Yup, Strike 3 Is Going The Prenda Route By Filing 'Pure Discovery' Suits In FL State Court

from the you're-out dept

We were just discussing the deafening silence coming from two of the most prolific copyright trolls in federal courts, Malibu Media and Strike 3 Holdings. While both trolls had set a record-breaking pace for the better part of this year, both also suddenly went mostly silent over the last couple of months. As we indicated in that post, Strike 3 specifically appears to have simply moved its operations to Florida state courts. While we were not totally sure why that would be at the time of the last post, we had a theory.

This may have to do with an attempt to avoid precedence in rulings as to the evidence it uses, chiefly the practice of pretending that IP addresses identify people. If that isn't it, it could also be some version of the trick Prenda Law attempted to pull in moving copyright-cases-in-disguise to Florida courts. Essentially, they sue instead with a nod toward the CFAA as a way to enter into discovery, while also naming a bunch of co-conspirators -- rather than defendants -- to the case. All of this as a way to get at IP address and account information for a whole bunch of people in state court, only to turn around and sue those same co-conspirators in federal court. If that is what Strike 3 is doing, it's really dumb because it got Prenda in a bunch of trouble.

It turns out that's exactly what is happening. Strike 3 is suing ISPs with complaints of "a pure bill discovery". The entire purpose of those types of suits are to discover defendants. In this case, Strike 3 is asking the court to order ISPs to identify account holders of IP addresses it claims are infringing copyright. It's not actually a copyright lawsuit, however, as that would have to be filed in federal court. Instead, this looks to be an end run around copyright law and the costs associated with filing in federal court.

In this case, this means a subpoena directed at ISPs to identify the account holder that’s linked to the allegedly infringing IP-addresses. This tactic provides the same result as going through a federal court and allows Strike 3 to demand settlements as well. While the number of cases in state court is relatively modest, these cases target a substantially higher number of defendants per case. That’s also one of the main advantages. By filing a single case with dozens or hundreds of defendants, the filing fee per defendant is very low.

In federal court, the company generally targets one defendant per complaint, which is far more expensive. And while Strike 3 mentions that it is requesting the information for a subsequent copyright lawsuit, it will likely try to get a settlement first.

These state courts also don't have the muscle memory built up to push back on Strike 3's trollish lawsuits, using scant evidence such as IP addresses to unmask private citizens. Reporting suggests Florida courts have already granted subpoenas in many of these cases. In others, however, there is thankfully some pushback.

Attorney Jeffrey Antonelli and his firm Antonelli Law‘s local counsel Steven Robert Kozlowski objected to these subpoenas on behalf of several defendants. In his motion to quash he highlights a variety of problems, including the earlier observation that copyright cases don’t belong in a state court.

“This Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over the copyright claims at issue in the lawsuit which the subpoena to Comcast is premised upon. Federal courts have original and exclusive jurisdiction over civil actions arising under federal copyright law,” the motion reads.

Another problem is that the purpose of the “pure bill of discovery” is to obtain facts or information a defendant has. However, the targeted ISPs are not defendants in these cases. Finally, the motions highlight that the IP-addresses may not even be linked to Florida, where the court is based. Strike 3 should have known this, as they always disclose the location in federal court. However, they may have omitted it on purpose, the defense argues.

It's some form of justice to see a copyright troll sue ISPs in state court over federal copyright laws, looking for defendants that aren't subjects of the suit, and all while that same troll withholds facts from the court that would illuminate yet another reason the lawsuit shouldn't have been filed in that state court to begin with. Whatever the trifecta is for getting a court to sanction a lawfirm, this certainly seems to fit the bill.

And, yet, with state court judges not being as well versed in copyright law as their federal cousins, these subpoenas often get approved. That's a problem, one which will see copyright trolling get exponentially worse if it's allowed to continue. Here's hoping there is enough pushback from defendants so as that doesn't occur.

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Filed Under: abuse, copyright, copyright trolling, florida, pure bill of discovery, state courts
Companies: strike 3, strike 3 holdings


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  1. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Dec 2019 @ 8:07pm

    It was a real hoot to see Prenda Law dance around one ruling after another in court. Why not another blockbuster tustle of insulting the courts, reading like a cheap novel?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Dec 2019 @ 8:14pm

    State courts can handle federal questions, but the defendant can remove them.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Dec 2019 @ 9:35pm

    Waiting for...

