Proper service of process that notifies a party litigant (or even a third-party) of a court summons is a critical part of the U.S. legal system. Service of process in federal district court proceedings must be made on domestic and foreign parties alike. Defects in either the process itself or its service may lead to an uninformed defendant’s failure to appear and could result in the final default judgment being overturned.

For years, the Northern District of Illinois has been the leading venue for design patent owners seeking statutory damages and injunctive relief against numerous merchants in a single litigation for sales of allegedly infringing products on e-commerce platforms, frequently shipped out from locations in mainland China to retail buyers in the United States. 

As anticipated, on Saturday, February 1, 2025, President Trump signed three executive orders imposing a 25% ad valorem rate of duty on Canadian and Mexican products; and a 10% rate of duty on Chinese products.