govinfo:USCOURTS-pawd-2_09-mc-00239-41

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA 
 
 ) 
IN RE: PACER FEE EXEPMTIONS ) 
 ) Misc. No. 2:09-239 
 SIXUN TANG, ) 
 (PACER Acc ount xxxx522), ) 
 Movant. ) 
 ) 
 
 
 ORDER 
 
 This matter is before the C ourt upon the application of Sixun Tang (“ Tang”) for 
exemption from the fees imposed by the Electronic Public Access fee schedule adopted by 
the Judicial Conference of the United States Courts (ECF No. 180). 
 This Cour t f inds tha t Tang is a n individual researcher associated with an 
educational institution and, therefore, falls within the class of users listed in the fee 
schedule as bein g eligible fo r a f ee exemption. Additionally, Tang has demonstrated that 
an exemption i s necessary in order to avoid unreasonable burdens and to promote public 
access to information. 
Accordingly, Tang shall be exempt from the payment of fees for access via the 
Public Access to Court Electronic Records system (the “PACER System”) to the electronic 
case files m aintained by this Court, to the extent such use is incurred in the course of the 
defined scholarly research project described in the Application for Exemption from the 
Judicial Conference’s Electronic Public Access Fees in the United States District Court for 
the Western District of Pennsylvania (the “Application”) (ECF No. 180). 

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The Court finds that the research project described in the Application is intended 
solely for scholarly resear ch and is limited in scope in that the amount of exempt access 
requested is narrowly tailored to meet the project’s needs. 
Tang shall not be exempt f rom the payment of fees incurred in co nnection w ith 
other uses of the PACER System in this Court. 
Tang must comply with all applicable PACER Announcements and Instructions , 
including specifically the "Reminder and Tips for Automated Script Users" , pursuant to 
which Tang is required to “ conduct large data pulls between 6 p.m . and 6 a.m. Central 
Time.” 
Additionally, the following limitations apply: 
1) This fee exemption applies only to Tang and is valid only for the scholarly 
research project described in the Application; 
2) This fee exemption applies only to the electronic case files of this Court 
that are available through the PACER System; 
3) By accepting t his exemption, Tang agrees not to sell for profit any data 
obtained as a result of receiving this exemption; 
4) Tang is prohi bited from transferring any data obtained as a result of 
receiving t his exemption , including re distribution via Inte rnet ba sed 
databases. This prohibition does not prevent Tang from relying upon the 
data obtained as a result of receiving this exemption in or in connection 
with publication of the findings of the scholarly research project described 
in the Application; 

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5) This exemption is valid until June 30, 2027. 
 This exe mption may be revoked at the discretion of the C ourt at any time. The Clerk 
of Court of the United States District Court for the Western Di strict of Pennsylvania, or her 
designee, may pe riodically review the usag e o f Tang’s exempt PACER System account 
during the term of this exemption. 
 
Dated: September 11, 2025 BY THE COURT: 
 
 /s/ Mark R. Hornak 
 Mark R. Hornak 
 Chief United States District Judge 
 
 
cc: PACER Service Center (via email) 
 Administrative Office of the United States Courts, 
 Multi -Court Exemptions Office (via email) 
 Sixun Tang (via email) 
 
 

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