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Tell HN: Claude Code just accepted and signed a contract for me. Without asking

51 points · 98 comments · franze

  1. voidUpdate · · focus · HN ↗
    If a contract is automatically signed by an agent on your behalf, is it legally binding?
    1. GodelNumbering · · focus · HN ↗
      Not a lawyer but I can almost guarantee that the answer is yes. If it was a 'no', many malicious parties would simply start using that loophole.
      1. voidUpdate · · focus · HN ↗
        But if I paste an image of your signature onto a contract that says you give me a million pounds, that can't be legally binding for you, can it?
        1. entuno · · focus · HN ↗
          No, because you are a separate individual who does not have authority to sign a contract on my behalf.

          Claude isn't. It's a tool, that isn't capable of signing a contract any more that Adobe Acrobat or Photoshop is.

          OP used it as a tool to sign the contract. The question would be whether they did so knowingly and intentionally, if not then whether that invalidates the contract.

          1. chrisjj · · focus · HN ↗
            > Claude isn't. It's a tool, that isn't capable of signing a contract any more that Adobe Acrobat or Photoshop is.

            Incorrect. Claude.is far more capable. E.g. it found and applied the sig without user knowledge.

            1. entuno · · focus · HN ↗
              And Adobe Acrobat is far more capable than notepad. But that doesn't change the fact that they are tools, not individuals, and thus do not have the legal authority or ability to sign contracts.

              I could write dozen lines of bash that finds for PDFs, pastes an image into them and emails it to someone. That doesn't mean that bash can sign contracts.

              1. chrisjj · · focus · HN ↗
                The bot had the authority - as agent. It had the ability - as the report itself shows.

                > I could write dozen lines of bash that finds for PDFs, pastes an image into them and emails it to someone. That doesn't mean that bash can sign contracts

                It does mean exactly that - though bash would need to get lucky with selection and positioning.

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