CHARLES F. EICK, Magistrate Judge.
Discovery in this action is likely to involve the 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. Accordingly, the parties have stipulated to and petition the Court to enter the following Stipulated Protective Order. 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 applicable legal principles. The parties further acknowledge, as set forth in Section 12.3, below, that this Stipulated 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.
The pleadings in this litigation raise the issues of (i) whether the Defendants have infringed upon the Plaintiff's rights in a trademark registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("PTO") or otherwise competed unfairly with Plaintiff, (ii) whether the Plaintiff is entitled to recover the Defendants' alleged profits and/or Plaintiff's alleged losses suffered as a consequence of the Defendants' alleged actions, (iii) whether the Defendants have valid defenses to the Plaintiff's claims, (iv) whether the Plaintiff's alleged trademark registration is subject to cancellation, (v) whether the Plaintiff has engaged in false advertising or otherwise unfairly competed with Defendant Zoomlion Anhui Industrial Vehicle Co., Ltd. ("Z Anhui"), (vi) whether Z Anhui is entitled to recover the Plaintiff's profits and/or its (Z Anhui's) alleged losses suffered as a consequence of the Plaintiff's alleged actions.
Resolution of these issues will more likely than not require the production and analysis of customer and pricing information and other valuable research, development, commercial, financial and/or proprietary information for which special protection from public disclosure and from use for any purpose other than prosecution of this action is warranted. Such confidential and proprietary materials and information will likely consist of, among other things, information regarding confidential business practices, pricing and sales information, vendor and manufacturer information, the identification of customers, sales transactions and business relationships with third parties, information regarding information implicating the privacy rights of third parties, and other information otherwise generally unavailable to the public, or which may be privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure under state or federal statutes, court rules, case decisions, or common law.
Accordingly, to accommodate the strong presumption of access in civil cases, to expedite the flow of information, to facilitate the prompt resolution of disputes over the confidentiality of discovery materials, to adequately protect information the parties are entitled to keep confidential, to ensure that the parties are permitted reasonably necessary use of such material in preparation for and in the conduct of trial, to address the handling of such material at the end of the litigation and to serve the ends of justice, a protective order for such information is justified in this matter. It is the intent of the parties that information will not be designated as confidential for tactical reasons and that nothing will be so designated without a good faith belief that it has been maintained in a confidential, non-public manner, and that there is good cause why it should not be part of the public record of this case.
The parties acknowledge that there is a strong presumption that the public has a right of access to judicial proceedings and records in civil cases. In connection with non-dispositive motions, good cause must be shown to support a filing under seal. See Kamakana v. City and County of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1176 (9th Cir. 2006); Phillips v. Gen. Motors Corp., 307 F.3d 1206, 1210-11 (9th Cir. 2002); Makar-Welbon v. Sony Electrics, Inc., 187 F.R.D. 576, 577 (E.D. Wis. 1999) (even stipulated protective orders require good cause showing). A specific showing of good cause or compelling reasons with proper evidentiary support and legal justification must be made with respect to Protected Material that a party seeks to file under seal. The parties' mere designation of Disclosure or Discovery Material as CONFIDENTIAL or CONFIDENTIAL — ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY does not — without the submission of competent evidence by declaration, establishing that the material sought to be filed under seal qualifies as confidential, privileged, or otherwise protectable — constitute good cause.
If a party requests sealing related to a dispositive motion or trial, then compelling reasons, not only good cause, for the sealing must be shown, and the relief sought shall be narrowly tailored to serve the specific interest to be protected. See Pintos v. Pacific Creditors Ass'n, 605 F.3d 665, 677-79 (9th Cir. 2010). For each item or type of information, document, or thing sought to be filed or introduced under seal in connection with a dispositive motion or trial, the party seeking protection must articulate compelling reasons, supported by specific facts and legal justification, for the requested sealing order. Competent evidence supporting the application to file documents under seal must be provided by declaration.
Any document that is not confidential, privileged, or otherwise protectable in its entirety will not be filed under seal if the confidential portions can be redacted. If documents can be redacted, then a redacted version for public viewing, omitting only the confidential, privileged, or otherwise protectable portions of the document, shall be filed. Any application that seeks to file documents under seal in their entirety should include an explanation of why redaction is not feasible.
2.1.
2.2.
2.3.
2.4.
Documents and information in one or more of the following categories shall qualify for designation under subsection (iv), above: (1) non-public technical information, including schematic diagrams, manufacturing and engineering drawings, engineering notebooks, specifications, research notes and materials, technical reference materials, and other non-public technical descriptions and/or depictions of technology relevant to the Action; (2) non-public damage-related information (e.g., the number of products sold, total dollar value of sales products, and profit margins); (3) non-public financial information; (4) customer lists; (5) business and/or marketing plans; (6) price lists and/or pricing information; (7) license agreements; and (8) information obtained from a Non-Party pursuant to a current Non-Disclosure Agreement ("NDA")
2.5.
2.6.
2.7.
2.8.
2.9.
2.10.
2.11.
2.12
2.13.
2.14.
2.15.
