Contact Us Today! (877) 276-5084

Attorney Steve® Blog

What if I default on my Strike 3 lawsuit?

Posted by Steve Vondran | Feb 02, 2021

BitTorrent Litigation Essentials - what if I default?

Strike 3 settlement amounts

PODCAST:  Click on the image above to listen to our IP law podcast with Attorney Steve®

Here is a case from Eastern District of New York were a defendant was accused of file-sharing 145 Strike Three adult pornography movies through BitTorrent.  After the 21 days passed (time to answer a federal court lawsuit), the Plaintiff moved for a default.  The Court thereafter awarded $108,750 (which is $750 per movie which represents non-willful infringement).  Of course, the Plaintiff then has to go ENFORCE the award and that is usually done by setting a "debtor's examination" and forcing the defaulting defendant to come into court and explain where they work (garnish wages), what they own, where property they own is located etc.

See case citation Strike3 vs. John Doe: 2:18-cv-05305

From the court's docket:

"In accordance with Rule 73 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Local Rule 73.1, the parties are notified that if all parties consent a United States magistrate judge of this court is available to conduct all proceedings in this civil action including a (jury or nonjury) trial and to order the entry of a final judgment. Attached to the Notice is a blank copy of the consent form that should be filled out, signed and filed electronically only if all parties wish to consent. You may withhold your consent without adverse substantive consequences. Do NOT return or file the consent unless all parties have signed the consent. (Flanagan, Doreen) (Entered: 09/21/2018)"

Contact a BitTorrent Litigation Defense Counsel

We have help many "John Doe defendants" settle their federal litigation cases settle other disputes "out-of-court" with Plaintiff and their counsel (many times Bandlow Law Firm in California).  Call us at (877) 276-5084 for a free initial consultation.  We offer flat rate legal fees for most cases.

About the Author

Steve Vondran

Thank you for viewing our blogs, videos and podcasts. As noted, all information on this website is Attorney Advertising. Decisions to hire an attorney should never be based on advertising alone. Any past results discussed herein do not guarantee or predict any future results. All blogs are written by Steve Vondran, Esq. unless otherwise indicated. Our firm handles a wide variety of intellectual property and entertainment law cases from music and video law, Youtube disputes, DMCA litigation, copyright infringement cases involving software licensing disputes (ex. BSA, SIIA, Siemens, Autodesk, Vero, CNC, VB Conversion and others), torrent internet file-sharing (Strike 3 and Malibu Media), California right of publicity, TV Signal Piracy, and many other types of IP, piracy, technology, and social media disputes. Call us at (877) 276-5084. AZ Bar Lic. #025911 CA. Bar Lic. #232337

Contact us for an initial consultation!

For more information, or to discuss your case or our experience and qualifications please contact us at (877) 276-5084. Please note that our firm does not represent you unless and until a written retainer agreement is signed, and any applicable legal fees are paid. All initial conversations are general in nature. Free consultations are limited to time and availability of counsel and will depend on the type of case you are calling about (no free consultations for other lawyers). All users and potential clients are bound by our Terms of Use Policies. We look forward to working with you!
The Law Offices of Steven C. Vondran, P.C. BBB Business Review

Menu