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DWT
13171053v4
0080721
-
000006
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA
SOUTHERN DIVISION
CONFEDERATE MOTORS, INC.,
Plaintiff,
-
against
-
WES SILER, GRANT RAY,JALOPNIK.COM, and GAWKERMEDIA LLC,
Defendants.
X:::::::::::X
Civil Action No. 2:09
-c
iv
-
00949
-
JEO
REPLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DISMISS BYDEFENDANTS GAWKER MEDIA, JALOPNIK.COM AND WES SILER
Forrest S. Latta
Richard J. Davis
BURR & FORMAN LLP
3400 Wachovia Tower
420 North 20th Street
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
James Rosenfeld
(
admitted
pro hac vice
)
Deborah Adler
(
admitted
pro hac vice
)
DAVIS WRIGHT TREMAINE LLP
1633 Broadway
27th Floor
New York, New York 10019
Counsel for Defendants Gawker Media,
Jalopnik.com and Wes Siler
FILED
2009 Aug-07 PM 04:08U.S. DISTRICT COURTN.D. OF ALABAMA
Case 2:09-cv-00949-JEO Document 20 Filed 08/07/09 Page 1 of 17
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ARGUMENT
......................................................................................................................
2
I.
THE COURT MAY DISMISS PLAINTIFFS CLAIMS
AS AMATTER OF LAW
........................................................................................
2
A.
Plaintiff Fundamentally Misconstrues the Rule 12(b)(6) Standard
After
Twombly
.......................................................................................
2
B.
Judicial Notice is Proper for Public Records Other than SecuritiesFilings, and Does Not Transform A Motion to Dismiss into Onefor Summary Judgment
.........................................................................
3
II.
PLAINTIFFS LIBEL CLAIMS FAIL AS A MATTER OF LAW
..............
6
A.
Plaintiff Concedes the Post is Not Libelous Per Se
.............................
6
B.
Plaintiffs Failure to Plead the Required Element of Special
Damages Requires Dismissal of its Claim for Libel Per Quod
............
6
C.
The Publication Contains Constitutionally Protected Opinion and
Hyperbole
..............................................................................................
7
D.
Plaintiff Does Not Rebut that The Posts Statement Regarding
Prior Court Actions Is Substantially True
............................................
9
III.
PLAINTIFFS TORT CLAIMS FAIL AS A MATTER OF LAW
.............
10
A.
Plaintiff Fails to Plead Necessary Elements of Negligence
...............
10
B.
Plaintiff Fails to Plead Necessary Elements of TortiousInterference with Business Relations
.................................................
11
C.
Plaintiff May Not Recast its Libel Claim as a Tort Claim
.................
11
CONCLUSION
.................................................................................................................
13
Case 2:09-cv-00949-JEO Document 20 Filed 08/07/09 Page 2 of 17
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TABLE OF AUTHORI
TIES
Page(s)
C
ASES
Agora, Inc. v. Axxess, Inc.,
90 F. Supp.2d 697 (D. Md.)......................................................................................................8
Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly
,
550 U.S. 544 (2007)
................................................................
...............
2, 3
Bryant v. Avado Brands, Inc.
,
187 F.3d 1271 (11th Cir. 1999)....................................................................................................
5
Camp v. Yeager
,
601 So.2d 924 (Ala. 1992)........................................................................................................
8
Davis v. Coca
-
Cola Bottling Co
.
516 F.3d 955 (11th Cir. 2008)
...............................................................................................................
2
Dunn v. Air Line Pilots Assn
,
193 F.3d 1185 (11th Cir. 1999)...............................................................................................10
Estate of Miller v. Toyota Motor Corp
.,
2007 U.S. Dist LEXIS 92640 (M.D. Fla. Dec. 18, 2007).........................................................
5
Gallagher v. E.W. Scripps Comp.,
2009 WL 1505649 (W.D. Tenn May 28, 2009)
................................................................
................
9
Hammer v. Amazon.com,
392 F. Supp.2d 423 (E.D.N.Y. 2005)........................................................................................
8
Hustler Magazine v. Falwell
,
485 U.S. 46 (1988)
........................................................................................................................
11
Jefferson County School Dist. No. R
-1 v. Moodys Investors Servs., Inc.
,
175 F.3d 848 (10th Cir. 1999)...................................................................................................
8
Masson v. New Yorker Magazine, Inc
.,
501 U.S 496 (1991)
............................................................................................................................
9
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
,
376 U.S. 254 (1964)..................................................................................................................
7
Reflectone, Inc. v. Farrand Optical Company, Inc.
862 F.2d 841 (11th Cir. 1989)
................................................................................................
...........
5
Case 2:09-cv-00949-JEO Document 20 Filed 08/07/09 Page 3 of 17
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