Gerritsen v. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Gerritsen v. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Opinion of the Court
On April 29, 2014, Terry T. Gerritsen filed this action against Katja Motion Picture Corporation (“Katja”), New Line Productions, Inc. (“New Line”), and Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. (“WB”) (collectively, “defendants”).
On September 26, 2014, the court took defendants’ motion to dismiss under submission pursuant to Rule 78 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Local Rule 7-15.
I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND
Gerritsen is an international best-selling, award-winning author whose novels have frequently appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Following its acquisition of the motion picture rights to the Book, Katja sought to develop a film with New Line and Artists Production Group (“APG”).
Gerritsen alleges on information and belief that, sometime after 2002, Cuarón and his son Jonas Cuarón, -wrote a screenplay titled Gravity (the “Cuarón Gravity Project”), which featured the same characters and storyline as the Book and Gerritsen’s additions thereto.
On December 17, 2009, the Cuaróns granted all rights in the Cuarón Gravity Project to WB.
Gerritsen alleges that Katja should have objected to WB.’s production of the Film because it was based on a literary property owned by Katja.
Gerritsen pleads claims for breach of written contract against Katja and WB, and breach of guaranty against New Line and WB. She seeks an accounting from all defendants.
II. DISCUSSION
A. Exhibits Submitted With Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss and Ger-ritsen’s Requests for Judicial Notice
1. Legal Standard for Judicial Notice
In deciding a Rule 12(b)(6), motion, the court generally looks only to the face of the complaint and documents attached thereto. Van Buskirk v. Cable News Network, Inc., 284 F.3d 977, 980 (9th Cir. 2002); Hal Roach Studios, Inc. v. Richard Feiner & Co., Inc., 896 F.2d 1542, 1555 n. 19 (9th Cir. 1990). A court must normally
Thus, in ruling on a motion to dismiss, the 'court ‘ can consider material that is subject to judicial notice under Rule 201 of the Federal Rules of Evidence. Fed.R.Evid. 201. Under Rule 201, the court can judicially notice “[ojfficial acts of the legislative, executive, and judicial departments of the United. States,” and “[fjacts and propositions that are not reasonably subject to dispute and are capable of immediate and accurate determination by resort to sources of reasonably indisputable accuracy.” Fed.R.Evid. 201.
2. Exhibits Submitted with Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss
In support of their motion to dismiss, defendants proffer the declaration of their attorney, Ashley Pearson.
Citing Ritchie, 342 F.3d at 909, Gerritsen objects that the declaration and exhibits “are not admissible and may not be considered ... in support of or in opposition to a motion to dismiss under' Rule 12(b)(6).”
In deciding a motion to dismiss, the court can consider only the pleadings and documents that are incorporated by reference therein or are properly the subject of judicial notice.
a. Appendix 1 — Comparison Chart of the Book and the Film
Gerritsen objects to the court’s consideration of. Appendix 1 on the grounds that it is “irrelevant, unauthenticated, argumentative, and represents a one-sided, characterization which is subject to dispute.”
b. Exhibits A & C — Photocopies of the Book’s Covers and the Outer Packaging of the Film
Defendants next proffer photocopies of the Book’s front and back cover, as
c. Exhibit B — The “Assignment Agreement”
Defendants next request that the. court consider a 2010 Assignment Agreement between New Line and WB. They contend the document is incorporated by reference in Gerritsen’s complaint, which states, in relevant, part:
“In or about 2008, WB acquired control of New Line and Katja by means of a corporate transaction. Gerritsen is informed and believes, and on that basis alleges, that by virtue of the transaction the rights and duties of Katja and New Line under the Contract and Guaranty were transferred and assigned to WB so that as of 2008 WB owned and still owns today the motion picture rights to the Book.”57
Gerritsen contends that the court should .not consider Exhibit B because it is unauthenticated and its contents are subject to dispute.
Gerritsen alleges, on information and belief, that WB acquired Katja and New Line iii 2008, and that the rights of those companies under the contract and guaranty were transferred and assigned to WB at that time.
For all of these reasons, the court declines to consider Exhibit B under the incorporation by reference doctrine,
d. Exhibit D — Blog Entry
Exhibit D to Pearson’s declaration is a printout of excerpts from Gerritsen’s official blog (http://www.tessgerritsen.com) as of October 7, 2013.
e.Exhibit E—Internet Article
Defendants next proffer an article about Gerritsen that was published on the “Banner Graphic” website on October 8, 2013.
f. Exhibit F—Meet and Confer Letter
Defendants also ask that the court consider correspondence their lawyers sent to Gerritsen’s attorney, Glen L. Kulik, concerning a Local Rule 7-3 prefiling conference.
g. Exhibit G—Emails Between the Parties
Finally, defendants seek to have the court consider Exhibit G as evidence that they satisfied the meet-and-confer requirements of the local rules.
3. Gerritsen’s First Request for Judicial Notice
Gerritsen first requests that the court take judicial notice of forty-five exhibits that she asserts establish fifteen judicially noticeable facts.
a. Information Made Known to the General Public Through Press Releases and News Reports
Gerritsen first asks, that the court, take judicial notice of “information made known to- the general public through news reports and press releases.”
Gerritsen contends that courts in the Ninth Circuit routinely take judicial notice of press releases.
Some of the newspapers and press releases Gerritsen seeks to have judicially noticed appear on third party websites, such as Wikipedia, Answers.com, Deadline.com, and Slashfilm.com.
Defendants. object to the -court taking judicial notice of information that appears on these third party websites; they argue the websites contain “unreliable, inaccurate information.”
Finally, and most fundamentally, to the extent the court can take judicial notice of press releases and news articles, it can do so only to “indicate what was in the public realm at the time, not whether the contents of those articles were in fact true.” Von Saher v. Norton Simon Museum of Art at Pasadena, 592 F.3d 954, 960 (9th Cir. 2010) (citing Premier Growth Fund v. Alliance Capital Mgmt., 435 F.3d 396, 401 n. 15 (3d Cir. 2006)); In re Disciplinary Proceedings of Yana, No. 2012-SCC-0017-ADA, 2014 WL 309314 (N.M.I. Jan. 28, 2014) (“Newspaper articles generally, and statements during an interview specifically, are not always free of reasonable dispute. Ordinarily, then, we only’ take ‘judicial notice of publications intro duced to “indicate what was in the public realm at the time, not whether the contents of those articles were in fact true,” ’ ” quoting Von Saher); United States v. Kane, No. 2:13-cr-250-JAD-VCF, 2013 WL 5797619, *9 (D.Nev. Oct. 28, 2013) (“When a court takes judicial notice of publications like websites and newspaper articles, the court merely notices what was in the public realm at the timé, not whether the contents of those articles were in fact true” (citations, omitted)); Brodsky v. Yahoo! Inc., 630 F.Supp.2d 1104, 1111-12 (N.D.Cal. 2009) (“The Court also grants Defendants’ request [for judicial notice] as to Exhibits 31 through 47, Yahoo! Press releases, news articles;' analyst reports, and third party press releases to which the SAC refers, but not for the truth of their contents ” (emphasis added)).
