Marty v. Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC

43 F. Supp. 3d 1333, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 124180, 2014 WL 4388415
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedSeptember 5, 2014
DocketCase No. 13-23656-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 43 F. Supp. 3d 1333 (Marty v. Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marty v. Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC, 43 F. Supp. 3d 1333, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 124180, 2014 WL 4388415 (S.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

[CONSENT]

ORDER

JOHN J. O’SULLIVAN, United States Magistrate Judge.

THIS MATTER comes before the Court on the Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss and Memorandum of Law in Support (DE # 54, 4/25/14).

BACKGROUND

Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC (hereinafter “defendant” or “AB”) is the brewer of Beck’s beer (hereinafter “Beck’s” or “Beck’s Beer”).1 See Amended Class Action Complaint (DE # 50 at ¶ 10, 3/31/14) (hereinafter “Amended Complaint”).2 Beck’s originated and was brewed in Germany from 1873 until 2012 when the defendant began brewing Beck’s in St. Louis, Missouri. Id. at ¶¶ 6, 10.3

The plaintiffs are consumers of Beck’s residing in Florida, New York and California who purchased Beck’s “in reliance on representations contained on [the] packaging and Beck’s history of being an imported beer from Germany.” Amended Complaint (DE # 50 at ¶¶ 22, 24, 26, 3/31/14). The plaintiffs allege that the defendant made misrepresentations about Beck’s that caused confusion among consumers. Id. at ¶ 15. According to the plaintiffs, “[consumers believed they [we]re purchasing German beer, imported from Germany, brewed using German requirements and with German ingredients, when in fact, they [we]re purchasing beer brewed in St. Louis, Missouri ... with ingredients from the United States.” Id. The plaintiffs maintain that “[b]ased on [the defendants misrepresentations and deceptive conduct, [they] purchased beer that had less value than what [they] had paid, and [they] ha[ve] accordingly suffered legally cognizable damages proximately caused by the [defendant's misconduct.” Id. at ¶¶ 22, 24, 26.

On March 31, 2014, the plaintiffs filed their Amended Complaint asserting causes of action for: unjust enrichment (Count I), violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, Fla. Stat. § 501.201 et seq. (“FDUTPA”) (Count II), violation of the New York General Business Law § 349 (Count III), violation of the California Unfair Competition Law Business and Professions Code § 17200, et seq. (“UCL”) (Count IV) and violation of the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act Civil Code § 1750, et seq. (“CLRA”) (Count V). See Amended Complaint (DE # 50 at ¶ 10, 3/31/14).4

[1337]*1337On April 25, 2014, the defendant moved to dismiss all counts of the Amended Complaint (DE # 50) for failure to state a claim under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and to dismiss the in-junctive relief sought in Counts II through IV for lack of standing under Rule 12(b)(1). See Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss and Memorandum of Law in Support (DE #54, 4/25/14). The plaintiffs filed their response on May 19, 2014. See Plaintiffs’ Response in Opposition to Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Amended Complaint (DE # 62, 5/19/14). The defendant filed its reply in support of the instant motion on May 30, 2014. See Defendant’s Reply Memorandum in Support of its Motion to Dismiss (DE # 63, 5/30/14).

On June 6, 2014, the defendant filed a notice of supplemental authority. See Defendant’s Notice of Supplemental Authority in Support of Its Motion to Dismiss (DE # 66, 6/6/14). The defendant filed a second notice of supplemental authority on July 28, 2014. See Defendant’s Notice of Supplemental Authority in Support of Its Motion to Dismiss (DE # 75, 7/28/14).

In a prior Order, the Court granted the defendant’s request to take judicial notice of the Certificates of Label Approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) dated December 14, 2009 and December 14, 2011, “the bottom of the current [carton]5 of Beck’s six[-]pack of bottles” and the front carton of Beck’s six-pack and twelve-pack bottles. See Order (DE #38, 1/21/14); Defendant’s Request for Judicial Notice in Support of its Motion to Dismiss (DE # 14, 12/9/13) (footnote added). The Court will consider these documents in ruling on the instant motion.

On August 1, 2014, the Court held a hearing on the instant motion. At the defendant’s request, the Court allowed the defendant to bring demonstratives to the hearing for the Court’s consideration. See Defendant’s Unopposed Motion for Permission to Bring Demonstratives to the August 1, 2014 Hearing '(DE #74, 7/28/14); Order Granting Defendant’s Motion for Permission to Bring Demonstratives to the August 1, 2014 Hearing (DE # 76, 7/29/14). The defendant presented the Court with sample twelve ounce bottles and cans of Beck’s, the cartons for six-pack and twelve-pack bottles and the carton for twelve-pack cans. Following the hearing, the Court issued an Order permitting the parties to file supplemental briefs on the issue of standing to seek injunctive relief. See Order (DE # 78, 8/1/14).

On August 6, 2014, the defendant filed its supplemental brief. See Defendant’s Supplemental Brief in Support'of Its Motion to Dismiss (DE #81, 8/6/14). The plaintiffs filed their supplemental brief on August 11, 2014. See Plaintiffs Supplemental Brief in Opposition to Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Amended Complaint (DE # 83, 8/11/14). On September 2, 2014, the defendant filed its third notice of supplemental authority. See Defendant’s Notice of Supplemental Authority in Support of Its Motion to Dismiss (DE # 86, 9/2/14). This matter is ripe for adjudication.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

A. Rule 12(b)(6)

The defendant seeks to dismiss the Amended Complaint (DE # 50, 3/31/14) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. See Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss and Memorandum of Law in Support (DE #54 at 1-36, 4/25/14). “A [1338]*1338pleading that states a claim for relief must contain ... a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(a)(2). Rule 8 does not require “detailed factual allegations,” but “[a] pleading that offers labels and conclusions or a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)) (internal quotations omitted).

The defendant also argues that Rule 9(b)’s heightened pleading requirement applies to the plaintiffs’ FDUTPA, UCL and CLRA claims and that the plaintiffs have not met this pleading requirement in their Amended Complaint (DE # 50, 3/31/14). See Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss and Memorandum of Law in Support (DE # 54 at 16, 4/25/14). Rule 9(b) states that: “In alleging fraud or mistake, a party must state with particularity the circumstances constituting fraud or mistake. Malice, intent, knowledge, and other conditions of a person’s mind may be alleged generally.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 9(b).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
43 F. Supp. 3d 1333, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 124180, 2014 WL 4388415, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marty-v-anheuser-busch-companies-llc-flsd-2014.