National Products, Inc. v. Arkon Resources, Inc.

Filing 130

ORDER denying Plaintiff's 117 Motion to Seal, by Judge Robert S. Lasnik.The Clerk of Court is directed to unseal Dkt. 118 . (SWT)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
AT SEATTLE
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Plaintiff,
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v.
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ARKON RESOURCES, INC.,
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Defendant.
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_________________________________ )
NATIONAL PRODUCTS, INC.,

No. C15-1553RSL
ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S
MOTION TO SEAL

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This matter comes before the Court on plaintiff’s “Motion to Seal Documents Related to

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its Reply in Support of its Motions in Limine.” Dkt. # 117. Although plaintiff is the moving

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party, it takes no position on the whether the documents designated as confidential by Arkon

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should remain sealed. Arkon has not responded to this motion.

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“There is a strong presumption of public access to the court’s files,” and the party who

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designates a document as confidential must identify “the applicable legal standard and the

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reasons for keeping a document.” LCR 5(g). In its motion, National Products simply notes that

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the documents were designated as confidential during discovery. Neither plaintiff nor Arkon has

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attempted to justify the designation or the proposed seal. A party’s unilateral designation of a

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document as “confidential” does not, in and of itself, establish the necessary showing under LCR

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5(g). In the absence of any discussion regarding the actual confidentiality of the information, the

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ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S
MOTION TO SEAL

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possible implications of public disclosure, and the public’s interest in access to these records, the

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Court will not assume that a seal is justified.

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For all of the foregoing reasons, the motion to seal (Dkt. # 117) is DENIED. The Clerk of
Court is directed to unseal Dkt. # 118.

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Dated this 11th day of May, 2017.

A
Robert S. Lasnik

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United States District Judge

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ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S
MOTION TO SEAL

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