Everything online journalists need to protect their legal rights. This free resource culls from all Reporters Committee resources and includes exclusive content on digital media law issues.
09C
C. Trade secrets or sensitive business information
Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 3226(C)(1)(g) identifies “a trade secret or other confidential research, development or commercial information” as the kind of information subject to a protective order in civil litigation.
A corporation’s constitutionally protected privacy interest in its nondisclosure of confidential commercial information submitted duringpre-trial discovery but never used at trial deserved continued sealing. Tavoulareas v. Washington Post, 724 F.2d 1010(D.C. Cir.
There are no Maine cases involving a challenge to the closure of court records or court proceedings to protect trade secrets or sensitive business information, but protective orders are commonplace in civil actions in Maine. M. R. Civ. P. 26(c).
While Oregon Rule of Civil Procedure 36C allows a judge to issue protective orders to protect trade secrets, there is no published Oregon decision finding authority for closure of a court to protect trade secrets. UTCR 3.180 does provide for the denial of cameras and audio/video equipment where the proceedings concern trade secrets. UTCR 3.180(2)(c).
