1. How can I get a user name and password? [Back to top]
Go to the National Reporter System Home Page and Click Register Online! Complete the online registration form and pick your own user name and password. Click on Register to submit the form. Your registration will be confirmed immediately and you can begin your research immediately, by returning to the Home Page and choosing either MLB's RAW LAW or the Key Number Search.
2. Does the user name and password have to be in lower case? [Back to top]
Yes the user name and password should be lower case. Also your user name and password can be
letters, numbers or characters and each must be between four and eight characters in length.
3. Why won't my user name and password work? [Back to top]
The user name and password must be in lower case and not contain any spaces. They must be
typed exactly as you did on the registration form. If you forget you user name or password,
please e-mail us at
service@mlb.nb.ca or call
1-800-561-0220. Also if you have not used your user name and password for over two years
it is possible that it has been removed from our system, so please contact us to have it
reactivated.
4. What if I forget my user name and password? [Back to top]
If you forget you user name or password, please e-mail us at
service@mlb.nb.ca or call 1-800-561-0220. Our business hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 4:30 (A.S.T.) . If our office is closed and you have forgotten your user name or password, you can use MLB's RAW LAW (free case law without headnotes) until such time as you can contact us to obtain your user name and password.
5. Does Maritime Law Book offer IP access? [Back to top]
IP access licences may be negotiated with libraries or law firms who have their own unique
IP address and who want to offer
access to our databases without the necessity of user names and passwords. IP access may be discussed by calling
1-800-561-0220 or e-mailing us at
service@mlb.nb.ca
6. Is There A Free Trial Period? [Back to top]
Maritime Law Book eliminated the automatic free trial period in June 2008. However you may search case law for free anytime using MLB's RAW LAW. You can also use MLB's Key Number Breakdown to generate a hit list once you register with us.
7. At what point are charges incurred while using this Web Site? [Back to top]
There are no charges for using MLB's RAW LAW or the Key Number Breakdown. Charges are only incurred should you want to view our headnotes. To view headnotes, you can either pay as you go using PAY PAL, or contact us for either a Pay Per View or monthly subscription. Call 1-800-561-0220 or email:
service@mlb.nb.ca.
8. How Will I Be Billed? [Back to top]
Charges are only incurred when you view our headnotes. You can either pay as you go using PAY PAL, or contact us for either a Pay Per View or monthly subscription. Call 1-800-561-0220 or email:
service@mlb.nb.ca.
9. How Much Does This Service Cost? [Back to top]
MLB's RAW LAW is free! However, if you want headnotes, you have several subscription options. These are explained on the Home Page under Prices. Basically, the cost is $4.00 for each headnote viewed unless you prefer to take a flat rate subscription ($65 per month for one series or $200 per month for three or more series). We also offer a sole practitioner flat rate of $110 per month for all series and a small firm (2-4 members) of $165 per month. Call us for a subscription or to inquire about our introductory offer for first time subscribers 1-800-561-0220 or email:
service@mlb.nb.ca.
10. Do I have free internet access included with my print subscription? [Back to top]
You have free internet access to each series for which you maintain a book subscription. This gives you access to the
latest cases released by the courts while you are waiting to receive your bound volumes as well as access to cases which
did not merit reporting in your printed series. Also you have access to all other databases on a Pay Per View or
subscription basis.
11. Does Maritime Law Book offer a sole practitioner or small firm rate? [Back to top]
Absolutely. Sole practitioner and small firms (2-4 members) can have flat rate unlimited access to all databases for $110 per
month for sole practitioners and $165 for small firms.
12. Does Maritime Law Book offer free student access? [Back to top]
Any student is entitled to one free trial period of 15 days. However law school libraries
that maintain multiple subscriptions to our book reports can contact us to make arrangements
for free law student access for the entire school term.
To see if your law school has made such arrangements please see your law librarian and ask
about internet access to Maritime Law Book or National Reporter System or call us at
1-800-561-0220. The law librarian will provide you with a user name and password if your law
library has made arrangements for access to our system. We do not offer campus wide free
student access, although some universities may have made arrangements for campus wide access
on a subscription basis.
Again, please contact your librarian.
13. What is the difference between a Quick Search and a Standard Search? [Back to top]
A Quick Search searches all the cases in the 12 jurisdictional databases. A Standard Search gives you the option of
searching narrowing your search to one on more of the databases.
14. What is a Client ID TAG and Do I Have to Use One? [Back to top]
A client ID tag may be used to identify which particular file you are doing your research for.
