Andrew Greenberg, Inc. v. Sir-Tech Software, Inc.

297 A.D.2d 834, 746 N.Y.2d 736, 746 N.Y.S.2d 736, 2002 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8197
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedSeptember 5, 2002
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 297 A.D.2d 834 (Andrew Greenberg, Inc. v. Sir-Tech Software, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Andrew Greenberg, Inc. v. Sir-Tech Software, Inc., 297 A.D.2d 834, 746 N.Y.2d 736, 746 N.Y.S.2d 736, 2002 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8197 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

—Mercure, J.

Plaintiff, a New York corporation, created a computer game known as Wizardry. In 1981, plaintiff granted defendant Sir-Tech Software, Inc. (hereinafter Sir-Tech), another New York corporation, an exclusive license to market and manufacture Wizardry, related products and subsequent Wizardry games. The licensing agreement authorized Sir-Tech to conduct its manufacturing and marketing activities through a subsidiary or related business entities, but it was not permitted “to disclose any WIZARDRY game or WIZARDRY related product, information or source of materials to anyone, other than to * * * [plaintiff] without the prior written permission of * * * [plaintiff].” The agreement also granted plaintiff the right to inspect and audit the books and records of Sir-Tech and each entity utilized in its manufacturing and marketing activity with regard to the sale of Wizardry products.

[835]*835In April 1992, plaintiff commenced the present action against Sir-Tech and its subsidiary, defendant Svane, Inc., seeking an accounting and other relief as a result of those defendants’ alleged manufacture, marketing or sublicensing of Wizardry related products and Wizardry games without providing plaintiff with required information relative to those transactions or paying plaintiff the royalties provided for in the 1981 contract. In 1998, Sir-Tech closed its principal office in New York and sold its Wizardry trademark, certain of its copyright assets and its domain name registration to two Canadian corporations formed by Sir-Tech’s principals during the pendency of the action.

Shortly thereafter, plaintiff sought and obtained leave of Supreme Court to join those Canadian corporations, defendant 1259190 Ontario, Inc. and defendant Sir-Tech Canada, Ltd. (hereinafter collectively referred to as defendants). On January 10, 2000, plaintiff filed a supplemental summons and second amended complaint asserting additional causes of action sounding in breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets and tortious interference. Service on defendants was effected in August 2000. Shortly thereafter, defendants made a preanswer motion to dismiss the complaint based on plaintiff’s failure to serve defendants within the 120-day period provided for in CPLR 306-b and for lack of personal jurisdiction over them. Supreme Court denied the motion and defendants appeal.

As a threshold matter, we reject the contention that CPLR 306-b required plaintiff to serve defendants within 120 days following its filing of the supplemental summons and amended complaint. To the contrary, as correctly contended by plaintiff, because this action was commenced under the commencement-by-service system that was in existence prior to the July 1, 1992 effective date of CPLR 306-b (see L 1992, ch 216, § 27), neither the former nor the present provisions of CPLR 306-b apply (see Westnine Assoc. v West 109th St. Assoc., 247 AD2d 76; Seavey v Korte, 159 Misc 2d 407, 409-410). We nonetheless conclude that the action should have been dismissed against defendants because plaintiff’s opposition to defendants’ motion failed to make a prima facie showing of personal jurisdiction on any of the bases asserted before Supreme Court (see Brandt v Toraby, 273 AD2d 429).

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297 A.D.2d 834, 746 N.Y.2d 736, 746 N.Y.S.2d 736, 2002 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8197, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/andrew-greenberg-inc-v-sir-tech-software-inc-nyappdiv-2002.