Gerritsen clearly seeks to have the court take judicial notice of the truth of the facts stated in the various press releases and news articles. This the court cannot do.
b. Information Published on Websites, and Especially on a Party’s Website
Gerritsen also requests that the court take judicial notice of information found on third party websites, including WB’s website.
Federal courts considering the issue have expressed skepticism as to whether it is appropriate to take judicial notice of information or documents appearing on websites that are created and maintained by a party to the litigation. See, e.g., Stewart v. Stoller, No. 2:07-cv-552-DB-EJF, 2014 WL 1248072, *1-2 (D.Utah Mar. 25, 2014) (“The court fias even greater concern because Ms. Stewart appears to have edited the proposed documents to include calculation of the damages to her; making a party to the suit the source of information of which that same party seeks the Court to take judicial notice. Courts express additional skepticism about taking judicial notice of party-created documents. The facts Ms. Stewart tenders do not meet the high standard required for judicial notice. The Court therefore denies Ms. Stewart’s Motion”); Koenig v. USA Hockey, Inc., No. 2:09-cv-1097, 2010 WL 4783042, *2 (S.D.Ohio June 14, 2010) (“One court has gone so far as to describe information available from private Internet websites as ‘no[t] remotely akin to the type of facts which may be appropriately judicially noticed.’ Ruiz v. Gap, Inc., 540 F.Supp.2d 1121, 1124 (N.D.Cal. 2008). Similar concern has been expressed about information from a website that is created by one of the parties to the case,” citing Scanlan v. Texas A & M University, 343 F.3d 533, 536 (5th Cir. 2003) (holding that the court should not take judicial notice of a ‘defendant-created report’ appearing on the Internet)).
Here, to the extent that Gerritsen asks the court to take judicial notice of information on WB’s website, she fails to demonstrate that the information is capable of “accurate and ready determination” in the territorial jurisdiction of the court, such that it is a proper subject of judicial notice. Accordingly, the court declines to take judicial notice of information published on private websites, including’ information that appears on WB’s website. See Koenig, 2010 WL 4783042 at *3 (“This Court concludes that federal courts should be very reluctant to take judicial notice of information or documents that appear exclusively on websites which have been created and are maintained by one of the parties to a case unless that party is a governmental body and the website is maintained not to
c. Information Provided in Corporate Disclosure Statements
Gerritsen next asks that the court take judicial notice of exhibits consisting of, or referencing, .information contained in the corporate disclosure statement and/or Form 10-K of Time Warner, Inc.
It is only “appropriate^ however,] for the court to take judicial notice of the contént of the SEC Forms [ ] and the fact that they were filed with the agency. The truth of the content, and the inferences properly drawn from them, however, is not a proper subject of judicial notice under Rule 201.” Patel v. Parnes, 253 F.R.D. 531, 546 (C.D.Cal. 2008) (emphasis added); see Lovelace v. Software Spectrum Inc., 78 F.3d 1015, 1018 (5th Cir. 1996) (“When deciding a motion to dismiss ..., a court may consider the contents of relevant public disclosure documents which (1) are required to be filed with the SEC, and (2) are actually filed with the SEC. Such documents should be considered only for the purpose of determining what statements the document contain, not to prove the truth of the documents’ contents,” citing Hennessy v. Penril Datacomm Networks, Inc., 69 F.3d 1344, 1354-55 (7th Cir. 1995) (holding that the district court properly refused to take judicial notice of a corporation’s Form 10-K to determine a fact in dispute — the number of corporate employees)); In re Foundry Networks, Inc., No. C 00-4823 MMC, 2003 WL 23211577, *10 n. 11 (N.D.Cal. Feb. 14, 2003) (“Defendants have filed a Request for Judicial Notice, wherein they seek judicial notice of (1) two Foundry press releases, (2) SEC Forms 4 filed by Foundry’s officers, and (3) Foundry’s SEC Forms 10-K and 10-Q filings. Plaintiffs ‘object to the request to the extent defendants seek to establish the truth of the contents in the noticed documents,’ but raise no objection to the extent the request asks the Court to take notice of the contents of the documents. Defendants’ request is hereby GRANTED to the extent it requests that the Court take judicial notice of the content of such documents”); see also Del Puerto Water District v. United States Bureau of Reclamation, 271 F.Supp.2d 1224, 1234 (E.D.Cal. 2003) (“Judicial Notice is taken of the existence and authenticity of the public and quasi public documents listed. "To the extent their contents are in dispute, such matters of controversy are not appropriate subjects for judicial notice”).
d. Information on Government Websites
Gerritsen also seeks to have the court judicially notice the business entity profiles for Katja and New Line retrieved from the California Secretary of State’s website.
e. Public Records
Gerritsen seeks finally to have the court take judicial notice of defendants’ motion to dismiss and the fact that the same law firm — O’Melveny & Myers, LLP — represents Katja, New Line, and WB. It is well established that a court can take judicial notice of its own files and records under Rule 201 of the Federal Rules of Evidence. Molus v. Swan, No. 05cv452-MMA (WMc), 2009 WL 160937, *2 (S.D.Cal. Jan. 22, 2009) (“Courts also may take judicial notice of their own records,” citing United States v. Author Services, 804 F.2d 1520, 1523 (9th Cir. 1986)); see also Vasserman v. Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hosp., 65 F.Supp.3d 932, 943-44 (C.D.Cal. 2014) (taking judicial no tice of the operative complaint in the action before the court); NovelPoster v. Javitch Canfield Group, No. 13-CV-05186-WHO, 2014 WL 5594969, *4 n. 7 (N.D.Cal. Nov. 3, 2014) (“In conjunction with the motion, defendants requested judicial notice of various documents, including Novel-Poster’s ex parte application for a temporary restraining order in this case and this Court’s subsequent order.... Defendants’ request for judicial notice of the TRO application and order is GRANTED”); In re Linda Vista Cinemas, L.L.C., 442 B.R. 724, 740 n. 7 (Bankr.D.Ariz. 2010) (stating that “[t]he court takes judicial notice of its own records,” specifically, a declaration at-tachéd to the opposition to a motion for preliminary injunction, citing United States v. Wilson, 631 F.2d 118, 119 (9th Cir. 1980)). Accordingly, the court grants Gerritsen’s request for judicial notice of the motion to dismiss “although [Gerrit-sen] [is] advised for future reference that [she] need not seek judicial notice of documents filed in the same case. An accurate citation will suffice.” NovelPoster, 2014 WL 5594969 at *4 n. 7.
3. Gerritsen’s Second Request for Judicial Notice
As noted, Gerritsen filed a second request for judicial notice that asks the court to take notice of three additional exhibits.
B. Legal Standard Governing Motions to Dismiss Under Rule 12(b)(6)
A Rule 12(b)(6) motion tests the legal sufficiency of the claims asserted in the complaint. A Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal is proper only, where there is either a “lack of a cognizable legal theory,” or “the absence' of sufficient facts alleged under a cognizable legal theory.” Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dept., 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1988). The court must accept all factual allegations pleaded in the complaint as true, and construe them and draw all reasonable inferences from them in favor of the nonmoving party. Cahill v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 80 F.3d 336, 337-38 (9th Cir. 1996); Mier v. Owens, 57 F.3d 747, 750 (9th Cir. 1995).
