In Celanese Corp. v. Kellogg, Brown & Root, Inc., et. al., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 53673 (S.D. Tx. June 25, 2009), U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Wm. Smith denied defendant KBR's request for reimbursement of expenses related to converting native electronic files as a taxable cost.

KBR spent $19,663 to convert electronic files into a more usable format.  While the court agreed that the conversion might have been a more efficient method of managing the large document production, the court was not convinced that it was a necessary "exemplification or copying" cost under 28 U.S.C. § 1920.  The ruling is similar to another case in which the court denied KBR's request for reimbursement of expenses related to backup tape restoration. Kellogg Brown & Root Int'l, Inc. v. Altanmia Comm. Marketing, Co. W.L.L., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 44137 (S.D. Tx. May 26, 2009). Click here to read the previous blog entry.