Site Microsurgical Systems, Inc. v. the Cooper Companies, Inc.

797 F. Supp. 333, 24 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1463, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9485, 1992 WL 143694
CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedJune 9, 1992
DocketCiv.A. 90-660-JLL
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 797 F. Supp. 333 (Site Microsurgical Systems, Inc. v. the Cooper Companies, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Site Microsurgical Systems, Inc. v. the Cooper Companies, Inc., 797 F. Supp. 333, 24 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1463, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9485, 1992 WL 143694 (D. Del. 1992).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

LATCHUM, Senior District Judge.

The plaintiff, Site Microsurgical Systems, Inc. (“Site”), filed suit against the defendant, The Cooper Companies, Inc. (“Coo *335 per”) alleging patent infringement. Before the Court is plaintiffs motion to join its parent corporation, the Iolab Corporation (“Iolab”), as a party plaintiff under Rule 15. (Docket Item [“D.I.”] 69; 70.) Site contends that the alleged infringement of its patent “also deprived Iolab of sales of collateral products which are dependent on the sales of Site’s [patented] products.” (D.I. 69 1114.)

The defendant opposes the amendment, contending that the motion is untimely, futile, and that it was filed for the purpose of delay. (D.I. 75; 84.) Moreover, the defendant asserts that the proposed amendment would significantly increase the complexity of the case, and, thereby, prejudice its interests. For the reasons stated below, the Court will deny plaintiff’s motion to amend the complaint to join Iolab as an additional party plaintiff who seeks to recover damages for infringement of Site’s patent.

I. RELEVANT BACKGROUND FACTS

Site Microsurgical Systems, Inc. (“Site” or “patentee”) 1 owns two patents by assignment: 2 (1) U.S. Patent No. 4,493,695 “Opthalmic Microsurgical System Cassette Assembly,” and (2) U.S. Patent No. 4,627,-833 “Microsurgical System Cassette Assembly.” (D.I. 1 ¶ 6, Exs. A, B; 69 117; 84 at 2.) Site manufactures the TXR Modular Microsurgical System, an operating room equipment system used in ophthalmological microsurgery, using this patented technology. (D.I. MI 7, 9, 13; 69 11118-13, 15, Exs. A, B, C,; 70 at 3; 71 Rockley Deck K 7, Exs. A, B, C.) The TXR System includes a hand-held instrument, a cassette assembly that attaches to the hand-held instrument, a machine module 3 containing control components for the hand-held instrument, and a console which houses and supplies services and interconnections for the module. (D.I. 1 117; 69 ¶ 8.)

Surgery requiring the use of Site’s TXR System also involves the insertion of artificial intraocular lenses. (D.I. 69 Ex. 4 1113; 71 H 13.) Iolab, the sole stockholder of Site and a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, makes and sells artificial intraocular lenses which are used to replace damaged human lenses. (D.I. 69 Ex. 4 ¶ 12; 70 at 3; 71 1112.) Purchasers can, but are not required to, purchase both the Site ophthalmological surgical equipment and the Iolab intraocular lenses. (D.I. 71 Rockley Deck at 111119, 20; 70 at 6; 75 Ex. 4; 76 at 9-10, 81 at 7-11.) However, Site and Iolab argue that consumers routinely purchase both the Site equipment and the Iolab lenses as a package and that the markets are highly dependent on one another. 4 (D.I. 69 H 14; 71 Rockley Deck at 111117, 21-22; 70 at 6-7, 76 at 9, 81 at 4.)

*336 Furthermore, Site and Iolab contend that they offer financing plans, which are customary in the medical supply industry, to ease the burden of the high cost of surgical equipment; amortizing the expensive purchase of a console against periodic purchases of relatively inexpensive lenses. (D.I. 69 Ex. 4 ¶ 20; 70 at 5; 71 ¶¶ 15, 21-22; 76 at 10, Ex. A at 53; 81 at 4-6.) Iolab contends that, were it not for being able to provide customers with Site consoles and cassettes, Iolab could not sell a large portion of its lenses. (D.I. 71 Rockley Deck 1118; 70 at 6; 89 at 4.) Therefore, Iolab argues that it has also been injured by Cooper’s alleged patent infringement and that it should be fully compensated for the lost sales of its collateral products. (D.I. 69 Ex. 4 1Í 16; 70 at 7.)

11. DISCUSSION

Rule 15 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure favors amendment. Adams v. Gould, Inc., 739 F.2d 858, 864 (3d Cir.1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1122, 105 S.Ct. 806, 83 L.Ed.2d 799 (1985). 5 It provides, in pertinent part, that leave to amend “shall be freely given when justice so requires.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 15(a). “If the underlying facts or circumstances relied upon by a plaintiff may be a proper subject of relief, he ought to be afforded an opportunity to test his claim on the merits." Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 83 S.Ct. 227, 9 L.Ed.2d 222 (1962). However, this liberal policy of granting leave to amend must not be interpreted to permit amendment without restraint. Adams v. Gould, Inc., 739 F.2d at 864; Strawhecker v. Laurel School District, 100 F.R.D. 7, 10 (W.D.Pa.1983). An amendment should not be permitted if countervailing considerations exist such as undue delay, bad faith, dilatory motive, repeated failure to cure deficiencies, undue prejudice, or futility. Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. at 182, 83 S.Ct. at 230.

Under Rule 15, 6 an amendment will be considered “futile” if it cannot withstand a motion to dismiss. Jablonski v. Pan American World Airways, Inc., 863 F.2d 289, 292 (3d Cir.1988); Azarbal v. Medical Center of Delaware, Inc., 724 F.Supp. 279 (D.Del.1989). The standard for deciding a motion to dismiss is whether, taking all factual allegations as true, it is beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts to support his claim which would entitle him to relief. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6); Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 101-102, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957); Procter & Gamble Co. v. Nabisco Brands, Inc., 125 F.R.D. at 412 (citing D.P. Enterprises v. Bucks County Community College, 725 F.2d 943 (3d Cir.1984)). The facts alleged in the proposed amended complaint, and all reasonable factual inferences drawn from those facts, are construed in the plaintiff’s favor. Procter & Gamble Co. v. Nabisco Brands, Inc., 125 F.R.D. at 412.

A claim is not “futile” merely because it will be difficult to prove. In other words, the claim must be futile as a matter of law rather than merely unlikely as a matter of fact. Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 1686, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 *337 (1974); Outboard Marine Corp. v. Pezetel, 535 F.Supp. 248, 252 (D.Del.1982).

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797 F. Supp. 333, 24 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1463, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9485, 1992 WL 143694, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/site-microsurgical-systems-inc-v-the-cooper-companies-inc-ded-1992.