Apple, Psystar Seek Pre-Trial Protection Order

In a bid to cloak trade secrets, both Apple and Mac clone-maker Psystar are asking a Calif. court for a protective order. The legal move is designed to prevent disclosures during an upcoming discovery period ahead of a Nov. 9 trial.

In an 18-page proposal before Northern District of California Judge William Alsup, the two companies lay out restrictions on expert testimony, as well as access to software. The data would be marked “CONFIDENTIAL” or “CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.”

Among the steps both companies propose to prevent either gaining a market upper hand, both Apple and Psystar can object to technical experts who must sign a one-year ban on working for competitors.

In another proposal, both companies agreed they will allow their software to be inspected using an isolated computer without Internet access. Software code instructions can only be printed-out when “reasonably necessary” for trial preparations. Those print-outs must be returned after the trial concludes.

Earlier this month, Psystar amended its counter-claim against Apple, charging the Cupertino, Calif.-based company misused its software copyright to prevent OS X from working on computers not sold by Apple.

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