Bot M8 LLC v. Sony Corporation Of America

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BOT M8 LLC, Plaintiff, No. C 19-07027 WHA

v.

SONY CORPORATION OF AMERICA, et ORDER GRANTING MOTIONS al., TO SEAL 13 Defendants.

15 In this patent infringement suit, both parties move to seal documents submitted in a discovery dispute (Dkt. No. 97, 103). Generally, “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.” A classic example of a compelling reason is “business information that might harm a litigant’s competitive standing.” But, our court of appeals has “carved out an exception, for sealed materials attached to a discovery motion unrelated to the merits of a case. Under this exception, a party need only satisfy the “good cause” standard . . . to protect a party or person from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden or expense . . . .” Ctr. for Auto Safety v. Chrysler Grp., 809 F.3d 1092, 1096–97 (9th…