Schofield v. SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
KIM SCHOFIELD on behalf of the Estate Of Pete Schofield v. SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, et al.
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-07422
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Kim Schofield v. Sony Music, Judge Swain ordered payment or an IFP application and warned of dismissal without prejudice.
The plaintiff, Kim Schofield on behalf of the Estate of Pete Schofield, must either pay $405 in fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees within 30 days. The case will not proceed until one of those steps occurs, and failure to comply will result in dismissal without prejudice to refiling.
What happened
In Kim Schofield on behalf of the Estate of Pete Schofield v. Sony Music Entertainment, the court required the plaintiff to pay the case’s $405 fee or request permission to proceed without paying it upfront.
The plaintiff has 30 days from the order to pay or submit a completed and signed application to proceed without prepayment of fees. Until then, the court will take no further action, issue no summons, and require no answer.
If the plaintiff does not comply or request more time, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling. Judge Laura Taylor Swain also denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees, certifying that an appeal would not be taken in good faith.
The detailed version
- Schofield v. SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT · No. 1:25-cv-07422
- Laura Swain
- Sept. 10, 2025
Background
The action was submitted to the court by email and assigned a docket number. The order does not address the underlying claims against Sony Music Entertainment or the other defendants.
Fee or application requirement
To proceed with the civil action, the plaintiff must either pay $405 in fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees, commonly called an in forma pauperis application. The court stated that the $405 includes a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee, subject to updates to the fee schedule.
The plaintiff must comply within 30 days of the order. Until the fees are paid or a completed and signed application is received, the court will take no further action, issue no summons, and require no answer. If the application is granted, the plaintiff may proceed without prepaying the fees.
Ruling and effect
Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered the plaintiff to pay the fees or submit the application within the allowed period. If the plaintiff fails to comply or fails to request an extension of time, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling. The court also certified that any appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.