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Version history isn’t exactly new in legal docs. IANAL but I’ve worked on redlining legal contract terms commercially. Almost every legal (or otherwise collab
by parasubvert 6y ago
Version history isn’t exactly new in legal docs. IANAL but I’ve worked on redlining legal contract terms commercially.
Almost every legal (or otherwise collaborative) document has “track changes” enabled on its source document for the last 25+ years, which captures every keystroke in Word or WordPerfect.
I cannot recall there’s ever been a subpoena for the track changes source. It’s generally immaterial. Negotiation proceedings are not the contract, the contract is what was signed and both parties have a copy as paper, image, or PDF.
Computer forensics are often about determining whether a final image was altered after mutual acceptance. This is also why important documents get notarized.
- dannyw 6y agoWhen there is ambiguity, can context during negotiation proceedings be bought as evidence to clarify? Obviously no lawyer worth their salt is going to clarify ambiguity via email instead of redlining the contract with a change, but post-contract ambiguity can often be discovered.
- o-__-o 6y agoYou control-v a bunch of code from a copyrighted source. You then change all of the code semantics, syntax, etc. While not your lawyer example, a very common example developers would follow while infringing on code. I can think the same for someone writing a manuscript or other large work of writing
- chaboud 6y agoThis is why, when you start to discuss it in writing, you To line your in-house counsel into a new thread that you mark privileged and confidential. Discussions of legality and regulatory compliance are discussions you should have with the guidance of your lawyer, and it would be exceptionally rare for a court to be willing to break legal privilege. How do you know you're doing something really funky? Even your lawyer doesn't want to put it in writing.