Bassett v. Electronic Arts, Inc.

93 F. Supp. 3d 95, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35895, 2015 WL 1298632
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedMarch 23, 2015
DocketNo. 13-CV-4208 (MKB)
StatusPublished
Cited by50 cases

This text of 93 F. Supp. 3d 95 (Bassett v. Electronic Arts, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bassett v. Electronic Arts, Inc., 93 F. Supp. 3d 95, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35895, 2015 WL 1298632 (E.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

MARGO K. BRODIE, District Judge.

Plaintiff Justin T. Bassett filed a complaint on July 24, 2013, against Defendant Electronic Arts, Inc. (“EA”), seeking to certify a nationwide class and a New York sub-class of similarly-situated individuals who purchased certain video games manufactured, advertised, and sold by EA. Plaintiff alleges that EA mislead consumers as to the ability to use EA’s online platform to play certain games with other consumers via the Internet, bringing claims for violations of: California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act, California Civil Code § 1750 et seq.; California’s False Advertising Law, California Business and Professions Code § 17500 et seq.; California’s Unfair Competition Law, California Business and Professions Code § 17200 et seq.; and for breach of express [98]*98warranty, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, and breach of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. (Compl. ¶¶ 1, 41-89.) Plaintiff, on behalf of the putative New York sub-class, also alleges a violation of New York General Business Law section 249, and unjust enrichment. (Compl. ¶¶ 90-99.) EA moved to compel arbitration and dismiss the- action under Section 2 of the Federal Arbitration Act, (“FAA”), 9 U.S.C. § 2, and Rule 12(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or, alternatively, to transfer venue to the Northern District of California pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a). (Docket Entry No. 27.) The parties conducted relevant discovery prior to filing the motion. (Docket Entry Nos. 8, 17.) The motion was referred to Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold for a report and recommendation.

By Report and Recommendation (“R & R”) dated February 9, 2015, Judge Gold recommended that the Court: (1) grant EA’s motion to compel arbitration; (2) stay this action pending arbitration pursuant to Section 3 of the FAA; and (3) deny EA’s motion to transfer venue without prejudice to renewal if there is to be further litigation following arbitration. (Docket Entry No. 35.) On March 5, 2015, Plaintiff filed objections. (Docket Entry No. 39.) On March 19, 2015, Defendant filed a response to Plaintiffs objections, arguing that the Court should adopt the R & R. (Docket Entry No. 40.) No other objections were filed. For the reasons set forth below, the Court adopts the R & R in its entirety.

I. Background

The following facts are taken from the Complaint, the Declaration of Dan Windrem, Producer of EA Tech and Global Online Services at EA, filed in support of EA’s motion, (“Windrem Decl.,” annexed to Def. Mot. to Compel, Docket Entry No. 27-3), and the exhibits annexed thereto.1 Only the facts necessary to decide the instant motion are included below.

EA is in the business of manufacturing, advertising, and distributing video games in the form of discs compatible with gaming console systems such as Xbox, PlayStation and Wii. (Compl. ¶¶ 15-21.) EA also offers additional services with certain of its video games, which allow video game consumers to interact and play the games with one another via the Internet (“EA Online”). {Id. ¶ 1.)

Plaintiff was a resident of Brooklyn, New York and a consumer of EA’s video games, {Id. ¶ 14.) Prior to the commencement of the instant action, Plaintiff purchased several video games at retail prices. {Id.) Plaintiff alleges that he “relied upon the representation that these EA games were enabled for online play in deciding to purchase the Products.” (Id.) On the back of each box for the various games Plaintiff alleged he purchased, in small but bolded font, was a notice that access to EA Online required registration and a subscription. {See Copies of game packaging, annexed to Windrem Decl. as Exs. 1-8.)2 The box further indicated that terms and conditions of use for EA Online products could be found at www.ea. [99]*99com. (Exs. 1-8) For at least some of the games, a similar notice was included inside the packaging as well. (E.g., Ex. 1 at 11; Ex. 2 at 11; Ex. 3 at 7; Ex. 4 at 7; Ex. 5 at 7; Ex. 6 at 6; Ex. 7 at 7.)

On at least two occasions, on September 27, 2011 and November 21, 2012, Plaintiff activated EA Online services for FIFA 12 and FIFA 13, two of EA’s video games. (Windrem Decl. ¶ 29; Account Notes for justintbasset@gmail.com, annexed to Win-drem Deck as Ex. 19.) In order to activate EA Online, Plaintiff would have had to go through the following process. First, he had to register for an EA account. (Windrem Deck ¶ 24.) The registration process required Plaintiff to affirmatively assent to EA’s terms of service (“Terms of Service”) and privacy policy. (Id. ¶25.) Registrants are typically presented with a screen prompting them to read the Terms of Service and privacy policy carefully, noting that the documents may affect their rights, and presenting links by which a registrant may access the full text of each agreement. (Id.; see also Registration Flow Screenshot, annexed to Windrem Deck as Ex. 18 (providing screen shots from registration process for Madden NFL 13, another EA video game).) Plaintiff would have been presented with four buttons, two of which are the links to the terms of service and privacy policy, one which reads “I Do Not Accept,” and one which reads “I Have Read And-Accept Both Documents.” (Windrem Deck ¶ 25.) If the registrant, Plaintiff in this case, does not click the button reading “I ... Accept ...” (hereinafter, “I Accept”), the registration process stops and the online features cannot be activated. (Id. ¶ 26.) Plaintiff clicked “I Accept,” and activated the online service.

When the Terms of Service were updated, Plaintiff was presented with the updated version and again asked to assent. (Id. ¶¶ 27, 30.) In a similar process to the initial registration, consumers who already have access to EA Online are typically presented with the new version of the policy and must click another “I Accept”-type button. (Id. ¶ 27.) Consumers cannot continue to use EA Online after the Terms of Service have been updated without affirmatively consenting to the new version. (Id.) Records produced by EA indicate that Plaintiff had affirmatively accepted both the version dated August 25, 2011, and the current operative version of the Terms of Service. (Id. ¶ 30; Account Management Tool for justintbassett@ gmail.com, annexed to Windrem Decl. as Ex. 20 (showing “legal documents accepted”).)

The two versions of Terms of Service at issúe are substantially similar, in relevant part. (See generally Terms of Service for Xbox users, effective September 4, 2012 (“Sept.2012 Terms”), annexed to Windrem Deck as Ex. 12); Terms of Service for Xbox users, dated August 25, 2011 (“Aug. 2011 Terms”), annexed to Windrem Deck as Ex. 14; Windrem Deck ¶¶ 18, 20, 30 (identifying relevant versions of Terms of Service, noting Sept. 2012 Terms are currently effective for Xbox users, and Aug. 2011 Terms were effective until November 28, 2011 version implemented). Both contain dispute resolution procedures to which both the consumer and EA agree to be bound. (Sept.2012 Terms § 20; Aug.2011 Terms § 20.) The section cautions readers to “PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
93 F. Supp. 3d 95, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35895, 2015 WL 1298632, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bassett-v-electronic-arts-inc-nyed-2015.