Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-00876/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-00876-11/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 

KARL STORZ ENDOSCOPY-AMERICA, 

INC., 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

STRYKER CORPORATION and STRYKER 

COMMUNICATIONS, INC., 

Defendants. 

Case No. C 14-00876 RS 

PROTECTIVE ORDER FOR 

LITIGATION INVOLVING PATENTS, 

HIGHLY SENSITIVE CONFIDENTIAL 

INFORMATION AND/OR TRADE 

SECRETS 

1. PURPOSES AND LIMITATIONS

Disclosure and discovery activity in this action are likely to involve production of 

confidential, proprietary, or private information for which special protection from public disclosure 

and from use for any purpose other than prosecuting this litigation may be warranted. The parties 

acknowledge that this Order does not confer blanket protections on all disclosures or responses to 

discovery and that the protection it affords from public disclosure and use extends only to the 

limited information or items that are entitled to confidential treatment under the applicable legal 

principles. The parties further acknowledge, as set forth in Section 12.3, below, that this Protective 

Order does not entitle them to file confidential information under seal; Civil Local Rule 79-5 sets 

forth the procedures that must be followed and the standards that will be applied when a party 

seeks permission from the court to file material under seal.

Case 3:14-cv-00876-RS Document 115 Filed 02/04/15 Page 1 of 17
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2. DEFINITIONS

2.1 Challenging Party: a Party or Non-Party that challenges the designation of 

information or items under this Order. 

2.2 “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items: information (regardless of how it is 

generated, stored or maintained) or tangible things that qualify for protection under Federal Rule of 

Civil Procedure 26(c). 

2.3 Counsel (without qualifier): Outside Counsel of Record and House Counsel (as well 

as their support staff). 

2.4 Designating Party: a Party or Non-Party that designates information or items that it 

produces in disclosures or in responses to discovery as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” 

2.5 Disclosure or Discovery Material: all items or information, regardless of the 

medium or manner in which it is generated, stored, or maintained (including, among other things, 

testimony, transcripts, and tangible things), that are produced or generated in disclosures or 

responses to discovery in this matter. 

2.6 Expert: a person with specialized knowledge or experience in a matter pertinent to 

the litigation who (1) has been retained by a Party or its counsel to serve as an expert witness or as 

a consultant in this action, (2) is not a past or current employee of a Party or of a Party’s 

competitor, and (3) at the time of retention, is not anticipated to become an employee of a Party or 

of a Party’s competitor. 

2.7 “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” Information or 

Items: extremely sensitive “Confidential Information or Items,” disclosure of which to another 

Party or Non-Party would create a substantial risk of serious harm that could not be avoided by less 

restrictive means. 

2.8 House Counsel: attorneys who are employees of a party to this action. House 

Counsel does not include Outside Counsel of Record or any other outside counsel. 

2.9 Non-Party: any natural person, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal 

Case 3:14-cv-00876-RS Document 115 Filed 02/04/15 Page 2 of 17
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entity not named as a Party to this action. 

2.10 Outside Counsel of Record: attorneys who are not employees of a party to this 

action but are retained to represent or advise a party to this action and have appeared in this action 

on behalf of that party or are affiliated with a law firm which has appeared on behalf of that party. 

2.11 Party: any party to this action, including all of its officers, directors, employees, 

consultants, retained experts, and Outside Counsel of Record (and their support staffs). 

2.12 Producing Party: a Party or Non-Party that produces Disclosure or Discovery 

Material in this action. 

2.13 Professional Vendors: persons or entities that provide litigation support services 

(e.g., photocopying, videotaping, translating, preparing exhibits or demonstrations, and organizing, 

storing, or retrieving data in any form or medium) and their employees and subcontractors. 

2.14 Protected Material: any Disclosure or Discovery Material that is designated as 

“CONFIDENTIAL,” or as “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” 

2.15 Receiving Party: a Party that receives Disclosure or Discovery Material from a 

Producing Party. 

