As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 22, 1998

                                                 Registration No. 333-__________
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                            ------------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                            ------------------------ 
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                            ------------------------
                                      Under
                           The Securities Act of 1933
                          ----------------------------

                               MERIDIAN DATA, INC.
             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

                  Delaware                               77-0188708
      -------------------------------       ------------------------------------
      (State of other jurisdiction of       (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
       incorporation or organization)                    
                                
                            5615 Scotts Valley Drive
                         Scotts Valley, California 95066
               --------------------------------------------------
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        1992 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
                            1997 Incentive Stock Plan
                        ---------------------------------
                            (Full title of the plan)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Gianluca U. Rattazzi
                       President, Chief Executive Officer
                                  and Director

                               Meridian Data, Inc.
                            5615 Scotts Valley Drive
                         Scotts Valley, California 95066
                                 (831) 438-3100
(Name, address, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    Copy to:

                              Mario M. Rosati, Esq.
                        Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
                            Professional Corporation
                               650 Page Mill Road
                               Palo Alto, CA 94304
================================================================================
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                 Calculation of Registration Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Proposed Maximum
    Title of Securities to be          Amount to be    Proposed Maximum Offering      Aggregate Offering    Amount of Registration
            Registered                  Regostered         Price Per Share (3)            Price (4)                    Fee
------------------------------------ ----------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------- ------------------------
<S>                                  <C>               <C>                          <C>                     <C>
Common Stock ($0.001 par value)        300,000 (1)                         $3.063               $918,900.00                  $256.00
Common Stock ($0.001 par value)        100,000 (2)                         $2.60355             $260,355.00                  $ 73.00
Total Registration Fee                                                                                                       $329.00
<FN>
(1) These shares represent shares of Common Stock which have become available
    for issuance under the Registrant's 1997 Incentive Stock Plan as a result
    of an amendment approved by the stockholders at the Registrant's Annual 
    Meeting of Stockholders held on April 21, 1999 (the  "Annual  Meeting") 
    increasing the number of shares authorized for issuance thereunder from
    1,300,000 to 1,600,000.

(2) These shares represent shares of Common Stock which have become available
    for issuance under the Registrant's 1992 Employee Stock Purchase Plan 
    (the "ESPP") as a result of an amendment approved by the stockholders at
    the Registrant's Annual Meeting increasing the number of shares authorized
    for issuance thereunder from 400,000 to 500,000.

(3) Calculated solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee on the
    basis of the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock as
    reported by the Nasdaq National Market System on April 19,1999 in accordance
    with Rule 457(h)(1) and (c) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
    "Act").  With respect to the 1992 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the 
    computation is based upon 85% of the average of the high and low prices of
    the Common Stock because the purchase price of a share of Common Stock under
    the ESPP is equal to 85% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock
    on the Enrollment Date or the Exercise Date, whichever is lower.

(4) Calculated in accordance with Rule 457(h) under the Act.
</FN>
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
  Statement Under General Instruction E Registration of Additional Securities

         Unless as noted herein, the contents of the Registration  Statements on
Form S-8 with  respect to the 1997  Incentive  Stock Plan (File Nos.  333-27531,
333-30107 and  333-53945)  and the 1992 Employee  Stock Purchase Plan (File Nos.
33-62084,  333-27533,  333-30107  and  333-53945)  are  hereby  incorporated  by
reference into this Registration Statement.

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit
Number       Description
--------     -----------------------------------------------------------------
 5.1         Opinion of Counsel as to legality of securities being registered.

23.1         Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent Accountants.

23.2         Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1).

24.1         Power of Attorney (see page 5).
<PAGE>
                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the  requirements  for  filing  on  Form  S-8 and has  duly  caused  this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Scotts Valley, State of California, on this 22nd
day of April 1999.

                                           MERIDIAN DATA, INC.

