Spectrum Dynamics Medical Limited v. General Electric Company et al

Filing 506

ORDER granting 504 Letter Motion to Seal. APPLICATION GRANTED. SO ORDERED.. (Signed by Judge Vernon S. Broderick on 8/10/2022) (kv)

Case 1:18-cv-11386-VSB-KHP Document 506 Filed 08/10/22 Page 1 of 2

August 10, 2022
VIA ECF
Hon. Vernon S. Broderick
United States District Court
Southern District of New York
Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse
40 Foley Square, Room 415
New York, New York 10007

08/10/22

Re: Spectrum Dynamics Medical Limited v. General Electric Company, et al.,
Case No.: 18-cv-11386 (VSB)
Dear Judge Broderick:
We represent Defendants in the above-referenced action. We write pursuant to Rule 5.B of
Your Honor’s Individual Rules & Practices in Civil Cases and the Order dated August 3, 2022
(Doc. 503) to respectfully request that transcript of the April 29, 2022 Markman hearing be filed
on the public docket with redactions of information that the parties have designated Highly
Confidential or Confidential under the parties’ Stipulated Confidentiality and Protective Order (the
“Protective Order”) (Doc. 156). The parties jointly respectfully request that before the transcript
is made publicly available, the court reporter be directed to redact the passages highlighted on
pages 16, 19, 26-27, 32, and 54-55, as set forth in Exhibit 1 hereto.
The presumption of public access to judicial documents can be overcome if countervailing
factors warrant confidentiality. See Lugosch v. Pyramid Co. of Onondaga, 435 F.3d 110, 120 (2d
Cir. 2006); see also Nixon v. Warner Commc’ns Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 598 (1978). Sealing of records
may be justified to preserve “higher values,” including the need to protect an entity from
competitive injury. Lugosch, 435 F.3d at 124; see also Tropical Sails Corp. v. Yext, Inc., No. 14cv-7582, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49029, at *10–11 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 12) (risk of “competitive injury
is sufficiently serious to warrant protection” of proprietary business information). Consistent with
this, courts routinely permit sealing and redaction of competitively sensitive proprietary business
information or information subject to a claim of privilege. See, e.g., Louis Vuitton Malletier S.A.
v. Sunny Merch. Corp., 97 F. Supp. 3d 485, 511 (S.D.N.Y. 2015); Encyclopedia Brown Prods.,
Ltd. v. Home Box Office, Inc., 26 F. Supp. 2d 606, 614 (S.D.N.Y. 1998); see also Nixon, 435 U.S.
at 598 (recognizing need to seal information that might “harm a litigant’s competitive standing”).
Here, the discussions in the transcript information that is assertedly competitively sensitive
and proprietary information of one or both parties and, if disclosed, could pose a substantial risk
of harm. This is the sort of sensitive information that courts consistently protect from disclosure.
See, e.g., Ferring B.V. v. Allergan, Inc., No. 12-cv-2650, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 150239, at *16
(S.D.N.Y. Sep. 7) (sealing documents containing proprietary information); Encyclopedia Brown,
26 F. Supp. 2d at 612 (sealing documents reflecting sensitive trade secret information).

[e-mail] Fax: [phone] Phone: [phone]

Case 1:18-cv-11386-VSB-KHP Document 506 Filed 08/10/22 Page 2 of 2

Page 2

The parties’ request is narrowly tailored to protect highly confidential information and does
not deprive the public of access to critical information. For these reasons, the parties’ respectfully
request that the Court permit the requested redactions in the transcript of the April 29, 2022
Markman hearing.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Jesse Jenike-Godshalk
THOMPSON HINE LLP
Marla R. Butler
Two Alliance Center
3560 Lenox Road NE, Suite 1600
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
Tel.: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
Brian Lanciault
335 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor
New York, New York 10017
Tel.: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
Attorneys for Defendants
General Electric Company, GE Healthcare,
Inc., GE Medical Systems Israel Ltd., JeanPaul Bouhnik, Sergio Steinfeld,
Arie Eshco, and Nathan Hermony and for NonParty Yaron Hefetz
cc: All Counsel of Record via ECF
encl.

Jesse Jenike-Godshalk (pro hac vice)
312 Walnut Street, Suite 2000
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Tel.: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

Jeffrey Metzcar
Discovery Place
10050 Innovation Drive
Miamisburg, Ohio 45342
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]