In Apeldyn Corp. v. AU Optronics Corp., et al., C.A. No. 08-568-SLR (D. Del. June 13, 2012), the Special Master recently issued a Report and Recommendation recommending that plaintiff’s motion to modify the protective order to permit plaintiff’s corporate representatives to have access to information designated Attorneys’ Eyes Only be denied. Id. at 1. In the motion, plaintiff sought modification of the protective order to permit two of its corporate representatives access to “CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEY’S EYES ONLY” information relating to defendants’ motions for summary judgment of non-infringement. Id. at 3. Plaintiff argued that such access was necessary for, among other reasons, its corporate representatives to: (1) “assist fully in the preparation of the briefs in the appeal of summary judgment”; (2) “manage outside litigation counsel”; and (3) “assist with the case as it progresses.” Id. at 3. The Special Master disagreed. In its analysis, the Special Master cited and applied the 3d Cir.’s decision in Pansy v. Borough of Stroudsburg, 23 F.3d 772, 790 (3d Cir. 1994) for determining whether modification of the protective order was warranted. Id. at 4. In applying the Pansy test, the Special Master concluded that permitting disclosure of defendants’ attorneys’ eyes only information to plaintiff’s corporate representatives would not “promote fairness and efficiency” in this case and was “outweighed” by the injury to the defendants that might result from such disclosure. Id. at 8, 12. The Special Master also concluded that plaintiff’s need for the information and plaintiff’s stated reasons for modification of the protective order did not outweigh and were insufficient to overcome the “risk of inadvertent disclosure of Defendants’ Attorneys’ Eyes Only information to third parties which might result in competitive harm to Defendants.” Id. at 16.
Apeldyn Corp. v. AU Optronics Corp., et al., C.A. No. 08-568-SLR (D. Del. June 13, 2012)
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