Facebook, Inc. v. OnLineNic Inc

District Court, N.D. California·Decided November 8, 2023·No. 3:19-cv-07071·Unknown

Opinion

FACEBOOK, INC., et al., Case No. 19-cv-07071-SI

Plaintiffs, ORDER RE: ADMINISTRATIVE v. MOTIONS TO FILE UNDER SEAL

ONLINENIC INC, et al., Re: Dkt. Nos. 300, 302, 319, 321, 325, 336, Defendants. 340, 342

The Court has before it multiple motions to seal, including supplemental motions and several errata, filed in conjunction with plaintiffs’ motion to strike defendant’s answer and for entry of default against defendant Xiamen 35.com Internet Technology Co., Ltd. (“35.CN”). See Dkt. Nos. 300, 302, 319, 321, 325, 336, 340, 342. The parties agree that because the underlying motion is a dispositive one,1 the “compelling reasons” standard applies. In the Ninth Circuit, with the exception of a narrow range of documents that are “traditionally kept secret,” courts begin their sealing analysis with “a strong presumption in favor of access.” Foltz v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins., 331 F.3d 1122, 1135 (9th Cir. 2003). When applying to file documents under seal in connection with a dispositive motion, the submitting party bears the burden of “articulating compelling reasons supported by specific factual findings that outweigh the general history of access and the public policies favoring disclosure, such as the public 1 Plaintiffs originally filed the underlying motion as a motion to strike 35.CN’s answer and for default, in other words, a motion for terminating sanctions under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure interest in understanding the judicial process.” Kamakana v. City & Cnty. of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1178-79 (9th Cir. 2006) (internal quotations and citations omitted). The Ninth Circuit has explained: Under this stringent standard, a court may seal records only when it finds a compelling reason and articulates the factual basis for its ruling, without relying on hypothesis or conjecture. The court must then conscientiously balance the competing interests of the public and the party who seeks to keep certain judicial records secret. What constitutes a “compelling reason” is best left to the sound discretion of the trial court. Examples include when a court record might be used to gratify private spite or promote public scandal, to circulate libelous statements, or as sources of business information that might harm a litigant’s competitive standing. Ctr. for Auto Safety v. Chrysler Grp., LLC, 809 F.3d 1092, 1096-97 (9th Cir. 2016) (citations, internal quotation marks, and alterations omitted). In addition, all requests to file under seal must be “narrowly tailored,” such that only sealable information is sought to be redacted from public access. Civ. L.R. 79-5(c)(3).

DISCUSSION The parties (plaintiffs, 35.CN, and the OnlineNIC defendants),2 as well as third-party Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (“ICANN”), have filed statements regarding the various sealing motions. To summarize, plaintiffs did not file a statement in support of sealing any material, explaining that 35.CN’s “Opposition and supporting declarations contain only conclusions abstracted from documents produced and designated by Plaintiffs in the course of discovery” and that “Plaintiffs do not believe that sealing those portions of the Opposition and supporting declarations purportedly containing Plaintiffs’ confidential information is necessary.” Dkt. No. 323 at 2. ICANN seeks to seal material that “reflect[s] personal identifiable information provided to ICANN.” Dkt. No. 309 at 1; Dkt. No. 326. ICANN, however, did not file a declaration in support of sealing material filed in connection with 35.CN’s opposition brief or plaintiffs’ objection to sur-reply evidence.3 The OnlineNIC defendants have filed several declarations in

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