A question I am often asked is “Are electronic signatures legal?”

As the FAQ states: The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN) deemed electronic signatures on commercial transactions and most other agreements have a legal status equivalent to a written signature. (This is a United States law.)

The articles below provide some additional interesting reading on Electronic Signatures, and signatures in general:

Why do we accept signatures by fax? by Bruce Schneier at Wired Magazine
The History of Electronic Signature Laws by Isaac Bowman