    The judge to say, "You're out!"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2019 @ 3:12am

    The hint about what they're doing is in their name

    Strike 3, indeed.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2019 @ 3:17am

    John Smith's heroes, ladies and gentlemen!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2019 @ 6:28am

    Looks like venue shopping

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    SJD, 19 Dec 2019 @ 9:43am

    LA lawyer Lincoln Bandlow, who manages Strike 3 cases nationwide, said this 1.5 years ago (emphasis is mine):

    To be clear to the court, plaintiff must address the elephant in the room, and that elephant’s name is Prenda,” Fox Rothschild said. “That was a big, dumb, malicious animal from years ago that unfortunately now poses the risk of trampling the rights of all the legitimate content creators, such as plaintiff, who have been forced to seek court intervention to address the tidal wave of internet infringement that puts content creators at risk of drowning in a sea of theft. The court should rest assured: plaintiff and its counsel are the anti-Prenda.

    Bandlow "resigned" from a partner position at Fox Rotschild in April to spend more time role-playing Paul Hansmeier. To the best of my knowledge, he does not respond to reporters' comment requests since.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2019 @ 10:29am

    Re:

    This doesn't surprise me that lawyers would be on whatever side of the street that suits them.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Dan, 19 Dec 2019 @ 3:38pm

    Re:

    I think you're thinking of diversity jurisdiction, which allows federal courts to hear cases involving state law when the parties are citizens of different states and the amount in controversy exceeds $75k. The plaintiff can bring such a case in state court, but the defendant can remove it to federal court if they choose. But true federal questions (i.e., those premised in federal law) ordinarily need to be in federal court, unless the federal law in question allows for its being tried in state court.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2019 @ 5:01pm

    Re:

    Bandlow was talking a huge sack of shit, of course.

    Otis Wright, Booth and Sweet are the anti-Prenda.

    Strike 3 is the weeping wife-to-be left at the altar.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2019 @ 5:49pm

    Re: Re:

    Wright was wrong, of course. You only got lucky because Duffy died and Hansmeier turned out to be an unlikeable douchebag so you pirate fucks got a free pass. But IP addresses still prove who defamed the President, and when my lawyers arm themselves I'm going to make you and the cowpats Masnick calls his "children" wish they were never born.

    Of course I said this COULD happen, not that it WOULD happen, so you can't touch me. Sorry! Maybe you should've thought of that before making fun of copyright holders like Shiva Ayyadurai.

    Up yours, PaulT!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2019 @ 8:32pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    I'm just going to file those threats alongside the press release and subpoena, under the section containing the complete collection of "Fuck all" you're going to do to me.

    Do your lawyers know you're being this naughty or is it a sexual affectation? Who wears the Fran Drescher mask?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2019 @ 8:50pm

    Re: Yes nice post is very good

    I love the fact that the random spammers are ten times as articulate as the copymax nutters.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Dec 2019 @ 8:55pm

    Re: As the impotent fuckwit says: bring it on motherfucker

    Shiva who fucked up so bad no ones heard from him in six months? And what are the Prenda boys doing these days? I believe it’s called hard time bro.

    Hey Jhon you sound like you’ve been hitting the bottle again.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. icon
    alanbleiweiss (profile), 19 Dec 2019 @ 10:56pm

    But What About Salt Marsh

    All I care about at this point is whether Strike 3 has hired Salt Marsh in any capacity and if we might finally get insight into who they really are.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    SJD, 20 Dec 2019 @ 7:30am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Unsubstantiated threats are unethical.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2019 @ 7:47am

    Re: Re: As the impotent fuckwit says: bring it on motherfucker

    Can we hit Jhon with the bottle instead?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. icon
    Tanner Andrews (profile), 23 Dec 2019 @ 12:41am

    Re: Re:

    Dan may have misleadingly incomplete information. Federal questions may be litigated in state court; indeed, many of them have to be litigated there.

    Some Federal statutes permit suit only in Federal court. Others allow any court of competent jurisdiction, the meaning of which varies from state to state. For instance, a claim of a certain amount might be in small claims in one state, county in another, or circuit in a third state.

    If ptf files in state court, the defendant(s) can sometimes remove to Federal. This may be on the basis of diversity (no def state in common + jurisdictional amount), or federal question (statute allows case in Federal court).

    It can get more complicated. There is quite a lot of case law covering when a suit may be brought in or removed to Federal.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    Johnny, 19 Apr 2020 @ 8:34pm

    Who is salt marsh?

    This Lincoln Bandlow character seems like he is experiencing significant ethical issues. My sources tell me many ethical complaints are in the process of being filed against him. We will see where 2020 takes all of this but he could end up with some serious issues, suspension, disbarment, or perhaps...jail.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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