Universal Furniture International, Inc. v. Frankel

835 F. Supp. 2d 35, 2011 WL 6843001, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 149654
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. North Carolina
DecidedDecember 29, 2011
DocketNo. 1:08CV395
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 835 F. Supp. 2d 35 (Universal Furniture International, Inc. v. Frankel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Universal Furniture International, Inc. v. Frankel, 835 F. Supp. 2d 35, 2011 WL 6843001, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 149654 (M.D.N.C. 2011).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

OSTEEN, JR., District Judge.

Presently before the court is Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 33). Plaintiff Universal Furniture International, Inc., (“Plaintiff’ or “UFI”) has filed a memorandum (Doc. 34) in support of its motion, Defendant Paul Frankel (“Defendant”) has filed a memorandum (Doc. 38) in opposition, and Plaintiff has filed a reply (Doc. 44).

Also before the court is Defendant Paul Frankel’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 35). Defendant has filed a memorandum (Doc. 36) in support of his motion, Plaintiff has filed a memorandum (Doc. 40) in opposition, and Defendant has filed a reply (Doc. 42).

Both summary judgment motions are ripe for adjudication. For the reasons that follow, this court will grant Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 33) in part and deny it in part, and this court will grant Defendant Paul Frankel’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 35) in part and deny it in part.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff is a furniture company that is organized and exists under the laws of the State of Delaware, with a principal place of business in High Point, North Carolina. (Compl. (Doc. 1) ¶ 3.) Defendant is a citizen and resident of New Jersey. (Id. ¶ 4; Answer (Doc. 20) ¶ 4.) At all times relevant to this case, Defendant has been the Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Secretary, Treasurer, and part owner of Collezione Europa USA, Inc. (“Collezione”), a furniture company that competes with Plaintiff. (Compl. (Doc. 1) ¶ 4; Answer (Doc. 20) ¶ 4; Aff. Paul Frankel Opp’n Pl.’s Mot. Summ. J. (Doc. 39) ¶ 5.) Defendant and his brother founded Collezione and are the company’s only officers. (Decl. Annette Lasser Cooley Ex. 1 (Doc. 11-2) at 6, 12.)1

In 2004, Plaintiff “filed suit against Collezione asserting claims of copyright infringement, violation of the Lanham Act, and violation of North Carolina’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.” Universal Furniture Int’l, Inc. v. Collezione Europe USA, Inc., No. L04CV00977, 2007 WL 2712926, at *1 (M.D.N.C. Sept. 14, 2007), aff'd per curiam, 618 F.3d 417 (4th Cir.2010). In that case (“the Collezione Litigation”), a judge of this court concluded after a bench trial that: 1) Collezione infringed upon Plaintiffs copyright; 2) Collezione passed off Plaintiffs furniture in violation of the Lanham Act; and 3) Collezione’s violation of the Lanham Act also constituted an unfair and deceptive trade practice. Id. This court entered judgment in the Collezione Litigation for Plaintiff, and against Collezione, in the amount of $11,225,777.18. See Universal Furniture Int’l, Inc. v. Collezione Europa, [39]*39USA, Inc., 599 F.Supp.2d 648, 664 (M.D.N.C.2009), aff'd per curiam, 618 F.3d 417 (4th Cir.2010).

Plaintiff filed the Complaint in the instant case in June 2008, asserting false designation of origin, direct and contributory copyright infringement, unfair and deceptive trade practices under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-1.1 (“Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act” or “UDTPA”), and unfair competition under North Carolina common law. (Doc. 1 ¶¶ 27-48.) Plaintiff contends that Defendant is “liable to UFI directly, contributorily, and vicariously, for the acts of copyright infringement, unfair competition, and unfair and deceptive trade practices that this Court found in the Collezione Europa Litigation.” (Id. ¶2.)

Broadly speaking, Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 33) presents two issues. First, Plaintiff asserts that, under principles of res judicata and collateral estoppel, “all findings of fact, conclusions of law, and other rulings made by this Court in the Collezione Litigation” are binding on Defendant. (Pl.’s Mem. Law Supp. Mot. Summ. J. (Doc. 34) at 2.) Second, Plaintiff argues that “Defendant is personally liable, through principles of direct, contributory, and/or vicarious infringement, for the actions of his company, [Collezione], that were found in the Collezione Litigation to be infringing.” (Id.)

Defendant Paul Frankel’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 35), however, contends that Plaintiff cannot prove that Defendant is individually liable for false designation of origin, violation of the North Carolina UDTPA, or common law unfair competition. (See Def.’s Mem. Supp. Mot. Summ. J. (Doc. 36) at 4.) Defendant further contends that Plaintiff cannot prove that Defendant is individually liable under any theory of copyright infringement. (See id.)

II. LEGAL STANDARD

Summary judgment is appropriate where an examination of the pleadings, affidavits, and other proper discovery materials before the court demonstrates that no genuine issue of material fact exists and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 56. The moving party bears the burden of initially demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). If the moving party has met that burden, then the nonmoving party must persuade the court that a genuine issue remains for trial by “go[ing] beyond the pleadings” and introducing evidence that establishes “specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Id. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 106 S.Ct. 2548 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

In considering a motion for summary judgment, the court is not to weigh the evidence, but rather must determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The court must view the facts in the light most favorable to the nonmovant, drawing all justifiable inferences in that party’s favor. Id. at 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505 (citation omitted). A mere factual dispute however is insufficient to prevent summary judgment; the fact in question must be material, and the dispute must be genuine. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56; Anderson, 477 U.S. at 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505. Material facts are those facts necessary to establish the elements of a party’s cause of action. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. A dispute is only “genuine” if “the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Id.

[40]*40III. ANALYSIS

Plaintiff contends that Defendant is bound by the findings of fact and conclusions of law from the Collezione Litigation. Although Plaintiff references the doctrine of res judicata, Plaintiff offers no argument in favor of applying res judicata in this case. Instead, Plaintiffs arguments focus on collateral estoppel. (Pl.’s Mem. Law Supp. Mot. Summ. J. (Doc. 34) at 9-12.)

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835 F. Supp. 2d 35, 2011 WL 6843001, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 149654, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/universal-furniture-international-inc-v-frankel-ncmd-2011.