throbber
Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 1 of 16
`
`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Plaintiff,
`
`
`
`
`Civil Action No. 2:17-cv-04350- AB
`
`
`
`v.
`
`
`ELEV3N, LLC,
`
`
`
`
`
`VANBEX GROUP, INC.
`
`
`
`Defendant.
`
`
`:
`:
`:
`:
`:
`:
`:
`:
`:
`:
`
`DEFENDANT’S RESPONSE IN OPPOSITION TO
`PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER
`
`Defendant, Vanbex Group, Inc. (“Vanbex”) by and through their undersigned attorneys
`
`submit this Brief in Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order.
`
`I.
`
`
`
`PRELIMINARY STATEMENT
`
`In “Plaintiff’s Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order,” Plaintiff Elev3n, LLC
`
`(“Elev3n”) has grossly overreached.
`
`
`
`There is no emergency. Vanbex provided consulting and strategy services to help Elev3n
`
`develop a compelling case to use a cryptocurrency token for a product or application/ Elev3n,
`
`months after filing suit in Vancouver in May 2017 over the identical contractual dispute raised
`
`her, now seeks a TRO based on alleged copying or misappropriation of completely dissimilar
`
`documents that have been publicly available on Etherparty’s website for many weeks.
`
`
`
`There is no showing of harm. The speculative harm from an SEC prosecution is both
`
`speculative and remote. Plaintiff has made no showing as to how it could be exposed to an
`
`enforcement proceeding by the SEC so as to warrant injunctive relief. Elev3n is not making a
`
`securities offering and there is no harm to them and no risk of an enforcement action by the SEC.
`
`The specific emergency relief sought is unclear from this TRO, as no proposed order was
`
`
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 2 of 16
`
`
`
`attached, in violation of local rule, may prevent Etherparty, a different company with an entirely
`
`different business model, from raising funds. Elev3n’s claimed and the injunction could be
`
`deemed a “disqualifying event” under the SEC regulation which could cause Vanbex and its
`
`officers to be prevented from supporting initial offerings in the United States for five years. The
`
`proposed injunction could drastically impair Vanbex from working in its core business. Vanbex
`
`will suffer substantial harm if am not permitted to continue its core business, which will prevent
`
`its owners and employees from earning a livelihood.
`
`
`
`Elev3n spends much of its memorandum discussing several garden variety contract
`
`issues, and without showing the harm that would warrant the drastic relief of an emergency
`
`injunction.
`
`
`
`Elev3n has made no showing of copying, no showing of substantial similarity of the
`
`works. The works at issue are entirely and substantively dissimilar. Elev3n cannot make out a
`
`claim for copyright infringement as it has no copyright registrations.
`
`
`
`Elev3n cannot show a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act as there has been
`
`no sabotage of its computer system. The documents that Vanbex created for Elev3n were stored
`
`on a cloud based google drive that were shared and were later moved to a larger parent archived
`
`folder. Elev3n has the ability to see who the larger archived client folder was shared with, but
`
`none of the Elev3n documents were accessed or copied or used in relation to the ICO for
`
`Etherparty that Elev3n seeks to enjoin.
`
`
`
`The other garden variety claims in the complaint do not indicate the need for emergency
`
`relief.
`
`
`
`Plaintiff has not established personal jurisdiction over Vanbex to seek relief in a
`
`Pennsylvania federal court.
`
`2
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 3 of 16
`
`
`
`Factual Background
`
` See declarations of Lisa Cheng and Brandon Kostinuk, attached as Exhibits 1 and 2.
`
`Vanbex is in Vancouver, Canada. Elev3n approached Elev3n initially sued over the contract
`
`dispute in court in Canada, seeking both a full refund and apparent .
`
`Vanbex has been in the consulting business of developing blockchain and cryptocurrency
`
`businesses since 2013. As such, Vanbex has garnered business insight and a well-developed
`
`understanding of how blockchain technology can impact existing business infrastructure and
`
`operations. Vanbex has become highly specialized in building out the elements of a successful
`
`client strategy relating to blockchain and cryptocurrency businesses.
`
`A blockchain is a digitized, decentralized, public ledger of all cryptocurrency
`
`transactions. The public leger of transactions is constantly growing as “completed” blocks (the
`
`most recent transactions) are recorded and added to it in chronological order, the technology
`
`allows market participants to keep track of digital currency transactions without central
`
`recordkeeping. Blockchain employs open source coding as technology, meaning publically
`
`available coding, but many users of blockchain technology modify the open source coding to
