Use MeSign APP to digitally sign contract and document locallyComplete digital signature locally without uploading documents to be signed to the e-signature platform.

1. Document E-signature Introduction

At present, all kinds of PDF documents were basically not digitally signed. These documents with no digital signatures are untrustworthy documents, because anyone can easily publish such documents by impersonating as an organization, or even anyone can counterfeit and tamper with the documents published by the government. Therefore, the electronic documents do not have trusted identity is not only an issue of compliance, but also a security risk. These electronic documents are easy to deceive people, make them lose money and even endanger their life. Therefore, the publisher of the document should pay high attention on this issue.

Adobe officially released PDF format files in 1992 to vigorously promote the electronization of documents. In 1999, Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader began to support digital signature technologies, intended to promote the credibility of electronic documents. According to the introduction on Adobe website, Electronic Signature (or E-signature) is a broad term referring to any electronic process that indicates acceptance of an agreement or a record. Typical e-signature solutions use common electronic authentication methods to verify signer identity, such as an email address, a corporate ID, or a phone PIN. If increased security is needed, multifactor authentication may be used. The best e-signature solutions demonstrate proof of signing using a secure process that includes an audit trail along with the final document.

But, if the user sets to use the graphic of the handwritten signature, electronic signature has a problem that it is impossible to verify whether the graphic of the handwritten signature is indeed the signature of the signer. The signing parties of the contract only either trust the signature graphic or verify the authenticity of the signature graphic by other means. This is the deficiency of the electronic signature.

Digital Signature (or D-signature) is one specific type of electronic signature, which is an improved and more reliable electronic signature. Digital signature use certificate-based digital IDs to authenticate signer identity and demonstrate proof of signing by binding each signature to the document with encryption, there is no need to include an audit trail along with the final document. The signer’s identity validation occurs through trusted certificate authorities (CAs) or trust service providers (TSPs).

MeSign Contract E-signature Service only supports digital signature, and does not provide electronic signature, because we believe that it is not enough that just validate the contract signer's email address only, especially for signing contract online that the signing parties do not meet face to face for each other. MeSign Contract E-signature Service use digital signature method that validate the authentic identity of each signer, and automatically configures each signer with a PDF signing certificate of Adobe global trusted for digitally signing contracts. MeSign Document D-signature Service also only supports digital signature, validate the authentic identity of document signer, and automatically configures the signer with a PDF signing certificate of Adobe global trust for digitally signing the PDF documents.

2. How to use the Document Signing function

MeSign APP is not only a free email client software, but also a document e-signing and encryption tool, it provides unlimited times of one-click document digital signature services and document encryption services for users that have purchased MeSign Document D-signature service, which meet user's demands on trusted paperless application.

Users do not need to spend time and money to apply the Adobe trusted PDF signing certificate from a CA, and they do not have to worry about how to manage the certificate and how to use the signing certificate in the Adobe Reader. As long as they use Document Signing function, the documents can be digitally signed by Adobe global trusted PDF signing certificate automatically with Adobe LTV (Long Term Validation) feature and attached Adobe trusted timestamps signature automatically.

MeSign Document D-signature Services enable each document has a trusted identity, which makes users easy to identify whether the identity of the document is fake or not at a glance, so that it can completely solve the problem of the document fraud and protect the user's personal property and personal safety. For the publication of government documents, displaying the authentic identity information of the publishing organization is helpful to prevent counterfeiting and the tampering of official documents; for the release of business documents, displaying the authentic identity information of the document publisher can effectively enhance the document trust and promote more business cooperation.

MeSign Document D-signature Services provide document single-signer signing and document multi-signer cosigning services. Users only need to select the "Document Signing" in the menu and select the local PDF file to be signed to complete the digital signing by one-click. Before agreeing to sign the document, users can choose the different methods of document encryption: Unencrypted; Encrypted (Readable for myself only); Encrypted (Readable for specified persons). This function can effectively prevent confidential document to be leaked, but it does not affect the person who has the right to read this document to decrypt it unintentionally.

Unintentional decryption means that the authorized reader can directly open and read the encrypted document by using the Adobe Reader smoothly, and the user is not aware that the document is encrypted, because the Adobe Reader can automatically decrypt the document with the encryption certificate automatically. However, for the readers who do not have the right to read this document will be notified from Adobe Reader that "This document is encrypted by a digital certificate, but there is no digital certificate for decrypting this document." MeSign uses the same encryption technologies on document encryption and email encryption by using public key for encryption and private key for decryption.

When encrypting a document, users can also choose whether to add a watermark using the email address of the person who has the right to read this document as anti-screenshot and anti-photograph protection, which can effectively track the path of leakage of confidential information in the encrypted document and reduce the risk of leakage of confidential information. This protection measure is more guaranteed than the traditional management of paper confidential documents, and effectively solves the risk of leakage of paper confidential documents being copied and photographed.

