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Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies Indemnifications We indemnify our directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted under the laws of the state of Delaware and we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. In addition, we insure our individual directors and officers against certain claims and attorney’s fees and related expenses incurred in connection with the defense of such claims. The amounts and types of coverage may vary from period to period as dictated by market conditions. Management is not aware of any matters that require indemnification of its officers or directors. Fair Price Provisions and Other Anti-Takeover Measures Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, contains certain provisions restricting business combinations with interested stockholders under certain circumstances and imposing higher voting requirements for the approval of certain transactions ("fair price" provisions). Any of these provisions may delay or prevent a change in control. The "fair price" provisions require that holders of at least two-thirds of our outstanding shares of voting stock approve certain business combinations and significant transactions with interested stockholders. Product Warranties Changes in the liability for product warranty claim costs were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands) | 2017 |  | 2016 |  | 2015
Balance at beginning of period | $ | 134 |  |  | $ | 35 |  |  | $ | 353 |
Accruals for warranties issued during the period | 312 |  |  | 102 |  |  | 23 |
Settlements (in cash or in kind) during the period | (107 | ) |  | (3 | ) |  | (341 | )
Balance at end of period | $ | 339 |  |  | $ | 134 |  |  | $ | 35 |
Restructuring Activities and Sale of Guangzhou Factory In the first quarter of 2016, we implemented a plan to reduce the impact of rising labor rates in China by transitioning manufacturing activities from our southern-most China factory, located in the city of Guangzhou in the Guangdong province, to our other China factories where labor rates are rising at a slower rate. As a result, we incurred severance costs of $6.1 million and $4.5 million during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, which are included within operating expenses. All operations in our Guangzhou factory ceased in July 2017. Accordingly, we do not expect to incur further severance or other restructuring costs related to this factory transition. At December 31, 2017, we had no unpaid factory transition severance costs included within accrued compensation. On September 26, 2016, we entered into an agreement to sell our Guangzhou manufacturing facility for RMB 320 million (approximately $49.0 million based on December 31, 2017 exchange rates). Under the terms of the agreement, we have up to 24 months to cease all operations within the facility. The closing of the sale will be subject to customary due diligence and local regulatory approval and is expected to be completed within approximately 28 months from the execution of the agreement. In accordance with the terms of the agreement, the buyer deposited 10% of the purchase price into an escrow account upon the execution of the agreement, which we have presented as restricted cash in our consolidated balance sheets (also refer to Note 3). The remaining balance of the purchase price is to be placed into the escrow account prior to the closing of the sale and will be released to us upon closing. Since all operations at our Guangzhou manufacturing facility ceased as of the end of July 2017, the related building and land lease assets of $12.5 million are classified as assets held for sale in our December 31, 2017 consolidated balance sheet. Litigation On March 2, 2012 and June 28, 2013, we filed two different lawsuits against Universal Remote Control, Inc. ("URC") alleging that URC, and in some cases its affiliated suppliers Ohsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Ohsung Electronics USA, Inc. (collectively "Ohsung"), were infringing on certain of our patents. In September 2015, the court awarded URC $4.6 million in attorneys' fees and costs related to the first lawsuit, which we accrued within selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2015 and placed an equal amount into a surety bond (described in Note 3). In December 2016, in connection with these matters, we entered into a confidential Settlement, License and Release Agreement dated September 22, 2016 with URC and Ohsung (collectively the “URC Parties”) to settle all litigation matters (including the malicious prosecution litigation described below) between us and the URC Parties. By and during the term of this agreement, we and the URC Parties have dismissed all litigation matters and appeals with prejudice. Additionally, the URC Parties have received a limited paid up license to the technologies covered by the patents in this litigation and a limited covenant not to sue with respect to certain of URC's products existing as of the settlement date. As a result of the Settlement, License and Release Agreement, we accrued $2.0 million within selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2016, bringing the total liability accrued in connection with the URC matters to $6.6 million at December 31, 2016. On January 30, 2017, we paid URC $6.6 million, and on February 10, 2017, the $4.6 million surety bond was returned to us. On April 28, 2016, URC filed a malicious prosecution lawsuit against us in the Superior Court of California, County of Orange (Universal Remote Control, Inc. v. Universal Electronics Inc., 30-2016-00849239-CU-BT-CJC). This lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice by URC as part of the overall Settlement, License and Release Agreement discussed above. On or about June 10, 2015, FM Marketing GmbH ("FMH") and Ruwido Austria GmbH ("Ruwido") filed a Summons in Summary Proceedings