1 KENDRA S. CANAPE (SBN: 259641) [email protected] 2 JOEL D. BRODFUEHRER (SBN: 343092) [email protected] 3 GORDON REES SCULLY MANSUKHANI, LLP 5 Park Plaza, Suite 1100 4 Irvine, CA 92614 Telephone: (949) 255-6950 5 Facsimile: (949) 474-2060

6 Attorneys for Defendant IQ DATA INTERNATIONAL, INC. 7

8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10

11 NAZIR POPAL, No.: 2:24-cv-00659-KJM-JDP

12 Plaintiff, Judge: Hon. Kimberly J. Mueller

13 vs. Magistrate: Hon. Jeremy D. Peterson 14 I.Q. DATA INTERNATIONAL, INC.; and DOES 1 through 10 inclusive, STIPULATED PROTECTIVE 15 ORDER AS TO DISCOVERY Defendants. ONLY 16 (PVC VERSION 4/20) 17 ☒ Check if submitted without 18 material modifications to PVC form 19

20

21 Complaint Filed: 3/1/24

22 23 INTRODUCTION 24 1.1 PURPOSES AND LIMITATIONS 25 Discovery in this action is likely to involve production of confidential, 26 proprietary, or private information for which special protection from public 27 disclosure and from use for any purpose other than prosecuting this litigation may be warranted. Accordingly, the parties hereby stipulate to and petition the 1 Court to enter the following Stipulated Protective Order. The parties 2 acknowledge that this Order does not confer blanket protections on all 3 disclosures or responses to discovery and that the protection it affords from 4 public disclosure and use extends only to the limited information or items that 5 are entitled to confidential treatment under the applicable legal principles.1 6 1.2 GOOD CAUSE STATEMENT 7 This action is likely to involve materials and information that I.Q. Data 8 International, Inc. (“IQ Data”) maintains as confidential for which special 9 protection from public disclosure and from use for any purpose other than 10 prosecution of this action is warranted. IQ Data may be producing 11 documents to Plaintiff that consist of, among other things, confidential 12 business or financial information, trade secrets, information regarding 13 confidential business practices, or other confidential research, development, 14 or commercial information, information otherwise generally unavailable to 15 the public, or which may be privileged or otherwise protected from 16 disclosure under state or federal statutes, court rules, case decisions, or 17 common law. IQ Data has maintained this information as confidential due 18 to the sensitive nature of the information. IQ Data’s competitors would gain 19 an improper advantage if documents were made public, including but not 20 limited to customer information, account notes, intellectual property, 21 research, technical, commercial, or financial information, business plans, 22 business policies, training materials, and other business-related information 23 that are not generally available to the public. The debt collection industry 24 and consumer reporting agencies are highly competitive and require 25 confidentiality of very sensitive consumer information. Plaintiff will also be 26 producing materials relating to or regarding Plaintiff’s debt(s), credit 27

1 1 history, credit reports, documents containing Plaintiff’s social security 2 number and date of birth. Plaintiff has alleged he has suffered harm that 3 could result in production of sensitive medical information, banking 4 records, personal identity information, income tax returns (including 5 attached schedules and forms), W-2 forms and 1099 forms, and personnel or 6 employment records. 7 Accordingly, to expedite the flow of information, to facilitate the 8 prompt resolution of disputes over confidentiality of discovery materials, to 9 adequately protect information the parties are entitled to keep confidential, 10 to ensure that the parties are permitted reasonable necessary uses of such 11 material in preparation for and in the conduct of trial, to address their 12 handling at the end of the litigation, and serve the ends of justice, a 13 protective order for such information is justified in this matter. It is the 14 intent of the parties that information will not be designated as confidential 15 for tactical reasons and that nothing be so designated without a good faith 16 belief that it has been maintained in a confidential, non-public manner, and 17 there is good cause why it should not be part of the public record of this 18 case. 19 1.3 Acknowledgment of Procedure for Filing Under Seal. 20 The parties further acknowledge, as set forth in Section 12.3, below, that 21 this Stipulated Protective Order does not entitle them to file confidential 22 information under seal; Civil Local Rule 14179-5 sets forth the procedures that 23 must be followed and the standards that will be applied when a party seeks 24 permission from the court to file material under seal. 25 There is a strong presumption that the public has a right of access to 26 judicial proceedings and records in civil cases. In connection with non- 27 dispositive motions, good cause must be shown to support a filing under seal. See Kamakana v. City and Cnty. of Honolulu,

