EFF Continues Fighting For Public Access To Patent Litigation

"Sometimes, there are good reasons why certain information filed with a court should not be made public. For example, sometimes the name of an anonymous speaker should not be revealed even if someone sues them. But it is rarely appropriate to keep entire briefs, arguments, and judicial opinions hidden from public view. 

This is yet another instance—unfortunately, common in courts across the country—of papers submitted to the court being kept from the public, despite no showing having been made to the court that such secrecy is deserved. EFF has twice moved to unseal records in patent cases in the Eastern District of Texas, and twice courts have unsealed materials that never should have been completely sealed in the first place. We hope we once again succeed at shining even just a little more light on one patent owner’s attempt to enforce what we believe to be a stupid patent."