3. SCOPE

The protections conferred by this Order cover not only Protected Material (as defined 

above), but also (1) any information copied or extracted from Protected Material; (2) all copies, 

excerpts, summaries, or compilations of Protected Material; and (3) any testimony, conversations, 

or presentations by Parties or their Counsel that might reveal Protected Material. However, the 

protections conferred by this Stipulation and Order do not cover the following information: (a) any 

information that is in the public domain at the time of disclosure to a Receiving Party or becomes 

part of the public domain after its disclosure to a Receiving Party as a result of publication not 

involving a violation of this Order, including 

becoming part of the public record through trial or otherwise; and (b) any information known to the 

Receiving Party prior to the disclosure or obtained by the Receiving Party after the disclosure from 

a source who obtained the information lawfully and under no obligation of confidentiality to the 

Designating Party. Any use of Protected Material at trial shall be governed by a separate agreement 

Case 3:14-cv-00876-RS Document 115 Filed 02/04/15 Page 3 of 17
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or order. 

4. DURATION

Even after final disposition of this litigation, the confidentiality obligations imposed by this 

Order shall remain in effect until a Designating Party agrees otherwise in writing or a court order 

otherwise directs. Final disposition shall be deemed to be the later of (1) dismissal of all claims and 

defenses in this action, with or without prejudice; and (2) final judgment herein after the 

completion and exhaustion of all appeals, rehearings, remands, trials, or reviews of this action, 

including the time limits for filing any motions or applications for extension of time pursuant to 

applicable law. 

5. DESIGNATING PROTECTED MATERIAL

5.1 Exercise of Restraint and Care in Designating Material for Protection. Each Party or 

Non-Party that designates information or items for protection under this Order must take care to 

limit any such designation to specific material that qualifies under the appropriate standards. To the 

extent it is practical to do so, the Designating Party must designate for protection only those parts 

of material, documents, items, or oral or written communications that qualify – so that other 

portions of the material, documents, items, or communications for which protection is not 

warranted are not swept unjustifiably within the ambit of this Order. 

Mass, indiscriminate, or routinized designations are prohibited. Designations that are shown 

to be clearly unjustified or that have been made for an improper purpose (e.g., to unnecessarily 

encumber or retard the case development process or to impose unnecessary expenses and burdens 

on other parties) expose the Designating Party to sanctions. 

If it comes to a Designating Party’s attention that information or items that it designated for 

protection do not qualify for protection at all or do not qualify for the level of protection initially 

asserted, that Designating Party must promptly notify all other parties that it is withdrawing the 

mistaken designation. 

5.2 Manner and Timing of Designations. Except as otherwise provided in this Order 

(see, e.g., second paragraph of section 5.2(a) below), or as otherwise stipulated or ordered, 

Disclosure or Discovery Material that qualifies for protection under this Order must be clearly so 

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designated before the material is disclosed or produced. 

Designation in conformity with this Order requires: 

(a) for information in documentary form (e.g., paper or electronic documents, but 

excluding transcripts of depositions or other pretrial or trial proceedings), that the Producing Party 

affix the legend “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES 

ONLY” to each page that contains protected material. If only a portion or portions of the material 

on a page qualifies for protection, the Producing Party also must clearly identify the protected 

portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate markings in the margins) and must specify, for each 

portion, the level of protection being asserted. 

A Party or Non-Party that makes original documents or materials available for inspection 

need not designate them for protection until after the inspecting Party has indicated which material 

it would like copied and produced. During the inspection and before the designation, all of the 

material made available for inspection shall be deemed “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – 

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” After the inspecting Party has identified the documents it wants 

copied and produced, the Producing Party must determine which documents, or portions thereof, 

qualify for protection under this Order. Then, before producing the specified documents, the 

Producing Party must affix the appropriate legend (“CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY”) to each page that contains Protected Material. 

If only a portion or portions of the material on a page qualifies for protection, the Producing Party 

also must clearly identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate markings in the 

margins) and must specify, for each portion, the level of protection being asserted. 

(b) for testimony given in deposition or in other pretrial or trial proceedings, that the 

Designating Party identify on the record, before the close of the deposition, hearing, or other 

proceeding, all protected testimony and specify the level of protection being asserted. When it is 

impractical to identify separately each portion of testimony that is entitled to protection and it 

appears that substantial portions of the testimony may qualify for protection, the Designating Party 

may invoke on the record (before the deposition, hearing, or other proceeding is concluded) a right 

to have up to 21 days after receipt of the rough transcript to identify the specific portions of the 

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testimony as to which protection is sought and to specify the level of protection being asserted. 

