North Star IP Holdings, LLC v. Icon Trade Services LLC

Background

North Star IP Holdings, LLC and third-party defendants Jalapeno Pizza Holdings LLC and Jalapeno Pizza LLC, referred to in the letter as the RM Defendants, requested that portions of their summary-judgment motion and their opposition to Icon Trade Services LLC’s summary-judgment motion be filed under seal. Redacted versions had been filed publicly, while the unredacted versions were to be filed under seal. Icon did not oppose the motion and joined some portions of the request.

Information at Issue

The requested redactions covered excerpts from deposition testimony and documents. The information included royalty percentages and unpaid royalties under sublicense agreements; the RM Defendants’ debt to Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Inc.; purchase prices and other financial details concerning a secured-party bill of sale; ownership information for Rebecca Minkoff Holding Company, LLC; identities of third parties who discussed purchasing assets; comparisons of purchase-price offers; and ownership interests and confidential financial contract terms involving North Star and third parties. The parties argued that the information was confidential, had limited relevance to the court’s decision on the summary-judgment motion, and in some instances implicated the privacy interests of nonparties.

Ruling

The court granted temporarily the parties’ letter-motions to seal, identified as ECF Nos. 112 and 120. The court stated that it would assess whether to keep the materials sealed or redacted when deciding the underlying motion. The clerk was directed to terminate ECF No. 112. The opinion does not make a final determination about whether the materials would remain sealed or redacted.