Waymo LLC v. Uber Technologies, Inc. et al

Filing 550

ORDER by Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley granting in part and denying in part #444 Administrative Motion to File Under Seal; granting in part and denying in part #458 Administrative Motion to File Under Seal; granting in part and denying in part #510 Administrative Motion to File Under Seal; granting in part and denying in part #523 Administrative Motion to File Under Seal. (ahm, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 6/5/2017)

Case 3:17-cv-00939-WHA Document 550 Filed 06/05/17 Page 1 of 4

1
2
3
4
5
6

7
8
9

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

10

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

United States District Court
Northern District of California

11
12

WAYMO LLC,
Plaintiff,

13

14
15
16

Case No.17-cv-00939-WHA (JSC)

v.
UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC., et al.,
Defendants.

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND
DENYING IN PART
ADMINISTRATIVE MOTIONS TO
FILE UNDER SEAL
Re: Dkt. Nos. 444, 458, 510, 523

17
18

Discovery in this action has been referred to the undersigned magistrate judge. The parties

19

have sought to file portions of their discovery related motions and exhibits thereto under seal. This

20

Order addresses the parties’ administrative motions to file under seal filed in connection with Plaintiff

21

Waymo LLC’s motion to compel production of withheld documents. (Dkt. No. 321.) After carefully

22

considering the parties’ submissions, the motions are GRANTED in part and DENIED in part for the

23

reasons set forth below.

24
25

DISCUSSION
There is a presumption of public access to judicial records and documents. Nixon v. Warner

26

Commc’ns, Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 597 (1978). “It is well-established that the fruits of pre-trial discovery

27

are, in the absence of a court order to the contrary, presumptively public. [Federal Rule of Civil

28

Procedure] 26(c) authorizes a district court to override this presumption where ‘good cause’ is shown.”

Case 3:17-cv-00939-WHA Document 550 Filed 06/05/17 Page 2 of 4

1

San Jose Mercury News, Inc. v. U.S. Dist. Ct., 187 F.3d 1096, 1103 (9th Cir. 1999). Sealing is

2

appropriate only where the requesting party “establishes that the document, or portions thereof is

3

privileged or protectable as a trade secret or otherwise entitled to protection under the law.” N.D. Cal.

4

Civ. L.R. 79–5(a). A party must “narrowly tailor” its request to sealable material only. Id.

5

Plaintiff filed three administrative motions to seal in connection with the motion to

6

compel. (Dkt. Nos. 444, 458, 523.) For each motion, Plaintiff seeks sealing of documents

7

designated as confidential by Defendant Uber. Under Civil Local Rule 79-5(e)(1) Defendant was

8

therefore required within “4 days of the filing of the Administrative Motion to File Under Seal...

9

[to file] a declaration as required by subsection 79-5(d)(1)(A) establishing that all of the

10

designated material is sealable.” Defendant has also filed a motion to seal. (Dkt. No. 510.)
A.

United States District Court
Northern District of California

11

Plaintiff’s Reply Brief and Exhibits thereto (Dkt. No. 444)
Defendant’s Motion to Seal the Term Sheet (Dkt. No. 510)

12

Plaintiff filed an administrative motion to file under seal portions of its Reply in Support of

13

14

its Motion to Compel Production of Withheld Documents (“Reply Brief) and Exhibits 9-11 of the

15

Declaration of Patrick Schmidt (“Schmidt Decl.”). (Dkt. No. 444.) Exhibit 9 is the February 22,

16

2016 Term Sheet (Dkt. No. 444-5), Exhibit 10 is an “Indemnification Agreement” (Dkt. No. 444-

17

6), and Exhibit 11 is entitled Exhibit A “Post-Signing Specified Bad Acts.” (Dkt. No. 444-7.)

18

Defendant submitted a declaration in support of the request for sealing arguing that portions of the

19

Reply and Exhibit 9, as well as the entirety of Exhibits 10 and 11, contain highly sensitive

20

business information that Uber’s competitors could use to its detriment. (Dkt. No. 488 at 2-31.)

21

Defendant argues that if such information were made public, Uber’s competitive standing could be

22

harmed. (Id.) In addition, Defendant argues that portions of Exhibit 9 discuss Uber’s propriety

23

designs and market strategy information. (Id. at 3.)

