Peters v. PNC Bank National Association et al

Filing 21

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Allison Claire on 2/24/15. (Mena-Sanchez, L)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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Saxon S. Peters,

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Plaintiff,

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v.

Case No. 2:14-cv-01616-TLN-AC

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[STIPULATED]
PROTECTIVE ORDER

PNC Bank, National Association, et al,
company.

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Defendants.
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1.

PURPOSES AND LIMITATIONS

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Disclosure and discovery activity in this action are likely to involve production of

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confidential, proprietary, or private information for which special protection from public

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disclosure and from use for any purpose other than prosecuting this litigation may be warranted.

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Accordingly, the parties hereby stipulate to and petition the court to enter the following Stipulated

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Protective Order. The parties acknowledge that this Order does not confer blanket protections on

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all disclosures or responses to discovery and that the protection it affords from public disclosure

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and use extends only to the limited information or items that are entitled to confidential treatment

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under the applicable legal principles. The parties further acknowledge, as set forth in Section 12.3,

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below, that this Stipulated Protective Order does not entitle them to file confidential information

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under seal and that Civil Local Rule 141 sets forth the procedures that must be followed and the
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standards that will be applied when a party seeks permission from the court to file material under

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seal.

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2.

DEFINITIONS

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2.1

Challenging Party: a Party or Non-Party that challenges the designation of information or

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items under this Order.

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2.2

“CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items: information (regardless of how it is

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generated, stored or maintained) or tangible things that qualify for protection under Federal Rule

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of Civil Procedure 26(c).

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2.3

Counsel (without qualifier): Outside Counsel of Record and House Counsel (as

well as their support staff).
2.4

Designating Party: a Party or Non-Party that designates information or items that it

produces in disclosures or in responses to discovery as “CONFIDENTIAL.”
2.5

Disclosure or Discovery Material: all items or information, regardless of the

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medium or manner in which it is generated, stored, or maintained (including, among other things,

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testimony, transcripts, and tangible things), that are produced or generated in disclosures or

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responses to discovery in this matter.

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2.6

Expert: a person with specialized knowledge or experience in a matter pertinent to

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the litigation who has been retained by a Party or its counsel to serve as an expert witness or as a

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consultant in this action.

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2.7

House Counsel: attorneys who are employees of a party to this action. House

Counsel does not include Outside Counsel of Record or any other outside counsel.
2.8

Non-Party: any natural person, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal

entity not named as a Party to this action.
2.9

Outside Counsel of Record: attorneys who are not employees of a party to this

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action but are retained to represent or advise a party to this action and have appeared in this action

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on behalf of that party or are affiliated with a law firm which has appeared on behalf of that party.

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2.10

Party: any party to this action, including all of its officers, directors, employees,

consultants, retained experts, and Outside Counsel of Record (and their support staffs).
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2.11

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Producing Party: a Party or Non-Party that produces Disclosure or Discovery

Material in this action.
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Professional Vendors: persons or entities that provide litigation support services

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(e.g., photocopying, videotaping, translating, preparing exhibits or demonstrations, and

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organizing, storing, or retrieving data in any form or medium) and their employees and

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subcontractors.
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Protected Material: any Disclosure or Discovery Material that is designated as

“CONFIDENTIAL.”
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Receiving Party: a Party that receives Disclosure or Discovery Material from a

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Producing Party.

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3.

SCOPE
The protections conferred by this Stipulation and Order cover not only Protected Material

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(as defined above), but also (1) any information copied or extracted from Protected Material; (2)

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all copies, excerpts, summaries, or compilations of Protected Material; and (3) any testimony,

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conversations, or presentations by Parties or their Counsel that might reveal Protected Material.

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However, the protections conferred by this Stipulation and Order do not cover the following

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information: (a) any information that is in the public domain at the time of disclosure to a

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Receiving Party or becomes part of the public domain after its disclosure to a Receiving Party as a

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result of publication not involving a violation of this Order, including becoming part of the public

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record through trial or otherwise; and (b) any information known to the Receiving Party prior to

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the disclosure or obtained by the Receiving Party after the disclosure from a source who obtained

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the information lawfully and under no obligation of confidentiality to the Designating Party. Any

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use of Protected Material at trial shall be governed by a separate agreement or order.

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4.

