Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-02701/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-02701-6/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
John Doe subscriber assigned IP address 108.206.113.196
Defendant
Malibu Media, LLC
Plaintiff

Document Text:

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MALIBU MEDIA, LLC,

Plaintiff,

v.

JOHN DOE SUBSCRIBER ASSIGNED 

IP ADDRESS 108.206.113.196, et al.

Defendants.

No. 2:15-cv-2701-JAM-KJN, et al.

ORDER

On May 5, 2016, the court conducted a global hearing with respect to plaintiff Malibu 

Media, LLC’s ex parte motions to conduct expedited discovery that had been pending in several 

related actions filed by plaintiff in the Sacramento division of this district. In connection with 

those motions, plaintiff lodged with the court for initial in camera review a status report 

addressing various questions/issues outlined in the court’s April 8, 2016 order scheduling the

May 5, 2016 hearing, as well as representative samples of plaintiff’s settlement correspondence 

and settlement agreements. The status report was subsequently filed on the court’s public docket, 

and the exhibits to the status report, which contain confidential settlement correspondence and 

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Case 2:15-cv-02701-JAM-KJN Document 16 Filed 10/11/16 Page 1 of 4
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settlement agreements, were filed under seal.1 At the May 5, 2016 hearing, plaintiff’s sole owner, 

Colette Pelisseir Field, appeared along with counsel and responded to further questioning by the 

court. Following that hearing, on May 10, 2016, the court issued a comprehensive order granting 

the motions to conduct expedited discovery in all of the related cases, subject to certain 

restrictions identified in that order.

Subsequently, plaintiff commenced several new actions, which were also ultimately 

related to this action on August 4, 2016. Thereafter, on September 28, 2016, plaintiff filed ex 

parte motions to conduct expedited discovery in each of the newly-related actions, which were 

then submitted for decision on the record and written briefing without a hearing. 

After carefully considering the court’s record and the applicable law, IT IS HEREBY 

ORDERED that:

1. Based on the showing made in plaintiff’s motions, as well as plaintiff’s representations

made in its status report filed in Malibu Media, LLC v. John Doe subscriber assigned 

IP address 108.206.113.196, 2:15-cv-2701-JAM-KJN, ECF Nos. 11, 12, and verbally

at the May 5, 2016 hearing in that matter, the court finds that plaintiff has shown that 

good cause exists to conduct the requested expedited discovery in these cases in an 

attempt to identify the respective John Doe defendants. See Semitool, Inc. v. Tokyo 

Electron Am, Inc., 208 F.R.D. 273, 276 (N.D. Cal. 2002). As such, plaintiff’s motions 

are GRANTED, subject to the restrictions outlined below.

2. Plaintiff may immediately serve a Rule 45 subpoena (“Subpoena”) on the internet 

service provider (“ISP”) identified in Exhibit A to the operative complaint in each

case, or on any other entity identified as providing internet services to the John Doe

defendant at the particular IP address, to obtain information to identify the John Doe

defendant; more specifically, his or her name and address. The ISP shall NOT release

the subscriber’s telephone number or e-mail address. A copy of this order shall be 

 

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Those documents were filed on the court’s docket in the first-filed case, Malibu Media, LLC v. 

John Doe subscriber assigned IP address 108.206.113.196, 2:15-cv-2701-JAM-KJN, ECF Nos. 

11, 12.

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attached to the Subpoena in each case. 

3. The ISP shall have 30 days from the date of service of the Subpoena upon it to serve

the John Doe defendant with a copy of the Subpoena and a copy of this order. The 

ISP may serve the John Doe defendant using any reasonable means, including written 

notice sent to his or her last known address, transmitted either by first-class mail or via 

overnight service.

4. The John Doe defendant shall have 60 days from the date of service of the Subpoena 

and this order upon him or her to file any motions with this court contesting the 

Subpoena (including a motion to quash or modify the Subpoena), as well as any 

request to litigate the Subpoena anonymously. The ISP may NOT turn over the John 

Doe defendant’s identifying information to plaintiff before the expiration of this 60-

day period. Additionally, if the John Doe defendant or ISP files a motion to quash the 

Subpoena, the ISP may not turn over any information to the plaintiff until the motion 

has been resolved by the court. A John Doe defendant who moves to quash or modify 

the subpoena, or to proceed anonymously, shall at the same time as his or her filing 

notify the ISP so that the ISP is on notice not to release any of the John Doe 

defendant’s information to plaintiff until the court rules on any such motions. 

5. If the above-mentioned time periods elapse without the John Doe defendant or ISP 

contesting the Subpoena, the ISP shall have 10 days to produce the information 

responsive to the Subpoena to plaintiff.

6. Upon service with the Subpoena, the ISP shall preserve any subpoenaed information 

until either the information is produced to plaintiff or a timely-filed motion to quash 

the subpoena is resolved by the court.

7. Any information ultimately disclosed to plaintiff in response to a Subpoena may be 

used by plaintiff for the sole purpose of protecting plaintiff’s rights as set forth in the 

operative complaint.

This order resolves all pending ex parte motions for expedited discovery in the following 

cases, and shall be filed by the Clerk of Court on the dockets of all the following cases:

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2:16-cv-01708-JAM-KJN ECF No. 15

2:16-cv-01709- JAM-KJN ECF No. 16

2:16-cv-01710- JAM-KJN ECF No. 9

2:16-cv-01711- JAM-KJN ECF No. 8

2:16-cv-01712- JAM-KJN ECF No. 9

2:16-cv-01713-JAM-KJN ECF No. 6

2:16-cv-01714- JAM-KJN ECF No. 7

2:16-cv-01715- JAM-KJN ECF No. 8

2:16-cv-01716- JAM-KJN ECF No. 8

2:16-cv-01717- JAM-KJN ECF No. 7

2:16-cv-01718- JAM-KJN ECF No. 7

2:16-cv-01719- JAM-KJN ECF No. 7

2:16-cv-01720- JAM-KJN ECF No. 7

2:16-cv-01721- JAM-KJN ECF No. 8

2:16-cv-01722-JAM-KJN ECF No. 6

2:16-cv-01723- JAM-KJN ECF No. 7

2:16-cv-01724- JAM-KJN ECF No. 8

2:16-cv-01725- JAM-KJN ECF No. 6

2:16-cv-01726- JAM-KJN ECF No. 6

2:16-cv-01727- JAM-KJN ECF No. 7

2:16-cv-01728- JAM-KJN ECF No. 8

2:16-cv-01729- JAM-KJN ECF No. 8

2:16-cv-01733- JAM-KJN ECF No. 7 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: October 11, 2016

Case 2:15-cv-02701-JAM-KJN Document 16 Filed 10/11/16 Page 4 of 4