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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
The Company's principal commitments consist of obligations under the 2025 Notes and 2026 Notes (including principal and coupon interest), operating leases for office space, as well as non-cancellable purchase commitments. See Note 16, "Debt" and Note 13 "Leases" for contractual obligations to settle commitments relating to the 2025 Notes, 2026 Notes and operating leases for office space.
Other than as described above, there were no material changes outside the Company's normal course of business in its commitments under contractual obligations from those disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
Litigation and Loss Contingencies
In addition to the litigation discussed below, from time to time, the Company may become a party to litigation and subject to claims incident to the ordinary course of business, including intellectual property claims, labor and employment claims, breach of contract claims, tax and other matters. Future litigation may be necessary to defend the Company or its creators.
The results of any current or future litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, and regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on the Company because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
The Company accrues estimates for resolution of legal and other contingencies when losses are probable and reasonably estimable. The Company's assessment of losses is re-evaluated each accounting period and is based on all available information, including impact of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel and other information and events pertaining to each case. Nevertheless, it is possible that additional future legal costs including settlements, judgments, legal fees and other related defense costs could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.
The matter discussed below summarizes the Company’s current ongoing pending litigation.
Commercial Contract Litigation
On June 18, 2020, the Company filed a Complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against M.R.G. Concerts Ltd. (MRG) and Matthew Gibbons (Gibbons), asserting claims for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, declaratory judgment, unfair competition, and common counts under California law, arising out of MRG and Gibbons' termination of certain contracts with the Company and their refusal to make various payments to the Company required by those contracts. MRG asserted counterclaims against the Company for breach of one of the contracts in issue, as well as for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unfair competition, and declaratory judgment. A jury trial commenced on May 16, 2022. On May 23, 2022, the jury issued a verdict in Eventbrite’s favor and awarded the Company $11.0 million in damages. Defendants filed a motion seeking to reduce the verdict or hold a new trial, and the Company filed a motion for pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as well as to recover its attorneys’ fees and costs of suit per the parties’ contracts. On November 1, 2022, the Court denied Defendants' motion, granted the Company’s motion, and entered an Amended Final Judgment in the Company’s favor in the amount of $14.9 million.
Defendants’ Opening Brief on appeal was filed April 13, 2023. The Company has not yet filed its brief, and the timeframe for oral argument (should the Court allow any) is unknown. The Company cannot predict the likelihood of success on Defendants’ appeal or the Company’s conditional cross-appeal. The Company has not recorded any gain in relation to this verdict as of March 31, 2023.
Tax Matters
The Company is currently under audit in certain jurisdictions with regard to indirect tax matters. The Company establishes reserves for indirect tax matters when it determines that the likelihood of a loss is probable, and the loss is reasonably estimable. Accordingly, the Company has established a reserve for the potential settlement of issues related to sales and other indirect taxes in the amount of $5.3 million and $6.0 million as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. These amounts, which represent management’s best estimates of its potential liability, include potential interest and penalties of $0.8 million and $0.9 million as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
The Company does not believe that any ultimate liability resulting from any of these matters will have a material adverse effect on its business, consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity. However, the outcome of these matters is inherently uncertain. Therefore, if one or more of these matters were resolved against the Company for amounts in excess of management’s expectations, the Company’s financial statements, including in a particular reporting period in which any such outcome becomes probable and estimable, could be materially adversely affected.
Indemnification
In the ordinary course of business, the Company enters into contractual arrangements under which the Company agrees to provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to business partners and other parties with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of the breach of such agreements, intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties, and other liabilities relating to or arising from the Company’s online ticketing platform or the Company’s acts or omissions. In these circumstances, payment may be conditional on the other party making a claim pursuant to the procedures specified in the particular contract. Further, the Company’s obligations under these agreements may be limited in terms of time and/or amount, and in some instances, the Company may have recourse against third parties for certain payments. In addition, the Company has indemnification agreements with its directors and executive officers that require the Company, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers. The terms of such obligations vary.