Matrix Essentials v. Quality King Distributors, Inc.

522 F. Supp. 2d 470, 2007 WL 4105397
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedNovember 14, 2007
DocketCV 90-1070
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 522 F. Supp. 2d 470 (Matrix Essentials v. Quality King Distributors, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Matrix Essentials v. Quality King Distributors, Inc., 522 F. Supp. 2d 470, 2007 WL 4105397 (E.D.N.Y. 2007).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

LEONARD D. WEXLER, District Judge.

The complaint in this action was commenced by Matrix Essentials, Inc. (“Matrix”), by way of order to show cause, on March 28, 1990. Named as Defendants were Quality King Distributors, Inc., (“Quality King”), as well as the company’s then-president, Bernard Nussdorf and his sons, Glenn and Stephen Nussdorf (the “Quality King Defendants”). Two months after filing of the complaint, the parties entered into a permanent injunction and consent order and the case was closed. The parties’ agreement was “so ordered” by this court on May 29, 1990 (the “1990 Injunction”).

Fourteen years later, on June 10, 2004, L’Oreal USA, Inc., L’Oreal USA Products, Inc., L’Oreal USA S/D, Inc. and L’Oreal Creative, Inc, (collectively “L’Oreal”), claiming to be the successors in interest to Matrix, presented this court with an ex parte order to show cause seeking an order of contempt for alleged violations of the 1990 Injunction (the “Present Proceeding”). La addition to naming the Quality King Defendants, the Present Proceeding names Ruth Nussdorf, Pro’s Choice Beauty Care and GSN Trucking Corp. as “Non-party Respondents.” These parties are alleged to be bound by the terms of the 1990 Injunction (collectively the “Pro’s Choice Parties”).

This court signed the June 10, 2004 order to show cause and ordered Defendants and Non-Party Respondents to appear before the court on June 16, 2004 (the “June 10 Order”). The June 10 Order restrained the Quality King Defendants and the Pro’s Choice Parties from violating the 1990 In *472 junction and further restrained them from taking specific action with respect to certain products and business records.

In an order of the same date as the parties’ June 16, 2004 appearance, this court lifted the injunction imposed by the June 10 Order. The court noted that the 1990 Injunction remained in effect as to the Quality King Defendants. However, reasoning that the Pro’s Choice Parties were not named in the complaint herein, this court held that no injunction could be enforced against them. It was noted that L’Oreal was free to commence a new action against the Pro’s Choice Parties or to continue to press any legal theory deemed viable in an effort to prove that the Pro’s; Choice Parties are bound by the terms of the 1990 Injunction. The parties thereafter engaged in almost two years of discovery.

At the close of discovery, The Quality King Defendants and the Pro’s Choice Parties moved, pursuant to Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“Rule 60(b)”), to vacate the 1990 Injunction. All parties cross-moved for summary judgment. The court denied the motions because of the presence of issues of fact and scheduled a non-jury trial. The court bifurcated the trial as follows. The first phase of the trial would assume that L’Oreal had standing to enforce the terms of the 1990 Injunction and that the Pro’s Choice Parties were bound thereto. The sole issues to be decided would be: (1) Defendants’ Rule 60(b) motion to vacate the 1990 Injunction and, (2) whether L’Oreal’s claim was barred by laches. The remaining issues, ie. L’Oreal’s standing, whether the Pro’s Choice Parties were bound by the 1990 Injunction and whether that Injunction was violated, would be decided, if necessary, at a second trial.

Phase one of the trial has been completed and the parties have submitted proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law and legal memoranda. The court has considered those submissions and this constitutes the Court’s Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.

FINDINGS OF FACT

I.The Parties

1. L’Oreal, assumed for the purpose of this phase of the trial to be the successor in interest to Matrix, is engaged in the business, inter alia, of manufacturing and distributing hair care products under the “Matrix” brand name. These products include shampoo and various conditioner and styling products.

2. Quality King distributes a wide variety of products to retail stores, including hair care products sold under various brand names.

3. Bernard Nussdorf, a defendant named in the complaint, was the president of Quality King, but is now deceased. Bernard Nussdorf and his wife, non-party respondent Ruth Nussdorf, founded Quality King.

4. Glen Nussdorf is the son of Bernard and Ruth Nussdorf and has been employed by Quality King since 1970. He is currently the Chairman and CEO of Quality King.

5. Pro’s Choice is engaged in the business of distributing what the parties and witnesses referred to at trial as “professional” hair care products. Such products are routinely sold by Pro’s Choice to stores where they , can be purchased directly by the public.

6. Pro’s Choice was spun off from Quality King in or about February 2001. Ruth Nussdorf is the current chair and owner of Pro’s Choice.

*473 II. The 1989 Florida Action and the 1990 Complaint

7. In 1989, Matrix sued Quality King in federal district court in the state of Florida (the “Florida Action”). That action alleged that Quality King was making unauthorized sales of Matrix products. The Florida Action was settled in April of 1989. Pursuant to the settlement, Matrix agreed to buy back its products from Quality King.

8. On March 28, 1990, Matrix commenced this lawsuit against the Quality King Defendants. The complaint sets forth federal trademark claims as well as state law unfair competition claims. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Matrix products are sold by a network of distributors who are contractually obligated to sell those products only to professional beauty salons for resale to salon customers. It further alleges that the Quality King Defendants obtained Matrix products and sold those products outside of the Matrix chain of distribution for direct sale to the general public.

9. The complaint here refers to the Florida Action and states that, contrary to the settlement agreement in that case, the Quality King Defendants did not sell all Matrix products in their possession back to Matrix but, instead, retained inventor/of those products. It was further alleged that the Quality King Defendants continued to offer those products for sale to the public, in violation of the settlement agreement in the Florida Action.

III. The 1990 Consent Judgment and Permanent Injunction

10. Approximately two months after the March 1990 commencement of this action, the parties agreed to a settlement and entered into a consent judgment and permanent injunction. That agreement is referred to herein as the 1990 Injunction.

11. The 1990 Injunction was signed, on behalf of the Quality King Defendants, by Bernard, Glenn and Stephen Nussdorf.

12. The 1990 Injunction bars permanently the Quality King Defendants as well as their employees, successors and assigns, from, inter alia, purchasing, acquiring, distributing, selling or offering for sale any product manufactured or distributed by Matrix or bearing the Matrix name.

13.

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522 F. Supp. 2d 470, 2007 WL 4105397, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/matrix-essentials-v-quality-king-distributors-inc-nyed-2007.