.C. office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.

Issue no. 171 - 1 October 2000

• UK boost for digital signatures (FT)
  An internet start-up company has struck an alliance with the Post Office to offer free digital signatures to millions of consumers, in a move designed to boost public confidence in using the internet for online transactions.

Issue no. 168 - 9 September 2000

• Commission plans to clear bank certification network (RAPID)
  The European Commission has intends to clear agreements between a number of major European and US banks to set up a joint venture called Identrus, a world-wide network for the authentication of electronic signatures and other aspects related to financial and e-commerce transactions.

Issue no. 164 - 15 July 2000

• Ireland Joins E-Sig Craze (Wired)
  Following closely on the tail of the United States, Ireland became the second country to use a digital signature to sign its electronic commerce and digital signature act.

Issue no. 162 - 2 July 2000

• USA - Clinton signs e-signature bill into law - electronically (CNN / Associated Press)
  President Clinton took the unusual step of ushering in a revolution in the formalization of Internet commerce by signing the long-awaited Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act into law - using new digital signature technology to do so. The bill accords online "electronic" signatures intended to complete legal agreements or commercial transactions the same legal status as a formal signature on a paper document.

Issue no. 160 - 17 June 2000

• USA - Electronic-Signature Bill Is Approved by the Senate (New York Times)
  A measure that gives electronic signatures and documents the same force in law as their paper counterparts won unanimous approval in the U.S. Senate, two days after the House passed the bill. see also House Passes E-signature Legislation (AP), Legislation passed by the House (Bill S. 761).

Issue no. 159 - 11 June 2000

• Australian Marriage Sealed with Digital Kiss (Newsbites)
  The digital generation wedding took place in Camberwell, Victoria. The marriage certificate was signed electronically by Brian Scott, Julie Lord, two witnesses and the celebrant using government-certified digital certificates, and will be lodged with the appropriate government office. The Victorian Government recently passed a bill accepting the lodgement of electronic forms of all kinds.

• USA - Electronic Signature Bill Heads for Vote (New York Times)
  House and Senate negotiators arrived at a single version of the bill giving electronic signatures and documents the same force in law.

Issue no. 158 - 4 June 2000

• UK - Update on E-Communications Act (out-law)
  The Electronic Communications Bill received Royal Assent on 25th May, as expected, and is now officially in force as an Act of Parliament. However, only limited parts of the Act will take effect immediately. The sections relating to electronic signatures and related certificates and telecommunications licences will not be brought into force for a period of two months. see also the official text of the Electronic Communications Act 2000.

• USA - Big Leap Forward For Legally Binding IDs (InternetWeek)
  The Securities and Exchange Commission will let U.S. companies submit their filings over the Internet, using public key infrastructure (PKI) technology.

Issue no. 157 - 28 May 2000

• UK - Electronic Communications Act 2000 (out-law.com)
  The Electronic Communications Act is due to receive Royal Assent and the Secretary of State can now fix the date on which it will come into force. The main purpose of the legislation is to help build confidence in electronic commerce and the technology underlying it by providing for an approvals scheme for businesses and other organisations providing cryptography support services, such as electronic services and confidentiality services.

Issue no. 153 - 1 May 2000

• Germany - Neues Signaturgesetz steht zur Diskussion (Heise Online)
  Das Bundeswirtschaftsministerium stellt die Novelle des deutschen Signaturgesetzes im Internet zur Diskussion. Die EU-Richtlinie über gemeinschaftliche Rahmenbedingungen für elektronische Signaturen hat eine Überarbeitung des gut zweieinhalb Jahre alten deutschen Gesetzes erforderlich gemacht.

Issue no. 148 - 18 March 2000

• France - La cybersignature désormais inscrite dans le code civil (internet.gouv.fr)
  Les députés ont adopté sans modification et à l'unanimité le projet de loi portant adaptation du droit de la preuve aux technologies de l'information et relatif à la signature électronique adopté le 29 février 2000 (au format ".pdf").

Issue no. 146 - 4 March 2000

• EU - UK concern over e-signature standards (Yahoo UK)
  The government is urging UK firms to join European discussions on e-commerce standards. A body known as the European Electronic Signature Standardisation Initiative (EESSI) has been formed to advise on standards for signature creation, product verification and to interoperability of e-signatures.

Issue no. 143 - 12 February 2000

• Der digitale Europäer (Spiegel Online)
  Die Finnen bekommen ihn bereits, und auch die restlichen Europäer müssen nicht mehr lange warten: Der digitale Personalausweis soll in der EU zum Standard werden. Doch, so fragen Experten, sind derartige Chipkarten wirklich unentbehrlich?

