Bobo's Drugs, Inc. v. Fagron, Inc.

314 F. Supp. 3d 1240
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedJune 8, 2018
DocketCase No: 8:17–cv–1862–T–36TBM
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 314 F. Supp. 3d 1240 (Bobo's Drugs, Inc. v. Fagron, Inc.) 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
Bobo's Drugs, Inc. v. Fagron, Inc., 314 F. Supp. 3d 1240 (M.D. Fla. 2018).

Opinion

Charlene Edwards Honeywell, United States District Judge

This cause comes before the Court upon the Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Class Action Complaint and Incorporated Memorandum of Law (Doc. 19), and Plaintiff's response in opposition (Doc. 25). Defendants move to dismiss both counts of the Complaint on the grounds that Plaintiff lacks a concrete and particularized harm to establish standing, Defendants were not "senders" of a fax communication that gave rise to the Complaint within the meaning of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227 ("TCPA"), and the statute of limitations bars certain claims by Plaintiff. Doc. 19 at p. 2. The Court, having considered the parties submissions and being fully advised in the premises, will grant, in part, the Defendants' Motion to Dismiss as to all claims pertaining to the May 1, 2013 fax. In all other respects, the Defendants' Motion to Dismiss will be denied.

I. STATEMENT OF FACTS1

Plaintiff Bobo's Drugs, Inc. d/b/a/ Davis Islands Pharmacy ("Bobo's Drugs") is an independent pharmacy. Doc. 1 ¶ 5. Defendants Fagron, Inc.; Fagron Academy, LLC; Fagron Professional Services, LLC, Fagron Holding USA, LLC, and B & B Pharmaceuticals (collectively, "Defendants") allegedly faxed advertisements, either directly or through a third party, to Bobo's Drugs and a class of similarly situated persons. Doc. 1 ¶¶ 1, 18. Bobo's Drugs attached two of Defendants' fax advertisements to the Complaint, one received on June 2, 2016, and the second received on May 1, 2013. Id. ¶ 19, Ex. A-B. The 2016 fax advertises the Fagron Academy Compounding Technical Services ("FACTS") program, a subscription continuing education and consulting service, and displays a website address, telephone number, and e-mail address that can be used to subscribe to the FACTS program. Id. ¶¶ 20, 22, Ex. A. The 2013 fax advertises the commercial availability of Defendants' pharmaceutical ingredients and products *1242and informs recipients that the listed prices are only available until May 31, 2013, or while supplies last. Id. ¶ 23. It also contains an address, toll free telephone number, and toll free fax number that can be used to place an order for Defendants' pharmaceuticals. Id. ¶ 24.

Additionally, Bobo's Drugs believes Defendants sent similar advertisements to thirty-nine other persons. Id. ¶ 26. Plaintiff brought suit on behalf of itself and all others similarly situated as members of a class, initially defined as follows:

Each person sent one or more telephone facsimile messages from Fagron or B & B Pharmaceuticals promoting pharmaceutical products or educational services from the Fagron Academy Compounding Technical Services [FACTS] but did not inform recipients that to opt out of receiving further faxes they must identify the telephone number of the telephone facsimile machine to which their opt-out request relates, that a request must be made to the telephone number, facsimile number, Web site address or email address identified in the sender's facsimile advertisement, and that an opt-out request will be valid until the recipient subsequently provides express invitation or permission to the sender, in writing or otherwise, authorizing advertisements by fax.

Id. ¶ 28.

Based on these facts, Bobo's Drugs filed a two-count Complaint. Id. Count I alleges that Defendants violated the TCPA by sending the fax advertisements to Bobo's Drugs and other similarly situated class members without their prior express invitation or permission. Id. ¶¶ 38-59. Count I further alleges that Bobo's Drugs and other similarly situated class members were damaged because the faxes tied up telephone lines, prevented fax machines from sending or receiving authorized faxes, caused undue wear and tear on the recipient's fax machines, and wasted the recipients time, paper, and ink toner. Id. ¶¶ 4, 59. Count II alleges that by sending advertisements to the class's fax machines, Defendants converted the class's fax machines, paper, toner, and time to Defendants' own use. Id. ¶¶ 60-67.

Defendants filed the instant Motion to Dismiss, arguing that (1) Bobo's Drugs' TCPA claim based on the 2013 fax advertisement is barred by the four year statute of limitations; (2) Defendants Fagron, Inc.; Fagron Academy, LLC; Fagron Professional Services, LLC, and Fagron Holdings USA, LLC (the "Fagron Defendants") do not qualify as the sender of the 2016 fax advertisement under the TCPA and Bobo's drugs cannot state a claim for violation of the TCPA or conversion against the Fagron Defendants; and (3) the 2016 fax advertisement was no more than a bare procedural violation that does not constitute a concrete injury in fact as required by Article III of the United States Constitution to establish standing. Doc. 19 at 3-7.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

To survive a motion to dismiss, a pleading must include a "short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." Ashcroft v. Iqbal

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Bluebook (online)
314 F. Supp. 3d 1240, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bobos-drugs-inc-v-fagron-inc-flmd-2018.