In re Irish Bank Resolution Corp.
In re Irish Bank Resolution Corp.
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
INTRODUCTION
Pending before the Court is a motion filed by Kieran Wallace and Eamonn Rich-ardson, the duly appointed and authorized Chapter 15 ' foreign representatives (the “Foreign Representatives”) of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Limited (“IBRC” or the “Debtor”), for entry of an order pursuant to 11 U.S.C. sections 542, 1521(a)(5) and 1521(a)(7) (the “Bankruptcy Code”), directing Yahoo! Inc. (“Yahoo”) to turn over to the Foreign Representatives all electronically stored information con-tained in the Yahoo Account (as defined below) (the “Turnover Motion”).
The primary issue is whether the Court should order an email service provider to hand over contents contained in a private email account after the account user evaded the proceeding and failed to comply with several discovery orders. For the reasons set forth below, the Court will deny the Turnover Motion. The Court finds that the Foreign Representatives failed to present sufficient evidence that proves that the contents of the Yahoo Account are part of IBRC’s property or relate to IBRC’s property or financial affairs. Accordingly, the Court holds that the Foreign Representatives have not met their burden of proof under the turnover provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. The Court further holds that the Stored Communication Act
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
This Court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 157 and 1334. Venue is proper in this District pur-suant to 28 U.S.C. § 1410. This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. §§ 157(b)(2)(A), (E), (O) and (P) and this Court has the judicial power to enter a final order.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
A. General Background
This motion is the last in a series of motions filed by the Foreign Representa-tives in an effort to obtain information contained in the email address abdrasim@ yahoo.com (the “Yahoo Account”), which is allegedly.maintained by one who goes by the name of “Abdullah Rasimov” (“Rasi-mov”). Generally, this matter is related to a large-scale litigation pending in Ireland (and other jurisdictions) involving the liq-uidation of IBRC, the successor to Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Limited and Irish Nationwide Building Society (the “Irish Proceeding”).
On February 21, 2014, after allegedly receiving information from informants about certain emails addresses that were being used in connection with the Quinn Family’s scheme, the Foreign Representa-tives filed an ex parte application with the English High Court (the “English Application”) for discovery against certain respon-dents, including Yahoo! Inc. UK. Through the English Application, the Foreign Rep-resentatives sought to conduct discovery relating to.the Quinn Family. On February 24, 2014, the English High Court granted the English Application and entered various orders pertaining to IBRC’s requested relief. Among other things, the English High Court permitted a confidential inves-tigation of various respondents, including Yahoo! Inc. UK.
The Foreign Representatives allege that through the information received from the informants and through the discovery per-mitted by the English High Court, they have discovered various email accounts be-lieved to be connected to the Quinn Family’s attempt to conceal assets. Several of those email accounts are maintained and supported by companies providing access to email services operating in the United States. Among those, and at the center of this motion, is a Yahoo email account.
B. Procedural History
i. The Chapter 15 Recognition Pro-ceeding
The Foreign Representatives commenced a voluntary case under Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code by filing a petition, seeking recognition of an insolvency legal proceeding in Ireland, with this Court on August 26, 2013.
ii. Discovery Orders Obtained from this Court
On March 12, 2014, the Foreign Repre-sentatives submitted an ex parte motion seeking discovery pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule 2004 from certain email service pro-
iii. The Yahoo Subpoenas
Following the Court’s execution of the Discovery Order, on March 14, 2014, the Foreign Representatives served an initial subpoena upon Yahoo. The Foreign Repre-sentatives requested that Yahoo produce all documents concerning or relating to: (a) the subscriber details for the Yahoo Ac-count; (b) the IP login history relating to the Yahoo Account; (c) the IP addresses of computers or devices used to access the Yahoo Account; and (d) other metadata regarding the Yahoo Account. In response, Yahoo produced certain documents and other materials.
On May 29, 2014, the Foreign Represen-tatives served a subsequent subpoena upon Yahoo (the “Follow-up Yahoo Subpoena”). This time, the Foreign Representatives re-quested that Yahoo produce all electroni-cally stored information contained in the Yahoo Account. While Yahoo made available additional documents in response to the Follow-up Yahoo Subpoena, Yahoo did not produce any emails or other content contained in the Yahoo Account. Yahoo asserted that it was barred from doing so under internal governing policies and the applicable statute (i.e. the SCA).
iv. The 2004 Application
On October 1, 2014, the Foreign Rep-resentatives submitted a Motion for an Order Compelling the Production of Doc-uments Pursuant to Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure 2004 (the “2004 Application”).
Following entry of the 2004 Order, counsel for the Foreign Representatives at
v. The Order to Compel
After failing to obtain from Rasimov the information sought pursuant to the 2004 Order, the Foreign Representatives filed a motion for an order compelling compliance with the previous order (the “Motion to Compel”) on October 31, 2014.
