True Spec Golf LLC v. Club Champion LLC

Background

Club Champion LLC, the defendant, filed a letter motion requesting an informal conference and entry of a protective order. It also asked to seal Exhibits B through F and H. The opinion text is primarily Club Champion’s letter explaining that those exhibits contained confidential information.

Materials at Issue

Exhibit B contained excerpts from the deposition transcript of Club Champion co-founder Nick Sherburne concerning confidential connector samples. Exhibits C and H contained photographs of Club Champion’s confidential connectors. Exhibits D and E described those connectors. Exhibit F was correspondence from Club Champion’s counsel to plaintiffs’ counsel that included production timeframes for the connectors. Club Champion said these materials had been designated confidential and, for some materials, “ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.”

Sealing Standards and Arguments

Club Champion described the three-step analysis used for sealing requests: whether the material is a judicial document, the strength of the public-access presumption, and the balance between public access and competing interests. It argued that the exhibits were supporting materials rather than a memorandum of law, so the presumption of access was lower, and that protecting sensitive, nonpublic technical information outweighed public access. The letter also stated that clean copies of the materials would be sent to the judge’s chambers.

Ruling

Judge Katherine Polk Failla’s order states: “Application GRANTED.” The order therefore granted the application to file the specified exhibits under seal. The text provided does not state whether the court granted or denied the separate request for an informal conference or protective order, and it does not address the merits of the underlying dispute.