Only those portions of the testimony that are appropriately designated for protection within the 21 

days shall be covered by the provisions of this Protective Order. Alternatively, a Designating Party 

may specify, at the deposition or up to 21 days afterwards if that period is properly invoked, that 

the entire transcript shall be treated as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – 

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” 

Parties shall give the other parties notice if they reasonably expect a deposition, hearing or 

other proceeding to include Protected Material so that the other parties can ensure that only 

authorized individuals who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” 

(Exhibit A) are present at those proceedings. The use of a document as an exhibit at a deposition 

shall not in any way affect its designation as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL 

– ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” 

Transcripts containing Protected Material shall have an obvious legend on the title page that 

the transcript contains Protected Material, and the title page shall be followed by a list of all pages 

(including line numbers as appropriate) that have been designated as Protected Material and the 

level of protection being asserted by the Designating Party. The Designating Party shall inform the 

court reporter of these requirements. Any transcript that is prepared before the expiration of a 21-

day period for designation shall be treated during that period as if it had been designated “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” in its entirety unless otherwise agreed. After 

the expiration of that period, the transcript shall be treated only as actually designated. 

(c) for information produced in some form other than documentary and for any 

other tangible items, that the Producing Party affix in a prominent place on the exterior of the 

container or containers in which the information or item is stored the legend “CONFIDENTIAL” 

or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” If only a portion or portions of 

the information or item warrant protection, the Producing Party, to the extent practicable, shall 

identify the protected portion(s) and specify the level of protection being asserted. 

5.3 Inadvertent Failures to Designate. If timely corrected, an inadvertent failure to 

designate qualified information or items does not, standing alone, waive the Designating Party’s 

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right to secure protection under this Order for such material. Upon timely correction of a 

designation, the Receiving Party must make reasonable efforts to assure that the material is treated 

in accordance with the provisions of this Order. 

6. CHALLENGING CONFIDENTIALITY DESIGNATIONS

6.1 Timing of Challenges. Any Party or Non-Party may challenge a designation of 

confidentiality at any time. Unless a prompt challenge to a Designating Party’s confidentiality 

designation is necessary to avoid foreseeable, substantial unfairness, unnecessary economic 

burdens, or a significant disruption or delay of the litigation, a Party does not waive its right to 

challenge a confidentiality designation by electing not to mount a challenge promptly after the 

original designation is disclosed. 

6.2 Meet and Confer. The Challenging Party shall initiate the dispute resolution process 

by providing written notice of each designation it is challenging and describing the basis for each 

challenge. To avoid ambiguity as to whether a challenge has been made, the written notice must 

recite that the challenge to confidentiality is being made in accordance with this specific paragraph 

of the Protective Order. The parties shall attempt to resolve each challenge in good faith and must 

begin the process by conferring directly (in voice to voice dialogue; other forms of communication 

are not sufficient) within 14 days of the date of service of notice. In conferring, the Challenging 

Party must explain the basis for its belief that the confidentiality designation was not proper and 

must give the Designating Party an opportunity to review the designated material, to reconsider the 

circumstances, and, if no change in designation is offered, to explain the basis for the chosen 

designation. A Challenging Party may proceed to the next stage of the challenge process only if it 

has engaged in this meet and confer process first or establishes that the Designating Party is 

unwilling to participate in the meet and confer process in a timely manner. 