In order to afford a remedy appropriate in light of the failure of Rasimov to comply with previously issued discovery and orders of this court, Rasimov is directed to provide written consent to Yahoo to release of any and all electroni-cally stored information, including but not limited any and all electronic mail, contained in the Yahoo Account to the Foreign Representatives. If Rasimov fails to deliver such -written consent to Yahoo within seven (7) business days of entry of this Order, the Foreign Repre-sentatives and their agents are author-ized and directed to execute or deliver or to join in the execution or delivery of any instrument, and to perform any other act, necessary to provide “lawful con-sent” pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 2701, et seq., and any other similar or local legis-lative body or administrative entity, on behalf of and in the name of Rasimov.18
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The Foreign Representative, IBRC, and their agents are hereby authorized and directed to execute or deliver or to join in the execution or delivery of any in-strument, and to perform any other act, necessary to comply with this Order.19
vi. The Subscriber Order
Although the Order to Compel directed Rasimov to provide written consent to Ya-hoo for the release of all relevant electronic information contained in the Yahoo Ac-count, Rasimov failed again to comply with the Court’s order. Actually, Rasimov never appeared or responded at any stage of this litigation. Accordingly, on December 2, 2014, the Foreign Representatives at-tempted to provide Yahoo with “lawful consent,” on behalf and in the name of Rasimov, to release the contents of the Yahoo Account.
In light of Yahoo’s reluctance to cooperate with the Foreign Representatives’ re-quest, the Foreign Representatives filed another motion aimed at obtaining the in-formation in the Yahoo Account. This time, the Foreign Representatives sought entry of an order in aid of the Order to Compel, which would designate the Foreign Repre-sentatives as the “subscriber” of the Yahoo Account, and accordingly, to the Foreign Representatives’ view, would remove all doubts that the Foreign Representatives have the legal status of a party that could provide “lawful consent” within the mean-ing of the SCA (the “Motion in Aid of the Order to Compel”).
On October 8, 2015, the Court entered an Order in Aid of Prior Order Compelling Compliance with Subpoena and Directing Consent to Release of Information (the “Subscriber Order”).
In order to afford a remedy appropriate in light of the failure of Rasimov to comply with previously issued discovery and orders of this court, and in aid of the Order to Compel, the Foreign Rep-resentatives shall be and hereby are designated as the “subscriber” of the Yahoo Account, and as subscriber, shall and hereby are permitted to consent to the release of any and all electronically stored information, including but not limited to any and all electronic mail, contained in the Yahoo Account to the Foreign Representatives. The consent authorized hereby shall constitute “lawful consent” within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2701, et seq., and any other similar or related statute, rule or regulation promulgated by any federal, state or local legislative body or administra-tive entity.23
On December 17, 2015, Mr. Wallace (one of the appointed Foreign Representatives) issued a consent to search and account verification form to Yahoo, along with a copy of the Subscriber Order.
On January 21, 2016, pursuant to Fed-eral Rules of Civil Procedure § 45, Yahoo filed a Motion to Quash in the Northern District of California, the district where production was required under the Fol-low-up Yahoo Subpoena.
vii. The Turnover Motion, the Hearing and the Supplemental Briefings
In between, on January 20, 2016, the Foreign Representatives filed the Turn-over Motion asking for an order (1) grant-ing additional relief pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 1521(a)(5) and 1521(a)(7) and (2) direct-ing Yahoo to turn over information to the Foreign Representatives.
The Court heard arguments on the Turnover Motion on March 1, 2016, and at the conclusion of the hearing took the mat-ter under advisement (the “Hearing”).
ANALYSIS
As set forth above, Yahoo objects to the Foreign Representatives demand to hand over information from the Yahoo Account. Yahoo’s main assertion is that the SCA prohibits email service providers from dis-closing contents of private email accounts to third-parties except for very limited cir-cumstances not present in this case.
A. Preliminary Procedural Issues
i. Due Process Considerations
Yahoo asserts that the Court should not compel it to divulge contents contained in the Yahoo Account because the Subscriber Order did not comport with due process standards, particularly in light of the lack of notice of the Motion in Aid of the Order to Compel and the Subscriber Order to Rasimov.
Since Rasimov’s identity and locations are unknown
Closing the only means by which he could receive notice of matters before this court, Rasimov (or Yahoo on his behalf) could not be heard to complain about insufficient notice.
At any rate, the Court is of the opinion that given the circumstances presented here, service to Rasimov satisfied due process. To satisfy due process, the method approved must be “reasonably calculated under the totality of the circumstances, to inform of the pending [ ] action and allow the opportunity to respond and object.”
ii. “Res Judicata” Argument
The Foreign Representatives argue that Yahoo is belatedly objecting to the relief sought in the Motion to Compel and Motion in Aid of the Order to Compel or belatedly seeking reconsideration of the Order to compel or the Subscriber Order. The Foreign Representatives claim that Yahoo had several opportunities to be heard regarding the relief previously sought from this Court but has chosen to remain silent.
However, at the same time, the Foreign Representatives admit that the previous motions were not aimed at obtaining “the contents of the Yahoo Account through discovery that has been issued to Yahoo, but through discovery that has been issued to Rasimov”'
It is unclear whether Yahoo was under an obligation to respond to the Motion in Aid of Order to Compel, which resulted in the Subscriber Order, because that motion' was not directed at Yahoo. Therefore, there is some logic behind Yahoo’s argument that it was not a party in interest
On the other hand, the list of potential parties in interest in section 1109(b) of the Bankruptcy Code is not exclusive.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has described a party in interest as ‘anyone who has a legally protected interest that could be affected by a bankruptcy proceeding.’ In re James Wilson Associates, 965 F.2d 160, 169 (7th Cir. 1992). That ‘party in interest’ test comports with our own def-inition of a ‘party in interest’ as one who ‘has a sufficient stake in the proceeding so as to require representation.’ In re Amatex Corp., 755 F.2d 1034, 1042 (3d Cir. 1985). We thus adopt the test set forth by the Seventh Circuit in James Wilson as a helpful amplification of our definition in Amate».66
Taking all these considerations into ac-count, the Court concludes that Yahoo was not unequivocally obligated to present its objection earlier in the proceeding. Assum-ing arguendo that the Subscriber Order has a peripheral ramification on Yahoo, it is too attenuated to preclude Yahoo the opportunity to raise its objection. Up until this point, the Foreign Representatives’ motions were not directed against Yahoo and the Court’s orders did not purport to affect Yahoo’s substantial rights. Further-more, holding now that Yahoo is bound by the Subscriber Order and compelled to turn over the contents of the Yahoo Ac-count would also potentially circumvent the acceptable procedural mechanism. “If turnover is sought from an entity other than the debtor, an adversary proceeding is the proper procedural mechanism.”
B. The Foreign Representatives’ At-tempt to Use the Turnover Provi-sions of the Bankruptcy Code to Obtain the Contents of the Yahoo Account
The Foreign Representatives request a relief under section 1521(a)(7) of the Bank-ruptcy Code, making section 542 applicable
Upon a recognition of a foreign proceed-ing, whether main or nonmain, where necessary to effectuate the purpose of this chapter and to protect the assets of the debtor or the interests of the credi-tors, the court may, at the request of the foreign representative, grant any appro-priate relief, including—(5) entrusting the administration or realization of all or part of the debtor’s assets within the territorial jurisdiction of the. United States to the foreign representative or another person, including an examiner, authorized by the court;
(7) granting any additional relief that may be available to a trustee, except for relief available under sections 522, 544, 545, 547, 548, 550, and 724(a).
Section 542 states, in pertinent parts, that:
(a) ... an entity, other than a custodian, in possession, custody, or control, during the case, of property that the trustee may use, sell, or lease under section 363 of this' title, or that the debtor may exempt under 522 of this title, shall de-liver to the trustee, and account for, such property or the value of such prop-erty, unless such property is of inconse-quential value or benefit to the. estate, (e) Subject to any applicable privilege, after notice and a hearing, the court may order an attorney, accountant, or other person that holds recorded infor-mation, including books, documents, rec-ords, and papers, relating to the debtor’s property or financial affairs, to turn over or disclose such recorded information to the trustee,
The Foreign Representatives suggest two different theories for the turnover of the information contained in the Yahoo Account. First, the Foreign Representa-tive submit that they are entitled to all contents of the Yahoo Account because the information is property of the Debtor that must be surrendered under section 542(a)
i. Turnover of Property to the Debtor’s Estate—§§ 1521(7) and 542(a); § 1521(5)
Section 1521(a) of the Bankruptcy Code catalogs the relief available to a foreign representatives after recognition of a foreign proceeding.
Can the Foreign Representatives turn to the provisions of section 542? No words of limitation restricting the turnover provisions under section 542 appears in the statute,
The purpose of section 542 of the Bankruptcy Code is “to expand the trustee’s power to ‘bring into the estate property in which the debtor did not have a possessory interest at the time the bankruptcy proceedings commenced,’ ensuring that a broad range of property is included in the estate .... ”
The turnover requirement is an affirmative duty that arises upon the filing of the bankruptcy petition.
Here, no evidence, was presented to demonstrate that the contents of the Ya-hoo Account were initially property of the Debtor’s estate.
However, the Foreign Representatives assert that the contents contained in the Yahoo Account became the Debtor’s property under section 541(a) and section 1521(5) after the Subscriber Order deemed them to be the “subscriber” of the Yahoo Account.
Second, consistent with the abovemen-tioned Bankruptcy Code’s intent, a better interpretation would suggests that the Subscriber Order did not purport to trans-fer property rights in the Yahoo Account to the Debtor’s estate. Rather, the Sub-scriber Order declares that “the Foreign Representatives shall be and hereby are designated as the ‘subscriber’ of the Yahoo Account.”
