January 24, 2011

Over the last several months, there’s been a growing buzz about the use of a document archiving format by the federal government, including the U.S Federal Court system.  That format – called PDF/A – is designed to improve the ability to archive documents. While most of European governments have mandated its use, the U.S. government has not yet taken such a specific step.

Instead, various U.S. government agencies and groups are beginning to give recommendations that support use of PDF/A for documents, because it is an open, non-proprietary standard that will guarantee long-term accessibility and ensure the security and validity of documents. For example, requirements from the National Archive and Records Administration make a case for agencies to transition to PDF/A format for all documents that must be archived.

Some agencies are considering and recommending PDF/A. One is the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, which now accepts filings in PDF/A from the companies it regulates.  The nuclear companies have realized that they can adopt PDF/A, and gain the benefits of the format for their own electronic archiving needs, while still supporting the necessary regulatory guidelines.

Now momentum is growing for use of PDF/A in the U.S. Federal Court system. According to Public Access to Court Electronic Records – or PACER – the judiciary is planning to change the standard in use for filing documents in the Case Management and Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF) system to PDF/A.  Courts currently accept PDF/A documents, but there has not been a specific date set that mandates when all new documents must be filed in PDF/A.

Stay tuned to the LuraTech blog, as we’ll be following the developments and deadlines the court system sets for implementing PDF/A across the board.  Also, in future blogs, we’ll dive into the nuances of how to implement PDF/A within your organization, particularly when dealing with born digital documents and the variety of content that can be included in a PDF/A file.