Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_14-cv-02329/USCOURTS-cand-5_14-cv-02329-10/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question: Breach of Contract

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

FREE RANGE CONTENT, INC., ET AL.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

GOOGLE INC.,

Defendant.

Case No. 14-cv-02329-BLF 

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT'S 

MOTION TO SEAL

[Re: ECF 227]

Before the Court is Defendant Google Inc. (“Google”)’s motion to redact portions of the 

Court’s Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Motion for Class Certification, ECF 224. The 

Court filed its order on class certification under seal pending proposed redactions from the parties. 

ECF 225. Google timely filed proposed redactions and a supporting declaration on July 21, 2017. 

ECF 227. Plaintiffs have no proposed redactions for the Order. For the reasons discussed below, 

the Court GRANTS Defendant’s motion. 

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. 

Case 5:14-cv-02329-BLF Document 229 Filed 07/31/17 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

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 

sealable.” Id. 

 II. DISCUSSION

Because the sealing motion relates to the Court’s order on class certification, which is 

more than tangentially related to the merits of the case, the instant motion is resolved under the 

compelling reasons standard. Ctr. for Auto Safety, 809 F.3d at 1101-2 (holding that “public access 

will turn on whether the motion is more than tangentially related to the merits of a case.”) 

The Court has reviewed Defendant’s sealing motion, declaration in support thereof, and the 

highlighted portions at 3:27; 4:1-7, 9-10, 17-19; 5:13-18; 6:12-14; 7:5-6; 8:7-8, 10-11; 12:28; 

15:10-11; and 31:3-5 of Exhibit 1. The Court finds that Defendant has articulated compelling 

reasons to seal the portions of the Court’s Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Motion on 

Class Certification. The redacted sentences include confidential and sensitive information 

regarding Google’s practices, processes and policies to ensure system health and integrity, as well 

as sensitive financial information involved in Google’s payment processes for publishers and 

advertisers. See Li Decl. ¶¶ 2-3, ECF 227-1. The proposed redactions are narrowly tailored and

seek only to seal confidential information, consistent with Civil Local Rule 79-5(d)(1)(C). 

Accordingly, the Court GRANTS Google’s motion to seal as to the identified portions of the 

Court’s Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Motion for Class Certification at ECF 224.

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: July 31, 2017

______________________________________

BETH LABSON FREEMAN

United States District Judge

Case 5:14-cv-02329-BLF Document 229 Filed 07/31/17 Page 2 of 2