                                      By:  /s/ GIANLUCA U. RATTAZZI
                                           Gianluca U. Rattazzi
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer

                                      By:  /s/ ERIK E. MILLER
                                           Erik E. Miller
                                           Senior Vice President, Finance
                                           and Chief Financial Officer
<PAGE>
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that each person whose  signature
appears below  constitutes and appoints  Gianluca U. Rattazzi and Erik E. Miller
jointly  and  severally,   his   attorneys-in-fact,   each  with  the  power  of
substitution,  for him in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this
Registration  Statement on Form S-8 and to file the same, with exhibits  thereto
and other  documents in connection  therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange
Commission,   hereby   ratifying   and   confirming   all  that   each  of  said
attorney-in-fact,  or his substitute or substitutes,  may do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the dates indicated.


Signatures                Title                                   Date
---------------           ----------------------------------      --------------

/s/ CHARLIE BASS          Chairman of the Board of Directors      April 22, 1999
------------------------
    Charlie Bass


/s/ GIANLUCA U. RATTAZZI  President, Chief Executive Officer      April 22, 1999
------------------------  and Director
    Gianluca U. Rattazzi


/s/ ERIK E MILLER         Senior Vice President, Finance and      April 22, 1999
------------------------  Chief Financial Officer (Principal
    Erik E. Miller        Financial and Accounting Officer)

                                         
/s/ PETER R. JOHNSON      Director                                April 22, 1999
------------------------
    Peter R. Johnson


/s/ MARIO M. ROSATI       Director                                April 22, 1999
------------------------
    Mario M. Rosati


/s/ PIERLUIGI ZAPPACOSTA  Director                                April 22, 1999
------------------------
    Pierluigi Zappacosta
<PAGE>
                                Index to Exhibits
Exhibit
Number       Description                                                  Page
--------     --------------------------------------------------           ----
 5.1         Opinion of Counsel as to legality of securities
             being registered.                                             E-2

23.1         Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent
             Accountants.                                                  E-3

23.2         Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1).                E-2

24.1         Power of Attorney (see page 5).                                 5


                                    - E-1 -
<PAGE>
                                                                     Exhibit 5.1

                                 April 22, 1999

Meridian Data, Inc.
5615 Scotts Valley Drive
Scotts Valley, California 95066

Re:      Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We  have  examined  the   Registration   Statement  on  Form  S-8  (the
"Registration  Statement")  to be filed  by  Meridian  Data,  Inc.,  a  Delaware
corporation  (the  "Registrant"  or "you"),  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission on or about April 22, 1999, in connection with the registration under
the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as amended,  of shares of your Common  Stock (the
"Shares") reserved for issuance pursuant to the 1997 Incentive Stock Plan (as to
300,000 shares) and the 1992 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (as to 100,000 shares)
(collectively,  the  "Plans").  As your legal  counsel in  connection  with this
transaction,  we have reviewed the  proceedings  taken by you in connection with
the issuance and sale of the Shares pursuant to the Plans.

         It is our opinion that, when issued and sold in the manner described in
the Plans and pursuant to the  agreements  that  accompany  each grant under the
Plans,   the  Shares  will  be  legally  and  validly  issued,   fully-paid  and
non-assessable.

         We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement,  and further consent to the use of our name wherever appearing in the
Registration Statement and any subsequent amendment thereto.

                                                Very truly yours,

                                                Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
                                                Professional Corporation

                                            /s/ WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI


                                    - E-2 -
<PAGE>
                                                                    Exhibit 23.1

                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

We  hereby  consent  to the  incorporation  by  reference  in this  Registration
Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated January 27, 1999 appearing in Meridian
Data, Inc.'s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998.

