Glossary

eBL terms, defined

Short, precise definitions of the legal and operational terms used for bills of lading and their electronic equivalents.

Bill of lading: A bill of lading is a document issued by or for a sea carrier that acknowledges receipt of goods, evidences the contract of carriage and, in negotiable form, entitles its holder to claim delivery.
Change of medium: Change of medium is the replacement of a paper transferable document with an electronic one, or the reverse, after which only the new form has effect and the parties' rights stay the same.
DCSA (Digital Container Shipping Association): DCSA, the Digital Container Shipping Association, is a non-profit body founded by container carriers in April 2019 that publishes digital standards for shipping, including an electronic bill of lading standard.
DCSA PINT (Platform Interoperability): DCSA PINT (Platform Interoperability) is DCSA's API standard that lets one eBL platform transfer a DCSA-compliant electronic bill of lading, with supporting documents, to a user on another platform.
Document of title: A document of title is a document whose possession, as a matter of law or commercial practice, entitles the holder to claim the goods it covers and to transfer that claim by transferring the document.
eBL platform interoperability: eBL platform interoperability is the ability to transfer an electronic bill of lading from a user on one eBL platform to a user on another, so that all parties need not join the same system.
Electronic bill of lading (eBL): An electronic bill of lading (eBL) is a bill of lading issued and transferred as an electronic record, intended to serve as receipt, evidence of the contract of carriage and, where negotiable, document of title.
Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023: The Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023 is the UK statute, in force since 20 September 2023, under which electronic trade documents such as bills of lading can be possessed and have paper's legal effect.
Electronic transferable record: An electronic transferable record is an electronic record that, under the UNCITRAL Model Law (MLETR) and laws based on it, is the legal equivalent of a paper transferable document such as a bill of lading.
Endorsement: Endorsement is the annotation on an order bill of lading that directs delivery to a named person or to order; MLETR article 15 and the UK's 2023 Act recognise electronic endorsement.
Exclusive control: Exclusive control is the electronic counterpart of possession: a reliable method or system must let a person control an electronic transferable record and stop anyone else exercising control at the same time.
Holder: The holder of a bill of lading is the person in possession of it as named consignee, indorsee or bearer. For electronic records, MLETR treats exclusive control as the equivalent of possession.
International Group of P&I Clubs approval: International Group of P&I Clubs approval is the Group's acceptance of an eBL system; Club Rules cover cargo liabilities under paperless trading systems only if the system is approved or deemed approved.
MLETR (UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records): MLETR is the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records, adopted on 13 July 2017: a template for national laws giving electronic records the legal effect of paper transferable documents such as bills of lading.
Reliable system (reliable method): A reliable system, or reliable method under MLETR, is the technology and rules used to manage an electronic transferable record, judged against factors such as integrity, security and independent audit rather than a prescribed technology.
Rulebook (closed-system eBL): A rulebook is the multilateral contract that all users of a closed eBL system accept on joining, so that common rules govern how electronic bills of lading are issued, transferred and given effect.
Sea waybill: A sea waybill is a non-negotiable transport document that acknowledges receipt of goods and evidences the contract of carriage, and allows delivery to the named consignee without presentation of the document.
Straight bill of lading: A straight bill of lading is a non-negotiable bill of lading made out to a named consignee. It is usually marked "non-negotiable", but the original may still have to be presented to obtain the goods.
Surrender: Surrender is the return of the original bill of lading to the carrier, usually to take delivery of the goods; for an eBL, MLETR treats a transfer of control as the equivalent.
Title registry: A title registry is a central record, kept by an eBL system operator, of who holds or controls each electronic bill of lading and of the instructions that change that position.
To-order (negotiable) bill of lading: A to-order bill of lading consigns the goods to the order of a named party, such as the shipper or consignee, so it can be transferred to a new holder by indorsement and delivery.
UNCITRAL: UNCITRAL, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, is the UN's core legal body for international trade law; it prepared the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (2017).