This article may be cited as Uniform Commercial Code-Documents of Title.

5A Del. C. 1953, §§  7-101;  55 Del. Laws, c. 349;  74 Del. Laws, c. 332, §  39; 

(a) In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) “Bailee” means a person that by a warehouse receipt, bill of lading, or other document of title acknowledges possession of goods and contracts to deliver them.

(2) “Carrier” means a person that issues a bill of lading.

(3) “Consignee” means a person named in a bill of lading to which or to whose order the bill promises delivery.

(4) “Consignor” means a person named in a bill of lading as the person from which the goods have been received for shipment.

(5) “Delivery order” means a record that contains an order to deliver goods directed to a warehouse, carrier, or other person that in the ordinary course of business issues warehouse receipts or bills of lading.

(6) [Reserved.]

(7) “Goods” means all things that are treated as movable for the purposes of a contract for storage or transportation.

(8) “Issuer” means a bailee that issues a document of title or, in the case of an unaccepted delivery order, the person that orders the possessor of goods to deliver. The term includes a person for which an agent or employee purports to act in issuing a document if the agent or employee has real or apparent authority to issue documents, even if the issuer did not receive any goods, the goods were misdescribed, or in any other respect the agent or employee violated the issuer’s instructions.

(9) “Person entitled under the document” means the holder, in the case of a negotiable document of title, or the person to which delivery of the goods is to be made by the terms of, or pursuant to instructions in a record under, a nonnegotiable document of title.

(10) [Reserved.]

(11) [Reserved.]

(12) “Shipper” means a person that enters into a contract of transportation with a carrier.

(13) “Warehouse” means a person engaged in the business of storing goods for hire.

(b) Definitions in other articles applying to this article and the sections in which they appear are:

(1) “Contract for sale”, § 2-106.

(2) “Lessee in the ordinary course of business”, § 2A-103.

(3) “Receipt” of goods, § 2-103.

(c) In addition, Article 1 contains general definitions and principles of construction and interpretation applicable throughout this article.

5A Del. C. 1953, §§  7-102;  55 Del. Laws, c. 349;  74 Del. Laws, c. 332, §  39;  84 Del. Laws, c. 174, § 35; 

(a) This article is subject to any treaty or statute of the United States or regulatory statute of this state to the extent the treaty, statute, or regulatory statute is applicable.

(b) This article does not modify or repeal any law prescribing the form or content of a document of title or the services or facilities to be afforded by a bailee, or otherwise regulating a bailee’s business in respects not specifically treated in this article. However, violation of such a law does not affect the status of a document of title that otherwise is within the definition of a document of title.

(c) This act (as defined by § 7-701) modifies, limits, and supersedes the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (15 U.S.C. § 7001, et. seq.) but does not modify, limit, or supersede § 101(c) of that act (15 U.S.C. § 7001(c)) or authorize electronic delivery of any of the notices described in § 103(b) of that act (15 U.S.C. § 7003(b)).

(d) To the extent there is a conflict between the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act [Chapter 12A of this title] and this article, this article governs.

5A Del. C. 1953, §§  7-103;  55 Del. Laws, c. 349;  74 Del. Laws, c. 332, §  39; 

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c), a document of title is negotiable if by its terms the goods are to be delivered to bearer or to the order of a named person.

(b) A document of title other than one described in subsection (a) is nonnegotiable. A bill of lading that states that the goods are consigned to a named person is not made negotiable by a provision that the goods are to be delivered only against an order in a record signed by the same or another named person.

(c) A document of title is nonnegotiable if, at the time it is issued, the document has a conspicuous legend, however expressed, that it is nonnegotiable.

5A Del. C. 1953, §§  7-104;  55 Del. Laws, c. 349;  74 Del. Laws, c. 332, §  39; 

(a) Upon request of a person entitled under an electronic document of title, the issuer of the electronic document may issue a tangible document of title as a substitute for the electronic document if:

(1) The person entitled under the electronic document surrenders control of the document to the issuer; and

(2) The tangible document when issued contains a statement that it is issued in substitution for the electronic document.

