Page:Compendium of US Copyright Office Practices (1973).pdf/431

S-76 a. In cases where the answer to the first appeal was signed personally the Assistant Chief, the letter of reply is typed for the personal signature of the Chief, Examining Division.

3. . All appeals after the second go directly to the Chief, Examining Division, for decision. Unless a fourth and subsequent appeal presents new grounds for reversing the decision, the Chiet of the Division may deny them without extended consideration.

C..

1. As a rule, efforts should be made to discourage personal discussions in appeal cases until a written letter of appeal has been filed. However, there may be circumstances (e .g., where an attorney has made a special trip from another city without first requesting an appointment) where it would be 1mpolite not to listen to the applicant's arguments and to try to clarity the Copyright Office's reasons for its action. No commitments of any kind may be made in such a discussion, and the applicant should be requested to put his arguments in writing before any further action can be taken.

2. Once a letter of appeal has been received, the Copyright Office will neither encourage nor discourage personal discussions of the case. In such discussions the Copyright Office should be represented by the person who has responsibility for acting on the appeal--the Section Bead. (or Assistant Bead) in first appeals, the Assistant Chief in second appeals, and the Chief of the Examining Division in subsequent appeals. He may call in others to attend the conference or to represent him, it appropriate. In certain very unusual or important cases, the Register of Copyrights may represent the Office in the discussion of an appeal.