Seattle Pacific Industries, Inc v. S3 Holding LLC et al

Filing 32

ORDER denying plaintiff's 24 Motion to Seal; directing Clerk to UNSEAL Dkts. 28 and 29 . Signed by Judge Robert S. Lasnik. (SWT)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
AT SEATTLE

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SEATTLE PACIFIC INDUSTRIES,
INC.,
Plaintiff,

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v.
S3 HOLDING LLC, et al.,

Case No. C18-0224RSL
ORDER DENYING MOTION TO
SEAL

Defendants.

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This matter comes before the Court on “Plaintiff’s Motion to Seal.” Dkt. # 24.

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Pursuant to the procedure set forth in LCR 5(g)(3), plaintiff filed the motion to seal only

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because defendant had designated the information confidential under the protective order

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entered in this case. Plaintiff does not believe the information is confidential, and

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defendant has not provided the necessary statement of applicable law and fact that would

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justify a seal.

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“There is a strong presumption of public access to the court’s files.” LCR 5(g). In

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order to override the common law right to inspect and copy public documents, “a party

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seeking to seal judicial records must show that compelling reasons supported by specific

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factual findings outweigh the general history of access and the public policies favoring

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ORDER DENYING MOTION TO SEAL - 1

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disclosure.” Pintos v. Pac. Creditors Ass’n, 605 F.3d 665, 678 (9th Cir. 2010) (internal

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quotation marks and alterations omitted). Neither party has attempted to make such a

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showing, and the Court finds that a party’s unilateral designation of a document as

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“confidential” during discovery does not, in and of itself, justify a seal. The motion (Dkt.

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# 24) is therefore DENIED. The Clerk of Court is directed to unseal Dkt. # 28 and # 29.

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Dated this 12th day of December, 2018.

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A

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Robert S. Lasnik
United States District Judge

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ORDER DENYING MOTION TO SEAL - 2