The name in an e-mail address
The name in an e-mail address is capable of identifying a person, especially where an e-mail address in an organization, whether public or private, is allocated by setting out the name of the person followed by the domain name of the organization. There are other variations that can be used, such as when an e-mail address describes the office or function of the person, rather then their name. However, even this, if allocated to a single person, can also function to identify a particular person.
The link between the prefix of the e-mail address and the person responsible for sending the e-mail can be problematic: for instance, the sender may be able to choose the first part, and may decide to adopt letters or numbers or a combination of letters and numbers with a view to obfuscating their identity. Further, the true e-mail address might be hidden by the sender. If it was not obvious who the sender was, and if correspondence ensues and a dispute occurs, it will be a matter of establishing what, if any, evidence there is pertaining to the source of the relevant e-mails as a preliminary point. It has been held in a number of jurisdictions that the name in an e-mail address, or the combination of the name and the domain name in an e-mail address can be a form of electronic signature.
Case law
For case law from across the world, see Electronic Signatures in Law and the Digital Evidence and Electronic Signature Law Review.
