VLSI Technology LLC v. Intel Corporation

Background

The court considered two motions by Intel Corporation to seal portions of documents submitted with its motions concerning expert opinions. The documents were Intel’s opposition to VLSI Technology LLC’s motion to strike certain opinions of Intel’s technical experts and related exhibits, and Intel’s opposition to VLSI’s motion to exclude damages opinions of Intel’s experts and related exhibits.

The expert opinions addressed infringement and invalidity of the patents at issue, as well as damages for alleged infringement. Because the materials were more than tangentially related to the merits of the case, the court applied the “compelling reasons” standard for sealing judicial records.

Court’s Analysis

Intel argued that the material should remain confidential because it included process recipes and technical information concerning the design and operation of accused features. Intel asserted that disclosure could place it at a competitive disadvantage in future product development and business dealings.

The court found compelling reasons to seal the highlighted portions. It also found that the requests were narrowly tailored. The court noted that Intel had not complied with the court’s standing order requiring a separate chart identifying each document, the portions to be sealed, and the reasons for sealing. The court nevertheless overlooked that failure for these motions and warned that future failures could result in denial of a motion to seal with prejudice.

Disposition

The court granted Intel’s motion to seal at ECF No. 559 and granted Intel’s motion to seal at ECF No. 563. The portions identified as green boxed portions in the filings and exhibits were approved for sealing. The parties were instructed to file redacted copies of the documents as soon as feasible in accordance with ECF No. 607. This order addressed access to filings and did not resolve the underlying patent claims.