Advanced Internet Technologies, Inc. v. Google, Inc.
Filing
10
Memorandum in Opposition to Google, Inc.'s Motion to Dismiss filed byClick Defense, Inc.. (Kellner, Richard) (Filed on 8/19/2005)
Advanced Internet Technologies, Inc. v. Google, Inc.
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RICHARD L. KELLNER, SBN 171416 FRANK E. MARCHETTI, SBN 203185 KABATECK BROWN KELLNER LLP 350 South Grand Avenue, 39th Floor Los Angeles, California 90071-3801 Telephone: (213) 217-5000 Facsimile: (213) 217-5010 rlk@kbklawyers.com SHAWN KHORRAMI, SBN 180411 LAW OFFICES OF SHAWN KHORRAMI 14550 Haynes Street, Third Floor Van Nuys, California 91411 Telephone: (818) 947-5111 Facsimile: (818) 947-5121 GREGORY E. KELLER (To be admitted pro hac vice) DARREN T. KAPLAN (To be admitted pro hac vice) CHITWOOD HARLEY HARNES LLP 2300 Promenade II 1230 Peachtree Street, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30309 Telephone: (404) 873-3900 Facsimile: (404) 876-4476 Attorneys for Plaintiffs UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA SAN JOSE DIVISION ) ) ) ) ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) -against) ) GOOGLE, INC., a Delaware corporation, and DOES 1 THROUGH ) ) 100, Inclusive, ) ) Defendants. ) ) ) CLICK DEFENSE INC., a Colorado corporation, Individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated Case No. C 05 02579 RMW PLAINTIFFS' OPPOSITION TO GOOGLE, INC.'S MOTION TO DISMISS; MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES Date: Time: Judge: September 2, 2005 9:00 a.m. Hon. Ronald M. Whyte
Complaint Filed: June 24, 2005
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MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITES I. Introduction Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 8(e)(2) specifically permits a party to plead inconsistent causes of action. At a later juncture in the proceedings (e.g., at a motion for summary judgment, etc.), the party pleading inconsistent causes of action might be compelled to elect which of the inconsistent causes of action he or she will pursue. However, at the pleading stage, a Rule 12(b)(6) motion cannot be predicated upon the argument that the plaintiff has asserted inconsistent causes of action. (Molsbergen v. United States, 757 F.2d 1016, 1018-19 (9th Cir.) cert. dismissed 473 U.S. 934 (1985); Adelman v. Christy, 90 F. Supp.2d 1034, 1045 (D. Ariz. 2000)(under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a party is permitted to pleading consistent causes of action in contract and equity.) Google's motion to dismiss, predicated upon the theory that Plaintiff has proffered the inconsistent cause of action of breach of contract and unjust enrichment must be denied. Federal courts have broadly interpreted Fed. Rules Civ. Proc., Rule 8(e)(2) to permit a party to plead unjust enrichment and contract claims in the same action. (Adelman v. Christy, supra.) Since the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure permit a party to plead in the alternative, it is proper for Plaintiffs to allege multiple, inconsistent causes of action. However, with respect to the cause of action for negligence, Plaintiffs will not oppose the motion to dismiss. Google's motion to dismiss the negligence cause of action is not based upon inconsistent pleadings. (Robinson Helicopter Co., Inc. v. Dana Corp. 34 Cal.4th 979, 989-90 (2004).) Plaintiffs will not file an opposition to this portion of the motion to dismiss. Accordingly, Plaintiffs request that this Court deny Google's motion to dismiss with respect to the unjust enrichment cause of action.
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II.
The Federal Rules Of Civil Procedure Permit The Pleading Of Inconsistent Causes of Action It is axiomatic that a party is permitted to allege inconsistent causes of action,
pursuant to Fed. Rules of Civ. Pro., Rule 8(e)(2), which provides as follows: (e) Pleadings to be Concise and Direct; Consistency. *** (2) A party may set forth two or more statements of a claim or defense alternatively or hypothetically, either in one count or defense or in separate counts or defenses. When two or more statements are made in the alternative and one of them if made independently would be sufficient, the pleading is not made insufficient by the insufficiency of one or more of the alternative statements. A party may also state as many separate claims or defenses as the party has regardless of consistency and whether based on legal, equitable or maritime grounds. All statements shall be subject to the obligations set forth in Rule 11. (emphasis added.) Repeatedly, the Ninth Circuit has affirmed the liberal pleading rules that permit inconsistent pleadings of causes of action in contract and equity, pursuant to Fed. Rules Civ Pro., Rule 8(e)(2). (Molsbergen v. United States, supra, 757 F.2d at 101819; McCalden v. California Library Ass'n, 995 F.2d 1214, 1219 (9th Cir. 1992.) Further, there is no requirement that the magic words, "in the alternative," be stated in the pleadings. (Arnold & Associates, Inc. v. Misys Healthcare Systems, 275 F. Supp.2d 1013, 1029 (D.Ariz 2003.) It is entirely appropriate to have pleadings in equity and in contract, for breach of contract and unjust enrichment, in the same complaint. (Adelman v. Christy, supra, 90 F.Supp.2d at 1045; Adelphia Cable Partners, L.P. v. E&A Beepers Corp., 188 F.R.D. 662, 666 (S.D. Fla. 1999); MDCM
