Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_13-cv-03385/USCOURTS-cand-3_13-cv-03385-16/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 820
Nature of Suit: Copyright
Cause of Action: 17:101 Copyright Infringement

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Case No. 5:13-cv-03385-PSG

ORDER RE: MOTION TO SEAL

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN JOSE DIVISION

ORACLE AMERICA, INC., et al.,

 Plaintiff,

 v. 

TERIX COMPUTER COMPANY, INC., et al., 

 Defendants. 

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Case No. 5:13-cv-03385-PSG

ORDER RE: MOTION TO SEAL

(Re: Docket No. 399) 

Before the court is an administrative motion to seal 25 documents. “Historically, courts 

have recognized a ‘general right to inspect and copy public records and documents, including 

judicial records and documents.’”1 Accordingly, when considering a sealing request, “a ‘strong 

presumption in favor of access’ is the starting point.”2 Parties seeking to seal judicial records 

relating to dispositive motions bear the burden of overcoming the presumption with “compelling 

reasons” that outweigh the general history of access and the public policies favoring disclosure.3

 

1 Kamakana v. City & County of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1178 (9th Cir. 2006) (quoting Nixon v. 

Warner Commc’ns, Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 597 & n. 7 (1978)). 

2 Id. (quoting Foltz v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 331 F.3d 1122, 1135 (9th Cir. 2003)). 

3 Id. at 1178-79. 

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Case No. 5:13-cv-03385-PSG

ORDER RE: MOTION TO SEAL

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 However, “while protecting the public's interest in access to the courts, we must remain 

mindful of the parties' right to access those same courts upon terms which will not unduly harm 

their competitive interest.”4

 Records attached to nondispositive motions therefore are not subject 

to the strong presumption of access.5

 Because the documents attached to nondispositive motions 

“are often unrelated, or only tangentially related, to the underlying cause of action,” parties moving 

to seal must meet the lower “good cause” standard of Rule 26(c).6 As with dispositive motions, the 

standard applicable to nondispositive motions requires a “particularized showing”7 that “specific 

prejudice or harm will result” if the information is disclosed.8 “Broad allegations of harm, 

unsubstantiated by specific examples of articulated reasoning” will not suffice.9

 A protective order 

sealing the documents during discovery may reflect the court’s previous determination that good 

cause exists to keep the documents sealed,10 but a blanket protective order that allows the parties to 

designate confidential documents does not provide sufficient judicial scrutiny to determine whether 

each particular document should remain sealed.11

In addition to making particularized showings of good cause, parties moving to seal 

documents must comply with the procedures established by Civ. L.R. 79-5. Pursuant to 

Civ. L.R. 79-5(b), a sealing order is appropriate only upon a request that establishes the document 

 

4 Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., 727 F.3d 1214, 1228-29 (Fed. Cir. 2013). 

5 See id. at 1180. 

6 Id. at 1179 (internal quotations and citations omitted). 

7 Id.

8 Phillips ex rel. Estates of Byrd v. Gen. Motors Corp., 307 F.3d 1206, 1210-11 (9th Cir. 2002); 

see Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c). 

9 Beckman Indus., Inc. v. Int’l Ins. Co., 966 F.2d 470, 476 (9th Cir. 1992). 

10 See Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1179-80. 

11 See Civ. L.R. 79-5(d)(1)(A) (“Reference to a stipulation or protective order that allows a party to 

designate certain documents as confidential is not sufficient to establish that a document, or 

portions thereof, are sealable.”). 

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Case No. 5:13-cv-03385-PSG

ORDER RE: MOTION TO SEAL

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United States District Court

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is “sealable,” or “privileged or protectable as a trade secret or otherwise entitled to protection under 

the law.” “The request must be narrowly tailored to seek sealing only of sealable material, and 

must conform with Civil L.R. 79-5(d).”12 “Within 4 days of the filing of the Administrative 

Motion to File Under Seal, the Designating Party must file a declaration as required by subsection 

79-5(d)(1)(A) establishing that all of the designated material is sealable.”13

With these standards in mind, the courts rules on the instant motion as follows: 

Motion 

to Seal 

Document to be Sealed Result Reason/Explanation 

399 Oracle’s Motion for 

Partial Summary 

Judgment

•Page 9:7-11 designations 

highlighted in grey UNSEALED

•Page 10:15-16 designations 

highlighted in grey SEALED 

•Page 10:27-28 designations 

highlighted in grey SEALED 

•Pages 13-14 designations 

highlighted in grey SEALED 

•Page 24:12-16 designations 

highlighted in grey SEALED 

•All other designations 

UNSEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential business 

and customer 

information. 

