"Oops! I did it again . . . " - Courtroom Again Closed in DVD Encryption Case on Trade Secrets Grounds

We first blogged about this case here: http://wombletradesecrets.blogspot.com/. Well, Judge Patel has again closed her courtroom to the public in this case that is examining the secrets of copying DVDs and their encryption.

"I think it's very clear from the licensing with respect to specifications the indepth nature of those specifications," Patel told Myers. "There are trade secrets and there is economic value to them...I'm not going to stop the court proceedings now, not at this late hour."

Again, we think that Judge Patel is doing the right thing in a case where competitively valuable encryption specifications are being examined - this is not a case where you want there to be a forced disclosure of technology and what results is a loss of the secrecy of the technology. It is a tough balance but we think she got this right.