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Holdings, Inc. v. Credit Suisse First Boston Corp., 216 F.Supp.2d 251, 261 (S.D.N.Y. 2002)(same); Tkachyov v. Levin, 1999 U.S. Dist LEXIS 15221, 1999 WL 782070 (N.D. Ill. 1999)(same); Quadion Corp. v. Mache, 738 F.Supp. 270, 278 (N.D. Ill. 1990)(same); United States v. Kensington Hospital, 760 F.Supp. 1120, 1135(E.D. Pa. 1991)(same).) In support of its motion to dismiss on this issue, Google relies upon Berkla v. Corel Corp., 302 F3d 909 (9th Cir. 2002) and Paracor Finance, Inc. v. General Elec. Capital Corp., 96 F.2d 1151 (9th Cir. 1996). Neither of these cases involved motions to dismiss at the pleading stage. Neither of these cases involved Fed. Rules Civ. Pro. Rule 8(e)(2), which permits inconsistent pleadings. Thus, both of these cases are entirely inapposite. In Berkla, the jury awarded Berkla compensatory and punitive damages on copyright infringement, breach of contract, unfair business practices, and breach of confidence causes of action. The trial court did not permit entry of a punitive damages award, because it ruled that the breach of contract cause of action was not amenable to punitive damages. The Ninth Circuit affirmed, ruling that by pursuing a breach of contract claim at trial, Berkla could not seek a quasi-contract claim of breach of contract. However, in a footnote, the Ninth Circuit ruled that even though Berkla was not permitted to pursue remedies under both a breach of contract and implied contract, it may have the election to pursue one or the other at a future date. (Berkla v. Corel Corp., supra, 302 F.3d at 918 fn.10.) Thus, Berkla provides no support to the motion to dismiss. Similarly, Paracor Finance, Inc. v. General Elec. Capital Corp., supra, involved an appeal from an order granting summary judgment, where the Court determined that there was a valid and existing contract that governed the parties' rights, thereby precluding recovery on the theory of unjust enrichment. That situation is manifestly different than the pleading stage, where the parties are expressly
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permitted to plead inconsistent causes of action. (Fed. Rules Civ. Pro., Rule 8(e)(2).) Google is attempting to make a comparison between apples and aircraft carriers.1 Indeed, if Google's reliance on these cases was proper, it would emasculate and effectively nullify Fed. Rules Civ. Pro., Rule 8(e)(2). At the pleading stage, a party is expressly permitted to make inconsistent pleadings. Google's motion to dismiss as to the unjust enrichment cause of action must be denied in all respects. III. Conclusion For all the foregoing reasons, Plaintiff respectfully requests that this Court deny Google's motion to dismiss with respect to the unjust enrichment cause of action, and grant such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper. DATED: August 19, 2005 Respectfully submitted, KABATECK BROWN KELLNER LLP By: __/s RLK_____________________ Richard L. Kellner And CHITWOOD HARLEY HARNES LLP and LAW OFFICES OF SHAWN KHORRAMI, Attorneys for Plaintiffs Google also cites to Gerllinger v. Amazon.com, Inc. 311 F.Supp.2d 838 (N.D. 2004). However, that case involved a distinct jurisdictional issue. In Gerlinger, the Court did not allow the plaintiff to plead unjust enrichment because it was derivative of the contract claim. Thus, if there was only an equitable unjust enrichment cause of action, the federal court could not have jurisdiction. Therefore, for that particular case, the inconsistent pleading alternative was not available based upon unique, jurisdictional grounds.
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PROOF OF SERVICE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES I am employed in the County of Los Angeles, State of California. I am over the age of 18 and not a party to the within action; my business address is 350 South Grand Avenue, 39th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071. On August 19, 2005, I served the foregoing document described as: OPPOSITION TO MOTION TO DISMISS on the interested parties in this action: SEE ATTACHED LIST VIA U.S. MAIL - I deposited such envelope(s) with the United States Postal Service, enclosed in a sealed envelope, for collection and mailing with the United States Postal Service where it would be deposited for first class delivery, postage fully prepared, in the United States Postal Service that same day in the ordinary course of business. I am readily familiar with my employer's business practice for collection and processing of correspondence for mailing with the United States Postal Service. VIA FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION - by use of facsimile machine, I served a copy of the document(s) on interested parties by transmitting by facsimile machine to said interested party. The facsimile machine I used complied with California Rules of Court, rule 2002, and no error was reported by the machine. Pursuant to California Rules of Court, Rule 2006(d), I caused the machine to print a transmission record of the transmission, a copy of which is attached to this declaration FAX No. (213) 217-5010 to the FAX number(s) listed next to such interested party. The facsimile machine I used complied with Rule 2003(3) and no error was reported by the machine. VIA OVERNIGHT EXPRESS I am readily familiar with the firm's practice of collection and processing for overnight delivery. Under that practice it would be deposited in a box or other facility regularly maintained by Overnight Express, or delivered to an authorized courier or driver authorized by Overnight Express to receive documents, in an envelope or package designated by Overnight Express with delivery fees paid or provided for, addressed to the person on whom it is to be served, at the office address as last given by that person on any document filed in the cause and served on the party making service; otherwise at that party's place of residence. VIA PERSONAL DELIVERY by personally delivering a true copy to the attorney of record for defendants at the hearing for the Ex Parte Application on this date.
Executed on August 19, 2005, at Los Angeles, California. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the above is true and correct. __________/ S /________________
ROSEMARY PELTIER
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Rick Richmond, Esq. Kirkland & Ellis LLC 777 S. Figueroa Street Suite 3700 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Attorneys for Defendant Google, Inc.
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