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DURATION
Even after final disposition of this litigation, the confidentiality obligations imposed by this

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Order shall remain in effect until a Designating Party agrees otherwise in writing or a court order

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otherwise directs. Final disposition shall be deemed to be the later of (1) dismissal of all claims

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and defenses in this action, with or without prejudice; and (2) final judgment herein after the
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completion and exhaustion of all appeals, rehearings, remands, trials, or reviews of this action,

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including the time limits for filing any motions or applications for extension of time pursuant to

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applicable law.

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5.

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DESIGNATING PROTECTED MATERIAL
5.1

Exercise of Restraint and Care in Designating Material for Protection. Each Party

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or Non-Party that designates information or items for protection under this Order must take care to

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limit any such designation to specific material that qualifies under the appropriate standards. The

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Designating Party must designate for protection only those parts of material, documents, items, or

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oral or written communications that qualify – so that other portions of the material, documents,

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items, or communications for which protection is not warranted are not swept unjustifiably within

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the ambit of this Order.

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Mass, indiscriminate, or routinized designations are prohibited. Designations that are

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shown to be clearly unjustified or that have been made for an improper purpose (e.g., to

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unnecessarily encumber or retard the case development process or to impose unnecessary

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expenses and burdens on other parties) expose the Designating Party to sanctions.

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If it comes to a Designating Party’s attention that information or items that it designated for

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protection do not qualify for protection, that Designating Party must promptly notify all other

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Parties that it is withdrawing the mistaken designation.

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5.2

Manner and Timing of Designations. Except as otherwise provided in this Order

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(see, e.g., second paragraph of section 5.2(a) below), or as otherwise stipulated or ordered,

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Disclosure or Discovery Material that qualifies for protection under this Order must be clearly so

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designated before the material is disclosed or produced.

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Designation in conformity with this Order requires:
(a) for information in documentary form (e.g., paper or electronic documents, but

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excluding transcripts of depositions or other pretrial or trial proceedings), that the Producing Party

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affix the legend “CONFIDENTIAL” to each page that contains protected material. If only a

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portion or portions of the material on a page qualifies for protection, the Producing Party also must

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clearly identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate markings in the margins).
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A Party or Non-Party that makes original documents or materials available for inspection need not

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designate them for protection until after the inspecting Party has indicated which material it would

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like copied and produced. During the inspection and before the designation, all of the material

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made available for inspection shall be deemed “CONFIDENTIAL.” After the inspecting Party has

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identified the documents it wants copied and produced, the Producing Party must determine which

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documents, or portions thereof, qualify for protection under this Order. Then, before producing the

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specified documents, the Producing Party must affix the “CONFIDENTIAL” legend to each page

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that contains Protected Material. If only a portion or portions of the material on a page qualifies

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for protection, the Producing Party also must clearly identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by

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making appropriate markings in the margins).
(b) for testimony given in deposition or in other pretrial or trial proceedings, that the

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Designating Party identify on the record, before the close of the deposition, hearing or other

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proceeding, all protected testimony that contains confidential information, may be designated

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“CONFIDENTIAL” and thereby obtain the protections accorded other “CONFIDENTIAL”

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information.
(c) for information produced in some form other than documentary and for any other

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tangible items, that the Producing Party affix in a prominent place on the exterior of the container

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or containers in which the information or item is stored the legend “CONFIDENTIAL.” If only a

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portion or portions of the information or item warrant protection, the Producing Party, to the

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extent practicable, shall identify the protected portion(s).
5.3

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Inadvertent Failures to Designate. If timely corrected, an inadvertent failure to

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designate qualified information or items does not, standing alone, waive the Designating Party’s

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right to secure protection under this Order for such material. Upon timely correction of a

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designation, the Receiving Party must make reasonable efforts to assure that the material is treated

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in accordance with the provisions of this Order.

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6.

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CHALLENGING CONFIDENTIALITY DESIGNATIONS
6.1

Timing of Challenges. Any Party or Non-Party may challenge a designation of

confidentiality at any time. Unless a prompt challenge to a Designating Party’s confidentiality
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designation is necessary to avoid foreseeable, substantial unfairness, unnecessary economic

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burdens, or a significant disruption or delay of the litigation, a Party does not waive its right to

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challenge a confidentiality designation by electing not to mount a challenge promptly after the

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original designation is disclosed.

