Disney Enters., Inc. v. Redbox Automated Retail, LLC

336 F. Supp. 3d 1146
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedAugust 29, 2018
DocketCase No. CV 17-08655 DDP (AGRx)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 336 F. Supp. 3d 1146 (Disney Enters., Inc. v. Redbox Automated Retail, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Disney Enters., Inc. v. Redbox Automated Retail, LLC, 336 F. Supp. 3d 1146 (C.D. Cal. 2018).

Opinion

DEAN D. PREGERSON, United States District Judge

Presently before the court is Plaintiffs Disney Enterprises, Inc., Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., Lucasfilm Ltd., LLC, and MVL Film Finance LLC (collectively, "Disney")'s Motion for Preliminary Injunction. Having considered the submissions of the parties and heard oral argument, the court grants the motion and adopts the following Order.

I. Background

As explained in further detail in this Court's prior Order (Dkt. 74), Disney owns the copyrights to several well-known movies, including Coco , Beauty and the Beast , Star Wars: The Last Jedi , and Black Panther . Disney distributes its films in physical formats, such as DVD and Blu-ray discs, as well as via streaming and digital download services. Among Disney's product offerings are "Combo Packs," which contain a DVD and/or Blu-ray disc version of a particular Disney movie and a piece of paper containing an alphanumeric code (a "download Code" or "Code"). The Code can be inputted or redeemed at RedeemDigitalMovies.com or DisneyMoviesAnywhere.com ("Movies Anywhere") (collectively, the "redemption sites" or "download sites") to allow a user to stream and/or download the same Disney movie contained on the physical discs.

Defendant Redbox Automated Retail, LLC ("Redbox") rents and sells movies to consumers via automated kiosks that dispense DVD and Blu-ray discs. Redbox has, for many years, purchased and disassembled Combo Packs, then rented or sold the physical discs therein to Redbox customers. In late 2017, Redbox also began offering Combo Pack download Codes for individual sale at Redbox kiosks.

Soon after, Disney filed this suit and sought a preliminary injunction enjoining Redbox from offering standalone Disney Codes for sale. Disney's Complaint alleged that Redbox's resale of Combo Pack Codes (1) constituted contributory copyright infringement (2) breached a contract Redbox enters into when it purchases Combo Packs, (3) interfered with Disney's contractual relations, and (4) violated California false advertising and unfair competition laws. This court denied Disney's *1150motion for a preliminary injunction, concluding that, in light of the specific language printed upon Combo Pack boxes and used within the redemption sites' Terms of Use, Disney could not show a likelihood of success on the merits of its breach of contract or contributory copyright infringement claims.

Disney subsequently changed the language on its Combo Pack boxes, changed the download sites' Terms of Use, and amended its Complaint.1 Disney's Combo Pack packaging for the movie Black Panther is the first to reflect changes implemented after this Court's denial of Disney's first motion for a preliminary injunction. The front of Black Panther Combo Pack boxes indicates that the Combo Packs include a "Digital Code." The back of the boxes state, in some of the largest print displayed, "Digital Code Included*[.]" The asterisk directs the reader to a discrete text box at the bottom of the package, which states, in smaller, all-capitalized text, "Digital code redemption requires prior acceptance of licence terms and conditions. Codes only for personal use by recipient of this combination package or family member. Digital movie code ... subject to expiration after May 15, 2023." Smaller type in a more central, fine print-type section of the packaging reads, "The digital code contained in this package may not be sold separately and may be redeemed only by the recipient of this combination package or a family member. Visit MoviesAnywhere.com, RedeemDigitalMovie.com, and disneytermsofuse.com for code redemption and other applicable terms and conditions." The paper Code insert within the Combo Pack contains a similar statement and also reads, "This digital code is part of a combination package and may not be sold separately," and "Digital code redemption is subject to prior acceptance of license terms and conditions."

A visitor to RedeemDigitalMovie.com now sees a pop-up text box stating,

All digital movie codes are owned by [Disney]. Digital codes originally packaged in a combination disc + code packages (sic) may not be sold separately and may be redeemed only by an individual who obtains the code in the original combination disc + code package .... Digital codes are not authorized for redemption if sold separately. You may use digital movie codes to obtain licensed access to digital movies only as specifically authorized under these terms and conditions, the "Help" section of this website, the Disney Terms of Use, and the terms and conditions of Movies Anywhere or any participating provider of digital content ....

(Declaration of Kelly Klaus, Ex. B.) The far lengthier Movies Anywhere Terms of Use state, within a "Copyright License Grant and Restriction" section, that "[t]he purchase of a license to stream or download any Movies Anywhere Content does not create an ownership interest in the licensed Content." (Klaus Decl., Ex. D at 17.) The terms of use further state that users will not "redeem an unauthorized ... digital code," and "For combination packs: By redeeming a digital code ... you are representing that you ... obtained the code in an original ... package and the code was not purchased separately. Your representation is a condition of redemption ...." (Id. ) Before a consumer can view digital content, he or she must enter a Code on a webpage that displays a similar message and requires the user to affirmatively click a "Redeem" button. (Klaus Decl. Exs. B, C.)

Disney's First Amended Complaint ("FAC") alleges a single cause of action *1151against Redbox for contributory copyright infringement. Disney now renews its motion for a preliminary injunction enjoining Redbox from selling Disney's download Codes.

II. Legal Standard

A private party seeking a preliminary injunction must show that: (i) it is likely to succeed on the merits; (ii) it will suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief; (iii) the balancing of the equities between the parties that would result from the issuance or denial of the injunction tips in its favor; and (iv) an injunction will be in the public interest. Winter v. Natural Resources Def. Council, 555 U.S. 7, 20, 129 S.Ct. 365, 172 L.Ed.2d 249 (2008). Preliminary relief may be warranted where a party: (i) shows a combination of probable success on the merits and the possibility of irreparable harm; or (ii) raises serious questions on such matters and shows that the balance of hardships tips in favor of an injunction. See Arcamuzi v. Continental Air Lines, Inc., 819 F.2d 935, 937 (9th Cir. 1987). "These two formulations represent two points on a sliding scale in which the required degree of irreparable harm increases as the probability of success decreases."

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336 F. Supp. 3d 1146, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/disney-enters-inc-v-redbox-automated-retail-llc-cacd-2018.