Skillz Platform Inc. v. AviaGames Inc.

Background

Skillz Platform Inc. filed an administrative motion concerning whether another party’s material should be sealed in connection with Skillz’s notice to correct the record. Skillz identified the notice and related exhibits as containing information that AviaGames Inc. had designated as highly confidential.

Legal standard

The court explained that judicial records connected more than tangentially to a case’s merits generally may be sealed only for compelling reasons. Materials only tangentially related to the merits may be sealed on a showing of good cause. The court determined that Skillz’s notice to correct the record was only tangentially related to the merits, so it applied the good-cause standard.

Under Civil Local Rule 79-5(f), when a party seeks to seal material because another party designated it confidential, the designating party must file a statement or declaration supporting sealing within seven days. A failure to do so may result in unsealing the provisionally sealed material without further notice.

Ruling

As of the order, AviaGames had not filed the required supporting statement or declaration. The court therefore denied sealing for the entire documents identified as ECF Nos. 255-4, 255-5, 255-6, 255-7, 255-8, and 255-9. The order states that these denials were without prejudice to AviaGames filing a supporting statement or declaration within 10 days. The court also noted that any redactions must be narrowly tailored.

The court denied Skillz Platform Inc.’s administrative motion without prejudice.