Copyright Law
10th Circuit: Court Reporter Not Entitled to Fee for Copied Transcript
A federal appeals court has ruled against a court reporter seeking a “missed fee” from a lawyer who obtained a transcript of a court hearing at a lower price from the city of Albuquerque.
In an unpublished decision, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the court reporter is not entitled to a fee for a copy of a transcript obtained by independent means from another source, the Exclusive Rights blog reports. The Denver-based court said a contrary ruling would effectively give court reporters a copyright in a mere transcription of others’ statements.
The court issued the opinion (PDF posted by the Exclusive Rights blog) on Aug. 21.