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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
SAN FRANCISCO JUDICIAL DISTRICT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, et al.,
Plaintiffs,
v.
ORACLE CORPORATION,
Defendant.
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CASE NO. C 04-0807 VRW
Filed: Feb. 26, 2004
STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER
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In the interest of ensuring an efficient and prompt resolution of this action
and of protecting confidential information from improper disclosure, the undersigned
hereby stipulate, subject to approval and entry by the Court, to the following Protective
Order issued pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. Proc. R. 26(c):
A. DEFINITIONS
- As used herein:
- "This action" means the above-captioned action pending in
this Court, including any related discovery, pretrial, trial,
post-trial, or appellate proceedings.
- "Party" means a plaintiff or a defendant in this action.
- "Protected third party" means a non-party that produced or
produces any investigation material or litigation material to
a party.
- "Investigation material" means any information, documents,
testimony, declarations, oral examination transcripts,
depositions, presentations, or other materials produced to a
party in connection with plaintiff Department of Justice's or
plaintiff States' investigations of the matters at issue in this
action, regardless of whether those materials are produced
voluntarily or in response to a Civil Investigative Demand,
subpoena, or other formal or informal discovery process.
- "Litigation material" means information, documents,
testimony, declarations, oral examination transcripts,
depositions, presentations, or any other materials produced
to a party in connection with this action, regardless of
whether those materials are produced voluntarily or in
response to a Civil Investigative Demand, subpoena, or
other formal or informal discovery process.
- "Confidential information" means any party's or protected
third party's trade secret or other confidential research,
development, or commercial information, as such terms are
used in Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c)(7).
- "Protected information" means information designated as
"HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" under paragraphs 2, below.
- "Produce" means directly or indirectly show, divulge,
reveal, disclose, describe, transmit, publish or otherwise
communicate, in whole or in part.
- "Document" is defined as the term is used in Fed. R. Civ.
P. 34(a).
B. DESIGNATION OF PROTECTED INFORMATION
- A party or protected third party may designate as "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" any
investigation materials or litigation materials it produced or produces, either
voluntarily or pursuant to discovery in this action, to any party in connection with this
action, to the extent such information constitutes confidential information as defined in
this Order. Such designations shall constitute a representation to the Court that such
party or protected person (and counsel, if any) in good faith believes that the
information so designated constitutes confidential information.
- Investigation materials or litigation materials that a party or protected third person
seeks to designate as "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" in accordance with this Order shall
be designated as such by placing on or affixing to the document or transcript containing
confidential information (in such a manner as will not interfere with the document's
legibility), the designation "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" as appropriate, or any other
appropriate notice, together with an indication of the portion or portions of the
document considered to be confidential information. With respect to electronic
documents, the party or protected third party at the time such information is produced
shall specify in writing the information that is "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL."
Investigation material previously produced to a party shall be designated as "HIGHLY
CONFIDENTIAL" by forwarding a letter to all parties identifying the confidential
information (by ranges of document identification numbers or page and line numbers
where applicable, or other appropriate means) to be so designated. If the entire
document is not confidential, the party or protected third party shall specify the
portions of the document that contains confidential information.
- Within five business days of notice of entry of this Order, any party who previously
produced investigation materials to another party shall designate any such materials as
"HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL," to the extent such information constitutes protected
information as defined in this Order.
- Within three business days of notice of entry of this Order, any party who previously
received investigation materials or litigation materials from any protected third party
will provide a written notice and a copy of this Order to that protected third party, with
a copy of the notice to all other parties. A protected third party may, within ten
business days of receiving notice of this Order from a party, designate any such
materials as "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL," to the extent such information constitutes
protected information as defined in this Order. In the meantime, the parties shall treat
all material as "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" pursuant to this Order.
- Any investigation material delivered to one or more of the plaintiffs prior to the filing
of the Complaint in this action by any party or protected third party may be
presumptively designated, in whole or in part, "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" by the
party or protected third party producing such documents or other information by
communicating such designation to the receiving party. Such designations shall be
communicated to all parties, who shall then treat all such documents or other
information produced by that party or protected third party as "HIGHLY
CONFIDENTIAL."
- All transcripts of depositions taken in this action after the filing of the Complaint shall
be treated as if designated "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" for a period of five business
days after a full and complete copy of the transcript has been available to the deponent
or deponent's counsel. Any deponent or counsel for that deponent or counsel for a
party may designate during the deposition or during the five-day period after the
transcript is available from the court reporter any portion of the transcript as "HIGHLY
CONFIDENTIAL" by denominating by page and line, and by designating any exhibits,
that are to be considered "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL." Such designation shall be
communicated to all parties.
C. DISCLOSURE OF "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" INFORMATION
- Except as otherwise authorized by this Order, information designated as "HIGHLY
CONFIDENTIAL" shall be used only in connection with this action, shall not be
disclosed to any person other than the individuals set forth below, and may be
disclosed only as necessary in connection with this action to the individuals set forth
below:
- The Court and all persons assisting the Court in this action,
including court reporters and stenographic or clerical
personnel;
- Plaintiffs' attorneys and employees, and anyone retained to
assist the plaintiffs in the preparation or trial of this action,
including contract paralegals, secretaries, other
administrative personnel and any persons employed or
retained as data base managers and their employees;
- Defendant's inside counsel of record Dorian Daley and Jeff
Ross, as well as the designated inside counsel's necessary
secretarial, clerical, administrative or support staff, provided
that the inside counsel, secretarial, clerical, administrative or
support staff are not involved in competitive decision
making for the party (i.e., development, marketing or
pricing decisions) as to the subjects of the information
designated as "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL";
- Defendant's outside counsel of record and the employees of
such outside counsel including paralegals, secretaries, and
other administrative personnel and any persons employed
or retained as data base managers and their employees,
provided that such persons are not employed or affiliated in
any other way with any defendant;
- Employees of third-party contractors of the parties involved
solely in providing copying services or litigation support
services such as organizing, filing, coding, converting,
storing, or retrieving material connected with this action,
provided that such persons are not employed or affiliated in
any other way with any defendant;
- Experts or consultants retained by a party solely to assist in
the conduct of this action, including employees of the firm
with which the expert or consultant is associated to the
extent necessary for purposes of this action only, provided
that such experts and staff are not employed or affiliated in
any other way with any defendant and provided that such
expert or consultant has executed Appendix A hereto;
- Authors, addressees, and recipients of particular information
designated as confidential solely to the extent of disclosing
such information of which they are an author, addressee, or
recipient;
- Persons who have had, or whom any counsel for any party
in good faith believes to have had, prior access to
confidential information, or who have been participants in a
communication that is the subject of the confidential
information and from whom verification of or other
information about that access or participation is sought,
solely to the extent of disclosing such information to which
they have or may have had access or that is the subject of the
communication in which they have or may have
participated, except that, unless and until counsel confirms
that any such persons have had access or were participants,
only as much of the information may be disclosed as may be
necessary to confirm the person's access or participation.
- Subject to the provisions of paragraph 11, other persons not
included in the above subparagraphs who are examined by
deposition in this action.
- Subject to the exceptions stated in this paragraph, before disclosure of protected
information is made to any person or persons not authorized to receive the information
under the provisions of Paragraph 8 of this Order, the party wishing to make such a
disclosure shall give at least five business days' advance notice in writing, via
facsimile, to the party or protected third party who provided the protected information,
stating the names, addresses, and employers of the person(s) to whom the disclosure
will be made. The notice shall identify with particularity the documents or specific
parts of the information to be disclosed, including the production number of the
documents. If, within the five-business-day period, an objection is made regarding a
disclosure, disclosure of the protected information shall not be made pending a ruling
by the Court. The Court will permit access upon such terms as it deems proper, unless
the party or protected third party objecting to the proposed disclosure shows good
cause why the proposed disclosure should not be permitted. The notice provisions of
this Paragraph shall not apply with respect to any deposition, pretrial, or trial testimony
of any employee of any party or protected third party designating particular
information as protected information; any author, addressee, or recipient of particular
information designated protected information; or any persons who have had, or whom
any counsel for any party in good faith believes to have had, prior access to information
designated as protected information, or who have been participants in a communication
that is the subject of the protected information at issue in the deposition or testimony of
such witness.