`
`customize the coding to a particular software application.
`
`A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security, such
`
`as Bitcoin or Ethereum.
`
`Vanbex provides communication and marketing services and has a team of blockchain,
`
`smart contract, and cryptocurrency experts, to work with clients to take the client brand’s vision
`
`and showcase it to various audiences. For example, Vanbex assists clients in preparing white
`
`papers and documentation to illustrate blockchain and cryptocurrency value for clients who
`
`intend to use blockchain, Bitcoin and Ethereum technology.
`
`3
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 4 of 16
`
`
`
`Vanbex provides consulting and strategy services to help clients develop a compelling
`
`case to use a cryptocurrency token for a product or application and works with clients to develop
`
`a clear demonstration of the technology for clients.
`
`While Vanbex’s services are tailored to each client, the presentation and strategy of the
`
`business will very often be derived from other works and contain similar or common elements,
`
`given our niche market of developing blockchain and cryptocurrency businesses.
`
`Vanbex provides investment marketing services surrounding Initial Coin Offering
`
`(“ICO”) fundraising. An ICO is a crowd sourcing event, when a company releases its own
`
`cryptocurrency with a purpose of funding. An ICO typically involves a release of a certain
`
`number of crypto-tokens to be sold to an intended audience, most commonly in exchange for
`
`Bitcoins, or other forms of currency. Vanbex’s ICO-related services include communicating the
`
`unique value and use case for a client’s token or project. These services include, for example,
`
`preparing and drafting ICO announcement, prospectus, and other ICO materials. Documents
`
`prepared in connection with ICO’s are tailored to each client’s token or project, but such
`
`documents will necessarily contain similar or common elements, since all ICO’s necessarily
`
`involve blockchain and cryptocurrency as a key component of the project.
`
`Typically, Vanbex works on projects that have a clear need for a cryptocurrency tokens
`
`that support the business model.
`
`In this case, Elev3n approached Vanbex in October 2016 to fit a cryptocurrency token
`
`concept into a shifting business model because an ICO is what Elev3n decided to use as a vehicle
`
`to raise money.
`
`As of December 6, 2016, the Elev3n project was held out as a health marketplace for
`
`complementary health and alternative medicine with a patient records database digitally secured
`
`4
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 5 of 16
`
`
`
`by blockchain technology. Elev3n understood that the ICO documents prepared by Vanbex for
`
`the Elev3n project were based, in part, and modified from, other ICO documents that Vanbex
`
`had previously prepared for other ICO’s. Elev3n understood and expected that Vanbex would
`
`using its prior experience in preparing ICO documents for other clients to prepare the Elev3n
`
`ICO documents.
`
`In May 2017, Elev3n subsequently filed a contract action against Vanbex in Vancouver,
`
`BC, seeking the full amount paid for services rendered, $39,000 USD and also seeking to keep
`
`the materials prepared by Vanbex, and also demanding that Vanbex remove and delete materials
`
`prepared by Vanbex for Elev3n.
`
`The Elev3n concept has changed since the engagement with Vanbex ended in December
`
`2016. Elev3n has subsequently applied to register ELEV3N as a trademark for several concepts,
`
`none of which include patient medical records databased digitally secured by blockchain
`
`technology. Since ELEV3N no longer intends to use blockchain technology, it would have no
`
`use for crypto-tokens or to raise funds by ICO. Vanbex was not asked, and did not, perform
`
`blockchain coding services for Elev3n’s project.
`
`Vanbex has not used the ICO materials specifically tailored for Elev3n for the Etherparty
`
`ICO, which is scheduled to begin October 1, 2017. The Etherparty ICO has been promoted in
`
`the relevant media for many months and the ICO materials are found on the Etherparty website,
`
`https://etherparty.io/.
`
`At the time Elev3n first approached Vanbex for services in October 2016, the Etherparty
`
`project was at significantly more mature stage than the Elev3n project.
`
`For example, the Etherparty project was announced to the public in June 2016 and the
`
`project was in beta (live user) testing as of end of summer 2016, meaning the software
`
`5
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 6 of 16
`
`
`
`application related to the use of the Fuel token already was built and was ready for user testing,
`
`for the purpose of receiving user feedback on the software application. See example articles in
`
`the relevant media at Exhibit D in Lisa Cheng Delcaration.
`
