Shande v. Zoox, Inc.

Summary

The court denied Zoox, Inc.'s motion to seal an Employee Proprietary Information and Invention Assignment Agreement filed in support of its motion to dismiss and anti-SLAPP motion. The court held that Zoox had not shown compelling reasons to seal the agreement and ordered Zoox, within seven days, to publicly file it, submit a narrower sealing motion, or advise that it was withdrawn.

Holdings

1. Because the agreement was offered in support of a motion to dismiss and an anti-SLAPP motion directed to the merits, the compelling-reasons standard applied.
2. Zoox failed to demonstrate compelling reasons sufficient to seal the agreement because its evidence consisted of conclusory, unsupported assertions that the agreement was highly sensitive and confidential and that disclosure would create a competitive disadvantage.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the Employee Proprietary Information and Invention Assignment Agreement, submitted in support of motions directed to the merits, could be sealed under the compelling-reasons standard.
2. Whether Zoox provided sufficient factual support to establish compelling reasons that outweighed the strong presumption of public access to judicial records.

Disposition

other