Strike 3 Holdings v. John Doe subscriber assigned IP address 67.83.97.234
- 7:26-cv-06275
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Strike 3 Holdings v. John Doe, the court authorized early subpoenas to identify the subscriber behind an IP address.
Strike 3 Holdings, LLC may subpoena Optimum Online and certain subsequently identified service providers for John Doe’s name and address. John Doe may receive notice if the statutory cable-operator provision applies, and the disclosed information may be used only for the purposes stated in the order.
What happened
Strike 3 Holdings, LLC sued John Doe, identified as the subscriber assigned IP address 67.83.97.234. Strike 3 asked to serve a subpoena on Optimum Online before the parties held their required early case-management conference.
The court found that Strike 3 had shown good cause to seek the subscriber’s true name and address. The order also allows subpoenas to other internet service providers identified in response to a subpoena.
The court authorized the subpoenas and imposed limits on the disclosed information. If Optimum Online qualifies as a cable operator, it must send John Doe a copy of the order as notice. The opinion does not identify the judge by name.
The detailed version
- Strike 3 Holdings v. John Doe subscriber assigned IP address 67.83.97.234 · No. 7:26-cv-06275
- Aug. 19, 2026
Background
Strike 3 Holdings, LLC moved for permission to serve a third-party subpoena before the parties’ conference required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(f). The defendant is identified in the caption as John Doe, the subscriber assigned IP address 67.83.97.234. The order identifies Optimum Online as the internet service provider to be subpoenaed.
Court’s ruling
The court found that Strike 3 had established “good cause” to serve Optimum Online with a subpoena under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 45. The subpoena may require Optimum Online to provide Strike 3 with the defendant’s true name and address, and Strike 3 must attach a copy of the order to the subpoena.
The order also permits Strike 3 to serve a Rule 45 subpoena on another service provider identified in response to a subpoena as providing internet services to one of the defendants. If Optimum Online qualifies as a “cable operator” under 47 U.S.C. § 522(5), the order states that it may disclose personal identifying information pursuant to a court order under 47 U.S.C. § 551(c)(2)(B), provided that John Doe is notified by receiving a copy of the order.
Strike 3 may use information produced in response to the subpoena only to protect and enforce the rights asserted in its complaint. The Clerk was directed to terminate the motion at ECF No. 8. The opinion does not identify the judge by name.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.