Marchante v. Sony Corp. of America, Inc.

801 F. Supp. 2d 1013, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 73755, 2011 WL 2680491
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedJuly 8, 2011
DocketCase 10CV795 JLS (RBB)
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 801 F. Supp. 2d 1013 (Marchante v. Sony Corp. of America, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marchante v. Sony Corp. of America, Inc., 801 F. Supp. 2d 1013, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 73755, 2011 WL 2680491 (S.D. Cal. 2011).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS

JANIS L. SAMMARTINO, District Judge.

Presently before the Court is Defendants Sony Corporation of America, Sony Electronics Inc., and Sony Corporations’ (Defendants or Sony) motion to dismiss Plaintiffs’ consolidated amended complaint. (Mot. to Dismiss, ECF No. 17.) Also before the Court are Plaintiffs’ opposition, (Opp’n, ECF No. 30), and Defendants’ reply, (Reply, ECF No. 31). After consideration, the Court GRANTS Defendants’ motion to dismiss.

*1016 BACKGROUND

Laura Marchante, Phrank Ochoa, Dragan Sefo, and Melissa Solis (Plaintiffs) filed a putative class action suit against Defendants. (CAC, ECF No. 27.) The suit seeks damages and equitable relief for those who purchased Sony televisions with model designations KF-42WE610, KF-50WE610, KF60WE610, KDF-60XBR950, KDF-70XBR950, KF-42WE620, KF-50WE620, KDF-42WE655, and KDF-50WE655. (Id. ¶ 3.)

Plaintiff Laura Marchante presents a representative example of the alleged problem. In December 2005, Marchante purchased one of the model televisions. More than four years later, she “began experiencing a discoloration on the screen of her television.” (Id. ¶ 6.) Marchante contacted Sony, and Sony offered to replace her television or repair the television’s optical block. After some research, Marchante discovered “that her television had a known issue with melting and warping of the lamp access door.” (Id.) Concerned, she performed “her own visual inspection and found her lamp access door to be scorched.” (Id.) And again she contacted Sony. After some wrangling, Sony inspected her television for free. At inspection’s close, Sony advised Marchante to stop using the television: further use could render the television irreparable. Six days later, Sony offered Marchante a refurbished different-model television. Marchante researched the model and discovered that “it too had quality control issues.” She declined Sony’s offer and requested a new television or a full refund. Sony refused. Marchante bought a replacement, non-Sony television.

Plaintiffs allege that certain Sony television models were delivered by Sony with “an identical characteristic and inherent safety defect.” (Id. ¶ 3.) Plaintiffs allege that the defect renders the televisions “unsafe and unsuitable for their principal and intended purpose” because it “causes the Televisions to overheat, causing melting and/or combustion of the internal components and chassis.” (Id.) In some cases, the defect discolors the screen. (Id.)

Plaintiffs also allege that Sony was aware of the defect but it failed to “actively alert consumers to the existence of the safety defect.” (Id. ¶ 4) Instead, Plaintiffs allege, Sony responded to the problem by providing an extended warranty. (Id.)

Plaintiffs’ consolidated amended complaint asserts eight causes of action: (1) Violation of California Business and Professional Code § 17200 et seq. (Unfair Competition Law); (2) Violation of California Business and Professional Code § 17500 et seq. (False Advertising Law); (3) Violation of California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, Cal. Civ.Code § 1750 et seq.; (4) Strict Liability; (5) Violation of the Song Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, Cal. Civ.Code. § 1792 et seq.; (6) Violation of Magnuson-Moss Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.; (7) Breach of Express Warranty; and (8) Breach of Implied Warranty.

LEGAL STANDARD

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) allows a party to assert by motion the defense that the complaint “fail[s] to state a claim upon which relief can be granted,” generally known as a motion to dismiss. The Court evaluates whether a complaint states a cognizable legal theory and sufficient facts in light of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a), which requires a “short and plain statement of the claim” showing that the pleader is entitled to relief. Although Rule 8 “does not require ‘detailed factual allegations,’ ... it [does] demand[ ] more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell *1017 Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). In other words, “a plaintiffs obligation to provide the ‘grounds’ for his ‘entitle[ment] to relief requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955 (citing Papasan v. Allain, 478 U.S. 265, 286, 106 S.Ct. 2932, 92 L.Ed.2d 209 (1986)). “Nor does a complaint suffice if it tenders ‘naked assertion[s]’ devoid of ‘further factual enhancement.’ ” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 557, 127 S.Ct. 1955).

“To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’ ” Id. (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955); see also Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). A claim is facially plausible when the facts pleaded “allow[] the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955). That is not to say that the claim must be probable, but there must be “more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.” Id. Facts “ ‘merely consistent with’ a defendant’s liability” fall short of a plausible entitlement to relief. Id. (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 557, 127 S.Ct. 1955). Further, the Court need not accept as true “legal conclusions” contained in the complaint. Id. This review requires context-specific analysis involving the Court’s “judicial experience and common sense.” Id. at 1950. “[Wjhere the well-pleaded facts do not permit the court to infer more than the mere possibility of misconduct, the complaint has alleged — but it has not ‘show[n]’ — ‘that the pleader is entitled to relief.’ ” Id.

When a motion to dismiss is granted, “leave to amend should be granted ‘unless the court determines that the allegation of other facts consistent with the challenged pleading could not possibly cure the deficiency.’ ” DeSoto v. Yelloio Freight Sys., Inc.,

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Bluebook (online)
801 F. Supp. 2d 1013, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 73755, 2011 WL 2680491, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marchante-v-sony-corp-of-america-inc-casd-2011.