{"id":35067,"date":"2020-05-12T13:56:25","date_gmt":"2020-05-12T05:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zegal.com\/?p=35067"},"modified":"2021-09-23T13:57:06","modified_gmt":"2021-09-23T05:57:06","slug":"e-sign-laws-hong-kong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zegal.com\/en-sg\/blog\/post\/e-sign-laws-hong-kong\/","title":{"rendered":"E-sign Laws: Hong Kong"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Part 1: Signing in to the digital age<\/h4>\n

The digital world seems to be synonymous with \u201cconvenience\u201d. Stepping into the interconnectivity of businesses and organisations, digitalisation is key to communicating efficiently regardless of different time zones and places.<\/span><\/p>\n

Convenience is also a major plus point for international business activities. With everything literally at your fingertips, doing business globally has never been easier. Transforming paperwork into accessible, on-the-go, electronic documents makes it convenient for everyone anywhere, anytime. But this level of convenience does not undermine the legality of any business agreement conducted digitally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t be fooled by the casualness of electronic agreements; know that your electronic signature holds equal weight compared to a written or \u201cwet\u201d signature. We all need to be signing into the digitalised age of Electronic signatures, or E-signing. Or as we like to call it at Zegal, Z-signing. <\/span><\/p>\n

Read on to learn more about the legal compliance for electronic signatures in Hong Kong specifically, and watch out for more in this series on Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, UK, Cayman Islands and BVI.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Photo by Ryan McManimie on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

<\/span>Hong Kong Law<\/span><\/h3>\n

Under Hong Kong law, the Electronic Transaction Ordinance (ETO) confirms contracts cannot be denied enforceability on the basis that they are concluded electronically. Contracts are generally valid if legally competent parties reach an agreement, this include verbal, electronic or with a physical document. To prove a valid contract, parties may have to present evidence in court. Digital transaction management solutions can provide electronic records that will be admissible under Hong Kong law, to support the authenticity of a contract.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Use Cases for E-sign<\/span><\/h3>\n

Instances where e-signatures are generally considered appropriate:<\/p>\n