Case 5:17-cv-06064-LHK Document 54 Filed 03/26/18 Page 23 of 27
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all over to share their diverse “point[s] of view.” Compl. ¶¶ 3, 28. The statements do not say
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anything specific about YouTube’s “mission” to “give people a voice,” and make no concrete and
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measurable guarantees or representations about the “opportunities” made available for people to
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express themselves “no matter where they are from or what their age or point of view.” Id. ¶ 28.
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As a result, the Court concludes that these statements are neither “[]likely to induce consumer
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reliance,” Newcal Indus., 513 F.3d at 1053, nor “capable of being proved false,” Coastal Abstract,
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173 F.3d at 731, and are therefore non-actionable puffery under the Lanham Act.
United States District Court
Northern District of California
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Further, like with YouTube’s policies and guidelines, Plaintiff has not sufficiently alleged
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that it “has been or is likely to be injured as the result of the” statements about YouTube’s
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viewpoint neutrality. Southland Sod, 108 F.3d at 1139. As discussed above, any harm that
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Plaintiff suffered was caused by Defendants’ decisions to limit access to some of Plaintiff’s
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videos, which are also not actionable as false advertisements under the Lanham Act. For these
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reasons, the Court finds that Plaintiff has not sufficiently pled a false advertising claim under the
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Lanham Act based on Defendants’ statements about YouTube’s viewpoint neutrality.
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iv. Terms of Agreements Between Plaintiff and Defendants
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Finally, Plaintiff states that it relied on false representations contained in the terms of
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certain agreements between Plaintiff and Defendants, and argues that those representations amount
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to false advertising under the Lanham Act. Opp. at 24 (citing Compl. ¶ 112). Specifically,
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Plaintiff points to Defendants’ representations that Defendants endeavor to “help you grow,”
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“discover what works best for you,” and “giv[e] you tools, insights and best practices for using
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your voice and videos.” Compl. ¶ 112. Plaintiff alleges that these false representations induced
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Plaintiff to “cho[o]se YouTube as the host of its videos.” Id.
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The Court finds that Plaintiff falls well short of stating a false advertising claim based on
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these representations. First, like the statements about YouTube’s viewpoint neutrality, these
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representations are vague, general statements about YouTube’s services that amount to no more
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than puffery. Once again, there is nothing quantifiable or specific about Defendants’ endeavor to
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Case No. 17-CV-06064-LHK
ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS PLAINTIFF’S FEDERAL CAUSES OF ACTION;
DISMISSING PLAINTIFF’S STATE LAW CAUSES OF ACTION; AND DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR
A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION