Topic: Legalities of PDF files

[ronjonp]

Does anyone know where I can find some reference on whether or not PDF drawings are considered "official" documents (that is, will hold up in court if needed). The reason I'm looking for this information is because I'm trying to modernize our current system of putting hard copies in drawers (we're just out of space) to making PDF set's of our drawing and storing them on the server.
All opinions\experiences are welcome as well.

Thanks,

Ron

[Dent Cermak]

YOUR ORIGINAL DRAWINGS WILL BE THE RECORD COPY OR "LEGAL" COPY. A PDF WOULD BE A "REPRODUCTION" AND THUS NOT AN "ORIGINAL.  (Gawd!! I hate coming here right out of AutoCad!! Ding dang Caps Lock!!)
This is a change that has come about with these pooters. Used to be, you maintained an "archival" copy as the record copy. This was usually a film copy for stability and long life. Today the only archival copy would be a contact photo copy on film of acid free paper. (Plotter inks are not water proof or aechival rated.) So to get around this, your final ecopy is the legal record copy. Now is that "archival"? How long does a cd hold data? How far back will you be able to go with "new" software to read old files? The camera copy sounds better and better. For the time being, drawing files on cd's are considered to be the best record or legal copy.