Judge Rejects Common ‘Schedule A’ Practices in Counterfeit Case

An Illinois federal judge rejected his district’s standard practice of freezing the assets of long lists of alleged counterfeiters without them appearing in court.

Schedule A cases force court rules and due process rights to “be unreasonably contorted” in favor of plaintiffs, Judge John F. Kness said in an Aug. 8 order denying Eicher Motors Ltd. a temporary restraining order against a list of defendants still under seal. The India-based company, which owns the “Royal Enfield” motorcycle brand, filed its suit in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in March alleging various foreign online merchants sell ...