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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments
In the ordinary course of business, the Company enters into commitments including those related to cloud computing, information technology, security, and information and document management. The Company also has revenue sharing arrangements with annual minimum guarantees based upon third-party website advertising metrics and other contractual provisions.
Litigation
From time to time, the Company and its affiliates are involved in litigation and other legal disputes or regulatory inquiries that arise in the ordinary course of business. Any claims or regulatory actions against the Company and its affiliates, whether meritorious or not, could be time consuming and costly, and could divert significant operational resources. The outcomes of such matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, carrying the potential for unfavorable rulings that could include monetary damages and injunctive relief.
On July 8, 2020, Jeffrey Garcia filed a putative class action lawsuit against the Company in the Central District of California (20-cv-06096), alleging violations of federal securities laws. The court appointed a lead plaintiff. The Company moved to dismiss the consolidated class action complaint. The court granted the motion to dismiss and the plaintiff filed an amended complaint. The Company moved to dismiss the amended complaint. On August 8, 2022, the court granted the Company’s motion to dismiss the amended complaint without leave to amend. The lead plaintiff appealed the dismissal. On April 19, 2024, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal.
On December 11, 2020, Danning Huang filed a lawsuit in the District of Delaware (20-cv-01687-LPS) asserting derivative claims against directors of the Company and other third parties. The lawsuit alleges violations of Section 14(a), Section 10(b), Section 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as well as breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment and abuse of control.
On March 24, 2021, Fritz Ringling filed a lawsuit in the District of Delaware (21-cv-00421-UNA) asserting substantially similar derivative claims, and on April 8, 2021, the district court consolidated the two actions under the caption In re J2 Global Stockholder Derivative Litigation. No.: 20-cv-01687-LPS. As part of the settlement of the Chancery Court Derivative Action described above, the Company and its directors and officers intend to defend against the remaining claims in these other actions.
The Company does not believe, based on current knowledge, that the foregoing legal proceedings or claims, after giving effect to existing accrued liabilities, are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, depending on the amount and timing, an unfavorable resolution of some or all of these matters could have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows in a particular period.
The Company has not accrued for any material loss contingencies relating to these legal proceedings because materially unfavorable outcomes are not considered probable by management. It is the Company’s policy to expense as incurred legal fees related to various litigations.
Non-Income Related Taxes
The Company does not collect and remit sales and use, telecommunication, or similar taxes and fees in certain jurisdictions where the Company believes such taxes are not applicable or legally required. Several states and other taxing jurisdictions have presented or threatened the Company with assessments, alleging that the Company is required to collect and remit such taxes there. The Company is currently under audit or is subject to audit for indirect taxes in various states, municipalities, and foreign jurisdictions. The Company recognizes a liability for these matters when it is probable that an obligation exists and the amount can be reasonably estimated based on all relevant information that is available at each reporting period.
The Company established reserves for these matters of $28.1 million as of each of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, which are included in ‘Accounts payable’ and ‘Other long-term liabilities’ on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. It is reasonably possible that additional liabilities could be incurred resulting in additional expense, which could have a material impact to our financial results.