`The Etherparty project substantially predated the less mature Elev3n project and the ICO
`
`materials prepared for the Etherparty project, related to a very different business idea having a
`
`distinctly different application for cryptocurrency. As such, materials prepared for the
`
`Etherparty ICO were created separately from materials the Elev3n project by Vanbex.
`
`The Etherparty ICO documents consist of: Etherparty Whitepaper; Presentation Deck;
`
`and Terms and Conditions drafted by legal counsel. Similar types of documents were not
`
`prepared for the Elev3n project. The Etherparty ICO documents have been publicly available for
`
`many weeks.
`
`If an injunction were to issue against Vanbex in supporting the Etherparty ICO, the
`
`damaging consequences of not being able to go forward the ICO include: a loss of credibility in
`
`the relevant community, including seed money sponsors; lost opportunity to raise capital in this
`
`specific ICO. These negative consequences will significantly damage Vanbex.
`
`
`
`II.
`
`ARGUMENT
`
`
`
`A temporary restraining order is an extraordinary remedy which is granted in limited
`
`circumstances:
`
`Preliminary injunctive relief is an “extraordinary remedy” and “should be granted
`only in limited circumstances.” Kos Pharms., Inc. v. Andrx Corp., 369 F.3d 700,
`708 (3d Cir. 2004). “A temporary restraining order is a 'stay put,' equitable
`remedy that has as its essential purpose the preservation of the status quo while
`the merits of the cause are explored through litigation.” J.O. v. Orange Twp. Bd.
`of Educ., 287 F.3d 267, 273 (3d Cir. 2002) (citation omitted). The standard for
`granting a temporary restraining order under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65 is
`the same as that for issuing a preliminary injunction. Bieros v. Nicola, 857 F.
`
`6
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 7 of 16
`
`Supp. 445, 446 (E.D. Pa. 1994). A plaintiff must demonstrate: (1) a likelihood of
`success on the merits; (2) the probability of irreparable harm if the relief is not
`granted; (3) that granting injunctive relief will not result in even greater harm to
`the other party; and (4) that granting relief will be in the public interest. Id. (citing
`Frank's GMC Truck Ctr., Inc. v. Gen. Motors Corp., 847 F.2d 100, 102 (3d Cir.
`1998)); see also Allegheny Energy, Inc. v. DQE, Inc., 171 F.3d 153, 158 (3d Cir.
`1999) (setting forth the four elements for demonstrating need for preliminary
`injunction).
`
`
`
`
`
`Zaslow v. Coleman, 103 F. Supp. 3d 657 (E.D. Pa. May 5, 2015)(temporary restraining order
`
`denied on copyright and trademark infringement claims). Elev3n does not satisfy any of the
`
`four elements. Accordingly, its Motion must be denied. ]
`
`
`
`A.
`
`A Pennsylvania Court Lacks Specific Jurisdiction Over Vanbex
`
`A federal district court exercises personal jurisdiction over a defendant to the extent permissible
`
`under the law of the state in which the district court sits. Pennzoil Products Co. v. Colelli &
`
`Assoc., 149 F.3d 197, 200 (3d Cir. 1998). Pennsylvania’s long-arm statute “permits personal
`
`jurisdiction over non-resident defendants ‘to the constitutional limits of the Due Process Clause
`
`of the Fourteenth Amendment.’” Pennzoil, 149 F.3d at 200 (quoting Mellon Bank (East) PSFS,
`
`National Assoc. v. Farino, 960 F.2d 1217, 1221 (3d Cir. 1992)). Accordingly, the exercise of
`
`personal jurisdiction over Vanbex is proper only if it comports with due process. See, Farino,
`
`960 F.2d at 1221.
`
`
`
`Due Process requires that non-resident defendants have “certain minimum contacts with
`
`[the forum state] such that maintenance of the suit does not offend traditional notions of fair play
`
`and substantial justice.” Int’l Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 316, 66 S. Ct. 154, 90 L.
`
`Ed. 95 (1945) (internal quotation omitted). Requiring minimum contacts with the forum state
`
`assures fair warning to a defendant that he may be subject to suit in that state. Kehm Oil Co. v.
`
`Texaco, Inc., 537 F.3d 290, 300 (3d Cir. 2008). Where a defendant asserts that the court lacks
`
`7
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 8 of 16
`
`
`
`personal jurisdiction over it, the plaintiff bears the burden of establishing jurisdiction over the
`
`defendant is proper. Farino, 960 F.2d at 1221.
`
`
`
`Personal jurisdiction can be either general or specific. Kehm Oil, 537 F.3d at 300.
`
`General personal jurisdiction allows a defendant to be sued in the forum regardless of whether
`
`the cause of action is related to the forum. Pennzoil, 149 F.3d at 200. A non-resident’s contacts
`
`with the forum must be “continuous and systematic” to establish general jurisdiction.
`
`Helicopteros Nacionales de Colombia, S. A. v. Hall, 466 U.S. 408, 416, 104 S. Ct. 1868, 80 L.
`
`Ed. 2d 404 (1984).
`
`
`
`Specific personal jurisdiction exists where the claim “arises from or relates to conduct