Third, even assuming, arguendo, that the Subscriber Order did transfer to the Foreign Representatives, or to the Debt- or’s estate, some sort of property rights, the Court should consider whether the cir-cumstances justify to enforce such rights against Yahoo as requested by the Turn-over Motion. As will be discussed below, the Court concludes that the SCA presents a compelling reason why Yahoo should not be compelled to disclose the contents of the Yahoo Account and, in turn, estab-lishes a justified reason for the Court to
ii. Turnover of Information that Re-lates to the Debtor’s Estate— §§ 1521(7) and 542(e)
The Foreign Representatives alternative argument is that regardless of whether the contents contained in the Yahoo Account are indeed property of the Debtor’s estate, section 542(e) compels the turnover of non-privileged documents so long as they relate to the debtor’s property or financial affairs.
Yahoo argues that the Foreign Repre-sentatives are not entitled to turnover of the contents of the Yahoo Account under section 542(e).
The Foreign Representatives failed to present any evidence that the contents they seek actually relate to the Debtor’s property or financial affairs. “[T]he language of Section 542(e) suggests that the Trustee must carry an initial burden to establish that the Documents ‘relat[e] ... to the debtor’s property or financial affairs’.”
Furthermore, as opposed to section 542(a), section 542(e) “is not self-executing and the court need not grant the relief requested in an unusual case.”
i. The SCA Statutory Framework
The SCA regulates the disclosure of email and other electronic communications by email service providers to third-parties. The purpose of the SCA is to create a “zone of privacy to protect internet subscribers from having their personal information wrongfully used and publicly disclosed by ‘unauthorized private parties’.”
Here, the parties have tacitly accepted the fact that the contents of the Yahoo Account are covered by the SCA’s prohibition. Therefore, the Turnover Motion runs afoul of the SCA unless the Foreign Rep-resentatives’ demand qualifies for one of the exceptions set forth by the statute.
The SCA contains eight enumerated exceptions to the prohibition of disclosing contents of an electronically stored communication. For present purposes,
The Foreign Representatives assert that in the face of Rasimov’s unwillingness to participate in this proceeding and his failure to comply with the discovery orders issued to him, the Court has further authority to fashion appropriate remedies and order Yahoo to disclose the contents of the Yahoo Account without the explicit consent of Rasimov. Specifically, the Foreign Representatives are seeking to use the turnover provisions of the Bankruptcy Code to obtain what Rasimov has refused to provide.
Faced with this statutory deadlock, courts interpreting the SCA have declined to create an “implicit exception to the
In Negro,
Other courts have come to similar con-clusions regarding judicially-manufactured consent over the steadfast objection of an email user. That is, that the SCA does not provide for a mechanism in civil litigation to compel disclosure of a user’s private email contents through a subpoena or a court order directed at the service provid
In Bower v. Bower,
In Suzlon Energy Ltd. v. Microsoft Corp.
In Special Markets Ins. Consultants, Inc. v. Lynch,
In light of the above mentioned cases, and the lack of any case supporting the Foreign Representatives’ position, the Court is unwilling to conclude that it has the authority to compel a service provider to divulge the contents of a private email solely at the request of a third-party after the account user has failed to give his or her consent.
iii. The Bankruptcy Code Does Not Include an Exception to the SCA’s Prohibition
Yahoo argues, correctly, that the authority granted to the bankruptcy courts does not trump the SCA’s prohibition on disclosure.
With respect to the interplay between the bankruptcy court’s authority under
Here, based on the language of the SCA, the purpose of the statute and the forego-ing cases interpreting it, the Court con-cludes that the SCA lacks authority that authorizes it to order an email service provider to divulge the contents of elec-tronic communications without the consent of the account user. Subsequently, the Court finds that the relief granted in the Subscriber Order should not be used to circumvent the SCA’s prohibition. Further, the Court determines that the Foreign Representatives are incapable to provide “lawful consent” to disclose the contents contained in the Yahoo Account.
CONCLUSION
Outwardly, this matter raises significant legal issues regarding privacy in the elec-tronic era. However, at the end, the Court reaches its conclusion based on clear prin-
. This opinion constitutes the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7052, which is applicable to this matter by virtue of Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9014.
. D.I.571.
. 18 U.S.C. §§ 2701, etseq.
. A full factual background of the Irish Pro-ceeding is described in the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law from April 30, 2014. D.I. 307.
. D.1.1.
. D.I. 187.
. D.I. 307.
. D.I. 354, 355, 356 and 357.
. D.I. 438.
. Durrer Decl., ¶ 2.
. D.I. 442.
. The 2004 Order, ¶ 2. D.I. 442.
. Durrer Decl., II3.
. Durrer Decl, Ex. C.
. Durrer Decl. Ex. E,
. D.I, 447.
. D.I. 462.
. Order to Compel, ¶ 2. D.I. 462.
. Order to Compel, ¶ 4. D.I. 462.
. Foreign Representatives' Motion for an Or-der in Aid of Prior Order Compelling Compliance With Subpoena and Directing Consent to Release of Information. D.I. 553.
. D.I. 557.
.D.I. 555.
. Id. at ¶ 2.
. Hurst Decl. Ex. A.
. Huff Decl., ¶ 3.
. Id. at ¶ 4.
. Id.
. Id.
. D.I. 571.
. D.I. 577.
. D.I. 582.
. D.I. 586.
. D.I. 588.
