# Remote Wet-Signature Products - opportunity map

Status: brainstorm / idea capture. Not committed work. Companion legal research:
`docs/legal/remote-mechanical-wet-signature-precedent.md`.

## The core insight: the moat is "verified-original + remote + filed"

The existing stack already does something most e-sign tools do not:

- Online signature **capture as resolution-independent vector strokes** (not just
  a raster image), with perjury/attestation language, JWT no-login links, IP/UA
  + timestamp audit trail (`esign_records`).
- **Document generation** (PDF fillers), MinIO storage, ERPNext sync.
- **Genuine wet-ink reproduction** of the signer's own captured strokes on our
  own hardware (CR-10 home station / Line-us portable), gated + dry-run safe.
- **Regulatory filing + fulfillment** (paper batches, MAC routing, mailing,
  status machine, Telegram ops alerts, admin queue).

Most competitors (DocuSign, Dropbox Sign, etc.) produce an **electronic**
signature. Our unique wedge is producing a **genuine wet-ink original from a
remote signer** *plus* doing the hard filing. The highest-value new services are
the ones where a plain e-signature is legally insufficient, or where the filing
itself is the real work.

> Important caveat: the wet-ink-reproduction path carries interpretive risk on
> "original signature" rules (see the legal research doc). Lead with services
> where electronic signatures are already accepted, and treat machine wet-ink as
> the *fast path* with a true client-wet-sign fallback until precedent is firmer.

## Tier 1 - highest value (wet-ink original + filing required)

1. **"Wet signature where DocuSign is rejected" (standalone product).**
   Generalize the CMS-855 flow: client signs online, we produce the original ink
   document and mail/file it. Targets: recordable real-estate docs (deeds, liens,
   releases), court filings, USCIS immigration forms, ATF firearm forms, vehicle
   title transfers, anything an agency/bank/court still wants in ink.

2. **Apostille + authentication concierge.** High willingness-to-pay, opaque/
   painful. Client signs/uploads → we orchestrate notarization, county clerk,
   Secretary of State apostille, and (non-Hague) embassy legalization, then ship
   internationally. Recurring for international business, adoptions, marriages
   abroad, foreign work permits.

3. **Estate / probate document packages.** Wills, financial + medical POAs,
   advance healthcare directives, living trusts, HIPAA authorizations. Many
   require wet ink + witnesses + notary. We orchestrate remote signing, witness
   coordination (RON), and produce executed originals. Large TAM, recurring
   (people update these).

4. **Lien / UCC / mechanics-lien filings.** Contractors need preliminary
   notices, mechanics liens, and lien releases filed in specific counties on hard
   deadlines. Signature + correct filing + deadline tracking = the exact engine.
   Recurring per-project revenue, sticky.

## Tier 2 - high value (filing/automation + signature, mostly e-sign OK)

5. **Corporate governance signature-as-a-service.** Board/shareholder consents,
   meeting minutes, operating-agreement amendments, cap-table docs, and **83(b)
   elections** (must be mailed to the IRS within 30 days - wet ink + certified
   mail + deadline = our sweet spot). Startups pay well, need it repeatedly.

6. **Multi-party / sequential signing orchestration.** The JWT no-login link
   model is ideal for chasing N signers in order (lender → borrower → guarantor →
   witness). Sell the outcome ("we get everyone signed and produce the executed
   set"), not the tool.

7. **RON (Remote Online Notarization) as a layer.** Add a notary partner/
   integration; bundle "sign + notarize + file" on top of everything above. RON
   is legal in most states now; premium upsell.

8. **Regulated-industry recurring filings (already in this lane).** Extend the
   healthcare/telecom/DOT pattern to: SAM.gov renewals, FinCEN beneficial-
   ownership (BOI) filings, professional license renewals, registered-agent
   changes, foreign-qualification (registering in new states).

## Tier 3 - adjacent, leverages audit + perjury + identity stack

9. **Attestation / declaration service.** Penalty-of-perjury declarations, I-9,
   proof-of-life for pensions/annuities (retirees abroad must prove they're alive
   yearly - wet ink + notary + mail, recurring, underserved), grant/loan
   self-certifications.

10. **Consent + authorization capture at scale.** HIPAA releases, FERPA,
    background-check consents, medical-records requests, media releases. High
    volume; vector capture + audit trail is more defensible than a checkbox.

## Prioritization (revenue × fit × moat)

| Service | Stack fit | Recurring | WTP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83(b) / IRS mailed filings | Very high (wet+mail+deadline) | Per-event, high volume | High | Clear deadline pain; startups |
| Apostille / authentication | High | Per-event | Very high | Removes opaque friction |
| Estate docs (POA/directives/wills) | High (wet+witness+notary) | Yes (updates) | High | Huge TAM |
| Mechanics liens / UCC | Very high | Yes (per project) | Med-high | Deadline-driven, sticky |
| FinCEN BOI / SAM.gov / license renewals | Very high | Yes (annual) | Medium | Pure filing-automation |
| RON layer | Medium (partner) | Upsell | High | Multiplies everything |
| Proof-of-life attestations | High | Yes (annual) | Medium | Underserved, recurring |

## Top 3 to build next

1. **83(b) election service** - smallest build; maps ~1:1 onto the existing CMS
   pipeline (intake → generate → wet-sign → certified mail → deadline tracking).
   Urgent, repeatable pain.
2. **Apostille / authentication concierge** - highest WTP; remote-original +
   shipping orchestration is the whole value.
3. **Estate document package (POA + advance directive + HIPAA)** - biggest TAM,
   recurring, leverages wet-ink + witness/notary orchestration.

## Reusable from the current codebase

- `esign_records` + JWT no-login signing links + `portal-esign-generic.ts`.
- Vector signature capture (`signature_vector`) + perjury/attestation UI.
- PDF generation/fillers + MinIO + presigned URLs.
- Wet-ink pipeline (`ink_signature_plotter.py`, profiles, pens, Line-us).
- Fulfillment: paper batches, mailing, status machine, admin queue, Telegram.
- ERPNext order/sync, audit log, two-tier no-login model.

## Open risks / dependencies

- **Original-signature legal risk** for machine wet-ink (see legal doc). Keep the
  true client-wet-sign fallback and disclose method where required.
- **RON / notary** needs a licensed partner per state.
- **Apostille / embassy** legalization is jurisdiction-specific and manual at the
  edges; price for the concierge labor.
- **UPL (unauthorized practice of law)** boundaries for estate/court docs - offer
  document preparation + filing logistics, not legal advice; partner with
  attorneys where the line is close.