2.16.
2.17.
The protections conferred by this Stipulated Protective 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 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; (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; or (c) the use of Protected Material at pretrial hearings or trial.
Any limitations on the use of Protected Material at trial shall be governed by the orders of the trial judge. This Order does not govern use of Protected Material at trial.
4.1 In the event this Action proceeds to trial, information that was designated as CONFIDENTIAL or CONFIDENTIAL — ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY that is used or introduced as an exhibit at trial becomes public and will be presumptively available to all members of the public, including the press, unless compelling reasons supported by specific factual findings to proceed otherwise are made to the trial judge in advance of the trial. See Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1180-81 (distinguishing "good cause" showing for sealing documents produced in discovery from "compelling reasons" standard when merits-related documents are part of court record). Accordingly, for information or documents used at trial, the terms of this Order do not extend beyond the commencement of the trial.
4.2 For, information that was designated as CONFIDENTIAL or CONFIDENTIAL — ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY that is not used or introduced as an exhibit at trial, the confidentiality obligations imposed by this Order shall remain in effect after final disposition of this litigation, 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, re-hearings, 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.
5.1.
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 the case development process or to impose unnecessary expenses and burdens on another Party) may 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, that Designating Party must promptly notify all other Parties that it is withdrawing the inapplicable designation.
5.2.
Designation in conformity with this Order requires:
5.3.
5.4.
6.1
6.2.
6.3.
7.1.
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.
7.3
If a Party is served with a subpoena or a court order issued in other litigation that compels disclosure of any information or items designated in this Action as Protected Material, that Party must, unless lawfully prohibited from doing so:
(a) promptly notify in writing the Designating Party which notice 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 Stipulated Protective Order, which notice shall include a copy of this Stipulated 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 Protected Material 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.
Nothing in this Order should be construed as authorizing or encouraging a Receiving Party in this Action to disobey a lawful directive from another court.
The terms of this Stipulated Protective Order are applicable to information produced by a Non-Party in this Action and designated as Protected Material. Such information produced by Non-Parties in connection with this litigation is protected by the remedies and relief provided by this Order and nothing in these provisions should be construed as prohibiting a Non-Party from seeking additional protections.
In the event 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:
(a) promptly notify in writing the Requesting Party and the Non-Party that some or all of the information requested is subject to a confidentiality agreement with a Non-Party;
(b) promptly provide the Non-Party with a copy of this Stipulated Protective Order, the relevant discovery request(s), and a reasonably specific description of the information requested; and
(c) make the information requested available for inspection by the Non-Party, if requested.
If the Non-Party fails to 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 Non-Party timely seeks a protective order, the Receiving Party shall not produce any information in its possession, custody 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 for its 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 Stipulated Protective Order, the Receiving Party shall immediately (a) notify in writing the Designating Party of the unauthorized disclosure(s), (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) use reasonable efforts to have such person or persons execute the Acknowledgment.
If a Producing Party at any time notifies a Receiving Party that it inadvertently produced documents, testimony, information, and/or things that are subject to a claim of privilege or other protection, or the Receiving Party discovers such inadvertent production, the obligations of the Receiving Party are those set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(5)(B). 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 Rules 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 attorney-client privilege or work product protection, the parties may incorporate their agreement into this Stipulated Protective Order by means of a separate order submitted to the Court.
12.1
12.2
12.3
After the final disposition of this Action, as defined in Section 4.2, above, within sixty (60) days following a written request by the Designating Party, each Receiving Party shall, at its option, return all Protected Material to the Producing Party or destroy it. As used in this section, "all Protected Material" includes all copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries or any other form of reproducing or capturing any Protected Material. Whether the Protected Material is returned or destroyed, the Receiving Party shall 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 stating that all Protected Material was returned or destroyed, as the case may be.
Notwithstanding anything else in this Protective Order, 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 shall remain subject to this Protective Order as set forth in Section 4, above.
Nothing in this Protective Order bars or otherwise restricts an attorney from rendering advice to his or her client with respect to this Action or from relying upon or generally referring to CONFIDENTIAL or CONFIDENTIAL — ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY Disclosure or Discovery Material in rendering such advice; provided however, that in rendering such advice or in otherwise communicating with his or her client, the attorney shall not reveal or disclose the specific content thereof if such disclosure is not otherwise permitted under this Order.
The restrictions on the use of Protected Material established by this Order are applicable only to Protected Material received by a Party from another Party or from a Non-Party. A Party is free to do whatever it desires with its own Protected Material.
FOR GOOD CAUSE SHOWN, IT IS SO ORDERED.
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 Stipulated Protective Order (the "Order") that was entered by the United States District Court for the Central District of California on April ___, 2019 in the case of Clark Material Handling Company, etc. v. Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology, etc., et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-05853-CBM-(E) (the "Action"). I agree to comply with and to be bound by all the terms of the Order and I understand and acknowledge that my failure to 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 the Order to any person or entity except in strict compliance with the terms of the Order. I further agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Central District of California for the purpose of enforcing this Order, even if such enforcement proceedings occur after termination of the 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 Order.