Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. v. ComicMix LLC et alMOTION to File Documents Under SealS.D. Cal.January 18, 2019DLA PIPER LLP (US) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 WEST\284416136.1 MOTION FOR LEAVE TEO FILE DOCUMENTS UNDER SEAL USDC CASE NO. 3:16-CV-02779-JLS-BGS GINA L. DURHAM (Bar No. 295910) gina.durham@dlapiper.com DLA PIPER LLP (US) 555 Mission Street, Suite 2400 San Francisco, California 94105-2933 Tel: 415.836.2500 Fax: 415.836.2501 STANLEY J. PANIKOWSKI (Bar No. 224232) stanley.panikowski@dlapiper.com DLA PIPER LLP (US) 401 B Street, Suite 1700 San Diego, CA 92101 Tel: 619.699.2700 Fax: 619.699.2701 ANDREW L. DEUTSCH (Bar No. 319286) andrew.deutsch@dlapiper.com DLA PIPER LLP (US) 2000 Avenue of the Stars Suite 400, North Tower Los Angeles, CA 90067-4704 Tel: 310.595.3000 Fax: 310.595.3300 Attorneys for Plaintiff Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. Tamar Y. Duvdevani (admitted pro hac vice) tamar.duvdevani@dlapiper.com Marc E. Miller (admitted pro hac vice) marc.miller@dlapiper.com DLA PIPER LLP (US) 1251 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10020-1104 Tel: 212.335.4500 Fax: 212.335.4501 Ryan Compton (admitted pro hac vice) ryan.compton@dlapiper.com James Stewart (admitted pro hac vice) james.stewart@dlapiper.com DLA PIPER LLP (US) 500 Eight Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20004 Tel: 202.799.4000 Fax: 202.799.5000 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA DR. SEUSS ENTERPRISES, L.P., a California limited partnership, Plaintiff, v. COMICMIX LLC, a Connecticut limited liability company; MR. GLENN HAUMAN, an individual; MR. DAVID JERROLD FRIEDMAN A/K/A DAVID GERROLD, an individual; and MR. TY TEMPLETON, an individual, Defendants. CASE NO.: 3:16-cv-02779-JLS-BGS PLAINTIFF DR. SEUSS ENTERPRISES L.P.’S MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE DOCUMENTS UNDER SEAL Courtroom: 4D Judge: The Hon. Janis L. Sammartino Case 3:16-cv-02779-JLS-BGS Document 137 Filed 01/18/19 PageID.7237 Page 1 of 4 DLA PIPER LLP (US) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 WEST\284416136.1 -1- MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE DOCUMENTS UNDER SEAL USDC CASE NO. 3:16-CV-02779-JLS-BGS Plaintiff Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. (“DSE”) files this motion for leave to file under seal certain documents submitted in connection with DSE’s Memorandum of Further Points and Authorities In Support of DSE’s Motion For Summary Judgment (“MSJ”). Pursuant to Civil L.R. 79.2 and the protective order in this case, DSE submits this administrative motion for an order to seal the following documents: Motion for Summary Judgment Document Content MSJ Reply Brief This document is the unredacted version of DSE’s Memorandum of Further Points and Authorities in Support of its Motion for Summary Judgment (“MSJ Reply Brief”). This MSJ Reply Brief contains material that was designated by third-party Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC (“AMP”) as “Highly Confidential – Attorney Eyes’ Only.” DSE respectfully requests that the Court seal the unredacted version of DSE’s MSJ Reply Brief. “A district court may seal its records pursuant to its inherent supervisory power over such documents.” Brennan v. Opus Bank, 796 F.3d 1125, 1134 (9th Cir. 2015) (citing Hagestad v. Tragesser, 49 F.3d 1430, 1434 (9th Cir. 1995), and Nixon v. Warner Communications, Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 598 (1978)). The decision to seal is “best left to the sound discretion of the trial court, a discretion to be exercised in light of the relevant facts and circumstances of the particular case.” Nixon, 435 U.S. at 599. In making that decision, the Court must “weigh[] the interests advanced by the parties in light of the public interest and the duty of the courts.” Id. at 602; Hagestad, 49 F.3d at 1434. Courts deciding whether to seal a document begin with a presumption of public access to judicial records. Hagestad, 49 F.3d at 1434. Yet the Supreme Case 3:16-cv-02779-JLS-BGS Document 137 Filed 01/18/19 PageID.7238 Page 2 of 4 DLA PIPER LLP (US) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 WEST\284416136.1 -2- MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE DOCUMENTS UNDER SEAL USDC CASE NO. 3:16-CV-02779-JLS-BGS Court has recognized that the common-law right of access to records in civil proceedings is not absolute. Nixon, 435 U.S. at 598. At common law, “courts have refused to permit their files to serve as … sources of business information that might harm a litigant’s competitive standing.” Id. (citations omitted). Indeed, “[o]ne factor that weighs in favor of sealing documents is when the release of the documents will cause competitive harm to a business.” Apple Inc. v. Samsung Elecs. Co., 727 F.3d 1214, 1221 (Fed. Cir. 2013) (applying Ninth Circuit law). DSE’s MSJ Reply Brief: DSE’s MSJ Reply Brief contains citations to, discussions of, and excerpts from materials designated by AMP as “Highly Confidential – Outside Attorney’s Eyes Only” under the Protective Order (ECF No. 98) entered by the Court on July 3, 2018. DSE does not seek to file under seal the entirety of the MSJ Reply Brief, and seeks to seal only the portions relating to AMP’s confidential information. Specifically, the MSJ Reply Brief contains citations to, discussions, of and excerpts from documents and files reflecting AMP’s business plans. See, e.g., McDonnell v. Sw. Airlines Co., 292 Fed. App’x 679, 680 (9th Cir. Sept. 11, 2008) (district courts may properly seal documents containing trade secrets and confidential procedures); Felix v. Davis Moreno Constr., Inc., No. CV F 07-0533 LJO GSA, 2008 WL 3009867, at *1 (E.D. Cal. Aug. 1, 2008) (“A Court may order the sealing of court records when they contain confidential or otherwise sensitive business information.”). The MSJ Reply Brief also reflects information that AMP has designated with some level of confidentiality under the protective order. (ECF No. 98). DSE intends to file a redacted version of the MSJ Reply Brief. ///// ///// ///// ///// ///// Case 3:16-cv-02779-JLS-BGS Document 137 Filed 01/18/19 PageID.7239 Page 3 of 4 DLA PIPER LLP (US) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 WEST\284416136.1 -3- MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE DOCUMENTS UNDER SEAL USDC CASE NO. 3:16-CV-02779-JLS-BGS For these reasons, DSE respectfully requests that the Court grant this motion to seal. DSE is submitting a proposed order to the Court. Dated: January 18, 2019 Respectfully submitted, By /s/ Tamar Duvdevani TAMAR DUVDEVANI DLA Piper LLP (US) Attorneys for Plaintiff Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. Case 3:16-cv-02779-JLS-BGS Document 137 Filed 01/18/19 PageID.7240 Page 4 of 4