/s/ PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP

    PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

San Jose, California
April 22, 1999

                                    - E-3 -
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "97 INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN/92 EMPLOYEE STOCK PUR PLAN", "secsgml_size_bytes": 12720}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "MERIDIAN DATA INC", "cik": "0000864568", "assigned-sic": "3576", "irs-number": "770188708", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-76819", "film-number": "99598996"}, "business-address": {"street1": "5615 SCOTTS VALLEY DR", "street2": "SUITE 200", "city": "SCOTTS VALLEY", "state": "CA", "zip": "95066", "phone": "4159600288"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "5615 SCOTTS VALLEY DR", "city": "SCOTTS V", "state": "CA", "zip": "95066"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "PARALLAN COMPUTER INC", "date-changed": "19940613"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 22, 1998

                                                 Registration No. 333-__________
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                            ------------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                            ------------------------ 
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                            ------------------------
                                      Under
                           The Securities Act of 1933
                          ----------------------------

                               MERIDIAN DATA, INC.
             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

                  Delaware                               77-0188708
      -------------------------------       ------------------------------------
      (State of other jurisdiction of       (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
       incorporation or organization)                    
                                
                            5615 Scotts Valley Drive
                         Scotts Valley, California 95066
               --------------------------------------------------
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        1992 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
                            1997 Incentive Stock Plan
                        ---------------------------------
                            (Full title of the plan)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Gianluca U. Rattazzi
                       President, Chief Executive Officer
                                  and Director

                               Meridian Data, Inc.
                            5615 Scotts Valley Drive
                         Scotts Valley, California 95066
                                 (831) 438-3100
(Name, address, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    Copy to:

                              Mario M. Rosati, Esq.
                        Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
                            Professional Corporation
                               650 Page Mill Road
                               Palo Alto, CA 94304
================================================================================
Calculation of Registration Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Proposed Maximum
    Title of Securities to be          Amount to be    Proposed Maximum Offering      Aggregate Offering    Amount of Registration
            Registered                  Regostered         Price Per Share (3)            Price (4)                    Fee
------------------------------------ ----------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------- ------------------------
Common Stock ($0.001 par value)        300,000 (1)                         $3.063               $918,900.00                  $256.00
Common Stock ($0.001 par value)        100,000 (2)                         $2.60355             $260,355.00                  $ 73.00
Total Registration Fee                                                                                                       $329.00
(1) These shares represent shares of Common Stock which have become available
    for issuance under the Registrant's 1997 Incentive Stock Plan as a result
    of an amendment approved by the stockholders at the Registrant's Annual 
    Meeting of Stockholders held on April 21, 1999 (the  "Annual  Meeting") 
    increasing the number of shares authorized for issuance thereunder from
    1,300,000 to 1,600,000.

(2) These shares represent shares of Common Stock which have become available
    for issuance under the Registrant's 1992 Employee Stock Purchase Plan 
    (the "ESPP") as a result of an amendment approved by the stockholders at
    the Registrant's Annual Meeting increasing the number of shares authorized
    for issuance thereunder from 400,000 to 500,000.

(3) Calculated solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee on the
    basis of the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock as
    reported by the Nasdaq National Market System on April 19,1999 in accordance
    with Rule 457(h)(1) and (c) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
    "Act").  With respect to the 1992 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the 
    computation is based upon 85% of the average of the high and low prices of
    the Common Stock because the purchase price of a share of Common Stock under
    the ESPP is equal to 85% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock
    on the Enrollment Date or the Exercise Date, whichever is lower.

(4) Calculated in accordance with Rule 457(h) under the Act.
Statement Under General Instruction E Registration of Additional Securities

         Unless as noted herein, the contents of the Registration  Statements on
Form S-8 with  respect to the 1997  Incentive  Stock Plan (File Nos.  333-27531,
333-30107 and  333-53945)  and the 1992 Employee  Stock Purchase Plan (File Nos.
33-62084,  333-27533,  333-30107  and  333-53945)  are  hereby  incorporated  by
reference into this Registration Statement.

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit
Number       Description
--------     -----------------------------------------------------------------
 5.1         Opinion of Counsel as to legality of securities being registered.

23.1         Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent Accountants.

