XML for forms

[Barclay Blair]

John,

I agree that there is no reason that such a document cannot be
legally-binding, just as a will scratched in blood on a fence post CAN
be legally-binding.  However, in business we are generally concerned
with managing our risk as much as possible.  Therefore, having witnesses
at the signing of a contract, using notaries, lawyers, etc is a common
practice.

But, don't take my word for it, as a non-lawyer as well:

"Cohasset Associates believes there is a need to preserve as many elements
of the electronic transaction as possible, specifically, the complete
"visual presentation" of the transaction to the user. This will improve
significantly an organization’s ability to meet the tests of admissibility."

The full text is available at:

http://www.cohasset.com/comm_forms.html


Barclay

 ============================================
    Barclay Blair -- Industry Relations
    UWI.Com -- The InternetForms Company
  v: 250-479-8334 x161   fx: 250-479-3772
 barclay at uwi.com	       www.uwi.com
============================================

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-xml-dev at ic.ac.uk [mailto:owner-xml-dev at ic.ac.uk]On Behalf Of
John Cowan
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 1999 8:58 AM
To: XML Dev
Subject: Re: XML for forms


Tim Bray wrote:
> As a legal illiterate, I'm not sure what the real state of play is
> here - but I still think that a list of context-free name/value
> pairs is a pretty shaky basis for a legally binding transaction. -T.

Disclaimer: NAL.

Any legal document draws most of its meaning from context.
A telegram that says "SELL HUNDRED THOUSAND SHARES IBM SHORT"
(only 190 bits in 5-bit Baudot code plus appropriate headers)
is as good a legal document as any, even sans digital signature.

--
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan at ccil.org
   Schlingt dreifach einen Kreis um dies! / Schliesst euer Aug vor heiliger
Schau,
   Denn er genoss vom Honig-Tau / Und trank die Milch vom Paradies.
			-- Coleridge / Politzer

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