Apple Inc. v. AliveCor, Inc.

Summary

The United States District Court for the Northern District of California denied Apple Inc.’s motion concerning whether portions of Exhibit 6 should remain sealed in Apple’s opposition to AliveCor’s motion to stay proceedings pending inter partes review. The court applied the good-cause standard for materials related to a nondispositive motion and found that AliveCor’s generalized assertions of commercial sensitivity and competitive harm did not establish a particularized basis for sealing product codes and product release dates. The denial was without prejudice, allowing AliveCor seven days to submit a supporting declaration or the parties to request withdrawal of the document.

Holdings

1. The good-cause standard under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(c) applies to materials related to a nondispositive motion to stay that are only tangentially related to the merits of the case.
2. AliveCor did not establish good cause to seal the requested portions of Exhibit 6 because its generalized assertions did not provide a particularized showing of prejudice or harm from disclosure.

Questions Presented

1. Whether portions of Exhibit 6 should remain sealed under the good-cause standard applicable to materials related to a nondispositive motion.
2. Whether AliveCor made the particularized showing of prejudice or harm required to seal its internal product codes and product release dates.

Disposition

other