Unredacted AMENDED complaint by D Squared Plant Traps LLC against bladedy
2025/10/22
NEW PARTIES: bladedy added to case caption. Terminating The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified in Schedule A
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2025/10/20
ATTORNEY Appearance for Plaintiff D Squared Plant Traps LLC by Zareefa Burki Flener
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2025/10/20
ATTORNEY Appearance for Plaintiff D Squared Plant Traps LLC by Ying Chen
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2025/10/15
MINUTE entry before the Honorable LaShonda A. Hunt: This case has been assigned to Judge LaShonda A. Hunt. On 10/10/25, Plaintiff filed a redacted complaint [1], sealed unredacted complaint [5], sealed Schedule A [5-1], and sealed Exhibit 1 to the complaint [5-2] which includes the patent, trademark, and copyright at issue in this case. Plaintiff also filed a motion to seal [4] seeking leave to file these documents under seal along with the following documents which have not been filed: Plaintiff's motion for a temporary restraining order, memorandum in support, declarations of James E. Judge and Plaintiff, and exhibits to those declarations. First, upon review of the complaint and other filings, the Court questions whether Plaintiff has established sufficient grounds for joinder of all 100 defendants under Fed. R. Civ. P. 20. See Viking Arm AS v. Partnerships & Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A,No. 24 C 1566, 2024 WL 2953105 (N.D. Ill. June 6, 2024). Indeed, Plaintiff filed a form complaint with generic allegations about coordinated counterfeiting activity between 100 defendants without any details whatsoever, which arguably violates the requirements of Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 8 and 10. Accordingly, by 10/22/25, Plaintiff must file either a memorandum explaining why joinder is proper or an amended complaint specifically naming and identifying each defendant being sued and setting forth with more than conclusory statements the alleged infringing activity. Failure to do so will result in the current complaint being dismissed without prejudice and this case being closed. Second, Plaintiff's motion to seal [4] is denied. Plaintiff has not established good cause under Local Rule 26.2 or Seventh Circuit precedent to justify sealing the names of defendants or documents or information pertaining to alleged infringing activity. "Secrecy makes little sense if the goal of the litigation is to protect rightholders' IP interests by obtaining an injunction against defendants' sales of infringing or counterfeit goods." See Eicher Motors Ltd. v. Partnerships & Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A, No. 25 C 2937, 2025 WL 2299593 at *7 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 8, 2025) (Kness, J.). More importantly, this presumption of sealing runs counter to the well-established authority of this Circuit holding that "[m]any a litigant would prefer that the subject matter of a case. be kept from the curious (including its business rivals and customers), but the tradition that litigation is open to the public is of very long standing." See Union Oil Co. of Cal. v. Leavell, 220 F.3d 562, 567-68 (7th Cir. 2000). For those reasons, the motion for leave to file under seal is denied, and the Clerk of Court is directed to unseal the document filed at [5], [5-1], and [5-2]. Mailed notice (gel,)
2025/10/14
CASE ASSIGNED to the Honorable LaShonda A. Hunt. Designated as Magistrate Judge the Honorable Albert Berry, III. Case assignment: Random assignment. (Civil Category Three).
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2025/10/14
MAILED Patent report to Patent Trademark Office, Alexandria VA (qrtr,)
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2025/10/14
MAILED copyright report to Registrar, Washington DC (qrtr,)
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2025/10/10
SEALED DOCUMENT by Plaintiff D Squared Plant Traps LLC Unredacted Complaint
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2025/10/10
MOTION by Plaintiff D Squared Plant Traps LLC for leave to file documents under seal
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2025/10/10
ATTORNEY Appearance for Plaintiff D Squared Plant Traps LLC by James Edward Judge
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2025/10/10
CIVIL Cover Sheet
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2025/10/10
COMPLAINT filed by D Squared Plant Traps LLC; Jury Demand. Filing fee $ 405, receipt number AILNDC-24188281.