, 1176 (9th Cir. 1 2006), Phillips ex rel. Ests. of Byrd v. Gen. Motors Corp.,

, 1210– 2 11 (9th Cir. 2002), Makar-Welbon v. Sony Elecs., Inc.,

, 577 3 (E.D. Wis. 1999) (even stipulated protective orders require good cause showing), 4 and a specific showing of good cause or compelling reasons with proper 5 evidentiary support and legal justification, must be made with respect to 6 Protected Material that a party seeks to file under seal. The Parties’ mere 7 designation of Disclosure or Discovery Material as CONFIDENTIAL does not— 8 without the submission of competent evidence by declaration, establishing that 9 the material sought to be filed under seal qualifies as confidential, privileged, or 10 otherwise protectable—constitute good cause. 11 Further, if a party requests sealing related to any dispositive motions, 12 briefs, pleadings, deposition transcripts, other papers to be filed with the Court 13 incorporate documents or information subject to this Order, or trial, then the 14 party filing such papers shall designate such materials, or portions thereof, as 15 “Confidential,” and then compelling reasons, not only good cause, for the sealing 16 must be shown, and the relief sought shall be narrowly tailored to serve the 17 specific interest to be protected. See Pintos v. Pac. Creditors Ass’n,

665, 677–79 (9th Cir. 2010). For each item or type of information, document, or 19 thing sought to be filed or introduced under seal in connection with a dispositive 20 motion or trial, the party seeking protection must articulate compelling reasons, 21 supported by specific facts and legal justification, for the requested sealing order. 22 Again, competent evidence supporting the application to file documents under 23 seal must be provided by declaration. 24 Any document that is not confidential, privileged, or otherwise protectable 25 in its entirety will not be filed under seal if the confidential portions can be 26 redacted. If documents can be redacted, then a redacted version for public 27 viewing, omitting only the confidential, privileged, or otherwise protectable portions of the document, shall be filed. Any application that seeks to file 1 documents under seal in their entirety should include an explanation of why 2 redaction is not feasible. 3 2. DEFINITIONS 4 2.1 Action: Nazir Popal v. I.Q. Data International, Inc. (Case No: 5 2:24-cv-00659-KJM-JDP). 6 2.2 Challenging Party: a Party or Non-Party that challenges the 7 designation of information or items under this Order. 8 2.3 “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items: information (regardless 9 of how it is generated, stored or maintained) or tangible things that qualify 10 for protection under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(c), and as specified 11 above in the Good Cause Statement. 12 2.4 Counsel: Outside Counsel of Record and House Counsel (as well as 13 their support staff). 14 2.5 Designating Party: a Party or Non-Party that designates information 15 or items that it produces in disclosures or in responses to discovery as 16 “CONFIDENTIAL.” 17 2.6 Disclosure or Discovery Material: all items or information, 18 regardless of the medium or manner in which it is generated, stored, or 19 maintained (including, among other things, testimony, transcripts, and 20 tangible things), that are produced or generated in disclosures or responses 21 to discovery in this matter. 22 2.7 Expert: a person with specialized knowledge or experience in a 23 matter pertinent to the litigation who has been retained by a Party or its 24 counsel to serve as an expert witness or as a consultant in this Action. 25 2.8 Final Disposition: the later of (1) dismissal of all claims and 26 defenses in this Action, with or without prejudice; and (2) final judgment 27 herein after the completion and exhaustion of all appeals, rehearings, remands, trials, or reviews of this Action, including the time limits for 1 filing any motions or applications for extension of time pursuant to 2 applicable law. 3 2.9 In-House Counsel: attorneys who are employees of a party to this 4 Action. In-House Counsel does not include Outside Counsel of Record or 5 any other outside counsel. 6 2.10 Non-Party: any natural person, partnership, corporation, association, 7 or other legal entity not named as a Party to this action. 8 2.11 Outside Counsel of Record: attorneys who are not employees of a 9 party to this Action but are retained to represent or advise a party to this 10 Action and have appeared in this Action on behalf of that party or are 11 affiliated with a law firm which has appeared on behalf of that party, and 12 includes support staff. 13 2.12 Party: any party to this Action, including all of its officers, directors, 14 employees, consultants, retained experts, and Outside Counsel of Record 15 (and their support staffs). 16 2.13 Producing Party: a Party or Non-Party that produces Disclosure or 17 Discovery Material in this Action. 18 2.14 Professional Vendors: persons or entities that provide litigation 19 support services (e.g., photocopying, videotaping, translating, preparing 20 exhibits or demonstrations, and organizing, storing, or retrieving data in 21 any form or medium) and their employees and subcontractors. 22 2.15 Protected Material: any Disclosure or Discovery Material and all 23 information derived therefrom (including, but not limited to, all testimony 24 given in a deposition, declaration or otherwise, that refers, reflects or 25 otherwise discusses any information designated “Confidential” that is 26 designated as “CONFIDENTIAL.” 27 2.16 Receiving Party: a Party that receives Disclosure or Discovery Material from a Producing Party. 1 3. SCOPE 2 The protections conferred by this Stipulation and Order cover not only 3 Protected Material (as defined above), but also (1) any information copied or 4 extracted from Protected Material; (2) all copies, excerpts, summaries, or 5 compilations of Protected Material; and (3) any testimony, conversations, or 6 presentations by Parties or their Counsel that might reveal Protected Material. 