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6.2

Meet and Confer. The Challenging Party shall initiate the dispute resolution

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process by providing written notice of each designation it is challenging and describing the basis

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for each challenge. To avoid ambiguity as to whether a challenge has been made, the written

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notice must recite that the challenge to confidentiality is being made in accordance with this

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specific paragraph of the Protective Order. The parties shall attempt to resolve each challenge in

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good faith and must begin the process by conferring directly (in voice to voice dialogue; other

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forms of communication are not sufficient) within 14 days of the date of service of notice. In

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conferring, the Challenging Party must explain the basis for its belief that the confidentiality

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designation was not proper and must give the Designating Party an opportunity to review the

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designated material, to reconsider the circumstances, and, if no change in designation is offered, to

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explain the basis for the chosen designation. A Challenging Party may proceed to the next stage of

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the challenge process only if it has engaged in this meet and confer process first or establishes that

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the Designating Party is unwilling to participate in the meet and confer process in a timely

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manner.

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6.3

Judicial Intervention. If the Parties cannot resolve a challenge without court

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intervention, the Designating Party shall file and serve a motion to retain confidentiality under

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Civil Local Rule 141.1, if applicable, within 21 days of the initial notice of challenge or within 14

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days of the parties agreeing that the meet and confer process will not resolve their dispute,

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whichever is later. Each such motion must be accompanied by a competent declaration affirming

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that the movant has complied with the meet and confer requirements imposed in the preceding

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paragraph. Failure by the Designating Party to make such a motion including the required

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declaration within 21 days (or 14 days, if applicable) shall automatically waive the confidentiality

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designation for each challenged designation. In addition, the Challenging Party may file a motion

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challenging a confidentiality designation at any time if there is good cause for doing so, including
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a challenge to the designation of a deposition transcript or any portions thereof. Any motion

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brought pursuant to this provision must be accompanied by a competent declaration affirming that

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the movant has complied with the meet and confer requirements imposed by the preceding

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paragraph.

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The burden of persuasion in any such challenge proceeding shall be on the Designating

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Party. Frivolous challenges, and those made for an improper purpose (e.g., to harass or impose

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unnecessary expenses and burdens on other parties) may expose the Challenging Party to

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sanctions. Unless the Designating Party has waived the confidentiality designation by failing to

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file a motion to retain confidentiality as described above, all parties shall continue to afford the

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material in question the level of protection to which it is entitled under the Producing Party’s

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designation until the court rules on the challenge.

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7.

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ACCESS TO AND USE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL
7.1

Basic Principles. A Receiving Party may use Protected Material that is disclosed or

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produced by another Party or by a Non-Party in connection with this case only for prosecuting,

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defending, or attempting to settle this litigation. Such Protected Material may be disclosed only to

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the categories of persons and under the conditions described in this Order. When the litigation has

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been terminated, a Receiving Party must comply with the provisions of section 13 below (FINAL

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DISPOSITION).

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Protected Material must be stored and maintained by a Receiving Party at a location and in
a secure manner that ensures that access is limited to the persons authorized under this Order.
7.2

Disclosure of “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items. Unless otherwise ordered

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by the court or permitted in writing by the Designating Party, a Receiving Party may disclose any

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information or item designated “CONFIDENTIAL” only to:

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(a) the Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of Record in this action, as well as

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employees of said Outside Counsel of Record to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the

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information for this litigation and who have signed the Acknowledgement and Agreement to be

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Bound (Exhibit “A) ;

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(b) the officers, directors, and employees (including House Counsel) of the Receiving
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Party to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation;
(c) Experts (as defined in this Order) of the Receiving Party to whom disclosure is

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reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and

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Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A);

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(d) the court and its personnel;

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(e) court reporters and their staff, professional jury or trial consultants, mock jurors,

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and Professional Vendors to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation and who

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have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A);
(f) during their depositions, witnesses in the action to whom disclosure is reasonably

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necessary and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A),

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unless otherwise covered in subparagraphs 7.2(a)-(e) or agreed by the Designating Party or

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ordered by the court. Pages of transcribed deposition testimony or exhibits to depositions that

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reveal Protected Material must be separately bound by the court reporter and may not be disclosed

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to anyone except as permitted under this Stipulated Protective Order.
(g) the author or recipient of a document containing the information or a custodian or

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other person who otherwise possessed or knew the information.

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8.

