Alicea v. Records

• Decision Date: 11 January 2011
• Docket Number: C.A. No. 10–cv–30002–MAP.
• Citation: 762 F.Supp.2d 299
• Parties: Angel Martin ALICEA, et al., Plaintiffsv.LT'S BENJAMIN RECORDS, et al., Defendants.
• Court: U.S. District Court — District of Massachusetts

762 F.Supp.2d 299

Angel Martin ALICEA, et al., Plaintiffs

v.LT'S BENJAMIN RECORDS, et al., Defendants.

C.A. No. 10–cv–30002–MAP.

United States District Court, D. Massachusetts.

Jan. 11, 2011.

David A. Mech, Law Office of David A. Mech, Springfield, MA, for Plaintiffs.Linda M. Burrow, Alison MacKenzie, Caldwell Leslie & Proctor, PC, Los Angeles, CA, Daniel J. Cloherty, Dwyer & Collora LLP, Boston, MA, Edwin Prado, San Juan, PR, Aaron Y. Silverstein, Saunders & Silverstein LLP, Amesbury, MA, for Defendants.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER RE: REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION WITH REGARD TO DEFENDANTS' MOTIONS TO DISMISS (Dkt. Nos. 11, 29 & 57)

PONSOR, District Judge.

This is a copyright action in which five musical artists seek damages from a number of Defendants. Two groups of defendants, characterized as the “UMG/Machete” Defendants and the “Daddy Yankee” Defendants, filed motions to dismiss (Dkt. Nos. 11 & 29). These motions were referred to Magistrate Judge Kenneth P. Neiman for report and recommendation.

On December 13, 2010, Judge Neiman issued his Report and Recommendation, to the effect that the motion to dismiss of the UMG/Machete group should be allowed as to Counts VII and VIII, and that the motion to dismiss of the Daddy Yankee group should be allowed in its entirety. The conclusion of the Report and Recommendation admonished the parties that any objections to the Report and Recommendation would have to be filed within fourteen days. See Dkt. No. 57, at 20 n. 5. No objection has been filed.

Based upon the substantive merits of the Report and Recommendation, and in light of the fact that no objection has been filed, the court, upon de novo review, hereby ADOPTS the Report and Recommendation (Dkt. No. 57). Based upon this, the Motion to Dismiss of the UMB/Machete group (Dkt. No. 11) is hereby ALLOWED, in part, as to Counts VII and VIII. The Motion to Dismiss of the Daddy Yankee group (Dkt. No. 29) is hereby ALLOWED in its entirety. The clerk will refer this case to Magistrate Judge Neiman for a pretrial scheduling conference.

It is So Ordered.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION WITH REGARD TO DEFENDANTS' MOTIONS TO DISMISS (Document Nos. 11 and 29)

NEIMAN, United States Magistrate Judge.

This is a copyright infringement case brought by several Springfield, Massachusetts music artists, Angel Martinez Alicea (hereinafter “Ruf El Fantaztiko”), Reynaldo Colon Vega (hereinafter “Limits”), Gerry Capo–Hernandez (hereinafter “Lionize”), Freddy Montalvo (hereinafter “Montalvo”), and Raul Rivera–Roldan (hereinafter “Thilo”) (together “Plaintiffs”). Plaintiffs seek, among other claims, to recover damages for breach of contract, copyright infringement, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Motions to dismiss have been filed by two separate sets of defendants: (1) UMG Recordings, Inc. and Machete Music (together “UMG/Machete”); and (2) Ramon Ayala (hereinafter “Daddy Yankee”), El Cartel Records, Inc. (“El Cartel”), and Los Cangris, Inc. (“Los Cangris”) (together the “Daddy Yankee Defendants”). A third set of defendants—LT's Benjamin Records (“LT's”), Francisco Saldana (hereinafter “Luny”), Victor Cabrera (hereinafter “Tunes”) and White Kraft Music Publishing (“White Kraft”) (together the “Luny Tunes Defendants”)—have remained silent.¹

Both motions to dismiss assert that Plaintiffs have failed to state claims pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). The Daddy Yankee Defendants also assert lack of personal jurisdiction (Rule 12(b)(2)) and improper venue (Rule 12(b)(3)). The motions have been referred to this court for a report and recommendation. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B). For the reasons which follow, the court will recommend that UMG/Machete's motion to dismiss be allowed with respect to the emotional distress claims, but otherwise denied, and that the Daddy Yankee Defendants' motion be allowed, in full, on personal jurisdiction and venue grounds.

I. Standards of Review

When faced with a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, the court must accept the allegations of the complaint as true, drawing all reasonable inferences in favor of the plaintiff. See Albright v. Oliver, 510 U.S. 266, 268, 114 S.Ct. 807, 127 L.Ed.2d 114 (1994); Coyne v. City of Somerville, 972 F.2d 440, 443 (1st Cir.1992). Moreover, “Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2) requires only ‘a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief,’ in order to ‘give the defendant fair notice of what the ... claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.’ ” Sepulveda–Villarini v. Dep't of Educ. of P.R., 628 F.3d 25, 28–29 (1st Cir.2010). Recently, the Supreme Court made clear that, under Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007), a complaint that states a plausible claim for relief, on its face, will survive a motion to dismiss. See Ashcroft v. Iqbal, ––– U.S. ––––, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1940, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). In Iqbal, the Court stated that “[a] claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. at 1949.

