Legal Definitions - e-mail

Electronic mail (commonly known as e-mail) refers to a digital message sent or received between individuals or groups using a computer or other electronic device. This form of communication travels over a computer network, such as a company's internal system or the global internet.

• Example 1: Business Contract Negotiation
  A lawyer drafts a revised version of a contract for a client's business acquisition. She attaches the updated document to an e-mail and sends it to her client for review and feedback before the next negotiation round. The client then replies to the e-mail with their comments.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates e-mail as a digital communication where the lawyer and client exchange messages and documents electronically via their computers and the internet to conduct business.

• Example 2: Internal Company Announcement
  The IT department of a large organization needs to inform all employees about scheduled system maintenance that will temporarily disrupt network services. They compose a detailed message outlining the dates and times of the outage and send it to a company-wide distribution list.

  Explanation: This is an e-mail because it's a digital message distributed from one sender (the IT department) to many recipients (all employees) through the company's internal computer network, serving as an official announcement.

• Example 3: University Application Submission
  A prospective student completes their application for a master's program and is instructed to submit their personal statement and letters of recommendation by sending them as attachments to the university's admissions office e-mail address.

  Explanation: This constitutes an e-mail because the student is sending official documents and a written message electronically from their device to the university's server over the internet, fulfilling an application requirement.