Exxon Corporation and Gulf Oil Corporation, Mobil Oil Corporation v. Federal Trade Commission

In this action for declaratory and injunc-tive relief, the appellants, Exxon Corporation and Gulf Oil Corporation (the companies), contend that the Federal Trade Commission lacks authority to issue protective orders limiting the disclosure of confidential documents subpoenaed from the companies during the course of an administrative adjudicatory proceeding. According to the companies a judicial protective order, enforceable by the court’s contempt power, is essential to safeguard the confidential information they have surrendered. The District Court concluded that these claims were without…