C. Gerritsen’s Breach of Contract and Breach of Guaranty Claims
1. Legal Standard Governing Breach of Contract and Breach of Guaranty Claims
To state, a breach of contract claim, a party must allege: (1) the existence of a contract; (2) the party’s performance under that contract or an excuse for nonperformance; (3) the defendant’s breach; and (4) resulting damages. Alvarado v. Aurora Loan Services, LLC, No. SACV 12-0524 DOC (JPRx), 2012 WL 4475330, *4 (C.D.Cal. Sept. 20, 2012) (citing McKell v. Washington Mutual, Inc., 142 Cal.App.4th 1457, 1489, 49 Cal.Rptr.3d 227 (2006)). California courts apply the same legal standard to breach of guaranty claims. See Harrison Ventures, LLC v. Alta Mira Treatment Center, LLC, No. C 10-00188 RS, 2010 WL 1929566, *5 (N.D.Cal. May 12, 2010) (“With regard ¡to the breach of guaranty claim against Cartwright, such a breach occurs when a debt falls due and remains unpaid. Here, absent a breach by defendants, no such unpaid debt arises. The breach of guaranty claim against Cartwright is therefore wholly dependent ’upon'the viability of the FAC’s breach of contract claims. As those claims have been dismissed with leave to amend, the same fate' must befall the breach of guaranty claim,” citing California First Bank v. Braden, 216 Cal.App.3d 672, 677, 264 Cal.Rptr. 820 (1989)); MRW, Inc. v. Big-O Tires, LLC, No. CIV S-08-1732 LKK/DAD, 2009 WL 3368438, *9 (E.D.Cal. Oct. 16, 2009) (“An action for breách of guaranty is a species of claim for breach of contract”). As Gerritsen’s breach.of contract and breach of guaranty claims are governed by the same standard and the parties address the claims jointly in their briefs, the court considers the claims in tandem below.
2. Whether Gerritsen Has Plausibly Alleged Claims for Breach of Contract and Breach of Guaranty
In their motion to dismiss, defendants charge that Gerritsen has failed to state either a breach of contract or breach of guaranty claim because: (1) she cannot plead facts plausibly alleging that there was a contract between her and WB; and (2) she cannot plead , facts-plausibly alleging that there was a breach of contract'
Gerritsen alleges that she and Katja entered into a written purchase agreement (“the contract”) on March 18, 1999, pursuant to which Katja purchased the motion picture rights to the Book and “any and all versions” - of the Book for $1,000,000.
Even when her allegations are construed in Gerritseris favor, it is apparent that she cannot plausibly allege a claim under traditional contract law theories. Gerritsen pleads that she entered into contracts with Katja and. New Line that entitled her to payment if Katja produced a motion picture based on her book; and that WB, not Katja, produced the Film that is allegedly “based on” the Book. No plausible inference arises from these allegations that WB was a party to the contracts or that Katja produced the'Film. Thus, absent an alternative theory of liability, Gerritseris claims must be dismissed.
3. Whether Gerritsen Has Plausibly Alleged That WB Is Liable under the Contract and Guaranty
Gerritsen argues that there are three bases on which she can state a claim for breach of contract and guaranty against WB: (1) a successor-in-interest theory; (2) an alter ego theory; and (3) an agency theory.
a. Successor-in-interest Liability
(1) Legal Standard Governing Successor-in-interest Liability
Gerritsen alleges that WB is the parent company of Katja and New Line.
Under California law, “a successor company has liability for a predecessor’s actions if: (1) the successor expressly or impliedly agrees to assume the subject liabilities ...' [;]' (2) the transaction amounts to a consolidation or merger of the successor and the predecessor[;] (3)
(2) Whether Gerritsen Has Adequately Alleged Successor-in-interest Liability
(a) Assumption
To allege successor-in-interest liability on the basis that the successor expressly or impliedly agrees to assume the liabilities of its predecessors, a plaintiff “must not only plead the existence.of an assumption of liability but either the terms of that assumption of liability (if express) or the factual circumstances giving rise to an assumption of liability (if implied).” No Cost, 940 F.Supp.2d at 1300 (citing Winner Chevrolet, Inc. v. Universal Underwriters Ins. Co., No. CIV S-08-539 LKK/JFM, 2008 WL 2693741, *4 (E.D.Cal. July 1, 2008)). Defendants argue that .Gerritsen merely alleges.as a legal conclusion.that WB assumed Katja’s and New Line’s obligations, and that she pleads no facts that plausibly support an inference that. WB assumed the rights and duties of, Katja and New Line -under the. Contract and the Guaranty.
Gerritsen attempts to distinguish No Cost on the grounds that, although the No Cost plaintiff was not able to establish successor-in-interest liability under an ás-sumption theory, it was able to do it on an alternative basis.
The court disagrees. Gerritsen’s allegations are largely conclusory. First, her allegation that Katja’s and New Line’s obligations were assigned to WB “by virtue of the transaction” is the very legal conclusion that numerous courts' have found insufficient under Rule 8. See No Cost, 940 F.Supp.2d at 1299; Brockway v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, No. 11CV2982 JM (BGS), 2012 WL 4894253, *3 (S.D.Cal. Oct. 15, 2012) (“The SAC simply alleges that Wells Fargo ‘expressly or impliedly agreed to. assume all of DREXEL’s liabilities under the Deed of . Trust— Such conclusory allegations do ‘not unlock the doors of discoveiy for a plaintiff armed with nothing more than conclusions.’ While an allegation that Defendants either ‘expressly or implied agreed to assume all of DREXEL’s liabilities’ raises the possibility of an assumption of liabilities, it does not show that Plaintiff is entitled to relief under [Rule] 8(a)(2)”); Pantoja v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., 640 F.Supp.2d 1177, 1192 (N.D.Cal. 2009) (holding that a plaintiff who alleged that Bank of America “is responsible and liable for the actions of Countrywide” and who pled “no facts beyond the purchase of Countrywide by Bank of America” had failed to- plead sufficient facts to support a claim against the bank); Winner, 2008 WL 2693741 at *4.
To the extent Gerritsen’s other allegations plead some facts that might support a finding that WB assumed the other defendants’ obligations under the Contract and Guaranty, they do not give rise to a plausible inference- that it did so. Gerrit-sen’s allegations regarding the intent of the original contracting parties, i.e., that she and Katja understood that Katja would not produce the film and that either New Line or a New Line affiliate would do so, does not- speak to WB’s intentions when it acquired Katja and New Line, nor does it provide a factual basis for Gerritsen’s allegation that WB assumed all'-obligations under the Contract. The. facts Gerritsen seeks to have judicially noticed, which include reference to á common address or contact person,
Furthermore, even had Gerritsen alleged that the companies had a common address or contact person — which, as noted, she has not — the fact that .the companies have related operations does not, in and of itself, support a plausible inference that WB -assumed Katja’s and New Line’s obligations such that it can be held liable on the Contract and Guaranty. See Serna v. Bank of America, N.A., No. CV 11-10598 CAS (JEMx), 2012 WL 2030705, *4 (C.D.Cal. June 4, 2012) (allegations that Bank -of America “expressly assumed [Countrywide’s] liability by sending [plaintiffs] a letter stating that théy could make the trial plan payment” was insufficient to establish express or implied assumption); Winner, 2008 WL 2693741 at *4 (“Although plaintiffs argue that an implied assumption of liability may be inferred [from] Zurich’s conduct, the mere allegation that Zurich communicated with plaintiffs regarding their' claims ahd that it shared a common address with Universal is not enough from which to infer that Zurich agreed to assume Universal’s liabilities”). The court thus concludes that Ger-ritsen has failed to sufficiently plead assumption under the successor-in-interest theory of liability.
