I've never heard of something like this happening in the US, the Fifth Amendment has a well enforced provision blocking this, "No person shall ... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law".  Ex parte orders "will necessarily be temporary and interim in nature" (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_parte" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_parte</a>).<p>In this sort of case, the plaintiffs would have to show some sort of massive <i>irreparable</i> harm that must be remedied so quickly that the other side cannot be afforded notice and an opportunity to be heard.  I can't see how this sort of case would (in the US) rise to that level.<p>The only possible exception would be massive bad faith from the other side's lawyer(s) ... one real instance of this that I've heard of was where the lawyer on one side was caught burglarizing the business office of the other side.  Maybe Infomedia 18's legal team was showing bad faith of some sort, but it doesn't sound like it based on the cited article.