Case 5:19-cv-00036-RWS Document 146 Filed 11/27/19 Page 1 of 4 PageID #: 6016
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`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
`TEXARKANA DIVISION
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`MAXELL, LTD.,
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`Plaintiff
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`Defendant.
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`v.
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`APPLE INC.,
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`NO. 5:19-cv-00036-RWS
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`JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
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`DEFENDANT APPLE INC.’S MOTION FOR ISSUANCE OF LETTERS OF
`REQUEST FOR INTERNATIONAL JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE
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`Pursuant to this Court’s inherent authority to issue Letters Rogatory, Defendant Apple
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`Inc. (“Apple”), by and through its undersigned attorneys, hereby requests this Court to issue a
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`Letter of Request for International Judicial Assistance to obtain documents and things from
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`Hitachi, Ltd. (“Hitachi”).
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`Apple’s use of Letter Rogatory is an appropriate method of obtaining discovery from
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`Hitachi because Japan is not a signatory to the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence
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`Abroad in Civil and Criminal Matters. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(2)(2)(B); All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C.
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`§§ 1651, 1781 (permitting “the transmittal of a letter rogatory or request directly from a tribunal
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`in the United States to the foreign or international tribunal, officer, or agency to whom it is
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`addressed and its return in the same manner.”); see also U.S. Dep’t of State Legal Considerations
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`for Japan, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal-
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`considerations/judicial/country/japan.html (last visited on November 11, 2019).
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`Judicial assistance between the United States and Japan is governed by Article 5 of the
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`Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. See U.S. Dep’t of State Legal Considerations for
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`Case 5:19-cv-00036-RWS Document 146 Filed 11/27/19 Page 2 of 4 PageID #: 6017
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`Japan; see also Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963), available at
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`http://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/9_2_1963.pdf (last visited
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`November 11, 2019). Article 5(j) of the Convention acknowledges that the use of Letter
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`Rogatory is an appropriate method of requesting evidence located in a foreign State. See Vienna
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`Convention on Consular Relations (1963). Furthermore, as numerous courts have confirmed, the
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`use of Letter Rogatory has been the traditional method of requesting foreign judicial assistance in
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`obtaining evidence located aboard. See, e.g., Bakeer v. Nippon Cargo Airlines, Co., 2011 U.S.
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`Dist. LEXIS 90102, *61-62 (E.D.N.Y. 2011) (opinion noting that “[s]ince Japan is not a
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`signatory to the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial
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`Matters . . ., [t]he only method for obtaining the testimony of an unwilling Japanese witness is
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`through ‘a letter rogatory executed by a Japanese court’”); United States v. Walus, 616 F.2d 283,
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`304 (7th Cir. 1980) (district court should have granted request by defendant for use of letter
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`rogatory to obtain evidence located abroad that was relevant to defendant’s case).
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`The proposed letter submitted herewith solicits documents from Hitachi. Apple submits
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`that the requested documents are necessary and in the interest of justice, that Hitachi is not
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`subject to service of a subpoena within the United States, and that defendant Maxell, Ltd. has
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`represented that it is not possible for it to obtain the documents from Hitachi itself.1
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`For these reasons, Apple respectfully requests the Court grant its motion, endorse the
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`attached Letter of Request, and direct the Clerk to place the Court’s seal upon them and return
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`them to Apple for delivery to the foreign jurisdiction.
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`1 Apple reserves all rights to move to compel Maxell to obtain such documents from Hitachi, and
`to challenge Maxell’s representation that such documents are not within its possession, custody,
`or control.
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`APPLE’S MOT. FOR ISSUANCE OF LETTER OF REQ.
`FOR INT’L JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE
`NO. 5:19-CV-00036-RWS
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`2
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`Case 5:19-cv-00036-RWS Document 146 Filed 11/27/19 Page 3 of 4 PageID #: 6018
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`Dated: November 27, 2019
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`/s/ Luann L. Simmons
`Luann L. Simmons (Pro Hac Vice)
`lsimmons@omm.com
`O’MELVENY & MYERS LLP
`Two Embarcadero Center, 28th Floor
`San Francisco, CA 94111
`Telephone: 415-984-8700
`Facsimile: 415-984-8701
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`Xin-Yi Zhou (Pro Hac Vice)
`vzhou@omm.com
`Anthony G. Beasley (TX #24093882)
`tbeasley@omm.com
`O’MELVENY & MYERS LLP
`400 S. Hope Street
`Los Angeles, CA 90071
`Telephone: 213-430-6000
`Facsimile: 213-430-6407
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`Laura Bayne Gore (Pro Hac Vice)
`lbayne@omm.com
`O’MELVENY & MYERS LLP
`Times Square Tower, 7 Times Square
`New York, NY 10036
`Telephone: 212-326-2000
`Facsimile: 212-326-2061
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`Bo Moon (Pro Hac Vice)
`bmoon@omm.com
`O’MELVENY & MYERS LLP
`610 Newport Center Drive, 17th Floor
`Newport Beach, CA 92660
`Telephone: 949-823-6900
`Facsimile: 949-823-6994
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`Melissa R. Smith (TX #24001351)
`melissa@gilliamsmithlaw.com
`Bobby Lamb (TX #24080997)
`wrlamb@gillamsmithlaw.com
`GILLIAM & SMITH, LLP
`303 South Washington Avenue
`Marshall, Texas 75670
`Telephone: (903) 934-8450
`Facsimile: (903) 934-9257
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`Attorneys for Defendant Apple Inc.
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`APPLE’S MOT. FOR ISSUANCE OF LETTER OF REQ.
`FOR INT’L JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE
`NO. 5:19-CV-00036-RWS
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`3
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`Case 5:19-cv-00036-RWS Document 146 Filed 11/27/19 Page 4 of 4 PageID #: 6019
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`I hereby certify that all counsel of record who are deemed to have consented to electronic
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`service are being served this 27th day of November, 2019 with a copy of this document via
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`electronic mail.
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`/s/ Melissa R. Smith
`Melissa R. Smith
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`APPLE’S MOT. FOR ISSUANCE OF LETTER OF REQ.
`FOR INT’L JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE
`NO. 5:19-CV-00036-RWS
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`4
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