Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Charter Proceedings
The California Attorney General and the Alameda County, California District Attorney are investigating whether certain of Charter’s waste disposal policies, procedures and practices are in violation of the California Business and Professions Code and the California Health and Safety Code. That investigation was commenced in January 2014. A similar investigation involving Time Warner Cable, LLC was initiated in February 2012. Charter is cooperating with these investigations. While Charter is unable to predict the outcome of these investigations, it does not expect that the outcome will have a material effect on its operations, financial condition, or cash flows.
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On April 27, 2022, Entropic Communications, LLC (“Entropic”) filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas alleging that Charter infringed six patents relating to the deployment of certain set-top boxes, cable modems and cable modem termination systems. Entropic sought monetary damages, including future license fees. On February 10, 2023, Entropic filed a separate lawsuit against Charter in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The lawsuit alleged infringement of three patents that also relate to the deployment of certain set-top boxes and cable modems. Entropic sought monetary damages. On February 10, 2023, Entropic filed two more lawsuits against Charter in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The two lawsuits alleged infringement of a total of twelve patents that relate to certain set-top boxes. Entropic sought monetary damages, including future license fees. On December 10, 2023, Charter and Entropic executed a settlement agreement that resolved all of these matters and the litigation was dismissed with prejudice.
In addition to the Entropic litigation described above, Charter is a defendant or co-defendant in several lawsuits involving alleged infringement of various intellectual property relating to various aspects of its businesses. Other industry participants are also defendants in certain of these cases or related cases. In the event that a court ultimately determines that Charter infringes on any intellectual property, Charter may be subject to substantial damages and/or an injunction that could require Charter or its vendors to modify certain products and services it offers to its subscribers, as well as negotiate royalty or license agreements with respect to the intellectual property at issue. While Charter believes the lawsuits are without merit and intends to defend the actions vigorously, no assurance can be given that any adverse outcome would not be material to Charter’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or liquidity. Charter cannot predict the outcome of any such claims nor can it reasonably estimate a range of possible loss.
Charter is party to other lawsuits, claims and regulatory inquiries that arise in the ordinary course of conducting its business. The ultimate outcome of these other legal matters pending against Charter or its subsidiaries cannot be predicted, and although such lawsuits and claims are not expected individually to have a material adverse effect on our or Charter’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or liquidity, such lawsuits could have in the aggregate a material adverse effect on ours or Charter’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or liquidity. Whether or not Charter ultimately prevails in any particular lawsuit or claim, litigation can be time consuming and costly and injure its reputation.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II