U N IT E D S T A T E S D IS T R IC T C O U R T

F O R T H E D IS T R IC T O F C O L U M B IA

M i s c

. A c t i o n 1 0

- 0 0 1 7 1

H H K / D A R

M E M O R A N D U M O P I N I O N A N D O R D E R

P e n d i n g f

o r d e t e r m i n a t i o n b y t h e u n d e r s i g n e d i s t h e M o t i o n t o Q u a s h S u b p o e n a f i l e d b y

“ J o h n D o e # 4 ” ( “ M o t i o n t o Q u a s h ” ) ( D o c u m e n t N o

. 3 )

. U p o n c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h e m o t i o n

,

W o r l d w i d e F i l m E n t e r t a i n m e n t

, L L C ’ s O p p o s i t i o n t o M o t i o n t o Q u a s h S u b p o e n a F i l e d b y

A n o n y m o u s D e f

e n d a n t J o h n D o e # 4 ( D o c u m e n t N o

. 7 ) a n d t h e e n t i r e r e c o r d h e r e i n

, s a i d m o t i o n

w i l l b e d e n i e d

.

B A C K G R O U N D

O n J a n u a r y 8

, 2 0 1 0

, W o r l d w i d e F i l m E n t e r t a i n m e n t

, L L C ( “ W o r l d w i d e ” ) b r o u g h t a n

a c t i o n f o r d a m a g e s a n d i n

j u n c t i v e r e l i e f f

o r a l l e g e d c o p y r i g h t i n f

r i n g e m e n t

. C o m p l a i n t

, C i v i l

A c t i o n N o

. 1 0

- 0 0 3 8 ( D o c u m e n t N o

. 1 )

, ¶ 1

. W o r l d w i d e s t a t e s t h a t i t i s a c r e a t o r a n d d i s t r i b u t o r o f

m o t i o n p i c t u r e s

, i n c l u d i n g “ T h e G r a y M a n [

. ] ” I d

. , ¶ 6

. W o r l d w i d e a l l e g e s t h a t 7 4 9 u n i d e n t i f i e d

d e f e n d a n t s

, “ [ t ] h e t r u e n a m e s o f [ w h i c h ] a r e u n k n o w n t o P l a i n t i f f a t t h i s t i m e [

, ] ” i n f

r i n g e d i t s

e x c l u s i v e r i g h t s u n d e r c o p y r i g h t l a w b y “ c o p y i n g a n d d i s t r i b u t i n g t o o t h e r s o v e r t h e In t e r n e t J O H N D O E 4

,

P e t i t i o n e r

,

v

.

V E R IZ O N O N L IN E

,

R e s p o n d e n t

.J o h n D o e # 4 v

. V e r i z o n O n l i n e 2

u n a u t h o r i z e d c o p i e s o f [ s a i d ] m o t i o n p i c t u r e [

. ] ” I d

. , ¶ ¶ 6

, 8

, 1 2

. W o r l d w i d e s u b m i t s t h a t e a c h

d e f e n d a n t i s n o w k n o w n t o W o r l d w i d e “ o n l y b y t h e In t e r n e t P r o t o c o l ( “ IP ” ) a d d r e s s a s s i g n e d t o

t h a t D e f e n d a n t b y h i s o r h e r In t e r n e t S e r v i c e P r o v i d e r [ “ IS P ” ] o n t h e d a t e a n d a t t h e t i m e a t w h i c h

t h e i n f r i n g i n g a c t i v i t y o f e a c h D e f e n d a n t w a s o b s e r v e d

. ” I d

. , ¶ 8

. W o r l d w i d e s t a t e s t h a t

“ i n f o r m a t i o n o b t a i n e d i n d i s c o v e r y w i l l l e a d t o t h e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f e a c h D e f

e n d a n t ’ s t r u e n a m e

a n d p e r m i t t h e P l a i n t i f

f t o a m e n d t h i s C o m p l a i n t t o s t a t e t h e s a m e

. ” I d

.

O n J a n u a r y 1 7

, 2 0 1 0

, W o r l d w i d e f i l e d a M o t i o n f

o r L e a v e t o T a k e D i s c o v e r y P r i o r t o t h e

R u l e 2 6 ( f

) C o n f e r e n c e ( D o c u m e n t N o

. 3 )

. B y s a i d m o t i o n

, W o r l d w i d e s o u g h t l e a v e o f t h e c o u r t t o

s e r v e d i s c o v e r y t h r o u g h t h e i s s u a n c e o f s u b p o e n a s p u r s u a n t t o F e d e r a l R u l e o f C i v i l P r o c e d u r e 4 5

o n t h e IS P s w h i c h p r o v i d e d i n t e r n e t a c c e s s t o e a c h d e f e n d a n t i n o r d e r t o d e t e r m i n e t h e d e f e n d a n t s ’

i d e n t i t i e s

. S e e P l a i n t i f

f ’ s M e m o r a n d u m o f P o i n t s a n d A u t h o r i t i e s i n S u p p o r t o f M o t i o n f o r L e a v e

t o T a k e D i s c o v e r y P r i o r t o R u l e 2 6 ( f ) C o n f e r e n c e ( D o c u m e n t N o

. 3 ) a t 6

- 7

. O n J a n u a r y 2 6

, 2 0 1 0

,

t h e c o u r t g r a n t e d t h e m o t i o n

, a n d p r o v i d e d

, i n t e r a l i a

, t h a t W o r l d w i d e 

### “may [i mmediately ] serve

[a Rule 45 subpoena] [ on] any I SP i dentified by

the same me ans deta iled in the Dec lara tions and

Motion, or identified as providing network a cce ss or online servic es to one or mor e Doe

Def endants,” for “ information suffic ient to identify eac h Doe De fenda

nt[ .]” See Orde r

(Doc ument No. 5) a t 1-2.

