Brain Pharma, LLC v. Scalini

858 F. Supp. 2d 1349, 2012 WL 1563917, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64295
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedApril 30, 2012
DocketCase No. 12-60132-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 858 F. Supp. 2d 1349 (Brain Pharma, LLC v. Scalini) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brain Pharma, LLC v. Scalini, 858 F. Supp. 2d 1349, 2012 WL 1563917, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64295 (S.D. Fla. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS

JAMES I. COHN, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE is before the Court upon Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Complaint [DE 21] (“Motion”). The Court has considered the Motion, Plaintiffs Response [DE 26] (“Response”), Defendants’ Reply [DE 28] (“Reply”), and is otherwise fully advised in the premises.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff Brain Pharma, LLC (“Plaintiff’ or “BPI”) filed a complaint against Defendants Javier Scalini individually and d/b/a Allstarhealth.com, Fernando Scalini individually and d/b/a Allstarhealth.com, Javier Scalini and Fernando Scalini, jointly and severally, d/b/a Allstarhealth.com, (collectively “Allstarhealth”) and ADF, Inc. d/b/a Advantis Nutrition (“Advantis”) (collectively “Defendants”) on Jánuary 25, 2012. See Complaint [DE 1]. The Complaint accuses Defendants of several violations of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1051-1141n, and equivalent Florida statutes. Compl. ¶ 1. Specifically, Plaintiff, a sports nutrition company which manufactures and sells dietary and nutritional supplements, contends that it has used the trademark logo BPI to market its products since January 28, 2009. Id. ¶¶ 9-10. Plaintiff alleges that Allstarhealth “has misrepresented itself to the public, through its website, as an authorized BPI agent.” Id. ¶ 20. Plaintiff also alleges that Advantis “is selling and distributing BPI’s products to retailers and end users unaffiliated with BPI without authorization.” Id. ¶ 21. Because the BPI products Defendants sell, are not inspected by BPI, Plaintiff contends that Defendants “are not selling genuine BPI products.” Id. ¶ 22.

As a result of Defendants’ actions, Plaintiff claims that its BPI trademark has been infringed pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a) (Count I),' Defendants have engaged in unfair competition and false designation of origin in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a) (Count II), and that its trademark has been diluted pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1125(c) (Count III). Plaintiff also brings claims for injury to business reputation and dilution pursuant to Florida Statutes § 495.151 (Count IV), trademark infringement of an unregistered mark under Flori[1352]*1352da common law (Count V), and unfair competition under Florida common law (Count VI). Defendants have now filed a motion to dismiss which seeks to dismiss all counts of the Complaint on the grounds that Plaintiff has failed to state a claim.

II. DISCUSSION

A. Legal Standard For Motion to Dismiss.

Under. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), a court shall grant a motion to dismiss where, based upon a dispositive issue of law, the factual allegations of the complaint cannot support the asserted cause of action. Glover v. Liggett Grp., Inc., 459 F.3d 1304, 1308 (11th Cir.2006). Indeed, “[flactual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007). Thus, a complaint must contain “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’ ” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955).

Nonetheless, a complaint must be liberally construed, assuming the facts alleged therein as true and drawing all reasonable inferences from those facts in the plaintiffs favor. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955. A complaint should not be dismissed simply because the court is doubtful that the plaintiff will be able to prove all of the necessary factual allegations. Id. Accordingly, a well pleaded complaint will survive a motion to dismiss “ ‘even if it appears that a recovery is very remote and unlikely.’ ” Id. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955.

B. Trademark Infringement under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a) (Count I).

Defendants move to dismiss Plaintiffs trademark infringement count on the grounds that their mere resale of Plaintiffs products does not constitute trademark infringement. Motion at 3. According to Defendants, Plaintiffs conclusory statement that Defendants “are not selling genuine BPI products” is insufficient to avoid application of the first sale doctrine. Id. at 4 (citing Compl. ¶ 22). Defendants also argue that the this count must be dismissed because the Complaint is devoid of any allegations regarding what Plaintiffs quality control measures are and how Defendants failed to meet them. Id. at 5. In its Response, Plaintiff argues that the first sale doctrine is inapplicable here “because Defendants have taken actions beyond the scope of its protection.” Response at 4. Specifically, Plaintiff states that it has alleged that “Defendants are representing themselves to the public as authorized dealers of BPI’s products and creating the perception that Defendants are affiliated with BPI.” Id. at 6 (citing Compl. ¶¶ 19-25). Plaintiff also contends that Defendants are selling its products at “excessively discounted prices.” Id.

Title 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a) provides that:

(1) Any person who, on or in connection with any goods or services, or any container for goods, uses in commerce any word, term, name, symbol, or device, or any. combination thereof, or any false designation of origin, false or misleading description of fact, or false or misleading representation of fact, which—
(A) is likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive as to the affiliation, connection, or association of such person with another person, or as to the origin, sponsorship, or approval of his or her goods, services, or commercial activities by another person, or
(B) in commercial advertising or promotion, misrepresents the nature, characteristics, qualities, or geograph[1353]*1353ic origin of his or her or another person’s goods, services, or commercial activities,
shall be liable in a civil action by any person who believes that he or she is or is likely to be damaged by such act.

15 U.S.C. § 1125(a). To establish a prima facie case for trademark infringement, “a plaintiff must show (1) that the plaintiff had enforceable ...

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858 F. Supp. 2d 1349, 2012 WL 1563917, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64295, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brain-pharma-llc-v-scalini-flsd-2012.