The Map is Not the Territory
By Thomas K. Feissner, CLVS
Managing exhibits for depositions in Asia can be time-consuming and costly, especially when handled in the same way it’s been done for decades. At Planet Depos, we sometimes look backward to find new ways to move forward.
In 1931, Polish-American philosopher Alfred Korzybski coined the phrase “The map is not the territory” to differentiate between the abstract and direct ways human beings characterize the experiences by which they come to understand the world. In doing so, he established the field now known as general semantics. Since that time, this phrase has inspired generations of writers, philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists to consider how the way they think affects what they believe about the world.
Similarly, the way litigators think about discovery at home affects what they believe about taking depositions abroad. While the discovery process may be the same in both places, the way the process is carried out can vary greatly. Take, for example, the issue of handling exhibits in patent, intellectual property or antitrust cases. These cases, by their very nature, involve reams of exhibits.
Packing and shipping large quantities of documents to Asia is not only costly and time-consuming, there’s also no guarantee they will arrive on time. If your documents contain proprietary material, there is also the possibility that their confidentiality will be compromised in transit. At Planet Depos, our on-site litigation support specialists can have your exhibits printed at your destination and delivered to your location, all while ensuring their confidentiality every step of the way. As an added level of security, once the deposition is over, we arrange for pick-up and shredding of your documents at a secure facility, eliminating the risks and costs associated with shipping the exhibits back to the States. Or go green, go paperless, and reduce your physical burden by uploading your exhibits to the cloud, where you can access them electronically through a web browser or iPad.
So when it’s time to take depositions in Asia, don’t trust your discovery to a company that attempts to provide services on a piece-by-piece basis, without fully vetted and experienced on-the-ground litigation support professionals. Instead, coordinate your discovery through Planet Depos. With our experienced Asia team, you get a group of dedicated litigation support professionals who understand how the pieces fit together into a coherent theory of the case and who are ready, willing, and able to bring your vision to life. Because at Planet Depos, we don’t just give you a map, we show you the territory.
