COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Sep. 30, 2025 | |
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES: In the normal course of business, the Company may provide certain customers with performance guarantees, and at times letters of credit or surety bonds. The terms of these agreements expire at various dates between fiscal 2025 and 2027. In general, the Company would only be liable for the amounts of these guarantees in the event that non-performance by the Company permits termination of the related contract by the Company's customer. The Company maintains it is in compliance with its performance obligations under all contracts for which there is a performance guarantee, and the ultimate liability, if any, incurred in connection with these guarantees will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
The Company has employment agreements with certain employees, the terms of which expire at various dates between fiscal 2026 and 2029. The agreements generally provide for base salary and bonus levels and include non-compete provisions. The aggregate commitment for salaries under these agreements at September 30, 2025 was $8,289.
The Company is party to various legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of business, the eventual outcome of which are not predictable. Although the ultimate disposition of these ordinary course proceedings is not presently determinable, management is of the opinion that they should not result in liabilities in an amount which would materially affect the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
In addition to these ordinary course legal proceedings, the Company is involved in the following legal proceedings.
On October 7, 2024, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California granted the Company’s motion to compel arbitration in response to a complaint filed by Tesla on June 14, 2024 against the Company in the Northern District of California, Civil Action No. 5:24-cv-03615 (N.D. Cal.), which alleged trade secret misappropriation under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (the "DTSA") and the California Uniform Trade Secrets Act (the "CUTSA"), breach of contract and unfair business practices. Given the Court’s favorable ruling, the matter filed by Tesla has been effectively stayed pending arbitration, which Tesla has initiated. The Company maintains the claims vaguely stated in the complaint are without merit and continues to vigorously defend itself against the allegations in confidential arbitration.
In addition, on February 13, 2025, Tesla filed another additional complaint against the Company in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California alleging, in part, claims related to correction of inventorship, breach of contract, promissory estoppel and quasi-contract/restitution arising from and/or related to various U.S. patents and provisional patents, including but not limited to U.S. Patent No. 12,136,727. Similar to the prior matter, this case has also recently been compelled to confidential arbitration by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The Company maintains the claims are without merit and intends to vigorously defend itself against the allegations in the confidential arbitration.
The Company is also defending a separate new confidential arbitration demand, initiated by Tesla on September 8, 2025, which alleges claims for breach of express warranty, declaratory relief, and breach of contract. The arbitration demand seeks declaratory relief and actual damages, plus interest and costs. An estimate of the possible loss or range of loss related to the foregoing matters cannot be made at this time given the continued lack of specificity in the pending proceedings and/or the applicable pleadings. In light of the substantial harm caused to the Company by Tesla's actions, the Company is now pursuing counterclaims against Tesla. Finally, in October 2025, the Company finalized a confidential settlement agreement resolving claims of alleged copyright infringement arising from a legacy licensing arrangement within the Company's Memorialization segment. The settlement amount of $8,000 was accrued and recognized as a component of administrative expense for the period ended September 30, 2025. The Company denies fault or wrongdoing in the matter arising from this licensing dispute.
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