Physical signatures in ink are not possible when it comes to electronic contracts, and due to this electronic signatures are often used as a legal substitute for an actual signature. In June 2000, President Clinton signed the the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, also referred to as the "E-Sign Act." The E-Sign Act gave validity to electronic signatures, making an electronic signature contract as legally valid as signed hard copy contracts. The E-Sign Act further stated that an electronic signature contract "may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form." The World Wide Web Consortium, also known as the "W3C," is an e-commerce organization that sets industry standards. The W3C is partially responsible for setting technical guidelines for electronic digital signatures. Signature guidelines have also been created by other organizations, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology.