Ponderosa Twins Plus One et al v. iHeartMedia, Inc. et al

Filing 21

ORDER by Magistrate Judge Maria-Elena James granting 20 Stipulation to Stay Proceedings. (rmm2S, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 10/21/2016)

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Diana M. Torres (S.B.N. 162284)
[e-mail]
KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP
333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, California 90071
Telephone: [phone]

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Counsel applying for admission pro hac vice:
Dale M. Cendali
[e-mail]
Claudia Ray
[e-mail]
Jay P. Lefkowitz
[e-mail]
KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP
601 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Telephone: [phone]

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Attorneys for Defendant Apple Inc.

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

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PONDEROSA TWINS PLUS ONE, RICKY
SPICER, individually and on behalf of all
others similarly situated,

)
)
)
)
Plaintiff,
)
)
vs.
)
)
IHEARTMEDIA, INC., SPOTIFY USA INC., )
GOOGLE INC., APPLE INC., PANDORA
)
MEDIA, INC., SONY INTERACTIVE
)
ENTERTAINMENT, LLC (f/k/a SONY
)
COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.),
)
DEEZER, INC. AND SOUNDCLOUD, INC., )
)
Defendants.
)
)
)

CASE NO.: 3:16-cv-05648-MEJ

STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED]
ORDER RE STAY OF FURTHER
PROCEEDINGS

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE
STAY OF FURTHER PROCEEDINGS

CASE NO. 3:16-cv-05648-MEJ

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WHEREAS, Plaintiffs Ponderosa Twins Plus One and Ricky Spicer (collectively,

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“Plaintiffs”) initiated the above-captioned matter in the Southern District of California on September

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7, 2016;

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WHEREAS, on October 5, 2016 the above-captioned matter was transferred to the Northern
District of California at Plaintiff’s request1;

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WHEREAS, on October 5, 2016, the Parties entered a stipulation extending the time for

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Defendants iHEARTMEDIA, INC., Spotify USA Inc., Google Inc., Apple Inc., Pandora Media, Inc.,

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Deezer, Inc. and SoundCloud, Inc. (together with Sony Interactive Entertainment, LLC (f/k/a/ Sony

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Computer Entertainment Inc.2) (collectively, the “Defendants,” and collectively, the Defendants and

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Plaintiffs, the “Parties”) to answer, move, or otherwise respond to Plaintiff’s Complaint to October

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28, 2016 (Dkt. No. 19);

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WHEREAS, Plaintiffs allege various claims against Defendants in their Complaint under

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California common and statutory law, including that Defendants violate common law and California

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Civil Code § 980(a)(2) by engaging in the unauthorized public performance, reproduction, and

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distribution of sound recordings allegedly owned by Plaintiffs that were fixed (i.e., recorded) prior to

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February 15, 1972 (“Pre-1972 Sound Recordings”), which Defendants deny; and

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WHEREAS, numerous parallel cases are pending in other federal district courts involving

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substantially similar questions under California and other state laws, see, e.g., In re iHeartMedia

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Pre-1972 Sound Recording Litigation, No. 2:15-cv-04067-PSG-GJSx (C.D. Cal.); Sheridan v. Sirius

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XM Radio, Inc., No. 3:15-cv-04081-VC (N.D. Cal.); Ponderosa Twins Plus One v. iHeartMedia,

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Inc., No. 1:16-cv-00953-PAE (S.D.N.Y.); Sheridan v. Sirius XM Radio, Inc., No. 15-cv-07576-

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WHW-CLW (D.N.J.); ABS Entm’t, Inc. v. CBS Corp., No. 1:15-cv-06801-JGK (S.D.N.Y.);

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Sheridan v. iHeartMedia, Inc., No. 15-cv-07574-WHW-CLW (D.N.J.); Sheridan v. Sirius XM

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In entering this stipulation, Defendants do not consent to personal jurisdiction or agree that venue
is proper in this District.
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In entering this stipulation, Defendant Sony Interactive Entertainment, LLC (f/k/a/ Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc.) reserves its position that it was neither properly named nor served in this this
case, but, if it had been properly named and served, would have until and including October 28,
2016, to respond to Plaintiffs’ complaint.

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE
STAY OF FURTHER PROCEEDINGS

CASE NO. 3:16-cv-05648-MEJ

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Radio, Inc., No. 1:15-cv-07056-GHW (S.D.N.Y.); Sheridan v. iHeartMedia, Inc., No. 1:15-cv-

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06747-GBD (S.D.N.Y.); ABS Entm’t, Inc. v. iHeartMedia, Inc., No. 1:15-cv-06807-ALC

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(S.D.N.Y.); ABS Entm’t, Inc. v. Cumulus Media Inc., No. 1:15-cv-06806-PKC (S.D.N.Y.);

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WHEREAS, a case involving, inter alia, the question of whether broadcasting published Pre-

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1972 Sound Recordings requires royalty payments under the California Civil Code § 980 and

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California common law currently is on appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the

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Ninth Circuit in Flo &Eddie, Inc. v. Pandora Media, Inc., Case, No. 15-55287 (9th Cir., filed Feb.

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24, 2015) (“Flo & Eddie”);

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WHEREAS, other cases pending in federal district courts involving these and substantially

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similar questions under California and other state laws have been stayed pending the resolution of

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Flo & Eddie in the Ninth Circuit and/or similar issues concerning New York law, Flo & Eddie, Inc.

