Rule 1003 Admissibility of Duplicates

Here's what this rule means in plain terms:

If you have a copy of a document instead of the original, you can usually use that copy in court just like it was the real thing. Courts don't require you to track down the original in most cases. Photocopies, scans, and other duplicates count as good evidence on their own.

There are two situations where a copy won't be allowed. First, if someone raises a real doubt about whether the original document was genuine, the copy might not be good enough. Second, if using a copy instead of the original would be unfair given the specific situation, the court can reject it.

In short, copies are treated as good as originals unless there's a real reason to question them. This makes things easier for everyone involved in a case, since people don't have to hunt down original paperwork when a clear copy will do the job just as well.