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Commitments and Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
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Apr. 30, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies Legal Matters Various legal claims arise from time to time in the normal course of business. In assessing loss contingencies related to legal proceedings that are pending against the Company, or unasserted claims that may result in such proceedings, the Company evaluates the perceived merits of any legal proceedings or unasserted claims as well as the perceived merits of the amount of relief sought or expected to be sought therein. The Company believes that it has adequately accrued for the potential impact of loss contingencies that are probable and reasonably estimable. The Company does not believe that the ultimate resolution of any matters to which it is presently a party will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. However, the results of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, and an unfavorable resolution of one or more of these matters could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. International Business Machines Corporation (“IBM”) previously alleged that the Company is infringing four of its patents. On February 15, 2021, the Company filed a declaratory judgment action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (the “District Court”) against IBM seeking the District Court’s declaration that the Company is not infringing the four asserted IBM patents. On April 19, 2021, IBM filed an answer with counterclaims, alleging that the Company is infringing the four patents by operation of the Chewy.com website and mobile application, and seeking unspecified damages, including a request that the amount of compensatory damages be trebled, injunctive relief and costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees. The Company filed a motion to dismiss IBM’s claims against three of the asserted patents on May 14, 2021. In response, IBM filed an amended complaint on May 24, 2021 that included an additional assertion that the Company is infringing a fifth IBM patent. On October 8, 2021, the parties had a claim construction hearing and on November 9, 2021, the claim construction rulings resulted in one of the five patents (the “‘414 patent”) being eliminated from the case. The parties filed their motions for summary judgment which were fully briefed on February 24, 2022. After oral arguments on the motions for summary judgment, on April 11, 2022, the District Court granted the Company’s motions for summary judgment that the Company did not infringe three of the patents and that the fourth patent is invalid. On April 29, 2022, IBM filed a notice of appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to appeal the District Court’s judgment. On August 18, 2022, IBM filed its opening appellate brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to appeal the District Court’s judgment granting the Company’s motions for summary judgment of non-infringement of certain of the patents. The appeal is fully briefed, and the parties are waiting for a hearing date. On May 3, 2023, IBM sent the Company a letter indicating that the ‘414 patent that was invalidated by the District Court was reexamined by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and a reexamination certificate was issued. As a result, IBM is asserting that the Company infringes the new claims of the ‘414 patent.The Company continues to deny this recent allegation related to the ‘414 patent and all other allegations of any infringement and intends to vigorously defend itself in this matter.

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