Chanel, Inc. v. 21909944

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA Case No. 23-cv-62279-BLOOM/Hunt CHANEL, INC., Plaintiff, v. 21909944; 21847323; 21905344; 21879839; 21852382; 21764410; 21913489; 21872330; 21906509; 21857356; 21859078; 21856745; 21834387; 16437553; 21841088; 21892958; 21894379; 21911452; 21921743; 21859332; 21907471; 21874612; 21889011; 21860826; 21915473; 21748769; 21843978; 21750756; 21848139; 21806774; 21892147; 21908870; 21860243; 21901404; 21854449; 21840777; 21879896; 21850433; 21771230; 21881431; 21523944; 21910425; 21458755; 21857633; 21806792; 21887778; 21895691; 21923678; 21876143; 21914536; 21691570; 21532811; 21858913; 21860636; 21859012; 20732968; 21679447; 21628702; 21846785; 21912882; 21834406; 21878996; 21842605; 21860918; 21857372; 21749500; 21851961; 21642571; 21834393; 21810784; 21693762; 21889791; 21682283; 21522099; 21523566; 21851428; 21823300; 20813764; 21522211; 21765728; 21856679; 21909929; 21686529; 21858263; 21924627; 21831967; 21834381; 21802980; 21878989; 21409983; 21867725; 20506759; and 21898541, Each an Individual, Business Entity, or Unincorporated Association, Defendants. _______________________________________/ ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO AUTHORIZE ALTERNATE SERVICE OF PROCESS THIS CAUSE is before the Court upon Plaintiff, Chanel, Inc.’s (“Plaintiff”) Motion for Order Authorizing Alternate Service of Process on Defendants Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(f)(3), ECF No. [6] (“Motion”). In its Complaint, Plaintiff sets forth claims against Defendants for (1) trademark counterfeiting and infringement, (2) false designation of origin, (3) common law unfair competition, and (4) common law trademark infringement. See generally ECF No. [1]. More specifically, Plaintiff alleges that Defendants promote, sell, offer for sale, and/or distribute goods bearing and/or using counterfeits and confusingly similar imitations of Plaintiff’s trademarks, thereby infringing Plaintiff’s trademarks. Id. Plaintiff contends that Defendants are accomplishing these infringement activities through various Internet based e-commerce stores operating on the DHgate.com platform under the store identification numbers identified on Schedule “A” hereto (the “Store IDs”). The Court has reviewed the Motion, Plaintiff’s supporting submissions, the record in this case, and the applicable law, and if otherwise duly advised. Plaintiff contends that Defendants operate via the Internet and utilize electronic means as reliable forms of contact. See ECF No. [6] at 2-4. According to Plaintiff, it has reasonable cause to suspect that Defendants are all residents of the People’s Republic of China (“China”), and/or redistribute products from sources in that location. Id. at 11. Plaintiff further contends that Defendants have at least one operational form of electronic means of contact, in the form of electronic messaging via DHgate.com’s messaging system, demonstrating that this means of contact is not just effective, but the most reliable means of communicating with Defendants. Id. at 3-5. Consequently, Plaintiff asserts that service through known electronic messaging accounts is the most reliable means of providing Defendants with notice of this action. Id. at 4. Rule 4(f)(3) allows a district court to order an alternate method for service to be effected upon foreign defendants, provided that it is not prohibited by international agreement, and is reasonably calculated to give notice to the defendants. See Brookshire Bros. v. Chiquita Brands Int’l, Inc., No. 05-CIV-21962, 2007 WL 1577771 , at *2 (S.D. Fla. May 31, 2007) (“[D]istrict — 2 — courts have found broad discretion under Rule 4(f)(3) to authorize other methods of service that are consistent with due process and are not prohibited by international agreements.” (citing Prewitt Enters., Inc. v. Org. of Petroleum Exporting Countries, 353 F.3d 916, 921, 927 (11th Cir. 2003))); Rio Props., Inc. v. Rio Int’l Interlink, 284 F.3d 1007, 1015 (9th Cir. 2002). The plain language of Rule 4(f)(3) reflects that the decision to issue an order allowing alternate means of service lies within the discretion of the district court. Service by e-mail is not prohibited under international agreement in this case. Although the United States and China are signatories to the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Extra-Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Matters (the “Hague Convention”), the Hague Convention does not specifically preclude service of process via e-mail or by posting on a designated website. Where a signatory nation has objected to the alternative means of service provided by the Hague Convention, that objection is expressly limited to those means and does not represent an objection to other forms of service, such as e-mail or website posting.1 Stat Med. Devices, Inc. v. HTL-Strefa, Inc., No. 15-cv-20590, 2015 WL 5320947 , at *1 (S.D. Fla. Sept. 14, 2015) (noting that an objection to the alternative forms of service set forth in the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters, Nov. 15, 1965, 658 U.N.T.S. 16, is limited to the specific forms of service objected to). A court acting under Rule 4(f)(3), therefore, remains free to order alternative means of service where a signatory nation has not expressly objected to those means. See Gurung v. Malhotra, 279 F.R.D. 215, 219 (S.D.N.Y. 2011). Accordingly, service by e-mail or internet communication does not violate an international agreement. Further, as Plaintiff has been unable to identify a valid address 1 China has not expressly objected to service via e-mail or website posting. See ECF No. [6-5]. — 3 — for service of process upon Defendants, according to Article 1 of the Hague Convention, “[the] convention shall not apply where the address of the person to be served with the document is not known.” See Hague Convention, Art. 1, 20 U.S.T. 361 (1969). Rule 4(f)(3) was “adopted in order to provide flexibility and discretion to the federal courts in dealing with questions of alternative methods of service of process in foreign countries.” In re Int’l Telemedia Assoc., Inc., 245 B.R. 713, 719 (Bankr. N.D. Ga. 2000); see also Chanel, Inc. v. Individual, No. 17-62441-CIV, 2017 WL 8794733 , at *4 (S.D. Fla. Dec. 13, 2017) (citing In re Int’l Telemedia Assoc., Inc., 245 B.R. at 720 ). What constitutes appropriate service varies depending on the circumstances of the case and turns on the court’s determination of whether the alternative method is reasonably calculated to apprise the parties of the pendency of the action and afford them an opportunity to present their objections. Philip Morris USA, Inc. v. Veles Ltd., No. 06 CV 2988 (GBD), 2007 WL 725412 , at *2 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 12, 2007) (citing In re Int’l Telemedia Assoc., Inc., 245 B.R. 713 (N.D. Ga. 2000)). Here, the Court finds that Plaintiff has shown good cause for leave to allow service of the summonses, Complaint, and all future filings and discovery in this matter upon each Defendant through the identified messaging accounts and via posting on a designated website. Accordingly, it is ORDERED AND ADJUDGED as follows: 1. Plaintiff’s Motion, ECF No. [6], is GRANTED. 2. Plaintiff shall serve the Summonses, Complaint, and all filings and discovery in this matter upon Defendants by providing the address to Plaintiff’s designated serving notice website to Defendants via the known electronic messaging accounts (i) via DHgate.com’s messaging system contact means, or (ii) via the data related to their respective e-commerce stores, including customer service e-mail addresses — 4 — Case No. 23-cv-62279-BLOOM/Hunt and/or onsite contact forms, or (111) via the e-commerce marketplace website e-mail for each of the e-commerce stores. See Schedule “A” (listing Defendants by Defendant number, Store ID, and associated means of contact). 