History of Autopen in Timeline

An autopen is a device that automatically replicates a person's signature. Often used by celebrities, politicians, and other public figures who need to sign numerous items regularly, it allows for signatures to be applied quickly and consistently without the individual's direct involvement. This technology streamlines the signing process, enabling efficient handling of autograph requests and official documentation.

1937: Robot Pen commercially available

In 1937, the Robot Pen autopen became commercially available. It was used as a storage unit device, similar to vinyl records, to record a signer's signature. A segment could be removed to prevent misuse, enabling mass production of template signatures.

1942: First commercially successful autopen developed

In 1942, Robert M. De Shazo Jr. developed the first commercially successful autopen in response to a Navy Request For Quote (RFQ). The Secretary of the Navy ordered the machine in 1942, marking the start of a significant government market for autopens.

2004: Donald Rumsfeld autopen controversy

In 2004, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld faced criticism for using an autopen to sign letters of condolence to families of American soldiers killed in war. This raised concerns about the authenticity and value of machine-generated signatures.

2005: George W. Bush receives opinion on autopen use

In 2005, George W. Bush requested and received a favorable opinion from the Department of Justice regarding the constitutionality of using the autopen, though he did not personally use it himself.

January 3, 2013: Obama signs Bush tax cuts with autopen

On January 3, 2013, while vacationing in Hawaii, Barack Obama used an autopen to sign the extension to the Bush tax cuts. Republican leaders questioned the constitutionality of using an autopen to sign a bill into law.

2019: Bob Dylan artwork autopen use begins

In 2019, Bob Dylan began using an autopen to sign prints of his artwork. He later apologized for this, citing vertigo and the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons for using the machine. The information was made public in November 2022.

November 2022: Bob Dylan autopen controversy

In November 2022, it was reported that some copies of Bob Dylan's book, The Philosophy of Modern Song, were signed with an autopen. Autographed editions were marketed as "hand-signed" and priced at US$600 each. Dylan and the publisher, Simon & Schuster, apologized and offered refunds. Dylan also said that prints of his artwork sold after 2019 were signed with an autopen, and he attributed his use of the machine to vertigo and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Philosophy of Modern Song

Check it on Amazon

May 2024: Biden uses autopen for FAA funding extension

In May 2024, Joe Biden directed an autopen to be used to sign legislation providing a one-week funding extension for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Biden was traveling in San Francisco at the time and wanted to prevent a lapse in FAA operations.

2024: Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rules on pardons

In 2024, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that pardons do not have to be made in writing, amid the controversy surrounding President Biden's alleged use of an autopen to sign pardons.

March 2025: Trump claims Biden pardons are void

In March 2025, President Trump claimed that pardons issued by President Biden for members of the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack were void because they were allegedly signed by autopen.