Rio Properties, Inc. v. Rio International Interlink, Rio Properties, Inc. v. Rio International Interlink

Las Vegas hotel and casino operator Rio Properties, Inc. (“RIO”) sued Rio International Interlink (“RII”), a foreign Internet business entity, asserting various statutory and common law trademark infringement claims. The district court entered default judgment against RII for failing to comply with the court’s discovery orders. RII now appeals the sufficiency of the service of process, effected via email and regular mail pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(f)(3), the district court’s exercise of personal jurisdiction, and ultimately, the entry of default judgment and the award of attorneys’ fees and costs. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 , and we affirm the district court’s decision.

BACKGROUND

RIO owns the RIO All Suite Casino Resort, the “Best Hotel Value in the World” according to Travel and Leisure Magazine, not to mention the “Best Overall Hotel in Las Vegas,” according to the Zagat Survey of Resorts, Hotels and Spas. In addition to its elegant hotel, RIO’s gambling empire consists of the Rio Race & Sports Book, which allows customers to wager on professional sports. To protect its exclusive rights in the “RIO” name, RIO registered numerous…