Self-Forgery: An Oxymoron Taken Seriously

Volume 1 - Issue 5

Marcel Matley*

Received: August 12, 2019;   Published: August 19, 2019

DOI: 10.26717/CTBB.MS.ID.000121

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Abstract

Self-forgery, also called auto-forgery, auto-simulation or self-imitation, is an oxymoron. Forgery in this context does not mean a fraudulent making or uttering of a false document for unjust economic gain. The term self-forgery does not mean fraudulently writing one’s own name without permission, since the owner of the name writes the name deliberately and knowingly. That fact alone should have inspired people to refuse to use the term self-forgery. I wrote repeatedly to an internet forum on why it is an inept term, but it seems far too many of us appear compelled to employ it when the long-established term “disguise” is the perfect term to use for the kind of writing taking place. Of all the possible kinds of forgery, let us limit the discussion to the writing of the signature and thus keep it elegant and simple but still applicable to all the other kinds of forgery.

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