`
`purposely directed at the forum state.” Kehm Oil, 537 F.3d at 300. To determine whether
`
`specific jurisdiction exists, the court must first determine whether the defendant had minimum
`
`contacts with the forum state such that it could have “‘reasonably anticipated being hauled into
`
`court there.’” Pennzoil, 149 F.3d at 201 (quoting World-wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson,
`
`444 U.S. 286, 297, 100 S. Ct. 559, 62 L. Ed. 2d 490 (1980)). If the court determines there were
`
`sufficient minimum contacts, it must then determine whether asserting personal jurisdiction over
`
`the defendant would comport with the notions of fair play and substantial justice. Id. As
`
`discussed below, neither form of personal jurisdiction is applicable here, and this Court cannot
`
`hear this action.
`
`
`
`Here, Elev3n approached Vanbex to perform services. The services were performed in
`
`Vancouver, BC and not in Pennsylvania. No one from Vanbex came to Pennsylvania. Work was
`
`shared on the internet in a google drive saved on the i-cloud. Vanbex’s passive website does not
`
`allow direct purchase of services and does not specifically solicit business in Pennsylvania.
`
`While Defendant has a website, the Third Circuit has held that “the mere operation of a
`
`8
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 9 of 16
`
`
`
`commercially interactive web site should not subject the operator to jurisdiction anywhere in the
`
`world.” Toys “R” Us, Inc. v. Step Two, S.A., 318 F.3d 446, 454 (3d Cir. 2003). Rather, Plaintiff
`
`must establish the defendant “‘purposely availed’ itself of conducting activity in the forum state,
`
`by directly targeting its web site to the state, knowingly interacting with residents of the forum
`
`state via its web site, or through sufficient other related contacts.” Id. Here, Elev3n even
`
`recognized this jurisdictional issue by filing suit initially in Canada. There is no evidence of
`
`systematic contacts with Pennsylvania to invoke general jurisdiction.
`
`
`
`In light of the above, this Court lacks personal jurisdiction over Vanbex. Because none
`
`of the operative facts occurred in this forum, plaintiff cannot establish specific jurisdiction.
`
`Under the heightened general jurisdiction standard, plaintiff also lacks sufficient evidence, as
`
`Vanbex has no meaningful connection with this venue to establish general personal jurisdiction.
`
`Therefore, Defendant respectfully submits this case should be dismissed
`
`
`B.
`
`
`
`Plaintiff is Not Likely to Prevail on The Merits
`
`Plaintiff’s underlying claims of (1) injunctive relief to enforce copyright claims, (2)
`
`breach of contract, (3) breach of confidentiality agreement; (4) Computer Fraud and Abuse Act;
`
`(5) conversion; (6) unjust enrichment and (7) declaratory action, are without merit. Thus,
`
`Plaintiff is unlikely to prevail on the merits of these claims. Vanbex has not violated copyright
`
`and did not breach the contract. Vanbex has not improperly access Elev3n’s “computer system”
`
`The documents prepared by Vanbex were stored on shared google drive in the i-cloud and later
`
`moved to an archived google drive on the cloud. The archived Elev3n folders on the cloud were
`
`sub-folders of a parent folder containing older client files. Elev3n could see when access to the
`
`larger folder was shared. However, the Elev3n folder was not used or misappropriated by
`
`Vanbex. Any claimed violations of confidentiality agreement or the causes of action described
`
`9
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 10 of 16
`
`
`
`in the Complaint can be entirely remedied by money damages and the request for injunctive
`
`relief is entirely inappropriate. Further, the very fact that Plaintiff seeks a declaration that it
`
`holds exclusive ownership the entirety of a derivative work. This speaks to the tenuous nature of
`
`its claim, as it does not have exclusive rights to the entirety of a work built off a template.
`
`Standards to Enforce Copyright
`
`C.
`
`As a threshold matter, Elev3n must demonstrate that it owns a valid copyright to the
`
`
`
`claimed written works. Feist Publ'ns, Inc. v. Rural Tel. Serv. Co., 499 U.S. 340, 361, 111 S. Ct.
`
`1282, 113 L. Ed. 2d 358 (1991) (citation omitted). Section 411 of the Copyright Act requires that
`
`a plaintiff must have a registered copyright before filing an infringement claim based upon that
`
`copyright. Zaslow v. Coleman, 103 F. Supp. 3d 657 (E.D. Pa. 2015))(temporary restraining order
`
`denied on copyright and trademark infringement claims) (citing 17 U.S.C. § 411; Patrick
`
`Collins, Inc. v. Does 1-26, 843 F. Supp. 2d 565, 569 (E.D. Pa. 2011)). With regard to a claim for
`
`copyright infringement, “the Court should first consider whether there has been infringement by
`
`comparing each of the allegedly infringing works against the restored work. The test for
`
