Laboratory notebooks provide important legal information as well as scientific or engineering data.
Electronic lab notebooks are not always acceptable in legal proceedings as a substitute for original, permanently-bound, handwritten records, particularly with respect to proving dates of invention in patent cases. Until electronic lab notebooks are fully approved by the courts, a hard copy of all data should be maintained. Following are guidelines to consider if you maintain electronic versions of laboratory notebooks. Review compliance periodically with employees. Store the back-up copy in a safe place free from magnetic fields or other corruptive conditions.