John Wiley & Sons, Inc. v. Book Dog Books, LLC
Plaintiffs, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Cengage Learning, Inc., and Pearson Education, Inc., initiated a lawsuit against defendants Book Dog Books, LLC and Philip Smyres for alleged copyright and trademark infringement. The plaintiffs subsequently filed a motion to disqualify Neil B. Mooney, counsel for the defendants, asserting that he was a necessary fact witness due to prior testimonies and declarations given in this and related cases concerning a settlement agreement and disclosure obligations. United States Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein denied the plaintiffs' motion to disqualify. The court concluded that the plaintiffs failed to meet their burden of demonstrating that Mooney's testimony was either necessary to their case or would be prejudicial to the defendants, especially in light of the defendants' unequivocal commitment not to call Mooney as a trial witness.