Commitments and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2013
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	7. Commitments and Contingencies *ARRIS Litigation* On July 31, 2009, ARRIS Group, Inc. (“ARRIS”) filed a contempt motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (“the Court”) against SeaChange International relating to U.S. Patent No 5,805,804 (the “ ‘804 patent”), a patent in which ARRIS has an ownership interest. On August 3, 2009, SeaChange filed a complaint seeking a declaratory judgment from the Court that its products do not infringe the ‘804 patent and asserting certain equitable defenses. On June 4, 2010, the Court entered an Order staying the declaratory judgment action pending resolution of the contempt proceeding. On September 2, 2011, the Court entered an Order in which it concluded that a contempt proceeding was the appropriate procedure for resolving the parties’ dispute and that further factual and legal determinations would be necessary. On March 1, 2012, the Court conducted a hearing on the contempt motion at which the parties submitted additional information. On October 9, 2012, the Court rejected ARRIS’s contempt allegations, concluding that the record did not contain clear and convincing evidence to support a contempt finding that SeaChange’s modified ITV system infringes the ARRIS patent. The Court denied ARRIS motion of contempt. In November 2012, ARRIS appealed the decision. The parties have filed appeal briefs and oral arguments were presented in August 2013 before the Court of Appeals for the Federal circuit. The District Court has continued the stay of SeaChange’s case seeking a declaratory judgment pending resolution of ARRIS’s appeal. *Indemnification and Warranties* We provide indemnification, to the extent permitted by law, to our officers, directors, employees and agents for liabilities arising from certain events or occurrences while the officer, director, employee or agent is, or was, serving at our request in such capacity. With respect to acquisitions, we provide indemnification to, or assume indemnification obligations for, the current and former directors, officers and employees of the acquired companies in accordance with the acquired companies’ bylaws and charter. As a matter of practice, we have maintained directors’ and officers’ liability insurance including coverage for directors and officers of acquired companies. We enter into agreements in the ordinary course of business with customers, resellers, distributors, integrators and suppliers. Most of these agreements require us to defend and/or indemnify the other party against intellectual property infringement claims brought by a third party with respect to our products. From time to time, we also indemnify customers and business partners for damages, losses and liabilities they may suffer or incur relating to personal injury, personal property damage, product liability, and environmental claims relating to the use of our products and services or resulting from the acts or omissions of us, our employees, authorized agents or subcontractors. For example, SeaChange has received requests from several of its customers for indemnification of patent litigation claims. Management cannot reasonably estimate any potential losses, but these claims could result in material liability for us. We warrant that our products, including software products, will substantially perform in accordance with our standard published specifications in effect at the time of delivery. In addition, we provide maintenance support to our customers and therefore allocate a portion of the product purchase price to the initial warranty period and recognize revenue on a straight line basis over that warranty period related to both the warranty obligation and the maintenance support agreement. When we receive revenue for extended warranties beyond the standard duration, it is deferred and recognized on a straight line basis over the contract period. Related costs are expensed as incurred. In the ordinary course of business, from time to time, we provide minimum purchase guarantees to certain of our vendors to ensure continuity of supply against the market demand. Although some of these guarantees provide penalties for cancellations and/or modifications to the purchase commitments as the market demand decreases, most of the guarantees do not. Therefore, as the market demand decreases, we re-evaluate the accounting implications of guarantees and determine what charges, if any, should be recorded. With respect to our agreements covering product, business or entity divestitures and acquisitions, we provide certain representations and warranties and agree to indemnify and hold such purchasers harmless against breaches of such representations, warranties, and covenants. With respect to our acquisitions, we may, from time to time, assume the liability for certain events or occurrences that took place prior to the date of acquisition. We provide such minimum purchase guarantees and indemnification obligations after considering the economics of the transaction and other factors including but not limited to the liquidity and credit risk of the other party in the transaction. We believe that the likelihood is remote that any such arrangement could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operation or liquidity. We record liabilities, as disclosed above, for such guarantees based on our best estimate of probable losses which considers amounts recoverable under any recourse provisions. *Revolving Line of Credit/Demand Note Payable* On November 28, 2012, we entered into a letter agreement with JP Morgan Chase Bank , N.A. (“JP Morgan”) for a demand discretionary line of credit and a Demand Promissory Note in the aggregate amount of $20.0 million (the “Line of Credit”). Borrowings under the Line of Credit will be used to finance working capital needs and for general corporate purposes. The Line of Credit expires on November 27, 2013. We currently do not have any borrowings nor do we have any financial covenants under this line. We are occasionally required to post customer performance bonds, issued by a financial institution, to secure certain sales contracts. Customer performance bonds generally authorize the financial institution to make a payment to the beneficiary upon the satisfaction of a certain event or the failure to satisfy an obligation. The customer performance bonds are generally posted for one-year terms and are usually automatically renewed upon maturity until such time as we have satisfied the commitment secured by the customer performance bond. We are obligated to reimburse the issuer only if the beneficiary collects on the customer performance bonds. We currently have a customer performance bond outstanding totaling $0.9 million which was previously secured under the RBS Citizens line of credit. We are holding $0.9 million in restricted cash with RBS Citizens on our consolidated balance sheet as of July 31, 2013 to cover the outstanding customer performance bonds.

