[Ads-l] wet signature

[MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY RDECOM AMRDEC (US)]

As opposed to an electronic signature. 

The earliest I have seen the term:
_Chicago Tribune_ 18 Jan 1998 p 3C col 1
"The Utah Digital Signature Act recognizes digital certificates as the legal equivalent to "wet" signatures.  The Utah law provides that in disputes involving properly verified digital signatures, the burden is on the signer to prove that the signature is not valid, rather than on the recipient to prove that it is, as is the case with paper-based transactions."



Earlier uses seem to imply an original, rather than a photocopy, signed document.

Palm Springs CA _Desert Sun_ 13 Sep 1986 p B2 col 5

"The city's building and safety division is tightening up on building plans, requiring the builder to submit one set of plans with an original signature before construction can begin, officials say. . . .  Mangione noted that a requirement for one set of "wet signature plans" has always been in the code, but the city has never vigorously enforced it."


The term was discussed last year, but without much differentiation between "non-photocopy" and "non-digital".
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2016-May/142187.html

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