When it comes to speaking technical in eDiscovery, you can’t do so without understanding metadata. This article by Cobra Legal Solutions defines it, provides an example of how metadata can authenticate evidence and a couple of examples where it can be misleading!

Their article Speaking Technical in eDiscovery Understanding Metadata provides a common definition of metadata as “data about data”, but what does that really mean? Here’s a better definition that promotes understanding metadata from The Sedona Conference^® Glossary of Terms:

“The generic term used to describe the structural information of a file that contains data about the file, as opposed to describing the content of a file.”

It’s the data about the file (metadata) that can be useful to understanding the evidence associated with the content of the file and even confirm or refute that content as authentic.

So, what are examples of metadata to authenticate a photograph used as evidence? What are the two types of metadata? And what are two examples in which metadata can be misleading (including one recently covered on this blog)?  I won’t steal Cobra Legal Solutions’ thunder, you can check out the article here on the specifics.  Understanding metadata is essential to fully speaking technical in eDiscovery!  😉

So, what do you think?  Do you understand metadata? Litigants in two recent cases didn’t. Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclosure: Cobra Legal Solutions is an Educational Partner and sponsor of eDiscovery Today

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.