Vision Streams v. Paramount video
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-05676
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Vision Streams v. Parmount Video, Judge Swain dismissed the case without prejudice because the entity neither paid fees nor appeared through counsel.
Vision Streams, an entity that filed the action without counsel and without paying the required fees. The dismissal leaves open the possibility stated by the court that the entity may proceed with counsel and payment of the fees.
What happened
In Vision Streams v. Parmount Video, Vision Streams filed a civil action without a lawyer. William Scales signed the complaint, but Vision Streams did not pay the required $405 in filing and administrative fees or submit an application to proceed without prepaying fees.
The court explained that only a natural person—not an entity such as Vision Streams—may proceed without prepaying fees. It also explained that an entity cannot represent itself in court and must appear through a lawyer.
Judge Swain dismissed Vision Streams’s claims without prejudice to proceeding with counsel and paying the required fees. The court directed the Clerk to enter judgment dismissing the case and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees because it certified that an appeal would not be taken in good faith.
The detailed version
- Vision Streams v. Paramount video · No. 1:25-cv-05676
- Laura Swain
- July 24, 2025
Background
Vision Streams filed this action without a lawyer. A non-party, William Scales, signed the complaint. Vision Streams did not pay the $405 required to begin a civil action, consisting of a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee, and did not submit an application to proceed without prepaying fees.
Court’s reasoning
The court explained that a plaintiff must either pay the required fees or request permission to proceed without prepaying them. Under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1914 and 1915, only a natural person may proceed without prepaying fees; an entity such as Vision Streams cannot do so. The court also explained that an entity cannot represent itself in court and must proceed through counsel.
Ruling
The court dismissed the claims filed on behalf of Vision Streams without prejudice to the entity proceeding with the action through counsel and paying the required fees. The Clerk of Court was directed to enter judgment dismissing the case. The court also certified that any appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees. Judge Swain signed the order.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.