Global Equipment Company, Inc. v. Global Storage Equipment Manufacturers Limited, et al.

District Court, W.D. Washington·Decided November 12, 2025·No. 2:25-cv-01269·Unknown

Opinion

The Honorable Kymberly K. Evanson

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT AT SEATTLE GLOBAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY, INC., No. C25-1269-KKE Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S v. MOTION FOR DEFAULT JUDGMENT AND PLAINTIFF’S GLOBAL STORAGE EQUIPMENT MOTION TO SEAL MANUFACTURER LIMITED, et al.,

Defendants.

Plaintiff Global Equipment Company, Inc., filed this action in July 2025, accusing Defendants Global Storage Equipment Manufacturers Limited, Certified Warehouse Equipment Inc., and All Lift Warehouse Solutions Inc. of past and ongoing infringement of Plaintiff’s registered trademarks in connection with industrial equipment and supplies and related goods and services. Dkt. No. 1 at 2. More specifically, Plaintiff argues that Defendants have been selling industrial equipment and supplies and related goods and services using names and websites that “mimic [Plaintiff’s] commercial presentation and identity. These unauthorized sales create consumer confusion and threaten to erode the goodwill [Plaintiff] has built through decades of continuous nationwide use.” Dkt. No. 8 at 7. After Defendants failed to respond to the complaint or Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction, the Court granted the motion for preliminary injunction and entered an order of default. Dkt. Nos. 19, 20. Plaintiff then filed a motion for default judgment, as well as a motion to seal billing records submitted in support of its request for an award of attorney’s fees. Dkt. Nos. 21, 22. Because Plaintiff is entitled to a default judgment, as explained herein, the Court will grant that motion. And because Plaintiff has shown compelling reasons to maintain its billing records under seal, the Court will also grant its motion to seal. A. The Court Has Jurisdiction over the Subject Matter and the Parties. Before entering default judgment, the Court must confirm that it has both subject matter and personal jurisdiction. See In re Tuli, 172 F.3d 707, 712 (9th Cir. 1999) (“When entry of judgment is sought against a party who has failed to plead or otherwise defend, a district court has an affirmative duty to look into its jurisdiction over both the subject matter and the parties.”). The Court has subject-matter jurisdiction under 15 U.S.C. § 1121 and 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1338(a)–(b), and supplemental jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a). The Court has personal jurisdiction over each Defendant, which transacted business and committed acts of infringement in this District after being properly served. See Dkt. No. 1 ¶ 24. Venue is proper. B. Legal Standards on a Motion for Default Judgment The Court’s decision to enter a default judgment is discretionary. Aldabe v. Aldabe, 616 F.2d 1089, 1092 (9th Cir. 1980). The Court “ordinarily disfavor[s]” default judgment because “[c]ases should be decided upon their merits whenever reasonably possible.” Eitel v. McCool, 782 F.2d 1470, 1472 (9th Cir. 1986). In considering a motion for default judgment, the Court accepts “the well-pleaded factual allegations” as true, but “necessary facts not contained in the pleadings, and claims which are legally insufficient, are not established by default.” Cripps v. Life Ins. Co. of N. Am., 980 F.2d 1261, 1267 (9th Cir. 1992) (citation modified). When considering whether to exercise its discretion to enter a default judgment, the Court may consider the following Eitel factors: (1) the possibility of prejudice to the plaintiff, (2) the merits of plaintiff’s substantive claim, (3) the sufficiency of the complaint, (4) the sum of money at stake in the action; (5) the possibility of a dispute concerning material facts; (6) whether the default was due to excusable neglect, and (7) the strong policy underlying the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure favoring decisions on the merits.

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Global Equipment Company, Inc. v. Global Storage Equipment Manufacturers Limited, et al., (W.D. Wash. 2025).

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