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digital-signatureelectronic-signature
Billm
Billm

Reputation: 43

Online agreement between 2 users and ensure it's valid and not altered in the future?

In my app a registered user can create and send a licensing agreement for getting permissions from another registered user to use a product. This agreement must be signed by both users to be valid and each agreement is stored in the database along with some fields agreed and a unique generated number (not table id). For each user there is an accept & sign button that when is clicked it stores the name of the user in the appropriate column of the agreement (ex. user1_signed_by). If both accept i then generate a pdf file for them to view, download and save it. It cannot be updated or edited after that.

Now i am taking the worst scenarios that might happen some day:

  1. An admin or someone else alters the agreement document file as well as database row.
  2. Both users change the agreement that it looks different than the one they downloaded so they can say that my app has altered terms etc..

For this, i am thinking that the only safe solution may be to add myself to sign the agreement & download it as well and then send the agreement file via email to each user as well, so i can have a proof of the original agreement even if changes occur from any party.Any thoughts on this? is this a safer & valid approach?

PS: Due to budget i don't want to use any online signature services yet.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 51

Answers (1)

pedrofb
pedrofb

Reputation: 39241

The purposes of digital signature on electronic processes are ensure identity, protect integrity of the content and link the identity of the signer with the content

Therefore, i think including a digital signature over the agreement meet your goals.

But note you are not a 'trusted certification service provider', so the scope of the signature acceptance probably will be limited to your own system. This will depend on the local legislation. May be you can expand the terms of use of your system to include this characteristics. I suggest also to use a digital certificate issued by a trusted certification provider in your country

Upvotes: 2

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