This is the comprehensive guide to explaining the commercial, technical and legal issues involved in the use of electronic signatures. It contains the national legislation of many major jurisdictions, and by putting these into a wider international context clarifies what is one of the fastest moving and highest profile areas of law. These include various implementations of the Electronic Signatures Directive across the existing and future European Union. A clear guide to an important area of e-commerce Provides a complete overview of legislative initiatives at the international level following the UNCITRAL Model Laws on Electronic Commerce and Electronic Signatures and the OECD Declaration on Authentication for Electronic Commerce Explains the impact of the Electronic Signatures Directive Reviews the work on technical standardisation to ensure interoperability of electronic signature devices Describes and explains the regulation of certification service providers in all major jurisdictions A CD-ROM contains all relevant legislation from around the world.