`copyright infringement is well-established. There are two essential elements: ownership of
`
`copyright, and copying by the defendant.” Dam Things from Denmark, a/k/a Troll Co. ApS v.
`
`Russ Berrie & Co., Inc., 290 F.3d 548, 561 (3d Cir. 2002). “[A] complaint based on copyright
`
`infringement must allege: (1) which specific original works are the subject of the copyright
`
`claim; (2) ownership of the copyrights in those works; (3) registration of the works in question
`
`with the Copyright Office in accordance with 17 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq.; and (4) by what acts the
`
`defendant infringed the copyright.” Key Consolidated 2000, Inc. v. Troost, 432 F. Supp. 2d 484,
`
`488 (M.D. Pa. 2006) (citation omitted).
`
`10
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 11 of 16
`
`
`
`
`
`Elev3n cannot show ownership of the copyrights to the works at issue and cannot show
`
`registration of the works, and cannot show by what acts the documents used in the Etherparty
`
`ICO infringed any copyright. Accordingly, Plaintiff cannot meet its burden and its motion
`
`should be denied.
`
`
`
`Further, just because Company A gives Company B rights in a derivative work, that does
`
`not have any impact on ownership of the underlying work. The copyright in a compilation of
`
`data extends only to the selection, coordination or arrangement of the materials or data, but not to
`
`the data itself. In the case of a collective work containing “preexisting works”—works that were
`
`previously published, previously registered, or in the public domain— the registration will only
`
`extend to the selection, coordination or arrangement of those works, not to the preexisting
`
`works themselves. 17 U.S.C. 103(b). Dealing with derivative works would include, as was done
`
`here, something built off a template. Nobody has improperly copied or the specific work that
`
`was tailored for the Elev3n project. Further, there is nothing indicating any work prepared by
`
`Vanbex in the Elev3n project was used for the Etherparty ICO.
`
`
`
`Elev3n Cannot Show Irreparable Harm
`
`In the Third Circuit, a finding of no irreparable harm is itself sufficient to deny a request
`
`for a preliminary injunction. Nat’l Land & Investment Co. v. Specter, 428 F.2d 91, 97 (3d Cir.
`
`1970); see also New Dana Perfumes Corp. v. Disney Store, Inc., 131 F. Supp. 2d 616, 626 (M.D.
`
`Pa. 2001) (“Perhaps the single most important prerequisite for the issuance of a preliminary
`
`injunction is a demonstration that if it is not granted the applicant is likely to suffer irreparable
`
`harm before a decision on the merits can be rendered.”) (internal quotations marks and citation
`
`omitted). “An injury is 'irreparable' only if it cannot be undone through monetary remedies.”
`
`Cunningham v. Adams, 808 F.2d 815, 821 (11th Cir. 1987).
`
`11
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 12 of 16
`
`
`
`In its Complaint, Elev3n alleges, in boilerplate fashion, that it has no adequate remedy at
`
`law, yet it also seeks damages in the form of money damages (Complaint, Prayer for relief,
`
`paragraphs in each count). Based on Elev3n’s own request for relief, then, it appears that any
`
`harm suffered by Elev3n can be quantified into an award of damages. This claim for money
`
`damages was already quantified as $39,000 by Elev3n in the Canada litigation. Nothing in the
`
`record indicates Elev3n actually lost business or was not provided services rendered, had any
`
`confidential or trade secret information disclosed or suffered a competitive disadvantage as a
`
`result of any actions taken by Defendants. There is no indication in the record that Elev3n still
`
`intends to use blockchain technology for its anticipated business and it would not be doing an
`
`ICO. Thus, Elev3n has not shown it will suffer irreparable harm if the injunction does not issue.
`
`The claim of irreparable harm is, at best, speculative. See Siegelv. LePore, 234 F.3d 1163
`
`234 F.3d 1163 at 1176-77 (11th Cir. 2000) (emphasizing that irreparable injury must be neither
`
`remote nor speculative, but actual and imminent). Indeed, if there was foreseeable harm to
`
`Elev3n in the Etherparty ICO proceeding to raise funds, the harm would not be irreparable but
`
`compensable through money damages. Pirtek USA, LLC, v. Zaetz, 408 F. Supp. 2d 81, 86 (D.
`
`Conn. 2005); see also Siegel, at 1194 n.4 (indicating that the injury suffered by a plaintiff is
`
`irreparable only if it cannot be undone through monetary remedies). This Court should also
`
`discredit any claim by Elev3n that it has suffered irreparable harm, as Elev3n waited weeks to
`
`seek the extraordinary injunctive relief it now seeks.
`
`Here, Elev3n has failed to show any harm, let along irreparable harm, will result from the
`
`Etherparty ICO going forward in Canada. In the context of a preliminary injunction, the asserted
`
