Benjamin Joseph Ligeri v. Amazon.com Services LLC

District Court, W.D. Washington·Decided October 28, 2025·No. 2:25-cv-00764·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT AT SEATTLE BENJAMIN JOSEPH LIGERI, CASE NO. 2:25-cv-00764-JHC

ORDER Plaintiff, v. AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC,

Defendant.

I INTRODUCTION This matter comes before the Court on three motions: (1) Defendant’s Motion to Compel Arbitration and Dismiss Amended Complaint (Dkt. # 35); (2) Plaintiff’s Emergency Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction (Dkt. # 39); and (3) Plaintiff’s Motion to Lift Stay as to Member Case No. 2:25-cv-00860 and to Confirm that the Equity and Constructive Trust Claims Are Not Subject to Arbitration (Dkt. # 45). The Court has considered the materials filed in support of and in opposition to the motions, pertinent portions of the record, and the applicable law. The Court finds oral argument unnecessary. Being fully advised, the Court: (1) GRANTS Defendant’s Motion to Compel Arbitration and Dismiss Plaintiff’s Amended Complaint (Dkt. # 35); (2) DENIES Plaintiff’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction (Dkt. # 39); and (3) DENIES Plaintiff’s Motion to Lift Stay (Dkt. # 45).

II BACKGROUND This action involves a series of intellectual property (IP) and other claims filed by pro se Plaintiff Benjamin Joseph Ligeri against Defendant Amazon.com Services LLC.1 As pertinent to the pending motions, Plaintiff’s initial complaints alleged that Defendant committed trademark infringement and false designation of origin, tortious interference with business expectancy, conversion, and unjust enrichment.2 The complaints also requested various forms of equitable and monetary relief.3 Plaintiff and Defendant then filed a series of motions, which the Court resolved in its July 30, 2025 Omnibus Order.4 Dkt. # 25. Among these motions were Defendant’s Motion to Compel Arbitration (Case No. 2:25-cv-00796-JHC, Dkt. # 15; Case No. 2:25-CV-00860-JHC, Dkt. # 15) and Defendant’s Rule 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss (Case No. 2:25-cv-00796-JHC, Dkt. # 15). Id. The Court granted these motions in the Omnibus Order, thereby: (a) compelling Plaintiff to arbitrate all non-IP claims in the complaints; (b) compelling Plaintiff to arbitrate all IP claims for non-injunctive relief in the complaints; (c) staying the case with respect to

1 Plaintiff initially filed three separate cases: Case No. 2:25-cv-00764-JHC, Case No. 2:25-cv- 00796-JHC, and Case No. 2:25-CV-00860-JHC. On July 30, 2025, the Court issued an Omnibus Order, consolidating the three cases into the above-captioned case. See Dkt. # 25 at 8. 2 See generally Case No. 2:25-cv-00764-JHC, Dkt. # 1; Case No. 2:25-cv-00796-JHC, Dkt. # 1; Case No. 2:25-CV-00860-JHC, Dkt. # 1. 3 See generally Case No. 2:25-cv-00764-JHC, Dkt. # 1; Case No. 2:25-cv-00796-JHC, Dkt. # 1; Case No. 2:25-CV-00860-JHC, Dkt. # 1. 4 The Omnibus Order addresses: (1) Plaintiff’s Motion to Vacate Reassignment; (2) Defendant’s Motion to Consolidate Cases; (3) Plaintiff’s Motion to Clarify Procedural Posture, Respond to Defendants’ Motions Rife with Character Attacks, and Request Oral Argument on the Matters Before the Court; (4) Defendant’s Motion to Compel Arbitration; (5) Defendant’s Motion to Compel Arbitration and Motion to Dismiss; and (6) Defendant’s Motion to Stay Discovery and 26(f) Deadlines. See Dkt. # 25. arbitrable claims pending the conclusion of arbitration; and (d) dismissing without prejudice all IP claims for injunctive relief in the complaints. Id. at 21. The Court granted Plaintiff leave until August 29, 2025, to file an amended complaint, but limited such leave to the claims

