2025-cv-03347
案件基本信息
案件号
2025-cv-03347
案件法院
伊利诺伊州北区法院
原告品牌
Fairly Odd 创意小产品，品牌所属公司为Fairly Odd Treasures, LLC，这是一家在制造、分销以及电子商务履约服务领域深耕的专业公司，提供从产品生产到最终零售的一站式全方位解决方案，在电子商务销售领域优势显著。
原告律所
Flener IP & Business Law，简称Flener
案件进展情况
2025年3月28日
进展
原告FOT, LLC提交诉状（COMPLAINT filed by FOT, LLC; Jury Demand. Filing fee $ 405, receipt number AILNDC - 23273062），并提交民事封面表（CIVIL Cover Sheet）。
进展
原告律师James Edward Judge代表原告FOT, LLC出庭（ATTORNEY Appearance for Plaintiff FOT, LLC by James Edward Judge）。
进展
原告FOT, LLC提出申请，请求允许密封提交文件（MOTION by Plaintiff FOT, LLC for leave to file documents under seal）。
进展
书记员发出通知，根据当地规则73.1(b)，本法院的美国治安法官可进行此民事诉讼的所有程序。若所有当事人同意由当前指定的美国治安法官进行此案的所有程序，包括审判、最终判决的作出以及所有审后程序，所有当事人必须在随附的同意表格上签名。此同意表格仅在所有当事人签署后才有资格提交。当事人也可在任何联合文件中表达对治安法官管辖权的同意，包括联合初始状态报告或拟议的案件管理令（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）。
进展
原告FOT, LLC提交未编辑的密封诉状（SEALED DOCUMENT by Plaintiff FOT, LLC Unredacted Complaint）。
2025年3月31日
进展
向弗吉尼亚州亚历山大市的专利商标局邮寄专利报告（MAILED patent report to Patent Trademark Office, Alexandria VA）。
进展
向华盛顿特区的登记员邮寄版权报告（MAILED copyright report to Registrar, Washington DC）。
进展
法官April M. Perry作出分钟记录：原告的密封动议[4]部分获得批准。原告的身份不得密封。法院对原告试图以化名“FOT”进行诉讼表示担忧。第七巡回法院强烈不赞成匿名、化名或“无名称”诉讼，并要求原告证明存在“特殊情况”，以证明拒绝自我识别是合理的。Doe v. Village of Deerfield, 819 F.3d 372, 376 - 77 (7th Cir. 2016)。“寻求针对涉嫌假冒者救济的品牌所有者可能会因化名诉讼的严格要求而感到沮丧。但在第七巡回法院具有约束力的判例法、联邦民事诉讼规则的变化或替代性立法救济的创建没有改变的情况下，当前的法律框架不允许在没有证明比典型的附表A在线假冒案件中所呈现的情况更特殊的情况下使用化名。XYZ Corp. v. Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Sched. A, No. 21 - CV - 06471, 2022 WL 180151 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 20, 2022); see also XYZ Corporation v. Partnership and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule "A", 2020 WL 6681360 (N.D. Ill., 2020)（指出在一个匿名原告起诉密封的附表A被告的案件中，“公众完全不知道谁在起诉谁”，并因原告试图在没有“请求法院许可，更不用说证明‘特殊情况’证明屏蔽其身份是合理的”情况下以匿名方式进行诉讼而驳回诉状）。诉状中确定的情况是所有“附表A”案件共有的，这意味着这些情况根据定义并非特殊情况。因此，原告被指示在2025年4月7日前提交经修订的非匿名诉状，并将CM/ECF案件标题中使用的化名更改为原告的真实身份。法院还依职权提出根据联邦民事诉讼规则20(a)(2)将98名被告加入此诉讼的适当性问题。例如，Estee Lauder Cosmetics Ltd. v. Partnerships & Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A, 334 F.R.D. 182 (N.D. Ill. 2020)。原告被提醒，“本地区的法院普遍认为，声称多个被告以相同方式侵犯同一版权并不构成认定类似交易或事件所需的实质性证据重叠”。见Roadget Bus. Pte. Ltd. v. Individuals, Corps, Ltd. Liab. Companies, Partnerships & Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A, No. 23 - cv - 17036, 2024 WL 1858592, at *6 (N.D. Ill. Apr. 29, 2024)（收集案例）。原告还应参考本法院在Zaful v. Schedule A Defs., 24 - cv - 11111, Doc. 12 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 10, 2025)中的意见，其中法院表达了对在此类案件中合并的看法。到2025年4月14日，原告必须提交一份补充备忘录，根据上述原则说明合并的适当性。或者，原告可在2025年4月14日前提交一份经修订的诉状，其中包含较小的被告子集，并附上一份备忘录，解释为什么每个被告都适当地与其他所有被告合并。原告还被指示参考法院网站上的长期命令，要求在14天内提交法院的附表A模板。邮寄通知（MINUTE entry before the Honorable April M. Perry: Plaintiff's Motion to Seal [4] is granted in part. Plaintiff's identity shall not be sealed. The Court raises concern that Plaintiff is attempting to proceed under the pseudonym "FOT." The Seventh Circuit heavily disfavors anonymous, pseudonymous, or "no - name" litigation and requires the plaintiff to demonstrate "exceptional circumstances" that justify a refusal to self - identify. Doe v. Village of Deerfield, 819 F.3d 372, 376 - 77 (7th Cir. 2016). "[B]rand owners who seek relief against alleged counterfeiters may be frustrated by the stringent requirements for pseudonymous litigation. But in the absence of a change in binding Seventh Circuit caselaw, changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, or the creation of an alternative legislative remedy, the current legal framework does not permit pseudonymity without a demonstration of circumstances more exceptional than those presented" in a typical Schedule A online counterfeiting case. XYZ Corp. v. Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Sched. A, No. 21 - CV - 06471, 2022 WL 180151 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 20, 2022); see also XYZ Corporation v. Partnership and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule "A", 2020 WL 6681360 (N.D. Ill., 2020) (noting that in a case with an anonymous plaintiff suing sealed Schedule A defendants "[t]he public has no earthly idea who is suing whom," and striking the complaint because the plaintiff attempted to proceed anonymously without "request[ing] leave of Court, let alone establish[ing] that 'exceptional circumstances' justify shielding its identity."). The complaint identifies circumstances that are common to all "Schedule A" cases, meaning that the circumstances are, by definition, not exceptional. Accordingly, Plaintiff is directed to file an amended, non - anonymous complaint and to change the pseudonym used on the case caption on CM/ECF to the plaintiff's true identity by 4/7/2025. The Court also sua sponte raises the propriety under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 20(a)(2) of joining 98 defendants to this action. See, e.g, Estee Lauder Cosmetics Ltd. v. Partnerships & Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A, 334 F.R.D. 182 (N.D. Ill. 2020). Plaintiff is reminded that "[c]ourts in this district generally agree that alleging that multiple defendants have infringed on the same copyright in the same way does not create the substantial evidentiary overlap required to find a similar transaction or occurrence." See Roadget Bus. Pte. Ltd. v. Individuals, Corps, Ltd. Liab. Companies, Partnerships & Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A, No. 23 - cv - 17036, 2024 WL 1858592, at *6 (N.D. Ill. Apr. 29, 2024) (collecting cases). Plaintiff should also reference this Court's opinion in Zaful v. Schedule A Defs., 24 - cv - 11111, Doc. 12 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 10, 2025), where the Court expressed its views on joinder in such cases. By 4/14/2025, Plaintiff must file a supplemental memorandum addressing the propriety of joinder in light of the principles described above. In the alternative, Plaintiff has leave to file an amended complaint by 4/14/2025 with a smaller subset of defendants along with a memorandum explaining why each defendant is properly joined to all of the others. Plaintiff is also directed to the Court's standing order on its website directing the filing of the Court's Schedule A Template within 14 days. Mailed notice. (jcc,)）。
2025年4月4日
进展
原告FOT, LLC提交经修订的诉状，针对JOHN DOE并终止附表A中确定的合伙企业和非法人协会（AMENDED complaint by FOT, LLC against JOHN DOE and terminating The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified in Schedule A）。
进展
原告FOT, LLC提出再次申请，请求允许密封提交文件（MOTION by Plaintiff FOT, LLC for leave to file documents under seal Renewed Motion）。
进展
原告FOT, LLC提交未编辑的经修订诉状（SEALED DOCUMENT by Plaintiff FOT, LLC Unredacted Amended Complaint）。
2025年4月7日
进展
律师Ying Chen代表原告FAIRLY ODD TREASURES, LLC出庭（ATTORNEY Appearance for Plaintiff FAIRLY ODD TREASURES, LLC by Ying Chen）。
进展
法官April M. Perry作出分钟记录：原告的密封动议[10]获得批准。邮寄通知（MINUTE entry before the Honorable April M. Perry: Plaintiff's Motion to Seal [10] is granted. Mailed notice. (jcc,)）。
案件分析
从目前的案件进展来看，原告Fairly Odd Treasures, LLC在伊利诺伊州北区法院提起诉讼，可能涉及知识产权相关纠纷，如假冒、侵权等问题，因为有向专利商标局和版权登记员邮寄报告的行为。
在诉讼过程中，原告试图以化名“FOT”进行诉讼，但法院对此表示担忧并要求其证明存在特殊情况，否则需使用真实
