originalkopia

Originalkopia is a term used to refer to the original, authoritative copy of an item within certain archival, publishing, or digital asset management contexts. It denotes the primary source from which reproductions, scans, or derivative works are derived. The term is not part of formal lexicons in most languages and tends to appear in localized or domain-specific usage, particularly in Scandinavian language areas where “kopia” means copy.

Etymology and variants: The form combines “original” with “kopia” (copy). Variants include “originalkopi” in some languages. The capitalization and hyphenation of Originalkopia vary by system, and some databases treat it as a label or metadata field rather than a fixed term.

Applications and implications: In archives and libraries, an originalkopia may be the physically preserved or digitized master copy. In legal or evidentiary workflows, it can denote the most authoritative version of a document. In publishing and digital asset management, it may be used to distinguish the source master from subsequent editions, scans, or prints.

Standards and provenance: There is no universal standard for designating an originalkopia; practices differ across institutions and software platforms. When used, it is usually accompanied by metadata indicating provenance, version, authenticity, and access restrictions.

See also: Original document; Copy; Master copy; Provenance; Archival copy; Digital asset management.