The opinion
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4 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
5 NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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7 CHASOM BROWN, et al., Case No. 20-cv-03664-LHK (SVK)
8 Plaintiffs,
ORDER ON ADMINISTRATIVE
9 v. MOTION TO FILE UNDER SEAL
10 GOOGLE LLC, Re: Dkt. No. 295
11 Defendant.
12 Before the Court is Google’s administrative motion to file under seal portions of the
13 Parties’ joint letter brief regarding their privilege log dispute. Dkt. No. 295.
14 Courts recognize a “general right to inspect and copy public records and documents,
15 including judicial records and documents.” Kamakana v. City & Cnty. Of Honolulu, 447 F.3d
16 1172, 1178 (9th Cir. 2006) (quoting Nixon v. Warner Communs., Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 597 & n.7
17 (1978)). A request to seal court records therefore starts with a “strong presumption in favor of
18 access.” Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1178 (quoting Foltz v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 331 F.3d
19 1122, 1135 (9th Cir. 2003)). The standard for overcoming the presumption of public access to
court records depends on the purpose for which the records are filed with the court. A party
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seeking to seal court records relating to motions that are “more than tangentially related to the
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underlying cause of action” must demonstrate “compelling reasons” that support secrecy. Ctr. For
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Auto Safety v. Chrysler Grp., 809 F.3d 1092, 1099 (9th Cir. 2016). For records attached to
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motions that re “not related, or only tangentially related, to the merits of the case,” the lower
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“good cause” standard of Rule 26(c) applies. Id.; see also Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1179. A party
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moving to seal court records must also comply with the procedures established by Civil Local
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Rule 79-5.
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1 Here, the “good cause” standard applies because the information the parties seek to seal
2 || was submitted to the Court in connection with a discovery-related motion, rather than a motion
3 || that concerns the merits of the case. The Court may reach different conclusions regarding sealing
4 || these documents under different standards or in a different context. Having considered the motion
5 to seal, supporting declaration, and the pleadings on file, and good cause appearing, the Court
6 || ORDERS as follows:
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Court’s Ruling
8 on Motion to Reason(s) for Court’s Ruling
Sealed Seal
9 Joint Submission GRANTED as to Narrowly tailored to protect
redacted portions at | confidential and proprietary
10 . . . ,
pages 3, 4 information regarding Google’s
11 internal systems and operations,
including details related to internal
a identifiers and projects, that Google
maintains as confidential in the
13 ordinary course of its business and
14 is not generally known to the public
or Google’s competitors.
SO ORDERED.
a 16 Dated: October 27, 2021
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Z 18
19 SUSAN VAN KEULEN
United States Magistrate Judge
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