Rottner v. AVG Technologies USA, Inc.

943 F. Supp. 2d 222, 80 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 730, 2013 WL 1857076, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63595
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedMay 3, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 12-10920-RGS
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 943 F. Supp. 2d 222 (Rottner v. AVG Technologies USA, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rottner v. AVG Technologies USA, Inc., 943 F. Supp. 2d 222, 80 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 730, 2013 WL 1857076, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63595 (D. Mass. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER ON AVG TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND AVG TECHNOLOGIES CZ, S.R.O.’S MOTIONS TO DISMISS

STEARNS, District Judge.

In this proposed class action, plaintiff Christopher Rottner, individually and on behalf of others alleged to be similarly situated, seeks to sue the makers and distributors of AVG PC TuneUp software. Rottner claims that defendants AVG Technologies USA Inc. (AVG US), AVG Technologies CZ, S.R.O. (AVG CZ), and Auslogics Software Pty Ltd., falsely touted the features of PC TuneUp, thereby inducing computer users to purchase software that did not perform as advertised. AVG US and AVG CZ1 move to dismiss Rottner’s Second Amended Complaint (SAC)2 pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) for failure to state claims for which relief may be granted.

BACKGROUND

PC TuneUp is software advertised to optimize a computer’s performance by scanning the operating system and removing and fixing harmful errors. Auslogics, an Australian company that designs, creates, sells, and licenses computer software, is responsible for the design and development of the architecture underlying PC TuneUp. The AVG family of companies sells computer security and related software. AVG CZ, located in the Czech Republic, licensed the PC TuneUp technology from Auslogics. AVG CZ markets and sells PC TuneUp within the United States and elsewhere through a website, www. avg.com. AVG US, a sister company incorporated in Delaware with its headquarters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is responsible for retail store and reseller channel sales of PC TuneUp in the United States. AVG US also assists in the maintenance of the www.avg.com website and reviews marketing statements posted on the site.

Rottner is a resident of California. In February of 2012, Rottner’s computer began malfunctioning — its speed and performance decreased, and the system sometimes hanged when opening programs. The internet speed also appeared sluggish. Rotter searched for software that would [225]*225repair the internal problems and boost the computer’s overall performance. His search turned up an advertisement for a free trial of PC TuneUp, which, in turn, led to the www.avg.com website. The website claimed that PC TuneUp would boost internet speed, eliminate freezing and crashing, optimize disk space and speeds, extend battery life, protect privacy, monitor hard drive health, and restore the PC to its peak performance.

Rottner downloaded, installed, and ran the trial version of PC TuneUp. The diagnostic scan reported critical errors on Rottner’s computer. PC TuneUp then reported that it had repaired these errors, and advised Rottner to perform weekly scans of his computer to maintain and increase its performance. Rottner, relying on the representations made by PC TuneUp, purchased and installed the full version of the software.3 However, the weekly scans did not resolve Rottner’s computer problems — his PC continued to suffer from reduced speed and sluggish performance, freezing, and tortoise-like internet access. Rottner also observed that the installation of the full version of PC TuneUp led to no significant improvement in his PC’s performance.

In November of 2012, Rottner contacted AVG and complained about his problems with PC TuneUp. AVG told Rottner to download a recent update of the PC TuneUp software.4 After downloading, installing, and running the update, Rottner’s computer completely froze. When Rottner attempted to reboot the computer, a Windows message told him that a problem had been detected and that Windows would automatieally shut down to prevent further damage to his computer. To restore his PC to working condition, Rottner had to fully reformat his hard drive — losing various personal files in the process — and reinstall the Windows operating system.

Rottner alleges that defendants falsely inflated PC TuneUp’s capabilities to induce consumers to purchase the software. Rottner’s counsel retained a computer forensics expert who concluded that the trial version of PC TuneUp consistently reported that a tested PC suffered from multiple problems regardless of its actual health, exaggerated the number of errors found on the computer, characterized all listed problems as severe, and always proposed weekly scans with the full to-be-purchased version of PC TuneUp as the only viable cure. Rottner alleges six causes of action against the AVG defendants: breach of express warranty pursuant to Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 106, § 2-313 (Count I); breach of the implied warranty of merchantability pursuant to Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 106, § 2-314 (Count II); fraudulent inducement (Count III); breach of contract (Count IV); breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing (Count V); and unjust enrichment (Count VI).5 The AVG defendants move to dismiss all counts in which they appear for failure to state a claim pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). The court heard oral argument on April 30, 2013.

DISCUSSION

To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the factual allegations of the com[226]*226plaint must “possess enough heft” to set forth “a plausible entitlement to relief.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 557, 559, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007); Thomas v. Rhode Island, 542 F.3d 944, 948 (1st Cir.2008). As the Supreme Court has emphasized, this standard “demands more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation. A pleading that offers labels and conclusions or a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do. Nor does a complaint suffice if it tenders naked assertion^] devoid of further factual enhancement.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (internal citations and quotation marks omitted).

Applicable Law

The threshold dispute is over the substantive law to be applied. Defendants contend that Delaware state law is controlling because the EULA to which Rottner agreed at the time of the purchase of PC TuneUp specifies that “[t]his Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware.” EULA § 10f.6 Rottner does not dispute that he accepted the EULA, see Dkt # 52 at 2, but argues that the EULA’s choice of law (Delaware) provision is contrary to Massachusetts public policy.

In a diversity action, as is the case here, a federal court applies the choice-of-law rules of the forum state — in this case, Massachusetts. Klaxon v. Stentor Electric Mfg. Co., 313 U.S. 487, 496, 61 S.Ct. 1020, 85 L.Ed. 1477 (1941). “Massachusetts law has recognized, within reason, the right of the parties to a transaction to select the law governing their relationship.” Morris v. Watsco, Inc., 385 Mass.

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943 F. Supp. 2d 222, 80 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 730, 2013 WL 1857076, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63595, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rottner-v-avg-technologies-usa-inc-mad-2013.