The system will lock the document after signing by default, so that re-signing on that document is not allowed. It is optional for users to allow re-signing after the signing, and if so, please remember to unselect this option. This function can be used in situations that require multiple signatures, such as, manually signing a contract or agreement, the user firstly signs by the MeSign APP, and sends it to other signers, and the other signers use the Adobe Reader to sign it. Or sometimes it is necessary to sign the organization's e-seal first, and then attach a personal e-signature . These application scenarios require that the document is not locked after the first signing, but only locked the document after the last signing. Please note, the first signing will use the certifying signature method, and the signer’s identity information will be displayed on the top of the document. As shown below:

The Document Cosigning can be used in the application scenario that multiple organizations jointly issue the documents. The cosigning initiator initiates the cosigning and selects the cosigning parties to use the MeSign APP to complete the digital signing in turn. The cosigning is used the same signing process as contract e-signing process by encrypted email. After the cosigning is completed, the identity information of the cosigning initiator is displayed on the top of Adobe Reader, and you can click the electronic signature of the document to view the identity information of all the signers.

3. How to use the Contract Signing function

For small and medium-sized enterprises that only need to sign a small number of electronic contracts every day, it is recommended to use the MeSign APP to manually sign electronic contracts. Users need to purchase the Contract E-signature Service and complete the identity validation as required. MeSign Contract E-signature Service uses digital signature and does not provide electronic signature method to sign contract that only validate the signer's email address. Not only the contract service user (contract initiator) needs to validate the authentic identity, but also the contract signing party needs to validate the authentic identity. After completing the identity validation, MeSign Contract E-signature Service will automatically configure Adobe global trusted PDF signing certificate for each contract signer for free to digitally sign the contract.

MeSign APP (an email client) integrates Contract E-signature functions, providing global users with a one-stop e-contract signing service based on email transmission, which ensures that the entire process of e-contract signing is encrypted, and the signed contract file are encrypted stored in the user’s mail server. The contract signing initiator must use the MeSign APP to initiate the contract signing, all contract signatories also must use MeSign APP to sign the contract, to guarantee the entire process of contract signing can be encrypted, ensuring the security of personal privacy and commercial confidential information in the contract. The contract e-signing service is completed by the MeSign APP on the user's computer, and it do not upload the original contract to the e-signature platform, protecting the confidential information in the contract effectively.

The following left figure shows the user interface of the MeSign E-signature service. Click “Contract Signing” to initiate contract signing. After the signing party receives the notification email of the contract to be signed, right-click on the email attachment to complete the contract signing, as shown in the right figure below.

Using MeSign APP to sign the electronic contract, the signing process is the same as the paper contract signing process, which provides duplicate or multiple copies as well (Global Originality). Each signer holds one copy, and each signed contract file has its own email address watermark to prevent the contract from being leaked by captured screenshot or photo. Therefore, if the contract has been leaked, the email address watermarks can effectively track the path of the contract leakage, which reduce the risk of the contract leakage. This protection measure makes the e-contract signing more secure than the traditional paper contract signing, and effectively solves the risk of the paper contract being leaked by photocopying.

The process of the e-contract signing by using MeSign APP is proceeded based on the email transmission, as long as all signatories can receive email, the contract signing can be done by themselves. This solution is especially suitable for the users who use emails for business communications. These users can complete the e-contract signing instantly by clicking the contract files attached on the email. MeSign Contract E-signature service is not only suitable for the signing e-commerce contracts, but also very suitable for cross border trading and cooperation contract and agreement signing with China partners, to achieve global business contract signing and global legal effect.

MeSign Contract E-signature Service only charges the contract initiator for the annual contract signing service fee and does not charge according to the contract signing quantity! If the contract signing party does not purchase the MeSign Contract E-signature service, the identity validation cost shall be borne by the contract initiator, and the contract signing party shall sign completely free of charge. When purchasing Contract E-signature service, users need to purchase the contract signer identity validation service package at the same time.

Users can not only use MeSign APP for signing various commercial contracts manually, but also can use it for signing employment agreements. As long as the organization finish the organization validations and the employee finish the employee validations, then all employees can use MeSign APP to finish the employment agreement with encryption for the entire signing process.

4. The signed PDF file sample download

Please click to download various types of signed documents sample files:
Single Signing (Organization) Cosigning (Two Organizations) Single Signing with Encryption Signed document has been tampered with (Organization) two signing tools signed (one use MeSign APP, another use Adobe Reader)

Please click to download the signed contract sample files:
Two companies One company and one individual