Stemcell Technologies Canada Inc. v. StemExpress, LLC

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

STEMCELL TECHNOLOGIES CANADA Case No. 21-cv-01594-VC INC., et al.,

Plaintiffs, ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND

DENYING IN PART MOTIONS TO

v. FILE UNDER SEAL

STEMEXPRESS, LLC, et al., Re: Dkt. Nos. 173, 176, 192, 194, 199, 200 Defendants.

There is a strong presumption of public access to court records. Center for Auto Safety v. Chrysler Group, LLC, 809 F.3d 1092, 1096 (9th Cir. 2016). For dispositive motions, the party seeking to file anything under seal must have “compelling reasons” to do so, a “stringent standard” that requires an “articulate[d] . . . factual basis,” not merely “hypothesis or conjecture.” Id. at 1096–97. A general invocation of competitive harm is insufficient. But protecting possible trade secrets can be a compelling reason to allow records to be filed under seal. Kamakana v. City and County of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1179 (9th Cir. 2006). One of this case’s central issues is the alleged misappropriation of trade secrets and other confidential information, so naturally there will be some records that should be sealed. This order resolves the motions to…