NCR Corporation v. Korala Assoc

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 16, 2008
Docket06-3685
StatusPublished

This text of NCR Corporation v. Korala Assoc (NCR Corporation v. Korala Assoc) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
NCR Corporation v. Korala Assoc, (6th Cir. 2008).

Opinion

RECOMMENDED FOR FULL-TEXT PUBLICATION Pursuant to Sixth Circuit Rule 206 File Name: 08a0029p.06

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT _________________

X Plaintiff-Appellant, - NCR CORPORATION, - - - No. 06-3685 v. , > KORALA ASSOCIATES LTD., - Defendant-Appellee. - N Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio at Dayton. No. 04-00407—Michael R. Merz, Magistrate Judge. Argued: February 1, 2007 Decided and Filed: January 16, 2008 Before: KENNEDY, BATCHELDER, and CLAY, Circuit Judges. _________________ COUNSEL ARGUED: Paul R. Gupta, ORRICK, HERRINGTON & SUTCLIFFE, New York, New York, for Appellant. Paul M. Fakler, MOSES & SINGER, New York, New York, for Appellee. ON BRIEF: Paul R. Gupta, ORRICK, HERRINGTON & SUTCLIFFE, New York, New York, John D. Luken, Joshua A. Lorentz, DINSMORE & SHOHL, Cincinnati, Ohio, Clifford R. Michel, MAYER BROWN, New York, New York, for Appellant. Paul M. Fakler, MOSES & SINGER, New York, New York, William F. Patry, THELEN, REID & PRIEST, New York, New York, for Appellee. _________________ OPINION _________________ ALICE M. BATCHELDER, Circuit Judge. Plaintiff NCR Corporation (“NCR”) appeals the order of the district court1 compelling NCR and defendant Korala Associates Ltd. (“KAL”) to arbitrate NCR’s claims against KAL, pursuant to 9 U.S.C. § 2062, part of Chapter 2 of the Federal Arbitration Act, see 9 U.S.C. § 201, et seq., which implements the United Nations Convention on

1 The parties agreed to allow a United State Magistrate Judge to conduct any and all proceedings in this matter and enter the order of judgment, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(c) and Rule 73(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 2 Section 206 applies in this action because KAL is a foreign corporation, organized under the laws of the United Kingdom and located in Scotland.

1 No. 06-3685 NCR Corporation v. Korala Associates Ltd. Page 2

the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, June 10, 1958, 21 U.S.T. 2517, 330 U.N.T.S. 38. I. BACKGROUND NCR is one of the largest providers of Automatic Teller Machines (“ATM”) equipment, integrated hardware and software systems, and related maintenance and support services in the world. NCR’s ATMs use either the Windows operating system or the OS/2 operating system. NCR installs its APTRA XFS software (“APTRA XFS”) on those ATMs using the Windows operating system and its S4i software (“S4i”) on those ATMs using the OS/2 operating system. NCR owns a registered copyright for its APTRA XFS software and had applied, on an expedited basis, to register a copyright for APTRA XFS’s precursor software. NCR had also applied, on an expedited basis, to register copyrights for two versions of the S4i software. Over 300,000 NCR ATMs are installed world-wide, and at the time NCR filed its Amended Complaint, approximately 150,000 of these ATMs required the installation of an upgraded software system so that the machines would be Triple-DES3 compliant. NCR has developed a Triple-DES system upgrade to install on its ATMs. KAL, likewise, has developed a Triple-DES system upgrade, which can be installed on NCR ATMs. NCR asserts that KAL could not have developed its NCR- compatible system upgrade without illegally copying and analyzing NCR’s APTRA XFS and S4i software. On December 15, 1998, KAL and NCR entered into a Software License Agreement (“1998 Agreement”) in which KAL agreed to develop and license to NCR three specific software components for NCR’s ATMs — Device Controls, Self Service Controls, and Service Providers — which together form software known as Kalypso. KAL also agreed to “develop additional elements of Kalypso from time to time” under the terms of the Agreement. In order to facilitate KAL’s development of NCR-friendly software, “NCR agreed to loan to KAL certain computer hardware and/or software items that were necessary to enable KAL to adapt and support the Kalypso Components.” To that end, NCR loaned to KAL an NCR ATM which contained NCR’s copyrighted APTRA XFS software. In addition to this particular ATM, NCR alleged that KAL obtained and accessed other NCR ATMs on which APTRA XFS or S4i was installed from NCR bank licensees or from dealers of used or refurbished NCR ATMs. Any software still installed on these ATMs could not have been operated without authorization from NCR. NCR alleged that KAL, without permission, “obtained access to, made unauthorized use of, and engaged in unauthorized copying” of the APTRA XFS and/or S4i software on NCR ATMs, including the ATM loaned to KAL. According to NCR, by unlawfully accessing and copying the APTRA XFS and S4i software, KAL was able to develop its Triple-DES upgrade — Kalignite Upgrade Solutions — which can be installed on NCR ATMs. In 2004, NCR brought suit against KAL seeking damages and injunctive relief. In Counts I and II of its Amended Complaint, NCR alleged KAL’s direct copyright infringement of NCR’s APTRA XFS and S4i software. In Counts III and IV, NCR alleged KAL’s contributory copyright infringement of the APTRA XFS and S4i software, asserting that KAL induced NCR licensees to breach confidentiality restrictions contained within NCR’s licensing agreements by providing KAL access to the APTRA XFS and S4i software. In Count V, NCR alleged KAL’s tortious interference with contract, asserting that KAL acted intentionally to induce NCR licensees to breach the confidentiality restrictions contained within NCR’s licensing agreements by providing KAL access

3 Triple-DES is an encryption standard designed to make ATM transactions more secure. No. 06-3685 NCR Corporation v. Korala Associates Ltd. Page 3

to the APTRA XFS and S4i software. In Count VI, NCR alleged that KAL illegally imported the infringing Kalignite Upgrade Solutions into the United States. And in Count VII, NCR alleged that KAL engaged in unethical business practices or common law unfair competition. KAL moved to (1) dismiss NCR’s Amended Complaint under Rule 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, (2) to compel the arbitration of all of NCR’s claims pursuant to 9 U.S.C. § 206 and in compliance with the arbitration clause contained within the 1998 Agreement, and (3) to dismiss the matter under the doctrine of forum non conveniens. The district court first denied KAL’s motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(1), finding that it had subject matter jurisdiction under both diversity and federal question jurisdiction. But the district court granted KAL’s motion to compel arbitration and dismissed NCR’s complaint without prejudice. The court did not address KAL’s motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) or on the basis of forum non conveniens. NCR timely appealed the order compelling arbitration. II. ANALYSIS We review de novo a district court’s decision regarding the arbitrability of a particular dispute. Walker v. Ryan’s Family Steak Houses, Inc., 400 F.3d 370, 385 (6th Cir. 2005).

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Bluebook (online)
NCR Corporation v. Korala Assoc, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ncr-corporation-v-korala-assoc-ca6-2008.