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Certyneo
Communication & marketing agencies

Electronic signature for communication agencies

Quotes, purchase orders, service contracts, confidentiality agreements with advertisers, subcontracting agreements with freelancers and copyright assignments: get all documents that shape the life of a creative or media agency signed within minutes. Compliant with Commercial Code, Intellectual Property Code, eIDAS regulation and article 1366 of Civil Code.

Use cases in a communication agency

From advertiser brief to campaign delivery, all contractual documents of an agency can be signed online — including those engaging freelancers and media providers.

Client quote

Have each quote signed before production starts. Traced acceptance constitutes contract formation (article 1101 Civil Code) and prevents any dispute over the committed order — useful in Q3-Q4 when quote volumes explode.

Purchase order (PO)

Issue and have supplier POs signed (media buy, printing, post-production) with qualified timestamp. The audit trail certifies the order date, securing invoicing under article L441-1 of the Commercial Code.

Master agreement & referral agreement

Annual master contracts with recurring advertisers, referral agreements with large account procurement departments: multi-signer signatures (chief communications officer, procurement, legal) coordinated in a single envelope, 10-year archiving.

Creative brief NDA

Before first presentation to a prospect, the confidentiality agreement protects your concepts. Electronic signature in under 2 minutes on mobile to avoid slowing sales cycle.

Freelance subcontracting agreement

Brief, deliverables, deadlines and copyright assignment clauses (article L131-2 Intellectual Property Code) signed before project start. Dual-channel OTP formally identifies each independent.

Copyright assignment

Separate assignments of reproduction, performance, adaptation rights: Certyneo''s advanced electronic signature (AES) satisfies the written requirement of article L131-3 of the IPC and traces explicit mention of each assigned right.

Why Certyneo for agencies

Six guarantees designed for agency constraints: high volumes, multi-stakeholder, strong seasonality and intellectual property.

Bulk sending for campaign peaks

Import 50 quotes or POs at once from a CSV, each envelope is sent with its signers and template — capacity designed to absorb back-to-school weeks and Q4 without overloading production managers.

Mobile signature without account creation

Your advertisers and freelancers sign from their phone in under 2 minutes, without downloading an app or creating an account. Observed conversion rate: 90% signatures within 24 hours on quotes.

Audit trail admissible in court

Each envelope produces a signature certificate embedded in the PDF: timestamps, IP, OTP, SHA-256 fingerprints. Admissible before commercial courts in case of dispute over an order or copyright assignment.

10-year archiving with probative value

Duration aligned with commercial limitation period (article L110-4 Commercial Code) and minimum retention period for purchase orders. Download anytime for tax audits or advertiser reviews.

eIDAS compliant — advanced level (AES)

Signatures compliant with Regulation (EU) No 910/2014, recognized throughout the EU. Ideal for agencies working with European advertisers (Benelux, Germany, Spain) — the same certificate is valid in each jurisdiction.

API & agency workflow integrations

Webhooks, Zapier and Make to connect Certyneo to your CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive), your project management tool (Asana, Notion, Monday) or your creative ERP (Workamajig, Boost). Automatic envelope creation from validated quote.

Probative value of signed quotes and POs

Under French law, a quote signed by a client constitutes contract formation (article 1101 Civil Code): acceptance binds both parties on price, scope and deadlines. Advanced electronic signature guarantees that acceptance is attributable to an identified person and the document was not modified after signature.

Certyneo delivers for each signed quote or PO an audit certificate embedded in the PDF, which brings together all technical evidence:

  • Signer identity (verified email, phone number confirmed by OTP)
  • Qualified timestamp of acceptance — date enforceable against any late challenge
  • SHA-256 fingerprint of the quote as presented, demonstrating absence of subsequent modification
  • Consultation log (how many times the client opened the quote before signing)
  • IP and rough geolocation of signer at time of acceptance

This body of evidence prevents classic disputes ("the quote had been modified", "I never received this version", "the PO is not from me") and secures amicable recovery as well as disputes before the commercial court.

Droits d'auteur, GDPR et secret professionnel

An agency handles sensitive data (confidential briefs, original creations, advertiser contacts) requiring strict compliance framework.

Copyright assignment — Intellectual Property Code

Articles L131-2 and L131-3 of the IPC require written notice distinctly mentioning each assigned right (reproduction, performance, adaptation), territory and duration. Certyneo''s advanced electronic signature satisfies the written requirement and traces the creator''s express acceptance.

Commercial Code — invoicing & POs

Article L441-1 requires retention of purchase orders and general conditions for 10 years (article L123-22 Commercial Code). Certyneo automatically archives signed POs with their audit trail, accessible anytime for tax audits.

GDPR — données annonceurs et freelances

Hébergement 100 % UE (IONOS Allemagne), aucun transfert hors UE, chiffrement TLS 1.3 en transit et AES-256 au repos, DPA standard disponible. Conforme aux obligations GDPR pour le traitement des données personnelles des contacts annonceurs et des freelances indépendants.

Confidentiality of creative briefs

Advertiser briefs and creative proposals are encrypted and isolated by agency account. No Certyneo access to document contents (zero-knowledge on content), only metadata audit trail is consultable on platform side.

Frequently asked questions from agencies

Does an electronically signed quote legally bind the customer?

Yes, without any ambiguity. Article 1101 of the Civil Code defines a contract as an agreement of wills intended to create legal effects: an accepted quote is equivalent to a firm order. Certyneo's advanced electronic signature, compliant with Article 1367 of the Civil Code, formally identifies the signatory and guarantees the integrity of the quote as accepted.

How to manage peaks in quotes and orders in Q3-Q4?

Certyneo integrates mass sending: prepare a CSV with one line per customer (email, name, amount), upload your quote template, and the platform generates 50 or 200 envelopes in one operation. Each recipient receives their personalized link and signs on mobile without creating an account.

Are copyright assignments signed online enforceable?

Yes, as long as the assignment is express, in writing, and distinctly mentions each right assigned, the territory and duration (article L131-3 of the Intellectual Property Code). Certyneo's advanced electronic signature satisfies the writing requirement and the creator identification. For high-value works, we recommend using the AES level (default on Certyneo) rather than SES.

Can you get an NDA signed in less than 2 minutes before a meeting?

Yes. You upload your NDA template, add the prospect contact's email, and send. The contact receives a direct link, signs on their phone without creating an account, and the envelope comes back to you signed — typically in 30 seconds from the signer's side, perfect before a creative pitch.

Does Certyneo integrate with HubSpot, Pipedrive or our project management tool?

Yes, via native Zapier and Make connectors and our webhooks. You can automatically trigger the creation of a Certyneo envelope when a HubSpot quote is validated, or record the return signature in an Asana / Notion / Monday project. Our REST API is documented for custom integrations.

How long are orders and contracts archived?

Our plans include 10-year archiving with evidentiary value, which covers commercial prescription (article L110-4 of the Commercial Code) and the obligation to keep orders (article L123-22). The documents and their audit trail remain downloadable at any time, including after agency account termination upon request.

Do European advertisers recognize our electronic signatures?

Yes. The eIDAS regulation (EU No. 910/2014) requires mutual recognition of electronic signatures between the 27 member states. An advanced signature (AES) issued from Certyneo (EU platform) has the same legal value in Germany, Belgium, Spain or Italy as in France.

How to manage the signature of freelancers who have neither a professional email address nor KBIS?

No constraints on Certyneo's side: the signer provides their personal email and phone number, dual-channel OTP formally identifies the natural person. The freelancer's legal status (sole proprietor, individual enterprise, SASU) has no impact on the signature's value — Article 1366 of the Civil Code applies to any identifiable natural person.

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