Sebastian Brown Productions, LLC v. Muzooka, Inc.

143 F. Supp. 3d 1026, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153462, 2015 WL 6957518
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedNovember 11, 2015
DocketCase No. 15-CV-01720-LHK
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 143 F. Supp. 3d 1026 (Sebastian Brown Productions, LLC v. Muzooka, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sebastian Brown Productions, LLC v. Muzooka, Inc., 143 F. Supp. 3d 1026, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153462, 2015 WL 6957518 (N.D. Cal. 2015).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS

Re: Dkt. No. 37

LUCY H. KOH, United States District Judge

Plaintiff Sebastian Brown Productions, LLC (“Plaintiff’) sued Defendants Muzooka, Inc. (“Muzooka”), Shawn Wilson (“Wilson”), Chester Aldridge (“Aldridge”) and Ivory Octaves, LLC (“Ivory Octaves”) (collectively, “Defendants”) for unfair competition and trademark infringement under federal and state law. ECF No. 1 (“Compl.”). Before the Court is Defendants’ motion to dismiss. ECF No. 37. Having considered the submissions of the parties, the relevant law, and the record in this ease, the Court hereby GRANTS in part and DENIES in part Defendants’ motion to dismiss.

[1031]*1031I. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

1. Plaintiffs Business

Plaintiff is a California limited liability company headquartered in Livermore, California. Compl. ¶ 1. Plaintiff owns and operates the digital media storefront Mu-Zook at muzook.com. Id. Plaintiff aims to create “a new and unique art form in multi-media books, multi-media audio, and/or audiovisual works,” including ebooks, multi-media songs, short films, and music videos. Id. ¶ 13. Through mu-zook.com, Plaintiff advertises and sells downloadable music, videos, and books, including works of fiction and non-fiction incorporating “narrative textual content, music, and illustrations.” Id. ¶¶ 14, 21. Additionally, muzook.com has “an artists’ collaboration program ... to promote cooperation among various creative artists” in making “literature, music, video, movies, soundtracks, e-books, concerts and other forms of entertainment.” Id. ¶¶ 12, 15.

Plaintiff claims ownership of the service mark “MUZOOK,” based on one pending trademark application and one issued trademark registration. Id. ¶ 16. Both properties stem from a common intent-to-use (“ITU”) application for “MUZOOK” filed on September 12, 2011 by the individual J. Michael Miller (“Miller”). Id.; EOF No. 47 (Defendants’ Request for Judicial Notice, or “RJN”), Exs. A-B. The ITU application sought to register “MUZOOK” for, among other similar services, “[cjollab-oration tools and services, namely telecommunication access services allowing parties to view, listen to, adapt, and share materials.” RJN Ex. A.

On August 30, 2013, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) granted a request to divide the ITU application into a “parent” application, serial number 85420834, and a “child” application, serial number 85980000. Id. Exs. A-B. The parent application encompasses the original ITU application, and thus seeks to register “MUZOOK” for a range of similar “[e]ollaboration tools and services.” Id. Ex. A. By contrast, the child application seeks to register “MUZOOK” for narrower services, including “[cjollaboration services, namely, telecommunication access services which allow parties to view, adapt, and share materials such as narrative textual content, music and illustrations in works of fiction and non-fiction.” Id. Ex. B.

Miller filed a statement of use in the child application, which the PTO accepted on September 11, 2013. Id. Accordingly, the PTO issued U.S. Trademark Registration Number 4,419,977 for “MUZOOK” for the services claimed in the child application on October 15, 2013 (the “Registered Mark”). The first use in commerce of the Registered Mark was recorded as of August 14, 2013. Id. Miller has not assigned the Registered Mark and remains its owner. Id.

On the other hand, Miller assigned the interest in the parent application to Plaintiff on November 25, 2013. Id. Ex. A. Plaintiff has not filed a statement of use for the parent application, and thus the parent application remains pending (the “Pending Mark”). Id. The PTO has granted five extensions of time for Plaintiff to file a statement of use. Id. However, Plaintiff has allegedly used the Pending Mark— along with the Registered Mark — in connection with Plaintiffs Internet presence and business promotions. Compl. ¶ 18.

2. Defendant’s Business

Defendant Muzooka is a Delaware corporation and the successor to Ivory Octaves. Compl. ¶¶ 2-3. Defendants Wilson and Aldridge are cofounders, directors, and officers of Muzooka. Id. ¶¶ 4-5. Defendants operate the website muzooka.com as well as a dedicated mobile app called Muzooka. Id. ¶¶ 2, 24. The website and [1032]*1032mobile app allow users to stream audio in the form of music playlists or individual tracks, and offer “interactive capabilities” for sharing listening activity through social media. Id. ¶ 24. The website and app also allow users to browse artist biographies, view art in connection with those biographies, and purchase select tracks. Id. Additionally, Defendants operate “Muzooka” Twitter, Facebook, and Tumbler accounts in connection with the website and mobile app. Id.

Muzooka filed for the trademark and service mark “MUZOOKA” (the “Muzooka Mark”) on December 19, 2011. ECF No. 46-1, Ex. D.1 Muzooka first used the Muzooka Mark in commerce in December 2011. Id. The PTO registered the Muzooka Mark on December 10, 2013, as U.S. Trademark Registration Number 4,448,-314. Id. The Muzooka Mark is registered for, among other services, “computer software for use in the delivery, distribution and transmission of digital music and entertainment-related audio, video, text and multimedia content.” Id.

B. Procedural History

On January 6, 2014, Plaintiff filed this suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. ECF No. 1. In the complaint, Plaintiff alleges that Defendants have used the Muzooka Mark in direct competition with Plaintiff since at least March 11, 2013. Id. ¶¶ 25, 30. According to Plaintiff, Defendants’ use of the Muzooka Mark in connection with “the distribution of electronically-delivered media, including audio, visual, and audiovisual works” and the offering of “new music and interactive experiences to users” is “likely to cause confusion or mistake or to deceive purchasers as to the source of origin of Defendants’ products and services.” Id. ¶¶ 30, 33. On that basis, Plaintiff asserts three causes of action: (1) unfair competition; (2) infringement of common-law trademark rights; and (3) unfair competition under the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a). Id. ¶¶ 39-54. Plaintiff seeks damages and the disgorgement of profits, as well as an order enjoining Defendants’ use of the Muzooka Mark and requiring the destruction of materials bearing the Muzooka Mark. Id. at 12-13.

Plaintiff filed an executed summons for Muzooka on January 8, 2014. ECF No. 5. Plaintiff filed executed summonses for the remaining defendants on February 25, 2014. ECF Nos. 6-8. On June 5, 2015, after no appearance by Defendants, Plaintiff moved for entry of default. ECF No. 10. On June 6, 2014, the Delaware district court entered default as to all defendants. ECF No. 11. The parties then stipulated to set aside the entry of default, which the Delaware district court granted on June 11, 2014. ECF No. 12. On March 30, 2015, the Delaware district court concluded that it lacked personal jurisdiction over the individual defendants and transferred the case to the U.S.

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143 F. Supp. 3d 1026, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153462, 2015 WL 6957518, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sebastian-brown-productions-llc-v-muzooka-inc-cand-2015.