Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_13-cv-03345/USCOURTS-cand-5_13-cv-03345-36/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

FINISAR CORPORATION,

Plaintiff,

v.

NISTICA, INC.,

Defendant.

Case No. 13-cv-03345-BLF 

OMNIBUS ORDER REGARDING 

SEALING MOTIONS

[Re: ECF 437, 444, 445, 455, 458, 461, 471, 

474, 481]

Before the Court are nine administrative motions to file under seal in connection with the 

Special Master’s Report and Recommendations regarding the parties’ Motions for Summary 

Judgment, ECF 437, 444, 445, 455, 458, 461, and Motions in Limine, ECF 471, 474, 481. For the 

reasons stated herein, the motions are GRANTED.

I. LEGAL STANDARD

Unless a particular court record is one ‘traditionally kept secret,’” a “strong presumption in 

favor of access” to judicial records “is the starting point.” Kamakana v. City & Cnty. of Honolulu, 

447 F.3d 1172, 1178 (9th Cir. 2006) (quoting Foltz v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 331 F.3d 

1122, 1135 (9th Cir. 2003)). A party seeking to seal judicial records relating to a dispositive 

motion bears the burden of overcoming this presumption by articulating “compelling reasons 

supported by specific factual findings that outweigh the general history of access and the public 

policies favoring disclosure.” Id. at 1178-79. Motions that are technically nondispositive may 

still require the party to meet the “compelling reasons” standard when the motion is more than 

tangentially related to the merits of the case. See Ctr. for Auto Safety v. Chrysler Grp., LLC, 809 

F.3d 1092, 1101 (9th Cir. 2016). This standard is invoked “even if the dispositive motion, or its 

attachments, were previously filed under seal or protective order.” Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1179 

Case 5:13-cv-03345-BLF Document 513 Filed 04/05/16 Page 1 of 9
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(citing Foltz, 331 F.3d at 1136). Compelling reasons for sealing court files generally exist when 

such “‘court files might have become a vehicle for improper purposes,’ such as the use of records 

to gratify private spite, promote public scandal, circulate libelous statements, or release trade 

secrets.” Id. (quoting Nixon v. Warner Commc’ns, Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 598 (1978)). However, 

“[t]he mere fact that the production of records may lead to a litigant’s embarrassment, 

incrimination, or exposure to further litigation will not, without more, compel the court to seal its 

records.” Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1179.

In this District, parties seeking to seal judicial records must furthermore follow Civil Local 

Rule 79-5, which requires, inter alia, that a sealing request be “narrowly tailored to seek sealing 

only of sealable material.” Civil L.R. 79-5(b) (emphasis added). Where the submitting party 

seeks to file under seal a document designated confidential by another party, the burden of 

articulating compelling reasons for sealing is placed on the designating party. Id. 79-5(e). 

II. DISCUSSION

The Court has reviewed the parties’ sealing motions and the declarations of the designating 

parties submitted in support. The Court finds the parties have articulated compelling reasons to 

seal certain portions of the submitted documents. The proposed redactions are also narrowly 

tailored. The Court’s rulings on the sealing requests are set forth in the tables below:

A. ECF 437

Identification of Documents 

to be Sealed

Description of Documents Court’s Order

Portions of the Report and 

Recommendations of the 

Special Master regarding 

Motions for Summary 

Judgment

Contains Defendant’s

confidential, trade secret, and 

proprietary information

regarding the accused 

products, development, and 

engineering practices that 

could cause competitive harm 

if disclosed; Contains 

Plaintiff’s confidential 

information regarding business 

strategies that could cause 

competitive harm if publicly

disclosed

GRANTED

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B. ECF 444

Identification of Documents 

to be Sealed

Description of Documents Court’s Order

Portions of Plaintiff Finisar’s 

objections to Special Master’s 

Report and Recommendations 

Contains confidential, 

proprietary, and sensitive 

technical from the Exhibits 

below; competitive harm 

would result if publicly 

disclosed

GRANTED

Exhibit 1; Transcript of the 

Summary Judgment hearing 

before the Special Master on 

January 11, 2016

Contains confidential 

information regarding Plaintiff 

Finisar’s business strategies; 

competitive harm would result 

if disclosed

GRANTED

Exhibit 2; Transcript of 

Evidentiary Objections hearing 

before the Special Master on 

January 27, 2016

Contains confidential and 

proprietary information 

regarding Nistica’s products, 

finances, and sensitive 

business strategies and plans. 