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LITIGATION

PROTECTED MATERIAL SUBPOENAED OR ORDERED PRODUCED IN OTHER

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If a Party is served with a subpoena or a court order issued in other litigation that compels

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disclosure of any information or items designated in this action as “CONFIDENTIAL,” that Party

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must:
(a) promptly notify in writing the Designating Party. Such notification shall include a

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copy of the subpoena or court order;

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(b) promptly notify in writing the party who caused the subpoena or order to issue in

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the other litigation that some or all of the material covered by the subpoena or order is subject to

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this Protective Order. Such notification shall include a copy of this Stipulated Protective Order;

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and

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(c) cooperate with respect to all reasonable procedures sought to be pursued by the
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Designating Party whose Protected Material may be affected.
If the Designating Party timely seeks a protective order, the Party served with the subpoena

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or court order shall not produce any information designated in this action as “CONFIDENTIAL”

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before a determination by the court from which the subpoena or order issued, unless the Party has

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obtained the Designating Party’s permission. The Designating Party shall bear the burden and

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expense of seeking protection in that court of its confidential material – and nothing in these

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provisions should be construed as authorizing or encouraging a Receiving Party in this action to

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disobey a lawful directive from another court.

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9.

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A NON-PARTY’S PROTECTED MATERIAL SOUGHT TO BE PRODUCED IN THIS

LITIGATION

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(a) The terms of this Order are applicable to information produced by a Non-Party in

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this action and designated as “CONFIDENTIAL.” Such information produced by Non-Parties in

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connection with this litigation is protected by the remedies and relief provided by this Order.

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Nothing in these provisions should be construed as prohibiting a Non-Party from seeking

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additional protections.

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(b) In the event that a Party is required, by a valid discovery request, to produce a

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Non-Party’s confidential information in its possession, and the Party is subject to an agreement

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with the Non-Party not to produce the Non-Party’s confidential information, then the Party shall:

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(1) promptly notify in writing the Requesting Party and the Non-Party that some or
all of the information requested is subject to a confidentiality agreement with a Non-Party;
(2) promptly provide the Non-Party with a copy of the Stipulated Protective Order

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in this litigation, the relevant discovery request(s), and a reasonably specific description of the

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information requested; and

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(3) make the information requested available for inspection by the Non-Party.

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(c) If the Non-Party fails to object or seek a protective order from this court within 14

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days of receiving the notice and accompanying information, the Receiving Party may produce the

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Non-Party’s confidential information responsive to the discovery request. If the Non-Party timely

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seeks a protective order, the Receiving Party shall not produce any information in its possession or
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control that is subject to the confidentiality agreement with the Non-Party before a determination

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by the court. Absent a court order to the contrary, the Non-Party shall bear the burden and

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expense of seeking protection in this court of its Protected Material.

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10.

UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL
If a Receiving Party learns that, by inadvertence or otherwise, it has disclosed Protected

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Material to any person or in any circumstance not authorized under this Stipulated Protective

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Order, the Receiving Party must immediately (a) notify in writing the Designating Party of the

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unauthorized disclosures, (b) use its best efforts to retrieve all unauthorized copies of the Protected

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Material, (c) inform the person or persons to whom unauthorized disclosures were made of all the

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terms of this Order, and (d) request such person or persons to execute the “Acknowledgment and

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Agreement to Be Bound” that is attached hereto as Exhibit A.

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11.

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MATERIAL

INADVERTENT PRODUCTION OF PRIVILEGED OR OTHERWISE PROTECTED

When a Producing Party gives notice to Receiving Parties that certain inadvertently

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produced material is subject to a claim of privilege or other protection, the obligations of the

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Receiving Parties are those set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(5)(B). This

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provision is not intended to modify whatever procedure may be established in an e-discovery order

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that provides for production without prior privilege review. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence

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502(d) and (e), insofar as the parties reach an agreement on the effect of disclosure of a

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communication or information covered by the attorney-client privilege or work product protection,

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the parties may incorporate their agreement in the stipulated protective order submitted to the

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court.

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12.

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MISCELLANEOUS
12.1

Right to Further Relief. Nothing in this Order abridges the right of any person to

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seek its modification by the court in the future, and nothing in this Protective Order shall be

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construed to prevent a Party from seeking such further provisions enhancing or limiting

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confidentiality as may be appropriate.

