Estate of Graham v. Sotheby's Inc.

860 F. Supp. 2d 1117, 2012 WL 1765445
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedMay 17, 2012
DocketCase Nos. 2:11-cv-08604-JHN-FFM (Sotheby's), 2:11-cv-08605-JHN-FFM (Christie’s)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 860 F. Supp. 2d 1117 (Estate of Graham v. Sotheby's Inc.) 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.

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Estate of Graham v. Sotheby's Inc., 860 F. Supp. 2d 1117, 2012 WL 1765445 (C.D. Cal. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING JOINT MOTION TO DISMISS

JACQUELINE H. NGUYEN, Circuit Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on Defendants Sotheby’s, Inc. (“Sotheby’s”) and Christie’s, Inc.’s (“Christie’s”) (collectively, “Defendants”) Joint Motion to Dismiss (“Jt. Mot.”). (2:1 l-cv-8604-JHNFFM, docket no. 17.)1 The Court has read and considered the briefs filed by the parties in this matter. The Court has also considered the oral argument that took place on March 12, 2012.

For the reasons herein, the Joint Motion is GRANTED with prejudice.

I.

BACKGROUND

Defendants are world-renowned auction houses. Sotheby’s is a New York corporation, with its principal place of business in New York. (Sotheby’s Compl. ¶ 5; Jt. Mot. 10.) Christie’s is also a New York corporation, with its principal place of business in New York. (Christie’s Compl. ¶ 6; Jt. Mot. 10.)

On October 18, 2011, Plaintiffs — a collection of artists and their heirs — brought the instant Class Action Complaints (the “Complaints”), alleging that Defendants failed to comply with the California Resale Royalties Act (“CRRA”), Cal. Civ.Code § 986. Specifically, Plaintiffs allege, inter alia, that Defendants — acting as the agents for California sellers — sold works of fine art at auction but failed to pay the appropriate resale royalty provided for under the CRRA. (Sotheby’s Compl. ¶¶ 9-12.)

On January 12, 2012, Defendants filed a Joint Motion to Dismiss the Complaints, arguing that the Court should strike down the CRRA because it (1) violates the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution; (2) effects a taking of private property in violation of the United States and California constitutions; and (3) is preempted by the Copyright Act of 1976. (Jt. Mot.7, 17, 24.) Because the Court finds that the CRRA “cannot withstand Commerce Clause scrutiny,” Nat’l Collegiate Athletic Ass’n v. Miller, 10 F.3d 633, 638 (9th Cir.1993), it need not address Defendants’ preemption and Takings Clause arguments.

[1120]*1120II.

LEGAL STANDARD

A defendant may seek dismissal of a complaint that “fail[s] to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.” Fed. R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). In evaluating a motion to dismiss, the Court generally cannot consider material outside the complaint, such as facts presented in briefs, affidavits, hr discovery materials, unless such material is alleged in the complaint or judicially noticed. McCalip v. De Legarret, No. 08-2250, 2008 WL 3891254, at *1-2, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 87870, at *4 (C.D.Cal. Aug. 18, 2008); see also Jacobson v. AEG Capital Corp., 50 F.3d 1493, 1496 (9th Cir. 1995). The Court must accept as true all material factual allegations in the complaint and construe them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Nursing Home Pension Fund, Local 144 v. Oracle Corp., 380 F.3d 1226, 1229 (9th Cir.2004). However, this tenet is inapplicable to legal conclusions. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). The Court need not accept as true “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements.” Id. The Court, based on judicial experience and common sense, must determine whether a complaint plausibly states a claim for relief. Id. at 1950.

III.

DISCUSSION

Defendants argue that by purporting to regulate transactions that take place wholly outside of California, the CRRA violates the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. (Jt. Mot.7); U.S. Const, art. I, § 8, cl. 3. The Court conducts its analysis mindful of the “time-honored presumption” that “[ejvery legislative act is to be presumed to be a constitutional exercise of legislative power until the contrary is clearly established.” Reno v. Condon, 528 U.S. 141, 148, 120 S.Ct. 666, 145 L.Ed.2d 587 (2000); Close v. Glenwood Cemetery, 107 U.S. 466, 475, 2 S.Ct. 267, 27 L.Ed. 408 (1883).

A. The CRRA

The CRRA provides for a droit de suite, or resale royalty right, for fine artists. Cal. Civ.Code § 986. The droit de suite creates a “continuing remunerative relationship between a visual artist and his creation,” by providing the artist with a right to a royalty payment — consisting of a percentage of an original work’s resale price — each time the “original, tangible embodiment” of the artist’s work is resold. Elliot Alderman, Resale Royalties in the United States for Fine Visual Artists: An Alien Concept, 40 J. Copyright Soc’y U.S.A. 265, 267 (1992); 2 Melville B. Nimmer & David Nimmer, Nimmer on Copyright § 8C.04[A][1] (2011) [hereinafter “Nimmer”].2

The CRRA provides that “[w]henever a work of fíne art is sold and the seller resides in California or the sale takes place in California, the seller or the seller’s agent shall pay to the artist of such work of fine art or to such artist’s agent 5 percent of the amount of such sale.” Cal. Civ.Code § 986(a). An artist can waive the right to this royalty “only by a contract in writing providing for an amount in ex[1121]*1121cess of 5 percent of the amount of such sale.” Id. The CRRA excludes any resale where the gross sales price is less than $1,000. Id. § 986(b)(2).

The CRRA defines a work of “[f]ine art” as “an original painting, sculpture, or drawing, or an original work of art in glass.” Id. § 986(c)(2). An “[ajrtist” is defined as “the person who creates a work of fine art and who, at the time of resale, is a citizen of the United States, or a resident of the state who has resided in the state for a minimum of two years.” Id. § 986(c)(1). Therefore, the CRRA applies to all artists who are U.S. citizens, regardless of the state in which they reside. Here, for example, Plaintiff Chuck Close resides in New York. (Sotheby’s Compl. ¶ 3; Christie’s Compl. ¶ 4.)

The CRRA additionally requires the seller’s agent to effect payment of the resale royalty. Cal. Civ.Code § 986(a)(1). Specifically, the CRRA provides that “[wjhen a work of fine art is sold at an auction or by a gallery, dealer, broker, museum or other person acting as the agent for the seller the agent shall withhold 5 percent of the amount of the sale, locate the artist and pay the artist.” Id.

If the agent is unable to locate the artist within 90 days, the agent must pay the applicable royalty to the California Arts Council, which is then required to search for the artist for seven years.

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Related

Chuck Close v. Sotheby's, Inc.
894 F.3d 1061 (Ninth Circuit, 2018)

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