ExxonMobil Global Services Co. v. Gensym Corp.

54 F. Supp. 3d 707, 2014 WL 4676839
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedSeptember 17, 2014
DocketCase No. 1:12-CV-442-JDR
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 54 F. Supp. 3d 707 (ExxonMobil Global Services Co. v. Gensym Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
ExxonMobil Global Services Co. v. Gensym Corp., 54 F. Supp. 3d 707, 2014 WL 4676839 (W.D. Tex. 2014).

Opinion

[709]*709MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

JOHN D. RAINEY, Senior District Judge.

Pending before the Court is Plaintiffs ExxonMobil ^Global Services Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, and ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company’s (collectively “ExxonMobil”) Motion for Partial Summary Judgment Concerning Gensym’s Failure to Provide Access Codes (Dkt. No. 85), to which Gensym Corporation (“Gensym”) and Versata- Enterprises, Inc. (“Versata”) (collectively “Gensym”) have responded (Dkt. No. 92) and Exxon-Mobil has replied (Dkt. No. 95).

I. Factual and Procedural Background

This breach of contract action involves a computer software license agreement entered into between ExxonMobil and Gensym in 2008 (“2008 License Agreement”, Dkt. No. 85, Ex. 1), as well as a purchase order for a “corporate wide perpetual license for G2 [ExxonMobil] development bundle” that ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE)1 submitted to Gensym pursuant to the License Agreement (“G2 Purchase Order,” Id., Ex. 2). The facts giving rise to this action are set forth at length in the Court’s March 26, 2013 Memorandum Opinion & Order (Dkt. No. 78), which granted partial summary judgment in favor of ExxonMobil as to several issues of contract construction of the 2008 License Agreement. ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Co. v. Gensym Corp., 2013 WL 1293772 (W.D.Tex. Mar. 26, 2013).

The Court previously found that “Gen-sym is required to provide [ExxonMobil] with whatever access codes are necessary to allow ExxonMobil to use the G2 Software Platform, ... regardless of whether ExxonMobil purchases maintenance services -from Gensym.” ExxonMobil, 2013 WL 1293772 at *8. The Court further recognized that its findings did “not resolve the disputed issue of ... whether Gensym actually provided ExxonMobil with a working permanent access code before this lawsuit.” Id. ExxonMobil now moves for partial summary judgment on the limited issue of whether Gensym breached the 2008 License Agreement by refusing and failing to provide access codes necessary to allow ExxonMobil to use the G2 Software Platform.

II. Summary Judgment Standard

Summary judgment is proper “if the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c); see also Christopher Village, Ltd. v. Retsinas, 190 F.3d 310, 314 (5th Cir.1999). “For any matter on which the non-movant would bear the burden of proof at trial ..., the movant may merely point to the absence of evidence and thereby shift to the non-movant the burden of demonstrating by competent summary judgment proof that there is an issue of material fact warranting trial,” Transamerica Ins. Co. v. Avenell, 66 F.3d 715, 718-19 (5th Cir.1995); see also Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323-25, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). To prevent summary judgment, the non-mov-ant must “respond by setting forth specific facts” that indicate a genuine issue of material fact. Rushing v. Kansas City S. Ry. Co., 185 F.3d 496, 505 (5th Cir.1999).

[710]*710When considering a motion for summary-judgment, the Court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-movant and draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-movant. See Samuel v. Holmes, 138 F.3d 173, 176 (5th Cir.1998); Texas v. Thompson, 70 F.3d 390, 392 (5th Cir.1995). “[T]he court may not undertake to evaluate the credibility of the witnesses, weigh the evidence, or resolve factual disputes; so long as the evidence in the record is such that a reasonable jury drawing all inferences in favor of the nonmoving party could arrive at a verdict in that party’s favor, the court must deny the motion.” Int’l Shortstop, Inc. v. Rally’s, Inc., 939 F.2d 1257, 1263 (5th Cir.1991). However, the non-movant cannot avoid summary judgment by presenting only “conclusory allegations” or “unsubstantiated assertions,” such as the bare allegations of a complaint, but must present sufficient evidence, such as sworn testimony in a deposition or affidavit, to create a genuine issue of material fact as to the claim asserted. Little v. Liquid Air Corp., 37 F.3d 1069, 1075 (5th Cir.1994) (en banc). “Even if the standards of Rule 56 are met, a court has discretion to deny a motion for summary judgment if it believes that ‘the better course would be to proceed to a full trial.’ ” Freeman v. U.S., 2005 WL 3132185, *2 (S.D.Tex. Nov. 22, 2005) (quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)).

III. Objections to Summary Judgment Evidence

As a preliminary matter, the Court will address specific evidentiary objections Gensym has lodged with respect to Exxon-Mobil’s summary judgment evidence.

Gensym first objects to statements Exx-onMobil cites on page 41 of Andrew Price’s Deposition Transcript (Dkt. No. 85, Ex. 13) on the grounds that the statements contain ’ hearsay. See Fed. R. Evid. 801. This objection is sustained.

Gensym further objects to the statement “contrary to the explicit terms of the license agreement” in Paragraph 7 of John Thurtell’s Affidavit (Dkt. N6. 85, Ex. 19) on the grounds that it states a legal conclusion. See Fed.R.Evid. 602. This objection is sustained.

Gensym also objects to statements in Paragraph 8 of Mr. Thurtell’s Affidavit on the grounds that statements purportedly made by Gensym and ExxonMobil are hearsay. See Fed.R.Evid. 801. This objection is overruled.

Gensym further objects to Paragraph 10 of Mr. Thurtell’s Affidavit on the grounds that it consists “entirely” of conclusory statements that lack any foundation. See Fed.R.Evid. 602. Although portions of this paragraph are conclusory, the Court does not find that it is “entirely” so. To the extent the Court has regarded portions of this paragraph as relevant, admissible, and necessary to the resolution of particular summary judgment issues, it hereby overrules this objection.

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54 F. Supp. 3d 707, 2014 WL 4676839, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/exxonmobil-global-services-co-v-gensym-corp-txwd-2014.