AT&T loses bid for a closed court

[kpete]

AT&T loses bid for a closed court
At issue are papers the company calls trade secrets
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

AT&T was turned down by a federal judge Tuesday in its 11th-hour attempt to bar the public from a San Francisco court hearing today about documents that allegedly show the company's involvement in a secret government electronic surveillance program.

The telecommunications company opposes disclosure of the documents, which a former employee supplied to a privacy-rights group suing the firm, and wants them back. An AT&T lawyer sent a letter by fax to Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker on Tuesday asking that the courtroom be closed "during any discussion of its trade secrets or confidential information.''

Less than an hour later, Walker notified the company's lawyer that the request was denied and that today's hearing would remain open, said the judge's court clerk, Cora Delfin.

AT&T spokesman Marc Bien said the company's lawyers may still seek to close the hearing after it starts.

more at:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/17/MNGFHIT30I1.DTL
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70621-0.html

[babylonsister]

1. GOOD! nt

[Mandate My Ass]

2. trade secrets?

So they're taking a page from the Diebold playbook. What a bunch of losers.

[Klukie]

3. Can the Bush....

Government take possesion of these documents in the name of national security? They couldn't try to classify them could they?