Ben Holiday writes:
Florida now recognizes electronic signatures as legal and binding. In other words - its okay to sign it by modem. [...] California and Utah are the only other states that have laws recognizing electronic signatures.
The lawyers here can correct me if I am wrong, but I get the impression that under the common law, an ink signature is merely a demonstration that a party assented to a contract, and except for certain contracts (which usually require witnesses etc.) there is no requirement in the law that a contract even be on paper. Given this, a digital signature could probably, under existing common law, be used as evidence of intent in a contract dispute just as a paper and ink signature could be, except in cases like real estate transfers which I already mentioned. Perry