Tetsuya et al-v- Amazon.Com,Inc
Filing
46
ORDER by Magistrate Judge Howard R. Lloyd denying 41 plaintiff's (1) motion to strike affirmative defenses, (2) motion to dismiss counterclaims, and (3) motion for summary judgment. 11/15/2011 hearing is vacated. (hrllc2, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 11/8/2011)
1
2
*E-FILED 11-08-2011*
3
4
5
6
NOT FOR CITATION
8
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
9
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
10
SAN JOSE DIVISION
11
For the Northern District of California
United States District Court
7
No. C11-01210 HRL
JOE NOMURA TETSUYA,
12
ORDER (1) DENYING PLAINTIFF’S
MOTION TO STRIKE AFFIRMATIVE
DEFENSES; (2) DENYING PLAINTIFF’S
MOTION TO DISMISS
COUNTERCLAIMS; AND (3) DENYING
PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR
SUMMARY JUDGMENT
Plaintiff,
v.
13
14
15
16
AMAZON.COM, INC.,
Defendant.
/
[Re: Docket No. 29]
17
18
Pro se plaintiff Joe Nomura Tetsuya sues for alleged infringement of U.S. Patent No.
19
7,254,622 (‘622 patent). Defendant Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon) previously moved to dismiss
20
the complaint pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). That motion was granted with leave to
21
amend. Plaintiff subsequently filed a First Amended Complaint (FAC), alleging that defendant
22
“has infringed and continues to infringe one or more claims of the ‘622 patent.” (FAC ¶ 15).
23
Amazon answered the FAC and asserted several affirmative defenses, as well as two
24
counterclaims for declaratory relief re non-infringement and patent invalidity.
25
Plaintiff now moves to strike Amazon’s affirmative defenses and to dismiss defendant’s
26
counterclaims. In that same motion, plaintiff requests that the court enter summary judgment in
27
his favor. Amazon opposes the motion. The matter is deemed suitable for determination
28
without oral argument, and the November 15, 2011 hearing is vacated. Civ. L.R. 7-1(b). Upon
1
consideration of the moving and responding papers, the court denies plaintiff’s motion.
2
A.
Motion to Strike Affirmative Defenses
3
Amazon asserts the following eleven affirmative defenses: (1) Failure to State a Claim;
4
(2) No Patent Infringement; (3) No Indirect, Contributory or Induced Infringement; (4) Patent is
5
Invalid; (5) Patent is Unenforceable; (6) Substantial Non-Infringing Use; (7) Prior Use Right;
6
(8) Dedication to the Public; (9) Limitation on Damages; (10) No Injunctive Relief; and (11)
7
Failure to Properly Plead Willful Infringement. (Dkt. No. 35). Plaintiff moves to strike all
8
eleven defenses, arguing that each is insufficiently pled and, further, that defendant has failed to
9
present any supporting evidence.
Pursuant to Rule 12(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the “court may strike
11
For the Northern District of California
United States District Court
10
from a pleading an insufficient defense or any redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous
12
matter.” FED. R. CIV. P. 12(f). “In responding to a pleading, a party must state in short and
13
plain terms its defenses to each claim asserted against it.” FED. R. CIV. P. (8)(b)(1)(A). “‘The
14
key to determining the sufficiency of pleading an affirmative defense is whether it gives
15
plaintiff fair notice of the defense.’” Simmons v. Navajo Cnty., 609 F.3d 1011, 1023 (9th Cir.
16
2010) (quoting Wyshak v. City Nat’l Bank, 607 F.2d 824, 827 (9th Cir. 1979)). “What
17
constitutes fair notice depends on the particular defense in question.” Vistan Corp. v. Fadei
18
USA, Inc., No. C10-04862JCS, 2011 WL 1544796 at *7 (N.D. Cal., Apr. 25, 2011). “Although
19
a defense need not include extensive factual allegations in order to provide fair notice,
20
statements reciting mere legal conclusions may not suffice.” Id. (citing CTF Development, Inc.
21
v. Penta Hospitality, LLC, No. C09-02429WHA, 2009 WL 3517617 at *7 (N.D. Cal., Oct. 26,
22
2009)). Nevertheless, Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(f) motions are disfavored and will not be granted
23
unless the insufficiency of the defense is clearly apparent. Id. (citing G&G Closed Circuit
24
Events, LLC v. Nguyen, No. 10-cv-00168LHK, 2010 WL 3749284 at *1 (N.D. Cal., Sept. 23,
25
2010)).
