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`UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
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`Washington, D.C.
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`INV. NO. 337-TA-1426
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`In the Matter of
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`CERTAIN CRAFTING MACHINES AND
`COMPONENTS THEREOF
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`ORDER NO. 8:
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`GRANTING RESPONDENTS’ MOTION SEEKING
`RECOMMENDATION TO ISSUE LETTERS OF REQUEST
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`(January 30, 2025)
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`On January 27, 2025, respondents Hunan Sijiu Technology, Co., Ltd. f/k/a Hunan Sijiu
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`Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. and Guangdong Rongtu Technology Co., Ltd. (“respondents” or
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`“HTVRONT”) filed a motion seeking a recommendation to the United States District Court for
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`the District of Columbia to issue Letters of Request pursuant to the Hague Convention on the
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`Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters (the “Hague Evidence Convention”)
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`to obtain discovery from foreign individuals. Mot. No. 1426-004 at 1. The motion is unopposed.
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`Id. at 3.
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`A Letter of Request is a method for seeking discovery of evidence located in the People’s
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`Republic of China. United States District Courts are authorized to transmit Letters of Request to
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`the appropriate foreign tribunal, officer, or agency. See 28 U.S.C. § 1781; Bell N. Rsch., LLC v.
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`Lenovo Grp. Ltd., No. 21-MC-162-ZMF, 2022 WL 3334502, at *1 (D.D.C. Jan. 14, 2022).
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`Administrative Law Judges may issue recommendations to the United States District Court for the
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`District of Columbia to issue Letters of Request. See, e.g., Certain Radio Frequency Identification
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`(”RFID”) Products and Components Thereof, Inv. No. 337-TA-979, Order No. 5 (Mar. 10, 2016).
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`The complainant in this investigation has alleged that the HTVRONT respondents infringe
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`several United States patents. To prepare its defense, HTVRONT seeks discovery from inventors
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`listed on two of those asserted patents and who are located the People’s Republic of China. Id.
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`at 2. Based on the representations of HTVRONT, I find that information HTVRONT is seeking
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`is reasonably necessary to the investigation of HTVRONT’s defenses in this investigation and
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`cannot reasonably be obtained through alternate means. In addition, I find that that the proposed
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`Letters of Request meet the standards set forth by the Hague Convention and conform to the format
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`of
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`the Model Letters of Request, see HCCH, Model
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`for Letters of Request,
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`https://www.hcch.net/en/publications-and-studies/details4/?pid=3309&dtid=2.
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`There being no opposition and for good cause shown, Motion No. 1426-004 is granted.
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`Accordingly, I respectfully request that the United States District Court for the District of
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`Columbia issue the Letters of Request in Appendix B and E of HTVRONT’s motion.
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`Fact discovery in this matter is ordered to conclude by April 25, 2025. To comply with
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`that schedule and the statutory time limitations of investigations before the U.S. International
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`Trade Commission, the undersigned respectfully requests that the Court assign a judge and
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`schedule a hearing to expedite the issuance of the Letter of Request.
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`SO ORDERED.
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