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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

(6) Commitments and Contingencies

(a) Commitments

From time to time, the Company enters into certain types of contracts that require it to indemnify parties against third-party claims. These contracts primarily relate to agreements under which the Company assumes indemnity obligations for intellectual property infringement, as well as other obligations from time to time depending on arrangements negotiated with customers and other third parties. The conditions of these obligations vary. Thus, the overall maximum amount of the Company’s indemnification obligations cannot be reasonably estimated. Historically, the Company has not been obligated to make significant payments for these obligations and does not currently expect to incur any material obligations in the future. Accordingly, the Company has not recorded an indemnification liability on its Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2024 or December 31, 2023.

(b) Contingencies

Brazil Matter

Following an internal review initiated in 2018, the Company disclosed its belief that its Brazilian subsidiary failed or likely failed to comply with local procurement regulations in conducting business with certain Brazilian government entities.

In 2020 the Company learned that the Brazilian Federal Police were investigating alleged corruption and procurement fraud involving certain government officials, including a transaction that was part of the basis of the Company’s previously reported failure or likely failure of its Brazilian subsidiary to comply with local procurement regulations. This investigation was concluded in 2023. Neither employees of the Company’s Brazilian subsidiary nor the subsidiary itself were targets of the Federal Police investigation.

The Company’s Brazilian subsidiary voluntarily disclosed information from its 2018 internal review to Brazil’s General Superintendence of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (“SG/CADE”) and to the Federal Comptroller General (“CGU”). Following this voluntary disclosure and cooperation with these agencies, the Company’s Brazilian subsidiary signed leniency agreements with the SG/CADE in September 2020 and with the CGU and the Federal General Attorney’s Office (“AGU”) in July 2024.

In 2023, the SG/CADE launched a public administrative proceeding to investigate potentially anticompetitive conduct by various entities and individuals in Brazil based in part on the information voluntarily disclosed by the Company’s Brazilian subsidiary, which is also one of the defendants in the proceeding. If at the end of the proceeding, SG/CADE’s Tribunal confirms that the Brazilian subsidiary’s obligations under the leniency agreement it signed with SG/CADE have been fulfilled, the Brazilian subsidiary will receive full immunity from fines.

Pursuant to its leniency agreement with the CGU and the AGU, the Brazilian subsidiary (i) paid approximately BRL 6.16 million (equivalent to approximately $1.1 million) in July 2024, (ii) agreed to certain undertakings regarding its compliance program, and (iii) has been granted immunity from debarment and other sanctions. As a result of this leniency agreement, the CGU dismissed its pending administrative action against the Brazilian subsidiary over alleged procurement violations.

In 2023, the Company accrued $1.2 million in respect of losses that might be incurred in connection with the investigation by the CGU and AGU into the matters voluntarily disclosed by the Company’s Brazilian subsidiary to them, with such accrued amount included as a component of “Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and operating lease liabilities” in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2023. During the third quarter of 2024, the Company paid approximately $1.1 million in cash in respect of these matters as indicated above.

The Company’s Brazilian subsidiary continues to cooperate with requests from government agencies related to the above matters. As of September 30, 2024, the Company remained unable to reasonably estimate a range of loss beyond the third quarter payment described above.

Daedalus Matter

On November 4, 2020, a complaint was filed against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia by a patent assertion entity called Daedalus Blue, LLC (“Daedalus”). In its complaint, Daedalus alleged that the Company infringed U.S. Patent Nos. 8,341,172 (the “’172 Patent”) and 9,032,076 (the “’076 Patent”) based on specific functionality in the MicroStrategy platform. The ’172 Patent relates to a method for providing aggregate data access in response to a query, whereas the ’076 Patent relates to a role-based access control system.

On January 29, 2024, the parties executed a settlement agreement pursuant to which the Company received a fully paid-up license to all patents owned by Daedalus as of January 5, 2024, including the ’172 Patent and the ’076 Patent and filed a stipulation of dismissal with the court on February 27, 2024, which the court entered the same day thereby dismissing the case with prejudice.

False Claims Act Matter

On August 31, 2022, the District of Columbia (the “District”), through its Office of the Attorney General, filed a civil complaint in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia naming as defendants (i) Michael J. Saylor, the Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors and the Company’s Executive Chairman, in his personal capacity, and (ii) the Company. The District sought, among other relief, monetary damages under the District’s False Claims Act for the alleged failure of Mr. Saylor to pay personal income taxes to the District over a number of years together with penalties, interest, and treble damages. The complaint alleged in the sole claim against the Company that it violated the District’s False Claims Act by conspiring to assist Mr. Saylor’s alleged failure to pay personal income taxes.

On May 31, 2024, the District, Mr. Saylor, and the Company stipulated to the entry of a Consent Order and Judgment (“Consent Order”) with the court pursuant to which the District, upon receipt of all amounts due under the Consent Order, released Mr. Saylor and the Company from all claims and liabilities that the District asserted, could have asserted, or may assert in the future based on the conduct described in the complaints filed in the case. Under the Consent Order, Mr. Saylor and the Company did not admit to any of the allegations encompassed by the conduct described in the complaint, any violation of law or regulation, any other matter of fact or law, or any liability or wrongdoing, and agreed to pay $40,000,000 to the District to settle the case and resolve the litigation with the District. Pursuant to a separate agreement between Mr. Saylor and the Company, Mr. Saylor paid this settlement amount to the District in full and the Company is not obligated to make any contribution to this settlement payment. On July 15, 2024, Mr. Saylor and the Company entered into a separate agreement with counsel to Tributum, LLC, the relator in the case (“Relator”), to resolve the amount due to such counsel in satisfaction of Relator’s claims for statutory expenses, attorneys’ fees and costs. Pursuant to the separate agreement between Mr. Saylor and the Company, Mr. Saylor paid this settlement amount in full and the Company is not obligated to make any contribution to this settlement payment.

Various Legal Proceedings and Contingent Liabilities

The Company is also involved in various legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business. Although the outcomes of these legal proceedings are inherently difficult to predict, management does not expect the resolution of these legal proceedings to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

The Company has contingent liabilities that, in management’s judgment, are not probable of assertion. If such unasserted contingent liabilities were to be asserted, or become probable of assertion, the Company may be required to record significant expenses and liabilities in the period in which these liabilities are asserted or become probable of assertion.