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Note 11 - Legal Proceedings
9 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Notes to Financial Statements  
Legal Matters and Contingencies [Text Block]

NOTE 11 LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

 

On April 19, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the "District Court") granted judgment in favor of the Company in its trademark infringement lawsuit against air conditioning and heating products provider Emerson Quiet Kool and wholesaler Home Easy (the “Defendants”). Among other things, the District Court's order included an injunction prohibiting Defendants’ distribution, manufacturing, and sales of EMERSON QUIET KOOL branded products or use of that trademark and directed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel Defendants’ trademark registration for the EMERSON QUIET KOOL trademark and prohibited Defendants from attempting to register that mark or any other confusingly similar mark in the future. The judgment also awards $6.5 million to the Company. The Defendants, through a third party, made certain payments to the Company, including certain advances towards a portion of their liability. Those amounts were previously reflected as advanced deposits in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The aggregate amount of the payments is $4.1 million, which has been reduced by approximately $784,000 for legal fees incurred in fiscal 2023 and approximately $216,000 for legal fees incurred in fiscal 2024, in pursuit of the advanced deposits. Separately, on July 11, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the District Court's judgment against the Defendants. On September 29, 2023, the District Court granted the Company’s request for final judgement including approximately $3.16 million in legal fees and $700,000 in enhanced damages, along with the prospect of additional damages due to Defendants’ alleged contempt of court. The Company is pursuing all available remedies against the Defendants and those acting in concert with them. There is no guarantee that the Company will be able to collect the entire judgment or that any negotiated resolution regarding these matters will ever be agreed among the parties or, if agreed, how soon the parties might be able to do so. Due to the legal judgement having been affirmed as stated above, the Company released the balance of the advanced deposits of approximately $3,100,000, to other income during the quarter ended September 30, 2023.