- Each individual described in Paragraph 8 or 9 above, to whom protected information
is disclosed, shall not disclose that information to any other individual, except as
provided in this Order, or use it for any purpose other than in connection with this
action. Before any protected information may be disclosed to any person described in
Paragraph 8 or 9 above, he or she shall have first read this Order or shall have
otherwise been instructed in his or her obligations under the Order by counsel for a
party. Additionally, before any protected information may be disclosed to any expert
or consultant described in Subparagraph 9(f) or 10(e), he or she shall have executed the
agreement included as Appendix A hereto. Counsel for the party making the
disclosure shall maintain the original of such executed agreement for a period of at least
one year following the final resolution of this action.
- Notwithstanding the provisions of this Protective Order, nothing in this Order shall:
- Limit a party's or protected third party's use or disclosure of
its own protected information;
- Prevent disclosure of protected information with the consent
of counsel for the designating party or protected third party;
- Prevent plaintiffs, subject to taking appropriate steps to
preserve the confidentiality of such information, from
disclosing protected information: (i) to duly-authorized
representatives of the Executive Branch of the United States
Government; (ii) in the course of legal proceedings to which
the United States or any plaintiff State is a party; (iii) for the
purpose of securing compliance with any Final Judgment in
this action; or (iv) for law enforcement purposes or as
otherwise required by law. Unless otherwise prohibited by
law or regulation, the plaintiffs will endeavor to promptly
inform the party or protected third party who designated
the information as protected information if disclosure
pursuant to this paragraph is made.
D. USE OF PROTECTED INFORMATION IN LITIGATION
- All protected information contained or discussed in any pleading, motion, exhibit, or
other paper filed with the Court shall be filed under seal. Where possible, only portions
of filings with the court containing protected information shall be filed under seal.
Information filed under seal shall be placed in a sealed envelope/box with the
endorsements required by the applicable rules of the Court and/or filed in accordance
with the electronic filing rules of the Court. The Clerk shall keep such papers under
seal until further order of this Court; provided however, that such papers shall be
furnished to the Court and to persons and entities who may receive protected
information pursuant to the Protective Order. Upon or within five business days after
the filing of any paper containing protected information, the filing party shall file on the
public record a copy of the paper with the protected information deleted.
- The parties shall provide protected third parties with five days notice of potential use
of any protected information produced by them if and when such materials are listed as
potential exhibits if such exhibits are to be made part of the public record. The parties
shall give protected third parties notice as soon as practicable after protected
information which is not listed as an exhibit is determined to be used by counsel for a
party in the course of examination or cross-examination at trial if such protected
information is to be disclosed as part of the public record. Nothing in this paragraph
shall require any advance notice of the use of any document of a party in
cross-examining a witness for that party, except immediately before such use. A party
or protected third party may request the Court to establish and apply protective
procedures (including, without limitation, in camera review of protected information,
sealing of portions of transcripts containing or discussing confidential information
and/or excluding persons from the courtroom who are not described in Paragraph 8 or
9 above when protected information is shown or discussed) governing the disclosure of
protected information at any hearing or trial in this case.
E. OTHER PROCEDURES
- If a party believes that another party or protected third party has designated material
as "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" that is not entitled to such protection, the party seeking
disclosure shall make a good faith attempt to resolve the disagreement over the
classification of the material with the protected third party or party. If the parties
and/or the protected third party cannot resolve the matter, the party seeking disclosure
has the burden to file a motion, notify all parties and affected protected third parties of
the filing of the motion, identify each document that is the subject of the motion (e.g., by
Bates-number or title, author, recipient and date), and submit the matter to the Court
for resolution. In the event that a motion is filed challenging a confidentiality
designation, the person designating the material shall respond within ten business
days. Failure to respond shall constitute a waiver of opposition to the motion. The
party that has designated the records as "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" shall bear the
burden of showing that the materials in question constitute protected information.
- This Order shall be without prejudice to the right of any party to bring before the
Court the question of whether any particular information designated "HIGHLY
CONFIDENTIAL" is appropriately designated, or whether any particular information
designated "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" is or is not discoverable or admissible
evidence at any hearing or trial of this action. Nothing in this Order shall be construed
to effect an abrogation, waiver or limitation of any kind on the right of the parties or
protected third parties to assert any applicable discovery or trial privilege. No party
concedes by complying with this Order that any information designated by any party
or protected third party as protected information is in fact confidential as that term is
defined in Paragraph 1(a) of this Order. However, no information designated as
"HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL" pursuant to this Order shall be disclosed except as
provided herein unless and until the Court orders the release of such information from
the confidentiality provisions of this Order.
