Strike 3 Holdings Illinois: 15 New Cases (Free Guide)

Strike 3 Holdings Illinois filings jumped on October 30, 2026, when Strike 3 Holdings filed 15 new John Doe copyright cases in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Each case names one internet subscriber identified only by an IP address. Below you will find every case, the Exhibit A details, the assigned judges where court records show one, where each case stands as of November 2, 2026, and what usually comes next. If your internet provider sends you a letter about one of these cases, call or tap (312) 201-8310 for a free, confidential consultation.

Strike 3 Holdings Illinois filings: 15 cases filed October 30, 2026

All 15 cases were filed the same day, numbered from 1:26-cv-13479 to 1:26-cv-13498. The “1:” at the start of each docket number is the courthouse location in Chicago, where Antonelli Law® has its office.

The table lists details from each case’s Exhibit A, the document attached to the complaint that lists the IP address, the approximate location, the internet provider, and the works Strike 3 Holdings says were shared. Links in the Docket column open the Exhibit A and, where available, the complaint for each case. In these cases Strike 3 Holdings also puts the IP address in the case caption.

Source: court records for each case, including the complaint and Exhibit A, as of November 2, 2026. The city and provider come from Exhibit A and reflect the IP address, not a named person. “Not on the documents we have” means that detail is not on the court documents we have reviewed so far, not that it is missing from the case. For all Illinois filings, judges and court orders in one place, see our Strike 3 Holdings Illinois lawsuits hub. For how these letters work in general, see our ISP letter guide.

What the Exhibit A details show

• 15 cases in one day. All 15 Strike 3 Holdings Illinois cases were filed in Chicago on October 30, 2026.
• The IP address is in the caption. Each case is captioned as Strike 3 Holdings LLC v. Doe subscriber assigned IP address, followed by the address. Search the table for the IP address in your letter.
• 609 works in total. The 15 Exhibit A documents list between 24 and 122 works each. The largest, 1:26-cv-13486, lists 122 works (07/16/2026 to 10/15/2026).
• Six different communities. The IP addresses trace to Chicago, IL (10 cases), Libertyville, IL, West Dundee, IL, Palatine, IL, Evanston, IL, and Western Springs, IL.
• Four providers. 11 cases involve Comcast Cable; Two cases involve AT&T Internet; One case involves Verizon 5G Home; One case involves Astound Broadband.
• Very different time spans. In 1:26-cv-13490 the activity listed covers 20 days (08/25/2026 to 09/13/2026). In 1:26-cv-13493 it runs from 11/30/2023 to 10/22/2026.
• Recent activity. The latest date listed in any of the Exhibit A documents is 10/22/2026, eight days before filing.
• Overlapping titles. 59 file hashes appear in more than one Strike 3 Holdings Illinois Exhibit A, so the same titles show up across different cases.

These details matter because the account holder named in a later subpoena response is not always the person who used the connection. A shared home network, a roommate, a guest, or an open router can all sit behind one IP address.

Judges and early subpoena motions in the Strike 3 Holdings Illinois cases

We checked court records for all 15 Strike 3 Holdings Illinois cases on November 2, 2026. Seven of the 15 Strike 3 Holdings Illinois cases show an assigned judge. The dockets for 1:26-cv-13486, 1:26-cv-13488, 1:26-cv-13489, 1:26-cv-13491, 1:26-cv-13492, 1:26-cv-13493, 1:26-cv-13494, and 1:26-cv-13498 showed no judge assigned yet when we checked on November 2. The court lists its judges on its judges page.

What the pattern shows

Six different judges drew the 7 assigned Strike 3 Holdings Illinois cases. Judge Matthew F. Kennelly has 1:26-cv-13479 and 1:26-cv-13483. Judge April M. Perry, Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins, Judge Jeremy C. Daniel, Judge Jorge L. Alonso, and Judge Mary M. Rowland each have one case.

Magistrate judges referred so far: Magistrate Judge Beth W. Jantz, Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain, Magistrate Judge Honorable Karyn, Magistrate Judge Karyn L. Bass Ehler, Magistrate Judge Keri L. Holleb Hotaling, Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez. In many districts the magistrate judge is the one who rules on an early subpoena request.

