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A signature (from Latin signare, "sign") is a handwritten (and sometimes stylized) depiction of someone's name (or some other identifying mark) that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and will. It acts as a seal. The writer of a signature is a signatory. Like a handwritten signature, a signature work describes the work as readily identifying its creator.
Function and types of signatures The traditional function of a signature is evidential: it is to give evidence of: There are many other terms which are synonymous with 'signature'. One is John Hancock, named after the first of the signatories of the United States Declaration of Independence. The signature of a famous person is sometimes known as an autograph, and is then typically written on its own or with a brief note to the recipient. Rather than providing authentication for a document, the autograph is given as a souvenir which acknowledges the recipient's access to the autographer. Some states’ legal definition of a signature defines a signature to mean "any memorandum, mark, or sign made with intent to authenticate any instrument or writing, or the subscription of any person thereto." In the context of one particular statute, a signature doesn’t have to be the popular notion of a written name, but may be other methods of authentication; the intent of any mark or memorandum makes a signature. Mechanically produced signatures Special signature machines, called autopens are capable of automatically reproducing an individual's signature. These are typically used by people required to sign many documents, for example celebrities, heads of state or CEOs. Several cultures whose languages use writing systems other than alphabets do not share the Western notion of signatures per se: the "signing" of one's name results in a written product no different from the result of "writing" one's name in the standard way. For these languages, to write or to sign involves the same written characters. Three such examples are Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. In Asian culture, people typically use name-seals or inkan with the name written in tensho script (seal script) in lieu of a handwritten signature (also see Calligraphy). In e-mail and newsgroup usage, another type of signature exists which is independent of one's language. Users can set one or more lines of custom text known as a signature block to be automatically appended to their messages. This text usually includes a name, contact information, and sometimes quotations and ASCII art. Some web sites also allow graphics to be used. Note, however, that this type of signature is not related to electronic signatures or digital signatures, which are more technical in nature and not directly readable by human eyes. Other uses A signature is that which gives an object or piece of information its identity. Examples: the voice of Elvis on one of his records; a signature on a contract or the shape of a classical Coca-Cola bottle. By analogy, the word "signature" may be used to refer to the characteristic expression of a process or thing. For example, the climate phenomenon known as ENSO or El Niño has characteristic modes in different ocean basins which are often referred to as the "signature" of ENSO. In addition, the proliferation of biometrics in the 21st century has spawned a growth in Signature Biometrics, which aims to reduce the threat of signature fraud. See also | ||||||||
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