<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.apple-tab-span
{mso-style-name:apple-tab-span;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Thanks for this practice tip.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE--This email is intended only for the person(s) named in the message header. Unless otherwise indicated, this email contains information
that is confidential, privileged and/or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender of the error and delete the message. Even if you are an intended recipient of this E-Mail, the author
requests that you not forward it to any other person without written prior consent. E-Mail is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. Section 2510-2521 and is legally privileged. Thank you.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Patentpractice [mailto:patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Patent Lawyer via Patentpractice<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, September 03, 2025 11:02 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com<br>
<b>Cc:</b> Patent Lawyer <patentlawyer995@gmail.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Patentpractice] A DocuSign Cautionary Tale: Voided Envelopes (Not DocuSign\u2019s Error)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-tab-span"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
</span></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">About two years ago, I had a document that needed two signatures. I sent it to the parties through DocuSign in a single envelope. Person #1 signed electronically, but Person #2 did not. Person #2 printed
and wet-signed the original version (the one they had been sent, without Person #1\u2019s e-signature).</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-tab-span"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
</span></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Fast forward two years. I went back to DocuSign to retrieve the copy signed by Person #1. Because the envelope expired without all the signatures, DocuSign had marked the entire document "VOID" with
a watermark on every page. The status of the envelope is "<i>Voided- Envelope has expired</i>". DocuSign\u2019s customer support confirmed they cannot \u201cun-void\u201d an envelope, even if one signer had completed their part.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-tab-span"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
</span></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">So, I now have no valid DocuSign-certified copy of Person #1\u2019s signature and must re-obtain it (I suppose with some ratification language to tie back to the original date).</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> <span class="apple-tab-span">
</span>To be clear, <i>I don\u2019t fault DocuSign for this</i>. (I can see how this approach fits their non-repudiation and trust model). Even if I had saved the partially signed PDF and supporting documents before the expiration, it would not have solved the
problem, because once an envelope is voided, DocuSign will not certify or support the validity of any signatures tied to it.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Takeaway</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">: <u>If you\u2019re circulating a document for multiple electronic signatures
[with DocuSign], don\u2019t send a single envelope. Use a separate envelopes for each signer.</u> That way, if one party never signs, you don\u2019t lose the executed record for the others.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><br>
<br>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">I don't use other electronic signature programs, so I don't know if this issue applies to any of them. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">[And no need for any critical responses about not using electronic signatures]</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>