23.2         Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1).

24.1         Power of Attorney (see page 5).
SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the  requirements  for  filing  on  Form  S-8 and has  duly  caused  this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Scotts Valley, State of California, on this 22nd
day of April 1999.

                                           MERIDIAN DATA, INC.

                                      By:  /s/ GIANLUCA U. RATTAZZI
                                           Gianluca U. Rattazzi
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer

                                      By:  /s/ ERIK E. MILLER
                                           Erik E. Miller
                                           Senior Vice President, Finance
                                           and Chief Financial Officer
POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that each person whose  signature
appears below  constitutes and appoints  Gianluca U. Rattazzi and Erik E. Miller
jointly  and  severally,   his   attorneys-in-fact,   each  with  the  power  of
substitution,  for him in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this
Registration  Statement on Form S-8 and to file the same, with exhibits  thereto
and other  documents in connection  therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange
Commission,   hereby   ratifying   and   confirming   all  that   each  of  said
attorney-in-fact,  or his substitute or substitutes,  may do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signatures                Title                                   Date
---------------           ----------------------------------      --------------

/s/ CHARLIE BASS          Chairman of the Board of Directors      April 22, 1999
------------------------
    Charlie Bass

/s/ GIANLUCA U. RATTAZZI  President, Chief Executive Officer      April 22, 1999
------------------------  and Director
    Gianluca U. Rattazzi

/s/ ERIK E MILLER         Senior Vice President, Finance and      April 22, 1999
------------------------  Chief Financial Officer (Principal
    Erik E. Miller        Financial and Accounting Officer)

                                         
/s/ PETER R. JOHNSON      Director                                April 22, 1999
------------------------
    Peter R. Johnson

/s/ MARIO M. ROSATI       Director                                April 22, 1999
------------------------
    Mario M. Rosati

/s/ PIERLUIGI ZAPPACOSTA  Director                                April 22, 1999
------------------------
    Pierluigi Zappacosta
Index to Exhibits
Exhibit
Number       Description                                                  Page
--------     --------------------------------------------------           ----
 5.1         Opinion of Counsel as to legality of securities
             being registered.                                             E-2

23.1         Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent
             Accountants.                                                  E-3

23.2         Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1).                E-2

24.1         Power of Attorney (see page 5).                                 5

                                    - E-1 -
Exhibit 5.1

                                 April 22, 1999

Meridian Data, Inc.
5615 Scotts Valley Drive
Scotts Valley, California 95066

Re:      Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We  have  examined  the   Registration   Statement  on  Form  S-8  (the
"Registration  Statement")  to be filed  by  Meridian  Data,  Inc.,  a  Delaware
corporation  (the  "Registrant"  or "you"),  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission on or about April 22, 1999, in connection with the registration under
the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as amended,  of shares of your Common  Stock (the
"Shares") reserved for issuance pursuant to the 1997 Incentive Stock Plan (as to
300,000 shares) and the 1992 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (as to 100,000 shares)
(collectively,  the  "Plans").  As your legal  counsel in  connection  with this
transaction,  we have reviewed the  proceedings  taken by you in connection with
the issuance and sale of the Shares pursuant to the Plans.

         It is our opinion that, when issued and sold in the manner described in
the Plans and pursuant to the  agreements  that  accompany  each grant under the
Plans,   the  Shares  will  be  legally  and  validly  issued,   fully-paid  and
non-assessable.

         We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement,  and further consent to the use of our name wherever appearing in the
Registration Statement and any subsequent amendment thereto.

                                                Very truly yours,

                                                Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
                                                Professional Corporation

                                            /s/ WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI

                                    - E-2 -
Exhibit 23.1

                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

We  hereby  consent  to the  incorporation  by  reference  in this  Registration
Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated January 27, 1999 appearing in Meridian
Data, Inc.'s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998.

/s/ PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP

    PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

San Jose, California
April 22, 1999

                                    - E-3 -