Protective Order

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS § § § § § § § § § § Plaintiff, v. Case Number: Defendant. PROTECTIVE ORDER Proceedings and Information Governed. 1. This Order ("Protective Order") is made under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c). It governs any document, information, or other thing furnished by any party to any other party, and it includes any non-party who receives a subpoena in connection with this action. The information protected includes, but is not limited to: answers to interrogatories; answers to requests for admission; responses to requests for production of documents; deposition transcripts and videotapes; deposition exhibits; and other writings or things produced, given or filed in this action that are designated by a party as "Confidential Information" or "Confidential Attorney Eyes Only Information" in accordance with the terms of this Protective Order, as well as to any copies, excerpts, abstracts, analyses, summaries, descriptions, or other forms of recorded information containing, reflecting, or disclosing such information. Designation and Maintenance of Information. 2. For purposes of this Protective Order, (a) the "Confidential Information" designation means that the document is comprised of trade secrets or commercial information that is not publicly known and is of technical or commercial advantage to its possessor, in accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c)(7), or other information required by law or agreement to be kept confidential and (b) the "Confidential Attorney Eyes Only" designation means that the document is comprised of information that the producing party deems especially sensitive, which may include, but is not limited to, confidential research and development, financial, technical, marketing, any American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkFlow.com other sensitive trade secret information, or information capable of being utilized for the preparation or prosecution of a patent application dealing with such subject matter. Confidential Information and Confidential Attorney Eyes Only Information does not include, and this Protective Order does not apply to, information that is already in the knowledge or possession of the party to whom disclosure is made unless that party is already bound by agreement not to disclose such information, or information that has been disclosed to the public or third persons in a manner making such information no longer confidential. 3. Documents and things produced during the course of this litigation within the scope of paragraph 2(a) above, may be designated by the producing party as containing Confidential Information by placing on each page and each thing a legend substantially as follows: CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER Documents and things produced during the course of this litigation within the scope of paragraph 2(b) above may be designated by the producing party as containing Confidential Attorney Eyes Only Information by placing on each page and each thing a legend substantially as follows: CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY EYES ONLY INFORMATION SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER A party may designate information disclosed at a deposition as Confidential Information or Confidential Attorney Eyes Only Information by requesting the reporter to so designate the transcript or any portion of the transcript at the time of the deposition. If no such designation is made at the time of the deposition, any party will have fourteen (14) calendar days after the date of the deposition to designate, in writing to the other parties and to the court reporter, whether the transcript is to be designated as Confidential Information or Confidential Attorneys Eyes Only Information. If no such designation is made at the deposition or within this fourteen (14) calendar day period (during which period, the transcript must be treated as Confidential Attorneys Eyes Only Information, unless the disclosing party consents to less confidential treatment of the information), the entire deposition will be considered devoid of Confidential Information or Confidential Attorneys Eyes Only Information. Each party and the court reporter must attach a copy of any final and timely written designation notice to the transcript and each copy of the transcript in its possession, custody or control, and the portions 2 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkFlow.com designated in such notice must thereafter be treated in accordance with this Protective Order. It is the responsibility of counsel for each party to maintain materials containing Confidential Information or Confidential Attorney Eyes Only Information in a secure manner and appropriately identified so as to allow access to such information only to such persons and under such terms as is permitted under this Protective Order. Inadvertent Failure to Designate. 4. The inadvertent failure to designate or withhold any information as confidential or privileged will not be deemed to waive a later claim as to its confidential or privileged nature, or to stop the producing party from designating such information as confidential at a later date in writing and with particularity. The information must be treated by the receiving party as confidential from the time the receiving party is notified in writing of the change in the designation. Challenge to Designations. 5. A receiving party may challenge a producing party's designation at any time. Any receiving party disagreeing with a designation may request in writing that the producing party change the designation. The producing party will then have ten (10) business days after receipt of a challenge notice to advise the receiving party whether or not it will change the designation. If the parties are unable to reach agreement after the expiration of this ten (10) business day time-frame, and after the conference required under LR 7.1(a), the receiving party may at any time thereafter seek an order to alter the confidential status of the designated information. Until any dispute under this paragraph is ruled upon by the presiding judge, the designation will remain in full force and effect, and the information will continue to be accorded the confidential treatment required by this Protective Order. Disclosure and Use of Confidential Information. 6. Information designated as Confidential Information or Confidential Attorney Eyes Only Information may only be used for purposes of preparation, trial, and appeal of this action. Confidentia