§ 3002 Requirement of original.

Here's a plain English summary of this rule:

If you want to prove what a document, recording, or photo actually says or shows, you generally need to bring the real, original version to court. Copies or descriptions usually will not cut it as proof unless the law says otherwise.

There are exceptions built into other parts of the law that allow copies or other evidence to be used instead of the original in certain situations. But as a general rule, courts want to see the actual record, recording, or photo, not just someone's account of what it contained.

This matters because it protects against mistakes, changes, or disagreements about what a document or recording really says. By requiring the original, the court can be more confident that the evidence is accurate and has not been altered.