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6. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

9 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Notes to Financial Statements

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

From time to time, the Company is party to various lawsuits and administrative proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. The Company evaluates such lawsuits and proceedings on a case-by-case basis, and its policy is to vigorously contest any such claims, that it believes are without merit. The Company's management believes that the ultimate resolution of such matters will not materially and adversely affect the Company's business, financial position, or results of operations.

On January 30, 2015, Wetro LAN LLC ("Wetro LAN") filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (U.S.D.C., E.D.Tex.) against the Company alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,795,918 (“the ’918 patent”) entitled “Service Level Computer Security.” Wetro LAN alleged that the Company’s wireless routers, including its Model 4501 Wireless-N Router, infringe the '918 patent. “In its complaint, Wetro LAN sought unspecified compensatory damages.” The case was resolved on May 18, 2016 with the entry by the Judge of an Order of Dismissal with Prejudice.

On May 17, 2016, Magnacross LLC ("Magnacross") filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (U.S.D.C., E.D.Tex.) against the Company alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,917,304 (“the ’304 patent”) entitled “Wireless Multiplex Data Transmission System.” Magnacross alleged that the Company’s wireless routers, including its Model 5363, 5360 5354 (N300, N600, AC1900) Routers, infringe the '304 patent. In its complaint, Magnacross sought injunctive relief and unspecified compensatory damages. The case is in its early stages and the Court entered an Amended Docket Control Order on October 12, 2016. If the case is not otherwise resolved, trial is scheduled to commence on November 6, 2017.

On May 14, 2015, Zoom entered into a License Agreement with Motorola Mobility LLC (the “License Agreement”). The License Agreement provides Zoom with an exclusive license to use certain trademarks owned by Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. for the manufacture, sale and marketing of consumer cable modem products in the United States and Canada through certain authorized sales channels.

On August 8, 2016, Zoom entered into an amendment to the License Agreement with Motorola Mobility LLC (the “Amendment”). The Amendment expands Zoom’s exclusive license to use the Motorola trademark to a wide range of authorized channels worldwide, and expands the license from cable modems and gateways to also include consumer routers, WiFi range extenders, home powerline network adapters, and access points. The License Agreement, as amended, has a five-year term beginning January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2020.

In connection with the amended License Agreement, the Company has committed to spend a certain percentage of its Motorola revenues for use in advertising, merchandising and promotion of the related products. Additionally, the Company is required to make quarterly royalty payments equal to a certain percentage of the preceding quarter’s net sales with minimum annual royalty payments as follows:

Year ending December 31,

2016: $2,000,000

2017: $3,000,000

2018: $3,500,000

2019: $4,000,000

2020: $4,500,000

Royalty expense under the License Agreement amounted to $583,333 for the third quarter of 2016 and $1,416,666 for the first nine months of 2016, and is included in selling expense on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations. The balance of the committed royalty expense for 2016 amounts to $583,334 for the remaining quarter of 2016.

In order to facilitate the Company’s current and planned increase in production demand, driven in part by the launch of Motorola branded products, the Company has committed with North American Production Sharing, Inc. (“NAPS”) to extend its existing lease used in connection with the Production Sharing Agreement (“PSA”) entered into between the Company and NAPS. The extension term is December 1, 2015 through November 30, 2018 and allows the Company to contract additional Mexican personnel to work in the Tijuana facility.

The Company moved its headquarters on June 29, 2016 from its long time location at 207 South Street, Boston, MA. to a nearby location at 99 High Street, Boston, MA. The Company signed a lease for 11,480 square feet that terminates on June 29, 2019. Payments under the lease are zero for the first 2 months, an aggregate of $413,280 for the next 12 months, an aggregate of $424,760 for the next 12 months, and an aggregate of $363,533 for the remaining term of the lease ending June 29, 2019. Rent expense amounted to $99,876 for the third quarter of 2016 and $302,935 for the first nine months of 2016.

(a) Lease Obligations

In December 2011 the Company signed a lease amendment for 10,600 square feet effective June 1, 2012 at the Company’s headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. This lease expires on April 30, 2016.

