Fawcett Publications v. Virginia Rand

The appellant, a foreign corporation, was the defendant in an action at law instituted by the appellee in the Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, in and for Dade County, Florida. The complaint alleged, in substance, that the appellee had been libeled by articles appearing in two of the appellants magazines. The appellee attempted service of process by serving the Secretary of State of the State of Florida, in accordance with the provisions of ? 47.30, Fla.Stat., F.S.A., on the theory that the appellant was "doing business" in this state as contemplated by ? 47.16, Fla.Stat., F.S.A. The only allegation in the complaint relative to these matters was that the appellant, "a Delaware corporation, having no resident agent for service of process in the State of Florida," had been, "for a long period of time, actively doing business" in the State of Florida.