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`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI
`SOUTHEASTERN DIVISION
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` MDL No.: 1:18-md-02820-SNLJ
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` Indiv. Case No. 1:21-cv-00089-SNLJ
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`DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS
`PLAINTIFF’S FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT
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`COY’S HONEY FARM, INC.,
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`Plaintiff,
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`v.
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`BAYER CORPORATION; BAYER
`U.S., LLC; BAYER CROPSCIENCE
`Arkansas Inc.; BASF CORPORATION;
`and BASF SE
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`Defendants.
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`Defendants Bayer Corporation, Bayer U.S., LLC, Bayer Cropscience Arkansas Inc., and
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`BASF Corporation1 move to dismiss Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint, pursuant to Federal
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`Rules of Civil Procedure 8(a), 9(b), and 12(b)(6). In support thereof, Defendants state as follows:
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`1.
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`This Court should dismiss Plaintiff’s Lanham Act claim (Count I) because
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`Plaintiff lacks standing because Plaintiff is not within the zone of interests protected by the
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`Lanham Act, and also because Plaintiff has failed to state a claim because Plaintiff did not allege
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`a loss of goodwill or any direct diversion of sales from itself to Defendants.
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`1 BASF SE is also named as a defendant in Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint, but BASF SE
`has not been served.
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`US.134341222.01
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`Case: 1:21-cv-00089-SNLJ Doc. #: 15 Filed: 08/25/21 Page: 2 of 5 PageID #: 23
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`2.
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`This Court should dismiss Plaintiff’s breach of implied warranty of
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`merchantability claim (Count V) because Defendants disclaimed all implied warranties on their
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`product labels and because Plaintiff failed to plead the statutorily required pre-suit notice.
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`3.
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`This Court should dismiss Plaintiff’s nuisance claim (Count VI) because Plaintiff
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`does not allege that any of the Defendants owned or otherwise used land in Arkansas, much less
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`in the vicinity of Plaintiff’s hives—an essential element of the cause of action.
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`4.
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`This Court should dismiss Plaintiff’s trespass claim (Count VII) because Plaintiff
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`failed to plead intent, because product manufacturers are not liable for trespass after a product
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`leaves their control, and because particulate matter does not constitute a physical invasion under
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`Arkansas’s traditional view of trespass.
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`5.
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`This Court should dismiss Plaintiff’s strict liability – ultrahazardous/abnormally
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`dangerous activity claim (Count X) because ultrahazardous activity liability does not apply to
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`mere product manufacturers and herbicide application, including application of dicamba-based
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`herbicides, is a matter of common usage.
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`6.
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`This Court should dismiss Plaintiff’s claim under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade
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`Practices Act (Count XI) because the statute provides a safe harbor for regulated transactions
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`such as the manufacture and sale of herbicides, and Plaintiff has failed to plead fraud with
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`particularity.
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`7.
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`This Court should dismiss Plaintiff’s product liability related claims (Counts II,
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`III, IV, V, VIII, and IX) because they are untimely. Although Plaintiff knew of its claimed
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`injuries and alleged connection to Defendants’ products back in 2017, Plaintiff delayed filing the
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`current suit until May 2021, more than a year after the applicable three-year statute of limitations
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`had run.
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`US.134341222.01
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`Case: 1:21-cv-00089-SNLJ Doc. #: 15 Filed: 08/25/21 Page: 3 of 5 PageID #: 24
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`8.
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`A memorandum in support of this motion is filed contemporaneously and
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`incorporated by reference.
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`WHEREFORE, Defendants Bayer Corporation, Bayer U.S., LLC, Bayer Cropscience
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`Arkansas Inc., and BASF Corporation respectfully request that this Court dismiss Plaintiff’s First
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`Amended Complaint pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 8(a), 9(b), and 12(b)(6).
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`Respectfully submitted,
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`DATED: August 25, 2021
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`US.134341222.01
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`THOMPSON COBURN LLP
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`By: /s/ Sara L. Chamberlain
` Sara L. Chamberlain, # 62792MO
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`3
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`FAEGRE DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH
`LLP
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`By: /s/ John P. Mandler
` John P. Mandler
` Shane A. Anderson
` 2200 Wells Fargo Center
` 90 S. Seventh Street
` Minneapolis, MN 55402
` (612) 766-7000
` FAX (612) 766-1600
` John.Mandler@faegredrinker.com
` Shane.Anderson@faegredrinker.com
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` Ross W. Johnson
` Carolyn A. Gunkel
` 801 Grand Avenue, 33rd Floor
` Des Moines, IA 50309
` (515) 248-9000
` FAX (515) 248-9010
` Ross.Johnson@faegredrinker.com
` Carolyn.Gunkel@faegredrinker.com
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`Attorneys for Defendant BASF
`Corporation
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`Case: 1:21-cv-00089-SNLJ Doc. #: 15 Filed: 08/25/21 Page: 4 of 5 PageID #: 25
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` Christopher M. Hohn, # 44124MO
` One U.S. Bank Plaza
` St. Louis, Missouri 63101
` (314) 552-6000
` FAX (314) 552-7000
` schamberlain@thompsoncoburn.com
` chohn@thompsoncoburn.com
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` Attorneys for Defendants Bayer
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`Corporation, Bayer U.S., LLC, and
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`Bayer Cropscience (Arkansas) Inc.
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`US.134341222.01
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`Case: 1:21-cv-00089-SNLJ Doc. #: 15 Filed: 08/25/21 Page: 5 of 5 PageID #: 26
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`/s/ John P. Mandler
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`I hereby certify that on August 25, 2021, the foregoing was filed electronically with the
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`Clerk of Court to be served by operation of the Court’s electronic filing system to all counsel of
`record.
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`US.134341222.01
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