`irreparable harm must be actual and imminent rather than remote or speculative. Siegel v.
`
`LePore, 234 F.3d 1163, 1176 (11th Cir. 2000). Elev3n has not shown it suffers or has suffered
`
`12
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 13 of 16
`
`
`
`any actual or imminent harm due to the Etherparty ICO. Elev3n argues Vanbex may have shared
`
`google folders, but has identified no specific access to the Elev3n client folders or how the
`
`contents of those folders were downloaded or misused.
`
`Elev3n’s claim of irreparable harm due to the potential misappropriation of IP material,
`
`which in fact has nothing to do with the documents used in the Etherparty ICO, is remote and
`
`speculative at best. In the Third Circuit, a finding of no irreparable harm is itself sufficient to
`
`deny a request for a preliminary injunction. Nat’l Land & Investment Co. v. Specter, 428 F.2d 91,
`
`97 (3d Cir. 1970); see also New Dana Perfumes Corp. v. Disney Store, Inc., 131 F. Supp. 2d 616,
`
`626 (M.D. Pa. 2001) (“Perhaps the single most important prerequisite for the issuance of a
`
`preliminary injunction is a demonstration that if it is not granted the applicant is likely to suffer
`
`irreparable harm before a decision on the merits can be rendered.”) (internal quotations marks
`
`and citation omitted).
`
`Granting an Injunction will Result in Substantially Greater Harm to Vanbex
`
`While there is no harm to Elev3n if no injunction issued, there would be very substantial
`
`harm to Vanbex and its officers if the injunction on the Etherparty ICO issue. The request for
`
`drastic emergency injunctive relief after several months delay and prior to any expedited
`
`discovery is substantially unfairly prejudicial to Vanbex and to Etherparty, who is not a party to
`
`this action. If an injunction were to issue against Vanbex in supporting the Etherparty ICO, the
`
`damaging consequences of not being able to go forward the ICO include: a loss of credibility in
`
`the relevant community, including seed money sponsors; lost opportunity to raise capital in this
`
`specific ICO. These negative consequences will substantially damage Vanbex.
`
`By SEC regulation, the imposition of a court injunction or restraining order in connection
`
`with the purchase or sale of a security are a “disqualifying event” from the Rule 506 of
`
`13
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 14 of 16
`
`
`
`Regulation D “safe harbor” for the private offering exemption of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities
`
`Act. 17 CFR 230.506. Moreover, Elev3n is not exposed as it has no plans to issue any ICO.
`
`Accordingly, issuance of any injunction concerning the Etherparty ICO could prevent Vanbex
`
`and its officers from soliciting or participating in future ICOs in the United States for the next
`
`five years. The timing of this motion smacks of an attempt unfairly leverage the situation to
`
`extort money from Vanbex.
`
` Elev3n has not identified how damages would not compensate for any of the causes of
`
`action pleaded. Accordingly, Court must deny a TRO for that reason as well.
`
`Plaintiff must post a substantial bond.
`
`“The Court may issue a . . .temporary restraining order only if the movant gives security
`
`in an amount that the court considers proper to pay the costs and damages sustained by any party
`
`found to have been wrongfully enjoined or restrained.” F.R.C.P. 65(c). This requirement is
`
`interpreted strictly in the Third Circuit, with the only exception to the bond requirement is when
`
`there is no risk of monetary loss to the defendant. Frank’s GMC Truck Ctr., Inc. v. Gen Motors
`
`Corp., 847 F.2d 100, 103 (3d Cir. 1988). The purpose of the bond is to guaranty that an enjoined
`
`party can be made whole in the event the court subsequently determines the initial injunction was
`
`improvidently granted. As outlined above, Vanbex has a substantial risk of monetary loss, for
`
`this particular ICO and for reputation and future business. The evidence in the record
`
`demonstrates that the potential loss to Defendant as a result of an injunction could exceed tens of
`
`millions of dollars. Indeed, Plaintiff is well aware of the potential harm that could be caused by
`
`issuance of an injunction. This Court must require Plaintiff to post a substantial bond.
`
`
`
`14
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 15 of 16
`
`
`
`III. CONCLUSION
`
`
`Elev3n has entirely failed to set forth why injunctive relief is needed. The request for
`
`injunctive relief should be denied.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Dated: September 29, 2017
`
`ECKERT SEAMANS CHERIN &
` MELLOTT, LLC
`
`
`
`
`
`By: /s/ Elizabeth S. Gallard
`Elizabeth S. Gallard, Esquire (#63258)
`Two Liberty Place
`50 S. 16th Street, 22nd Floor
`Philadelphia, PA 19102
`egallard@eckertseamans.com
`Tel: (215) 851-8418
`Fax: (215) 851-8383
`
`Attorneys for Defendant
`Vanbex Group Inc.
`
`15
`
`

