E-Signature Bill Clears Hurdle
electronic signatures legally binding came a step closer to reality after a House subcommittee approved legislation updating commerce in the Internet age.
Approved by the Finance and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, H.R. 1714, the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, or E-SIGN, next goes before the full Commerce Committee for a vote.
The measure would prevent states from considering an electronic signature invalid. States also couldn't dictate what kind of technology is used in creating electronic signatures.
At the federal level, the Secretary of Commerce would be called upon to identify any barriers to international commerce on the Internet due to the non-acceptance of electronic signatures.
Danish Chain Source Tagging
ALBERTSLUND, Denmark -- FDB here, which operates 1,200 stores including supermarkets and hypermarkets, is implementing a source-tagging program.
Poul-Erik Kristensen, finance director, said the company based the decision on the results of tests in several stores. "The anti-theft label is integrated in the product or the packaging during the manufacturing or packaging process, thus saving store personnel time and money on tagging," Kristensen said.
Kristensen also noted that source tagging has proved to increase sales by allowing retailers to bring high-theft items from behind the counter, providing more merchandising opportunities.
FDB will use technology from Sensormatic, Boca Raton, Fla.
E-Commerce Seen Zooming
BOSTON -- A new study says revenues from on-line retailing are growing much faster than expected in the United States and should top $36 billion in 1999, almost 2.5 times last year's total, according to the Dow Jones newswire.
The study, by Boston Consulting Group here, a management-consulting firm, and shop.org, an association of on-line retailers, is based on sales information for the first quarter from more than 300 retailers. Other forecasts for the industry have been much lower. Jupiter Communications, a New York research firm, for example, estimated that e-commerce will bring in about $12 billion in 1999.
