Strike 3 Holdings is continues to file requests for internet subscribers’ identities, this time targeting users from Texas, including Plano, Lewisville, Wylie, and Dallas. They’ve applied for 20 such identities through a little known procedure in Florida called a Bill of Pure Discovery. They claim that their investigators have recorded IP addresses downloading their films through BitTorrent networks. Strike 3 owns films under the brands Vixen, Tushy, and Blacked. They then request subpoenas for the identities of internet subscribers from internet service providers like Frontier Communications.
These subpoenas are flawed for a number of reason. First, because they are requested from a Miami-Dade county court, which has no jurisdiction over copyright matters. Second, the subscribers’ IP addresses are geolocated to Texas, meaning subscribers are unlikely to live or work in Florida. Third, they are requesting the subscriber’s identity, yet, there is no guarantee that the person who pays the internet bills is the same person responsible for the infringing activity.
If Strike 3 gets the subscribers’ identities, they then file a Federal copyright lawsuit, which can carry hefty damages of at least $750 per infringement, with damages often requested to be tripled to $2,250 for “willful” infringement. Strike 3 usually waits until there are dozens and dozens of infringements alleged, meaning each case can be worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. These lawsuits are serious and Strike 3 is notoriously aggressive.
Many defendants have fought Strike 3 subpoenas in Miami-Dade county court by filing Motions to Quash (a request for the court to cancel the subpoena) and are successful at first, as Strike 3 will drop the Defendant from that case. However, this may not be the end. Strike 3 Holdings can become more aggressive after seeing resistance and seem to be willing to file Federal lawsuits in the correct jurisdiction in order to get an identity and sue.
Sometimes, filing a Motion to Quash is still advantageous. I’ve defended hundreds of cases against Strike 3 Holdings and similar Plaintiffs, both in negotiating settlements and litigating in court. If you’ve received a notice from Frontier Communications or Cox Communications and you’re considering a Motion to Quash, settling, or fighting in court, please call us at 888.801.8681 or email. Please have your case number and IP address ready. We’re happy to explain your options for defense and recommend the best way forward.
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