6.3 Judicial Intervention. If the Parties cannot resolve a challenge without court 

intervention, the Designating Party shall file and serve a motion to retain confidentiality under 

Civil Local Rule 7 (and in compliance with Civil Local Rule 79-5, if applicable) within 21 days of 

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the initial notice of challenge or within 14 days of the parties agreeing that the meet and confer 

process will not resolve their dispute, whichever is earlier.1 Each such motion must be 

accompanied by a competent declaration affirming that the movant has complied with the meet and 

confer requirements imposed in the preceding paragraph. Failure by the Designating Party to make 

such a motion including the required declaration within 21 days (or 14 days, if applicable) shall 

automatically waive the confidentiality designation for each challenged designation. In addition, 

the Challenging Party may file a motion challenging a confidentiality designation at any time if 

there is good cause for doing so, including a challenge to the designation of a deposition transcript 

or any portions thereof. Any motion brought pursuant to this provision must be accompanied by a 

competent declaration affirming that the movant has complied with the meet and confer 

requirements imposed by the preceding paragraph. 

The burden of persuasion in any such challenge proceeding shall be on the Designating 

Party. Frivolous challenges and those made for an improper purpose (e.g., to harass or impose 

unnecessary expenses and burdens on other parties) may expose the Challenging Party to sanctions. 

Unless the Designating Party has waived the confidentiality designation by failing to file a motion 

to retain confidentiality as described above, all parties shall continue to afford the material in 

question the level of protection to which it is entitled under the Producing Party’s designation until 

the court rules on the challenge. 

7. ACCESS TO AND USE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL

7.1 Basic Principles. A Receiving Party may use Protected Material that is disclosed or 

produced by another Party or by a Non-Party in connection with this case only for prosecuting, 

defending, or attempting to settle this litigation. Such Protected Material may be disclosed only to 

the categories of persons and under the conditions described in this Order. When the litigation has 

been terminated, a Receiving Party must comply with the provisions of section 14 below (FINAL 

DISPOSITION). 

 

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 The burden to move shall shift to the Challenging Party after four challenges are made to avoid an abuse of the process. The 

burden of persuasion remains on the Designating Party. 

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Protected Material must be stored and maintained by a Receiving Party at a location and in 

a secure manner that ensures that access is limited to the persons authorized under this Order. 

7.2 Disclosure of “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items. Unless otherwise ordered 

by the court or permitted in writing by the Designating Party, a Receiving Party may disclose any 

information or item designated “CONFIDENTIAL” only to: 

(a) the Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of Record in this action, as well as 

employees of said Outside Counsel of Record to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the 

information for this litigation; 

(b) the officers, directors, and employees (including House Counsel) of the 

Receiving Party to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed 

the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 

(c) Experts (as defined in this Order) of the Receiving Party to whom disclosure is 

reasonably necessary for this litigation, who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to 

Be Bound” (Exhibit A), and who have been disclosed pursuant to paragraph 7.4(a); 

(d) the court and its personnel; 

(e) court reporters and their staff, and Professional Vendors to whom disclosure is 

reasonably necessary for this litigation; 

(f) professional jury or trial consultants, graphics vendors, and mock jurors to whom 

disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the “Acknowledgment 

and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 

(g) during their depositions, witnesses in the action to whom disclosure is 

reasonably necessary and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” 

(Exhibit A), unless otherwise agreed by the Designating Party or ordered by the court. Pages of 

transcribed deposition testimony or exhibits to depositions that reveal Protected Material must be 

separately bound by the court reporter and may not be disclosed to anyone except as permitted 

under this Protective Order; and 

(h) the author or recipient of a document containing the information, employee of 

the Designating Party, or a custodian or other person who otherwise possessed or knew the 

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information. 

7.3 Disclosure of “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” 

Information or Items. Unless otherwise ordered by the court or permitted in writing by the 

Designating Party, a Receiving Party may disclose any information or item designated “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” only to: 

(a) the Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of Record in this action, as well as 

employees of said Outside Counsel of Record to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the 

information for this litigation; 

(b) Experts of the Receiving Party to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for 

this litigation, who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A), 

and who have been disclosed pursuant to paragraph 7.4(a); 

(c) the court and its personnel; 

(d) court reporters and their staff, and Professional Vendors to whom disclosure is 

reasonably necessary for this litigation; 

(e) professional jury or trial consultants, graphics vendors, and mock jurors to whom 

disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the “Acknowledgment 

and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 

(f) during their depositions, witnesses in the action to whom disclosure is reasonably 

necessary and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A), 

unless otherwise agreed by the Designating Party or ordered by the court. Pages of transcribed 

deposition testimony or exhibits to depositions that reveal Protected Material must be separately 

bound by the court reporter and may not be disclosed to anyone except as permitted under this 

Protective Order; and 

(g) the author or recipient of a document containing the information, employee of 

the Designating Party, or a custodian or other person who otherwise possessed or knew the 

information. 

