Opinion ID: 901877
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Summary Judgment Without Completion of Discovery

Text: [¶ 6.] At the summary judgment hearing, Dakota Industries argued that Cabela's had not complied with all requests for discovery, including answers to interrogatories and the production of documents. Although Dakota Industries has not identified the specific information it sought, Cabela's indicated (without objection) that the discovery was related to Cabela's sales rather than evidence relating to the summary judgment issue of Dakota Industries' alleged non-use of the trademark. Nevertheless, Dakota Industries argues that because this discovery was not completed, summary judgment was premature. Dakota Industries relies on SDCL 15-6-56(f), which provides that a party opposing a motion for summary judgment is entitled to conduct discovery when necessary to oppose the motion. Under that rule, the facts sought through discovery must be essential to opposing the summary judgment: Should it appear from the affidavits of a party opposing the motion that he cannot for reasons stated present by affidavit facts essential to justify his opposition, the court may refuse the application for judgment or may order a continuance to permit affidavits to be obtained or depositions to be taken or discovery to be had or may make such other order as is just. SDCL 15-6-56(f) (emphasis added). This requires a showing how further discovery will defeat the motion for summary judgment. Anderson v. Keller, 2007 SD 89, ¶ 31, 739 N.W.2d 35, 43 (Zinter, J., concurring) (citing 11 James Moore, Moore's Federal Practice, § 56.10[8][d] (3d ed. 2006)). [¶ 7.] In this case, Dakota Industries' affidavit in support of its opposition to summary judgment did not show how further discovery regarding Cabela's sales was essential to opposing Cabela's motion for summary judgment. Indeed, the discovery sought was not relevant and would not have assisted in defeating the motion. Evidence of Cabela's sales would become relevant only if Dakota Industries had not abandoned the trademark. [¶ 8.] Further, Dakota Industries does not dispute Cabela's assertion that the outstanding discovery only related to Cabela's nationwide sales data, and Dakota Industries did not plead a cause of action for federal trademark infringement that would have related to nationwide sales. Dakota Industries only asserted infringement of its state registration. Therefore, as the circuit court noted, any trademark infringement relief Dakota Industries could have obtained would have been limited to Cabela's sales in South Dakota. [1] See Pinnacle Pizza Co., Inc. v. Little Caesar Enter., Inc., 560 FSupp2d 786, 802 (D.S.D.2008)(holding that the defendant was entitled to summary judgment on a claim under South Dakota trademark law because South Dakota's trademark law, to the extent it was applicable to the conduct alleged by these claims, cannot extend to `extraterritorial conduct'). For this additional reason, Cabela's nationwide sales data was irrelevant to the issues in this case. [¶ 9.] We conclude that Dakota Industries' outstanding requests for discovery were irrelevant at the abandonment stage of the summary judgment proceeding. Consequently, the circuit court did not err in considering the motion for summary judgment before the discovery was completed.