Global Media Network v. Tidal
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-05675
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Global Media Network v. Tidal, Judge Swain dismissed the entity’s claims without prejudice because it lacked counsel and had not paid required fees.
Global Media Network’s claims and its ability to continue the action; Tidal is the named defendant, but the opinion does not address the merits of the dispute.
What happened
Global Media Network sued Tidal, but the entity filed the case without a lawyer and did not pay the required fees. A non-party, William Scales, signed the complaint, and no application to proceed without prepaying fees was submitted.
The court explained that only a person—not an entity such as Global Media Network—can receive permission to proceed without paying fees upfront. It also explained that an entity cannot represent itself in federal court and must proceed through a lawyer.
Judge Swain dismissed Global Media Network’s claims without prejudice to continuing the action with counsel and payment of the fees. The court also denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for any appeal and directed the Clerk of Court to enter judgment.
The detailed version
- Global Media Network v. Tidal · No. 1:25-cv-05675
- Laura Swain
- July 23, 2025
Background Global Media Network filed this action without a lawyer. The opinion states that non-party William Scales signed the complaint, but Global Media Network did not pay the $405 required to start a new civil case and did not submit an application to proceed without prepaying fees.
Court’s reasoning The court explained that a plaintiff must either pay the $405 in filing and administrative fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees. Under the law cited by the court, only a natural person—not an entity such as Global Media Network—can receive that fee waiver. The court also concluded that an entity cannot represent itself in federal court and must proceed through counsel.
Ruling The court dismissed Global Media Network’s claims without prejudice to the entity proceeding with the action with counsel and payment of the fees. The court certified that an appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for an appeal. It directed the Clerk of Court to enter judgment. The order did not decide the underlying claims against Tidal.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.