Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

(12) Commitments and Contingencies 

On August 9, 2022, BASF filed a complaint against Nanophase in New Jersey state court (the “New Jersey Complaint”), alleging that Nanophase had breached the 1999 Zinc Oxide Supply Agreement (the “Agreement”). BASF alleges several issues, the one having the biggest potential impact on Nanophase being a claim that our sales through Solésence violate the exclusivity provision of the Agreement. BASF seeks an unspecified amount of damages, a permanent injunction enjoining sales to any party (other than BASF) of a broad range of zinc oxide products that BASF contends are within the scope of the exclusivity provision, counsel fees and litigation expenses. On September 7, 2022, Nanophase filed a Complaint for Declaratory Judgement in Illinois state court (the “Illinois Complaint”), asking for a declaration that contrary to BASF’s allegation, the exclusivity provision of the Agreement does not apply to all products containing zinc oxide as an ingredient for uses designated under the Agreement, nor does the exclusivity provision prohibit Nanophase’s sales of Solésence products containing zinc oxide as an ingredient. Both companies filed Motions to Dismiss (MTD) the other’s respective complaint. Nanophase’s MTD BASF’s New Jersey Complaint was denied on procedural grounds on February 10, 2023, with the New Jersey court superficially noting that it did not consider whether BASF could prove its claims. On February 28, 2023, Nanophase filed its answer to BASF’s New Jersey Complaint, denying all wrongdoing and, as mandated by New Jersey procedural requirements, counterclaims including a request for a declaration similar to that Nanophase sought in its Illinois Complaint. On March 16, 2023, the Illinois court granted BASF’s MTD Nanophase’s Illinois Complaint, finding it duplicative of the New Jersey litigation. Discovery in that litigation is ongoing. Management believes at this time that the allegations of BASF’s complaint are without merit and are unsupported by the terms of the Agreement and governing law. Per ASC 450 for the period ending March 31, 2023, an estimated contingent loss was not recorded, and an estimated range of loss is not disclosed as the outcome is not probable at this time and nor is a range of loss estimable.