Dog-breeders Ron and Catherine Bombliss lived in Illinois. They bred Tibetan mastiffs, as did Oklahoma residents Anne
Question:
Dog-breeders Ron and Catherine Bombliss lived in Illinois. They bred Tibetan mastiffs, as did Oklahoma residents Anne and Jim Cornelsen. When Anne Cornelson telephoned the Bomblisses and said she was ready to sell two litters of Tibetan mastiff puppies, Ron Bombliss expressed interest in purchasing two females of breeding quality. The Cornelsens had a website that allowed communications regarding dogs available for purchase but did not permit actual sales via the website. The Bomblisses traveled to Oklahoma to see the Cornelsens’ puppies and ended up purchasing two of them. The Cornelsens provided a guarantee that the puppies were suitable for breeding purposes. Following the sale, the Cornelsens mailed, to the Bomblisses’ home in Illinois, American Kennel Club registration papers for the puppies. Around this same time, Anne Cornelsen posted comments in an Internet chat room frequented by persons interested in Tibetan mastiffs. These comments suggested that the mother of certain Tibetan mastiff puppies (including one the Bomblisses had purchased) may have had a genetic disorder. The comments were made in the context of an apparent dispute between the Cornelsens and Richard Eichhorn, who owned the mother mastiff and had made it available to the Cornelsens for breeding purposes. The Bomblisses believed that the comments would have been seen by other persons in Illinois and elsewhere and would have impaired the Bomblisses’ ability to sell their puppies even though when tested, their puppies were healthy. The Bomblisses, therefore, sued the Cornelsens in an Illinois court on various legal theories. The Cornelsens asked the Illinois court to dismiss the case on the ground that the court lacked in personam jurisdiction over them. Did the Illinois court lack in personam jurisdiction?
Step by Step Answer:
Business Law The Ethical Global and E-Commerce Environment
ISBN: 978-1259917110
17th edition
Authors: Arlen Langvardt, A. James Barnes, Jamie Darin Prenkert, Martin A. McCrory