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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

26. Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation and Related Contingencies

The Company’s product offerings include technology that is either developed or acquired, and these intellectual property rights, particularly patents, are a significant part of ongoing product development and differentiation. Lawsuits, claims and proceedings of a nature that claim infringement on patent licenses owned by others are considered normal to the business and may be pending from time to time against the Company. Intellectual property litigation is inherently complex and unpredictable. Although monetary and injunctive relief is typically sought, remedies and restitution are generally not determined until the conclusion of the trial court proceedings and can be modified on appeal. Accordingly, the outcomes of individual cases are difficult to time, predict or quantify.

Loss contingency provisions are recorded if the potential loss from any claim, asserted or unasserted, or legal proceeding related to patents, products and other matters, is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated, or a range of loss can be determined. If the estimate of a probable loss is a range and no amount within the range is more likely, management’s best estimate is represented by the minimum amount of the range. Disclosure is provided when a loss is considered probable, but the loss is not reasonably estimable and when a material loss is reasonably possible but not probable. The outcome of any of these proceedings cannot be accurately predicted, and the ultimate resolution of any of these existing matters, net of amounts accrued in the Company's balance sheet, may have a material adverse effect on the Company's business or financial condition.

Third parties might allege that the Company or its collaborators are infringing their patent rights or that the Company is otherwise violating their intellectual property rights. An adverse outcome in any of these proceedings could result in one of more of the following and have material impact on our business or consolidated results of operations and financial position: (i) loss of patent protection; (ii) inability to continue to engage in certain activities; (iii) payment of significant damages, royalties, penalties and/or license fees to third parties; and, (iv) with respect to products acquired through acquisitions accounted for as business combinations, potentially significant intangible asset impairment charges.

At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the accrual for several legal matters that are probable and estimable was $86.0 million and $4.3 million, respectively. In management’s opinion, the Company is not currently involved in any legal proceedings other than those specifically identified below, individually or in the aggregate, that could materially adversely impact our operating results and cash flows. Unless included in our legal accrual or otherwise indicated below, a range of loss associated with any individual material legal proceeding cannot be reasonably estimated. While the Company believes it has meritorious defenses for the matters described below, the ultimate resolution of, or increase in accruals for, one or more of these matters in any reporting period may have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations and cash flows for that period.

 

In connection with the Company’s acquisition of PhenomeX Inc. (“PhenomeX”) on October 2, 2023, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Bruker Cellular Analysis, Inc. (“BCA”), was substituted as a party into the existing patent litigation between PhenomeX and AbCellera Biologics Inc (“AbCellera”) related to PhenomeX’s Beacon instruments and Opto products. The University of British Columbia (“UBC”), the owner and licensor to AbCellera of the asserted patents, is a co-plaintiff in the litigation. The plaintiffs’ complaint seeks unspecified damages and injunctive relief.

In connection with the acquisition of NanoString on May 6, 2024, the Company assumed certain of its liabilities, including the liabilities associated with the litigation matters related to NanoString’s GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler products (the “GeoMx Matter”) and CosMx Spatial Molecular Imager products (the “CosMx Matter”). In the GeoMx Matter, in November 2023, a jury verdict in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware was entered in favor of the plaintiffs, 10x Genomics, Inc. (“10x”) and Prognosys Biosciences, Inc. (collectively, the “Plaintiffs”) awarding damages. On December 23, 2024, the Court issued an order upholding the jury’s damages award, plus interest and a damages true-up for GeoMx sales since the November 2023 verdict, while declining 10x’s request for enhanced damages and attorneys’ fees. The Court stated that it would grant 10x’s request for an injunction against GeoMx products in the United States, while noting that the proposed injunction would include a carve out for sales of consumables to the installed base of GeoMx customers. The Court has not yet issued a final judgment. Once a final judgment is issued, the Company intends to appeal the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and to seek a stay of any injunction that is ordered while the case is being appealed. The CosMx Matter complaint concerns claims by 10x and the President and Fellows of Harvard College (“Harvard”) of patent infringement with respect to CosMx Spatial Molecular Imager products as well as counterclaims against 10x and Harvard for antitrust and unfair competition violations. The CosMx Matter complaint seeks unspecified damages and injunctive relief.

Governmental Investigations

The Company is subject to regulation by national, state and local government agencies in the United States and other countries in which it operates. From time to time, the Company is the subject of governmental investigations often involving regulatory, marketing and other business practices. These governmental investigations may result in the commencement of civil and criminal

proceedings, fines, penalties and administrative remedies which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and/or liquidity.

At December 31, 2024, and 2023, no material accruals have been recorded for potential contingencies related to these regulatory matters. However, the resolution of, or increase in accruals for, one or more of these matters in any reporting period may have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations and cash flows for that period.

Unconditional Purchase Commitments

The Company has entered into unconditional purchase commitments, in the ordinary course of business, that include agreements to purchase goods, services or fixed assets and to pay royalties that are enforceable and legally binding and that specify all significant terms including: fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of the transaction. Purchase commitments exclude agreements that are cancelable at any time without penalty.

Unconditional purchase commitments that are fixed and determinable are as follows (in millions):

2025

 

$

186.2

 

2026

 

 

26.6

 

2027

 

 

11.4

 

2028

 

 

10.0

 

2029

 

 

13.0

 

Thereafter

 

 

 

Total

 

$

247.2

 

 

License Agreements

The Company has entered into license agreements allowing it to utilize certain patents. If these patents are used in connection with a commercial product sale, the Company pays royalties on the related product revenues. Licensing fees for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, were $10.1 million, $7.5 million and $6.4 million, respectively, and are recorded in cost of product revenue in the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income.

Letters of Credit and Guarantees

At December 31, 2024, and 2023, the Company had bank guarantees of $159.3 million and $153.6 million, respectively, related primarily to customer advances. These arrangements guarantee the refund of advance payments received from customers in the event that the merchandise is not delivered, or warranty obligations are not fulfilled in compliance with the terms of the contract. These guarantees affect the availability of the Company’s lines of credit.

Indemnifications

The Company enters into standard indemnification arrangements in the Company’s ordinary course of business. Pursuant to these arrangements, the Company indemnifies, holds harmless, and agrees to reimburse the indemnified parties for losses suffered or incurred by the indemnified party. These parties are generally the Company’s directors, officers, business partners or customers, in connection with any patent, or any copyright or other intellectual property infringement claim by any third party with respect to its products. The term of these indemnification agreements is generally perpetual any time after the execution of the agreement. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these agreements is unlimited. The Company believes the estimated fair value of these agreements is minimal based on historical experiences.