- Any production of information without its being designated as "HIGHLY
CONFIDENTIAL" shall not thereby be deemed a waiver of any claim of confidentiality
as to such information, and the same may thereafter be designated "HIGHLY
CONFIDENTIAL." Upon receiving notice from a party or protected third party that
confidential information has not been previously denominated, all such information
shall be redenominated and treated appropriately. Any such subsequent designation,
however, shall not apply retroactively to any previously disclosed information for
which disclosure was proper when made.
- This Order shall not apply to information in the public domain or obtained from
other sources regardless of whether such information is also contained in materials
designated as confidential pursuant to this Order.
- Upon entry of this Order, the parties shall provide notice and a copy of this Order to
all protected third parties who provided them documents or information in this action
prior to entry of this Order.
- The parties, in conducting discovery from non-parties, shall attach to such discovery
requests a copy of this Order so as to appraise such non-parties of their rights.
F. PROCEDURES UPON TERMINATION OF LITIGATION
- Within 90 days after receiving notice of the entry of an order, judgment or decree
terminating this action, all persons having received protected information shall, at the
election of the party or protected third party who produced the information, either
return such material containing such information and all copies thereof to counsel for
the party or protected third party that produced it, or destroy all such material and
certify that fact in writing. The plaintiffs and their counsel and outside counsel for any
defendant shall be entitled to retain court papers, deposition and trial transcripts and
exhibits, and attorney-work product (including discovery material containing protected
information), provided that plaintiffs' employees, and defendants' outside counsel, and
employees of such outside counsel shall not disclose the portions of court papers,
deposition transcripts, exhibits or attorney-work product containing protected
information to any person except pursuant to court order, or agreement with the party
or protected third party that produced the protected information. All protected
information returned to the parties or their counsel by the Court likewise shall be
disposed of in accordance with this Paragraph. Nothing in this provision, however,
shall restrict the rights of the plaintiffs to retain and use protected information for law
enforcement purposes or as otherwise required by law.
G. RIGHT TO SEEK MODIFICATION
- The parties reserve the right to apply to the Court for any order modifying this Order
or seeking further protections against discovery or other use of protected information.
Any protected third party requiring further confidentiality protection than is provided
by this Order may petition the Court for a separate order governing disclosure of its
confidential material.
- All hearings in this action, including the trial, will presumptively be open to the
public, except that this Court will issue further orders as necessary to protect any
protected third party's or party's protected information from improper disclosure.
SO STIPULATED.
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[DOJ NAME]
Antitrust Division
U.S. Department of Justice
[ADDRESS 1]
[ADDRESS 2]
[ADDRESS 3]
[PHONE]
[FAX]
For Plaintiff United States. |
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[STATES REP. NAME]
[TITLE]
[ADDRESS 1]
[ADDRESS 2]
[ADDRESS 3]
[PHONE]
[FAX]
For Plaintiff States.
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Daniel M. Wall
Latham & Watkins LLP
505 Montgomery Street
19th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 391-0600 (tel.)
(415) 395-8095 (fax)
For Defendant Oracle
Corp.
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SO ORDERED.
| Dated: March __, 2004 |
________________________________________________
Vaughn R. Walker
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE |
APPENDIX A
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
SAN FRANCISCO JUDICIAL DISTRICT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, et al.,
Plaintiffs,
v.
ORACLE CORPORATION,
Defendant.
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CASE NO. [INSERT]
Filed: [INSERT]
AGREEMENT CONCERNING CONFIDENTIALITY
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I,___________________________, am employed as a
___________________________ by ________________________________. I hereby certify
that:
1. I have read the Protective Order entered in the above-captioned action,
and understand its terms.
2. I agree to be bound by the terms of the Protective Order entered in the
above-captioned action. I agree to use the information provided to me only for the
purposes of this litigation.
3. I understand that my failure to abide by the terms of the Protective Order
entered in the above-captioned action will subject me, without limitation, to civil and
criminal penalties for contempt of Court.
4. I submit to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the
District of Columbia solely for the purpose of enforcing the terms of the Protective
Order entered in the above-captioned action and freely and knowingly waive any right
I may otherwise have to object to the jurisdiction of said Court.
5. I make this certificate this ______________ day of ______________, 2004.
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_____________________________________
(SIGNATURE)
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