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2025-cv-00142

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. v. The Partnerships And Unincorporated Associations Identified On Schedule A,

法院:伊利诺伊州北法院
发案日期:2025-01-07
原告:Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
代理律所:TME
诉讼类型:商标
# Date Description
[+] 1 2025-01-07 COMPLAINT filed by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.; Filing fee $ 405, receipt number AILNDC-22918685.
[+] 2 2025-01-07 EXHIBIT by Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Exhibit 1 regarding complaint[1]
3 2025-01-07 SEALED EXHIBIT by Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Schedule A regarding complaint[1]
4 2025-01-07 MOTION by Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. for Leave to File Certain Documents Under Seal
5 2025-01-07 CIVIL Cover Sheet
6 2025-01-07 NOTIFICATION of Affiliates pursuant to Local Rule 3.2 by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
7 2025-01-07 Notice of Claims Involving Trademarks by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
8 2025-01-07 ATTORNEY Appearance for Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. by Martin Francis Trainor
9 2025-01-07 ATTORNEY Appearance for Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. by Alexander Whang
[+] 10 2025-01-07 ATTORNEY Appearance for Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. by Sydney Paige Fenton
11 2025-01-07 MINUTE entry before the Honorable Charles P. Kocoras: Motion by Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. for leave to file certain documents under seal [4] is granted. Mailed notice.
[+] 12 2025-01-09 MAILED Trademark report to Patent Trademark Office, Alexandria VA
13 2025-01-13 MINUTE entry before the Executive Committee: Case reassigned to the Honorable Georgia Alexakis for all further proceedings pursuant to the provisions of 28 USC 294(b). Mailed notice
14 2025-01-13 MINUTE entry before the Honorable Georgia N Alexakis: Upon review of the complaint and the accompanying "Schedule A" [1], [3], the Court sua sponte raises the propriety of joining 198 defendants and dozens of trademarks in a single action. See, e.g., Estee Lauder Cosmetics Ltd. v. Schedule A, 334 F.R.D. 182 (N.D. Ill. 2020). By 1/21/25, plaintiff must file a supplemental memorandum addressing the propriety of joinder in light of the principles described in Estee Lauder. Plaintiff should also reference this Court's order in Bug Art Limited v. The Partnerships, 24 CV 7777, Dkt. 28, where the Court expressed its joinder-related concerns in cases of this size. In the alternative, plaintiff has leave to file an amended complaint by 1/21/25 with a smaller subset of defendants along with a memorandum explaining why that smaller subset of defendants is properly joined. Estee Lauder, 334 F.R.D. at 189. Plaintiff's memorandum should separately address whether attaching more than 2,000 pages of exhibits to the complaint [2] constitutes a violation of Rule 8's requirement that a pleading set forth "a short and plain statement. showing that the pleader is entitled to relief."
[+] 15 2025-01-21 MINUTE entry before the Honorable Georgia N Alexakis: Initial status hearing is set for 3/18/25 at 9:30 a.m. in person in Courtroom 1719. By 3/11/25,the parties shall file a Joint Initial Status Report that complies with the Court's standing order, which can be found on the Court's website. If the defendant(s) have not been served by the initial status hearing date, counsel for Plaintiff must contact the Courtroom Deputy to reschedule the status hearing and the date for filing the Joint Initial Status Report.
[+] 16 2025-01-21 AMENDED complaint by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. against [REDACTED]
17 2025-01-21 SEALED EXHIBIT by Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Schedule A regarding amended complaint[16]
[+] 18 2025-01-21 RESPONSE by Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. to text entry, [14]
19 2025-01-23 MOTION by Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. for Entry of a Temporary Restraining Order, Including a Temporary Injunction, a Temporary Asset Restraint, and Expedited Discovery
[+] 20 2025-01-23 MEMORANDUM by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. in support of motion for miscellaneous relief[19]
[+] 21 2025-01-23 DECLARATION of Paul Varley regarding memorandum in support of motion[20]
22 2025-01-23 SEALED EXHIBIT by Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Exhibit 2 regarding declaration[21]
23 2025-01-23 MOTION by Plaintiff Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. for Electronic Service of Process Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(f)(3)
[+] 24 2025-01-23 MEMORANDUM by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. in support of motion for miscellaneous relief[23]
[+] 25 2025-01-23 NOTICE of Motion by Martin Francis Trainor for presentment of motion for miscellaneous relief[23], motion for miscellaneous relief[19] before Honorable Georgia N Alexakis on 1/28/2025 at 09:30 AM.
26 2025-01-28 MINUTE entry before the Honorable Georgia N Alexakis: Motion hearing held on 1/28/25. Plaintiff's ex parte motion for entry of a temporary restraining order, a temporary asset restraint, and expedited discovery [19] is granted, with the modifications to those aspects of the proposed order concerning the scope of the asset restraint that were discussed during the hearing. Plaintiff is directed to submit a modified proposed order by 3 p.m. on 1/28/25. Plaintiff's motion for electronic service of process [23] is also granted. Plaintiff's written submissions establish that if defendants were informed of this proceeding before a TRO could issue, assets would likely be redirected, defeating plaintiff's interests in identifying defendants, stopping the infringement, and obtaining an accounting. The Court finds that (1) the submitted evidence establishes a likelihood of success on the merits (including evidence of active infringement and sales into Illinois); (2) the harm to plaintiff is irreparable and cannot be fully compensated by money damages; (3) an injunction is in the public interest because of the consumer confusion caused by counterfeit goods and infringement interferes with Plaintiff's ability to control its intellectual property; and (4) there is no countervailing harm to defendants from an order directing them to stop infringement. Electronic service of process does not violate any treaty and is consistent with due process because it is an effective way to communicate with these online marketplace defendants. Expedited discovery is warranted to identify defendants and implement the asset freeze. If any defendant were to appear and object, the Court will revisit issues related to the asset freeze, joinder, personal jurisdiction, and electronic service of process. A $1,000 bond is sufficient to secure the injunctive relief.
[+] 27 2025-01-28 SEALED Temporary Restraining Order Signed by the Honorable Georgia N Alexakis on 1/28/25.
28 2025-02-04 SURETY BOND in the amount of $ 1,000.00 posted by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
29 2025-02-21 NOTICE of Voluntary Dismissal by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. as to a certain defendant
30 2025-02-21 MINUTE entry before the Honorable Georgia N Alexakis: Pursuant to the notice of voluntary dismissal per Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(i), Defendant No. 1 ya202276 is dismissed with prejudice. Civil case terminated.
[+] 31 2025-02-24 MAILED Trademark report to Patent Trademark Office, Alexandria VA.