Legal technology and e-discovery have seen a lot of innovation over the years. New software, services and technology are continually being developed with progress now measured in years instead of decades. However, industry veterans continue to encounter warehouses full of paper documents being scanned for large litigations, floppy discs being imaged 1.44 MB at a time and antiquated systems still employed even though newer alternatives are available.

The reluctance to adopt new technology is not limited to the legal profession. Lessons could be learned from a similar situation in a different industry in not-too-distant history, one which had unintended and detrimental consequences far into the future.