Disney Enterprises, Inc. et al v. Hotfile Corp. et al

Filing 127

ORDER granting 91 Motion to Authorize Use of Categorical Privilege Logs. Signed by Judge Adalberto Jordan on 8/26/2011. (lh)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
MIAMI DIVISION
CASE NO. 11-20427-CIV-JORDAN
DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC. et al.,

)
)
Plaintiffs
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vs.
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)
HOTFILE CORP. et al.,
)
Defendants
)
____________________________________ )
ORDER ON MOTION TO AUTHORIZE USE OF CATEGORICAL PRIVILEGE LOGS
Disney Enterprises, Inc.’s, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation’s, Universal City
Studios Productions LLLP’s, Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.’s, Warner Bros. Enternatinment
Inc.’s, and non-party Motion Pictures Association of America, Inc.’s motions to authorize use of
categorical privilege logs [D.E. 91 & 97] are GRANTED .
The movie studios claim to have over 5000 privileged documents. Instead of producing
detailed privilege logs containing all 5000 documents, the movie studios request that they be allowed
to produce privilege logs containing categories of privileged documents. Usually, when a party
claims that a document is privileged, that party must “describe the nature of the documents,
communications, or tangible things not produced or disclosed—and do so in a manner that, without
revealing information itself privileged or protected, will enable other parties to assess the claim.”
FED . R. CIV . P. 26(b)(5)(A)(ii). Nonetheless, the Advisory Committee Notes recognize that this is
not a strict, inflexible rule. “Details concerning time, persons, general subject matter, etc., may be
appropriate if only a few items are withheld, but may be unduly burdensome when voluminous
documents are claimed to be privileged or protected, particularly if the items can be described by
categories.” FED . R. CIV . P. 26 1993 amend. advisory committee’s note 1993 amend. I use my
discretion to allow the movie studios to provide privilege logs containing categories of privileged
documents. See Republic Servs. v. Am. Int’l Specialty Lines Ins., No. 07-cv-21991, 2008 WL
4691836, at *2–3 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 21, 2008) (McAliley, Mag.) (allowing categories of privileged
documents where party had 2500 privileged documents).

The movie studios are instructed to provide categorical logs with categories detailed enough
to allow Hotfile, Inc. and Anton Titov to evaluate the claims of privilege. The categories should
include the number of documents withheld. If, after receiving the detailed categories, Hotfile and Mr.
Titov still believe they cannot intelligently evaluate the privilege logs, they may move for more
detailed privileged logs.
DONE

and ORDERED in chambers in Miami, Florida, this 26th day of August, 2011.

_______________________
Adalberto Jordan
United States District Judge
Copy to:

All counsel of record

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