As of November 2, 2026, none of the dockets has a motion asking to subpoena the internet provider yet, so no order and no order conditions exist so far.

That is normal this early in a case. The next step is usually a motion for leave to serve a subpoena on the provider before the discovery conference. Once a judge rules, the order sets the conditions the provider and Strike 3 Holdings must follow, such as limiting the request to a name and address and setting a notice period. Because each judge writes their own order, the conditions can differ from case to case. You can see how judges handled earlier Strike 3 Holdings requests in this court on our Strike 3 Holdings Illinois lawsuits hub.

What this means if you are the John Doe

• No letter has gone out yet in these cases. A provider letter normally follows a court order, and none of these Strike 3 Holdings Illinois cases has one so far.
• The letter will name the case. When it arrives, it should list the court, the docket number, and the IP address. Compare them with the table above.
• The letter sets your timeline. The date in your provider’s letter is the date to plan around.
• Your name is not in the public case. At this stage each case lists only an IP address.

What you Can Learn

Our short videos explain some of the important things to know about the Strike 3 Holdings lawsuit process, and your main options right now.

Many clients have told us our videos are very helpful. Click the image below to watch.

What usually happens next in Strike 3 Holdings Illinois cases

1. Strike 3 Holdings files a John Doe complaint identified only by an IP address. That step is done in all 15 cases.
2. It asks the court for permission to subpoena the internet provider before the usual discovery conference. As of November 2, 2026, we have not seen that request filed in any of these cases.
3. If the court agrees, the provider notifies the account holder. That is the letter most people receive.
4. After the notice period in the court order, the provider may release the account holder’s name and address unless something is filed.

Use the dates in your own letter. Timelines in Strike 3 Holdings Illinois cases depend on the judge and on the terms of each order. See our provider pages for Verizon, AT&T Internet, Spectrum, Cox, Optimum, and Frontier.

Clients we have represented in Illinois

Antonelli Law® has represented 213 clients who live in Illinois in federal copyright matters. We handle Strike 3 Holdings Illinois matters by phone, email, and secure upload through our contact page, so you do not need to travel to our Chicago office to talk with us.

Our Illinois clients have lived in Addison, Algonquin, Alsip, Antioch, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Barrington, Bartlett, Batavia, Beach Park, Beecher, Bensenville, Berwyn, Bloomingdale, Bolingbrook, Bridgeview, Broadview, Buffalo Grove, Burbank, Calumet City, Camp Point, Carpentersville, Cary, Champaign, Chicagi, Chicago, Cicero, Countryside, Crete, Crystal Lake, Darien, Deerfield, Dekalb, Des Plaines, Dixon, Downers Grove, East Dundee, Elburn, Elgin, Elmhurst, Elmwood Park, Evanston, Evergreen Park, Fox Lake, Freeport, Geneva, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Glenview, Grayslake, Green Oaks, Gurnee, Hainesville, Hawthorn Woods, Highland Park, Highwood, Hinsdale, Hodgkins, Hoffman Estates, Homer Glen, Homewood, Huntley, Inverness, Itasca, Joliet, La Grange, La Grange Park, and Lake Bluff.

We have also represented Illinois clients in Lake In The Hills, Lake Villa, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Lindenhurst, Lisle, Lockport, Lombard, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Manteno, McHenry, Minier, Mokena, Montgomery, Morris, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Mundelein, Naperville, Niles, North Aurora, North Barrington, Northbrook, Northfield, Oak Brook, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Oswego, Palatine, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, Park Ridge, Plainfield, Posen, Prospect Heights, Quincy, Richton Park, River Forest, River Grove, Riverside, Roanoke, Rockford, Rolling Meadows, Romeoville, Roselle, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Heights, Sandwich, Schaumburg, Seneca, Skokie, Sleepy Hollow, and South Elgin.

We have also represented Illinois clients in St. Charles, Steger, Sterling, Streamwood, Sugar Grove, Summit, Tinley Park, Vernon Hills, Villa Park, Warrenville, Waukegan, West Chicago, West Dundee, Westchester, Westmont, Wheaton, Wheeling, Willow Springs, Willowbrook, Wilmette, Wilowbrook, Winnetka, Winthrop Harbor, Wonder Lake, Woodridge, and Yorkville.

