First off I work for an electronic signature vendor, eOriginal, and we come across this question quite a bit and the short answer is, yes electronic signatures are legal and considered to be the same as ink on paper signatures. However there are a few laws (UETA and ESIGN) that define the steps and standards required so that your electronically signed documents are considered fully legal and compliant. For example establishing consent to esign a document. You can find more information on the legality of electronic signature on our compliance page on our website here: http://www.eoriginal.com/solutions/legal.php – there are also links to more information on the UETA and ESIGN acts on that page. I suggest when evaluating an electronic signature vendor, you should ask about their process and if the adhere to standards outlined in UETA and ESIGN.