Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_10-cv-03561/USCOURTS-cand-3_10-cv-03561-278/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

For the Northern District of California

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ORACLE AMERICA, INC.,

Plaintiff,

 v.

 GOOGLE INC.,

Defendant. /

No. C 10-03561 WHA

[TENTATIVE] ORDER

CLARIFYING ASSIGNMENT OF

RULE 706 EXPERT

To restate Dr. Kearl’s assignment in light of the remand, the parties and Dr. Kearl shall

please, through counsel, submit comments on this tentative order by DECEMBER 2 AT NOON.

***

By an order dated August 30, 2010, this Court appointed Dr. James R. Kearl, pursuant to

Rule 706 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, to serve as an independent expert on the issue of

damages claimed by plaintiff Oracle America, Inc., in this action (Dkt. No. 374). Attorney John

L. Cooper of Farella, Braun + Martel LLP was appointed to serve as counsel to Dr. Kearl on a

pro bono basis. The purpose of Dr. Kearl’s appointment remains to provide an independent

professional analysis and view to inform and clarify the issue of damages for the jury.

At the time of Dr. Kearl’s appointment, Oracle asserted numerous patent and copyright

claims. An order set forth the details and conditions of Dr. Kearl’s assignment (Dkt. No. 413). 

Since that order issued, the case has narrowed in one sense (only copyright claims remain) and

expanded in the sense that now a larger time frame is in play. Accordingly, it is appropriate to

clarify the scope of Dr. Kearl’s assignment to reflect the changed circumstances of this case. 

Case 3:10-cv-03561-WHA Document 1384 Filed 11/24/15 Page 1 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Dr. Kearl is to use his professional judgment to determine the magnitude of work required to

meet the purpose of his appointment. Dr. Kearl’s assignment shall be:

1. Dr. Kearl may review any and all materials necessary for him to be personally

and thoroughly informed as to all aspects of the damages claims and analyses of the parties in

this action. Dr. Kearl may use assistants in conducting his work, which assistants shall be

compensated as provided in paragraph 9 of this order. To the extent they have not already done

so, Attorney Cooper, Dr. Kearl, and any of Dr. Kearl’s staff who will have access to the

confidential material of either party will sign the undertaking required under the protective

order in this case regarding access to and review of confidential and highly confidential

material, which has been amended since the case returned (Dkt. Nos. 1314–15). Attorney

Cooper will please assist Dr. Kearl in obtaining from counsel for the parties any material Dr.

Kearl seeks to review. The full non-privileged record in this matter will be available to Dr.

Kearl as he requests.

2. The parties are conducting additional discovery following remand. If they have

not already done so, the parties shall please produce to Attorney Cooper the following materials

for prompt relay to Dr. Kearl: (a) a list of all depositions taken, including since the case was

remanded, including notices of all Rule 30(b)(6) depositions and the identity of the responding

witnesses; (b) a description by category of all documents produced by each party, including

those produced including since remand; (c) copies of all answers to interrogatories submitted by

the parties including since remand; (d) copies of all responses to requests for admissions

submitted by the parties including since remand.

3. The parties and Dr. Kearl shall adhere to the stipulated schedule for the exchange

of expert reports, depositions, and Daubert motions (Dkt. No. 1334). Pursuant to that schedule,

Dr. Kearl’s report is due on MARCH 8, 2016. Party rebuttals to his report are due MARCH 21,

2016. The parties will please make available to Dr. Kearl through Attorney Cooper the full

record of materials on which their experts relied in preparing their reports and testimony. 

4. The parties may conduct discovery of Dr. Kearl to the same extent as any other

expert witness. As provided in the stipulated schedule, the deadline to depose Dr. Kearl is

Case 3:10-cv-03561-WHA Document 1384 Filed 11/24/15 Page 2 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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MARCH 15, 2016. Attorney Cooper will please represent Dr. Kearl in the deposition. 

Communication between Attorney Cooper (or his firm) and Dr. Kearl (or his helpers) will be

privileged only to the extent provided by Rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and

Rule 706. Oracle and Google will each have up to seven hours to question Dr. Kearl. Attorney

Cooper will also have the opportunity to ask follow-up questions at the deposition. 

5. Dr. Kearl will be permitted to attend the depositions of the parties’ damages

experts in this matter, and Attorney Cooper, as Dr. Kearl’s counsel, will be permitted to

question the parties’ damages experts at those depositions for the purpose of assisting Dr. Kearl

in understanding the basis for their opinions.

6. As indicated in prior orders, the Court requests Dr. Kearl’s response to any

Daubert motions regarding the parties’ damages experts. Dr. Kearl’s response should be filed

on the same schedule as the non-moving party’s response. The moving party should address

Dr. Kearl’s response in its reply brief.

7. Dr. Kearl will testify at trial subject to Daubert or evidentiary objections. Dr.

Kearl will be presented in direct examination at trial by Attorney Cooper. Each party will be

permitted to cross examine Dr. Kearl as though he were an adverse expert witness.

8. Dr. Kearl shall be introduced to the jury as follows: “Dr. Kearl is an independent

expert who was not retained by either party, but was appointed by the Court to testify in this

case. The Court has ordered that his fees are to be paid by both Oracle and Google. You

should consider his testimony in the same way that you would any other witness’s. You should

not give his views any special weight merely on account of his appointment by the Court.”

9. Dr. Kearl will be compensated on a monthly basis. His professional fees and

expenses will be paid to Attorney Cooper, one half by each party within thirty days of receipt of

each of his monthly invoices. Dr. Kearl will please submit his invoices and supporting

materials, which will include the invoices and supporting material of those persons assisting

him, including the number of hours worked, the work performed, and the type of expenses

incurred, to Attorney Cooper, who will forward them to counsel for the parties for payment in

Case 3:10-cv-03561-WHA Document 1384 Filed 11/24/15 Page 3 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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accordance with this order. The parties may contact Attorney Cooper to seek to negotiate

reductions in Dr. Kearl’s billing as they deem necessary or appropriate.

10. Neither Dr. Kearl nor any of his assistants will communicate directly with the

parties or with the Court. All communication Dr. Kearl has with the parties and the Court will

be conducted through Attorney Cooper. 

11. Neither Dr. Kearl nor any of his assistants will incur any liability to the parties as

a result of their work on this matter.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 24, 2015. 

WILLIAM ALSUP

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 3:10-cv-03561-WHA Document 1384 Filed 11/24/15 Page 4 of 4