Opinion
1:03-md-1552.
June 4, 2004
ORDER
Before the Court is Defendants' Motion For Relief From Practice And Procedure Order (Case No. 1:03-md-1552, Court File No. 63), requesting the Court relieve and excuse Defendants of the requirement set forth in Paragraph 4 of the Practice and Procedure Order ("Paragraph 4"), which provides "[a]ll documents filed in these actions shall also be submitted on a computer readable compact disc or 3½ inch diskette . . . which shall be filed at the time the paper document is filed" (Case No. 1:03-md-1552, Court File No. 9). Defendants suggest the burden of preparing and submitting electronic documents on diskette may no longer be necessary in light of the Court's recently acquired capability to accept filings by electronic means ("Electronic Case Filing" or "ECF").
Defendants' motion is well taken, but the Court finds it unnecessary to relieve or excuse the parties from the duties imposed by Paragraph 4. Instead, the Court hereby CLARIFIES all litigants in the various actions comprising MDL-1552 who file documents through the Court's ECF system need not contemporaneously submit a compact disc or diskette containing electronic copies of those documents. However, litigants who choose to continue to file in paper format, so long as such is permitted by the Court, must still conform their filings to the requirements of Paragraph 4. The Court reiterates the parties are under no order or obligation to provide paper courtesy copies of filings, but the Court does express its preference such courtesy copies be provided with respect to filings exceeding ten (10) pages in length.
SO ORDERED.