Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_19-cv-00726/USCOURTS-azd-2_19-cv-00726-7/pdf.json

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

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Morgan Howarth,

Plaintiff,

v. 

Ryan Patterson, et al.,

Defendants.

No. CV-19-00726-PHX-ESW

ORDER 

Pending before the Court is Plaintiff’s “Motion to Strike Affirmative Defenses” 

(Doc. 111). The Court has reviewed Defendants’ Response (Doc. 112) and Plaintiff’s 

Reply (Doc. 116). For the reasons explained herein, the Motion (Doc. 111) will be granted.

I. LEGAL STANDARDS

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(f) authorizes the court to “strike from a pleading 

an insufficient defense or any redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter.” 

The purpose of a motion to strike “is to avoid the expenditure of time and money that must 

arise from litigating spurious issues by dispensing with those issues prior to trial[.]” 

Sidney-Vinstein v. A.H. Robins Co., 697 F.2d 880, 885 (9th Cir. 1983). “Motions to 

strike are generally viewed with disfavor and are not frequently granted.” Lazar v. Trans 

Union LLC, 195 F.R.D. 665, 669 (C.D. Cal. 2000). 

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II. DISCUSSION

A. First Affirmative Defense

Defendants’ first affirmative defense asserts that Plaintiff has failed to state a claim. 

(Doc. 105 at 4-5). As discussed in the Court’s prior Order (Doc. 38), “[a] defense which 

demonstrates that plaintiff has not met its burden of proof is not an affirmative defense.” 

Zivkovic v. S. California Edison Co., 302 F.3d 1080, 1088 (9th Cir. 2002). “Failure to state 

a claim is not a proper affirmative defense but, rather, asserts a defect in [Plaintiff’s] prima 

facie case.” Barnes v. AT & T Pension Ben. Plan-Nonbargained Program, 718 

F.Supp.2d 1167, 1174 (N.D. Cal. 2010). The Court will grant Plaintiff’s Motion (Doc. 

111) as to Defendants’ first affirmative defense. 

B. Sixth Affirmative Defense

Defendants’ sixth affirmative defense asserts that “Plaintiff’s claims are barred 

because Plaintiff has not sustained any actual damages or injury, and Plaintiff therefore 

lacks standing under Article III of the United States Constitution.” (Doc. 105 at 8). The 

Court finds persuasive Plaintiff’s argument and cited authority that Defendants’ sixth 

affirmative defense is insufficient as a matter of law. Plaintiff’s Motion (Doc. 111) will be 

granted as to Defendants’ sixth affirmative defense.

C. Seventh Affirmative Defense

Defendants’ seventh affirmative defense asserts that “Plaintiff’s claim may be 

barred by the United States Constitution.” (Doc. 105 at 9). Defendants contend that 

Plaintiff is a “copyright troll” and assert that “copyright trolling is unconstitutional because 

it provides no credible incentive ‘to authors’ and does nothing to promote the progress of 

science and the useful arts.” (Id. at 11) (emphasis in omitted). The Court finds persuasive 

Plaintiff’s argument and cited authority that Defendants’ seventh affirmative defense is 

insufficient as a matter of law. Plaintiff’s Motion (Doc. 111) will be granted as to 

Defendants’ seventh affirmative defense.

III. CONCLUSION

IT IS ORDERED granting Plaintiff’s “Motion to Strike Affirmative Defenses” 

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(Doc. 111). 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED striking Defendants’ first, sixth, and seventh 

affirmative defenses from Defendants’ Answer to the First Amended Complaint (Doc. 

105).

Dated this 7th day of April, 2020.

Honorable Eileen S. Willett

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 2:19-cv-00726-ESW Document 117 Filed 04/08/20 Page 3 of 3