Nistica would face the risk of 

competitive harm if this 

information were to become 

public.

GRANTED

Exhibit 3; Plaintiff Finisar’s 

Summary Judgment Slides of 

morning session of Summary 

Judgment hearing

Contains confidential 

information regarding Plaintiff 

Finisar’s business strategies; 

competitive harm would result 

if publicly disclosed

GRANTED

Exhibit 4; Plaintiff Finisar’s 

Summary Judgment Slides of 

afternoon session of Summary 

Judgment hearing

Contains confidential and 

proprietary information 

regarding Nistica’s products, 

sales, and sensitive business 

strategies and plans. Nistica 

would face the risk of 

competitive harm if

this information were to 

become public 

GRANTED

Exhibit 5; Plaintiff Finisar’s 

Summary Judgment Slides in 

Presentation Mode

Contains confidential and 

proprietary information 

regarding Nistica’s products, 

sales, and sensitive business 

strategies and plans. Nistica 

would face the risk of 

competitive harm if

this information were to 

become public 

GRANTED

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Exhibit 10; Chart of Map of 

Plaintiff Finisar’s objections to 

the Special Master’s Report 

and Recommendations

Contains confidential and 

proprietary information 

regarding Nistica’s products. 

Nistica would face the risk of 

competitive harm if this 

information were to become 

public.

GRANTED

C. ECF 445

Identification of Documents 

to be Sealed

Description of Documents Court’s Order

Portions of Defendant 

Nistica’s objections to Special 

Master’s Report and 

Recommendations 

Contains confidential, 

proprietary

GRANTED

Exhibits 2, 7, 10, 11, 14, 17-

20, 22, 24-26 to the Russell 

Tonkovich Declaration in 

support of Defendant Nistica’s 

Objection

Contains Defendant Nistica’s 

confidential, trade secret, and

proprietary information 

relating to its products, 

development, and engineering 

practices; Defendant would 

suffer competitive injury if 

publicly disclosed

GRANTED

Exhibits 3, 4, 13, 15 to Russell 

Tonkovich Declaration

Discloses third party 

confidential information

GRANTED

D. ECF 455

Identification of Documents 

to be Sealed

Description of Documents Court’s Order

Portions of Defendant 

Nistica’s Response to Plaintiff 

Finisar’s Objections to the 

Report and Recommendations 

of Special Master regarding 

Motions for Summary 

Judgment

Contains Defendant’s 

confidential, trade secret, 

proprietary, and information; 

Defendant would suffer 

competitive injury if publicly 

disclosed; 

GRANTED

Exhibits 2-7, 13-22 to the 

Kramer Declaration in support 

of Defendant Nistica’s 

Response 

Contains confidential 

information and sensitive 

business strategies and public 

disclosure could result in 

competitive harm

GRANTED

E. ECF 458

Identification of Documents 

to be Sealed

Description of Documents Court’s Order

Portions of Plaintiff Finisar’s 

Response to Nistica’s 

Addresses, quotes from, cites, 

and discusses Nistica’s 

GRANTED

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Objection to Special Master’s 

Report and Recommendations

confidential and proprietary

technical information 

concerning the architecture and 

operation of Nistica’s products

F. ECF 461

Identification of Documents 

to be Sealed

Description of Documents Court’s Order

Portions of Corrected Report 

and Recommendations of 

Special Master Regarding 

Motions for Summary 

Judgment

Contains confidential 

information and sensitive 

business strategies and public 

disclosure could result in 

competitive harm

GRANTED

G. ECF 471

Identification of Documents 

to be Sealed

Description of Documents Court’s Order

Portions of the Proposed Joint 

Pretrial Statement and Order 

Contains confidential and 

sensitive financial information; 

public disclosure could result 

in competitive harm

GRANTED

Portions of Appendix A to 

Proposed Joint Pretrial 

Statement and Order; Expert 

reports of Dr. Katherine Hall, 

Dr. Michael Tate, and Dr. 

Benjamin Goldberg

Contains confidential and 

proprietary business, technical, 

and financial information; 

public disclosure could result 

in competitive harm

GRANTED

Portions of Appendix B to 

Proposed Joint Pretrial 

Statement and Order; Expert 

reports from Thomas C. 

Bennett, Dr. Keith Gooseen, 

and Nisha M. Mody.

