Message-Id: <mailto:199411231911.NAA01498@library.wustl.edu> Date: Wed, 23 Nov 1994 13:07:57 CST From: "Peterson, Bill" <mailto:bpeterson@CCMAIL.UWSA.EDU> Subject: legal issues for imaged documents? To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB
I'm currently researching imaging systems for several interested departments, and one of the questions that keeps coming up is the issue of legal ramifications of imaging certain types of documents.For example, a signed document is often considered the "proof" that something really happened (a payment check was issued, perhaps). Can an electronic image of this document be considered equivalent proof? Does the situation change if the original signing was witnessed and the witness's signature also appears? What if the signature was witnessed by a recognized notary, whose stamp appears on the document (thereby making an tangible physical change by raising the paper of the original)?
I will almost certainly want a statement from our attorneys before we actually go ahead and try any of this. Before then, however, I'd like to get a feel for what others may have learned on this issue. I'm most concerned with U.S. law, but information on international law would also be welcomed. Can anybody suggest a reliable source for this type of information?
Thanks for the help, Bill
BTW, I believe I am committing a faux pas by cross-posting this request to two separate imaging mailing lists (*I'm* subscribed to both, so I know that I'll get two copies). If anybody cares to correct me by indicating which of the two lists is a more appropriate forum for this type of question, I'm open to comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Peterson Phone: 608/263-6893 Senior Programmer/Analyst FAX: 608/265-2090 University of Wisconsin System Administration Office of Information Services
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