399 Papay Declaration in 

Support of Oracle’s 

Motion for Partial 

Summary Judgment 

• Page 6:3 designations outlined in 

red SEALED

• Page 6:9 UNSEALED • Page 6:14-15 designations outlined 

in red SEALED

• Page 6:16 UNSEALED • Page 6:26-27 designations outlined 

in red SEALED

• ¶¶ 29-31 designations outlined in 

red SEALED

• ¶ 31 UNSEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential business 

and customer 

information. 

 

12 Civ. L.R. 79-5(b). In part, Civ. L.R. 79-5(d) requires the submitting party to attach a “proposed 

order that is narrowly tailored to seal only the sealable material” which “lists in table format each 

document or portion thereof that is sought to be sealed,” Civ. L.R. 79-5(d)(1)(b), and an 

“unredacted version of the document” that indicates “by highlighting or other clear method, the 

portions of the document that have been omitted from the redacted version.” 

Civ. L.R. 79-5(d)(1)(d).

13 Civ. L.R. 79-5(e)(1). The Civil Local Rules have recently been amended shortening the time 

available to the designating party to file a supporting declaration from seven days to four days. As 

this rule change was only recently implemented the court applies the prior form of Civ. L.R. 79-5 

for the purposes of this order. 

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Case No. 5:13-cv-03385-PSG

ORDER RE: MOTION TO SEAL

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United States District Court

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399 Exhibit 1 

(Docket No. 399-8) 

• Page 3:9-13 designations 

highlighted in yellow UNSEALED 

• Pages 5-13 tables SEALED • Page 14:24-25 table SEALED 

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential business 

and customer 

information. 

399 Exhibit 2 

(Docket No. 399-9) 

• Page 21:5-7 designations 

highlighted in yellow UNSEALED 

• Page 22:22-25 designations 

highlighted in yellow SEALED 

• Page 26:9-11 designations 

highlighted in yellow UNSEALED

• Page 26:19-23 designations 

highlighted in yellow SEALED 

• Pages 27-30 designations 

highlighted in yellow SEALED

• Page 31 designations highlighted 

in yellow UNSEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer

information. 

399 Exhibit 3 

(Docket No. 399-10) 

UNSEALED No declaration in 

support filed with the 

court as required by 

Civ. L.R. 79-5(e)(1).

399 Exhibit 12 

(Docket No. 399-12) 

As to specific customer names 

SEALED. As to all other 

designations UNSEALED. 

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer names and 

emails. 

399 Exhibit 13 

(Docket No. 399-13) 

SEALED Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer names and 

emails.

399 Exhibit 14 

(Docket No. 399-15) 

Designations outlined in red 

SEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer names and 

emails.

399 Exhibit 15 

(Docket No. 399-17) 

Designations outlined in red 

SEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer names and 

emails.

399 Exhibit 16 

(Docket No. 399-19) 

Designations outlined in red 

SEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer names and 

emails.

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Case No. 5:13-cv-03385-PSG

ORDER RE: MOTION TO SEAL

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399 Exhibit 17 

(Docket No. 399-21) 

Designations outlined in red 

SEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer names and 

emails.

399 Exhibit 18 

(Docket No. 399-23) 

Designations outlined in red 

SEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer names and 

emails.

399 Exhibit 19 

(Docket No. 399-25) 

Designations outlined in red 

SEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer names and 

emails.

399 Exhibit 20 

(Docket No. 399-27) 

• TRX0120422-23 e-mail addresses 

and user IDs SEALED 

• TRX0120432 designations 

outlined in red SEALED 

• All other designations highlighted 

in yellow UNSEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential business 

and customer 

information. 

399 Exhibit 21 

(Docket No. 399-29) 

Designations outlined in red 

SEALED

Narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer

information. 

399 Exhibit 22 

(Docket No. 399-31) 

• Designations outlined in red 

SEALED 

• All other designations highlighted 

in yellow UNSEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer

information. 

399 Exhibit 23 

(Docket No. 399-32) 

• Pages 9-14 tables SEALED

• All other designations highlighted 

in yellow UNSEALED

Only sealed portions 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer

information. 

399 Exhibit 24 

(Docket No. 399-33) 

SEALED Narrowly tailored to 

confidential business 

information. 

399 Exhibit 25 

(Docket No. 399-34) 

UNSEALED Exhibit not sealable 

in its entirety. Not 

narrowly tailored to 

confidential 

customer

information. 

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