Contains confidential and 

proprietary business, technical, 

and financial information; 

public disclosure could result 

in competitive harm

GRANTED

H. ECF 474

Identification of Documents 

to be Sealed

Description of Documents Court’s Order

Exhibits 1-3, 7 in support of 

the Plaintiff Finisar’s Motion 

in Limine No. 1; Excerpts of 

the deposition transcripts of 

Christopher Brown, Jerry S. 

Rawls, Todd Swanson, and 

James Sirkis, Ph.D 

Contains confidential 

information regarding 

confidential technical and 

business information 

concerning business strategies 

and plans, and sensitive 

commercial information 

regarding third parties to this 

action; public disclosure could 

result in competitive harm

GRANTED

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Exhibit 4 in support of the 

Plaintiff Finisar’s Motion in 

Limine No. 1; Supplemental 

Expert Rebuttal Report of 

Nisha M. Mody, Ph.D., dated 

November 9, 2015 

Contains confidential 

information regarding 

Plaintiff’s business strategies 

and plans; public disclosure 

could result in competitive 

harm

GRANTED

Exhibit 5 in support of the 

Plaintiff Finisar’s Motion in 

Limine No. 1; the Patent 

Purchase Agreement between 

Finisar Corporation and 

CiDRA Corporate Services

Contains confidential and 

proprietary information 

regarding business strategies 

and plans of Plaintiff and third 

party; public disclosure could 

cause competitive harm

GRANTED

Exhibit 6 in support of the 

Finisar’s Motion in Limine No. 

1; Supplemental Expert Report 

of Michael E. Tate, dated 

October 16, 2015 

Contains confidential 

information regarding 

Plaintiff’s business strategies 

and plans; public disclosure 

could cause competitive harm

GRANTED

Portions of Plaintiff Finisar’s 

Motion in Limine No. 1; cites 

to or quotes from Exhibits 1-7

Cites and quotes to Plaintiff 

and third party confidential, 

proprietary, and sensitive 

information in the 

abovementioned Exhibits

GRANTED

Exhibit 1 in support of Plaintiff 

Finisar’s Motion in Limine No. 

3; Defendant’s Supplemental 

Responses and Objections to 

Plaintiff Finisar Corporation’s 

Interrogatory No. 18 

Contains confidential technical 

information regarding 

Nistica’s products that could 

cause significant competitive 

harm to Nistica if disclosed to 

the public 

GRANTED

Exhibit 7 in support of the 

Plaintiff Finisar’s Motion in 

Limine No. 3; correspondence 

between counsel for Finisar 

and counsel for Nistica, dated 

October 12, 2015

Contains confidential technical 

information regarding 

Nistica’s products that could 

cause significant competitive 

harm to Nistica if disclosed to 

the public

GRANTED

Exhibit 8 in support of the 

Plaintiff Finisar’s Motion in 

Limine No. 3; correspondence 

between counsel for Finisar 

and counsel for Nistica, dated 

October 29, 2015

C Contains confidential 

technical information 

regarding Nistica’s products 

that could cause significant 

competitive harm to Nistica if 

disclosed to the public 

GRANTED

Exhibit 10 in support of the 

Plaintiff Finisar’s Motion in 

Limine No. 3; excerpt of the 

deposition transcript of Keith 

Goossen, Ph.D. (October 21, 

2015) 

Contains confidential 

information regarding 

confidential technical and 

business information; public 

disclosure could cause 

competitive harm

GRANTED

Portions of Plaintiff Finisar’s Cites and quotes to Plaintiff GRANTED

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Motion in Limine No. 3 and third party confidential, 

proprietary, and sensitive 

information in the 

abovementioned Exhibits 

(Exhibits 1, 7, 8, and 10 in 

support of Plaintiff’s Motion in 

Limine No. 3)

Exhibits 1, 4 in support of the 

Plaintiff Finisar’s Motion in 

Limine No. 4; excerpts of the 

transcripts to the depositions of 

Jerry Rawls (July 31, 2015) 

and Christopher Brown (June 

9, 2015) 

