Transcript Theft and Timeless Pricing Contributes To The Court Reporting Crisis

Court reporters are being squeezed by an outdated pricing model and rampant unauthorized transcript sharing. Despite legal protections under California law and federal copyright, attorneys often duplicate transcripts without paying, devaluing the reporter’s work. It’s time to modernize: shift all costs into the original transcript and make copies cheap or free. This simple change could restore fairness, stop transcript theft, and protect the profession’s future.