Robert's response. Read all through "Business Litigation."
posted on
Feb 18, 2009 10:34AM
Hi Kirk,
The mediation referenced by digEcor in their February 10, 2009 press release was held in December not November. Contrary to what digEcor stated in their release, e.Digital did not drop any of its counterclaims because of the mediation. e.Digital voluntarily dismissed some of its counterclaims based on e.Digital's internal analysis of these specific claims. Also, digEcor didn't present any new evidence at the mediation and e.Digital remains confident that it will prevail in this case. e.Digital is a leading provider of portable IFE entertainment systems and services to airlines around the world and looks forward to expanding its eVU business in IFE and into other markets this year. Below, please find the status of the digEcor litigation as presented in our Form 10Q filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission on February 10, 2009.
Best regards,
Robert
Robert Putnam,
Sr. Vice President
e.Digital Corporation | 16770 West Bernardo Dr. | San Diego, California 92127
| p: 858.304.3016 ext. 205 | f: 858.304.3023 | rputnam@edigital.com
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Business Litigation
In May 2006, we announced that a complaint had been filed against our Company and certain of our officers and employees by digEcor, Inc. in the Third Judicial District Court of Utah, County of Salt Lake. The complaint alleged breaches of contract, unjust enrichment, breaches of good faith and fair dealing, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and interference with prospective economic relations. digEcor sought, among other things, an injunction to prevent our Company from selling or licensing certain digital rights management technology and "from engaging in any competition with digEcor until after 2009." digEcor also sought "actual damages" of $793,750 and "consequential damages...not less than an additional $1,000,000." This action was related to a purchase order we placed for this customer in the normal course of business on November 11, 2005 for 1,250 digEplayers(tm) with our contract manufacturer, Maycom Co., Ltd.. Maycom was paid in full for the order by both e.Digital and digEcor by March 2006, but Maycom failed to timely deliver the order. We recorded an impairment charge of $603,750 in March 2006 for deposits paid to Maycom due to the uncertainty of obtaining future delivery. In October 2006 we received delivery from Maycom of the delayed 1,250-unit digEplayer order and delivered the order to digEcor. We recognized $713,750 of revenue from this order and reversed an impairment charge of $603,750 in our third fiscal 2007 quarter. We have answered digEcor's complaint and are pursuing certain counterclaims.
In January 2007, the Court ruled on certain motions of the parties. In its ruling, the Court dismissed digEcor's unjust enrichment, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, tortious interference and punitive damage claims. The Court further acknowledged the delivery of the 1,250-unit order and a partial settlement between the parties reducing digEcor's claim for purchase-price or actual damages from $793,750 to $94,846 with such amount still being disputed by e.Digital. digEcor's contract and damages claims remain in dispute. digEcor has subsequently amended its Complaint to assert an alternative breach of contract claim, and claims for federal, state and common law unfair competition, and sought an injunction prohibiting us "from engaging in any competition with digEcor until after 2013."
In April 2007 we filed a second amended counterclaim in the United States District Court of Utah seeking a declaratory judgment confirming the status of prior agreements between the parties, alleging breach of our confidential information and trade secrets by digEcor, seeking an injunction against digEcor's manufacture and sale of a portable product based on our technology, alleging breach of duty to negotiate regarding revenue sharing dollars we believe we have the right to receive and tortious interference by digEcor in our contracts with third parties. We intend to vigorously prosecute these counterclaims.
In April 2007 digEcor filed a motion for summary judgment seeking enforcement of an alleged non-compete provision and an injunction prohibiting us from competing with digEcor. In October 2007 the Court denied, without prejudice, digEcor's motion for partial summary judgment and request for injunction. The foregoing and other findings of the Court may be subject to appeal by either party.
In September 2008 digEcor filed their third request for a partial summary judgment again seeking enforcement of the alleged non-compete provision. digEcor also asked the Court to rule on issues surrounding the delayed 1250-unit order and e.Digital's alleged breach of a 2002 contract between the parties.
In September 2008 we filed a summary judgment motion seeking a ruling (i) that the alleged non-compete provision is unenforceable and /or superseded by the 2002 agreement between the parties, and (ii) that the we have not breached any alleged non-compete provisions or the 2002 agreement. We also asked the Court to dismiss digEcor's unfair competition claims and limit digEcor's damages claim.
The case has now completed the discovery phase. We voluntarily dismissed some of our counterclaims, alleging misappropriation of its confidential information and trade secrets. We believe we have substantive and multiple defenses and intend to vigorously challenge the remaining matters and pursue all remaining counterclaims.