Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_17-cv-05499/USCOURTS-cand-3_17-cv-05499-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 820
Nature of Suit: Copyright
Cause of Action: 17:501 Copyright Infringement

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PETER MENZEL,

Plaintiff,

v.

SCHOLASTIC, INC.,

Defendant.

Case No. 17-cv-05499-EMC 

ORDER RE JOINT DISCOVERY 

LETTER OF FEBRUARY 14, 2019

Docket No. 88

The Court has reviewed the parties’ joint discovery letter of February 14, 2019. Having 

reviewed such, the Court hereby rules as follows.

1. The parties failed to adequately meet and confer. The Court’s standing order 

requires an in-person or telephonic meet and confer. It does not authorize a written meet and 

confer. Although the Court could reject the letter on this basis, it shall address the merits in the 

interest of moving the case forward. However, it cautions both parties that they will be sanctioned 

if they do not comply in the future with the meet-and-confer requirements specified in the Court’s 

standing order.

2. Scholastic requests that, for purposes of the settlement conference, it need only use 

its best efforts to locate documents. Scholastic shall make a reasonably diligent search for 

responsive documents; that is the appropriate standard. 

3. The Court rejects Mr. Menzel’s contention that Scholastic is not entitled to any 

discovery for purposes of the settlement conference. Although the Court previously stated that 

“[p]re ADR discovery consists of plaintiff’s request for production of usage data document[s],” 

Docket No. 81 (minutes), that does not foreclose Scholastic from now taking the position that it 

does need discovery in advance of the settlement conference. That being said, for settlement 

Case 3:17-cv-05499-EMC Document 89 Filed 02/14/19 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

conference purposes, it is not clear why Scholastic seeks all documents and communications 

related to Mr. Menzel’s copyright registrations. See Def.’s Prop. Order ¶ 2. The request is 

overbroad as written. However, the Court shall require Mr. Menzel to produce licenses and 

royalty statements (or equivalent information showing sales of or licenses for the photographs) for 

the photographs at issue. Mr. Menzel may take the position that the best measure of the fees 

Scholastic should have paid is the price that it did pay. Nevertheless, that does not mean that the 

prices that others paid is entirely irrelevant.

4. The parties shall meet and confer as to what date documents should be produced in 

advance of the settlement conference. 

This order disposes of Docket No. 88.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 14, 2019

______________________________________

EDWARD M. CHEN

United States District Judge

Case 3:17-cv-05499-EMC Document 89 Filed 02/14/19 Page 2 of 2