Patent Document ID: 20040181756
Application ID: 09875756
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. In a system wherein a digital signature is attached to an electronic document and can be isolated from the electronic document such that the electronic document is no longer digitally signed, a method for digitally signing the electronic document such that the digital signature is embedded in the electronic document, the method comprising acts of: creating an electronic document by providing content for the electronic document; inserting a signature block for each signer that will digitally sign the document, wherein each signature block is embedded in the electronic document and each signature block has a one or more attributes, the one or more attributes including a signature attribute; when a signer digitally signs the electronic document, filling some of the one or more attributes before generating the digital signature for the electronic document; generating the digital signature such that the digital signature includes the filled one or more attributes; and placing the digital signature in the signature attribute of the signature block of the signer.