Ticket Center, Inc. v. Banco Popular De Puerto Rico

613 F. Supp. 2d 162, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89251, 2008 WL 4820544
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedOctober 31, 2008
DocketCivil 04-2062 (GAG/BJM)
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 613 F. Supp. 2d 162 (Ticket Center, Inc. v. Banco Popular De Puerto Rico) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ticket Center, Inc. v. Banco Popular De Puerto Rico, 613 F. Supp. 2d 162, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89251, 2008 WL 4820544 (prd 2008).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

BRUCE J. McGIVERIN, United States Magistrate Judge.

Plaintiffs Ticket Center, Inc. and Ticket Plaza, Inc. d/b/a Ticket Center (collectively “Ticket Center”), bring this case against Banco Popular de Puerto Rico and other defendants (collectively “Banco Popular”) complaining of antitrust violations and violations of federal banking laws. (Docket No. 150). Defendants moved to dismiss the complaint, or in the alternative, for summary judgment. (Docket Nos. 164, 194). Plaintiffs duly opposed. (Docket No. 185). The parties submitted opposing statements of uncontested facts pursuant to Local Rule 56. (Docket Nos. 161, 184). Defendants also submitted a supplemental motion to dismiss, or in the alternative, for summary judgment (Docket No. 217) addressing issues raised in a court order (Docket No. 209), which plaintiffs opposed. (Docket No. 227). The parties have consented to proceed before me. (Docket No. 61).

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

The following material facts, which will be viewed in the light most favorable to plaintiffs as the nonmoving party, are either undisputed or conclusively supported by the evidentiary record except where otherwise noted. 1

This case concerns alleged violations of antitrust laws and the Bank Holding Company Act brought by Ticket Center, a ticket sales business, against its competitor, Banco Popular, doing business as Ticket-Pop. (Docket No. 150). In particular, Ticket Center claims that defendants “used their overwhelming market power to force upon customers exclusive use of additional less desired products and/or services ... to the detriment of competitors such as the plaintiffs, in a bold attempt to *166 monopolize the relevant market.” (Id., p. 1-2).

The background of the present dispute begins with extensive, ongoing negotiations between the parties, from 1995 through 2002, concerning a proposed joint venture that would benefit from a combination of Ticket Center’s specific expertise in the ticket sales business with Banco Popular’s automatic teller machine network. (Docket No. 150, ¶ 15-19; see also Docket No. 184, p. 13-14). During that time, Ticket Center provided confidential information to Banco Popular concerning the ticket sales business, technology, and market. (Id., ¶ 19). These negotiations, however, did not lead to the establishment of the proposed joint venture, and instead, Banco Popular in 2002 launched its own ticket sales processing division, TicketPop, which became a competitor of Ticket Center. (Id., ¶ 21). As of May 1999, Ticket Center had access to ninety-five percent of the ticket sales inventory for events in Puerto Rico, and by October 2002, had access to 90% of this inventory. 2 (Docket No. 161, ¶ 53, 54). Banco Popular, doing business under the name TicketPop, entered into its first agreement with an entertainment venue to process ticket sales in 2001, and began processing ticket sales for specific events in 2002. (Id., ¶ 55).

In 2001, TicketPop entered into an agreement with Cinemas Management— which was also a client of Banco Popular— for the development of an Internet-based ticket system to facilitate the sale of movie tickets in its movie theater chain, Caribbean Cinemas. (Id., ¶ 2, 3). It is undisputed — and attested by Cinemas Management President Robert Carrady — that Banco Popular did not condition the execution of the agreement on the purchase of another product or service, and Cinemas Management entered into the agreement freely and voluntarily without force or coercion from Banco Popular. (Id., ¶ 4, 5). However, Ticket Center asserts that Cinemas Management entered into the agreement “because Banco Popular was financing the expansion of Caribbean Cinemas movie theaters and/or otherwise providing substantial funds for sponsorship.” (Docket No. 184, ¶ 3). Cinemas Management had negotiated a potential agreement with Ticket Center, leading to an agreement in principle in 2000, from which Cinemas Management withdrew in 2001 citing its alternate agreement with Banco Popular. (Docket No. 184, ¶ 4, 5).

In January 2002, Banco Popular entered into an agreement with Casa de los Tapes, which at the time was one of the leading record store chains in Puerto Rico. (Docket No. 161, ¶ 10, 11). Pursuant to the agreement, Casa de los Tapes agreed to serve as an outlet for the processing and administration of admission tickets through the TicketPop system. It is undisputed — and attested by Casa de los Tapes owner, Aníbal Jover — that Banco Popular did not condition the execution of the agreement on the purchase of another product or service and that Casa de los Tapes entered into the agreement freely and voluntarily without force or coercion by Banco Popular. (Id., ¶ 12, 13; Docket No. 161-3, ¶ 4, 5). Ticket Center contends, citing an unsworn declaration 3 of Ticket Center Vice-President Jose Ramon *167 Grau, that Mr. Jover had represented to Mr. Grau that “he had to serve as an outlet for TicketPop/Banco Popular in the sale of entertainment event tickets because Popular provide[d] him with certain credit facilities for his business.” (Docket No. 184-3, ¶ 10 (cited by Docket No. 184, ¶ 9)).

During 2002, TicketPop provided ticket processing services for two events at the Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. (Docket No. 161, ¶ 27). It is undisputed that Banco Popular did not condition the use of its services on the purchase of another product or service and that the promoter of those events entered into all agreements freely and voluntarily without force or coercion by Banco Popular. (Id., ¶ 30, 31). Ticket Center contends, however, that the “sponsorship provided by Banco Popular for these two events was excessive in comparison to the scope and magnitude of the events” and that TicketPop “provided their services at below cost pricing.” (Docket No. 184, ¶ 22). To the extent Ticket Center provides record evidence in support of these assertions, it is only in an unsworn declaration provided by Ticket Center president Alberto Grau not based on personal knowledge. 4 (Id. (citing Docket No. 184-2, ¶ 7, 8)).

A long-running dispute between the parties concerns Banco Popular’s exclusive contract to handle ticketing services for the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum (the “Coliseum”) entered into in September 2004, which was also the subject of state court litigation. (See Docket No. 161, ¶ 16-24; 59-62). As of June 2000, the Coliseum was owned by AFICA 5 and managed by SMG Puerto Rico, L.P. (“SMG”). (Id., ¶ 18). SMG advised AFICA in its selection of a ticket processing service provider for the Coliseum. (Id., ¶ 19). Ticket Center made an offer to become the ticketing service provider, but was not selected, and Ticket Center unsuccessfully challenged this decision in Puerto Rico state courts. (Id., ¶ 20). Banco Popular also entered into a sponsorship agreement with the Coliseum in September 2004. (Id., ¶ 22).

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Bluebook (online)
613 F. Supp. 2d 162, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89251, 2008 WL 4820544, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ticket-center-inc-v-banco-popular-de-puerto-rico-prd-2008.