(b) Consolidation or Merger
Under California law, successor liability can be imposed on the basis of consolidation or merger, sometimes called the de facto merger exception.
Gerritsen’s other allegations do not cure the problem. Nowhere in the complaint does Gerritsen allege any facts concerning the .details of the corporate transaction or the consideration exchanged . by defendants. Gerritsen’s conclusory allegation that “New Line and Katja have been, and continue to be shell corporations wholly owned by WB and mere conduits through which WB conducts business” does not plead facts giving rise to a plausible inference that a consolidation or merger occurred. in which WB acquired all of Katja’s and New Line’s assets, but provided no consideration that could be made available to other creditors. In short, Gerritsen’s allegations do not reflect a transaction “in the nature of a merger or consolidation for purposes of the afQresaid rule.” See Ray, 19 Cal.3d at 29, 136 Cal.Rptr. 574, 560 P.2d 3 (“There is no contention that this consideration was inadequate or that the cash and promissory note given to Alad I were not included in the assets available to meet claims of Alad I’s creditors .at the time of dissolution. Hence the acquisition of Alad I’s assets was hot in the nature of a merger or consolidation for purposes of the [successor liability] rule”).
Gerritsen next argues that WB is liable as a successor-in-interest because it is a mere continuation of Katja and New Line.
Gerritsen asserts that her allegations satisfy the “mere continuation” test because she pleads that “to the extent New Line and Katja continue to transact any business at all, it is at the sole discretion and for the sole benefit of WB.”
(d) Fraudulent Purpose
Finally, Gerritsen argues that she has pled facts that support a plausible inference that the Katja/New Line/WB consolidation involved “the transfer of assets for the fraudulent purpose of escaping liability.”
The court finds that Gerritsen’s allegations are, once again, conclusory. While the court will assume for purposes of this motion that she plausibly pleads the Film was based on her Book, a “literary property” owned by Katja, in that- she pleads purported similarities between the two works,
(e) Conclusion Regarding Successor-in-interest Liability
Because Gerritsen has failed to plead plausibly that WB is Katja’s and New Line’s successor-in-interest with respect to the Contract and Guaranty on any of the four bases identified in Ray, this liability theory does not provide grounds for denying defendants’ motion to dismiss,
b. Alter Ego Liability
(1) Legal Standard Governing Alter Ego Liability
“The alter ego doctrine arises when a plaintiff comes ipto court claiming that an opposing party is using the corporate form unjustly and in derogation of the plaintiffs interests. In certain circum
Before the doctrine can be invoked, two elements must be alleged: “First, there must be such a unity of interest and ownership between the corporation and its equitable owner that the separate personalities of the corporation and the shareholder do hot in reality exist. Second, there must be an inequitable result if the acts in question are treated as those of the corporatión alone.” Sonora Diamond Corp. v. Superior Court, 83 Cal.App.4th 523, 526, 99 Cal.Rptr.2d 824 (2000); see also Mesler, 39 Cal.3d at 300, 216 Cal.Rptr. 443, 702 P.2d 601 (“There is no litmus test to determine when the corporate veil will be pierced; rather the result will depend on the circumstances of each particular case. There are, nevertheless, two general requirements: ‘(1) that there be such unity of interest and ownership that the separate personalities of the corporation and the individual no longer exist and (2) that, if the acts are treated as those of the corporation alone, an inequitable result will follow,’ ” quoting Automotriz del Golfo de California S.A. de C.V. v. Resnick, 47 Cal.2d 792, 796, 306 P.2d 1 (1957)). See also AT & T v. Compagnie Bruxelles Lambert, 94 F.3d 586, 591 (9th Cir. 1996); Harwood, 33 Fed.Appx. at 906.
Conclusory allegations of “alter ego” status are insufficient to state a claim. Rather, a ‘ plaintiff must allege specific facts supporting both of the elements of alter ego liability. In re Currency Conversion Fee Antitrust Litigation, 265 F.Supp.2d 385, 426 (S.D.N.Y. 2003) (“These purely conclusory allegations cannot suffice to state a claim based on veil-piercing or alter-ego liability, even under the liberal notice pleading standard”); Wady v. Provident Life and Accident Ins. Co. of America, 216 F.Supp.2d 1060, 1067 (C.D.Cal. 2002) (“More pertinent for purposes of the current discussion, none [of the allegations] contains any reference to UnumPro-vident being the alter ego of Provident. None alleges that UnumProvident treats the assets of Provident as its own, that it commingles funds with Provident, that it controls the finances of Provident, that it shares officers or directors with Provident, that Provident is undercapitalized, or that the separateness of the subsidiary has ceased. Without such allegations, the issue is not adequately raised, and Unum-Provident was not put on notice that this was a theory against which it should be prepared to defend”); Kingdom 5-KR-41, Ltd. v. Star Cruises PLC, No. 01 Civ.
A plaintiff may plead unity of interest by relying on a number, of different factors. “Among the factors to be considered in applying the doctrine are commingling of funds and other assets of the two entities, the holding out by one entity that it is liable for the debts of the other, identical equitable ownership in the two entities, use of the same offices and employees, and use of one as a mere shell or conduit for the affairs of the other.” Wady, 216 F.Supp.2d at 1066 (quoting Roman Catholic Archbishop, 15 Cal.App.3d at 411, 93 Cal.Rptr. 338). This list is nonexclusive, and California courts have relied on a host of other factors in finding alter ego liability as well. See Zoran Corp. v. Chen, 185 Cal.App.4th 799, 811-12, 110 Cal.Rptr.3d 597 (2010) (listing factors that include “the holding out by an individual that he is. personally liable for the-debts of the corporation ...; the failure to maintain minutes or adequate corporate records, and the confusion of the records of the separate entities ...; the identical equitable ownership in the two entities; the identification of the equitable owners thereof with the domination and control of the two entities; identification of the directors and officers of the two entities in the responsible supervision and management; ... the employment of the same employees and/or attorney ...; the failure to adequately capitalize a corporation; the total absence of corporate assets, and un-dercapitalization ...; the concealment and misrepresentation of the identity of the responsible ownership, management and financial interest, or concealment of personal business activities .the disregard of legal formalities and the failure to maintain arm’s length relationships among related entities".the use of the corporate entity to procure labor, services or merchandise for another person or entity ...; the manipulation of assets and liabilities between entities so as to concentrate the assets in one and the liabilities in another ...; the contracting with another with intent to avoid performance by use of a corporate entity as a. shield against personal liability, or the use of a corporation as a subterfuge of illegal transactions ...; and the formation and use of a corporation to transfer to it the existing liability of another person or entity,” quoting Morrison Knudsen Corp. v. Hancock, Rothert & Bunshoft, LLP, 69 Cal.App.4th 223, 249-50, 81 Cal.Rptr.2d 425 (1999) (in turn quoting Associated Vendors, Inc. v. Oakland Meat Co., 210 Cal.App.2d 825, 838-40, 26 Cal.Rptr. 806 (1962))). “No single factor is determinative,' and instead a court must examine all the circumstances to determine whether- to apply the doctrine.” VirtualMagic Asia, Inc. v. Fil-Cartoons, Inc., 99 Cal.App.4th 228, 245, 121 Cal.Rptr.2d 1 (2002).
