Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-04172/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-04172-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
John Doe subscriber assigned IP address 76.21.2.132
Defendant
Malibu Media, LLC
Plaintiff

Document Text:

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MALIBU MEDIA, LLC,

Plaintiff,

 v.

JOHN DOE SUBSCRIBER ASSIGNED

IP ADDRESS 76.21.2.132,

Defendant. /

No. C 15-04172 WHA

ORDER GRANTING EX PARTE

MOTION FOR LEAVE TO

SERVE THIRD-PARTY

SUBPOENA PRIOR TO

RULE 26(f) CONFERENCE

Plaintiff, Malibu Media, LLC, alleges that it owns registered copyrights in various

pornographic films and that John Doe defendant directly infringed those copyrights by

distributing the films on the Internet, using the above-captioned IP address. Malibu Media now

seeks leave to serve a subpoena on third party Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, in order

to ascertain the identity of the subscriber using that IP address prior to a Rule 26(f) conference. 

Malibu Media’s motion is hereby GRANTED. This is without prejudice to any motions

to quash or modify the subpoena that may be filed by any interested party, including Comcast or

the subscriber assigned to the IP address. Furthermore, the following limitations apply:

• The subpoena shall only request the actual name and address of the

subscriber to whom Comcast assigned the above-captioned IP address.

• The subpoena shall only seek the name and address of the subscriber for

the time frame from FOURTEEN DAYS BEFORE the date of the first alleged

infringing act to FOURTEEN DAYS AFTER the date of the last alleged

infringing act.

• Malibu Media shall attach a copy of this order to the subpoena.

Case 3:15-cv-04172-WHA Document 13 Filed 10/18/15 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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• Malibu Media may not use any information disclosed by Comcast for any

purpose other than protecting its rights as set forth in the complaint.

• Comcast shall, in turn, serve a copy of the subpoena and a copy of this

order on the subscriber within TWENTY-FOUR DAYS of the date of service

on Comcast.

• The return date on the subpoena shall be no less than FORTY-FIVE DAYS

from the date of service on Comcast. Comcast shall not disclose any

identifying information about defendant to Malibu Media prior to the

return date or prior to the resolution of any motions to quash or modify

the subpoena.

• Malibu Media shall not disclose defendant’s name, address, telephone

number, email, social media username, or any other identifying

information, other than defendant’s IP address, that it may subsequently

learn. All documents including defendant’s identifying information,

apart from his or her IP address, shall be filed under seal, with all such

information redacted on the public docket, unless and until the Court

orders otherwise and only after defendant has had an opportunity to

challenge the disclosure of any identifying information. Malibu Media

explicitly consented to the inclusion of such a protection in its motion.

• In its proposed order (but not in its motion) Malibu Media also sought

leave to serve subpoenas on “any service provider that is identified in

response to a subpoena as a provider of Internet services to Defendant.” 

Malibu Media must seek leave to serve subpoenas on any other service

provider besides Comcast in this matter.

Any motions relating to the subpoena or the protective order discussed above shall be

filed prior to the return date of the subpoena.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 18, 2015. 

WILLIAM ALSUP

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 3:15-cv-04172-WHA Document 13 Filed 10/18/15 Page 2 of 2