dismissed by the order without prejudice. Id. Plaintiff then moved to vacate the consolidation order (Dkt. # 26) and alter or amend the judgment (Dkt. # 28). The Court denied both motions. See Dkt. ## 27, 34. On September 3, 2025, Plaintiff filed the First Amended Complaint (FAC). Dkt. # 30. The FAC asserts claims for trademark infringement under 15 U.S.C. § 1114, false designation of origin under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a), contributory trademark infringement “under the Lanham Act and Common Law Principles,” unjust enrichment, tortious interference with business expectancy and failure to pay W2 wages, and violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Id. Plaintiff seeks various forms of monetary, declaratory, and injunctive relief. Id.

On September 17, 2025, Defendant moved to compel arbitration and dismiss the FAC. Dkt. # 35. Plaintiff then moved for the recusal of the undersigned judge (Dkt. # 38) and preliminary injunctive relief (Dkt. # 39). The Court denied Plaintiff’s request for recusal and referred the motion to Chief Judge David G. Estudillo for further review. Dkt. # 40. Plaintiff then moved to “lift the stay as to member case 2:25-cv-00860-JHC” and “confirm that Plaintiff’s equity and constructive-trust claim is not referable to arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act.” Dkt. # 45. On October 21, 2025, Chief Judge Estudillo issued an order affirming the denial of Plaintiff’s motion for recusal. Dkt. # 50. All three motions are now fully briefed and properly before the Court.

III DISCUSSION A. Defendant’s Motion to Compel Arbitration and Dismiss the FAC Defendant contends that the FAC’s claims “are plagued by the same defects that the Court already identified in its July 30, 2025 Omnibus Order.” Dkt. # 35 at 5. Defendant thus requests that the Court: (1) “again compel [Plaintiff] to arbitrate all his non-IP injunction claims pursuant to the BSA”; and (2) “dismiss [Plaintiff’s] remaining trademark claims for injunctive relief[, with prejudice,] because he fails to state a claim for either direct infringement or contributory liability.” Id. at 17. Although Plaintiff’s Response makes many arguments, see Dkt. # 37, none respond directly to the core thrust of Defendant’s Motion, i.e., that the Court has already compelled Plaintiff to arbitrate most of his claims and that any remaining claims in the FAC must be dismissed under Rule 12(b)(6).5 See generally Dkt. # 37. As for Plaintiff’s non-IP claims and his IP claims for non-injunctive relief, the Court concludes that it has already required Plaintiff to arbitrate these claims. As explained in the Omnibus Order, “the BSA contains a valid, enforceable arbitration provision.” Dkt. # 25 at 16. This provision requires Plaintiff to arbitrate “any ‘dispute’ or ‘claim’ that relates ‘in any way’ to ‘[the] Agreement’ or ‘[his] use of the Services,’” except for any claims “to enjoin infringement or other misuse of intellectual property rights.” Id. at 13, 16. Because Plaintiff’s claims of unjust enrichment, tortious interference with business expectancy and failure to pay W2 wages, and violation of the ADA relate in some way to the BSA and Plaintiff’s use of Defendant’s

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

Benjamin Joseph Ligeri v. Amazon.com Services LLC, (W.D. Wash. 2025).

Benjamin Joseph Ligeri v. Amazon.com Services LLC (Benjamin Joseph Ligeri v. Amazon.com Services LLC) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Couch v. Telescope Inc.
611 F.3d 629 (Ninth Circuit, 2010)
Michael Henry Ferdik v. Joe Bonzelet, Sheriff
963 F.2d 1258 (Ninth Circuit, 1992)
Gausvik v. Perez
392 F.3d 1006 (Ninth Circuit, 2004)
Sai v. Transportation Security Administration
54 F. Supp. 3d 5 (District of Columbia, 2014)
Sprewell v. Golden State Warriors
266 F.3d 979 (Ninth Circuit, 2001)
CRT Capital Group v. SLS Capital, S.A.
63 F. Supp. 3d 367 (S.D. New York, 2014)
Alliance for Wild Rockies v. Cottrell
632 F.3d 1127 (Ninth Circuit, 2011)