(2) Whether Gerritsen Has Adequately Alleged Alter Ego Liability
(á) Unity of Interest and Ownership
As respects unity of interest and ownership, Gerritsen pleads:
*1044 “[T]here has been and is today such a unity of interest and ownership between New Line and Katja, on the one hand, and their parent WB on the other, that the separate personalities of New Line and Katja no longer exist and if their acts are not. treated as the acts of WB an inequitable result will follow.”127
The 'allegations that substantiate Gerrit-sen’s recitation of this element of alter ego liability include: (1) that Katja was a wholly-owned subsidiary of, and was completely dominated, directed, and controlled by New. Line; . (2) that WB acquired New Line in a. corporate transaction, after which New Line and Katja became “shell corporations wholly owned by WB and mere conduits through which WB conducts business”; (3) that to the extent New Line and Katja do any business, it is at the sole direction and for the sole' benefit of WB; and (4) that WB exercises complete management, control/'ownership, and domination over New Line and Katja.
Each of the preceding allegations is a conclusory assertion that there is a unity of interest among the defendants; none pleads any specific facts demonstrating that this is so. Consequently, these allegations insufficiently plead the first element of an alter ego claim. See In re Currency Conversion Fee Antitrust Litigation, 265 F.Supp.2d at 426; Wady, 216 F.Supp.2d at 1067. Gerritsen alleges no facts showing that New Line and Katja are “shell corporations,” nor does she plead facts showing that WB directs New Line’s and Katja’s business activities. Similarly, Gerritsen.does she detail how it is that WB exercises complete management, control, ownership, and domination over New Line and Katja. Without a factual basis, her conclusory allegations are insufficient. See Hokama, 566 F.Supp. at 647 (“Defendants further argue that plaintiffs cannot circumvent the requirements for secondary liability by blandly alleging that Mad-gett, Consolidated, and Frane are ‘alter egos’ of other defendants accused of committing primary violations. This point is well taken.... If plaintiffs wish to pursue such a theory of liability, they must allege the elements of the doctrine: Conclusory allegations of alter ego status such as those made in the present complaint are not sufficient”).
In her opposition, Gerritsen references facts found in documents that are the subject of her requests for judicial notice — i.e., that defendants share a website and the same business address, as well as the same legal counsel and agent for service of process.
Importantly, there are no allegations that WB commingled funds with New Line and Katja, or that New Line and Katja were undercapitalized after acquired by WB. See Matsunoki Group, Inc. v. Timberwork Oregon, Inc., No. C 08-04078 CW, 2009 WL 1033818, *4 (N.D.Cal. Apr. 16, 2009) (finding the evi
For all of these reasons, Gerritsen has not adequately pled unity of interest.
(b) inequitable Result
Even had. Gerritsen satisfactorily pled unity of interest, the court could not find that she has adequately alleged that an inequitable result will follow if the corporate separateness of the defendant entities is not disregarded. “[A] plaintiff must allege specifically both of the elements of alter ego, liability, as well as facts supporting each.” Neilson v. Union Bank of California, N.A., 290 F.Supp.2d 1101, 1116 (C.D.Cal. 2003). In addition to alleging facts that show a unity of interest, Gerrit-sen must also plead facts demonstrating that an inequitable result will follow if an alter ego finding is not made. See Orloff v. Allman, 819 F.2d 904, 908-09 (9th Cir. 1987) (discussing California’s alter ego standard). The “inequitable result” prong of alter ego liability exists to address circumstances in which “adherence to the fiction of the separate existence of the corporation would, under the particular circumstances, sanction a fraud or promote injustice.” First Western Bank & Trust Co. v. Bookasta, 267 Cal.App.2d 910, 914-15, 73 Cal.Rptr. 657 (1968) (citations omitted). Bad faith is a critical factor in this analysis. See Neilson, 290 F.Supp.2d at 1117 (“California courts generally require some evidence of bad faith conduct on the part of defendants before concluding that an inequitable result justifies an alter ego finding,” citing Mid-Century Ins. Co. v. Gardner, 9 Cal.App.4th 1205, 1213, 11 Cal.Rptr.2d 918 (1992) (“The purpose of the doctrine is not to protect every unsatisfied creditor, but rather to afford him protection, where some conduct amounting to bad faith makes it inequitable, under the applicable rule above cited, for the equitable owner of a corporation to hide behind its Corporate veil” (internal citation and quotation marks omitted))).
Gerritsen cites the same allegations she offered to show that she had pled successor-in-interest liability because defendants engaged in corporate transactions for the fraudulent purpose of escaping liability.
c. Agency Liability
(1) Legal Standard for Agency Liability
Under California law, an agent is defined as “one who' represents another, called the principal, in dealings with third persons." CAL. CIV. CODE § 2295. “In determining if ah agent relationship exists,- the court considers three' essential characteristics: (1) an agent or apparent agent holds a power to alter the legal relationships between the principal and third persons and between the principal and himself; (2) an agent is a -fiduciary with respect to matters within the scope of the agency; and (3) a principal had the right to control .the conduct of the agent with respect to matters entrusted to him.” Grober v. Mako Productions, Inc., No. CV 04-08604 SGL (OPx), 2008 WL 9027249, *6 (C.D.Cal. Aug. 29, 2008) (citing Garlock Sealing Techs., LLC v. NAK Sealing Techs. Corp., 148 Cal.App.4th 937, 945, 56 Cal.Rptr.3d 177 (2007)); Palomares v. Bear Sterns Residential Mortg. Corp., No. CV 07-1899 WQH (BLM), 2008 WL 686683, *4 (S.D.Cal. Mar. 13, 2008).
(2) Whether Gerritsen Has Adequately Alleged Agency Liability
Gerritsen asserts that her complaint alleges a plausible theory of agency liability under which defendants may be held jointly liable for breach of the Contract and Guaranty.
“In and subsequent to 2008, each defendant was acting as the agent of each other .defendant, and, in committing the acts and omissions described below, was acting within the course and scope of such agency with the knowledge, eon-sent, and ratification of each other defendant.”133
Gerritsen concedes that this allegation, standing alone, does not suffice to allege agency liability plausibly.
As the court has noted, Gerritsen pleads no facts supporting the conclusions that Katja and New Line were “completely dominated and controlled” by WB, ánd that Katja was eomplicit in New Line’s business strategy. Allegations reciting a legal standard — i.e., that WB exercises “complete management and control” over New Line and Katja and that they transact business at WB’s “sole direction and for
D. Whether Gerritsen is Entitled to Discovery
In her opposition, Gerritsen asks that the court permit her to conduct discovery to develop facts supporting her vicarious liability claims; she contends that there are “other documents bearing on the corporate transaction” other than the Assignment Agreement proffered by defendants as Exhibit B to the Pearson Declaration.