`

`Case 2:17-cv-04350-AB Document 3 Filed 09/29/17 Page 16 of 16
`
`
`
`
`
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`I hereby certify that on September 29, 2017, I electronically filed the foregoing document
`
`with the Clerk of the Court using the CM/ECF system which will send notification of such filing
`
`to all attorneys of record and serve the foregoing document upon the following:
`
`Julia B. Klein, Esquire
`Klein LLC
`919 N. Market Street, Suite 600
`Wilmington, DE 19801
`
`John A. Kirk, Esquire
`GrowthCounsel
`448 N. 10th Street, Suite 301
`Philadelphia, PA 19123
`
`/s/ Elizabeth S. Gallard
`Elizabeth A. Gallard
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

This document is available on Docket Alarm but you must sign up to view it.


Or .

Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.

After purchase, you can access this document again without charge.

Accept $ Charge
throbber

Still Working On It

This document is taking longer than usual to download. This can happen if we need to contact the court directly to obtain the document and their servers are running slowly.

Give it another minute or two to complete, and then try the refresh button.

throbber

A few More Minutes ... Still Working

It can take up to 5 minutes for us to download a document if the court servers are running slowly.

Thank you for your continued patience.

This document could not be displayed.

We could not find this document within its docket. Please go back to the docket page and check the link. If that does not work, go back to the docket and refresh it to pull the newest information.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

You need a Paid Account to view this document. Click here to change your account type.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

Set your membership status to view this document.

With a Docket Alarm membership, you'll get a whole lot more, including:

  • Up-to-date information for this case.
  • Email alerts whenever there is an update.
  • Full text search for other cases.
  • Get email alerts whenever a new case matches your search.

Become a Member

One Moment Please

The filing “” is large (MB) and is being downloaded.

Please refresh this page in a few minutes to see if the filing has been downloaded. The filing will also be emailed to you when the download completes.

Your document is on its way!

If you do not receive the document in five minutes, contact support at support@docketalarm.com.

Sealed Document

We are unable to display this document, it may be under a court ordered seal.

If you have proper credentials to access the file, you may proceed directly to the court's system using your government issued username and password.


Access Government Site

We are redirecting you
to a mobile optimized page.





Document Unreadable or Corrupt

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket

We are unable to display this document.

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket