Sumotext Corp. -v- Zoove, Inc.

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedDecember 16, 2019
Docket5:16-cv-01370
StatusUnknown

This text of Sumotext Corp. -v- Zoove, Inc. (Sumotext Corp. -v- Zoove, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sumotext Corp. -v- Zoove, Inc., (N.D. Cal. 2019).

Opinion

1 2 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 3 NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 4 SAN JOSE DIVISION 5 6 SUMOTEXT CORP., Case No. 16-cv-01370-BLF

7 Plaintiff, OMNIBUS ORDER RE PARTIES’ 8 v. ADMINISTRATIVE MOTIONS TO FILE UNDER SEAL 9 ZOOVE, INC., et al., [Re: ECF 337, 339, 340, 342, 346, 347, 10 Defendants. 349, 355, 356]

11 12 Before the Court are a number of administrative motions to file under seal which fall into 13 two buckets: (1) sealing motions relating to Defendants’ motion for summary judgment (ECF 14 337, 355, and 356); and (2) sealing motions relating to Plaintiff’s Daubert motions regarding 15 defense experts Greg J. Regan and Debra Aron, Ph.D. (ECF 339, 340, 342, 346, 347, and 349). 16 The sealing motions are GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART for the reasons 17 discussed below. 18 I. LEGAL STANDARD 19 “Historically, courts have recognized a ‘general right to inspect and copy public records 20 and documents, including judicial records and documents.’” Kamakana v. City and Cnty. of 21 Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1178 (9th Cir. 2006) (quoting Nixon v. Warner Commc’ns, Inc., 435 22 U.S. 589, 597 & n.7 (1978)). Consequently, filings that are “more than tangentially related to the 23 merits of a case” may be sealed only upon a showing of “compelling reasons” for sealing. Ctr. for 24 Auto Safety v. Chrysler Grp., LLC, 809 F.3d 1092, 1101-02 (9th Cir. 2016). Filings that are only 25 tangentially related to the merits may be sealed upon a lesser showing of “good cause.” Id. at 26 1097. 27 Sealing motions filed in this district also must be “narrowly tailored to seek sealing only of 1 must file a declaration establishing that the identified material is “sealable.” Civ. L.R. 79- 2 5(d)(1)(A). “Reference to a stipulation or protective order that allows a party to designate certain 3 documents as confidential is not sufficient to establish that a document, or portions thereof, are 4 sealable.” Id. 5 Where the moving party requests sealing of documents because they have been designated 6 confidential by another party or a non-party under a protective order, the burden of establishing 7 adequate reasons for sealing is placed on the designating party or non-party. Civ. L.R. 79-5(e). 8 The moving party must file a proof of service showing that the designating party or non-party has 9 been given notice of the motion to seal. Id. “Within 4 days of the filing of the Administrative 10 Motion to File Under Seal, the Designating Party must file a declaration . . . establishing that all of 11 the designated material is sealable.” Civ. L.R. 79-5(e)(1). “If the Designating Party does not file a 12 responsive declaration . . . and the Administrative Motion to File Under Seal is denied, the 13 Submitting Party may file the document in the public record no earlier than 4 days, and no later 14 than 10 days, after the motion is denied.” Civ. L.R. 79-5(e)(2). 15 II. DISCUSSION 16 Because the parties’ sealing motions relate to Defendants’ motion for summary judgment, 17 and expert opinions relevant to the motion for summary judgment, the Court finds that the 18 compelling reasons standard applies. The Court’s rulings on the sealing motions are set forth 19 below. 20 A. Sealing Motions Related to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment 21 (ECF 337, 355, 356) 22 Defendants have filed a motion to seal exhibits submitted in support of their motion for 23 summary judgment. See ECF 337. That motion to seal is opposed by Plaintiff. See ECF 343. 24 Plaintiff argues that Defendants’ sealing request is not narrowly tailored or supported by 25 compelling reasons. Defendants move to seal 7 of 44 exhibits, and they do not move to seal any 26 portion of their memorandum in support of their motion for summary judgment. The Court finds 27 that Defendants have shown compelling reasons for sealing the 7 exhibits in question, as set forth 1 Plaintiff has filed a motion to seal portions of its memorandum and exhibits submitted in 2 opposition to summary judgment. See ECF 355. Plaintiff’s motion is based on confidentiality 3 designations of Defendants and ex-Defendant Mblox. Plaintiff makes clear in its motion that it 4 does not believe sealing is warranted, and that Defendants and Mblox have the burden of 5 demonstrating adequate reasons for sealing. Counsel for Mblox received email service of 6 Plaintiff’s sealing motion via the Court’s electronic filing system, but Mblox has not responded to 7 Plaintiff’s sealing motion. Accordingly, Mblox has failed to demonstrate that sealing is warranted 8 as to documents for which it is the designating party. Defendants filed their own sealing motion in 9 response to Plaintiff’s sealing motion, requesting sealing of a narrower subset of documents than 10 those identified in Plaintiff’s motion. See ECF 356. The Court finds that Defendants have 11 demonstrated compelling reasons for sealing that narrower subset of documents. 12 The sealing motions relating to the summary judgment briefing are GRANTED as to the 13 redactions requested by Defendants, as set forth in the chart below, and otherwise are DENIED. 14 ECF No. Document(s) to be Ruling Reasoning 15 Sealed

16 337-4 Bloch Decl. Exh. Y GRANTED as to Agreement between a current entire document. StarStar Mobile customer and 17 Zoove Corp. Shows specific prices for a current customer 18 through 2020. Public disclosure of this information would harm 19 VHT StarStar. Hayden Decl. ¶ 2, ECF 337-1. 20 337-6 Bloch Decl. Exh. Z GRANTED as to Document discloses VHT 21 highlighted StarStar’s commercial contracts portions. with customers other than 22 Sumotext, including sensitive personal information and 23 proprietary business information. No sealing is sought as to 24 Sumotext’s contracts with its customers. Hayden Decl. ¶ 3, 25 ECF 337-1.

26 337-8 Bloch Decl. Exh. AA GRANTED as to Internal VHT StarStar email highlighted forwarding a pricing 27 portions. communication with a current** confidential and would be 1 harmed if competitors in the market for mobile engagement 2 were able to see its pricing negotiations with this customer. 3 Hayden Decl. ¶ 4, ECF 337-1.

4 337-10 Bloch Decl. Exh. FF GRANTED as to VHT StarStar’s commercial highlighted contracts with customers other 5 portions. than Sumotext, and summaries of same, contain sensitive personal 6 information and proprietary business information. Hayden 7 Decl. ¶ 5, ECF 337-1.

8 337-12 Bloch Decl. Exh. GG GRANTED as to StarStar Mobile’s referral highlighted agreements with 17 referral 9 portions. agents, are treated as confidential and disclosure could harm 10 StarStar Mobile’s business. Hayden Decl. ¶ 6, ECF 337-1. 11

12 337-14 Bloch Decl. Exh. OO GRANTED as to Contains confidential information highlighted regarding a contract between 13 portions. StarStar Mobile and a current customer. StarStar Mobile treats 14 is customer contracts as confidential and would be 15 harmed if competitors could see its contracts. Hayden Decl. ¶ 7, 16 ECF 337-1.

17 337-16 Bloch Decl. Exh. PP GRANTED as to Contains historical information highlighted about major customers that 18 portions. Defendants treat as confidential and competitively sensitive. 19 Hayden Decl. ¶ 8, ECF 337-1.

20 355-4 Plaintiff’s opposition to GRANTED as to Memorandum quotes from Defendants’ motion for portions confidential materials as to which 21 summary judgment highlighted by the Court grants sealing. Defendants in 22 ECF 356-48.

23 355-6 Greathouse Decl. Exh. 7 GRANTED as to Discloses StarStar Mobile’s portions future business plans. Hayden 24 highlighted by Decl. ¶ 2, ECF 356-1. Defendants in 25 ECF 356-4.

26 355-7 Greathouse Decl. Exh. 10 GRANTED as to Discloses StarStar Mobile’s portions future business plans. Hayden 27 highlighted by Decl. ¶ 3, ECF 356-1. 1 355-13 Greathouse Decl. Exh.

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Sumotext Corp. -v- Zoove, Inc., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sumotext-corp-v-zoove-inc-cand-2019.