Basic Research, L.L.C. v. Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc.

849 F. Supp. 2d 1250, 2011 WL 2636833, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 72812
CourtDistrict Court, D. Utah
DecidedJuly 6, 2011
DocketCase Nos. 2:08CV661DAK, 2:10CV631DAK
StatusPublished

This text of 849 F. Supp. 2d 1250 (Basic Research, L.L.C. v. Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Utah primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Basic Research, L.L.C. v. Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., 849 F. Supp. 2d 1250, 2011 WL 2636833, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 72812 (D. Utah 2011).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER

DALE A. KIMBALL, District Judge.

This matter is before the court on Plaintiff Basic Research, L.L.C.’s (“Basic”) Motion for Summary Judgment, Consolidated Plaintiffs American Movie Classics Company, LLC, WE Women’s Entertainment LLC’s (“the Networks”) Motion for Summary Judgment, Basic’s Motion to Strike Consolidated Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment or Motion to Stay, Defendants Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. and [1252]*1252Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation’s (collectively, “Rainbow”) Motion to Join or Substitute Real Parties in Interest, and Basic’s Motion to Strike Testimony of Mel Carll.

This case is in a very unusual procedural posture because Judge Campbell, prior to her recusal, held a hearing on Basic’s Motion for Summary Judgment, Basic’s Motion to Strike Consolidated Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment, and Rainbow’s Motion to Join or Substitute Real Parties in Interest. This court has a transcript of the prior hearing and has reviewed it. At that hearing, Judge Campbell ruled that there was no need to substitute parties because the cases were consolidated. She also stated, “I’m going to deny the motion to strike the Network’s filings.” She then took Basic’s motion for summary judgment under advisement and directed the parties to fully brief the Network’s Motion for Summary Judgment. Therefore, although the minute entry for the healing did not reflect the ruling and thus the court’s docket did not reflect her ruling, the motions have been ruled on and this court agrees with the rulings. Accordingly, Basic’s Motion to Strike Consolidated Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment is denied, and Rainbow’s Motion to Join or Substitute Real Parties in Interest is moot due to the consolidation of the cases.

On June 23, 2011, this court held a hearing on the motions for summary judgment and Basic’s Motion to Strike the Testimony of Mel Carll. At the hearing, Basic was represented by David Parkinson and Alan Dunaway, and Rainbow and the Networks were represented by Raymond J. Etcheverry and Zack L. Winzeler. The court took the motions under advisements. After carefully considering the arguments advanced by the parties, the materials submitted by the parties, and the law and facts relevant to the motions, the court issues the following Memorandum Decision and Order.

BACKGROUND

This case involves a dispute over who is responsible for the payment of Basic Research advertising that ran on the Networks owned by Rainbow from January to March 2008. To advertise its products, Basic used an advertising agency named Icebox. Basic paid Icebox up front for all of its advertising. Icebox, however, went into bankruptcy and it was discovered that Icebox had not paid Rainbow’s Networks for three months worth of Basic advertising. The advertising was worth $590,000.

When Icebox filed bankruptcy, Rainbow contacted Basic to be paid. Basic then filed this action requesting a declaration that Icebox, not it, was responsible for paying for the advertisements. After Rainbow was served with the Complaint, Basic’s counsel asked Rainbow’s counsel if he wanted to stay the case while the Networks made claims for payment in Icebox’s bankruptcy. Rainbow’s counsel stated that he did not want a stay and he preferred to pursue both avenues for payment. The case was never stayed, but the Icebox bankruptcy has concluded.

In the bankruptcy action, the Networks obtained approximately $132,000 in payment from the Icebox bankruptcy estate. Because that amount is an offset to the original amount due, Rainbow now seeks the remaining $406,000 from Basic. Basic argues that the payment the Networks obtained through the bankruptcy was Rainbow’s only remedy, and Rainbow asserts that it can proceed against both the agent and the principal for the amount due.

Because Basic disputed whether Rainbow could assert claims on behalf of the Networks, Rainbow filed a second action in which the Networks collectively sued Basic [1253]*1253for payment. Rainbow also submitted a declaration explaining its corporate structure and relationship with the Networks and establishing that it owns and controls the Networks. The second action was subsequently consolidated into this action. As stated above, that consolidation mooted a motion to substitute the Networks as the real parties in interest.

The disputes regarding liability for the payment of the advertising focus on the agency relationship between Basic and its former advertising agency, Icebox, the relationship between Icebox and the Networks, and the relationship between Basic and Rainbow. The parties agree that Basic was a disclosed principal for purposes of the advertising because the Networks knew that Icebox was acting as an agent for Basic. The advertising was for Basic Research products, not for Icebox, and the Networks made Basic submit a credit application when Basic and Icebox approached them about running advertisements. In addition, all of the invoices relating to the advertisements listed Basic as the “advertiser.”

The parties also agree that Basic controlled and approved almost all aspects of the advertising decisions. Icebox was authorized to place advertising on behalf of Basic, but Basic specifically authorized and approved each advertisement and its placement before Icebox placed it. Thus, Icebox had the authority to, and routinely did, purchase advertising authorized and approved by Basic.

Nonetheless, Basic contends that Icebox did not have the authority to incur debt or receive credit on its behalf. Basic prepaid Icebox through an escrow account for all of the advertising. Icebox purportedly had legal and equitable title to the funds in the escrow account. But, Icebox could not access the funds until it invoiced Basic for the advertising and Basic then approved Icebox’s request for a draw from the escrow account.

In April 2003, five years prior to the advertising in question, Basic applied for credit in order to have advertising placed with Rainbow’s Networks. Prior to that application, neither Basic nor PKPF (which was Icebox’s name at the time) had any relationship with Rainbow. Val Weight, Basic’s controller at the time, signed the Rainbow credit application and provided media references to Rainbow. Weight testified that signing credit applications for the company was his regular practice and he had completed hundreds of similar applications. The credit application authorized Rainbow to make inquiries relevant to extending credit and provided Basic with payment to be made on terms of “net 30 days.”

The parties dispute whether Icebox ever obtained credit from Rainbow. Basic claims that Icebox was being granted extended time to pay Rainbow in the ninety days prior to its bankruptcy. But there is no written credit application between Icebox and Rainbow. In addition, when Icebox changed its name and/or its corporate form from PKPF to Icebox in January 2005, Rainbow requested a credit application from it. In response to that request, Icebox’s president responded with an email stating, “The credit application you have should be with Basic Research, not PKPF, therefore you don’t need anything from us except an address change.” Also employees of Icebox testified that Icebox never received credit from Rainbow. What Basic characterizes as a receipt of credit is Icebox’s failure to make its payments for ninety days prior to filing bankruptcy. During that time, Rainbow was seeking payment from Icebox.

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Bluebook (online)
849 F. Supp. 2d 1250, 2011 WL 2636833, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 72812, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/basic-research-llc-v-rainbow-media-holdings-inc-utd-2011.