7.4 Procedures for Approving or Objecting to Disclosure of “Protected Material” to 

Experts.

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(a) Unless otherwise ordered by the court or agreed to in writing by the Designating 

Party, a Party that seeks to disclose Protected Material to an Expert (as defined in this Order) first 

must make a written request to the Designating Party that (1) sets forth its desire to disclose 

Protected Material to the Expert; (2) identifies the general categories of Protected Material the 

Receiving Party seeks to disclose to the Expert; (3) sets forth the full name of the Expert and the 

city and state of his or her primary residence; (4) attaches a copy of the Expert’s current resume; 

(5) identifies the Expert’s current employer(s); (6) identifies each person or entity from whom the 

Expert has received compensation or funding for work in his or her areas of expertise or to whom 

the expert has provided professional services, including in connection with a litigation, at any time 

during the preceding five years;2 and (7) identifies (by name and number of the case, filing date, 

and location of court) any litigation in connection with which the Expert has offered expert 

testimony, including through a declaration, report, or testimony at a deposition or trial, during the 

preceding five years. 

(b) A Party that makes a request and provides the information specified in the 

preceding paragraph may disclose the subject Protected Material to the identified Expert unless, 

within 14 days of delivering the request, the Party receives a written objection from the 

Designating Party. Any such objection must set forth in detail the grounds on which it is based, and 

cannot merely challenge the qualifications of the Expert. 

(c) A Party that receives a timely written objection must meet and confer with the 

Designating Party (through direct voice to voice dialogue) to try to resolve the matter by agreement 

within 7 days of the written objection. If no agreement is reached, the Party seeking to make the 

disclosure to the Expert may file a motion as provided in Civil Local Rule 7 (and in compliance 

with Civil Local Rule 79-5, if applicable) seeking permission from the court to do so. Any such 

motion must describe the circumstances with specificity, set forth in detail the reasons why the 

disclosure to the Expert is reasonably necessary, assess the risk of harm that the disclosure would 

 

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 If the Expert believes any of this information is subject to a confidentiality obligation to a third-party, then the Expert should 

provide whatever information the Expert believes can be disclosed without violating any confidentiality agreements, and the Party 

seeking to disclose to the Expert shall be available to meet and confer with the Designating Party regarding any such engagement. 

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entail, and suggest any additional means that could be used to reduce that risk. In addition, any 

such motion must be accompanied by a competent declaration describing the parties’ efforts to 

resolve the matter by agreement (i.e., the extent and the content of the meet and confer discussions) 

and setting forth the reasons advanced by the Designating Party for its refusal to approve the 

disclosure. 

In any such proceeding, the Party opposing disclosure to the Expert shall bear the burden of 

proving that the risk of harm that the disclosure would entail (under the safeguards proposed) 

outweighs the Receiving Party’s need to disclose the Protected Material to its Expert. 

8. PROSECUTION BAR

Absent written consent from the Producing Party, any individual who receives 

access to information marked “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – SUBJECT TO PATENT 

PROSECUTION BAR” shall not be involved in the prosecution of patents or patent applications 

relating to the subject matter of this action, including without limitation the patents asserted in this 

action and any patent or application claiming priority to or otherwise related to the patents asserted 

in this action, before any foreign or domestic agency, including the United States Patent and 

Trademark Office (“the Patent Office”). For purposes of this paragraph, “prosecution” includes 

directly or indirectly drafting, amending, advising, or otherwise affecting the scope or maintenance 

of patent claims.3

 To avoid any doubt, “prosecution” as used in this paragraph does not include 

representing a party challenging a patent before a domestic or foreign agency (including, but not 

limited to, a reissue protest, ex parte reexamination or inter partes reexamination). This 

Prosecution Bar shall begin when access to “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – SUBJECT TO 

PATENT PROSECUTION BAR” information is first received by the affected individual and shall 

end two (2) years after final termination of this action. 

