Mycoskie, LLC v. Ebuys, Inc.

293 F. Supp. 3d 1076
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedDecember 6, 2017
DocketCase ? 2:16–cv–03259–ODW (SK)
StatusPublished

This text of 293 F. Supp. 3d 1076 (Mycoskie, LLC v. Ebuys, 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.

Bluebook
Mycoskie, LLC v. Ebuys, Inc., 293 F. Supp. 3d 1076 (C.D. Cal. 2017).

Opinion

OTIS D. WRIGHT, II, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

*1079I. INTRODUCTION

Third-Party Plaintiff Ebuys, Inc. d/b/a Shoe Metro ("Shoe Metro") alleges that Third-Defendant Genco Marketplace, Inc. ("Genco") breached the implied warranty of title and against infringement, under Cal. Com. Code § 2312, when Genco sold Shoe Metro counterfeit shoes. Genco now moves for summary judgment alleging that Shoe Metro waived the protections under section 2312 in writing and is, therefore, barred from bringing a claim for breach of implied warranty. In response, Shoe Metro argues that (1) there are factual disputes as to whether the contract Genco attaches to its Motion for Summary Judgment is actually the contract entered into between the parties; (2) there is a triable issue of fact as to whether Shoe Metro actually assented to the contract; (3) the alleged agreement containing the waiver does not disclaim the implied warranty against infringement; and (4) the limitation on implied warranties Genco seeks to enforce is unconscionable.

For the following reasons, the Court GRANTS Genco's Motion for Summary Judgment.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Procedural Background

Plaintiff Mycoskie, LLC initiated this trademark infringement action against Shoe Metro on May 12, 2016. (Compl., ECF No. 1.) Mycoskie, the owner of a number of the TOMS Shoes trademarks ("TOMS Marks"), claimed Shoe Metro knowingly sold counterfeit shoes that infringed on the TOMS Marks. (Id. )

On March 1, 2017, Shoe Metro filed its Third Party Complaint against Genco and The Jay Group, Ltd. (collectively "Third-Party Defendants") alleging that Third-Party Defendants breached the implied warranty of title and against infringement by selling Shoe Metro counterfeit shoes bearing the TOMS Marks. (Third Party Compl., ECF No. 54.) Specifically, Shoe Metro alleges that when Genco sold the shoes, it impliedly guaranteed and warranted the legitimacy and authenticity of the products it sold to Shoe Metro. (Id. ) As damages, Shoe Metro seeks its costs, expenses, and attorneys' fees incurred in defending against Mycoskie's Complaint and in bringing its claims against Third-Party Defendants. (Id. ) Genco answered Shoe Metro's Complaint on April 12, 2017. (Answer, ECF No. 83.)

On June 5, 2017, Mycoskie and Shoe Metro stipulated to dismiss with prejudice all of Mycoskie's claims. (See ECF Nos. 85, 86.) On October 30, 2017, Shoe Metro dismissed all claims against Jay Group. (ECF No. 98.) The only claim remaining in the case is Shoe Metro's breach of implied warranty claim against Genco.1

On July 26, 2017, Genco applied ex parte to continue the trial date and related pretrial deadlines for ninety days, and Shoe Metro opposed. (ECF Nos. 88, 90.) Genco argued that it required more time to complete discovery because Shoe Metro added *1080it to the litigation over a year after it had commenced, and also contended that Genco's counsel had scheduling conflicts on the trial date. (ECF No. 88.) The Court continued the trial date and pretrial deadlines by a little over two months, but continued the discovery cut-off only by two weeks. (ECF No. 91.) The Court also continued the deadline for hearing motions to October 23, 2017. (Id. )

On September 25, 2017, Genco moved for summary judgment on all claims against Shoe Metro and set the hearing on the motion for October 23, 2017. (Mot., ECF No. 92.) On September 26, 2017, Shoe Metro applied ex parte for an order shortening time to hearing its motion to strike Genco's Motion, arguing that Genco failed to comply with the Court's Case Management Order, which required the parties to provide at least 35 days' notice for a hearing on a motion for summary judgment. (ECF No. 93.) The Court declined to strike Genco's pleading, and instead continued the hearing to allow Shoe Metro adequate time to respond. (ECF No. 96.)

The Court heard oral arguments from both parties regarding Genco's Motion on November 27, 2017.

B. Factual Background

Genco is in the business of liquidating bulk goods for retailers, often by the pallet, and shipping those bulk goods to the secondary market resellers that purchase them. (Shoe Metro's Statement of Genuine Disputes of Material Fact ("SGDMF") 1, ECF No. 97-3.) Genco had agreements with merchants like Amazon, Costco, CVS, Home Depot, Kohls, Sears/Kmart, Staples, and Walgreens (the "Suppliers") to purchase returned items, sight unseen, and then resell those goods at a fraction of their wholesale value to companies who sell the goods on the secondary market ("Salvagers"). (Id. ) Shoe Metro is a Salvager and sells the returned goods to consumers at a greatly discounted price. (Id. )

As a prerequisite to purchasing any goods, salvaged or otherwise, Genco requires Salvagers to agree to a standard set of terms and conditions contained in Genco's Salvager Liquidation Agreement. (Id. at 2.) This is usually done with a "click through" on Genco's website during the initial registration process. (Id. ) Shoe Metro first registered as a Genco customer on January 31, 2013. (Id. at 3.) Genco claims that the version of its terms and conditions Shoe Metro agreed to when it registered (the "Agreement") provided that all goods were sold "AS IS-WHERE IS" "with all faults, defects or imperfections." (Id. at 4.) According to Genco, this language is sufficient to constitute a waiver of the implied warranty against infringement.

III. LEGAL STANDARD

A court "shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). Courts must view the facts and draw reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Scott v. Harris , 550 U.S. 372, 378, 127 S.Ct. 1769, 167 L.Ed.2d 686 (2007). A disputed fact is "material" where the resolution of that fact might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law, and the dispute is "genuine" where "the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party." Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. , 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505

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Bluebook (online)
293 F. Supp. 3d 1076, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mycoskie-llc-v-ebuys-inc-cacd-2017.