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An act published by the Uniform Law Commission in 1999 giving electronic signatures and records (including contracts) the same legal effect as traditional handwritten signatures and paper documents under the statute of frauds.

The UETA Act is a key US law that gives legal validity to electronic contracts. It has been adopted by 47 states; the remaining three have similar state legislation in place. The act pertains primarily to electronic contracts and is supported by RightSignature.

The remaining three states -- Washington, Illinois and New York -- have enacted similar legislation governing electronic transactions. UETA laid out circumstances and context to define the legal validity of electronic signatures.

UETA and the ESIGN Act solidified the legal landscape for use of electronic records and electronic signatures in commerce by confirming that electronic records and signatures carry the same weight and have the same legal effect as traditional paper documents and wet ink signatures.

The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) establishes the legal equivalence of electronic records and signatures with paper writings and manually-signed signatures, removing barriers to electronic commerce.

The UETA has been adopted in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. New York has not adopted the UETA but has adopted similar laws making electronic signatures legally enforceable.

However, there are differences between the two. The ESIGN Act is a federal law, which means that every state must comply. In contrast, the UETA is adopted on a state-by-state basis. Each state gets to decide whether they want to accept or reject the guidelines laid out in the UETA.

The E-Sign Act allows the use of electronic records to satisfy any statute, regulation, or rule of law requiring that such information be provided in writing, if the consumer has affirmatively consented to such use and has not withdrawn such consent.

The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) establishes the legal equivalence of electronic records and signatures with paper writings and manually-signed signatures, removing barriers to electronic commerce.

Specifically, the act validates electronic records and signatures for interstate and foreign commerce transactions. With the E-Sign Act, electronic signatures can be held to the same standard and legal scrutiny of authenticity as their paper signature counterparts.