This may be useful to those who wish to bill their computer research to a particular client.
When you generate a usage report (see link on home page) or get your monthly statement,
the Client ID Tag you used will show up beside the list of cases viewed. To utilize a Client
ID Tag, when doing a Quick Search or Standard Search, just enter the file number etc.,
in the box provided. The number will remain the same until you close your browser or
change the number. It is not mandatory that a Client ID Tag be used, although your firm
administrator or librarian my prefer that you do.
15. What kind of cases are in each database? [Back to top]
Each database contains three types of cases:
- Cases that are fully headnoted and have been reported in our print reports
These cases have a traditional citation such as 26 N.B.R.(2d) 1; or 46 O.A.C. 161;
- Cases that were newly released by the courts and are awaiting headnoting
These cases are cited for example as [2003] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. JN.26 (the TBEd. stands for "to be edited");
- Cases that generally have little usefulness and will not be headnoted, but are included in our databases for purposes of comprehensiveness
These are cited for example as [2003] N.B.R.(2d) Uned. 44 (the Uned. stands for Unedited).
16. Can I search by key word? [Back to top]
Absolutely. The powerful ISYS search engine allows searching by words or by phrases.
Do not include quotations in your search string and do not use an ampersand (&) between
key words or to join phrases. The only words that will not be searched are
"are", "be", "at", "an" "it", "is", "of" and "the". All other words may be used in search
strings. You must include an underscore before the words _or, _and, _to, _not, _in, _except
and _label as these words are ISYS operators which have special meaning to the search engine.
17. What is a Key Number? [Back to top]
Our editors recommend the use of key numbers as our quickest and most effective search
strategy. Each point of law or issue discussed by a judge in a case is summarized by our
editors and included as a "Topic" in the headnote. Each topic is assigned a Key Number.
For example "Criminal Law - Topic 5855" is the Key Number assigned to topics in every case
involving sentences for robbery. Once the Key Number is known, the number can be used to
quickly find, for example, all robbery sentencing cases without worrying about how to
configure a search or what search words to use. To find a Key Number, go to the
Home Page and Click on Key Number Search. When you locate a point of law that is of interest
click on the number to the left and a list of cases on point will be generated.
18. What are the links in the headnotes for? [Back to top]
Links have been added to the headnotes for the researchers convenience
- click on the cite at the top of headnote - the next screen will list other cases where this case was judicially considered.
- click on the "Indexed As" name - the next screen will list other decisions with the same "Indexed As" name (i.e. a case history).
- click a topic number - the next screen will list other cases that have the same topic or point of law.
- click on a case name in Cases Noticed - the next screen will list other cases that referred to the case noticed.
- click on the citation following the case name in Cases Noticed - the next screen will show the full text of the case cited.
- click on a section number in the Statutes Noticed - the next screen will list other cases where this section was judicially considered
19. Why do I not receive search results after clicking Continue from the search pages? [Back to top]
If you are unable to receive Quick or Standard search result, it's probably because you're
accessing the Internet through a firewall -- a security device or program that resides
between your internal network and the Internet to control incoming and outgoing traffic.
A firewall works by opening or closing certain ports, each of which allows a particular
type of traffic.
In order to view search results, your computer must be able to access http port 8080.
If this port is blocked by your organization's firewall, your search request will not
be successful.
There are several alternatives that you can try to get your search results:
- Ask your organization's IT department to open port 8080 on your firewall.
- Try accessing our site from your home computer.
- Try a computer at your facility's library or at a public library.
Although there may still be firewalls between these computers and the Internet, they may be able to access port 8080.
20. Why am I seeing blank documents or documents with no links? [Back to top]
Maritime Law Book's web site is designed to work best on Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher and should also work
well on new versions of Netscape. You may want to upgrade your browser if you are experiencing problems viewing the
documents.
21. Why can't I find a case by name that I know should be in the databases? [Back to top]
Many family law and sexual assault cases have been initialized so you may want try to search by initials or using another
search strategy. With any name, double check the spelling, try alternate spellings or try using an asterix in your search.
Do not include words like Inc. and Co. in your search. Try to search for unique names that will yield fewer hits.
22. How do I print or download a "Clean Copy" of a case? [Back to top]
When you are viewing a case that you wish to download, click on the link at the top right of the screen that says
"Download", Click save, Select where you would like the document saved and Click Save.
(Note that in the Save As Type Box it may say something like 120.document - this is normal and should not affect the
download). To view your downloaded document, find where you saved it and open it.