Strike 3 Holdings, LLC v. John Doe Subscriber Assigned IP Address 73.93.73.135
- Thomas Hixson
- 3:26-cv-07681
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 2
In Strike 3 Holdings v. John Doe, Judge Hixson granted Strike 3 Holdings permission to subpoena Comcast for the defendant’s identifying information.
Strike 3 Holdings, LLC may seek the defendant’s name and address from Comcast or another identified internet-service provider. The defendant and any affected subscriber may challenge the subpoena within 30 days, and the provider must give notice, preserve the information, and follow the order’s disclosure restrictions.
What happened
Strike 3 Holdings, LLC asked the court for permission to serve a subpoena before the parties’ required case-planning conference. The subpoena seeks the true name and address of the defendant associated with the listed internet address.
The court found that Strike 3 Holdings had shown good cause to subpoena Comcast Cable Communications, LLC. The order also allows subpoenas to other internet-service providers identified through the responses.
The court granted the motion. Judge Hixson required notice to the subscriber, allowed 30 days to challenge the subpoena, limited use and public disclosure of the information, and required identifying references to be filed under seal until further order.
The detailed version
- Strike 3 Holdings, LLC v. John Doe Subscriber Assigned IP Address 73.93.73.135 · No. 3:26-cv-07681
- Thomas Hixson
- Aug. 7, 2026
Background
Strike 3 Holdings, LLC applied without advance notice for permission to serve a third-party subpoena before the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(f) conference. The requested subpoena concerns the defendant identified in the complaint by the internet protocol address 73.93.73.135.
Court’s Analysis
The court found that Strike 3 Holdings had established “good cause” to serve a subpoena on Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, the internet service provider identified in the order. The subpoena may command Comcast to provide the defendant’s true name and address. Strike 3 Holdings may also serve a similar subpoena on another internet-service provider identified in response to a subpoena as providing internet service to the defendant.
Ruling and Conditions
The court granted the motion for leave to serve the third-party subpoena before the Rule 26(f) conference. Strike 3 Holdings must attach the order to the subpoena. If Comcast qualifies as a cable operator under the cited federal statute, it must notify the defendant by sending a copy of the order. In any event, Comcast must serve the subscriber with copies of the subpoena and order within 30 days after the subpoena is served on Comcast.
The subscriber and the internet service provider each have 30 days after service to file a motion contesting the subpoena, including a motion to quash or modify it. If the subscriber does not contest the subpoena within that period, the provider has 10 days to produce the responsive information concerning that subscriber. The provider must preserve the subpoenaed information while awaiting production or resolution of a timely motion to quash.
Strike 3 Holdings may use the information only to protect and enforce the rights described in the complaint. It may not publicly disclose the information without the court’s permission at least until the defendant has had an opportunity to seek anonymous litigation status or further discovery has occurred. References to the defendant’s identity must be redacted and filed under seal until further notice.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.