7 Any use of Protected Material at trial will be governed by the orders of the 8 trial judge. This Order does not govern the use of Protected Material at trial. 9 4. TRIAL AND DURATION 10 Even after final disposition of this litigation, the confidentiality obligations 11 imposed by this Order will remain in effect until a Designating Party agrees 12 otherwise in writing or a court order otherwise directs. Final disposition will be 13 deemed to be the later of (1) dismissal of all claims and defenses in this Action, 14 with or without prejudice; and (2) final judgment herein after the completion and 15 exhaustion of all appeals, rehearings, remands, trials, or reviews of this Action, 16 including the time limits for filing any motions or applications for extension of 17 time pursuant to applicable law. 18 5. DESIGNATING PROTECTED MATERIAL 19 5.1 Exercise of Restraint and Care in Designating Material for 20 Protection. Each Party or Non-Party that designates information or items 21 for protection under this Order must take care to limit any such designation 22 to specific material that qualifies under the appropriate standards. The 23 Designating Party must designate for protection only those parts of 24 material, documents, items, or oral or written communications that qualify 25 so that other portions of the material, documents, items, or communications 26 for which protection is not warranted are not swept unjustifiably within the 27 ambit of this Order. Mass, indiscriminate, or routinized designations are prohibited. 1 Designations that are shown to be clearly unjustified or that have been 2 made for an improper purpose (e.g., to unnecessarily encumber the case 3 development process or to impose unnecessary expenses and burdens on other 4 parties) may expose the Designating Party to sanctions. 5 If it comes to a Designating Party’s attention that information or items that 6 it designated for protection do not qualify for protection, that Designating Party 7 must promptly notify all other Parties that it is withdrawing the inapplicable 8 designation. 9 5.2 Manner and Timing of Designations. Except as otherwise provided 10 in this Order (see, e.g., second paragraph of section 5.2(a) below), or as 11 otherwise stipulated or ordered, Disclosure or Discovery Material that 12 qualifies for protection under this Order must be clearly so designated 13 before the material is disclosed or produced. 14 Designation in conformity with this Order requires: 15 (a) for information in documentary form (e.g., paper or electronic 16 documents, but excluding transcripts of depositions or other pretrial or trial 17 proceedings), that the Producing Party affix at a minimum, the legend 18 “CONFIDENTIAL” to each page that contains protected material. If only 19 a portion or portions of the material on a page qualifies for protection, the 20 Producing Party also must clearly identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by 21 making appropriate markings in the margins). 22 A Party or Non-Party that makes original documents available for 23 inspection need not designate them for protection until after the inspecting Party 24 has indicated which documents it would like copied and produced. During the 25 inspection and before the designation, all of the material made available for 26 inspection will be deemed “CONFIDENTIAL.” After the inspecting Party has 27 identified the documents it wants copied and produced, the Producing Party must determine which documents, or portions thereof, qualify for protection under this 1 Order. Then, before producing the specified documents, the Producing Party 2 must affix the “CONFIDENTIAL” legend to each page that contains Protected 3 Material. If only a portion or portions of the material on a page qualifies for 4 protection, the Producing Party also must clearly identify the protected portion(s) 5 (e.g., by making appropriate markings in the margins). 6 (b) for testimony given in depositions that the Designating Party identify 7 the Disclosure or Discovery Material on the record, before the close of the 8 deposition all protected testimony. 9 (c) for information produced in some form other than documentary and for 10 any other tangible items, that the Producing Party affix in a prominent place 11 on the exterior of the container or containers in which the information is 12 stored the legend “CONFIDENTIAL.” If only a portion or portions of the 13 information warrants protection, the Producing Party, to the extent 14 practicable, will identify the protected portion(s). 15 5.3 Inadvertent Failures to Designate. If timely corrected, an inadvertent 16 failure to designate qualified information or items does not, standing alone, 17 waive the Designating Party’s right to secure protection under this Order 18 for such material. Upon timely correction of a designation, the Receiving 19 Party must make reasonable efforts to assure that the material is treated in 20 accordance with the provisions of this Order. 21 6. CHALLENGING CONFIDENTIALITY DESIGNATIONS 22 6.1 Timing of Challenges. Any Party or Non-Party may challenge a 23 designation of confidentiality at any time that is consistent with the Court’s 24 Scheduling Order. 25 6.2 Meet and Confer. The Challenging Party will initiate the dispute 26 resolution process (and, if necessary, file a discovery motion) under Local 27 Rule 25137.1 et seq. and with Judge Stevenson’s Civil Procedures. 1 6.3 The burden of persuasion in any such challenge proceeding will be 2 on the Designating Party. Frivolous challenges, and those made for an 3 improper purpose (e.g., to harass or impose unnecessary expenses and 4 burdens on other parties) may expose the Challenging Party to sanctions. 