Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC v. MaxLinear, Inc.

Nature of the Provided Filing

The provided text is a letter from MaxLinear's counsel, not a court opinion or order deciding the request. MaxLinear asks the court to keep permanently under seal specified portions of Comcast's motion to dismiss MaxLinear's counterclaims and Exhibit 8 to a supporting declaration.

Background

The letter states that Comcast filed a request for permission to seal and redact portions of its motion and Exhibit 8. It further states that the court temporarily sealed the redacted materials on January 29, 2024.

MaxLinear identifies the proposed sealed material as a presentation it gave Comcast in December 2020 about FDX amplifier technology, along with limited portions of Comcast's motion that describe or reproduce information from the presentation. According to the letter, the presentation was made under an active nondisclosure agreement and contains confidential technical designs, diagrams, descriptions, and performance-testing information. MaxLinear says the information forms part of the basis for its trade-secret counterclaims and defenses.

Legal Standard Described in the Letter

The letter explains that judicial documents generally carry a presumption of public access, although that presumption is not absolute. It describes a three-step analysis: whether the material is a judicial document, how strong the public-access presumption is, and whether countervailing interests outweigh that presumption. The letter relies on authorities stating that protecting trade secrets and confidential business information can justify sealing court materials.

Requested Relief and Disposition

MaxLinear requests that the court order the identified trade-secret information to remain permanently under seal. The provided text does not include an order granting, denying, or otherwise disposing of that request. It reports only that the materials had been temporarily sealed before the letter was submitted.