Attorney Highlight: Melissa Ross

Melissa Brabender Ross lives outside Columbus and is a graduate of the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. Melissa is Senior Associate at Antonelli Law®, and handles BitTorrent copyright defense, employment, and labor matters. She also works with Jeffrey Antonelli in the firm’s Drone/UAS Practice Group. She has appeared in federal, state and administrative proceedings, has extensive trial and deposition experience, and has won many contested substantive motions.

Originally from Ohio, Melissa graduated with honors from DePaul University College of Law and was elected to the Order of the Coif. She is licensed in Illinois and admitted to the General Bar of the Northern District of Illinois.

Phone: (312) 201-8310. Email: mross@antonelli-law.com.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need an Illinois lawyer for a Strike 3 Holdings case?

No. Strike 3 Holdings Illinois cases are federal copyright cases. Antonelli Law® handles Strike 3 Holdings matters in federal courts nationwide, and you can work with us by phone, email, and upload.

My letter lists an IP address. How do I find my case?

In these cases the IP address appears in the case caption. Find the IP address from your letter in the table above, then confirm the docket number. Send the letter to us and we will check it with you.

Will my name be public?

At the subpoena stage the case usually lists only an IP address. Many people resolve these matters confidentially through counsel, often without their name appearing in the public record.

What if I did not download anything?

The person who pays for the internet account is not always the person who used it. That difference can matter a great deal, and it is worth discussing in a free, confidential consultation before you respond to anyone.

Antonelli Law Firm Founder Jeffrey Antonelli: Admitted to both the Trial Bar and General Bar of the Northern District of Illinois federal Court 

Jeffrey Antonelli is admitted to the federal trial bar as well as the general federal bar in the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois. According to the Court, “Admission to the Northern District of Illinois District Court’s Trial Bar is a distinction of prestige and experience.”

In practice, it means that without being a member of the trial bar, an attorney could not appear in court to examine witnesses or conduct a trial, what the Court calls “testimonial proceedings.” If you happen to be consulting with any other attorneys about your Strike 3 Holdings case in Illinois, ask them if they are admitted to the trial bar of the federal court for the Northern District of Illinois. Then check the court’s website here to see if its true.

Normally, an admission certificate for a federal district court is not necessary for a lawyer to appear in federal court, although an active attorney license is required. However, to our knowledge, the federal court located in Chicago, named the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, is the only federal court in the country to require an attorney to be a member of the trial bar in order to take the tesimony of witnesses in hearings or to be lead trial counsel.

As we have written elsewhere, in federal court – where all Strike 3 Holdings copyright infringement cases are filed – it is very common for attorneys to represent clients in multiple federal courts around the country. Moreover, instead of a permanent court “admission” it is extremely common for attorneys selected by corporations or individuals to be admitted to that federal court for that particular case. The technical term for this federal admission practice is called pro hac vice. This happens even in the United States’ top court – the United States Supreme Court has pro hac vice admissions. Its pro hac vice rule is found at Rule 6. Read it here. 

Antonelli Law – 4 Minutes to the Federal Courthouse

It is no longer nearly as important as it once was to have a law firm’s office close to the courthouse. Federal courts have had electronic filing for over 20 years (instead of waiting in line at the courthouse clerk’s office to drop off litigation papers). And since Covid, federal courts have made it even easier to avoid the extra time and expense to physically travel to the courthouse for most hearings with Zoom as well as telephone hearings.

But if ever needed to meet with our clients for trial or a major hearing in court, Antonelli Law’s downtown Chicago office is located just 4 minutes by car from the Northern District of Illinois federal courthouse located at 219 South Dearborn Street, known as the Dirksen Building.

Related reading

• Strike 3 Holdings ISP letter guide
• Strike 3 Holdings ISP notices
• Strike 3 Holdings FAQ
• Strike 3 Holdings Illinois lawsuits hub

This page is general information about Strike 3 Holdings and similar BitTorrent copyright cases. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different. Client reviews describe individual experiences. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Antonelli Law® defends people and businesses against copyright claims and does not represent copyright holders. Attorney advertising. Information is current as of November 2, 2026.

TORRENT DEFENDERS® is a federally registered trademark owned exclusively by the Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Antonelli, Ltd. dba Antonelli Law®.