Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_14-cv-02919/USCOURTS-cand-5_14-cv-02919-26/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 830
Nature of Suit: Patent
Cause of Action: 35:271 Patent Infringement

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

NORTEK AIR SOLUTIONS, LLC,

Plaintiff,

v.

DMG CORPORATION, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 14-cv-02919-BLF 

ORDER REGARDING 

ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO FILE 

UNDER SEAL PORTIONS OF 

NORTEK’S TRIAL BRIEF

[Re: ECF 274]

Before the Court is Noretk’s administrative motion to file under seal portions of its trial 

brief. ECF 274. For the reasons stated below, the motions is GRANTED.

I. LEGAL STANDARD

“Historically, courts have recognized a ‘general right to inspect and copy public records 

and documents, including judicial records and documents.’” Kamakana v. City and Cnty. 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)). Consequently, access to motions and their attachments that are 

“more than tangentially related to the merits of a case” may be sealed only upon a showing of 

“compelling reasons” for sealing. Ctr. for Auto Safety v. Chrysler Grp., LLC, 809 F.3d 1092, 

1101–02 (9th Cir. 2016). Filings that are only tangentially related to the merits may be sealed 

upon a lesser showing of “good cause.” Id. at 1097. 

In addition, sealing motions filed in this district must be “narrowly tailored to seek sealing 

only of sealable material.” Civil L.R. 79-5(b). A party moving to seal a document in whole or in 

part must file a declaration establishing that the identified material is “sealable.” 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 

Case 5:14-cv-02919-BLF Document 361 Filed 08/18/16 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

sealable.” Id. 

II. DISCUSSION

The Court has reviewed Nortek’s sealing motion and respective declarations in support 

thereof. The Court finds the parties have articulated compelling reasons to seal certain portions of 

most of the submitted documents. The proposed redactions are also narrowly tailored. The 

Court’s rulings on the sealing request are set forth in the tables below:

Identification of Documents 

to be Sealed

Description of Documents Court’s Order

Nortek confidential 

information marked by 

redactions at 7:8; 7:13; 7:22-

25; 8:3; 8:5-6; 8:9-10; 8:22-23; 

9:16-17; 9:19

Highly confidential financial 

information regarding 

proprietary intellectual 

property licenses between 

Nortek or Nortek affiliates and 

third parties.

GRANTED

Defendants’ information 

designated as “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL –

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” 

marked by redactions at

8:16-17; 8: 26-28; 9:1-3, 9:10-

12

Contains confidential 

information regarding 

Defendants’ financial and sales 

information

GRANTED

III. ORDER

For the foregoing reasons, the sealing motion at ECF 274 is GRANTED. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 18, 2016

 ______________________________________

BETH LABSON FREEMAN

United States District Judge

Case 5:14-cv-02919-BLF Document 361 Filed 08/18/16 Page 2 of 2