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v. Sirius XM Radio, Inc., No. 15-1164 (2d Cir.), and Florida law, Flo & Eddie, Inc. v. Sirius XM

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Radio, Inc., No. 15-13100 (11th Cir.), see, e.g., Sheridan v. Sirius XM Radio, Inc. et. al., No. 3:15-

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cv-04081, Dkt. No. 32 (N.D. Cal. Oct. 28, 2015) (stayed pending outcome of Flo & Eddie);

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Ponderosa Twins Plus One et al. v. iHeartMedia Inc. et al., No. 16-cv-00953, Dkt. No. 57 (S.D.N.Y.

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May 3, 2016) (stayed pending outcome of Case No. 15-1164); Sheridan v. iHeartMedia, Inc., No.

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15-cv-07574, Dkt. No. 26 (D.N.J. March 15, 2016) (stayed pending outcome of Flo & Eddie, Case

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No. 15-1164, and Case No. No. 15-13100);

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WHEREAS, the Parties believe that a stay is appropriate because the Ninth Circuit’s decision

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in Flo & Eddie regarding whether California Civil Code § 980 requires royalty payments for

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broadcasting published Pre-1972 Sound Recordings is likely to be dispositive of many, if not all, of

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the issues presented in the above-captioned matter, see Stark v. Wickard, 321 U.S. 288, 310–11

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(1944) (“If numerous parallel cases are filed, the courts have . . . authority to stay . . . until the

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determination of a test case.”); Leyva v. Certified Grocers of Cal., Ltd., 593 F.2d 857, 863-64 (9th

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Cir. 1979) (district courts “may, with propriety, find it is efficient for its own docket and the fairest

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course for the parties to enter a stay of an action before it, pending resolution of independent

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proceedings which bear upon the case”);

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE
STAY OF FURTHER PROCEEDINGS

CASE NO. 3:16-cv-05648-MEJ

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WHEREAS, the Parties have not requested or stipulated to any stays or extensions other than

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the stipulation described above extending the time to answer, move or respond to Plaintiff’s

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Complaint;

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WHEREAS, a stay would toll all deadlines in the above-captioned matter; and

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WHEREAS, pursuant to Local Rule 5-1(i), the filer of this document attests that concurrence

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in the filing of this document has been obtained from each of the other signatories.
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED by the Parties, subject
to the Order of the Court:
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All proceedings in the above-captioned matter shall be stayed pending the issuance of

a final order in Flo & Eddie.
2.

Within thirty days of the issuance of a final order in Flo & Eddie, the Parties shall file

a joint status report apprising the Court of how the Parties wish to proceed.

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Dated: October 20, 2016

Respectfully submitted,

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KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP

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/s/ Diana M. Torres__________
Attorney for Defendant Apple Inc.
Email: [e-mail]

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(SIGNATURE BLOCKS ON FOLLOWING PAGES)

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE
STAY OF FURTHER PROCEEDINGS

CASE NO. 3:16-cv-05648-MEJ

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/s/Ian C. Ballon
Ian C. Ballon (SBN 141819)
GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP
1840 Century Park East, 19th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90067-2121
Tel:
310-586-7700
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Jennifer Liakos
Hunter J. Shkolnik (Pro Hac Vice Pending)
Paul J. Napoli (Pro Hac Vice Pending)
Paul B. Maslo (Pro Hac Vice Pending)
Salvatore C. Badala (Pro Hac Vice Pending)
NAPOLI SHKOLNIK PLLC
525 South Douglas Street, Suite 260
El Segundo, CA 90245
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Email: [e-mail]
Email: [e-mail]
Email: [e-mail]
Email: [e-mail]

Attorneys for Defendants Deezer, Inc. and
SoundCloud, Inc.

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Brittany Weiner (Pro Hac Vice Pending)
Imbesi Law P.C.
450 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1408
New York, New York 10123
[phone]
Email: [e-mail]

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Counsel for Plaintiffs

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/s/Michael H. Rubin
Michael H. Rubin
WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH &
ROSATI
One Market Plaza
Spear Tower, Suite 3300
San Francisco, CA 94105-1126
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

/s/Joseph Petersen
Joseph Petersen (SBN 304597)
KILPATRICK TOWNSEND & STOCKTON
LLP
1080 Marsh Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: 650 644 0570
Email: [e-mail]
Counsel for Sony Interactive Entertainment
Network America LLC (wrongly sued herein as
Sony Interactive Entertainment, LLC (f/k/a Sony
Computer Entertainment Inc.))

Counsel for Defendants Spotify USA Inc. and
Google Inc.

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE
STAY OF FURTHER PROCEEDINGS

CASE NO. 3:16-cv-05648-MEJ

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/s/Andrew M. Gass
Andrew M. Gass (SBN 259694)
James K. Lynch (SBN 178600)
LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
505 Montgomery Street, Suite 2000
San Francisco, California 94111
Telephone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Email: [e-mail]
Counsel for Defendants iHeartMedia, Inc.
and Pandora Media, Inc.

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PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, IT IS SO ORDERED.
October 21, 2016
Dated: ______________________________

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____________________________________
Honorable Maria-Elena James
United States District Court Magistrate Judge

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE
STAY OF FURTHER PROCEEDINGS

CASE NO. 3:16-cv-05648-MEJ

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

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On October 20, 2016, a true and correct copy of the foregoing were served to all Counsel of

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record who are deemed to have consented to electronic service via the Court’s CM/ECF system per

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Civ. L.R. 5.4(d).

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FEDERAL: I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of
America that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed on October 20, 2016, in Los Angeles, California.

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/s/ Diana M. Torres
Diana M. Torres

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE
STAY OF FURTHER PROCEEDINGS

CASE NO. 3:16-cv-05648-MEJ