UrthTech LLC v. Gojo Industries, Inc.

Background

GOJO Industries, Inc., the defendant, asked the court to seal a GOJO-created PowerPoint presentation identified as UrthTech_0012459 and Awad Dep. Ex. 25. GOJO identified the public filings at issue as ECF 171-10 and pages 75–124 of ECF 174-4.

According to GOJO’s application, proposed intervenor Dr. Aziz C. Awad provided the presentation and other materials to the court’s Pro Se Intake Unit with a request to upload them to the docket. GOJO said it had designated the presentation confidential under the parties’ protective order and had not authorized its public filing. GOJO also said that its counsel tried to contact the intake unit, then asked Dr. Awad to make the request directly. The presentation was ultimately filed publicly and remained on the docket.

Sealing request

GOJO described the presentation as a 50-page document containing information about its products, product testing, internal business matters, and sensitive competitive and strategic analysis. It argued that public access would give a significant advantage to competitors that did not already know or use the information.

GOJO relied on the public-access standard discussed in Lugosch v. Pyramid Co., under which access to court records may be restricted when countervailing factors or higher values justify sealing. GOJO also cited authority concerning trade secrets, confidential business strategy, financial information, and other sensitive information that could place a party at a competitive disadvantage.

Ruling

On August 21, 2025, Judge P. Kevin Castel ordered: “Application to seal provisionally GRANTED.” The opinion does not provide additional reasoning or state whether the provisional sealing order was later made final. It also does not state any ruling on the underlying dispute or on Dr. Awad’s motion to intervene.