9. PROTECTED MATERIAL SUBPOENAED OR ORDERED PRODUCED IN OTHER 

LITIGATION

If a Party is served with a subpoena or a court order issued in other litigation that 

 

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 Prosecution includes, for example, original prosecution, reissue and reexamination proceedings. 

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compels disclosure of any information or items designated in this action as “CONFIDENTIAL” or 

“HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” that Party must: 

(a) promptly notify in writing the Designating Party. Such notification shall include 

a copy of the subpoena or court order; 

(b) promptly notify in writing the party who caused the subpoena or order to issue in 

the other litigation that some or all of the material covered by the subpoena or order is subject to 

this Protective Order. Such notification shall include a copy of this Protective Order; and 

(c) cooperate with respect to all reasonable procedures sought to be pursued by the 

Designating Party whose Protected Material may be affected. 

If the Designating Party timely seeks a protective order, the Party served with the 

subpoena or court order shall not produce any information designated in this action as 

“CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” before a 

determination by the court from which the subpoena or order issued, unless the Party has obtained 

the Designating Party’s permission. The Designating Party shall bear the burden and expense of 

seeking protection in that court of its confidential material – and nothing in these provisions should 

be construed as authorizing or encouraging a Receiving Party in this action to disobey a lawful 

directive from another court. 

10. A NON-PARTY’S PROTECTED MATERIAL SOUGHT TO BE PRODUCED IN THIS 

LITIGATION

(a) The terms of this Order are applicable to information produced by a NonParty in this action and designated as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – 

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” Such information produced by Non-Parties in connection with this 

litigation is protected by the remedies and relief provided by this Order. Nothing in these 

provisions should be construed as prohibiting a Non-Party from seeking additional protections. 

(b) In the event that a Party is required, by a valid discovery request, to produce 

a Non-Party’s confidential information in its possession, and the Party is subject to an agreement 

with the Non-Party not to produce the Non-Party’s confidential information, then the Party shall: 

1. promptly notify in writing the Requesting Party and the Non-Party that some 

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or all of the information requested is subject to a confidentiality agreement with a Non-Party; 

2. promptly provide the Non-Party with a copy of the Protective Order in this 

litigation, the relevant discovery request(s), and a reasonably specific description of the 

information requested; and 

3. make the information requested available for inspection by the Non-Party. 

(c) If the Non-Party fails to object or seek a protective order from this court 

within 14 days of receiving the notice and accompanying information, the Receiving Party may 

produce the Non-Party’s confidential information responsive to the discovery request. If the NonParty timely seeks a protective order, the Receiving Party shall not produce any information in its 

possession or control that is subject to the confidentiality agreement with the Non-Party before a 

determination by the court. Absent a court order to the contrary, the Non-Party shall bear the 

burden and expense of seeking protection in this court of its Protected Material. 

11. UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL 

 If a Receiving Party learns that, by inadvertence or otherwise, it has disclosed 

Protected Material to any person or in any circumstance not authorized under this Protective Order, 

the Receiving Party must immediately (a) notify in writing the Designating Party of the 

unauthorized disclosures, (b) use its best efforts to retrieve all unauthorized copies of the Protected 

Material, (c) inform the person or persons to whom unauthorized disclosures were made of all the 

terms of this Order, and (d) request such person or persons to execute the “Acknowledgment and 

Agreement to Be Bound” that is attached hereto as Exhibit A. 

12. INADVERTENT PRODUCTION OF PRIVILEGED OR OTHERWISE PROTECTED 

MATERIAL

When a Producing Party gives notice to Receiving Parties that certain inadvertently 

produced material is subject to a claim of privilege or other protection, the obligations of the 

Receiving Parties are those set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(5)(B). If information 

is produced in discovery that is subject to a claim of privilege or of protection as trial-preparation 

material, the party making the claim may notify any party that received the information of the 

claim and the basis for it. After being notified, a party must promptly return or destroy the 

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specified information and any copies it has and may not sequester, use or disclose the information 

until the claim is resolved. This includes a restriction against presenting the information to the 

court for a determination of the claim. This provision is not intended to modify whatever procedure 

may be established in an e-discovery order that provides for production without prior privilege 

review. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 502(d) and (e), insofar as the parties reach an 

agreement on the effect of disclosure of a communication or information covered by the attorneyclient privilege or work product protection, the parties may incorporate their agreement in the 

stipulated protective order submitted to the court. 

