Network v. Spotify
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-06158
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
Global Media Network v. Spotify: Judge Swain dismissed the complaint without prejudice after plaintiffs failed to pay the required filing fee.
Global Media Network and William Scales, whose complaint against Spotify was dismissed without prejudice; any appeal without paying the required fees was also denied.
What happened
In Global Media Network; William Scales v. Spotify, the court had ordered the plaintiffs to pay $405 to file their civil case. The order warned that failing to pay would lead to dismissal.
The plaintiffs did not pay the fee within the required 30 days. The court therefore dismissed the complaint without prejudice, meaning the dismissal does not bar refiling, and directed the Clerk to enter judgment.
Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain also ruled that an appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied the plaintiffs permission to proceed without paying appeal fees.
The detailed version
- Network v. Spotify · No. 1:25-cv-06158
- Laura Swain
- Sept. 3, 2025
Background
On July 30, 2025, the Court ordered Global Media Network and William Scales to pay the $405 fee required to file a civil action in the Southern District of New York. The order stated that failing to pay the fee within 30 days would result in dismissal of the complaint.
Ruling
The plaintiffs did not pay the required fee. The Court dismissed the complaint without prejudice. This means the dismissal does not bar the plaintiffs from refiling, although the opinion does not discuss any requirements for doing so.
The Court also certified that any appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without paying the required fees. Finally, it directed the Clerk of Court to enter judgment.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.