. D.I. 591.
. D.I. 592.
. D.I. 588-1.
. D.I. 593.
. See D.I. 588-1, p. 2.
. Id. atp. 2,
. Id. at p. 4.
. Id. at p. 6 n.3 "Rasimov is believed to be located in Russia” (emphasized added); how-ever, during the Hearing the Foreign Repre-sentatives’ counsel claimed that they believe Rasimov is from the former Czechoslovakia but admitted they do not know Rasimov’s physical whereabouts now. March 1, 2016 Hr’gTr. ("Hr’gTr.”) 8:1-12,
. D.I. 593, ¶ 18.
. See the 2004 Order, ¶ 2. D.I. 442.
. See Turner Deck, Yahoo Terms of Service ¶ 15 ("Termination”). D.I. 579-1.
. D.I. 593, ¶ 19.
. See, e.g., LG Electronics, Inc. v. ASKO Appliances, Inc., 2009 WL 1811098 at 4 (D. Del. June 23, 2009) (denying motion to dismiss for insufficiency of service of process where defendant’s "efforts to contest service can be best characterized as an intentional, vexatious attempt to evade service, if not avoid it entire
. Foreign Representatives’ Suppl. Reply, pp. 9-10. D.I. 593; see, e.g., Pennsylvania Psychiatric Soc'y. v. Green Spring Health Servs., Inc., 280 F.3d 278, 288 (3d Cir. 2002) (“[i]t is a well-established tenet of standing that a ‘litigant must assert his or her own legal rights and. interests, and cannot rest a claim to relief on the legal rights or interests of third parties’ ” (citing Powers v. Ohio, 499 U.S. 400, 410, 111 S.Ct. 1364, 113 L.Ed.2d 411 (1991)).
. In re Majestic Star Casino, LLC, 716 F.3d 736, 748 (3d Cir. 2013) (quoting Valley Forge Christian Coll. v. Ams. United for Separation of Church & State, Inc., 454 U.S. 464, 484, 102 S.Ct. 752, 70 L.Ed.2d 700 (1982), which cited Flast v. Cohen, 392 U.S. 83, 99, 88 S.Ct. 1942, 20 L.Ed.2d 947 (1968)).
.In re Majestic Star Casino, 716 F.3d at 748 (quoting Warth v. Seldin, 422 U.S. 490, 499, 95 S.Ct. 2197, 45 L.Ed.2d 343 (1975)).
. Id. (quoting Pennsylvania Psychiatric Soc'y v. Green Spring Health Servs., Inc.).
. See Pennsylvania Psychiatric Soc'y. v. Green Spring Health Servs., Inc., 280 F.3d at 288-289 (“...third-party standing requires the satisfaction of three preconditions: 1) the plaintiff must suffer injury; 2) the plaintiff and the third party must have a “close relationship”; and 3) the third party must face some obstacles that prevent it from pursuing its own claims").
. In re Heckmann Corp. Sec. Litig., 2011 WL 5855333 at *3 (D. Del. Nov. 22, 2011) (citing Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co., 339 U.S. 306, 314, 70 S.Ct. 652, 94 L.Ed. 865 (1950)).
. See, e.g., Id. at *4 (“so long as the method of service is reasonably calculated to reach the defendant and allow the opportunity to object and respond to the litigation, service through email comports with the due process clause"); In re Barkats, 2014 WL 4437483 at *2 (Bankr. D.D.C. Sep. 8, 2014) (allowing email service where "debtor has been difficult to locate and that he has taken affirmative steps to frustrate the petitioning creditors’
. With respect to the Motion in Aid of the Order to Compel, Yahoo asserts it did not object “due to a problem with the mail sorting system in Yahoo’s counsel’s office.” However, there is no dispute that Yahoo discovered about the Motion in Aid of the Order to Compel on the day of the Subscriber Order and still did not lodge a motion for reconsideration or pursue an appeal, see Yahoo’s Objection, p. 4 n.3. D.I. 577.
. See Foreign Representatives’ Reply in Sup-port of the Turnover Motion, p. 5. D.I. 582.
. See Id. at p. 5.
. Id. at p. 6.
. Id.
. See Fed. R. Banlcr. P. 9010(b).
. See 11 U.S.C. § 1109(b).
. See Yahoo's Objection, p. 4 n.3. D.I. 577.
. 7 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 1109.03 (Alan N. Resnick & Henry J. Sommer eds., 16th ed. 2015).
. Id. at ¶ 1109.01[3].
. See In re Global Indus. Technologies, Inc., 645 F.3d 201, 201-211 (3d Cir. 2011).
. 7 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 1109.02[1].
. In re Global Indus. Technologies, Inc., 645 F.3d at 210-211.
. 5 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 542.02.
. See Turnover Motion, ¶ 41. D.I. 571.
. Section 542(a) refers to section 363(b)(1) which provides in the relevant parts that "[t]he trustee, after notice and a hearing, may use, sell, or lease, other than in the ordinary course of business, property of the estate ...” (emphasized added).
