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Shenzhen Shining Bright v. Schedule A Defendants – LED Patent | PatSnap
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Case ID1:23-cv-17065
FiledDec 2023
ClosedOct 2025
Patent Litigation

Shenzhen Shining Bright v. Schedule A Defendants: LED Design Patent Default Judgment

Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd. brought a design patent infringement action in the Northern District of Illinois against anonymous online marketplace sellers, asserting USD971348S covering LED lights and related wearable devices. The case closed after 651 days via default judgment, with the court granting sealed enforcement against identified seller accounts.

Resolution time
651days
651 days — longer than median Schedule A e-commerce default cases (~180–270 days)
Patents asserted
1
USD971348S — LED strip lights, LED face masks, and LED sunglasses design patent
Outcome
Default Judgment
Plaintiff prevailed; defendants failed to appear or defend the action
Cost ruling
N/A
No public cost ruling recorded; enforcement terms filed under seal
Published by PatSnap Insights Team · Verified by PatSnap Eureka Data
Case overview

LED design patent owner wins default against anonymous marketplace sellers

On December 22, 2023, Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd., a Chinese electronics manufacturer, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against a class of unnamed defendants — identified only as individuals, corporations, and other entities listed on Schedule A — for allegedly infringing U.S. Design Patent USD971348S. The asserted patent covers the ornamental design of LED-based products including strip lights, face masks, and sunglasses. The defendants were anonymous third-party sellers operating through online marketplaces.

The case resolved on October 3, 2025, when the court entered a final default judgment in plaintiff’s favor after defendants failed to appear or contest the claims. Consistent with Schedule A litigation practice, the plaintiff sought — and the court previously granted — sealing of Appendix A identifying defendant store aliases. At close, plaintiff moved to file the judgment itself under seal or with targeted redactions, citing risks of asset flight and re-registration by defaulting defendants if enforcement mechanics were made public.

The 651-day duration is notably longer than the typical Schedule A default timeline and may reflect procedural complexity in identifying, serving, and obtaining asset restraints against multiple anonymous offshore sellers. The sealing posture throughout suggests enforcement remains ongoing or sensitive as of the closure date. The full scope of monetary relief and the number of defendants subject to the judgment are not publicly disclosed, which is consistent with but not confirmed by the sealing record.

Case at a glance
Case no.1:23-cv-17065
CourtIllinois Northern
JudgeMartha M. Pacold
FiledDecember 22, 2023
ClosedOctober 3, 2025
Duration651 days
OutcomeDefault Judgment
Verdict causeInfringement Action
BasisDefault Judgment
Prior Art Intelligence
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Case data sourced from PACER / Illinois Northern District Court via PatSnap Eureka Litigation Intelligence Explore similar cases ↗
Case timeline

Filing to Default Judgment in 651 days

651 days — longer than median Schedule A e-commerce default cases (~180–270 days)

Case timeline: Complaint filed DEC 22 2023, NOV–DEC — 651 days total Horizontal timeline showing the three key events in Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd. v The Individuals, Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, Partnerships, and Unincorporated Associates Identified on Schedule A from filing to resolution. Source: PACER, Illinois Northern District Court. DEC 22 2023 Complaint filed Pre-trial proceedings OCT 3 2025 Default Judgment 651 DAYS TOTAL
Default judgment

Default judgment entered: what the outcome means for both parties

Legal mechanism

Default judgment: defendants’ failure to appear decides the case

A default judgment under Fed. R. Civ. P. 55 is entered when a defendant fails to plead or otherwise defend. The court accepts plaintiff’s well-pleaded factual allegations as true and may award injunctive relief and damages without a merits trial. In Schedule A cases, default judgments typically include platform takedowns and asset freezes directed at third-party marketplaces and payment processors.

Rule 55 default — no merits contest
Patent holder outcome

Shining Bright secures injunction and asset turnover against sellers

As the prevailing party, Shenzhen Shining Bright is entitled to permanent injunctive relief barring further infringement and to turnover of frozen funds held by marketplace and payment processors. The sealing of enforcement details suggests asset restraint orders were already in place before judgment entry, a common tactical sequence in Schedule A litigation designed to prevent defendants from liquidating accounts upon notice.

Injunction + asset turnover likely
Defendant outcome

Defaulting sellers face account takedowns and frozen funds

Defendants who failed to appear lose all opportunity to contest infringement, challenge patent validity, or dispute damages. The judgment binds each identified seller alias. However, practical recovery against offshore sellers is often limited; the sealed enforcement mechanics suggest plaintiff is pursuing whatever funds were restrained pre-judgment through marketplace and payment processor channels rather than direct collection.

Accounts frozen; no right to contest
Commercial implications

Design patent enforcement via Schedule A remains a high-volume IP strategy

This case is consistent with the growing use of Schedule A actions by Chinese IP holders enforcing U.S. design patents against counterfeit or infringing marketplace listings. The sealed judgment limits public insight into the scale of relief obtained. Competing sellers and platform operators should note that N.D. Ill. courts routinely grant ex parte TROs and asset freezes at case inception, raising the operational risk of stocking LED products with design similarities to asserted patents.

N.D. Ill. Schedule A enforcement trend
Legal analysis based on PACER docket records for case 1:23-cv-17065 and PatSnap Eureka litigation intelligence Search PatSnap Eureka ↗
Parties and representation

Full party and counsel information

RoleNameTypeDetail
PlaintiffShenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.CompanyChinese LED electronics manufacturer — holder of design patent USD971348SSearch in Eureka ↗
DefendantThe Individuals, Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, Partnerships, and Unincorporated Associates Identified on Schedule ACompanyAnonymous online marketplace sellers identified on Schedule A; no counsel appearedSearch in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselAlexander WardenAttorneyCounsel for Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselBenjamin Adam CampbellAttorneyCounsel for Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselEdward L. BishopAttorneyCounsel for Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselNicholas S. LeeAttorneyCounsel for Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselQi MenAttorneyCounsel for Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselSameeul HaqueAttorneyCounsel for Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff law firmBishop Diehl & Lee, Ltd.Law FirmRepresenting Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff law firmDickinson Wright PLLCLaw FirmRepresenting Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff law firmWest Atlantic Law Firm, PLLC.Law FirmRepresenting Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff law firmYk Law LlpLaw FirmRepresenting Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.Search in Eureka ↗
Presiding judgeJudge Martha M. PacoldJudgeIllinois Northern District CourtSearch in Eureka ↗
Official verdict

Official order — verbatim text

“Plaintiff Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd. (“Plaintiff”) respectfully moves for leave to file under seal the Final Default Judgment Order submitted herewith (the “Judgment”), or, alternatively, for leave to file a narrowly redacted public version with a complete unredacted version filed under seal. In support, Plaintiff states: 1. Narrow tailoring / categories at issue. The Judgment (as drafted) contains (i) specific identifiers for certain Defaulting Defendants’ online marketplace stores (seller aliases) and (ii) directions to third-party payment and marketplace providers regarding the restraint and turnover of funds/accounts. Public disclosure of granular enforcement details risks enabling evasion, asset flight, and re-registration under new identities—undermining the Court’s injunctive and monetary relief. Prior sealing in this case. On September 24, 2025, the Court granted Plaintiff’s motion to file Appendix A to the Motion for Default Judgment under seal, and directed Plaintiff to file that appendix on the docket under seal. (See Minute Entry, Sept. 24, 2025; Sealed Appendix A filed Sept. 26, 2025.) The same evasion/asset-flight concerns apply here because the Judgment cross-references the very enforcement steps reflected in Appendix A. 3. Legal standard. While judicial records are presumptively public, L.R. 26.2 permits sealing on a showing of good cause; the Seventh Circuit recognizes protection for information that, if public, would facilitate misuse or cause competitive/economic harm. See, e.g., Baxter Int’l, Inc. v. Abbott Labs., 297 F.3d 544, 546–47 (7th Cir. 2002); Goesel v. Boley Int’l (H.K.) Ltd., 738 F.3d 831, 833–34 (7th Cir. 2013). Courts also permit sealing/redaction where disclosure would impair the effectiveness of injunctive or collection remedies or reveal confidential account identifiers and enforcement details. 4. Good cause. Here, disclosure of (a) specific seller-alias mappings, (b) non-party processor routing details and account identifiers (if any appear in the final executed version), and (c) operative, step-by-step enforcement directives would materially aid evasion and frustrate the asset restraint and turnover contemplated by the Judgment. The relief is calibrated to preserve the status quo and effectuate Rule 69 proceedings; unsealing the mechanics would defeat those aims. 5. Narrow relief requested. Plaintiff does not seek wholesale secrecy of the Court’s ruling. Plaintiff proposes either: a. Filing the executed Judgment under seal and concurrently filing on the public docket a redacted version that leaves the Court’s reasoning and outcome intact while redacting only the minimal items needed to prevent evasion (seller-alias strings, unique account identifiers, nonpublic email/contact points, and any particularized processor routing data); or b. If the Court prefers, filing the Judgment publicly with targeted redactions only to the same limited fields, and lodging the unredacted version under seal. 6. Duration. Plaintiff requests that sealing (or redactions) remain in place through completion of post-judgment collection and turnover efforts as to the Defaulting Defendants, or for 180 days from entry (whichever is earlier), without prejudice to a motion to extend for good cause. 7. Compliance with L.R. 26.2. Plaintiff will (a) file a redacted public version contemporaneously, (b) file the unredacted version under seal, and (c) provide a highlighted version to chambers if required by standing order. WHEREFORE, Plaintiff respectfully requests that the Court grant leave (i) to file the Final Default Judgment Order under seal with a contemporaneous public redacted version, or, in the alternative, (ii) to file the Judgment publicly with only the limited redactions described above, with the unredacted version filed under seal; and grant such other relief as the Court deems just.”
Source: PACER Docket, Case 1:23-cv-17065, Illinois Northern District Court

The verdict record in this case is largely procedural: the substantive outcome is a default judgment entered after defendants failed to appear, with the operative enforcement order filed under seal. The plaintiff’s motion seeking sealed filing reflects standard Schedule A practice — courts in the Northern District of Illinois routinely permit sealing of seller-alias mappings and payment-processor directives to preserve the effectiveness of asset restraint. The default posture means no claim construction, validity analysis, or damages determination was contested on the merits.

