Bioclin BV v. Multygyn USA, LLC

72 F. Supp. 3d 1288, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 174135, 2014 WL 7224720
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedDecember 17, 2014
DocketCase No. 6:13-cv-1901-Orl-37DAB
StatusPublished

This text of 72 F. Supp. 3d 1288 (Bioclin BV v. Multygyn USA, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bioclin BV v. Multygyn USA, LLC, 72 F. Supp. 3d 1288, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 174135, 2014 WL 7224720 (M.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER

ROY B. DALTON JR., District Judge.

This cause is before the Court on the following:

(1) Plaintiffs Renewed Motion for Default Judgment Against Defendants Multi-gyn USA, LLC and Karl J. Bonga (Doe. 35), filed August 25, 2014; and

(2) United States Magistrate Judge David A. Baker’s Report and Recommendation (Doc. 36), filed November 26, 2014.

[1290]*1290Plaintiff is a foreign corporation that “markets a range of feminine hygiene or gynecological products under the name ‘Multi-Gyn’ ” in “over 30 countries around the world.” (Doc. 2, ¶¶ 1, 9-11.) Plaintiff holds international and U.S. registrations for the trademark “MULTI-GYN”, and has a “proprietary interest” in a “stylized female form” mark. (Doc. 1, ¶¶ 13, 30.) Defendant Karl Bonga is the former spouse of Plaintiffs former distributor, and Defendant Multigyn USA, LLC is a dissolved Florida limited liability company formed by Bonga: (Id. ¶¶ 3-5,17-19.) On December 12, 2013, Plaintiff initiated this action to enforce its rights under the Anti-cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (“ACPA”) and other federal and state laws. (Nee Doc.-1.)

Plaintiff filed sufficient proof of service on August 1, 2014 (See Docs. 28, 29), and the Clerk entered defaults against Defendants on August 14, 2014. (See Doc. 33, 34; see also Doc. 32.) Plaintiff then filed its motion for final default judgment and for entry of a permanent injunction. (See Doc. 35.) The matter was referred to U.S. Magistrate Judge David A. Baker, who issued a Report and Recommendation that the Motion for Default should be granted only with respect to Plaintiffs claim for injunctive relief under the ACPA. (See Doc. 36.)

No party has filed objections to the Report and Recommendation, and the time for doing so has passed. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). Absent objections, and upon consideration, the Court finds that Magistrate Judge Baker’s thorough and well-reasoned Report and Recommendation is due to be adopted and confirmed.

Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED and ADJUDGED that:

1. The Report and Recommendation of U.S. Magistrate Judge David A. Baker (Doc. 36) is ADOPTED and CONFIRMED and made part of this Order.

2. -Plaintiffs Renewed Motion for Default Judgment (Doc. 35) is GRANTED in accordance with the Report and Recommendation of Magistrate Judge David A. Baker (Doc. 36).

3. In accordance with this Order and pursuant to Rules 54, 55, 58, and 65 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Court will enter a separate permanent injunction final judgment.

Report and Recommendation

DAVID A. BAKER, United States Magistrate Judge.

TO THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

This cause came on for consideration without oral argument on the following motion filed herein:

MOTION: MOTION FOR DEFAULT JUDGMENT (Doc. No. 35)
FILED: August 25, 2014
THEREON it is RECOMMENDED that the motion be GRANTED.

Plaintiff Bioclin BV filed suit on December 12, 2013, alleging Defendants Multi-Gyn USA, LLC and Karl J. Bonga were in violation of the Lanham. Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1114(1) and 1125(a), and the Anticy-bersquatting Consumer Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(d), the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (“DUT-PA”), Fla. Stat. §§ 501.201, and the Florida Communications Fraud Act for misleading advertising, Fla. Stat. § 817.41; and asserting a common law claim for unjust enrichment. Doc. 1.

On March 31, 2014, Plaintiff sought a default judgment against the Defendants, [1291]*1291arguing that they were properly served with the summons and complaint. Doc. 25. The Clerk entered defaults against both of these Defendants on February 14, 2014. Docs. 22, 23. However, because there was no indication that the Defendants were served with the Complaint — as opposed to other motions or exhibits having to do with the Motion for Temporary Injunction — the defaults were vacated and Plaintiffs Motion for Default Judgment was denied without prejudice.. See Docs. 20, 21, 27. On August 1, 2014, Plaintiff filed Amended Affidavits for Service of Process Nunc Pro Tunc (Docs. 28, 29), and four days later Renewed Motions for Entry of Clerk’s Default (Docs. 30, 31) which showed that the process server had originally served both Defendants with the Complaint (though inadvertently omitted it from the affidavit of service); the Motions were granted on August 14, 2014. Doc. 32.

On August 25, 2014, Plaintiff renewed its Motion for Default Judgment against the two remaining Defendants, MultiGyn USA, LLC and Karl J. Bonga1, seeking an injunction and damages pursuant to the ACPA, the Lanham Act, the Florida DUT-PA, and the Florida Communications Fraud Act. See Doc. 35 at 7-8. Although Plaintiff seeks an award of damages, it has provided no argument in the memorandum of law regarding its entitlement to the amount of any statutory damages which should be awarded. Plaintiff also has not argued in its Memorandum of Law that it has successfully met the elements of any claim except for its claim under the ACPA.

I. Default Judgment

A district court may enter a default judgment against a properly served defendant who fails to defend or otherwise appear pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(b)(2); Directv, Inc. v. Griffin, 290 F.Supp.2d 1340, 1343 (M.D.Fla.2003). In the body of the Motion for Default Judgment; Plaintiff argues the Defendants were in violation of the Lanham Act, the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, Florida’s DUTPA and Communications Fraud Act for misleading advertising, and asserts a claim for unjust enrichment2. Doc. 35 at 1-2.

According to the Amended Affidavits of Service of Process, Defendant Karl J. Bon-ga was served individually and as the registered agent of MultiGyn USA, LLC, with a summons and copy of Plaintiffs Complaint on December 17, 2013. See Docs. 20, 21 (explaining in amendment the oversight in the original affidavits). However, neither Defendant filed a timely response with this Court after they were served with process, and the Clerk entered defaults against both on August 15, 2014.

The Court finds that Defendants’ failure to timely respond to the Complaint and subsequent entry of default against them served to admit the well pleaded allegations of the Complaint, including that Defendants’ unauthorized use of an identical copy of Bioclin BV’s trademarks was deliberate and violated the ACPA. See, e.g., Buchanan v. Bowman, 820 F.2d 359

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72 F. Supp. 3d 1288, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 174135, 2014 WL 7224720, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bioclin-bv-v-multygyn-usa-llc-flmd-2014.