24

Following the hearing on Plaintiff’s motion to compel, the Court Ordered Defendant to file an

25

unredacted version of the February 22, 2016 Term Sheet. (Dkt. No. 509.) Defendant has done so and

26

seeks leave to file the entire document under seal, even though it did not seek to seal the entire

27
1

28

Record citations are to material in the Electronic Case File (“ECF”); pinpoint citations are to the
ECF-generated page numbers at the top of the documents.
2

Case 3:17-cv-00939-WHA Document 550 Filed 06/05/17 Page 3 of 4

1

document in connection with Plaintiff’s Reply Brief. (Dkt. Nos. 488, 510.) Defendant contends that

2

sealing is appropriate because the Term Sheet “contains non-public, highly confidential

3

information relating to acquisition agreements of Uber, including highly confidential business

4

information relating to Uber’s (a privately held corporation) corporate structure and highly

5

confidential information relating to terms of the agreements.” (Dkt. No. 510 at 2.) Defendant

6

argues that this information “could be used by competitors to Uber’s detriment, including in the

7

context of negotiating business deals.” (Id.) Finally, Defendant argues that the Term Sheet

8

“discusses Uber’s proprietary and highly confidential designs for Uber’s custom LiDAR system

9

and Uber’s detailed market strategy information,” and that if such information were available to

10

the public, “Uber’s competitive standing could be significantly harmed.” (Id.)

United States District Court
Northern District of California

11

At a minimum, the Court will not seal the portions of the Term Sheet that Uber did not

12

seek to seal in connection with Waymo’s Reply Brief, as those portions of the Term Sheet are

13

already public. (Dkt. No. 488-1.) To the extent Uber seeks to seal these previously disclosed

14

portions, the motion is DENIED.

15

In addition, the Court has reviewed the Term Sheet and concludes that it contains some

16

confidential business information for which sealing is appropriate; however, Exhibit C to the Term

17

Sheet is squarely relevant to the issues presently before the Court and Uber has not demonstrated

18

good cause to seal the exhibit. This information does not reveal Uber’s confidential corporate

19

structure, is not marketing strategy, and is not technical. And Defendant’s declaration in support

20

of sealing does not explain how any of the information in Exhibit C could be used by Uber’s

21

competitors in the context of negotiating business deals.

22

Accordingly, the Court:

23

1. DENIES sealing of any portion of the Term Sheet which Uber previously publicly filed

24
25

(Dkt. No. 488-1);
2. DENIES sealing of Exhibit C to the Term Sheet and its Attachments except for the

26

following which may be sealed: (1) the indented paragraph on page 2 beginning with “If the

27

Closing occurs . . . .” (Dkt. No. 510-3 at 51); and (2) the timing referenced in the last paragraph

28

on the same page;
3

Case 3:17-cv-00939-WHA Document 550 Filed 06/05/17 Page 4 of 4

1

3.

GRANTS sealing of the remainder of the Term Sheet; and

2

4.

DENIES sealing of Exhibits 10 and 11 and the redacted portions of the Reply brief.

3

B.

Plaintiff’s May 17, 2017 Letter Brief and Exhibit 1 thereto (Dkt. No. 458)

4

Plaintiff also filed a motion to file under seal portions of its May 17, 2017 letter brief

5

opposing Defendants’ Request to File a Sur-Reply in Opposition to Waymo’s Motion to Compel

6

(“Letter Brief”) and Exhibit 1 thereto. (Dkt. No. 458.) Defendant filed a declaration in support of

7

Plaintiff’s administrative motion arguing that portions of these documents contain confidential,

8

sensitive business information that could be used to Uber’s detriment by its competitors. (Dkt.

9

No. 489.) The confidential business information refers to the same “bad acts” indemnification that
the Court declines to seal in connection with the February 22, 2016 Term Sheet. The motion to

11
United States District Court
Northern District of California

10

seal is therefore DENIED.

12

3) Plaintiff’s Supplemental Brief in Support of the Motion to Compel (Dkt. No. 523)

13

Plaintiff filed an administrative motion to file under seal portions of its Supplemental Brief

14

in Support of its Motion to Compel Production of Withheld Documents (“Supplemental Brief”)

15

and Exhibits 12-13 of the Schmidt Decl. (Dkt. No. 523.) Defendant has not yet filed a declaration

16

in support of sealing and has until June 5 to do so. The Court will therefore address this motion to

17

seal by separate order.

18
19

CONCLUSION
For the reasons stated above, the parties’ administrative motions to file under seal are

20

GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. The parties shall file public versions of their briefs and

21

exhibits consistent with this Order by no later than June 12, 2017. See N.D. Cal. Civ. L.R. 79-5(f)(3).

22

This Order disposes of Docket Nos. 444, 458 and 510.

23

IT IS SO ORDERED.

24

Dated: June 5, 2017

25
26
JACQUELINE SCOTT CORLEY
United States Magistrate Judge

27
28
4