Electronic Seals

Proof of Authorship vs. Electronic Legal Acts

An electronic seal is a de facto parallel to a company stamp affixed to the paper version of a document. It ties a document to a particular organization. What is the difference between an electronic seal and an electronic signature? It’s similar to the difference between a company stamp and a personal signature.

• Electronic seals = proof of a document’s authorship – For example an electronic seal on an issued invoice or an order can be used to confirm an electronic document’s authorship for the purposes of tax audits. The tax office will then be hard-pressed to argue that the supplier did not issue the document. An electronic seal is not an expression of anyone’s will or legal act.

• Electronic signatures = electronic legal acts – By digitally signing a document, the signer is confirming their true will – a legal act of theirs. This fact makes company processes that include signatures by customers, suppliers, or employees significantly faster and more efficient.

How Electronic Seals Work in Signi

By default, all documents signed in Signi are sealed with an electronic seal provided by Digital Factory s.r.o., the organization (the company) that operates the Signi service. Its authorized representative is Ondřej Synovec, and his name is a part of the data on the seal. In the case of a dispute, the court or auditing office will turn to this organization and it will provide them with information on the document’s origins and history.

When you use Signi’s feature for a custom electronic seal, the electronic seal from the service’s operator – Signi – is replaced by an electronic seal for the document proposer’s organization. If you are interested in this, send an email to sales@signi.com with the subject “I want a custom electronic seal.” We will be glad to provide you with access to this feature and set up your electronic seal within Signi.

Where to Get Your Own Electronic Seal

You have two options available:

1. Any certification authority can issue an electronic seal for you; see the Czech Ministry of Interior’s list. To acquire an electronic seal, you will also need a certificate for qualified electronic signatures, ideally one issued by your organization’s authorized representative. Tips on acquiring a seal from Post Signum are available here.

We can also intermediate the process of having an electronic seal issued for your organization, in cooperation with our partner www.elektronickypodpis.cz. We strongly recommend this route, as it is significantly more convenient and less frustrating.