Cell Film Holdings, LLC v. Doe-71.59.166.56

Filing 18

OPINION & ORDER: For the foregoing reasons, the Court finds that Halvorson violated a court order. Accordingly, Plaintiff is entitled to recover its costs and attorney's fees incurred as a result of the failed deposition, the motion f or order to show cause, and the show cause hearing. The Court orders Plaintiff to provide, at the appropriate time, an itemization of the costs and attorney's fees discussed herein. Signed on 7/31/17 by Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman. (gm)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON

CELL FILM HOLDINGS, LLC,

Case No. 3:17-cv-00239-SB

Plaintiff,

OPINION AND ORDER

v.
DOE-71.59.166.56,
Defendant.
BECKERMAN, Magistrate Judge.
Plaintiff Cell Film Holdings, LLC (“Plaintiff”) moves, pursuant to FED. R. CIV. P. 45(g)
(“Rule 45”), for an order sanctioning non-party Shannon Halvorson (“Halvorson”) for failing to
attend and testify at a Rule 45 deposition. As discussed below, the Court finds that Halvorson
violated a court order when (s)he failed to attend and testify at the Rule 45 deposition, and
should therefore be sanctioned. Accordingly, the Court orders Halvorson to pay to Plaintiff its
attorney’s fees and costs resulting from Halvorson’s failure to appear.
BACKGROUND
On February 11, 2017, Plaintiff filed a Complaint against a Doe defendant identified only
by an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address. Plaintiff’s investigators observed the IP address
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distributing Plaintiff’s motion picture, Cell, via a public BitTorrent network. Thereafter, Plaintiff
issued a subpoena to Internet Service Provider Comcast, pursuant to Standing Order 2016-8,
seeking the identity of the IP address subscriber. Comcast returned a subpoena identifying
Halvorson as the subscriber.
On April 23, 2017, after Halvorson failed to respond to letters from Plaintiff’s counsel,
Plaintiff personally served Halvorson with, among other things, a Rule 45 subpoena, providing
notice of a deposition scheduled for May 23, 2017. Halvorson did not appear for the deposition
or otherwise respond to the Rule 45 subpoena.
On June 2, 2017, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Order to Show Cause, asking the Court to
find Halvorson in contempt for failing to appear and testify at the deposition, and to impose
sanctions. On July 13, 2017, the Court ordered Halvorson to appear for a show cause hearing,
and advised Halvorson that if (s)he did not participate in the hearing, (s)he would be subject to
financial sanctions, including payment of Plaintiff’s attorney’s fees and costs, for failing to
appear at the deposition and for failing to participate in the hearing. On July 28, 2017, a show
cause hearing was held, and Halvorson failed to appear at the hearing, show cause, or respond in
any way.
ANALYSIS
I.

LEGAL STANDARD
As explained in LHF Prods., Inc. v. Doe, No. 3:16–CV–00716–AC, 2016 WL 6208269

(D. Or. Oct. 21, 2016), a district court “may hold in contempt a person who, having been served,
fails without adequate excuse to obey the subpoena or an order related to it.” Id. at *2 (citation
omitted). In order to initiate a civil contempt proceeding, a district court “must issue an order to
show cause as to why a contemnor should not be held in contempt, as well as a notice of a date
for the hearing.” Id. At the hearing, the moving party must establish, by clear and convincing
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evidence, that the non-party violated a specific and definite court order. Id. Sanctions, such as
attorney’s fees and costs, may be warranted when a non-party fails to comply with a subpoena.
Id.
II.

DISCUSSION
Plaintiff has established, by clear and convincing evidence, that Halvorson violated a

specific and definite court order. Plaintiff’s Rule 45 subpoena, which was issued pursuant to
Standing Order 2016-8, “constitutes a court order for which [Halvorson’s] failure to comply
could result in a finding of civil contempt.” LHF Prods., 2016 WL 6208269, at *2 (citations
omitted). Plaintiff personally served Halvorson with the Rule 45 subpoena, compelling
Halvorson’s appearance at a deposition. By failing to appear at the deposition, Halvorson
violated a court order. See id. (holding the same). Halvorson also failed to: (1) respond to
Plaintiff’s motion to show cause; (2) comply with the Court’s order to appear for a show cause
hearing; (3) respond to court-appointed counsel’s communications; or (4) provide any
explanation for this noncompliance. On the basis of these events, the Court concludes that
sanctions are warranted here.
Individuals like Halvorson may disagree with copyright law as applied to BitTorrent use,
and may view this type of litigation as unsavory, unfair, or an abuse of judicial process.
Nevertheless, the law is the law, and a court order is a court order. If a non-party receives a Rule
45 subpoena, that non-party must appear for the scheduled deposition, or contact Plaintiff’s
counsel to reschedule the deposition. Failure to appear for the deposition is a violation of a court
order, and will be sanctioned by this Court.
If the non-party appears for deposition and is not the infringing party, the non-party’s
involvement in the case is likely over. If the non-party appears for the deposition and accepts

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responsibility for the alleged infringement, this Court’s statutory damage award will, in almost
all cases, be less than the sanction for not appearing at the deposition in the first place. This
Court gave Halvorson every opportunity to participate in this litigation while protecting
Halvorson’s rights, and Halvorson chose to ignore the Court. The functioning of our justice
system requires respect for, and strict adherence with, court orders. Halvorson’s flagrant
disregard for this Court’s orders is a serious matter deserving of the sanctions the Court imposes
today.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the Court finds that Halvorson violated a court order.
Accordingly, Plaintiff is entitled to recover its costs and attorney’s fees incurred as a result of the
failed deposition, the motion for order to show cause, and the show cause hearing. The Court
orders Plaintiff to provide, at the appropriate time, an itemization of the costs and attorney’s fees
discussed herein.
DATED this 31st day of July, 2017.

STACIE F. BECKERMAN
United States Magistrate Judge

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