5 Unless the Designating Party has waived or withdrawn the confidentiality 6 designation, all parties will continue to afford the material in question the 7 level of protection to which it is entitled under the Producing Party’s 8 designation until the Court rules on the challenge. 9 7. ACCESS TO AND USE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL 10 7.1 Basic Principles. A Receiving Party may use Protected Material that 11 is disclosed or produced by another Party or by a Non-Party in connection 12 with this Action only for prosecuting, defending, or attempting to settle this 13 Action. Protected Material shall not be used, directly or indirectly, by any 14 person, for any business, commercial or competitive purposes or for any 15 purpose whatsoever other than solely for the preparation for and trial of this 16 action in accordance with the provisions of this Order. Such Protected 17 Material may be disclosed only to the categories of persons and under the 18 conditions described in this Order. When the Action has been terminated, a 19 Receiving Party must comply with the provisions of section 13 below 20 (FINAL DISPOSITION). 21 Protected Material must be stored and maintained by a Receiving Party at a 22 location and in a secure manner that ensures that access is limited to the 23 persons authorized under this Order. 24 7.2 Disclosure of “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items. Unless 25 otherwise ordered by the court or permitted in writing by the Designating 26 Party, a Receiving Party may disclose any information or item designated 27 “CONFIDENTIAL” only to: 1 (a) the Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of Record in this Action, as 2 well as employees of said Outside Counsel of Record to whom it is 3 reasonably necessary to disclose the information for this Action; 4 (b) the officers, directors, and employees (including House Counsel) of 5 the Receiving Party to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this 6 Action; 7 (c) Experts (as defined in this Order) of the Receiving Party to whom 8 disclosure is reasonably necessary for this Action and who have signed 9 the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 10 (d) the Court and its personnel; 11 (e) court reporters and their staff to whom disclosure is reasonably 12 necessary for this Action and who have signed the “Acknowledgment 13 and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 14 (f) professional jury or trial consultants, mock jurors, and Professional 15 Vendors to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this Action and 16 who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” 17 (Exhibit A); 18 (g) the author or recipient of a document containing the information or 19 a custodian or other person who otherwise possessed or knew the 20 information; 21 (h) during their depositions, witnesses, and attorneys for witnesses, in 22 the Action to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary provided: (1) the 23 deposing party requests that the witness sign the form attached as 24 Exhibit A hereto; and (2) they will not be permitted to keep any 25 confidential information unless they sign the “Acknowledgment and 26 Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A), unless otherwise agreed by the 27 Designating Party or ordered by the court. Pages of transcribed deposition testimony or exhibits to depositions that reveal Protected 1 Material may be separately bound by the court reporter and may not be 2 disclosed to anyone except as permitted under this Stipulated Protective 3 Order; and 4 (i) any mediator or settlement officer, and their supporting personnel, 5 mutually agreed upon by any of the parties engaged in settlement 6 discussions. 7 8. PROTECTED MATERIAL SUBPOENAED OR ORDERED PRODUCED IN OTHER LITIGATION 8 9 If a Party is served with a subpoena or a court order issued in other 10 litigation that compels disclosure of any information or items designated in this 11 Action as “CONFIDENTIAL,” that Party must: 12 (a) promptly notify in writing the Designating Party. Such notification 13 will include a copy of the subpoena or court order; 14 (b) promptly notify in writing the party who caused the subpoena or 15 order to issue in the other litigation that some or all of the material 16 covered by the subpoena or order is subject to this Protective Order. 17 Such notification will include a copy of this Stipulated Protective Order; 18 and 19 (c) cooperate with respect to all reasonable procedures sought to be 20 pursued by the Designating Party whose Protected Material may be 21 affected. 22 If the Designating Party timely seeks a protective order, the Party served 23 with the subpoena or court order will not produce any information designated in 24 this action as “CONFIDENTIAL” before a determination by the court from 25 which the subpoena or order issued, unless the Party has obtained the 26 Designating Party’s permission. The Designating Party will bear the burden and 27 expense of seeking protection in that court of its confidential material and 1 nothing in these provisions should be construed as authorizing or encouraging a 2 Receiving Party in this Action to disobey a lawful directive from another court. 3 9. A NON-PARTY’S PROTECTED MATERIAL SOUGHT TO BE PRODUCED IN THIS LITIGATION 4 9.1 Application. The terms of this Order are applicable to 5 information produced by a Non-Party in this Action and designated as 6 “CONFIDENTIAL.” Such information produced by Non-Parties in 7 connection with this litigation is protected by the remedies and relief 8 9 provided by this Order. Nothing in these provisions should be construed 10 as prohibiting a Non-Party from seeking additional protections. 