Six of the individuals or entities whose ide ntify ing inf ormation was soug ht by

subpoena

serve d upon an I SP m oved in the civil ac tion to quash the subpoena. I n the instant miscellaneous

action, a se venth motion was filed by an individual who identifies himself or he rself a s “John

Doe #4. B y

said motion, the movant seeks to quash the subpoe na ser ved on Ve rizon Online for

cer tain of the movant’s ide ntify ing inf ormation. Motion to Quash at 1. I n support of the motion,J o h n D o e # 4 v

. V e r i z o n O n l i n e 3



### movant submits t hat the subpoena is “proce durally

defe ctive[,] ” and de nies knowledg e of the

alleg ed infring ement. Id.

W o r l d w i d e 

### , in its opposi tion, submi ts that the motion t o quash is “proc edura lly

defe ctive[,] ” and tha t the movant has not provided justification for the re lief re quested.

Plaintiff’s Opposition at 3-9.

DISCUSSIO N

Rule 45(c) (3)( A) of the Fe dera l Rules of Civil Procedur e provide s, in pertinent par t, that

on timely motion, the court must quash or modify a subpoena

that “(i) f ails to allow rea sonable

time to comply ; . . . (iii) require s disclosure of pr ivilege d or other pr otected ma tter, if no

exception or waive r applies; or ( iv) subjects a pe rson to undue burde n.” F ed. R. Civ. P.

45(c) (3)( A)(i) , (ii), (iii). Additionally , Rule 45(c) (3)( B) provides, in per tinent part, that a c ourt

may quash or modify

a subpoena

“if it requir es . . . disclosing a tra de sec ret or othe r conf idential

rese arc h, development, or commerc ial information[.] ” F ed. R. Civ. P. 45(c)(3)( B) (i). *



### The unde rsig ned finds that movant has f ailed to demonstrate that the subpoena serve d

upon Ver izon Onli ne must be quashe d or modified in ac corda nce w ith Rul e 45(c )(3) (A), or that

the cour t should ex erc ise its discretion to do so in accor dance with Rule 45(c)( 3)(B ). Movant

char acte rizes the subpoena a s “proc edura lly defe ctive[,] ” but identifies no g round cog nizable

under Rule 45 whic h would permit the cour t to quash or modify

the subpoena

.

V e r i z o n O n l i n e h a s n o t m o v e d t o q u a s h o r m o d i f y t h e s u b p o e n a

, o r o t h e r w i s e o b j e c t t o i t

. T h e u n d e r s i g n e d a s s u m e s

, *

f o r t h e p u r p o s e s o f t h i s m o t i o n

, t h a t t h e i n d i v i d u a l o r e n t i t y w h o s e s u b s c r i b e r i n f o r m a t i o n w a s t h e s u b j e c t o f t h e s u b p o e n a h a s

s t a n d i n g t o m o v e t o q u a s h i t

. C f

. C o v a d C o m m u n i c a t i o n s C o

. v

. R e v o n e t

, I n c

. , N o

. 0 9

- M C

- 1 0 2

, 2 0 0 9 W L 3 7 3 9 2 7 8

, a t * 3 ( D

. S

. D

.

N o v

. 4

, 2 0 0 9 ) ( w h i l e “ [ o ] r d i n a r i l y a p a r t y d o e s n o t h a v e s t a n d i n g t o o b j e c t t o a s u b p o e n a s e r v e d o n a n o n

- p a r t y

, . . . a p a r t y d o e s

h a v e s t a n d i n g t o o b j e c t t o a s u b p o e n a s e r v e d u p o n a n o n

- p a r t y w h i c h r e q u i r e s t h e p r o d u c t i o n o f p r i v i l e g e d i n f o r m a t i o n

. ” ) ( c i t a t i o n

o m i t t e d )

.J o h n D o e # 4 v

. V e r i z o n O n l i n e 4



### Moreove r, movant’s de nial of knowledg e of the alleg ed infring ement ca nnot be eva luated

in the context of the motion t o quash the subpoena serve d upon Comcast. This court has

observe d that “fa ctual and te chnica l arg uments . . . are unrela ted to any appropr iate inquiry

associate d with a motion to quash.” Arista Records LLC v. Doe s 1-19 , 551 F. Supp. 2d 1, 8

(D.D.C. Apr il 28, 2008); see also Fonov isa, Inc. v. D oes 1-19 , No. 07-1515, 2008 WL 919701, at

*8 (W.D.Pa. April 3, 2008) (holding that if the individual or entity whose identify

ing inf ormation

was soug ht by

a subpoena

serve d on an I SP “believes that it has bee n improperly identified by

the I SP, [ the individual or entity ] m ay raise, at the appropr iate time, any and all def

enses, a nd

may seek discove ry

in support of its defense s.”).

CONCLUSION

For all of the for eg oing r easons, the unde rsig ned finds that movant has f ailed to

establish a basis upon which to qua sh or modify the subpoena

consistent with Rule 45 of the

Fe dera l Rules of Civil Procedur e. Ac cording ly , it is, t his 21 day of May , 2010, t h



### ORDERED that the Motion to Quash filed by “ J o h n D o e # 4 " 

### (Doc ument No. 3) is her eby

DENIED

.

________/s/________________

DEB ORAH A. ROB I

NSON

United States Mag istrate Judge