Rohm Semiconductor USA, LLC v. MaxPower Semiconductor, Inc.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ROHM SEMICONDUCTOR USA, LLC, Case No. 20-cv-06686-VC

Plaintiff,

ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO

v. COMPEL ARBITRATION

MAXPOWER SEMICONDUCTOR, INC., Re: Dkt. No. 41 Defendant.

MaxPower’s motion to compel arbitration is granted. MaxPower’s and Rohm Co.’s Technology License Agreement (TLA) binds Rohm Co.’s subsidiaries, including Rohm USA. The TLA incorporates the California Code of Civil Procedure into its arbitration provision. The applicable section provides: “The arbitral tribunal may rule on its own jurisdiction, including ruling on any objections with respect to the existence or validity of the arbitration agreement . . . .” Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 1297.161. That type of language has repeatedly been held to clearly and unmistakably delegate the question of arbitrability to the arbitrator. See Oracle America, Inc. v. Myriad Group A.G., 724 F.3d 1069 (9th Cir. 2013); Loewen v. McDonnell, 403 F. Supp. 3d 832 (N.D. Cal. 2019); Dream Theater, Inc. v. Dream Theater, 124 Cal. App. 4th 547 (2004); see also Henry Schein, Inc. v. Archer and White Sales, Inc., 139 S. Ct. 524 (2019). MaxPower’s…