III. CONCLUSION
For the reasons stated, the court grants defendants’ motion to dismiss Gerritsen’s complaint.
Gerritsen may not plead new- claims. Should the scope of any amendment exceed the leave to amend granted by this order, the court will strike the offending portions of the pleading'under Rule 12(f). See Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 12(f) (“The court may strike from a pleading an insufficient defense dr any redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter. The court may strike from a pleading an insufficient defense or any redundant, immaterial, impertinent,' or scandalous matter. The court may act: (1) on its own; or (2) on motion made by a party either before responding to the pleading or, if a response is not allowed, within 21 days after being served with the pleading”); DeLeon v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 10-CV-01390-LHK, 2010 WL 4285006, *3 (N.D.Cal. Oct. 22, 2010) (“In cases like this one ... where leave to amend is given to cure deficiencies in certain specified claims, courts have agreed that new claims alleged for the first time in the amended pleading should be dismissed or stricken”); see also Kennedy v. Full Tilt Poker, No. CV 09-07964 MMM (AGRx), 2010 WL 3984749, *1 (C.D.Cal. Oct. 12, 2010) (noting that the court had stricken a third amended complaint because plaintiffs’ new claims ahd the addition of new defendants “éx-ceeded the authorization to amend the court granted” and plaintiffs had not sought leave to add new claims or defendants as required by Rule 15); Barker v. Avila, No. 2:09-cv-0001-GEB-JFM, 2010 WL 3171067, *1-2 (E.D.Cal. Aug. 11, 2010) (striking an amendment to a federal law claim where the court had granted leave to amend only state law claims); PB Farradyne, Inc. v. Peterson, No. C 05-3447 SI, 2006 WL 2578273, *3 (N.D.Cal. Sept. 6, 2006) (striking, without leave to amend, a new theory of liability alleged in the third amended complaint because the new claim was “outside the scope of the leave to amend granted” when the court dismissed the second amended complaint); Serpa v. SBC Telecommunications, Inc., No. C 03-4223 MHP, 2004 WL 2002444, *3 (N.D.Cal. Sept. 7, 2004) (striking a claim asserted for the first time in an amended complaint, since the new claim exceeded the scope of the court’s order granting limited leave to amend).
. Notice of Motion and Motion to Dismiss Case ("Motion"), Docket No. 8 (June 20, 2014).
. Opposition to Motion to Dismiss ("Opposition”), Docket No. 13 (Sept. 8, 2014).
. Objection in Opposition to Declaration of Ashley Pearson and Attached Exhibits ("Opposition to Pearson Decl.”), Docket No. 15 (Sept. 8, 2014).
. Response to Plaintiffs Objections to Declaration of Ashley Pearson and Attached Exhibits ("Response Supporting Pearson Decl.”), Docket No. 19 (Sept. 15, 2014).
. Request for Judicial Notice in Support of Opposition ("RJN”), Docket No. 14 (Sept. 8, 2014); Additional Request for Judicial Notice in Support of Opposition ("Second RJN”), Docket No. 16 (Sept. 8, 2014).
. Defendants’ Opposition to Plaintiffs Request for Judicial Notice (“RJN Opposition”), Docket No. 18 (Sept. 15, 2014); Defendants' Opposition to Plaintiffs Additional Request for Judicial Notice ("Second RJN Opposition”), Docket No. 20 (Sept. 15, 2014).
. See (In Chambers) Order Taking Hearing on Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Off Calendar, Docket No. 22 (Sept. 26, 2014).
. Complaint, ¶ 9.
. Id., ¶ 10.
. Id.., ¶ 12.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id., ¶ 13; Exh. 1; Gravity Purchase Agreement.
. Id., ¶¶ 14, 24.
. Id., ¶ 15.
. Id., ¶ 16.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id., ¶ 17.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id., ¶ 18.
. Id.
. Id., ¶ 19.
. id., ¶ 20.
. Id., ¶ 20.
. Id., ¶ 21.
. Id., ¶ 22.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id., ¶ 6.
. Id.
. Id.
. Id., ¶¶ 23-38.
. Declaration of Ashley Pearson in Support of Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff’s Complaint ("Pearson Decl.”), Docket No. 8-1 (June 20, 2014).
. Pearson Decl., ¶¶ 2-10.
. Opposition to Pearson Decl. at 2.
. Response Supporting Pearson Decl. at 1.
. Defendants are correct that parties frequently submit additional materials to doc
. See also Vassel v. Carson Helicopters, Inc., No. 2:13-CV-02520-KJM-CMK, 2014 WL 1912056, *3-4 (E.D.Cal. May 13, 2014) ("In support of plaintiff’s oppositions to Phillips’ and Carson’s motions to. dismiss, plaintiff includes the declaration of one of his attorneys, Troy Douglas Mudford, and attaches ... exhibits'. ... Plaintiff also includes his own declaration summarizing his responsibilities with regard to the helicopter involved in the crash. Plaintiff did not file a request for judicial notice, nor did he set forth any legal argument supporting the court’s ability to consider these matters. Phillips opposes consideration of the declarations and exhibits, arguing it is improper extrinsic evidence in deciding a 12(b)(6) motion and tlie documénts ‘contribute nothing to the analysis of the subject of duty or to the propriety of Plaintiff's' emotional distress claims.... Here, plaintiff provides no argument or legal authority to show the facts contained in a press release and mere excerpts of public records are proper subjects of judicial notice. The court decline’s to consider the declarations of Mudford and plaintiff”); Stanley v. Bobo Construction, Inc., No. 14-CV-00035 JAM-EFB, 2014 WL 1400957, *2 (E.D.Cal. Apr. 10, 2014) ("The City objects to the Declaration of John’J. Rueda submitted by Plaintiff with his opposition to 'the City’s motion to dismiss. Generally, courts-may .not consider materials beyond the pleadings in ruling on a [Rule] 12(b)(6) motion. There are two exceptions to this rule: First, a court may consider ‘material which is properly submitted as part of the complaint’ on a motion to dismiss. Second, under Federal Rule of Evidence 201, ‘a court may take judicial notice of matters of public record.’ In this cáse, as part of his opposition, Plaintiff submitted a declaration by his counsel. This declaration was not attached to the complaint nor has Plaintiff requested judicial notice of it; therefore, this declaration is outside the pleadings. Accordingly, the Court sustains the City's objection and will not consider the declaration”); In re Applied Micro Circuits Corp., No. 01-CV-0649 K(AJB), 2002 WL 34716875, *2-3 (S.D.Cal. Oct. 4, 2002) ("Plaintiff alleges that Defendants have submitted declarations ... in their Rule 12(b)(6) motion to refute part of Plaintiff’s claim.... Plaintiff contends that the declarations were not referenced in the amended complaint, nor were they attached to the complaint. In fact, Plaintiff avers that the declarations did not exist at the time the amended complaint was drafted and thus were not relied on by Plaintiff.-... If the Court -were to consider this extrinsic evidence, it would in fact convert this motion to dismiss into a motion for summary judgment, and the Court is not willing to do so. The declarations are obviously not referenced in, and therefore fall outside of, the amended complaint. Because the declarations are extrinsic materials to the Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the Court- GRANTS Plaintiff’s motion to strike the declarations ... in Defendants’ Rule 12(b)(6) motion”); see also Tolliv
.Gerritsen . also objects to consideration of Pearson’s declaration on the basis that she has no-personal knowledge of the matters discussed in the declaration and cannot authenticate or lay foundation for the exhibits. (Opposition to’Pearson Decl. at 2.) Pearson states in her declaration, however, that she has personal knowledge of the facts recited therein (Pearson Decl., ¶ 1), and the nature of the exhibits, as well as additional facts included in the declaration, indicate that she does. This objection is therefore overruled.