11 9.2 Notification. In the event that a Party is required, by a valid 12 discovery request, to produce a Non-Party’s confidential information in 13 its possession, and the Party is subject to an agreement with the Non- 14 Party not to produce the Non-Party’s confidential information, then the 15 Party will: 16 (a) promptly notify in writing the Requesting Party and the Non- 17 Party that some or all of the information requested is subject to a 18 confidentiality agreement with a Non-Party; 19 (b) promptly provide the Non-Party with a copy of the Stipulated 20 Protective Order in this Action, the relevant discovery request(s), and 21 a reasonably specific description of the information requested; and 22 (c) make the information requested available for inspection by the 23 Non-Party, if requested. 24 9.3 Conditions of Production. If the Non-Party fails to seek a 25 protective order from this court within 14 days of receiving the notice 26 and accompanying information, the Receiving Party may produce the 27 Non-Party’s confidential information responsive to the discovery request. If the Non-Party timely seeks a protective order, the Receiving 1 Party will not produce any information in its possession or control that 2 is subject to the confidentiality agreement with the Non-Party before a 3 determination by the court. Absent a court order to the contrary, the 4 Non-Party will bear the burden and expense of seeking protection in this 5 court of its Protected Material. 6 10. UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL 7 If a Receiving Party learns that, by inadvertence or otherwise, it has 8 disclosed Protected Material to any person or in any circumstance not authorized 9 under this Stipulated Protective Order, the Receiving Party must immediately (a) 10 notify in writing the Designating Party of the unauthorized disclosures, (b) use 11 its best efforts to retrieve all unauthorized copies of the Protected Material, (c) 12 inform the person or persons to whom unauthorized disclosures were made of all 13 the terms of this Order, and (d) request such person or persons to execute the 14 “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” that is attached hereto as 15 Exhibit A. 16 11. INADVERTENT PRODUCTION OF PRIVILEGED OR OTHERWISE PROTECTED MATERIAL 17 18 When a Producing Party gives notice to Receiving Parties that certain 19 inadvertently produced material is subject to a claim of privilege or other 20 protection, the obligations of the Receiving Parties are those set forth in Federal 21 Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(5)(B). This provision is not intended to modify 22 whatever procedure may be established in an e-discovery order that provides for 23 production without prior privilege review. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 24 502(d) and (e), insofar as the parties reach an agreement on the effect of 25 disclosure of a communication or information covered by the attorney-client 26 privilege or work product protection, the parties may incorporate their agreement 27 in the stipulated protective order submitted to the court. 1 12. MISCELLANEOUS 2 12.1 Right to Further Relief. Nothing in this Order abridges the right of 3 any person to seek its modification by the Court in the future. 4 12.2 Right to Assert Other Objections. By stipulating to the entry of this 5 Protective Order no Party waives any right it otherwise would have to 6 object to disclosing or producing any information or item on any ground 7 not addressed in this Stipulated Protective Order. Similarly, no Party 8 waives any right to object on any ground to use in evidence of any of the 9 material covered by this Protective Order. 10 12.3 Filing Protected Material. A Party that seeks to file under seal any 11 Protected Material must comply with Civil Local Rule 14179-5. Protected 12 Material may only be filed under seal pursuant to a court order authorizing 13 the sealing of the specific Protected Material at issue. If a Party's request to 14 file Protected Material under seal is denied by the court, then the Receiving 15 Party may file the information in the public record unless otherwise 16 instructed by the court. 17 12.4 Neither the entry of this Order, nor the designation of any 18 information, document, or the like as “Confidential,” nor the failure to 19 make such designation, shall constitute evidence with respect to any issue 20 in this action. 21 13. FINAL DISPOSITION 22 After the final disposition of this Action, as defined in paragraph 4, within 23 60 days, each Receiving Party must return all Protected Material to the 24 Producing Party. As used in this subdivision, “all Protected Material” includes 25 all copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries, and any other format reproducing 26 or capturing any of the Protected Material. The Receiving Party must submit a 27 written certification to the Producing Party (and, if not the same person or entity, to the Designating Party) by the 60 day deadline that (1) identifies (by category, 1 || where appropriate) all the Protected Material that was returned and (2) affirms 2 || that the Receiving Party has not retained any copies, abstracts, compilations, 3 || summaries or any other format reproducing or capturing any of the Protected 4 || Material. Notwithstanding this provision, Counsel are entitled to retain an 5 || archival copy of all pleadings, motion papers, trial, deposition, and hearing 6 || transcripts, legal memoranda, correspondence, deposition and trial exhibits, 7 || expert reports, attorney work product, and consultant and expert work product, 8 || even if such materials contain Protected Material. Any such archival copies that 9 || contain or constitute Protected Material remain subject to this Protective Order 10 |] as set forth in Section 4 (DURATION). 11 || 14. VIOLATION 12 Any willful violation of this Order may be punished by civil or criminal 13 || contempt proceedings, financial or evidentiary sanctions, reference to so 3 2 14 || disciplinary authorities, or other appropriate action at the discretion of the Court.

