Contra Costa Times
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-17676624_ITM
A UC Berkeley professor said these kinds of confidentiality rulings often come up in civil cases involving corporations.
“You are entitled to find out information that is relevant to pursuing your litigation,” said Peter Menell, professor of law with UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall. “Courts will issue protective orders that limit who has access to that information. It is not unusual to have a protective order in litigation that may risk disclosure of trade secrets.”
The courts often are trying to prevent the owner of information from coming to harm through the legal process, he said.
“Information can be an asset if it is not publicly known,” Menell said.