Contains confidential 

information regarding 

Plaintiff’s business strategies 

and plans; public disclosure 

could cause competitive harm 

GRANTED

Exhibits 2, 3 in support of the 

Plaintiff Finisar’s Motion in 

Limine No. 4; internal Finisar 

emails dated September 8, 

2011 and July 26, 2013 

Contains confidential 

information regarding 

Plaintiff’s business strategies 

and plans; public disclosure 

could cause competitive harm

GRANTED

Portions of Plaintiff Finisar’s 

Motion in Limine No. 4 

Cites and quotes to Plaintiff 

confidential, proprietary, and 

sensitive information in the 

abovementioned Exhibits 

(Exhibits 1-4 in support of 

Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine

No. 4)

GRANTED

Exhibits 1, 2 in support of the 

Plaintiff Finisar’s Motion in 

Limine No. 5; internal Finisar 

emails dated January 10, 2013 

and April 9, 2013 

Contain confidential and 

proprietary technical 

information regarding 

Plaintiff’s products 

GRANTED

Portions of Plaintiff Finisar’s 

Motion in Limine No. 5 

Cites and quotes to Plaintiff 

confidential, proprietary, and 

sensitive information in the 

abovementioned Exhibits 

(Exhibits 1, 2 in support of 

Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine

No. 5)

GRANTED

I. ECF 481

Identification of Documents 

to be Sealed

Description of Documents Court’s Order

Portions of the Nistica’s 

Motions in Limine Nos. 1-5; 

Contains confidential, trade 

secret, and proprietary product 

information relating to 

Defendant’s products, as well 

as projects, engineering 

practices, business, and 

marketing information; public 

disclosure could result in 

competitive harm

GRANTED

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Exhibits 2-4 to the Declaration 

of Robert Kramer in Support 

of Nistica’s Motion in Limine 

No. 1 

Contains confidential, trade 

secret, and proprietary product 

information relating to 

Defendant’s products, as well 

as projects, engineering 

practices, business, and 

marketing information; public 

disclosure could result in 

competitive harm

GRANTED

Declaration of Thomas Bennett 

in Support of Nistica’s Motion 

in Limine No. 1

Contains confidential, trade 

secret, and proprietary product 

information relating to 

Defendant’s products, as well 

as projects, engineering 

practices, business, and 

marketing information; public 

disclosure could result in 

competitive harm

GRANTED

Exhibits 1-2 to the Declaration 

of Thomas Bennett in Support 

of Nistica’s Motion in Limine 

No. 1

Contains confidential, trade 

secret, and proprietary product 

information relating to 

Defendant’s products, as well 

as projects, engineering 

practices, business, and 

marketing information; public 

disclosure could result in 

competitive harm

GRANTED

Exhibits 1-2 to the Declaration 

of Robert Kramer in Support 

of Nistica’s Motion in Limine 

No. 2

Contains confidential, trade 

secret, and proprietary product 

information relating to

Defendant’s products, as well 

as projects, engineering 

practices, business, and 

marketing information; public 

disclosure could result in 

competitive harm

GRANTED

Exhibits 1-4 and 6-11 to the 

Declaration of Robert Kramer 

in Support of Nistica’s Motion 

in Limine No. 3;

Contains confidential, trade 

secret, and proprietary product 

information relating to 

Defendant’s products, as well 

as projects, engineering 

practices, business, and 

marketing information; public 

disclosure could result in 

competitive harm

GRANTED

Exhibit 1 to the Declaration of 

Robert Kramer in Support of 

Nistica’s Motion in Limine No. 

4

Contains confidential, trade 

secret, and proprietary product 

information relating to 

Defendant’s products, as well 

as projects, engineering 

practices, business, and 

GRANTED

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marketing information; public 

disclosure could result in 

competitive harm

Exhibits 1-4 to the Declaration 

of Robert Kramer in Support 

of Nistica’s Motion in Limine 

No. 5

Contains confidential, trade 

secret, and proprietary product 

information relating to 

Defendant’s products, as well 

as projects, engineering 

practices, business, and 

marketing information; public 

disclosure could result in 

competitive harm

GRANTED

III. ORDER

For the foregoing reasons, the sealing motions at ECF 437, 445, 455, 458, 461, 471, 474, 

and 481 are GRANTED. Under Civil Local Rule 79-5(e)(2), for any request that has been denied 

because the party designating a document as confidential or subject to a protective order has not 

provided sufficient reasons to seal, the submitting party must file the unredacted (or lesser 

redacted) documents into the public record no earlier than 4 days and no later than 10 days form 

the filing of this order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 5, 2016

 ______________________________________

BETH LABSON FREEMAN

United States District Judge

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