Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. v. Unger

171 F.R.D. 94, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2458, 1997 WL 102004
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMarch 6, 1997
DocketNo. 88 Civ. 9129(DNE)
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 171 F.R.D. 94 (Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. v. Unger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. v. Unger, 171 F.R.D. 94, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2458, 1997 WL 102004 (S.D.N.Y. 1997).

Opinion

Opinion & Order

EDELSTEIN, District Judge:

Presently before this Court is a motion to compel discovery ' brought by third-party plaintiff Leisure Time Productions, B.V. (“third-party plaintiff” or “Leisure Time”) against third-party defendant Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and its successor, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. (“third-party defendant” or “Columbia”). For the following reasons, Leisure Time’s motion is granted in part and denied in part.

BACKGROUND

This Court previously issued two lengthy opinions arising from the instant litigation, see Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. v. Leisure Time Prod., B.V., 749 F.Supp. 1243 (S.D.N.Y.1990) (the “1990 Opinion”), aff'd, 17 F.3d 38 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 513 U.S. 987, 115 S.Ct. 484, 130 L.Ed.2d 396 (1994); Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. v. Leisure Time Prod., B.V., No. 88 Civ. 9127, 1992 WL 296314 (S.D.N.Y. Oct.6,1992), each of which contains an extensive factual and procedural review of this case. Nevertheless, this Court will provide a brief history of the events underlying the instant motion.

The instant litigation concerns Leisure Time’s ability to release in the United States a motion picture entitled “Return from the River Kwai” (“Return”). Pursuant to a 1986 distribution agreement (the “distribution agreement”) with Leisure Time, Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. (“Tri-Star”) obtained exclusive distribution rights to Return. Tri-Star, 749 F.Supp. at 1245-46. Unbeknownst to TriStar, however, prior to the execution of the distribution agreement, Columbia, which owns the rights to the Sam Spiegel, Academy-Award winning movie “Bridge on the River Kwai” (“ Bridge”), informed Leisure Time that the title and the geographic term “River Kwai” had attained secondary meaning, and was therefore entitled to trademark protection under the Lanham Act. Id. at 1246. Attempts to persuade Leisure Time to [96]*96rename Return so as to omit the words “River Kwai” from its title were unsuccessful. Id. As a result of its potential trademark liability, Tri-Star declined to release Return, and terminated the distribution agreement on the grounds that Leisure Time breached its warranty to deliver the movie free of claims against it. Id.

These events led to two related lawsuits. In the first, Tri-Star filed a declaratory judgment action, Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. v. Leisure Time Prod., B.V., 88 Civ. 9127(DNE), against Leisure Time based on Leisure Time’s alleged breach of its warranty to deliver the movie free of claims against it. In the 1990 Opinion, this Court determined that Leisure Time had violated an express warranty in the distribution agreement. That warranty provided that “Return” would be provided for distribution free from “claims, liens, encumbrances or rights of any nature ... which can or will interfere with” TriStar’s distribution of the film. Id. at 1247-50. As a result, this Court granted summary judgment in favor of Tri-Star, finding that, in light of the asserted trademark rights, Tri-Star was entitled unilaterally to terminate the distribution agreement. Id. at 1254. As a result, that litigation is now concluded.

In the second lawsuit, Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. v. Leisure Time Prod., B.V., 88 Civ. 9129(DNE) — with which the instant Opinion and Order is concerned — Leisure Time alleges that Tri-Star, Columbia, Academy Pictures, A.G. (“Academy”), Horizon Pictures, G.B. (“Horizon”) and the Spiegel Estate have, inter alia, “willfully and maliciously conspired together for the purpose of preventing Leisure Time from making or performing contracts for the production and distribution of [Return]____” (Third-Party Complaint, Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. v. Leisure Time Prod., B.V., 88 Civ.1929, ¶ 46 (Jan. 12, 1989).) Leisure Time further alleges that it is “still ... ready, able and willing to carry out its [distribution] [a]greement with TriStar,” id. 150, but that “Tri-Star’s refusal to distribute [.Return ] unless the geographical phrase “River Kwai” is eliminated from the title, is due” to Columbia, Academy, Horizon, and the Spiegel Estate’s “wrongfully claiming exclusive rights to the geographical phrase “River Kwai____” ” Id. 149.

As a result of these alleged wrongful acts, Leisure Time makes four claims for relief against Tri-Star, Columbia, Academy, Horizon, and the Spiegel Estate. First, to remedy the illegal restraint of trade in violation of Section 340 of the New York General Business Law, Leisure Time seeks a permanent injunction against such restraint, damages to be determined after an accounting (but “believed by Leisure Time to be not less that $50,000,000”), and attorneys’ fees. Id. 1153-55. Second, Leisure Time contends that these parties’ actions “constitute malicious interference with [Leisure Time’s] contractual relationships and business,” and requests damages to be determined after an accounting, but alleged to be “in excess of $50,000,000.” Id. 156. Third, Leisure Time asserts that these parties’ conduct “constitute common law unfair competition,” and that Leisure Time has sustained damages to “in excess of $50,-000,000.” Id. 157. Fourth, Leisure Time alleges that the actions of Tri-Star, Columbia, Academy, Horizon, and the Spiegel Estate damaged Leisure Time’s business reputation and constitute unfair competition in violation of Section 368-d of the New York General Business Law. Id. 158.

This Court is presently concerned with Leisure Time’s motion to compel discovery pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(a). On November 16, 1995, Leisure Time issued ten document requests to Columbia seeking the production of documents relating to the claims asserted by Columbia in its amended third-party answer. (Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Compel of Defendants Kurt Unger and Leisure Time Productions, B.V., Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. v. Leisure Time Prod., B.V., 88 Civ. 9129 (“Motion to Compel”) at 1 (Jan. 18, 1996).) On January 22, 1995, Leisure Time served a “notice of continued deposition of Ronald Jacobi” (“Jacobi”), Columbia’s Senior Vice president and General Counsel. Id.

On January 2 and 3, 1996, counsel for Leisure Time met and conferred telephoni-cally with counsel for Columbia to discuss these discovery matters. At that time, Lei[97]*97sure Time contends that counsel for Columbia stated that it would not respond fully to Leisure Time’s first, second, third, ninth or tenth document requests. Id. at 2-8. In addition, counsel for Columbia allegedly “refused to produce Ronald Jacobi for deposition in this matter because ... there is no subject matter area remaining upon which to question him.” Id. at 3. In its motion, Leisure Time seeks an Order compelling Columbia to “produce documents responsive to certain discovery requests propounded upon Columbia by Leisure Time” and to “produce Ronald Jacobi for deposition in connection with this matter.” (Notice of Motion, Tri-Star v. Leisure Time Prod., B.V., 88 Civ. 9129 at 2 (Jan. 18, 1996).) In addition, Leisure Time seeks “appropriate sanctions” against Columbia, “together with such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper.” Id.

DISCUSSION

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171 F.R.D. 94, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2458, 1997 WL 102004, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tri-star-pictures-inc-v-unger-nysd-1997.