Even today, as electronic seals become increasingly widespread, some companies still take shortcuts—simply scanning a physical stamp and pasting the image into contracts, or using electronic seals that have never been registered with public security authorities.Such actions may result in contracts being declared invalid, and in serious cases, may even constitute criminal offenses.Today, we will show you how to avoid the fatal traps of electronic seal misuse.
Outrageous Practice: Using a Cut-Out Image as an Electronic Seal?
Case 1: A Contract Signed with a PS-Edited Seal Declared Invalid by the Court
A trading company pasted a scanned image of its company seal onto an electronic contract without any form of digital authentication.When a payment dispute later arose and the case went to court, the judge ruled the contract invalid due to the inability to verify the authenticity of the signature.As a result, the company failed to recover RMB 3 million in outstanding payments.
Case 2: An Employee Privately Creates an Electronic Seal, Leaving the Company with Millions in Debt
A finance employee used Photoshop to forge the company’s electronic seal and privately signed a guarantee agreement.After the incident was exposed, the company was pursued by the bank for RMB 5.8 million.Despite having no prior knowledge, the company was still held liable for inadequate internal controls.
Case 3: Using an Unregistered Electronic Seal for Bidding Leads to Blacklisting
A supplier used an electronic seal that was not registered with public security authorities to participate in a government procurement project.After being discovered, the bid was disqualified, and the company was banned from participating in bidding activities for three years.
The Legal Validity of the “Unified Physical–Digital Seal”
The Unified Physical–Digital Seal is an electronic seal issued by the Shenzhen Branch of the National Electronic Seal Management and Service Platform, under the Third Research Institute of the Ministry of Public Security.
It carries official public security registration certification and is generated from the same source as the corresponding physical seal, ensuring legal credibility and nationwide mutual recognition.
Advantages of the Unified Physical–Digital Seal
Why is the Unified Physical–Digital Seal considered the preferred choice for enterprises?Because it offers stronger legality and higher security.
Real-World Application Scenarios
Contract Execution:Every document signed with a Unified Physical–Digital Seal can be verified online through the Third Research Institute of the Ministry of Public Security and the Shenzhen Branch of the National Electronic Seal Management and Service Platform.This ensures the authenticity and legality of the electronic seal and prevents document tampering.
At a time when PS-generated seals are still being widely promoted online, enterprises should proactively adopt secure and compliant Unified Physical–Digital Seals.
With public security registration as its foundation, the Unified Physical–Digital Seal eliminates forgery risks at the source and ensures that every electronic document can withstand legal scrutiny over time.
