Well, I guess we're really in the digital age now.
A judge in Canada decided that a thumbs-up emoji in a text message was legally binding in the same way that a signature would be.
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According to CBC News, the Court of King's Bench determined that the grain buyer, Kent Mickleborough, sent a text message expressing interest in purchasing 86 tonnes of flax at a price of $17 per bushel. He later sent a picture of a contract to deliver the flax to a farmer named Chris Achter, accompanied by a request to confirm the flax contract. In response, Achter replied with a thumbs-up emoji.
However, when the delivery date arrived, the flax was not delivered, and the crop's prices had risen. The farmer argued that the emoji only indicated receipt of the contract in the text message, without intending to signify agreement to its terms.
The judge ruled that the "thumbs-up" was just as good as a signature and now the farmer is out $82,000 for failing to deliver.
He could have just sent the thumbs-up to just say "Hey, got the message, I'll look it over" NOT "I legally agree to the contract you sent."
But, according to this judge, it was considered a legally binding agreement just from the emoji.
He also noted that the court should not attempt to impede the use of technology and common practices like emojis, as they reflect the new reality in Canadian society, and courts must be prepared to address the challenges they present.
I literally hand out "thumbs-ups" like candy at Mardi Gras. Who knows what I might now be legally on the hook for?
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