• EU - Electronic Signature Directive (EC Official Journal)
  Directive 1999/93/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 on a Community framework for electronic signatures. OJ No L 13 p.12 19/1/2000.

Issue no. 138 - 9 January 2000

• Making E-Contracts Count (wired)
  With the introduction of the Electronic Information and Documents Act Saskatchewan, became the first Canadian province to try to define the legal ground rules for electronic commerce.

Issue no. 136 - 12 December 1999

• DTI chief endorses digital signatures (Silicon)
  Stephen Byers, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, became the first UK Cabinet Minister to sign a document electronically.

Issue no. 135 - 5 December 1999

• Electronic key found to keep data safe (FT)
  It used to be that a broker's word was his bond. Today online share trading throws up a new challenge to businesses seeking to authenticate and ensure the confidentiality of transactions on the internet.

• EU - New legal framework to guarantee security of electronic signatures (RAPID)
  A new legal framework guaranteeing EU-wide recognition of electronic signatures was adopted at the 30 November Council of Telecommunications Ministers. see also Europe to give legal status to digital signatures (Infoworld) and EU beschließt E-Signatur (Focus Online).

Issue no. 134 - 27 November 1999

• Japan's Ministries Announce Views on Legislation for Electronic Signatures (AsiaBizTech)
  The Japanese government's three ministries, Posts and Telecommunications, International Trade and Industry, and Justice, announced their views on electronic signatures and other endorsement systems to be used in Internet trade.

• USA - Senate Approves Electronic Signatures (AP)
  The Senate affirmed the legality of contracts signed electronically. The legislation would establish a minimum standard for electronic signatures while states work on overhauling their own laws. The House passed a similar bill Nov. 9, but lawmakers will have to resolve differences before the legislation can be sent to the president for his signature.

Issue no. 132 - 11 November 1999

• USA - House Passes Bill Giving Weight to Digital Contracts (New York Times)
  The House passed legislation that would give electronic contracts the same legal weight as their traditional paper counterparts, overriding the objections of consumers groups and the Clinton Administration.

Issue no. 130 - 23 October 1999

• TIE Tackles Digital Certificate Interoperability (Total Telecom)
  Trust Infrastructure for Europe (TIE), a European Commission-backed project to test the interoperability of digital certificate systems is set to begin next week with the first round of testing at DirConnect5 in Washington D.C.

Issue no. 126 - 8 September 1999

• France - Signature électronique: adoption d'un projet de loi (AFP)
  Destiné à favoriser le développement en France du commerce en ligne, le Conseil des ministres a adopté un projet de loi qui vise à donner la même valeur juridique à un document électronique dont l'émetteur est reconnu et authentifié, qu'à un document signé de la main.

Issue no. 117 - 8 May 1999

• EU - Telecommunications Council (RAPID)
  Among items discussed in Luxembourg on 22 April 1999 were the Common Framework for Electronic Signatures (political agreement on a Common Position), the Year 2000 computer problem and Convergence of the Telecommunications, Media and Information Technology Sectors.

• USA - Legislators push digital signature approval (Bloomberg)
  U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation designed to promote online commerce by giving electronic signatures the same legal validity as hand-written ones.

Issue no. 115 - 24 April 1999

• EU - Ministers back legalising electronic signatures (Reuters)
  ''Electronic signatures'' should be made legally equivalent to handwritten ones in the European Union, the bloc's 15 telecommunications ministers agreed unanimously. The legislation now goes to the European Parliament before final adoption. See also EU moves forward on two electronic commerce laws (Reuters).

Issue no. 114 - 26 March 1999

• UK - Post Office taking first step into e-mail (Reuters)
  Britain's nearly 4-century-old Post Office said it would take its maiden step into the new world of electronic communications when it launches a secure e-commerce service.

Issue no. 112 - 12 March 1999

• Survey of International Electronic and Digital Signature Initiatives (Internet Law & Policy Forum)
  This report provides a comparison and analysis of electronic authentication initiatives in jurisdictions outside of the United States, including international efforts at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the European Union (EU). This report complements the ILPF Survey of Electronic and Digital Signature Legislative Initiatives in the United States (the "ILPF US Survey").

Issue no. 107 - 8 February 1999

• UK - Business fights e-trade inertia (BBC)
  The British Chambers of Commerce launched a programme of nationwide workshops aimed at equipping its members to issue digital certificates. The BCC is working with Belgian-based GlobalSign and will issue the highest security certificates, Class Three.

