When is an electronic document considered the equivalent of an original under the Best Evidence Rule?

When is an electronic document considered the equivalent of an original under the Best Evidence Rule?

• A. If printout or output readable by sight reflects the data accurately.
• B. If certified by the court.
• C. If stored on a magnetic tape.
• D. If signed by the author.

Answer: (A)

Under the Best Evidence Rule, the original writing is preferred, but for electronic records a printout or other output readable by sight is treated as the equivalent of the original if it accurately reflects the stored data. This means the printed representation must faithfully and completely mirror what the electronic file contains at the pertinent time; if it does, it can be admitted as primary evidence in place of the original electronic document. The other options don’t fit because a court certification doesn’t convert the printout into the original, a magnetic tape is just a storage medium, and a signature by the author isn’t what makes the output the equivalent of the original.

Under the Best Evidence Rule, the original writing is preferred, but for electronic records a printout or other output readable by sight is treated as the equivalent of the original if it accurately reflects the stored data. This means the printed representation must faithfully and completely mirror what the electronic file contains at the pertinent time; if it does, it can be admitted as primary evidence in place of the original electronic document. The other options don’t fit because a court certification doesn’t convert the printout into the original, a magnetic tape is just a storage medium, and a signature by the author isn’t what makes the output the equivalent of the original.