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1
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2024-11-01 |
COMPLAINT filed by Dongguan Juyuan Precision Technology Co., Ltd.; Jury Demand. Filing fee $ 405, receipt number AILNDC-22681502. |
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Exhibit Exhibit A |
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Civil Cover Sheet Civil Cover Sheet |
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(Notice of Filing Appearance of Counsel) |
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2
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2024-11-01 |
SEALED DOCUMENT by Plaintiff Dongguan Juyuan Precision Technology Co., Ltd. Schedule A |
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3
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2024-11-01 |
SEALED DOCUMENT by Plaintiff Dongguan Juyuan Precision Technology Co., Ltd. Exhibit B |
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CASE ASSIGNED to the Honorable Jeremy C. Daniel. Designated as Magistrate Judge the Honorable Jeffrey T. Gilbert. Case assignment: Random assignment. (Civil Category 1). |
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CLERK'S NOTICE: Pursuant to Local Rule 73.1(b), a United States Magistrate Judge of this court is available to conduct all proceedings in this civil action. If all parties consent to have the currently assigned United States Magistrate Judge conduct all proceedings in this case, including trial, the entry of final judgment, and all post-trial proceedings, all parties must sign their names on the attached Consent To form. This consent form is eligible for filing only if executed by all parties. The parties can also express their consent to jurisdiction by a magistrate judge in any joint filing, including the Joint Initial Status Report or proposed Case Management Order. |
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4
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2024-11-04 |
MAILED patent report to Patent Trademark Office, Alexandria VA |
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5
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2024-11-04 |
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeremy C. Daniel: The plaintiff has filed a complaint alleging design patent infringement against 17 defendants. (R. 1 and R. 2.) This case follows a pattern common to "Schedule A" cases where plaintiffs allege that defendants employ similar methods and "work in active concert" to infringe plaintiffs' intellectual property. But experience has shown that not all defendants named in a Schedule A case work together. More importantly, experience has shown that joinder under Fed. R. Civ. P. 20 is rarely appropriate in Schedule A cases. Accordingly, the Court raises the propriety of joinder and requires the plaintiff to file a supplemental memorandum addressing the propriety of joinder on or before November 15, 2024. Alternatively, by the same date, the plaintiff may file an amended complaint naming one or more defendants; however, if the plaintiff names multiple defendants, the plaintiff must show that joinder of those defendants is proper. Having reviewed the complaint, the Court is also concerned about certain allegations directed towards joinder. For instance, the complaint alleges that, "On information and belief, Defendants are an interrelated group of infringers working in active concert to knowingly and willfully make, use, offer for sale, sell, and/or import into the United States for subsequent sale or use the same product that infringe the **552 Patent in in a series of occurrences." (R. 1 Para. 9.) This is a conclusory statement that does nothing to establish the propriety of joinder. Moreover, experience has shown that, while some individual defendants may operate several online stores, and while some individual defendants may coordinate with other defendants before or after the filing of the infringement action, rarely, if ever, have all defendants named in a Schedule A case worked together. Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(b)(3) requires that, "factual contentions have evidentiary support or, if specifically so identified, will likely have evidentiary support after a reasonable opportunity for further investigation or discovery." Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(c)((3), the Court requires counsel for the plaintiff to show cause why the allegation that "defendants are working in active concert" does not violate Rule 11(b)(3). The Court will consider the issues raised in this order first, and will hear argument on the issues raised in this order on November 19, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. Mailed notice. |
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6
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2024-11-15 |
NOTICE of Voluntary Dismissal by Dongguan Juyuan Precision Technology Co., Ltd. of all Defendants in Schedule A without prejudice |
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7
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2024-11-18 |
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeremy C. Daniel: Pursuant to the Notice of Voluntary Dismissal 6, this case is dismissed without prejudice. Civil case terminated. Mailed notice |