Issue no. 106 - 29 January 1999

• Germany - Seit Montag sind digitale Signaturen für Geschäfte im Internet erhältlich (Reuters)
  [Germany's first official digital signatures] Die Kontroll-und Genehmigungsbehörde für digitale Signaturen in Deutschland nahm am Montag in Mainz den Betrieb auf. Sie verwaltet die digitalen Signaturen. Das neue Mainzer Amt untersteht der Bonner Regulierungsbehörde. Es vergibt Lizenzen an Unternehmen, die digitale Signaturen in einer Chipkarte herstellen. Dem Mainer Amt liegen derzeit rund 33 Lizenzanträge vor. In Deutschland ist bislang einzig die Deutsche Telekom zugelassene Ausgabestelle.

Issue no. 103 - 8 January 1999

• Germany - Telekom mit den ersten gesetz-konformen Signatur-Chipkarten (Handelsblatt)
  [Deutsche Telekom selling chip cards for digital signatures] Deutsche Telekom gibt als erster Anbieter in der Bundesrepublik elektronische Chipkarten aus, die den Richtlinien des Signaturgesetzes entsprechen. Die digitale Signatur kann ab sofort bundesweit bei den rund 500 T-Punkt-Shops in Auftrag gegeben werden.

Issue no. 98 - 30 November 1998

• France, Germany, Italy block EU online shopping law (AFP)
  France, Germany, Italy and Portugal are blocking a compromise for an EU law governing the way electronic signatures can be used to make online transactions secure. The four member states want the directive to include a detailed annex of requirements on the security keys and verification devices that have to be used.

Issue no. 92 - 22 October 1998

• Germany - Die Digitale Signatur kommt (Der Stern)
  Vom Ende dieses Monats können Multi-Media-Verträge mit einer digitalen Unterschrift unterzeichnet werden. Wer eine digitale Signatur benutzen möchte, muß sich zu einer Zertifizierungsstelle begeben. Dort erhält man seine persönliche Signatur nebst deren Beglaubigung. Die ersten staatlich genehmigten Zertifizierungsämter sind die "T-Punkt"-Läden der Telekom, mindestens 30 weitere Firmen haben sich um eine Zertifizierungserlaubnis beworben.

• Banks join Internet electronic ID system (Wired)
  Eight international banks signed a joint venture Wednesday to create a system for exchanging digital certificates, or electronic IDs, and promote electronic commerce over the Internet. A central certificate authority will register individual banks and ensure that they have complied with the system's technological guidelines. see also CNET News.com.

Issue no. 90 - 13 October 1998

• Germany - Online-Klage gültig (Focus)
  Deutsche Gerichte gehen zunehmend dazu über, die modernen Kommunikationstechniken im Umgang mit der Justiz anzuerkennen. So hat das Verwaltungsgericht Karlsruhe jetzt in einem Urteil die Online-Übermittlung einer Klageschrift per Computerfax anerkannt. Und das, obwohl die Klage nicht die eigentlich vorgeschriebene eigenhändige Unterschrift trug.

Issue no. 86 - 25 September 1998

• Digital signatures in Germany (Der Spiegel)
  Article on the German Signaturgesetz and private "trust centres"

Issue no. 67 - 15 May 1998

• EU - Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on a common framework for electronic signatures (European Commission)
  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on a common framework for electronic signatures COM(1998) 297 Press release: http://www.ispo.cec.be/eif/policy/press98297.html

• Two Giant Users Sign On The Digital Line (InternetWeek)
  Eastman Kodak and Federal Express are about to give digital signatures their biggest boost yet. The corporate giants are each deploying tens of thousands of the electronic IDs in what appear to be the largest domestic commitments to date. Some view the projects as a sign that digital certificates, until now issued only sparingly by financial services firms and foreign phone companies, are poised to emerge as a preferred technology to secure large-scale, everyday corporate interactions over networks.

Issue no. 36 - 15 January 1998

• BT To Launch Verisign Internet Security In UK (Reuters)
  British Telecommunications says it introduce a range of security devices to protect use of the Internet to Britain. In a statement, BT said it had agreed with privately-owned U.S. encryption specialist Verisign Inc to market digital certificates which will allow confidential information such as credit card details to be sent over the Internet without being read by third parties.

Issue no. 24 - 4 December 1997

• First digital signature authority (News.com)
  Under a program that aims to make electronic communication and transactions more secure, the State of Utah has entrusted a banking subsidiary to store and authenticate digital signatures, a license that the state claims is the world's first.

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