UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
STRIKE 3 HOLDINGS, LLC,
Case No. 23-cv-04339-RS Plaintiff, 11 v. ORDER GRANTING LEAVE TO ISSUE THIRD-PARTY SUBPOENA
JOHN DOE SUBSCRIBER ASSIGNED IP
ADDRESS 99.45.175.11, Defendant.
I. INTRODUCTION Plaintiff Strike 3 Holdings, LLC (“Strike 3”), seeks a subpoena to unmask someone allegedly sharing its copyrighted pornographic films. Strike 3 has determined Defendant’s Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, but it cannot determine the account owner without a subpoena. An IP address may be shared widely, but it has only one account owner. As we noted in a previous order concerning the same Plaintiff, but repeat herein for the benefit of the Defendant who may receive this Order, many have raised concerns that Strike 3 is effectively extorting account owners through the many lawsuits it brings, because defendants are embarrassed into settling—even if they are innocent.…