(b) Upon issuance of a tangible document of title in substitution for an electronic document of title in accordance with subsection (a):

(1) The electronic document ceases to have any effect or validity; and

(2) The person that procured issuance of the tangible document warrants to all subsequent persons entitled under the tangible document that the warrantor was a person entitled under the electronic document when the warrantor surrendered control of the electronic document to the issuer.

(c) Upon request of a person entitled under a tangible document of title, the issuer of the tangible document may issue an electronic document of title as a substitute for the tangible document if:

(1) The person entitled under the tangible document surrenders possession of the document to the issuer; and

(2) The electronic document when issued contains a statement that it is issued in substitution for the tangible document.

(d) Upon issuance of an electronic document of title in substitution for a tangible document of title in accordance with subsection (c):

(1) The tangible document ceases to have any effect or validity; and

(2) The person that procured issuance of the electronic document warrants to all subsequent persons entitled under the electronic document that the warrantor was a person entitled under the tangible document when the warrantor surrendered possession of the tangible document to the issuer.

74 Del. Laws, c. 332, §  39; 

(a) A person has control of an electronic document of title if a system employed for evidencing the transfer of interests in the electronic document reliably establishes that person as the person to which the electronic document was issued or transferred.

(b) A system satisfies subsection (a), and a person has control of an electronic document of title, if the document is created, stored, and transferred in a manner that:

(1) A single authoritative copy of the document exists which is unique, identifiable, and, except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), unalterable;

(2) The authoritative copy identifies the person asserting control as:

(A) The person to which the document was issued; or

(B) If the authoritative copy indicates that the document has been transferred, the person to which the document was most recently transferred;

(3) The authoritative copy is communicated to and maintained by the person asserting control or its designated custodian;

(4) Copies or amendments that add or change an identified transferee of the authoritative copy can be made only with the consent of the person asserting control;

(5) Each copy of the authoritative copy and any copy of a copy is readily identifiable as a copy that is not the authoritative copy; and

(6) Any amendment of the authoritative copy is readily identifiable as authorized or unauthorized.

(c) A system satisfies subsection (a), and a person has control of an electronic document of title, if an authoritative electronic copy of the document, a record attached to or logically associated with the electronic copy, or a system in which the electronic copy is recorded:

(1) enables the person readily to identify each electronic copy as either an authoritative copy or a nonauthoritative copy;

(2) enables the person readily to identify itself in any way, including by name, identifying number, cryptographic key, office, or account number, as the person to which each authoritative electronic copy was issued or transferred; and

(3) gives the person exclusive power, subject to subsection (d), to:

(A) prevent others from adding or changing the person to which each authoritative electronic copy has been issued or transferred; and

(B) transfer control of each authoritative electronic copy.

(d) Subject to subsection (e), a power is exclusive under subsection (c)(3)(A) and (B) even if:

(1) the authoritative electronic copy, a record attached to or logically associated with the authoritative electronic copy, or a system in which the authoritative electronic copy is recorded limits the use of the document of title or has a protocol that is programmed to cause a change, including a transfer or loss of control; or

(2) the power is shared with another person.

(e) A power of a person is not shared with another person under subsection (d)(2) and the person’s power is not exclusive if:

(1) the person can exercise the power only if the power also is exercised by the other person; and

(2) the other person:

(A) can exercise the power without exercise of the power by the person; or

(B) is the transferor to the person of an interest in the document of title.

(f) If a person has the powers specified in subsection (c)(3)(A) and (B), the powers are presumed to be exclusive.

(g) A person has control of an electronic document of title if another person, other than the transferor to the person of an interest in the document:

(1) has control of the document and acknowledges that it has control on behalf of the person; or

(2) obtains control of the document after having acknowledged that it will obtain control of the document on behalf of the person.

(h) A person that has control under this section is not required to acknowledge that it has control on behalf of another person.

(i) If a person acknowledges that it has or will obtain control on behalf of another person, unless the person otherwise agrees or law other than this article or Article 9 otherwise provides, the person does not owe any duty to the other person and is not required to confirm the acknowledgment to any other person.

74 Del. Laws, c. 332, §  39;  84 Del. Laws, c. 174, § 36;