3. Plaintiff shall serve Defendants via website posting by posting a copy of the Summonses, Complaint, and all filings and discovery in this matter on Plaintiffs designated serving notice website appearing at the URL http://servingnotice.com/cV7njx/index. html. DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Miami, Florida, on December 5, 2023. BETHBLOOM =——<“i—i‘“CSO UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE Copies to: Counsel of Record SCHEDULE “A” DEFENDANTS BY NUMBER, DHGATE.COM STORE ID, AND MEANS OF CONTACT Defendant Defendant/ Means Of Contact Number Store ID 1 21909944 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21909944 2 21847323 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21847323 3 21905344 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21905344 4 21879839 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21879839 5 21852382 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21852382 6 21764410 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21764410 7 21913489 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21913489 8 21872330 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21872330 9 21906509 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21906509 10 21857356 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21857356 11 21859078 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21859078 12 21856745 http://www.dhgate.com/store/21856745 13 21834387 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21834387 14 16437553 https://www.dhgate.com/store/16437553 15 21841088 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21841088 16 21892958 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21892958 17 21894379 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21894379 18 21911452 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21911452 19 21921743 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21921743 20 21859332 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21859332 21 21907471 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21907471 22 21874612 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21874612 23 21889011 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21889011 24 21860826 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21860826 25 21915473 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21915473 26 21748769 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21748769 27 21843978 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21843978 28 21750756 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21750756 29 21848139 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21848139 30 21806774 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21806774 31 21892147 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21892147 32 21908870 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21908870 33 21860243 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21860243 34 21901404 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21901404 35 21854449 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21854449 36 21840777 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21840777 — 6 — 37 21879896 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21879896 38 21850433 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21850433 39 21771230 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21771230 40 21881431 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21881431 41 21523944 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21523944 42 21910425 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21910425 43 21458755 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21458755 44 21857633 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21857633 45 21806792 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21806792 46 21887778 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21887778 47 21895691 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21895691 48 21923678 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21923678 49 21876143 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21876143 50 21914536 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21914536 51 21691570 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21691570 52 21532811 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21532811 53 21858913 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21858913 54 21860636 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21860636 55 21859012 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21859012 56 20732968 https://www.dhgate.com/store/20732968 57 21679447 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21679447 58 21628702 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21628702 59 21846785 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21846785 60 21912882 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21912882 61 21834406 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21834406 62 21878996 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21878996 63 21842605 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21842605 64 21860918 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21860918 65 21857372 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21857372 66 21749500 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21749500 67 21851961 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21851961 68 21642571 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21642571 69 21834393 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21834393 70 21810784 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21810784 71 21693762 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21693762 72 21889791 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21889791 73 21682283 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21682283 74 21522099 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21522099 75 21523566 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21523566 76 21851428 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21851428 77 21823300 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21823300 78 20813764 https://www.dhgate.com/store/20813764 — 7 — 79 21522211 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21522211 80 21765728 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21765728 81 21856679 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21856679 82 21909929 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21909929 83 21686529 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21686529 84 21858263 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21858263 85 21924627 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21924627 86 21831967 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21831967 87 21834381 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21834381 88 21802980 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21802980 89 21878989 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21878989 90 21409983 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21409983 91 21867725 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21867725 92 20506759 https://www.dhgate.com/store/20506759 93 21898541 https://www.dhgate.com/store/21898541 — 8 —