Bell Semiconductor, LLC v. ASMedia Technology, Inc.
- Valerie Caproni
- 1:22-cv-09260
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Bell Semiconductor v. ASMedia, Judge Caproni granted ASMedia’s motion to seal redactions protecting unit-sales and customer information.
ASMedia Technology, Inc., whose confidential unit-sales and customer information was protected from public disclosure; Bell Semiconductor, LLC, which consented to redacting the company name in the proposed text.
What happened
In Bell Semiconductor, LLC v. ASMedia Technology, Inc., ASMedia asked to file redacted versions of its motion-to-dismiss memorandum and a supporting declaration by Jerry Wang. The requested redactions concerned specific unit-sales information and a specific customer.
ASMedia argued that disclosure could cause permanent competitive harm because competitors could use the information. Bell Semiconductor consented to redacting the company name in the proposed text.
Judge Caproni granted ASMedia’s motion to seal, adopting the reasoning from an earlier order that allowed ASMedia to seal the same information. The ruling permitted the requested protection for confidential business information.
The detailed version
- Bell Semiconductor, LLC v. ASMedia Technology, Inc. · No. 1:22-cv-09260
- Valerie Caproni
- Mar. 6, 2023
Background
ASMedia Technology, Inc. asked the court for permission to file redacted versions of its memorandum supporting a motion to dismiss and a declaration by Jerry Wang. The proposed redactions concerned specific unit-sales information and the identity of a specific customer associated with those sales. Bell Semiconductor, LLC consented to redacting the company name in the text identified by ASMedia.
Reasoning
ASMedia argued that the information was sensitive commercial information and that competitors could use it to cause competitive injury. The application cited decisions recognizing that confidential business information may be sealed when disclosure could harm a party’s competitive strategy. The court’s order states that it adopted the same reasoning used in an earlier order granting ASMedia’s motion to seal the same information.
Disposition
The court granted ASMedia’s motion to seal the requested information and ordered that the proposed redacted versions could be filed. Judge Valerie E. Caproni signed the order.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.