PACER case 1:23-cv-17065 · Public docket record Explore in Eureka ↗
Patent at issue

USD971348S — Ornamental design for LED light products

Publication No.USD0971348S
Application No.US29/763962
Patent details
ProductOrnamental design for LED consumer electronics including strip lights, face masks, and LED sunglasses
Cited in actionDecember 22, 2023

U.S. Design Patent USD971348S, filed as application No. 29/763,962, protects the ornamental appearance of LED-based consumer electronics — specifically including LED strip lights, LED face masks, and LED sunglasses. Design patents protect the non-functional visual characteristics of a product, meaning the scope of protection turns on the overall visual impression of the claimed design as illustrated in the patent drawings. In fast-moving consumer electronics categories like LED wearables, design patents can provide meaningful exclusivity over high-selling SKUs.

The asserted patent is strategically significant in the context of the online marketplace ecosystem: LED face masks and light-therapy wearables have seen explosive growth on platforms such as Amazon and Wish, creating dense design-similarity risk across competing product listings. Shenzhen Shining Bright’s willingness to prosecute a multi-defendant Schedule A action — with asset freezes and sealed enforcement — signals an active enforcement posture that competitors and resellers in the LED wearable and strip-light category should treat as a material IP risk factor.

Patent data sourced from USPTO via PatSnap Eureka patent database Search patent records in Eureka ↗
Freedom to operate

Should you run an FTO search against USD971348S?

Any company sourcing, manufacturing, or listing LED strip lights, LED face masks, LED sunglasses, or visually similar LED wearable devices for sale on U.S. online marketplaces should assess freedom to operate against USD971348S. The risk is not limited to direct manufacturers: resellers and distributors on third-party platforms have been targeted directly in Schedule A actions, and account freezes can occur before a defendant is even aware of the litigation.

PatSnap Eureka’s FTO Search Agent can map the visual claim scope of USD971348S against your product imagery and compare it to the existing design patent landscape in LED consumer electronics. Eureka identifies potentially blocking design patents, surfaces prior art that might limit enforcement scope, and flags related applications from the same assignee family — giving R&D and product teams an actionable clearance picture before launch or listing.

PatSnap Eureka FTO Search

Run a freedom-to-operate analysis on USD0971348S to assess your product’s exposure

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Related litigation

Similar LED design patent Schedule A cases in N.D. Illinois

Cases involving LED consumer electronics design patents and Schedule A anonymous defendant enforcement in the Northern District of Illinois, N.D. Ill.

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Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd. patent enforcement history, Illinois Northern case history, Shenzhen Shining Bright Technology Co., Ltd.’s full IP portfolio, and comparable case analysis
Comparable LED design casesSchedule A default outcomesN.D. Ill. asset freeze grantsChinese plaintiff enforcement trends
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Strategic implications

What this case signals for the LED and e-commerce IP enforcement landscape

Default judgments in Schedule A LED patent cases signal active enforcement posture and platform-level risk for marketplace sellers.

N.D. Ill. remains the premier venue for Schedule A design patent enforcement

The Northern District of Illinois consistently grants ex parte temporary restraining orders and asset freezes at case inception in Schedule A matters. Companies sourcing or reselling LED consumer electronics on U.S. marketplaces face real platform-level exposure even before any merits review, as accounts can be frozen within days of filing.

Design patent scope on LED form factors is commercially significant

USD971348S covers the ornamental design of LED devices including face masks and sunglasses — product categories with high SKU proliferation on third-party marketplaces. Any seller with visually similar listings is a potential target. Running a design patent clearance search before listing LED wearable or strip-light products on U.S. platforms is operationally prudent.

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Full strategic analysis in PatSnap Eureka
Unlock gated analysis on LED design patent enforcement trends and N.D. Ill. Schedule A district court risk signals.
Sealed defendant countAsset freeze quantum signalsRelated Shining Bright filings
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Frequently asked questions

Shenzhen v Individuals — key questions answered

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Monitor LED design patent enforcement before your next marketplace launch

Schedule A actions can freeze seller accounts within days of filing. Run an FTO search against USD971348S and related LED design patents in PatSnap Eureka before listing products on U.S. platforms.

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