7. Commitments and Contingencies

ARRIS Litigation

On July 31, 2009, ARRIS Group, Inc. (“ARRIS”) filed a contempt motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (“the Court”) against SeaChange International relating to U.S. Patent No 5,805,804 (the “ ‘804 patent”), a patent in which ARRIS has an ownership interest. On August 3, 2009, SeaChange filed a complaint seeking a declaratory judgment from the Court that its products do not infringe the ‘804 patent and asserting certain equitable defenses. On June 4, 2010, the Court entered an Order staying the declaratory judgment action pending resolution of the contempt proceeding. On September 2, 2011, the Court entered an Order in which it concluded that a contempt proceeding was the appropriate procedure for resolving the parties’ dispute and that further factual and legal determinations would be necessary. On March 1, 2012, the Court conducted a hearing on the contempt motion at which the parties submitted additional information. On October 9, 2012, the Court rejected ARRIS’s contempt allegations, concluding that the record did not contain clear and convincing evidence to support a contempt finding that SeaChange’s modified ITV system infringes the ARRIS patent. The Court denied ARRIS motion of contempt. In November 2012, ARRIS appealed the decision. The parties have filed appeal briefs and oral arguments were presented in August 2013 before the Court of Appeals for the Federal circuit. The District Court has continued the stay of SeaChange’s case seeking a declaratory judgment pending resolution of ARRIS’s appeal.

Indemnification and Warranties

We provide indemnification, to the extent permitted by law, to our officers, directors, employees and agents for liabilities arising from certain events or occurrences while the officer, director, employee or agent is, or was, serving at our request in such capacity. With respect to acquisitions, we provide indemnification to, or assume indemnification obligations for, the current and former directors, officers and employees of the acquired companies in accordance with the acquired companies’ bylaws and charter. As a matter of practice, we have maintained directors’ and officers’ liability insurance including coverage for directors and officers of acquired companies.

We enter into agreements in the ordinary course of business with customers, resellers, distributors, integrators and suppliers. Most of these agreements require us to defend and/or indemnify the other party against intellectual property infringement claims brought by a third party with respect to our products. From time to time, we also indemnify customers and business partners for damages, losses and liabilities they may suffer or incur relating to personal injury, personal property damage, product liability, and environmental claims relating to the use of our products and services or resulting from the acts or omissions of us, our employees, authorized agents or subcontractors. For example, SeaChange has received requests from several of its customers for indemnification of patent litigation claims. Management cannot reasonably estimate any potential losses, but these claims could result in material liability for us.

We warrant that our products, including software products, will substantially perform in accordance with our standard published specifications in effect at the time of delivery. In addition, we provide maintenance support to our customers and therefore allocate a portion of the product purchase price to the initial warranty period and recognize revenue on a straight line basis over that warranty period related to both the warranty obligation and the maintenance support agreement. When we receive revenue for extended warranties beyond the standard duration, it is deferred and recognized on a straight line basis over the contract period. Related costs are expensed as incurred.

In the ordinary course of business, from time to time, we provide minimum purchase guarantees to certain of our vendors to ensure continuity of supply against the market demand. Although some of these guarantees provide penalties for cancellations and/or modifications to the purchase commitments as the market demand decreases, most of the guarantees do not. Therefore, as the market demand decreases, we re-evaluate the accounting implications of guarantees and determine what charges, if any, should be recorded.

With respect to our agreements covering product, business or entity divestitures and acquisitions, we provide certain representations and warranties and agree to indemnify and hold such purchasers harmless against breaches of such representations, warranties, and covenants. With respect to our acquisitions, we may, from time to time, assume the liability for certain events or occurrences that took place prior to the date of acquisition.

We provide such minimum purchase guarantees and indemnification obligations after considering the economics of the transaction and other factors including but not limited to the liquidity and credit risk of the other party in the transaction. We believe that the likelihood is remote that any such arrangement could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operation or liquidity. We record liabilities, as disclosed above, for such guarantees based on our best estimate of probable losses which considers amounts recoverable under any recourse provisions.

Revolving Line of Credit/Demand Note Payable

On November 28, 2012, we entered into a letter agreement with JP Morgan Chase Bank , N.A. (“JP Morgan”) for a demand discretionary line of credit and a Demand Promissory Note in the aggregate amount of $20.0 million (the “Line of Credit”). Borrowings under the Line of Credit will be used to finance working capital needs and for general corporate purposes. The Line of Credit expires on November 27, 2013. We currently do not have any borrowings nor do we have any financial covenants under this line.

We are occasionally required to post customer performance bonds, issued by a financial institution, to secure certain sales contracts. Customer performance bonds generally authorize the financial institution to make a payment to the beneficiary upon the satisfaction of a certain event or the failure to satisfy an obligation. The customer performance bonds are generally posted for one-year terms and are usually automatically renewed upon maturity until such time as we have satisfied the commitment secured by the customer performance bond. We are obligated to reimburse the issuer only if the beneficiary collects on the customer performance bonds. We currently have a customer performance bond outstanding totaling $0.9 million which was previously secured under the RBS Citizens line of credit. We are holding $0.9 million in restricted cash with RBS Citizens on our consolidated balance sheet as of July 31, 2013 to cover the outstanding customer performance bonds.