The Bill of Lading — a Document of Title to the Goods
A bill of lading is a document of title to goods which confirms the contract of carriage by sea and the taking over or loading of the goods by the carrier. Three functions merge in this definition: the bill proves the existence of the contract, evidences the carrier's taking over of the goods, and — as a dispositive document — determines how authority over the goods is exercised. That is why the law provides directly: upon presentation of the bill of lading the carrier is obliged to deliver the goods — the presenter acquires the right to receive them, and the carrier no longer searches for another consignee. To whomever the bill of lading is transferred, the fate of the goods attaches — which makes this document the central instrument of the commercial circulation of a sea carriage.