. See Turnover Motion, ¶¶ 54-56. D.I. 571.
. See 8 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 1521.01.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id. at ¶ 1521.02.
. See 5 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 542.01; Austein v. Schwartz (In re Gerwer), 898 F.2d 730, 734 (9th Cir. 1990) ("[a]s written, the statute speaks to the power of a trustee whether the debtor’s estate is in reorganization or liquidation”).
. See 5 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 542.01.
. Id.
. In re Lee, 472 B.R. 156, 182 (Bankr. D. Mass, 2012) (section 542 is inapplicable ex-cept as a measure of burden of entitlement to turnover); In re Atlas Shipping A/S, 404 B.R. 726, 744 n.15 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2009).
. In re ABC Learning Centers Ltd., 488 B.R. 318, 341 (Bankr. D. Del. 2010), aff'd, 728 F.3d 301 (3d Cir. 2013) (not discussing section 542).
. In re AJW Offshore, Ltd., 488 B.R. 551 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2013) (request for turnover of debtor’s financial records permitted subject to requirement that the foreign representatives comply with notice and hearing requirements and any necessary protections under section 1522).
. See 5 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 542.01.
. Braunstein v. McCabe, 571 F.3d 108, 116 (1st Cir. 2009) (quoting United States v. Whiting Pools, Inc., 462 U.S. 198, 205, 103 S.Ct. 2309, 76 L.Ed.2d 515 (1983)).
. See 5 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 542.02.
. Id.
. Id.
. See 5 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 542.02; Henkel v. Frese, Hansen, Anderson, Hueston & Whiteheard, P.A. (In re Newgent Golf, Inc.), 402 B.R. 424 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2009); Krol v. Crosby (In re Mason), 386 B.R. 715, 721 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2008); In re Gartman, 372 B.R. 790, 795 (Bankr. D.S.C. 2007) ("[t]he burden of proof in a turnover action brought under § 542(a) lies with the party seeking turnover”).
. See 5 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 542.02; section 541(a)(1) provides that property of the estate includes "all legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the case;” see also Bailey v. Suhar (In re Bailey), 380 B.R. 486, 490 (6th Cir. 2008); Lawrence v. Chapter 7 Trustee (In re Law-rence), 251 B.R. 630, 640 (S.D. Fla. 2000), aff'd, 279 F.3d 1294 (11th Cir. 2002) ("[a]l-though the amount of evidence necessary to satisfy the trustee's burden will vary on a case by case basis, the trustee must prove its case by clear and convincing evidence”).
. See 5 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 542,02[2].
. Brown v. Pyatt (In re Pyatt), 486 F.3d 423, 427 (8th Cir. 2007).
. See 11 U.S.C. §§ 1502, 1521(a)(5).
. See 5 Collier on Bankruptcy, supra note 67, . ¶ 542.02[2],
. See Barton v. Barton (In re Barton), 58 B.R. 468, 470 (Bankr. D.S.D. 1986); In re Riding, 44 B.R. 846, 848 (Bankr. D. Utah 1984) ("[t]he Bankruptcy Court can order the turnover of property in which the debtor holds only a contingent possessory right, such as a right of redemption or the right to cure a default,‘as long as adequate protection can be afforded to the secured party").
. See Nichols v. Birdsell, 491 F.3d 987 (9th Cir. 2007).
. See In re Ostendorf, 2011 WL 1060992, 2011 Bankr. LEXIS 1063 (Bankr. D. Neb. Mar. 23, 2011) (when the debtor waited more than a year to tender value of stock held at time of petition, the appreciation in value of the stock over that time was also property of the estate).
. See Ward v. Unitrin Direct Prop. & Cas. Co. (In re Stafford), 357 B.R. 730 (Bankr.W.D.N.C 2006) (fire insurance proceeds are property of the estate subject to turnover).
. Yahoo proclaims that its Terms of Service demonstrate that not even the actual subscriber has a legally recognizable ownership inter-est in the Yahoo Account or its contents, see Yahoo’s Objection, pp. 2, 16-17. D.I. 577; however, and without determining what kind of legal rights a user of a private email ac-count holds, this argument seems to fall short. As the Foreign Representatives rightly indi-cates, the Terms of Service indicate that "Ya-hoo does not claim ownership of Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Yahoo Services;” see Turner Deck, Yahoo Terms of Services, ¶ 9. D.I. 579-1.
. See Turnover Motion, ¶ 13; Hr’g Tr. 5:19-24.
. See Turnover Motion, ¶ 55 ("... the infor-mation became the Debtor’s property upon the Court designating the Foreign Represen-tatives as the "subscriber” of the Yahoo Ac-count”). D.I. 571.
. In re Majestic Star Casino, LLC, 716 F.3d 736, 748 (3d Cir. 2013) (quoting Guinn v. Lines (In re Trans-Lines West, Inc.), 203 B.R. 653, 660 (Bankr. E.D. Tenn. 1996)).
