Chinese Website Operator With Falsified Whois Address May Be Served Via E-Mail

A Chinese national who falsified Whois address and phone data but provided two apparently operational e-mail addresses for websites used to sell allegedly counterfeit Chanel merchandise may be served electronically at those e-mail addresses, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida held April 29 (Chanel Inc. v. Zhixan).

The court permitted e-mail service on finding that messages sent to the accounts did not bounce back—and thus apparently reached the account holders. Erring on the side of safety, however, the court also ordered service by public announcement in the venue where the registrant and his unknown ...