Oportunity for extending usage of XML Sig to pdf framework: Use cases request for usage of XML Sig within pdf framework

Dear all,

I am aware that the topic of this email could be a bit out of the 
charter of this WG, but on the other side I think that it is the right 
place for rising it, as the WG itself should be strongly concerned by 
supporting the widespread of usage of XMLSig spec.

The issue is as follows: I am currently member of the so called STF 
(Specialist Task Force) 364 of ETSI, a project which has as major goal 
the specification of the usage of Advanced Electronic Signatures (XAdES 
and CAdES -CMS equivalent to XAdES) within pdf framework. Including 
XAdES within pdf docs would immediately imply the inclusion of XML Sig 
signatures within pdf docs.

You may find the public web page of the project at:

http://portal.etsi.org/stfs/STF_HomePages/STF364/STF364.asp


As you know, pdf documents specify mechanisms for incorporating a CMS 
signature, but NOT XML Sig.

Also, the so called XFA (XML Forms Architecture)allows the inclusion of 
  XML Sig for signing XML forms within the pdf framework, but only this 
kind of forms. At present there are not standard means for incorporating 
a XML Sig in other pdf documents.

The STF-364 is looking for use cases that could justify the effort of 
specifying standard mechanisms for allowing incorporation of XML Sig 
signatures withih pdf documents other than XFA ones.

As you all know well, pdf is one of the major electronic document 
formats vastly used over the world, and missing the opportunity of 
standardizing the usage of XML Sig would imply missing one of the most 
relevant actors at the electronic document level. This standardization 
would likely lead to a situation where major developers of pdf compliant 
products could incorporate software for signing and verifying pdf docs 
using XML Sig as currently happens with CMS.

In summary, if any of you could be so kind of providing relevant use 
cases for signing pdf documents using XML Sig, these could be presented 
to the aforementioned STF-364 group, which could then consider the 
specification of a standard incorporation of XML Sig in pdf documents 
and justify this effort based on such use cases.

Thank you very much in advance for your kind help.

Best regards

Juan Carlos.

Received on Friday, 9 January 2009 12:36:49 UTC