13. MISCELLANEOUS

13.1 Right to Further Relief. Nothing in this Order abridges the right of any person to 

seek its modification by the court in the future. 

13.2 Right to Assert Other Objections. By entry of this Protective Order no Party waives 

any right it otherwise would have to object to disclosing or producing any information or item on 

any ground not addressed in this Protective Order. Similarly, no Party waives any right to object on 

any ground to use in evidence of any of the material covered by this Protective Order. 

13.3 Filing Protected Material. Without written permission from the Designating Party or 

a court order secured after appropriate notice to all interested persons, a Party may not file in the 

public record in this action any Protected Material. A Party that seeks to file under seal any 

Protected Material must comply with Civil Local Rule 79-5. Protected Material may only be filed 

under seal pursuant to a court order authorizing the sealing of the specific Protected Material at 

issue. Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 79-5, a sealing order will issue only upon a request establishing 

that the Protected Material at issue is privileged, protectable as a trade secret, or otherwise entitled 

to protection under the law. If a Receiving Party’s request to file Protected Material under seal 

pursuant to Civil Local Rule 79-5(e) is denied by the court, then the Receiving Party may file the 

Protected Material in the public record pursuant to Civil Local Rule 79-5(e)(2) unless otherwise 

instructed by the court. 

14. FINAL DISPOSITION

 Within 60 days after the final disposition of this action, as defined in paragraph 4, 

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each Receiving Party must return all Protected Material to the Producing Party or destroy such 

material. As used in this subdivision, “all Protected Material” includes all copies, abstracts, 

compilations, summaries, and any other format reproducing or capturing any of the Protected 

Material. Whether the Protected Material is returned or destroyed, the Receiving Party must submit 

a written certification to the Producing Party (and, if not the same person or entity, to the 

Designating Party) by the 60-day deadline that (1) identifies (by category, where appropriate) all 

the Protected Material that was returned or destroyed and (2) affirms that the Receiving Party has 

not retained any copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries or any other format reproducing or 

capturing any of the Protected Material. Notwithstanding this provision, Counsel are entitled to 

retain an archival copy of all pleadings, motion papers, trial, deposition, and hearing transcripts, 

legal memoranda, correspondence, deposition and trial exhibits, expert reports, attorney work 

product, and consultant and expert work product, even if such materials contain Protected Material. 

Any such archival copies that contain or constitute Protected Material remain subject to this 

Protective Order as set forth in Section 4 (DURATION). 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: ________________________ _____________________________________ 

Honorable Richard G. Seeborg 

United States District Judge 

Jacqueline Scott Corley Magistrate February 4, 2015

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EXHIBIT A

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND

I, _____________________________ [print or type full name], of 

______________________________________________ [print or type full address], declare under 

penalty of perjury that I have read in its entirety and understand the Protective Order that was 

issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California on 

______________________ [date] in the case of Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Inc. v. Stryker 

Corporation et al., Case No. C 14-00876 RS. I agree to comply with and to be bound by all the 

terms of this Protective Order and I understand and acknowledge that failure to so comply could 

expose me to sanctions and punishment in the nature of contempt. I solemnly promise that I will 

not disclose in any manner any information or item that is subject to this Protective Order to any 

person or entity except in strict compliance with the provisions of this Order. 

I further agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the 

Northern District of California for the purpose of enforcing the terms of this Protective Order, even 

if such enforcement proceedings occur after termination of this action. 

I hereby appoint __________________________ [print or type full name] of 

___________________________________________________ [print or type full address and 

telephone number] as my California agent for service of process in connection with this action or 

any proceedings related to enforcement of this Protective Order. 

Date: _________________________________ 

City and State where sworn and signed: _________________________________ 

Printed name: ______________________________ 

[printed name] 

Signature: __________________________________ 

[signature] 

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