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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Jan. 03, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies  
Commitments and Contingencies

15. Commitments and Contingencies

Operating Leases

        The Company leases certain facilities under operating lease agreements that expire at various dates through 2025. Some of these arrangements contain renewal options and require the Company to pay taxes, insurance and maintenance costs.

        Rent expense under operating leases was $4.2 million, $4.2 million and $4.4 million for fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The minimum annual future rentals under the terms of these leases as of January 3, 2015 are as follows (in thousands):

                                                                                                                                                                                    

Fiscal Year

 

 

 

2015

 

$

4,463 

 

2016

 

 

4,137 

 

2017

 

 

3,398 

 

2018

 

 

2,517 

 

2019

 

 

1,490 

 

Thereafter

 

 

6,398 

 

​  

​  

Total minimum lease payments

 

$

22,403 

 

​  

​  

​  

​  

​  

Litigation

Patent Litigation

        On January 21, 2014, Cresta Technology Corporation ("Cresta Technology"), a Delaware corporation, filed a lawsuit against the Company, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Samsung Electronics America, Inc., LG Electronics Inc. and LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc. in the United States District Court in the District of Delaware, alleging infringement of United States Patent Nos. 7,075,585, 7,265,792 and 7,251,466. The lawsuit relates to the Company's family of television tuner products. Cresta Technology seeks unspecified compensatory and enhanced damages, attorney fees and a permanent injunction. On January 28, 2014, Cresta Technology also filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission ("ITC") alleging infringement of the same patents against the Company, Samsung and LG Electronics and seeking to prevent the importation and sale of allegedly infringing products in the United States. The ITC instituted an investigation based on Cresta Technology's complaint on February 27, 2014. An evidentiary hearing in this ITC Investigation concluded on December 5, 2014. The ITC Administrative Law Judge is scheduled to issue an Initial Determination on February 27, 2015, and the Final Determination by the ITC is scheduled to issue on June 29, 2015. The Delaware District Court action has been stayed pending completion of the proceedings in the ITC. The Company intends to vigorously defend against these allegations.

        On April 11, 2014, the Company filed a lawsuit against Cresta Technology in the United States District Court in the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, alleging infringement of United States Patent Nos. 6,308,055, 6,965,761 and 7,353,011. On July 14, 2014, the Court dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice due to the lack of commercial activity by Cresta Technology in the Western District of Texas. On July 16, 2014, the Company refiled its claims for the '055, '761 and '011 patents in a lawsuit in the United States District Court in the Northern District of California. In addition, the Company added additional claims alleging infringement of United States Patent Nos. 6,304,146, 6,137,372 and 6,233,441. The Company is seeking a permanent injunction stopping the sale of all allegedly infringing Cresta Technology products and an award of damages and attorney fees.

        On May 6, 2014, the Company filed a complaint with the ITC alleging infringement of United States Patent Nos. 6,137,372 and 6,233,441 against Cresta Technology, Hauppauge Digital, Inc., Hauppague Computer Works, Inc., PCTV Systems, S.a.r.l., Luxembourg and PCTV Systems S.a.r.l., seeking to prevent the importation and sale of allegedly infringing products in the United States. On June 6, 2014, the ITC instituted an investigation based on the Company's complaint. On June 13, 2014, Cresta Technology proposed a consent order whereby Cresta Technology will not sell for importation, import or sell in the United States television tuners that infringe the patent claims asserted by the Company. On July 1, 2014, the Administrative Law Judge accepted the proposed consent order. Accordingly, this ITC investigation has been terminated in its entirety. Under the consent order, Cresta Technology is prohibited from selling for importation, importing or selling in the United States television tuners that infringe the Company's United States Patent Nos. 6,137,372 and 6,233,441.

        As is customary in the semiconductor industry, the Company provides indemnification protection to its customers for intellectual property claims related to the Company's products. The Company has not accrued any material liability on its consolidated balance sheet related to such indemnification obligations in connection with the Cresta Technology litigation.

        At this time, the Company cannot predict the outcome of these matters or the resulting financial impact to it, if any.

Other

        The Company is involved in various other legal proceedings that have arisen in the normal course of business. While the ultimate results of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, the Company does not expect them to have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial statements.