Page:Compendium of US Copyright Office Practices (1973).pdf/355

15.2.4

Preparation and handling of certified documents.(cont'd)

II.

Need for speed and accuracy.(cont'd)

b.

When the records needed to prepare a certi­fied document are in the process of being bound, a letter should be sent to the appli­cant immediately, informing him that a delay will be unavoidable.

c.

The need for accuracy is even more important than the need for speed in preparing oerti­fied documents.

1.

The facts contained in a certified docu­ment can often affect the outcome of a case in court, or can even be the turning point in the case. Any error, even a seemingly minor one, can have drastic consequences; in any case, it reflects upon the efficiency of the Office.

2.

Certified documents should not only be prepared with the utmost care and accuracy every document must also be reviewed with equal care. In reviewing a certifi­cation of material received from the Photoduplication Service, it is especially necessary to check the photocopies against the material copied, to determine whether they are complete and in the right order.

III.

Use in foreign proceedings. The Office is occasionally called upon to furnish certified docu­ments for use in litigation or other proceedings in a foreign country. Usually, the applicant wishes the certificate authenticated by the Authentication Office of the Department of State, or certified by a consular officer of the country involved, or both. While the Office will cooper­ate to some extent in facilitating the obtaining of these additional documents, it will not advance fees or provide messenger service for this purpose.