in Belgium court against one of our subsidiaries, Universal Electronics BV ("UEBV"), and one of its customers, Telenet N.V. ("Telenet"), claiming that one of the products UEBV supplied to Telenet violates two design patents and one utility patent owned by FMH and/or Ruwido. By this summons, FMH and Ruwido sought to enjoin Telenet and UEBV from continued distribution and use of the product at issue. After the September 29, 2015 hearing, the court issued its ruling in our and Telenet’s favor, rejecting FMH and Ruwido’s request entirely. On October 22, 2015, Ruwido filed its notice of appeal in this ruling. The parties have fully briefed and argued before the appellate court and we are awaiting the appellate court's ruling. In addition, on or about February 9, 2016, Ruwido filed a writ of summons for proceeding on the merits with respect to asserted patents. UEBV and Telenet have replied, denying all of Ruwido's allegations and in June 2017 a hearing was held before the trial court. During this hearing, Ruwido sought to have a second product which we are currently selling to Telenet included in this case. In September 2017, the Court ruled in our favor that our current product cannot be made part of this case. The Court also refused to rule on whether the original product (which we are no longer selling) infringes the Ruwido patent, instead deciding to wait until the European Patent Office has ruled on our Opposition (see below). Finally, the Court ruled that our original product (which we are no longer selling) infringes certain of Ruwido's design rights, but stayed any decision of compensation and/or damages until all aspects of the case have been decided. We have filed an appeal as to the Court's ruling of infringement and submissions by the parties are due to the Court during the first and second quarter of 2018. Finally, in September 2015, UEBV filed an Opposition with the European Patent Office seeking to invalidate the one utility patent asserted against UEBV and Telenet by Ruwido. The hearing on this opposition was held in July 2017. During this hearing the panel requested additional information. We have assembled this additional information and are awaiting the rehearing date. On September 5, 2017, Ruwido and FMH filed a patent infringement case on the merits against UEBV and Telenet in the Netherlands alleging the same claims of infringement as in the Belgium Courts (see above). This matter is in its early stages and as such we have not yet answered. But, as in the Belgium case, UEBV and Telenet will deny all claims of infringement and vigorously defend against these claims. On March 15, 2017, one of our employees filed a lawsuit against us and certain of our employees in the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, claiming hostile work environment based on sexual orientation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, failure to prevent hostile work environment, retaliation, and constructive termination. On February 1, 2018, we entered into a Settlement Agreement and Release with the former employee to settle all litigation matters between us and the former employee. While the terms of this agreement are confidential, in exchange for and upon the dismissal with prejudice of all claims made by the former employee against us, we will pay an immaterial amount to the former employee. The dismissal was completed during February 2018. There are no other material pending legal proceedings to which we or any of our subsidiaries is a party or of which our respective property is the subject. However, as is typical in our industry and to the nature and kind of business in which we are engaged, from time to time, various claims, charges and litigation are asserted or commenced by third parties against us or by us against third parties arising from or related to product liability, infringement of patent or other intellectual property rights, breach of warranty, contractual relations, or employee relations. The amounts claimed may be substantial but may not bear any reasonable relationship to the merits of the claims or the extent of any real risk of court awards assessed against us or in our favor. However, no assurances can be made as to the outcome of any of these matters, nor can we estimate the range of potential losses to us. In our opinion, final judgments, if any, which might be rendered against us in potential or pending litigation would not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Moreover, we believe that our products do not infringe any third parties' patents or other intellectual property rights. We maintain directors' and officers' liability insurance which insures our individual directors and officers against certain claims, as well as attorney's fees and related expenses incurred in connection with the defense of such claims. Defined Benefit Plan Our subsidiary in India maintains a defined benefit pension plan ("India Plan") for local employees, which is consistent with local statutes and practices. The pension plan was adequately funded on December 31, 2017 based on its latest actuarial report. The India Plan has an independent external manager that advises us of the appropriate funding contribution requirements to which we comply. At December 31, 2017, approximately 49 percent of our India subsidiary employees had qualified for eligibility. An individual must be employed by our India subsidiary for a minimum of five years before becoming eligible. Upon the termination, resignation or retirement of an eligible employee, we are liable to pay the employee an amount equal to 15 days salary for each full year of service completed. The total amount of liability outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016 for the India Plan was not material. During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, the net periodic benefit costs were also not material.

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