That's an almost completely different skill set then a good scribe, and would take far longer then the formulas for copying take. Easy for a machine but far harder for a person.
The point is that solid understanding is not needed for perfectly good copying. No understanding at all is needed, depending on the method, and minimal understanding is better than no understanding. The Magic Theory 1 rule (which would probably end up at Magic Theory 2 due to specialty) is reasonable.
On a related note, my preference in practical approach is different. I believe a magus/covenant with such an interest would be well-served to permanently retain a mundane scholar/scribe and make sure the scribe's Magic Theory is high. Make sure he (or they) live well. Have them work on upgrading labs when not copying. Plus if he (or they) have good Communication that can provide you with some more Magic Theory tractatus.
Chris
Technically yes. But a good scribe would likely be welltrained in this sort of copying as well.
There´s plenty good reason to make it a separate skill, but at the same time its not a skill completely removed from a regular scribe, so based on the overlap i think its close enough to let them stay the same.
It´s surprisingly fast if the copyist is good. We´re used to thinking in terms of copying words as words, and for US, copying graphically would very likely be much slower... That isnt true of someone trained in copying that way however.
It´s like the difference between you or me trying to remember a story we heard once, and a trained storyteller(usually from someplace with a strong oral tradition) recalling it. The latter would almost certainly do it to perfection, possibly even sounding like whoever told it to them originally.
Not at hand, but I've read of this several times (altho' I suppose it could be apocryphal). There were called "copyists" rather than "scribes", were far less useful or respected, but still had a function - mainly as human xerox machines for bureaucratic records and such.
And that's the problem - you can't, and they didn't always, plain and simple.
The paradigm is that the "instructions" in arcane texts consist of more than just words. (Possibly why magic doesn't work any more.)
Eh? Can't you cast spells anymore? Weird... Have you tried calling Durenmar to see if there was any problems?
An observation:
The average magus (ArM5 template) has no Profession: scribe skill and speaks Latin (relevant specialsation) 4.
This means she can write down 100 lvls of the spells she knows from her lab notes.
She can not copy any spells.
It seems likely that magi spend more time writing out and trading their lab notes then copying them (save for some rare and dangerous spells)!
Tried dialing Information but they have no current listing. (Besides, I bet the charges would be prohibitive...) 8)
The topic here seems a bit misleading. I don't think many games actually "outsource" scribing in the modern meaning of the term. It's not as if a Magus goes down to the nearest Abbey and calls out "We have a job coming up to make ten copies of the Al Azif. You wanna get a bid in, Prior Athelstan?"
A more normal situation, in my experience, is for there to be a scribe among the covenfolk. Like all grogs and companions, the scribe would be under some sort of bond to the Covenant. Certainly the Code would not consider him to be "mundane" in the sense of being protected from the retribution of the Magi if he were to break his obligations and start stealing books. Under those circumstances, I don't have a problem with giving him work on books of magic.
That is the "out" that the OP intended - outside the Order, outside the circle of Hermetic magi. Perhaps not an accurately modern use of the term, but legit within the context of the OP...
I've considered doing this but my SG has forbidden it, probably because he doesn't want to give me something for nothing and is not interested in pursuing this as a side plot enough to make it balanced. I agree that time for XP is an unwritten rule that should not be side stepped.
I also think, though, that any grog educated and clever enough to have levels in scribe and MT, etc would make a compelling NPC with his own motivation. He may be using the magus to gain access to a Hermetic library for another employer, say a hedge wizard.
So after three seasons at the Verdi library, Samwise Groggy leaves a week early and is never seen again. He takes copies of the covenant's most treasured spells and vanishes. That sounds like the start of years of finger pointing, apologizing, adventuring and making amends to me. As my SG would say, "Go ahead, send the grog to the library, I'm sure it will work out just fine..."
(With judicious application of certain obvious Mentem effects it certainly would!) 
No-one has an Arcane Connection to Sammy?
tsk tsk
Hindsight is 20/20 for players and a great source of amusement for story guides.
I'm sure the players could arrange for Sammy to be supervised at the library and scried upon regularly, etc. His inferalist master would have some of the same options available too and would have the benfit of knowing the players' precautions (arcane connection plus certain obvious Mentum effects 
) while they would not know his. It could work out well for the players but would certainly lead to some fun adventures and would not be a straight XP giveaway.
Wise (or paranoid?*) Magi might not use InMe effects to "screen" every grog that crosses the Aegis, but they certainly would when "hiring" anyone that lives there, and take more precautions for more sensitive positions.
(* is there a practical difference?)
Determining "motive" when first hiring, determining fear, or just passing their entire brain briskly through a big InMe strainer and see what comes out are all just basic precautions, along w/ scanning for subtle active magics.
Arcane connections, plus various spells to "encourage" loyalty and obedience would add to this mix. (Some magi go with Fear, some with Love, but either can be a powerful incentive. The wise mix both, ala Machiavelli.)
Alarm/warning spells and effects to trap the uninvited then usually top off the mix.
Of course, not every Spring covenant has all this at their disposal - but they want it, even if they don't know it yet.