Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies  
Commitments and Contingencies

(10)              Commitments and Contingencies

 

Legal Proceedings

 

The Company is party to various legal proceedings. Management cannot predict the ultimate outcome of these proceedings, individually or in the aggregate, or their resulting effect on the Company’s business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows as litigation and related matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, and unfavorable rulings could occur. Were an unfavorable outcome to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on the business, financial position, results of operations, or cash flows for the period in which the ruling occurs and/or future periods. The Company maintains product liability, general liability and excess liability insurance coverage. However, no assurances can be given that such insurance will continue to be available at an acceptable cost to the Company, that such coverage will be sufficient to cover one or more large claims, or that the insurers will not successfully disclaim coverage as to a pending or future claim.

 

Since late 2007, the Company has administered its sales in Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia and Ukraine (the “Territories”) through an International Reseller Agreement (“Reseller Agreement”) with a third party general dealer (the “General Dealer”) based in Russia. The General Dealer administers the marketing and distribution of the Company’s products in the Territories.  The Reseller Agreement has a one-year term, which has been renewed annually by the parties, and is set to expire on November 1, 2014.  As a part of its services, the General Dealer provides certain discounts (the “Discounts”) to its network of dealers related to the costs associated with transporting the Company’s products from the General Dealer to the dealers.  In July 2013, the General Dealer began to withhold the amount of these Discounts from the funds remitted each month to the Company for the sale of the products, claiming that it is entitled to reimbursement for these costs under the Reseller Agreement.  These withholdings have averaged approximately $330 per month and totaled approximately $3,000 at March 31, 2014.

 

The parties have negotiated a resolution to the dispute, whereby the General Dealer has agreed to pay the Company the entire sum of Discounts withheld and relinquish all claims to the reimbursement of Discounts with respect to periods prior to July 2013, and the parties have agreed to a new three year international reseller agreement, effective April 1, 2014. The General Dealer has paid the Company all withheld Discounts from July 2013 to present as of May 1, 2014.

 

Non-Income Tax Contingencies

 

The Company has reserved for certain state sales and use tax and foreign non-income tax contingencies based on the likelihood of an obligation in accordance with accounting guidance for probable loss contingencies. Loss contingency provisions are recorded for probable losses at management’s best estimate of a loss, or when a best estimate cannot be made, a minimum loss contingency amount is recorded. The Company provides provisions for potential payments of tax to various tax authorities for contingencies related to non-income tax matters, including value-added taxes and sales tax. The Company provides provisions for U.S. state sales taxes in each of the states where the Company has nexus. As of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, accrued liabilities include $5,058 and $6,312, respectively, related to non-income tax contingencies. While management believes that the assumptions and estimates used to determine this liability are reasonable, the ultimate outcome of those matters cannot presently be determined. The Company is not able at this time to predict the ultimate outcomes of those matters or to estimate the effect of the ultimate outcomes, if greater than the amounts accrued, would have on the financial condition, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

 

Other Litigation

 

The Company is party to various other legal proceedings in several foreign jurisdictions related to value-added tax assessments and other civil litigation.  While there is a reasonable possibility that a material loss may be incurred, either the losses are not considered to be probable or the Company cannot at this time estimate the loss, if any; therefore, no provision for losses has been provided.  The Company believes future payments related to these matters could range from $0 to approximately $800.