Spectrum Dynamics Medical Limited v. General Electric Company
- Vernon Broderick
- 1:18-cv-11386
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Spectrum Dynamics Medical v. General Electric, Judge Broderick granted a request to seal two exhibits containing alleged trade-secret information.
The parties, particularly the plaintiffs whose alleged trade-secret information was in Exhibits B and C, and members of the public seeking access to those exhibits.
What happened
Spectrum Dynamics Medical Limited v. General Electric Company involved a request to seal Exhibits B and C to a joint chart of disputed claim terms.
The parties said the exhibits contained alleged trade-secret information that had been marked highly confidential under a protective order. They argued that sealing was justified to prevent possible competitive harm and that the request was narrowly limited.
Judge Vernon S. Broderick granted the application, allowing Exhibits B and C to be filed under seal. The order did not address the underlying dispute.
The detailed version
- Spectrum Dynamics Medical Limited v. General Electric Company · No. 1:18-cv-11386
- Vernon Broderick
- Mar. 8, 2021
Background
The parties submitted a letter asking the court to allow Exhibits B and C to the Joint Disputed Claim Terms Chart to be filed under seal. The request cited Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2(e), the judge’s individual practice rules, a stipulated confidentiality and protective order, and applicable Southern District of New York filing rules.
Arguments in Support of Sealing
The letter stated that the exhibits contained the plaintiffs’ alleged trade-secret information, which the plaintiffs had designated as “Highly Confidential — Attorneys’ Eyes Only” under the protective order. The parties argued that the presumption that court records should be publicly accessible could be overcome to protect confidential business information from competitive injury. They also said the request was narrowly tailored and would not deprive the public of access to critical information.
Ruling
Judge Vernon S. Broderick marked the application “GRANTED” and ordered it. The ruling granted the request to file Exhibits B and C under seal. The text provided does not rule on the underlying claims or decide whether the information is in fact a trade secret.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.