Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

From time to time, third parties may assert patent infringement claims against us in the form of letters, litigation, or other forms of communication. In addition, we may from time to time be subject to other legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business, including claims of alleged infringement of trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights; employment claims; and general contract or other claims. We may also, from time to time, be subject to various legal or government claims, disputes, or investigations. Such matters may include, but not be limited to, claims, disputes, or investigations related to warranty, refund, breach of contract, employment, intellectual property, government regulation, or compliance or other matters.

On September 27, 2018 a purported securities class action captioned Shah v. Chegg, Inc. et. al. (Case No. 3:18-cv-05956-CRB) was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against us and our CEO. The complaint was filed by a purported Company shareholder and alleges claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and SEC Rule 10b-5, based on allegedly misleading statements regarding the Company’s security measures to protect users’ data and related internal controls and procedures, as well as our second quarter 2018 financial results. The suit is purportedly brought on behalf of purchasers of our securities between July 30, 2018 and September 25, 2018. The complaint seeks unspecified compensatory damages, as well as interest, costs and attorneys’ fees. On November 15, 2018, a second purported securities class action captioned Kurland v. Chegg, Inc. et al. (Case No. 3:18-cv-06714-CRB) was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against us, our CEO, and our CFO. The Shah and Kurland actions contain similar allegations, assert similar claims, and seek similar relief, and on January 24, 2019, the Court consolidated the two actions. On March 29, 2019, the Plaintiffs filed a Lead Plaintiff's Notice of Voluntary Dismissal Without Prejudice.

On November 5, 2018, NetSoc, LLC (NetSoc) filed a complaint against us in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for patent infringement alleging that the Chegg Tutors service infringes U.S. Patent No. 9,978,107 and seeking unspecified compensatory damages. A responsive pleading was filed on February 19, 2019. On January 13, 2020, the Court issued an order dismissing the case as to Chegg. On January 30, 2020, NetSoc appealed the dismissal and we are currently awaiting their filing of a brief with the court.

We are not aware of any other pending legal matters or claims, individually or in the aggregate, that are expected to have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, our determination of whether a claim will proceed to litigation cannot be made with certainty, nor can the results of litigation be predicted with certainty. Nevertheless, defending any of these actions, regardless of the outcome, may be costly, time consuming, distract management personnel, and have a negative effect on our business. An adverse outcome in any of these actions, including a judgment or settlement, may cause a material adverse effect on our future business, results of operations, and financial condition.