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Farmer ordered to pay after judge says thumbs-up emoji amounts to contract acceptance (www.theglobeandmail.com)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 87 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

People, the defendant had a history of using 👍to accept a contract with the aggrieved. Had done it NP a dozen times before. He was trying to use a technicality to weasel out of breaching a contract he obviously agreed to when he couldn’t fulfill it.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 years ago

Not only that but by the end of the contract price was up, so farmer would not make as much as on the free market.

[–] IronDonkey 2 points 2 years ago

Did the article actually say he accepted with thumbs up before? Thought it just said he'd accepted via text.

[–] Son_of_dad 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The point is that now there's a precedent and going forward, that emoji counts as a signature

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

Not quite, and for 2 reasons:

I'm not sure if it is the same in Canada, but in the US it is only a 'precedent' if ruled by an appeals court, and
The Judge found the Defendant had a history of tersely accepting agreed upon (by later full completion of) contracts. If, for example you had texted me a similar contract and historically when you did I typically answered "yes, I agree to these contract details. Expect Flax in the Fall", but one time I texted 👍and then a day later said "nah, I don't agree to this contract" you'd have a case but I'd almost certainly win under the same Judge because now the argument 'the 👍 was just confirming receipt but not approval of the contract' holds water.