Electronic transferable record

The UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) defines the term as an electronic record that meets article 10 (article 2). Article 10 requires the record to contain the information the paper document would need, and a reliable method to identify it as the electronic transferable record, keep it capable of control from creation until it ceases to have effect, and retain its integrity. A transferable document or instrument is a paper document entitling the holder to claim performance and to transfer that right by transferring the document (article 2). The Explanatory Note says MLETR covers only records equivalent to paper documents, not records existing only electronically (paragraph 10), and is technology-neutral across registry, token, distributed ledger or other models (paragraph 18). Documents with limited transferability, such as straight bills of lading, fall outside the definition, though they may still be issued on an electronic records system (paragraph 88). Singapore's Electronic Transactions Act 2010 uses the same term and lists bills of lading among transferable documents (section 16A); it requires the record to be identified as the authoritative one (section 16H). The UK Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023 uses "electronic trade document" instead (section 2), and the Rotterdam Rules "negotiable electronic transport record" (article 1(19)).