. Opposition to Pearson Decl., ¶ 4.
. Id.
. Indeed, even at a later stage of the proceedings, it would likely be inappropriate, for - counsel themselves to serve- as witnesses and offer evidence to be used in resolving Gerritsen's claims.
. Pearson Decl., Exhs. A, C.
. Opposition to Pearson Decl. at 3-4.
. Id. at 4.
. Response Supporting Pearson Decl. at 3-4.
. Complaint, ¶ 20.
. Although Gerritsen contends the court should not take "judicial notice of the agreement, the specific arguments she makes are relevant in assessing whether it is appropriate to consider the document under the incorporation by reference doctrine. Gerritsen asserts, for example, that the agreement is hot authentic; this is directly relevant to application of the incorporation by reference doctrine. See Coto Settlement v. Eisenberg, 593 F.3d 1031, 1038 (9th Cir. 2010) (stating that it is proper to consider a document "where the complaint necessarily relies, upon [it] or [its], contents ... are alleged in a complaint, the document’s authenticity is not in question arid there are rib disputed issues as to the document’s relevance" (emphasis added)). ’ Gerrit-sen also objects to consideration .of Exhibit B on the ground that Pearson is unable to authenticate the agreement based on personal knowledge. (Opposition to Pearson Decl. at 4.) The court agrees that Pearson has recited no facts in her declaration that indicate she was personally involved in the drafting or execution of the agreement. As a result, she cannot personally authenticate it. See Orr v. Bank of America, 285 F.3d 764, 777 (9th Cir. 2002) (excluding exhibits because they were attached to the declaration of a person other'than the author or recipient of the document).
.Opposition to Pearson Decl. at 4; see Pearson Decl., Exh. G.
. Response Supporting Pearson Decl. at 4-5.
. Complaint, ¶ 20.
. The court notes, in this regard, that Gerrit-sen has had no opportunity to, conduct discovery regarding the documents that govern WB’s acquisition of Katja and New Line. In Haskell v. Time, Inc., 857 F.Supp. 1392 (E.D.Cal. 1994), the court elected to consider exemplars ,of purportedly false advertising in deciding a motion to dismiss. It observed: "Plaintiff does not deny that the exemplars, or virtually identical other mailings, are in his possession, are central to his claim, and are referred to in detail in the complaint. Rather, he argues that the exemplars are not the exact or only mailings on which he bases his claims and that they were handpicked by the defendants to succeed on their motions to dismiss. He suggests that he may have exemplars in which the challenged statements appear in a more misleading context or that such examples may turn up through discoveiy. But plaintiff does not provide any basis in fact for these conclusory assertions. He certainly had exemplars either identical or very similar to the ones provided by defendants when drafting the complaints. He has been on notice for some time — at least since the first status conference — that defendants intended to make this motion to dismiss based on exemplars. And he has provided no competing
The court cautions, however, that as the case proceeds, and Gerritsen obtains discovery concerning the terms and conditions of the agreement(s) pursuant to which WB acquired Katja and New Line, she must be cognizant of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and not pursue theories of liability that are clearly foreclosed by the terms of the relevant agreements.
. Pearson Decl., Exh. D.
. Id.
. Response Supporting Pearson Decl. at 5-6.
. Opposition to Pearson Decl. at 5.
. Pearson Decl., Exh. E.
. Id.
. Response Supporting Pearson Decl. at 6.
. Pearson Decl., ¶ 2; Exh. F.
. Id.
. Opposition to Pearson Decl. at 6-7.
. Response Supporting Pearson Decl. at 6.
. Pearson Decl., ¶ 4; Exh. G; Reply Supporting Pearson Decl. at 6.
. Pearson Decl., ¶ 4.
. Opposition to Pearson Decl. at 7.
.To the extent defendants seek to have the court consider the email' exchange for the purpose of concluding that Gerritsen does not truly dispute the authenticity of the Assignment Agreement, the court declines to do so. In her opposition, Gerritsen disputes the authenticity of the document; the court must accept her representation that there is a dispute for purposes of applying the incorporation by reference doctrine, and cannot make a credibility finding concerning the matter at this stage.
. RJN at 1-2.
. Id. at 1-3.
. RJN at 10.
. Id.
. RJN at 10-11.
. Id. at 3.
. Id. at 10.
. RJN at 10-11.
. Opposition to RJN at 1-3.
. RJN at 11.
. Id.
. Opposition to RJN at 2.
.Other courts have viewed the matter differently and have taken judicial notice of information appearing on a party's website. See, e.g., Jeandron v. Board of Regents of University System of Maryland, 510 Fed.Appx. 223, 227 (4th Cir. 2013) (Unpub. Disp.) ("A court may take judicial notice of information publicly announced on a party’s web site, so long as the web site’s authenticity is not in' dispute and ‘it is capable of accurate and ready determination,’ ” citing Fed.R.Evid. 201(b); O’Toole v. Northrop Grumman Corp., 499 F.3d 1218, 1225 (10th Cir. 2007)); In re UBS Auction Rate Securities Litigation, No. 08 Civ 2967(LMM), 2010 WL 2541166, *15 (S.D.N.Y. June 10, 2010) ("[I]t is appropriate to take judicial. notice of the contents of a party’s website”); Doron Precision Systems, Inc. v. FAAC, Inc., 423 F.Supp.2d 173, 179 n. 8 (S.D.N.Y. 2006) (“For purposes of a 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, a court may take judicial notice of information publicly announced on a party’s website, as long as thé website’s authenticity is not in dispute and 'it is capable of accurate and ready determination,’ ” citing Fed.R.Evid. 201(b); Town of Southold v. Town of East Hampton, 406 F.Supp.2d 227, 232 n. 2 (E.D.N.Y. 2005); Sarl Louis Feraud Int'l v. Viewfinder Inc., 406 F.Supp.2d 274, 277 (S.D.N.Y. 2005)); Monsanto Co. v. Pacificorp, No. CV 01-607 E LMB, 2006 WL 1128226, *8 n. 4 (D.Idaho Apr. 24, 2006) (" ‘[A] court may take judicial notice of information publicly announced on a party's website,' ” citing Doron Precision Systems).