The Company performs most of the final assembly, test, packaging, warehousing and distribution at a production and warehouse facility in Tijuana, Mexico. In November 2014, the Company signed a one-year lease with five one-year renewal options thereafter for an 11,390 square foot facility. In September 2015, the Company extended the term of the lease from December 1, 2015 through November 30, 2018. In September 2015, the Company also signed a new lease for additional space in the adjacent building, which doubles our existing capacity. The term of the lease is from March 1, 2016 through November 30, 2018 with early access granted as of December 1, 2015.

In order to facilitate the Company’s current and planned increase in production demand, driven in part by the launch of Motorola branded products, the Company has committed with North American Production Sharing, Inc. (“NAPS”) to extend its existing lease used in connection with the Production Sharing Agreement (“PSA”) entered into between the Company and NAPS. The extension term is December 1, 2015 through November 30, 2018 and allows the Company to contract additional Mexico personnel to work in the Tijuana facility.

The Company closed the UK sales office in October 2014 and now has an independent sales representative for the U.K. and Ireland.

Rent expense for all of the Company's leases was $363.8 thousand in 2015 and $313.4 thousand in 2014.

As of December 31, 2014, the Company's estimated future minimum committed rental payments, excluding executory costs, under the operating leases described above to their expiration or the earliest possible termination date, whichever is sooner, are $177.1 thousand for 2016, $104.6 thousand for 2017, and $95.8 thousand for 2018. There are no future minimum committed rental payments that extend beyond 2018.

(b) Contingencies

The Company is party to various lawsuits and administrative proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. The Company evaluates such lawsuits and proceedings on a case-by-case basis, and its policy is to vigorously contest any such claims which it believes are without merit.

The Company reviews the status of its legal proceedings and records a provision for a liability when it is considered probable that both a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. This review is updated periodically as additional information becomes available. If either or both of the criteria are not met, the Company reassesses whether there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss, or additional losses, may be incurred. If there is a reasonable possibility that a loss may be incurred, the Company discloses the estimate of the amount of the loss or range of losses, that the amount is not material, or that an estimate of the loss cannot be made. The Company expenses its legal fees as incurred.

On January 30, 2015, Wetro LAN LLC ("Wetro LAN") filed a complaint against the Company alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,795,918 (“the ’918 patent”). The ’918 patent is titled “Service Level Computer Security.” Wetro LAN alleges that the Company’s wireless routers, including its Model 4501 Wireless-N Router, infringe the '918 patent. The case is in its early stages and on March 15th, 2016 the trial date was set by the judge for April 17, 2017.

On November 14, 2014, Concinnitas, LLC and Mr. George W. Hindman (collectively "Concinnitas") filed a complaint against the Company alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,805,542 (“the ’542 patent”) titled "“Mobile United Attached in a Mobile Environment that Fully Restricts Access to Data Received via Wireless Signal to a Separate Computer in the Mobile Environment.” The Complaint asserts that the Company sells "products and/or systems (including at least the [wireless router model no.] 4530)" that infringe the '542 patent. Concinnitas and the Company have executed a settlement agreement. On August 13, 2015, this case was closed following an order of dismissal with prejudice pursuant to a resolution of the dispute between Zoom and Concinnitas, LLC.

(c) Commitments

On May 13, 2015 the Company entered into a non-cancellable licensing agreement (“the Agreement”) to use certain trademarks in connection with the manufacture, sale, marketing, and distribution of cable modem equipment. The Agreement commences on January 1, 2016 and terminates on December 31, 2020. Additionally, the Company has committed to reserving a certain percentage of wholesale prices for use in advertising, merchandising and promotion of the related products. In conjunction with the Agreement, the Company is required to make quarterly royalty payments equal to a certain percentage of the preceding quarter’s net sales with minimum annual royalty payments as follows:

Year ending December 31,
2016:	$2,000,000
2017:	$2,400,000
2018:	$2,600,000
2019:	$2,600,000
2020:	$2,600,000