27 < 15 || IT IS SO STIPULATED, THROUGH COUNSEL OF RECORD. 16

17 || DATED: August 14, 2024 /s/ Jeremy S. Golden Jeremy S. Golden 3 18 Attorney for Plaintiff NAZIR POPAL 19 20 || DATED: August 14, 2024 /s/ Joel D. Brodfuehrer Joel D. Brodfuehrer 21 Attorneys for Defendant IQ DATA INTERNATIONAL, INC.

23 IT IS SO ORDERED. 24 ( | — Dated: _ August 15,2024 Q_—— 25 JEREMY D. PETERSON 26 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE 27 28 -16-

1 EXHIBIT A 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND 3 4 I, _____________________________ [full name], of ________________ 5 [full address], declare under penalty of perjury that I have read in its entirety 6 and understand the Stipulated Protective Order that was issued by the United 7 States District Court for the Central District of California on [date] in the case of 8 ___________ [insert case name and number]. I agree to comply with and to be 9 bound by all the terms of this Stipulated Protective Order and I understand and 10 acknowledge that failure to so comply could expose me to sanctions and 11 punishment in the nature of contempt. I solemnly promise that I will not disclose 12 in any manner any information or item that is subject to this Stipulated Protective 13 Order to any person or entity except in strict compliance with the provisions of 14 this Order. 15 I further agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the United States District 16 Court for the Central District of California for the purpose of enforcing the terms 17 of this Stipulated Protective Order, even if such enforcement proceedings occur 18 after termination of this action. I hereby appoint 19 __________________________ [full name] of 20 _______________________________________ [full address and telephone 21 number] as my California agent for service of process in connection with this 22 action or any proceedings related to enforcement of this Stipulated Protective 23 Order. 24 Date: ______________________________________ 25 City and State where signed: _________________________________ 26 Printed name: _______________________________ 27 Signature: __________________________________