Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_13-cv-01108/USCOURTS-casd-3_13-cv-01108-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 820
Nature of Suit: Copyright
Cause of Action: 17:101 Copyright Infringement

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

STEVEN M. GARDNER, an

individual,

Plaintiff,

v.

CAFEPRESS INC., a Delaware

Corporation; BEVERLY TEALL, an

indvidual,

Defendants.

 

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Case No. 3:13-cv-1108-GPC-JMA

ORDER GRANTING IN PART

PLAINTIFF’S EX PARTE

MOTION TO CONTINUE

BRIEFING SCHEDULE AND

HEARING

(ECF NO. 18)

On November 12, 2013, Plaintiff filed an ex parte motion to continue the

briefing schedule and hearing date set for defendant CafePress, Inc.’s (“CafePress”)

Motion for Summary Judgment. (ECF No. 18.) 

CafePress’s Motion for Summary Judgment is currently set for a hearing on

January 17, 2014, at 1:30 p.m., with Plaintiff’s response due by November 22, 2013,

and CafePress’s reply due by December 13, 2013. (ECF No. 16.)

Plaintiff requests the hearing on CafePress’s Motion for Summary Judgment be

continued to April 4, 2014, and that Plaintiff’s response deadline be moved to February

7, 2014, and CafePress’s reply deadline be moved February 28, 2014. Plaintiff asserts

CafePress’s Motion for Summary Judgment is fact intensive and therefore premature

given that it was filed “before the parties were even allowed to serve discovery, before

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the parties’ initial disclosures were due and before the discovery plan was due.” More

specifically, Plaintiff assertsthe current summary judgment briefing schedule does not

allow Plaintiff time to receive responses to written discovery before the November 22,

2013 opposition deadline.

In opposition, CafePress argues Plaintiff’s request is really a request for openended discovery and a three-month delay. CafePress argues only a short continuance

of the current summary judgment briefing schedule and hearing is required to provide

Plaintiff sufficient time to take discovery relevant to opposing CafePress’s Motion for

Summary Judgment. CafePress states a willingness to move the response deadline to

January 10, 2014, the reply deadline to January 24, 2014, and the hearing to February

7, 2014.

The Court finds that, given CafePress’s filing of its Motion for Summary

Judgment before the parties were permitted to take discovery, the Court finds

CafePress’s Motion for Summary Judgment to be premature. See Burlington N. Santa

Fe R. Co. v. Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes, 323 F.3d 767, 773 (9th Cir. 2003) (“Where

. . . a summary judgment motion isfiled so early in the litigation, before a party has had

any realistic opportunity to pursue discovery relating to its theory the case, district

courts should grant any Rule 56(f) motion fairly and freely.”) And while the Court

recognizes CafePress’s concern that Plaintiff is seeking discovery beyond the scope

necessary to respond to CafePress’s Motion for Summary Judgment, the Court is not

now prepared—in ruling on an ex parte motion to continue a briefing schedule and

hearing date—to limit discovery in any way. In any event, mattersregarding the scope

of discovery are more properly raised before the magistrate judge assigned to each

case.

Given the foregoing, the Court finds it appropriate to continue the briefing

schedule and hearing date for CafePress’s Motion for Summary Judgment as follows:

any response to CafePress’s Motion for Summary Judgment shall be filed on or before

January 24, 2014; any reply shall be filed on or before February 7, 2014; and the

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hearing onCafePress’s Motion for Summary Judgment is CONTINUED fromJanuary

17, 2014, to February 28, 2014, at 1:30 p.m.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: November 19, 2013

HON. GONZALO P. CURIEL

United States District Judge

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