Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_13-cv-03345/USCOURTS-cand-5_13-cv-03345-22/pdf.json

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

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

FINISAR CORPORATION,

Plaintiff,

v.

NISTICA, INC.,

Defendant.

Case No. 13-cv-03345-BLF (JSC)

ORDER RE: DISCOVERY DISPUTE

Re: Dkt. No. 220

Now pending before the Court is the parties’ joint letter brief regarding Finisar’s request 

for an order compelling Nistica to install certain software tools on the computer designated for 

review of Nistica’s source code. (Dkt. No. 220.) The Court heard oral argument on the discovery 

dispute on July 9, 2015. For the reasons stated on the record in open court at the hearing and 

discussed briefly below, the Court GRANTS Finisar’s request for an order compelling Nistica to 

install the software programs. 

The Stipulated Protective Order (“Protective Order”) in this case provides in relevant part 

that “the Producing Party [i.e., Nistica] shall install tools that are sufficient for viewing and 

searching the code produced[,],” and that the Receiving Party [here, Finisar] “may request that 

commercially available software tools for viewing and searching source code be installed on the 

Confidential Source Code Computer, and the Producing Party may not unreasonably refuse such 

requests.” (Dkt. No. 140 ¶ 6(c).) Further, “the Receiving Party shall not at any time use any 

compilers, interpreters or simulators in connection with the Producing Party’s Source Code.” (Id.) 

The requested software tools, Cygwin and the Compare Plug-In for Notepad++, can be installed 

without any compiling, interpreting, or simulating functions that the Protective Order prohibits. 

Instead, Finisar seeks to use the programs for their “comparing” function, which allows 

Case 5:13-cv-03345-BLF Document 233 Filed 07/10/15 Page 1 of 2
2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

comparison of various versions of source code and highlights the differences, analogous to the 

“redline” function of Microsoft Word. Comparing facilitates the “viewing” of the source code and 

thus is permitted by the Protective Order. However, because comparing identifies changes—

conceivably, improvements—to Nistica’s products, these “redlined” versions are particularly 

sensitive to Nistica’s commercial interests.

Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that Nistica shall install Cygwin and the Compare 

Plug-in for Notepad++ on the designated Source Code computer, without any compilers, 

interpreters, or simulators, by Monday, July 13, 2015. The Court finds that bash.exe is not an 

interpreter. To the extent it can nonetheless be used as such, Finisar is, of course, prohibited from 

doing so. It is further ORDERED that Finisar may not request or obtain copies of any “redlined”

version of Nistica’s source code that these software tools create. The Court declines Finisar’s 

request to extend the due date for expert reports.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 9, 2015

________________________

JACQUELINE SCOTT CORLEY

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 5:13-cv-03345-BLF Document 233 Filed 07/10/15 Page 2 of 2