UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 26, 2019
VERISK ANALYTICS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 001-34480 | 26-2994223 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | ||
545 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ | 07310 | |||
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (201) 469-3000
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange where registered | ||
Common Stock $.001 par value | VRSK | NASDAQ Global Select Market |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 8.01 | Other Events |
Reference is made to the Verisk Analytics, Inc. (the “Company”) Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2019 as filed on July 30, 2019 and the description of the Xactware Solutions, Inc. Patent Litigation contained therein. The following provides an update of the recent developments of that matter.
On October 8, 2015, the Company was served with a summons and complaint in an action titled Eagle View Technologies, Inc. and Pictometry International Group, Inc. v. Xactware Solutions, Inc. and Verisk Analytics, Inc. filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The complaint alleged that the Company’s Roof InSight (now known as Geomni Roof), Property InSight product (now known as Geomni Property) and Aerial Sketch product in combination with the Company’s Xactimate product infringed seven patents owned by Eagle View and Pictometry namely, Patent Nos. 8,078,436 (the “436 patent”), 8,170,840 (the “840 patent”), 8,209,152 (the “152 patent”), 8,542,880 (the “880 patent”), 8,818,770 (the “770 patent”), 8,823,732 (the “732 patent”), and 8,825,454 (the “454 patent”). On November 30, 2015, plaintiffs filed a First Amended Complaint adding Patent Nos. 9,129,376 (the “376 patent”) and 9,135,737 (the “737 patent”) to the lawsuit. The First Amended Complaint sought an entry of judgment by the Court that defendants have and continue to directly infringe and/or indirectly infringe, including by way of inducement the Patents-in-Suit, permanent injunctive relief, damages, costs and attorney’s fees. On May 19, 2017, the District Court entered a Joint Stipulated Order of Partial Dismissal with Prejudice dismissing all claims or assertions pertaining to the 880 and 732 patents, and certain asserted claims of the 436, 840, 152, 770, 454, 376 and 737 patents (collectively the “Patents in Suit”). Eagle View further reduced the number of asserted claims pertaining to the Patents in Suit to 18 asserted claims. Thereafter, Eagle View dropped the 152 patent and further reduced the number of asserted claims from the six remaining Patents in Suit to 11 asserted claims. On December 6, 2018, the Court denied Eagle View’s motion for summary judgment that a key prior art reference be excluded. On December 20, 2018, the Court denied the Company’s motion for summary judgment of equitable estoppel. On January 29, 2019, the Court denied the Company’s motion for summary judgment of unpatentability pursuant to Section 101 of the Patent Statute. Thereafter, Eagle View dropped the 737 patent and further reduced the number of asserted claims from the five remaining Patents in Suit to 6 asserted claims. On September 25, 2019, following a trial, the jury determined that the Company had willfully infringed the 6 asserted claims, and assessed damages in the amount of $125 million. On September 26, 2019 the Court entered judgement in that amount. Eagle View has indicated that it plans to petition the Court to award up to treble damages. The Company plans to appeal these results. At this time, it is not reasonably possible to determine the ultimate resolution of, or estimate the ultimate liability related to, this matter.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
VERISK ANALYTICS, INC. | ||||||
Date: September 26, 2019 | By: | /s/ Kenneth E. Thompson | ||||
Name: | Kenneth E. Thompson | |||||
Title: | Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary |