Data General Corp. v. Grumman Systems Support Corp.

834 F. Supp. 477, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21774, 1992 WL 535951
District Court, D. Massachusetts·Decided September 10, 1992·No. Civ. A. 88-0033-S·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER ON DEFENDANT’S MOTIONS ON POST-INJUNCTION DAMAGES AND FOR CONSOLIDATION, PLAINTIFF’S MOTIONS TO STRIKE AND FOR CONTEMPT, AND CROSS-MOTIONS FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

SKINNER, District Judge.

Plaintiffs Data General Corporation and Data General Service, Inc., (collectively, “Data General”) and defendant Grumman Systems Support Corporation (“Grumman”) *481 are embroiled in litigation over Data General’s computer software product called ADEX. I have set out the relevant facts in my memo-randa and orders of December 29,1988, February 29, 1991, May 2, 1991, and June 3, 1992, and I need not repeat them here. Grumman now moves for partial summary judgment on the issue of whether damages may accrue for the period subsequent to the December 29, 1988 preliminary injunction. Data General moves for contempt for Grumman’s alleged failure to abide by that injunction. Data General also moves for partial summary judgment on several of Grumman’s remaining counterclaims. Grumman in turn moves for partial summary judgment on Data General’s copyright claim. Finally, Grumman’s counsel moves to consolidate this case for trial with a related case.

Discussion

I Post-Injunction Damages

On December 29,1988 I ordered Grumman to cease using and copying ADEX and to turn over to Data General all copies of the software which were then in Grumman’s possession, custody, or control. Grumman now moves for partial summary judgment on the issue of whether Data General would be precluded from recovering damages for Grumman’s activities after the December 1988 injunction. The motion is based partly on Grumman’s contention that it has fully complied with the injunction. Grumman argues that Data General should not be allowed to contend that its post-injunction market share would have been bigger or its profits greater but for pre-injunction wrongdoing by Grumman. Grumman’s argument is that any claim Data General may make for post-infringement damages would be under such theories as loss of good will and market recognition, claims which are not allowed under copyright law and which are necessarily so tenuous and speculative that they must be dismissed as a matter of law.

Data General counters on two fronts: First, it furnishes an affidavit of Larry J. Schwartz, a former Grumman official, in which he asserts that for at least eighteen months after the injunction was issued, Grumman repeatedly copied and used ADEX to service Data General computers, in direct violation of the injunction. Second, it maintains that under applicable law the question of post-infringement damages is a factual inquiry, inappropriate for summary judgment.

Data General is correct on both fronts. Grumman’s motion is expressly based on its contention that its compliance with the terms of the injunction is uncontested by Data General. With the Schwartz affidavit Data General has introduced evidence from which a jury could assess damages which directly flow from Grumman’s post-injunction copyright infringement. The premise for the motion being thus undermined, the motion fails.

Even if the Schwartz affidavit were not sufficient, Grumman would still be unable to prevail on its motion. Grumman relies on Williams v. Arndt, 626 F.Supp. 571 (D.Mass.1985), for the proposition that post-injunction damages may be foreclosed as a matter of law. In that case, however, the court found, only after a trial on the merits, that the plaintiffs claims for post-infringement lost profits were too uncertain and speculative in that case. The Second Circuit has addressed this issue and stated, “We see no legal barrier to [an award based on loss of good will and market recognition resulting from copyright infringement] so long as the amount of the award is based on a factual basis rather than undue speculation.” Business Trends Analysts, Inc. v. Freedonia Group, Inc., 887 F.2d 399, 404 (2d Cir.1989). I hold that even in the absence of the Schwartz affidavit, a trial on the merits is necessary to determine whether an adequate factual basis exists for the jury to assess post-infringement damages in this case.

II Contempt

Further relying on the Schwartz affidavit, Data General moves the court to find Grumman in contempt of the injunction. Rather than filing an opposition to Data General’s motion, Grumman responds by seeking a ninety day briefing schedule on the matter. Grumman says that it needs time to depose Schwartz and other Grumman employees to *482 determine its position on whether it has complied with the injunction.

“Civil contempt occurs when a party fails to comply with a court order.” General Signal Corp. v. Donallco, Inc., 787 F.2d 1376, 1379 (9th Cir.1986). “[I]f complainant makes a showing that respondent has disobeyed a decree in complainant’s favor, and that damages have resulted to complainant thereby, complainant is entitled as of right to an order in civil contempt imposing a compensatory fine.... The court has no discretion to withhold the appropriate remedial order.” Parker v. United States, 153 F.2d 66, 70 (1st Cir.1946). Additionally, “[Tjhere is no scien-ter requirement for a finding of civil contempt.” AMF, Inc. v. Jewett, 711 F.2d 1096, 1104 (1st Cir.1983).

Data General has made a showing that it may prevail on its motion, but it has not made a showing that justice would be best served by a pre-trial ruling on this matter. To the contrary, the record of Grumman’s activities with respect to infringement, both pre- and post-injunction, will be significantly better developed following a full trial on the merits of the underlying claims. Data General does not argue that it would be harmed or prejudiced if this matter were held in abeyance until after trial. I therefore decline to rule on this issue until after trial, at which time Data General will be free to renew the motion. Grumman remains under an affirmative duty to insure that all of its officers, directors, employees, servants, agents, attorneys, and all persons in active concert or participation with them aggressively comply with the terms of the December 29, 1988 injunction.

Ill Data General’s Summary Judgment Motions

A. Counterclaim Counts I and II

Counts I and II of Grumman’s Third Amended Counterclaim alleges breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing resulting from the alleged breach of contract by Data General. These counts arise out of a litigation settlement agreement which Data General and Grumman’s predecessor in interest, Computer Systems Support Corporation (“CSSC”) entered into in 1976.

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Data General Corp. v. Grumman Systems Support Corp., 834 F. Supp. 477, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21774, 1992 WL 535951 (D. Mass. 1992).

834 F. Supp. 477 (Data General Corp. v. Grumman Systems Support Corp.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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