Scales v. Netflix
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-02628
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
In Scales v. Netflix, Judge Swain ordered the plaintiffs to pay filing fees or submit applications to proceed without prepaying them.
William Scales and the other plaintiffs must pay the required fees or submit signed applications to proceed without prepaying them before the case can proceed; Netflix is not required to answer at this stage.
What happened
In Scales v. Netflix, the court said the plaintiffs must either pay $405 in filing and administrative fees or submit signed applications showing they cannot afford those fees. The order followed the submission of the action by email.
The plaintiffs have 30 days from April 4, 2025, to comply. Until payment or a completed application is received, the court will take no further action, issue no summons, and require no answer from Netflix. If the plaintiffs do not comply or request more time, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain also ruled that any appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for an appeal.
The detailed version
- Scales v. Netflix · No. 1:25-cv-02628
- Laura Swain
- Apr. 4, 2025
Background
William Scales and other plaintiffs submitted this civil action to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by email against Netflix. The court assigned the action the docket number above.
Order
The court explained that a plaintiff starting a civil action must either pay $405 in fees or request permission to proceed without paying the fees in advance. The $405 consists of a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee. The court directed the plaintiffs, within 30 days of the order, to either pay the fees or submit a completed and signed application to proceed without prepaying fees. If more than one plaintiff seeks that permission, each plaintiff must submit a separate application.
No further action will be taken, and no summons will issue or answer will be required, until the fees are paid or a completed and signed application is received. If the court grants an application, the plaintiff may proceed without prepaying the fees. If the plaintiffs fail to comply or fail to request an extension of time, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling.
Appeal
Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified that an appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for purposes of an appeal.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.