Some courts that have taken judicial notice of such websites, however, have done so only for the fact of the website’s publication, not for the truth of any matter asserted therein." Braun v. United Recovery Systems, LP, 14 F.Supp.3d 159, 169 (S.D.N.Y. 2014) (citing In re UBS Auction Rate Securities Litig., 2010 WL 2541166 at *15); see Kane, 2013 WL 5797619 at *9. ("When a court takes judicial notice of publications like websites and newspaper articles, the court, merely notices what was in the public realm at the time, not whether the contents of those articles were in fact true,” citing Premier Growth Fund, 435 F.3d at 401 n. 15; Heliotrope Gen., Inc., 189 F.3d at 981 n. 118). As with - Gerritsen’s request that the court take judicial notice of press releases and news articles, it is clear that she seeks to have the court take judicial noticé of information published on third party and WB's websites for the truth of the information published, not simply the fact of its publication. Even if the court were to take, notice of the information, it would.do so only for that purpose. As the fact that the information was publicly available on the sites is not relevant to decision-of defendants’ motion to dismiss, the court declines for this reason as well to take judicial notice of the information appearing on the various websites.
. RJN at 11.
. Opposition to RJN at 4.
. As noted, many of Gerritsen's requests ask that the court take judicial notice of the truth of the docüments and sources identified. Defendants argue that, in seeking to have the court judicially notice "45 new-exhibits and 15 new 'facts’ attached to her opposition brief," she is attempting to utilize the documents to amend the complaint and defeat defendants’ motion to dismiss. (Opposition to RJN at 1.) The court agrees. It appears that Gerritsen relies on the facts contained in the various documents that are the subject of her judicial notice request to supplement the allegations in her complaint. This is improper, and her request that the court judicially notice information contained in press releases and news articles, third parly websites, and WB’s SEC filings must be declined for this reason as well. See, e.g., Ixia, 50 F.Supp.3d at 1350 ("The parties dispute whether the court may properly consider certain Forms 4 that the individual defendants filed with the SEC during the class period. Plaintiffs seek to have the court take judicial notice of the documents. Because the documents are SEC filings, they are proper subjects of judicial notice. Defendants contend, however, that the court should decline to take judicial notice of the documents because plaintiffs are attempting to use them to supplement allegations included in the complaint. Although plaintiffs assert that they relied on the documents in pleading Certain of their allegations, they did not include other facts that are referenced in their opposition to the motion to dismiss. Plaintiffs cannot utilize the documents to amend the complaint and defeat defendants' motions to dismiss. Consequently, the court declines to take judicial notice of the individual defendants' Forms 4" (citation omitted)); In re Turbodyne Technologies, Inc. Sec. Litig., No. CV 99-00697 MMM (BQRx), 2000 WL 33961193, *10 (C.D.Cal., Mar. 15, 2000) (“Plaintiffs’ complaint alleges much of the information contdiñéd in Exhibit Q, including Turbodyne’s stock price on certain days and the dates the stock’s upward and downward price swings began. The complaint lacks any allegations regarding Turbo-dyne's daily trading volume, however, and plaintiffs clearly seek to have the-court take judicial notice of Exhibit Q to cure this omission. In deciding a motion to dismiss, courts may not ‘take into account additional facts asserted in a memorandum opposing the motion to dismiss, because such memoranda do not constitute" pleadings under Rule 7(a).' The effect of plaintiffs’ request that the court take judicial notice of Exhibit Q is the same, and the court declines to do so for that reason” (internal citation omitted)).
. RJN at 12.
. Second RJN at 1-2.
. Id.
. Id.
. Motion at 6-7.
. Complaint, ¶ 13.
. Id., ¶ 14.
. Id., ¶ 15.
. Id., ¶¶ 10 ("WB is engaged in the business of developing, producing, distributing, and marketing motion pictures including the 2013 motion picture entitled Gravity (the 'Film’)”); 22 ("In or about 2011, WB commenced production of the Film”).
.Complaint, ¶ 6 ("Gerritsen is informed and believes, and on that basis alleges, that in and subsequent to 2008, New Line and' Katja have been and continue' to be shell corporations wholly owned by WB and mere conduits through which WB conducts business”).
. Motion at 7-8.
. Complaint, ¶ 20.
. Opposition at 12-13.
. Id. at 13.
. Complaint, ¶ 13.
. Opposition at 13.
. See RJN, ¶¶ 1-2.
. See Franklin v. USX Corp., 87 Cal.App.4th 615; 626-27, 105 Cal.Rptr.2d 11 (2001) (referring to this theory as the "de facto merger exception”).
. Opposition at 14.
. Complaint, ¶¶ 6, 20. Although, in her opposition, she references a number of press releases, articles, and news commentaries discussing the purported merger between WB and New 'Line that were subjects of her request for judicial notice, the court has, .for reasons detailed earlier, declined to take judicial notice of the documents in ruling on defendants’ motion to dismiss.
. Gerritsen appears to rely on No Cost to support her contention that her complaint adequately pleads a consolidation or merger giving rise to successor-in-interest liability. (Opposition at 12-13, 15.) In No Cost, the court held that No Cost had satisfactorily alleged that Wind. Corp. and PAETEC had consolidated or merged for purposes of the successor-in-interest test. No Cost, 940 F.Supp.2d at 1300. There, No Cost alleged that Windstream Corporation produced a press release that 'officially announced a merger and that, following the merger, Wind-stream "set about on a course of actions aimed at causing PAETEC's customers ,.. to believe that PAETEC was now part of Wind-stream Communications.” Id. Among other things, Windstream sent No Cost a letter stating that Windstream Communications and PAETEC had combined and also sent invoices that confirmed the merging of the two companies. Id. Finally, PAETEC. shareholders received 0.460 shares of Windstream stock for each PAETEC share owned at closing. Id. Based on these allegations, the court concluded that- the complaint satisfactorily alleged
No Cost's allegations differ.from Gerristen's in that they reference an exchange of shares as a result of the merger transaction. As noted, Gerritsen does not address in any way the consideration that defendants exchanged.
. Opposition at 15.
. Id.
. Id., see RJN, Exh. 2.
. Opposition at 15-16.
. Complaint, ¶ 22.
. Id.
. Id., ¶ 6.
. Reply at 11-12.
. Id. As noted, the court denied defendants’ request to take judicial notice of the documents attached to the Pearson Declaration that list purported differences between the Book and the Film because such evidence is not properly considered at this state of the litigation. It therefore declines to consider this argument.
. Complaint, ¶¶ 12, 19, 21.
. Id., ¶ 13.
. Whether to pierce the corporate veil is a question of state law. See, e.g., Dusharm v. Elegant Custom Homes, Inc., 302 Fed.Appx. 571, 572 (9th Cir. 2008) (Unpub. Disp.) (applying Arizona law); Harwood v. Int’l Estate Planners, 33 Fed.Appx. 903, 906 (9th Cin 2002) (Unpub. Disp.) (applying California law).
. Complaint, ¶ 6.
. Id., ¶¶ 6, 16, 20.
. Opposition at 18.
. Id.
. Opposition at 20.
. Opposition at 22.
. Complaint, ¶ 5.
. Opposition at 21.
. See Pearson Decl., Exh. B. The court declined to consider Exhibit B in deciding the present motion because Gerritsen disputed its authenticity.
. Because Gerritsen’s breach of contract and guaranty claims are not adequately pled, and her accounting claim is derivative of her breach of contract claims, the court grants defendants’ motion to dismiss the accounting claim as well.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Terry T. GERRITSEN, an individual v. WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC., a Delaware corporation Katja Motion Picture Corp., a California corporation and New Line Productions, Inc., a California corporation
- Cited By
- 278 cases
- Status
- Published