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12.2

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Right to Assert Other Objections. By stipulating to the entry of this Protective

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Order no Party waives any right it otherwise would have to object to disclosing or producing any

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information or item on any ground not addressed in this Stipulated Protective Order. Similarly, no

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Party waives any right to object on any ground to use in evidence of any of the material covered

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by this Protective Order.
12.3

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Filing Protected Material. Without written permission from the Designating Party

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or a court order secured after appropriate notice to all interested persons, a Party may not file in

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the public record in this action any Protected Material. A Party that seeks to file under seal any

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Protected Material must comply with Civil Local Rule 141. Protected Material may only be filed

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under seal pursuant to a court order authorizing the sealing of the specific Protected Material at

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issue. Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 141 a sealing order will issue only upon a request establishing

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that the Protected Material at issue is privileged, protectable as a trade secret, or otherwise entitled

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to protection under the law. If a Receiving Party's request to file Protected Material under seal

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pursuant to Civil Local Rule 141 is denied by the court, then the Receiving Party may file the

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information in the public record pursuant to Civil Local Rule 141 unless otherwise instructed by

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the court.
12.4

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Waiver. No action taken in accordance with this Protective Order shall be

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construed as a waiver of any claim or defense in the action or of any position as to discoverability

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or admissibility of evidence. Neither the entry of this Order nor the designation of any

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information as “Confidential,” nor the failure to make such designation, shall constitute evidence

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with respect to any issue in this action.
12.5

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The Court retains the right to allow disclosure of any subject covered by this

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stipulation or to modify this stipulation at any time in the interest of justice.

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13.

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FINAL DISPOSITION
Within 60 days after the final disposition of this action, as defined in paragraph 4, each

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Receiving Party must return all Protected Material to the Producing Party or destroy such material.

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As used in this subdivision, “all Protected Material” includes all copies, abstracts, compilations,

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summaries, and any other format reproducing or capturing any of the Protected Material. Whether
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the Protected Material is returned or destroyed, the Receiving Party must submit a written

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certification to the Producing Party (and, if not the same person or entity, to the Designating Party)

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by the 60 day deadline that (1) identifies (by category, where appropriate) all the Protected

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Material that was returned or destroyed and (2)affirms that the Receiving Party has not retained

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any copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries or any other format reproducing or capturing any

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of the Protected Material. Notwithstanding this provision, Counsel are entitled to retain an archival

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copy of all pleadings, motion papers, trial, deposition, and hearing transcripts, legal memoranda,

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correspondence, deposition and trial exhibits, expert reports, attorney work product, and

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consultant and expert work product, even if such materials contain Protected Material. Any such

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archival copies that contain or constitute Protected Material remain subject to this Protective Order

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as set forth in Section 4 (DURATION).

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IT IS SO STIPULATED, THROUGH COUNSEL OF RECORD.

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Dated: February 23, 2015

/s/ Mark F Anderson
Mark F. Anderson
Anderson, Ogilvie & Brewer, LLP
Attorney for Plaintiff

Dated: February 23, 2015

/s/ Alyssa M. Staudinger
JONES DAY
Attorneys for Defendant Experian Information Solutions, Inc.

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PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated: February 24, 2015

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EXHIBIT A

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND

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I, _____________________________ [print or type full name], of _________________ [print or

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type full address], declare under penalty of perjury that I have read in its entirety and understand

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the Stipulated Protective Order that was issued by the United States District Court for the Northern

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District of California on [date] in the case of ___________ [insert formal name of the case and

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the number and initials assigned to it by the court]. I agree to comply with and to be bound by

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all the terms of this Stipulated Protective Order and I understand and acknowledge that failure to

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so comply could expose me to sanctions and punishment in the nature of contempt. I solemnly

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promise that I will not disclose in any manner any information or item that is subject to this

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Stipulated Protective Order to any person or entity except in strict compliance with the provisions

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of this Order.

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I further agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Northern

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District of California for the purpose of enforcing the terms of this Stipulated Protective Order,

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even if such enforcement proceedings occur after termination of this action.

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I hereby appoint __________________________ [print or type full name] of

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_______________________________________ [print or type full address and telephone number]

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as my California agent for service of process in connection with this action or any proceedings

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related to enforcement of this Stipulated Protective Order.

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Date: ______________________________________

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City and State where sworn and signed: _________________________________

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Printed name: _______________________________

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Signature: __________________________________

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