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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

9. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Officer Employment Agreements

 

On March 23, 2022, the Company entered into Amended and Restated Employment Agreements with the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), which amended and restated their existing employment agreements with the Company dated October 7, 2016 and December 9, 2019, respectively. The agreements are each for terms of one year with auto renewal provisions. Except for adjustments to base salaries, all other terms and conditions of the prior employment agreements between the Company and the CEO and CFO remained in full force and effect. The Amended and Restated Employment Agreement for the CEO is retroactive to February 2021. The Amended and Restated Employment Agreement for the CFO is retroactive to January 2022. Aggregate commitments of base salaries under the Amended and Restated Employment Agreements for each of 2022 and 2023 total $490,000. The agreements were renewed through March of 2024, and if they are subsequently renewed in future years, the aggregate base salary commitments will total $510,000 per year. 

 

Patent Litigation

 

On July 23, 2021, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, Paltalk Holdings, Inc., filed a patent infringement lawsuit against WebEx Communications, Inc., Cisco WebEx LLC, and Cisco Systems, Inc. (collectively, “Cisco”), in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (the “Court”). The Company alleges that certain of Cisco’s products have infringed U.S. Patent No. 6,683,858, and that the Company is entitled to damages.

 

A Markman hearing took place on February 24, 2022. On September 7, 2022, the United States Patent Office issued a reexamination of U.S. Patent No. 6,683,858, and on January 19, 2023, the Examiner issued an Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate, ending the reexamination and confirming the patentability of claims 1-10 of U.S. Patent No. 6,683,858. On June 29, 2023, the Court held a pretrial conference and denied Cisco’s motion for summary judgment. The trial is expected to be held in May of 2024.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

The Company may be included in legal proceedings, claims and assessments arising in the ordinary course of business. The Company evaluates the need for a reserve for specific legal matters based on the probability of an unfavorable outcome and the reasonability of an estimable loss. No reserve was deemed necessary as of September 30, 2023.