In some contrast, a plaintiff, with regard to a Rule 12(b)(2) motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction, has the burden of proving that jurisdiction lies with the court. Massachusetts Sch. of Law at Andover, Inc. v. Am. Bar Ass'n, 142 F.3d 26, 34 (1st Cir.1998) (citing cases). In particular, the plaintiff must show that the state's long-arm statute grants jurisdiction and that the exercise of jurisdiction is consistent with the Due Process clause of the United States Constitution. Daynard v. Ness, Motley, Loadholt, Richardson & Poole, P.A., 290 F.3d 42, 52 (1st Cir.2002). To meet this burden, the plaintiff “must go beyond the pleadings and make affirmative proof” of material jurisdictional facts. Boit v. Gar–Tec Products, Inc., 967 F.2d 671, 675 (1st Cir.1992) (citations omitted). It should be noted, however, that a court in this instance “does not act as a factfinder; to the contrary, it ascertains only whether the facts, duly proffered, fully credited, support the exercise of personal jurisdiction.” Alers Rodriguez v. Fullerton Tires Corp., 115 F.3d 81, 84 (1st Cir.1997).

II. Background

The relevant facts follow. It should be noted that these facts have been garnered from Plaintiffs' Third Amended Complaint—the court having this day allowed their motions to amend their complaint yet again—even though the motions to dismiss technically target the Second Amended Complaint. Unless otherwise noted, the Second and Third Amended Complaints are similar enough so as to not affect the court's recommendation. Additional facts pertaining to personal jurisdiction and venue will be addressed below.

Plaintiffs are musical composers, producers, arrangers, and performers. In summary, they allege that certain of their works were unlawfully used to create musical compositions which were included as musical tracks on an album entitled “Luny Tunes Presents: Erre XI” and another musical composition entitled “Salgo Pa La Calle.” (Third Amended Compl. ¶ 1.) Plaintiffs further allege that “Salgo Pa La Calle,” in turn, was included as musical track number seven on an album and on the soundtrack to a film, both of which were entitled “Talento de Barrio.” ( Id.)

In early Spring of 2007, two of the non-appearing defendants—“Luny” and “Tunes”—contacted one of the plaintiffs, “Lionize,” and invited him to their recording studio in Carolina, Puerto Rico, to record and perform certain works and to perform as a member of the duo “Erre XI” on the album “Luny Tunes Presents: Erre XI.” ( Id. ¶ 21.) Lionize agreed and signed exclusive management and recording agreements with LT's—the successor in interest of an entity known as “Mas Flow, Inc.”—in which he was promised certain royalty payments for his efforts as a musician. ( Id. ¶¶ 22, 23.)

Shortly after arriving in Puerto Rico, Lionize suggested that three other individuals who have since become plaintiffs here—“Ruf El Fantaztiko,” “Limits,” and “Montalvo” (who along with Lionize are known as the “Springfield Crew”)—be invited to help complete the album and other works. ( Id. ¶ 24.) Luny invited them. ( Id. ¶ 25.) In June of 2007, these other members of the Springfield Crew signed similar “exclusive” agreements with LT's. ( Id. ¶¶ 26–30.)

For the next seven to twelve months, the Springfield Crew worked diligently to compose, produce and perform between thirty to forty musical works. ( Id. ¶ 33.) During this time, they allege, they had to live in one room of Luny's house, without furniture, and to sleep on the floor; they called this room the “Luny Bin.” ( Id. ¶¶ 34, 35.) In any event, they created a number of compositions, including “Salgo Pa La Calle.” ( Id. ¶ 36.) Other compositions they created included “La Carta,” “MSN,” “Ella Me Amo,” “Carita Bonita,” “Dimelo,” “Al Desnudo” and “Te Hice Volar.” ( Id.) Since that time, however, Plaintiffs claim they have not received any royalties in connection with the sale of “Luny Tunes Presents: Erre XI” and/or the other album at issue, “Talento de Barrio.” ( Id. ¶ 37.)

Plaintiffs further allege that the Luny Tunes Defendants, along with “Daddy Yankee” himself, took their compositions “in whole, in part and in re-edited versions”; “commercially released and distributed” these infringing musical works via UMG/Machete, White Craft, El Cartel and Los Cangris; and “falsely and fraudulently attributed authorship of [those] Works to themselves by identifying themselves as the sole writers, producers and performers” of the compositions. ( Id. ¶¶ 38, 41.) Moreover, Plaintiffs assert, the two albums at issue have achieved enormous critical and commercial success with “Talento de Barrio” selling over one million albums worldwide. ( Id. ¶ 42.)

Separately, Plaintiffs allege that as early as 2004, Luny contracted “Thilo,” now a plaintiff as well, to...