11. Commitments and Contingencies

Operating Leases

The Company leases office and warehouse space under operating leases that expire between 2016 and 2018. The terms of the leases include periods of free rent, options for the Company to extend the leases (three to five years) and increasing rental rates over time. The Company recognizes rental expense under these operating leases on a straight- line basis over the lives of the leases and has accrued for rental expense recorded but not paid.

Rental expense was approximately $1.4 million, $1.8 million and $1.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Future minimum rental payments required under non‑cancelable operating leases with initial or remaining terms in excess of one year consist of the following as of December 31, 2015 (in thousands):

 

Purchase Commitments

The Company had non‑cancellable purchase commitments for the purchase of inventory, which extend through June 2016 totaling approximately $38.4 million at December 31, 2015.

Indemnification

The Company has agreed to indemnify its officers and directors for certain events or occurrences, while the officer or director is or was serving at the Company’s request in such capacity. The maximum amount of potential future indemnification is unlimited; however, the Company has a director and officer insurance policy that provides corporate reimbursement coverage that limits its exposure and enables it to recover a portion of any future amounts paid. The Company is unable to reasonably estimate the maximum amount that could be payable under these arrangements since these obligations are not capped but are conditional to the unique facts and circumstances involved. Accordingly, the Company has no liabilities recorded for these agreements as of December 31, 2015.

Legal Matters

On April 15, 2015, Intuitive Building Controls, Inc. (“IBC”), a corporation organized under the laws of Texas, filed a Complaint against the Company in the Eastern District of Texas, and the Company filed its Answer on June 10, 2015. During April 2015, IBC filed similar complaints against several other companies. IBC’s Complaint asserts that the Company’s lighting control systems, specifically including the Company’s controllers and in-wall touch screens, infringe three United States patents that IBC owns by assignment: U.S. Patent Nos. 6,118,230 (the “’230 patent”), 6,160,359 (the “’359 patent”) and 5,945,993 (the “’993 patent”). The Complaint seeks injunctive relief and monetary damages. On February 12, 2016, the court granted the parties’ joint motion to stay all action in this case pending the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s final written decision in its Inter Partes Review proceedings assessing the validity of certain claims of the ‘359 and ‘993 patents. Based on the Company’s preliminary investigation of the patents at issue, the Company does not believe its products infringe any valid or enforceable claim of these patents. Accordingly, the Company will continue to vigorously defend itself against IBC’s allegations, however the outcome of the defense of these claims is uncertain at this time, so the Company cannot estimate the amount of liability, if any, which could result from an adverse resolution of this matter.

 

On April 28, 2015, the Company received a letter from Certified Measurement, LLC ("Certified Measurement"), alleging that some of its products infringe three patents owned by assignment by Certified Measurement. The Company is conducting an investigation of the claims made by Certified Measurement regarding these three patents, and based on the preliminary results of this investigation, the Company does not believe its products infringe any valid or enforceable claim of these patents. Certified Measurement has not initiated litigation against the Company, but if they do the Company intends to defend itself vigorously with respect to this and any other related claims or litigation. Since no complaint has been filed and the outcome of any potential legal proceedings related to these claims is uncertain at this time, the Company cannot estimate the amount of liability, if any, which could result from an adverse resolution of this matter. 

 

The Company establishes reserves for specific liabilities in connection with legal actions that it deems to be probable and estimable. In management’s opinion, the Company is not currently involved in any legal proceedings other than specifically identified above, that individually or in the aggregate, could have a material effect on the Company’s financial condition, operations, or cash flows. Currently, a range of loss associated with any individual material legal proceeding cannot be reasonably estimated.