The plain language of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4 (FRCP 4) sets out how service of process is to be effectuated on parties located outside the United States. When, however, it comes to a proceeding to confirm an arbitration award, numerous cases have held that those requirements are not inflexible. Sometimes, in the name of "fairness," a key factor to a court's acceptance of service as effective is whether actual notice was given to the defendant, as distinguished from strict compliance with service of process rules.