KIMBERLY A. JOLSON, Magistrate Judge.
The parties to this Stipulated Protective Order have agreed to the terms of this Order; accordingly, it is ORDERED:
All documents produced in the course of discovery, including initial disclosures, all responses to discovery requests, all deposition testimony and exhibits, all documents and information obtained from non-parties through subpoena or otherwise, and other materials which may be subject to restrictions on disclosure for good cause and information derived directly therefrom (hereinafter collectively "documents"), shall be subject to this Order concerning confidential information as set forth below. As there is a presumption in favor of open and public judicial proceedings in the federal courts, this Order shall be strictly construed in favor of public disclosure and open proceedings wherever possible. The Order is also subject to the Local Rules of this District and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on matters of procedure and calculation of time periods.
A party or non-party producing documents in response to a subpoena or otherwise may designate documents as confidential and restricted in disclosure under this Order by placing or affixing the words "CONFIDENTIAL" on the document in a manner that will not interfere with the legibility of the document and that will permit complete removal of the CONFIDENTIAL designation. Documents shall be designated CONFIDENTIAL prior to or at the time of the production or disclosure of the documents. The designation "CONFIDENTIAL" does not mean that the document has any status or protection by statute or otherwise except to the extent and for the purposes of this Order.
Any party or non-party producing documents in response to a subpoena or otherwise may designate documents as CONFIDENTIAL upon making a good faith determination that the documents contain information protected from disclosure by statute or that should be protected from disclosure as confidential personal information, medical or psychiatric information, trade secrets, personnel records, or such other sensitive commercial information that is not publicly available. Public records and other information or documents that are publicly available may not be designated as CONFIDENTIAL.
Deposition testimony shall be deemed CONFIDENTIAL only if designated as such. Such designation shall be specific as to the portions of the transcript or any exhibit to be designated as CONFIDENTIAL. Thereafter, the deposition transcripts and any of those portions so designated shall be protected as CONFIDENTIAL, pending objection, under the terms of this Order.
If the CONFIDENTIAL documents contain highly sensitive trade secrets or other highly sensitive competitive or confidential information and disclosure to another party would result in demonstrable harm to the disclosing party, then the parties may stipulate or move for the establishment of an additional category of protection that prohibits disclosure of such documents or information to subparagraph 2 above, or that limits disclosure to specifically designated in-house counsel or party representative(s) whose assistance is reasonably necessary to the conduct of the litigation and who agree to be bound by the terms of the order.
Unless permitted by statute, parties cannot file documents under seal without leave of Court. Upon obtaining leave of Court, litigants must file the documents electronically using the ECF system as provided in S.D. Ohio Civ. R. 5.1. The Court may strike any document filed under seal if the filing party failed to obtain leave of Court.
Any CONFIDENTIAL designation is subject to challenge by any party or nonparty with standing to object (hereafter "party"). Before filing any motions or objections to a confidentiality designation with the Court, the objecting party shall have an obligation to meet and confer in a good faith effort to resolve the objection by agreement. If agreement is reached confirming or waiving the CONFIDENTIAL designation as to any documents subject to the objection, the designating party shall serve on all parties a notice specifying the documents and the nature of the agreement.
Applications to the Court for an order relating to any documents designated CONFIDENTIAL shall be by motion under Local Rule 7.1 and any other procedures set forth in the presiding judge's standing orders or other relevant orders. Nothing in this Order or any action or agreement of a party under this Order limits the Court's power to make any orders that may be appropriate with respect to the use and disclosure of any documents produced or use in discovery or at trial.
All trials are open to the public. Absent order of the Court, there will be no restrictions on the use of any document that may be introduced by any party during the trial. If a party intends to present at trial CONFIDENTIAL documents or information derived therefrom, such party shall provide advance notice to the other party at least five (5) days before the commencement of trial by identifying the documents or information at issue as specifically as possible (i.e., by Bates number, page range, deposition transcript lines, etc.) without divulging the actual CONFIDENTIAL documents or information. The Court may thereafter make such orders as are necessary to govern the use of such documents or information at trial.
The inadvertent disclosure or production by any party of any document protected by the attorney-client or other privilege or by the attorney work-product doctrine ("Privileged Information") shall not constitute, be construed as, or have the effect of a waiver of such privilege or protection. Upon discovery of the inadvertent disclosure of any Privileged Information, the producing party shall promptly notify all receiving parties of the inadvertent production of any Privileged Information. Any receiving party who has reasonable cause to believe that it has received Privileged Information shall promptly notify the producing party. Upon notice or knowledge of the inadvertent production, any receiving party shall immediately gather and return all copies of the Privileged Information to the producing party. If the parties cannot agree as to the claim of privilege, either of the parties may move the Court for a resolution, in which case the receiving party will sequester the information in question pending a resolution by the Court.
This Order shall be subject to modification by the Court on its own motion or on motion of a party or any other person with standing concerning the subject matter. Motions to modify this Order shall be served and filed under Local Rule 7.1 and the presiding judge's standing orders or other relevant orders.
This Order is entered based on the representations and agreements of the parties and for the purpose of facilitating discovery.
Nothing herein shall be construed or presented as a judicial determination that any documents or information designated CONFIDENTIAL by counsel or the parties is subject to protection under Rule 26(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or otherwise until such time as the Court may rule on a specific document or issue.
This Order shall take effect when entered and shall be binding upon all counsel and their law firms, the parties, and persons made subject to this Order by its terms.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
WE SO STIPULATE and agree to abide by the terms of this Order.
The undersigned hereby acknowledges that he/she has read the Amended Stipulated Protective Order ("Protective Order") dated ____________________ in the above-captioned action and attached hereto, understands the terms thereof, and agrees to be bound by its terms. The undersigned submits to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in matters relating to the Protective Order and understands that the terms of the Protective Order obligate him/her to use documents designated CONFIDENTIAL in accordance with the Order solely for the purposes of the above-captioned action, and not to disclose any such documents or information derived directly therefrom to any other person, firm or concern.
The undersigned acknowledges that violation of the Protective Order may result in penalties for contempt of court.