. Id. at 759 (quoting Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors v. PSS Steamship Co. (In re Prudential Lines, Inc.), 928 F.2d 565, 573 (2d Cir. 1991), and S. Rep. No. 95-989, at 82 (1978), reprinted in 1978 U.S.C.C.A.N. 5787, 5868)).
. Subscriber Order, ¶ 2. D.I. 555.
. See 11 U.S.C. § 105; 11 U.S.C. § 1506 provides a public policy exception to the pro-visions under Chapter 15 stating that nothing “prevents the court from refusing to take an action governed by this chapter if the action would be manifestly contrary to the public policy of the United States;” Additionally, with certain exceptions not relevant here, Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9024 incorporates Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b), which in turn provides that a party may move for relief from "a final judgment, order, or proceeding” for a number of reasons, including that "applying [the judgment] prospectively is no longer equitable;” as well as "any other reason that justified reason that justified relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b)(5)—(6); see In re Caldwell/VSR, Inc., 353 B.R. 130, 135 (Bankr. E.D. Va. 2005) ("[A] bankruptcy court has the authority to alter or amend its own orders to remedy inequities, through, among other methods, the use of Rule 60(b)”).
. "Documents” has been broadly interpret-ed to include electronic files. See In re The Terraces Subdivision, LLC, 2007 WL 4287742 (Bankr. D. Alaska. Dec. 5, 2007) (requiring the turnover of AutoCAD electronic files); see also Sola Communs., LLC v. Defense Dynamics, LLC (In re Sola Communs., LLC), 2005 WL 4806063, 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 3065 (Bankr. W.D. La. Dec. 21, 2005).
. Keller v. Blinder (In re Blinder, Robinson & Co.), 140 B.R. 790, 793 (D. Colo. 1992); see also American Metrocomm Corp. v. Duane Morris & Heckscher LLP (In re American Metrocomm Corp.), 274 B.R. 641, 652 (Bankr. D. Del. 2002) ("[although an action for turnover under § 542(a) requires that the information requested be property of the estate, there is no such requirement in § 542(e). Therefore, whether the Attorney Files constitute property of the estate is irrelevant to the Court's determination of whether turnover is proper under § 542(e)”); In re Heritage Org., L.L.C., 350 B.R. 733, 737 (Bankr. N.D. Tex. 2006).
. Yahoo’s Objection, p. 18. D.I. 577.
. H.R. Rep. No. 595, 95th Cong., 1st Sess. 396-370 (1977); S. Rep. No. 95-989, 95th Cong., 2d Sess. 84 (1978).
. In re Heritage Org., L.L.C., 350 B.R. at 740; see also In re American Metrocomm Corp., 274 B.R. at 652-653; In re Hechinger Invest. Co. of Del., 285 B.R. 601 (D. Del. 2002); Foster v. Hill (In re Foster), 188 F.3d 1259, 1265 (10th Cir. 1999).
. See 11 U.S.C. § 101(41).
. Foreign Representatives Reply, D.I, 582, ¶ 49-50; see, e.g., In re The Terraces Subdivision, L.L.C., 2007 WL 4287742, at *2 (Bankr. D. Alaska Dec. 5, 2007); Sola Communica-tions, L.L.C. v. Defense Dynamics, L.L.C. (In re Sole Communications, L.L.C.), 2005 WL 4806063, at 2 (Bankr. W.D. La. Dec. 21, 2005).
. In re Heritage Org., 350 B.R. at 740.
. Turnover Motion, ¶ 13.
. In re Heritage Org., supra at 740.
. 5 Collier on Bankruptcy, ¶ 542.06[1].
. In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to AOL, 550 F.Supp.2d 606, 610 (E.D. Va. 2008) (citing Sen. Rpt. 99-541 at 3 (1986)). Congress in-tended the SCA to cover email providers, see Id. at 14 (“Existing telephone companies and electronic mail companies are providers of electronic communications services.’’). See also In re Toft, 453 B.R. 186 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2011)
. 18 U.S.C. § 2702(a)(1).
. The scope of protections varies with the service being offered; A message stored in the course of electronic communication service is protected from disclosure only during elec-tronic storage by that service, which means temporary or intermediate storage. Communi-cations stored in the course of remote com-puting services, such as Yahoo, receive generally broader protection. The SCA states that a provider of an "electronic communication service to the public shall not knowingly divulge to any person or entity the contents of a communication while in electronic storage by that service...” Id., § 2702(a)(1). Similarly, a provider of "remote computing service” gen-erally "shall not knowingly divulge ... the contents of any communication which is car-ried or maintained on that service” Id., § 2702(a)(2). The statute defines "electronic communication service” as "any service which provides to users thereof the ability to send or receive wire or electronic communi-cations...” Id., § 2510(15)(a)(l). Additionally, "’electronic storage’ means any temporary, intermediate storage of a wire or electronic communication incidental to the electronic transmission thereof; and any storage of such communication by an electronic communication service for purposes of backup protection of such communication.” Id., § 2510(17). "Remote computing service” means "the pro-vision to the public of computer storage or processing services by means of an electronic communications system.” Id., § 2711(2). See Negro v. Superior Court, 230 Cal.App.4th 879, 179 Cal.Rptr.3d 215, 221 (Ct. App. 2014)
. Id. at 228.