26
Contrary to plaintiff’s assertion, defendant need not, at the pleading stage, produce
27
evidence proving its defenses. As noted above, plaintiff’s FAC does not identify which patent
28
claims are being asserted. Amazon’s asserted defenses, “while boilerplate, are standard
2
1
affirmative defenses, appropriate at the outset of the case before discovery has commenced.”
2
Vistan Corp., 2011 WL 1544796 at *7 (concluding that where plaintiff’s complaint was vague
3
as to which patent claims were being asserted, defendant provided sufficient notice as to its
4
defenses). Additionally, Amazon will be required under the Patent Local Rules to provide the
5
specificity plaintiff seeks as to the invalidity defense. Id. Plaintiff’s motion to strike is denied
6
as premature.
7
B.
8
9
Motion to Dismiss Counterclaims
Amazon asserts two counterclaims for declaratory relief with respect to the ‘622 patent.
The first seeks a declaration of non-infringement; the second seeks a declaration of invalidity.
(Dkt. No. 35). Plaintiff moves to dismiss these counterclaims, arguing that defendant has failed
11
For the Northern District of California
United States District Court
10
to plead sufficient supporting facts and has failed to produce evidence proving that the ‘622
12
patent is not infringed and is invalid.
13
A motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) tests
14
the legal sufficiency of a claim. “Dismissal can be based on the lack of a cognizable legal
15
theory or the absence of sufficient facts alleged under a cognizable legal theory.” Balistreri v.
16
Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1990). In such a motion, all material
17
allegations are deemed true and construed in the light most favorable to the claimant. Id.
18
“Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory
19
statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937, 1949 (2009). Morever, “the
20
court is not required to accept legal conclusions cast in the form of factual allegations if those
21
conclusions cannot reasonably be drawn from the facts alleged.” Clegg v. Cult Awareness
22
Network, 18 F.3d 752, 754-55 (9th Cir. 1994). However, a claim attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6)
23
motion to dismiss does not need detailed factual allegations and “heightened fact pleading of
24
specifics” is not required to survive a motion to dismiss. Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550
25
U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (citations omitted). Rather, the
26
claimant need only give “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Id.;
27
see also Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. at 1950 (“[O]nly a complaint that states a plausible claim for relief
28
3
1
survives a motion to dismiss.”). In resolving such motions, the court does not consider matters
2
outside the pleadings. FED. R. CIV. P. 12(d).
3
As noted above, Amazon is not required to present evidence proving its counterclaims at
4
the pleading stage. The court finds that defendant’s counterclaims contain a short and plain
5
statement that satisfies the pleading requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 8 and are sufficient to put
6
plaintiff on notice of the claims. “This is particularly so in a case, such as this one, where the
7
Plaintiff has not identified which patent claims are at issue in the case.” Vistan Corp., 2011 WL
8
1544796 at *8. Accordingly, plaintiff’s motion to dismiss Amazon’s counterclaims is denied as
9
premature.
11
For the Northern District of California
United States District Court
10
C.
Motion for Summary Judgment
Plaintiff has submitted a number of documents (e.g., website printouts and email
12
correspondence with defendant) and, on that basis, asks this court to grant summary judgment
13
in his favor on all issues. A motion for summary judgment should be granted if there is no
14
genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
15
FED. R. CIV. P. 56(a), (c)); Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-48 (1986).
16
Plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment is premature. This case is still at the pleading
17
stage, and neither side has had an opportunity to engage in any discovery. In any event, based
18
on defendant’s response to the FAC, it appears that just about every material fact in this
19
litigation is disputed. Accordingly, plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment is denied, without
20
prejudice to plaintiff to renew the motion later at an appropriate juncture in the litigation.
21
22
SO ORDERED.
Dated: November 8, 2011
23
HOWARD R. LLOYD
24
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
25
26
27
28
4
1
5:11-cv-01210-HRL Notice has been electronically mailed to:
2
Bryan J. Sinclair
3
5:11-cv-01210-HRL Notice mailed to:
4
Joe Nomura Tetsuya
3288 Pierce Street
Suite C-129
Richmond, CA 94804
5
bryan.sinclair@klgates.com, adrienne.wilson@klgates.com
6
Pro Se Plaintiff
7
8
9
11
For the Northern District of California
United States District Court
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
5
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.
Why Is My Information Online?