. Lucas v. Jolin, 2016 WL 2853576 1, 6 (S.D. Ohio May 16, 2016) (citing 4 E-Commerce and Internet Law Part IX, § 50.06[4][C][v] (December 2015 updated)).
. 18 U.S.C. § 2702(b)(1)—(8). Several other exceptions set forth permissible disclosure to government entities which are not relevant to this case.
. Id., § 2702(b)(3).
. Id.
. See Foreign Representatives’ Reply in Support of the Turnover Motion, ¶ 2. D.I. 582
. See Hr’g Tr. 39:1-4; coerced consent in such circumstances is not a novel idea. As the California Court of Appeal stated in Negro v. Superior Court, 230 Cal.App.4th 879, 179 Cal.Rptr.3d 215, 229 (Ct. App. 2014) "... courts in a variety of other settings have compelled parties to consent to a third party’s disclosure of material where such consent was a prerequisite to its production.”
. See Foreign Representatives' Reply in Support of the Turnover Motion, ¶ 21, 29, 32. D.I. 582.
. 11 U.S.C. §§ 542(a) and (e).
. See Yahoo's Objection, p. 9. D.I. 577.
. Suzlon Energy Ltd. v. Microsoft Corp., 671 F.3d 726, 730 (9th Cir. 2011). See also In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to AOL, 550 F.Supp.2d 606, 609-611 (E.D. Va. 2008); Spe-cial Markets Ins. Consultants, Inc. v. Lynch 2012 WL 1565348 (N.D. Ill., 2012).
. Foreign Representatives’ Reply in Support of the Turnover Motion, p. 12 n.10. D.I. 582.
. Negro v. Superior Court, 230 Cal.App.4th 879, 179 Cal.Rptr.3d 215 (Ct. App. 2014). To be clear, this does not suggest that when an email user expressly consents to disclosure, a civil subpoena is ineffectual to compel service provides to produce electronically stored con-tents. Accordingly, the California Court of Ap-peal emphasized that nothing "in the lan-guage of the [SCA] suggesting that Congress intended to grant service providers a blanket immunity from obligations imposed by dis-covery laws.” Id. at 230-231; see also Flagg v. City of Detroit, 252 F.R.D. 346, 367 (E.D. Mich. 2008) (in light of the SCA, the court did not enforce discovery subpoena directed to electronic service provider, but ordered the plaintiff to file a Rule 34 document request propounded to an opposing party).
. At the end, Negro has been ordered by a Florida court to give his express consent to disclosure, and he has complied with that order by emailing Google and consenting to the production of the emails sought by Naval-impianti USA Inc. Accordingly, the California Court of Appeal held that this express consent took the contemplated production outside the scope of the SCA and permitted Google to provide the requested disclosure. See id. at 218, 227.
. Id. at 220.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id. at 223.
. See Lucas v. Jolin, 2016 WL 2853576 at 1, 6 (S.D. Ohio May 16, 2016); Elcometer, Inc. v. TQC-USA, Inc., 2013 WL 5346382 (E.D. Mich. Sept. 23, 2013).
. See Hr’g Tr. 24:20-25, 25:1-7.
. 808 F.Supp.2d 348 (D. Mass. 2011).
. Id. at 351. See also Negro v. Superior Court, 230 Cal.App.4th 879, 179 Cal.Rptr.3d 215, 224-225 (Ct. App. 2014).
. Bower, 808 F.Supp.2d at 349.
. Id.
. Id. at 350.
. Id. at 351.
. Id. at 351,
. 671 F.3d 726 (9th Cir. 2011).
. The court of appeals found that the SCA • as a whole confirms that Congress intended the term “any person” in 18 U.S.C. § 2510(13) to cover non-citizens, see id. at
. Suzlon Energy Ltd. v. Microsoft Corp., 671 F.3d at 730.
. Id.
. Id. at 731.
. 2012 WL 1565348 (N.D. Ill. 2012).
. Id. at *2.
. Id. at *3.
. Yahoo’s Objection, p. 12. D.I. 577.
. In re U.S. Fidelis, Inc., 481 B.R. 503, 515 (Bankr. E.D. Mo. 2012).
. In re Maupin, 384 B.R. 421, 432 (Bankr. W.D. Va. 2007).
. 453 B.R. 186 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2011).
. Id. at 188. The petition in that case stated that the German debtor had no assets in the United States, was not a party to any lawsuits pending in the United States and was not believed to be residing in the United States.
. Id.
. Id. Due to information that the debtor might have relocated to London, a similar order was later issued by the English High Court of Justice.
. Id. at 189.
. Id. at 191, 193 (citing In re Ephedra Prods. Liability Litig., 349 B.R. 333 (S.D.N.Y. 2006)).
. Id. at 191.
. Id.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- IN RE: IRISH BANK RESOLUTION CORPORATION LIMITED (IN SPECIAL LIQUIDATION), Debtor in a foreign proceeding
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