Cataldo v. Continental Insurance Co. (In re Data Concepts International, Inc.)

73 B.R. 406, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 649
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedApril 28, 1987
DocketBankruptcy Nos. 84-300-JG, 84-485-JG and 84-486-JG; Adv. No. 84-357-JG
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 73 B.R. 406 (Cataldo v. Continental Insurance Co. (In re Data Concepts International, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cataldo v. Continental Insurance Co. (In re Data Concepts International, Inc.), 73 B.R. 406, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 649 (D. Mass. 1987).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

JAMES N. GABRIEL, Chief Judge.

The matter before the Court is the adversary complaint filed, on November 30, 1984, by the Trustee of Data Concepts, Incorporated (“DCI” or the “Debtor”) against The Continental Insurance Company (“Continental” or the “defendant”). Through his two count complaint, the Trustee seeks to recover $551,676. The Trustee’s claim is based upon an agreement entered into by DCI and Continental on September 9, 1983 and referred to as the Letter of Intent. Continental denies that it owes the Debtor monies pursuant to the Letter of Intent or in quantum meruit. This court conducted a trial on September 29, 1986 and September 30, 1986 and heard oral argument on February 2, 1987.

FACTS

DCI was founded in the mid-1970’s. Until it filed a voluntary Chapter 7 petition on April 6, 1984, DCI was in the business of developing and licensing a software system known as the Data Conveyor System. DCI’s licensees were large insurance companies such as Allstate and American Mutual. Insurance companies licensed the Data Conveyor System because it was designed to meet the insurance industry’s need for a computer system to quote and write business insurance policies effectively and at a reasonable cost.

The Data Conveyor System is made up of a software package known as SIMPL1E. It originally was written in DCI’s proprietary computer language known as TRAC. TRAC was written in yet another computer language known as ASSEMBLY or Assembler language. Significantly, the Assembler language used by DCI could only be used on a Texas Instruments computer known as the Model 990.

In June of 1982, DCI and Continental entered into the first of a series of agreements. The first agreement, which was preliminary in nature, was dated June 8, 1982. It was known as the Evaluation License and Service Agreement. Pursuant to that agreement, which was to remain in force no more than 30 days, Continental was permitted to run tests on the standard form of the Data Conveyor System for the purpose of determining whether it wanted to enter into a full license agreement. In return, DCI commenced customization of the Data Conveyor System for Continental’s policy types and rate structures, developed bridge software and commenced training of designated Continental employees. Subsequently, the term of the agreement was extended to August 8, 1982. However, the parties continued to undertake evaluation and customization work through January of 1983, long after the expiration of the agreement.

In February of 1983, Continental entered into a License Agreement with DCI. The License Agreement gave Continental a nonexclusive license to use the Data Conveyor System software in consideration for a onetime payment of $261,280, plus monthly usage fees. The License Agreement also provided for the payment by Continental of certain “inducement” fees pertaining to the conversion and migration of the Data Conveyor System to “C” language. “C” language, as opposed to Assembler language, [408]*408is an industry standard that is available on many different manufacturers’ hardware. By converting the Data Conveyor System to “C” language, DCI could expand the use of its software on hardware systems other than the Texas Instruments Model 990.

Specifically, Article III of Exhibit B to the License Agreement, entitled “ ‘C’ Language Conversion” provided in relevant part:

DCI believes that converting the TRAC System for the Assembler Language of the host hardware to “C” language will enhance the applicability of the Data Conveyor System and provide certain other advantages to customers who use the System with “C" language based equipment systems. Continental believes that said conversion will allow improved flexibility in taking advantage of advances in hardware technology and provide certain other advantages to Continental. DCI, at the request of Continental, has therefore accelerated the internal development project initially intended to translate the TRAC System into “C” language within nine (9) months.

(emphasis supplied).

Article III continued:

In order to induce DCI to commit to conducting its Conversion Project at a specific ongoing level of effort and skill, Continental has agreed to pay DCI the sum of $30,000 (the “Commitment Fee”) in consideration of which DCI agrees as follows:
(a) To use only full time DCI employees on the Conversion Project, which employees shall possess appropriate levels of skill to pursue the project in a competent manner.
(b) To devote at least 35 manhours per week to the Conversion Project.
(c) To use its best efforts to complete the Conversion Project by April 1, 1983.

Continental also agreed to pay DCI another $25,000 to migrate or adapt the “C” language version of the Data Conveyor System to new computer hardware to be selected by Continental. The Agreement then provided: “If the hardware is selected [by Continental] by April 1, 1983, DCI shall use its best efforts to modify and deliver to Continental a Data Conveyor System for said hardware by August 1, 1983.” Additionally, Article III provided for a refund by DCI to Continental if 1) “after opportunity for testing and reasonable opportunity for correction of the converted system, the said converted system does not perform at least as well as the Data Conveyor System as delivered for use on the TI [Texas Instruments] 990/12;” or 2) Continental did not use the converted system. Continental also agreed “to provide at its expense all required hardware and related support services at DCI’s premises for the “C” Hardware for so long as DCI is engaged in the Migration project....”

Following the execution of the License Agreement, the parties conducted business in accordance with its terms. Continental paid the required fees, and DCI, with the involvement of Continental employees, continued the “C” language conversion. During the summer of 1983, however, DCI’s financial situation began to deteriorate. On June 27, 1983, DCFs Executive Vice President and co-founder Andrew P. Diamond (“Diamond”) wrote to Gordon Gil-chrest (“Gilchrest”), Continental’s Vice-President, Systems Technology Division, proposing the payment of a one-time license fee to take the place of monthly fees for the SIMPLIE Development and Maintenance License, terminal charges and fees for agents’ terminals. Ideally, a paid-up license would provide DCI with a much needed infusion of cash, whereas, for Continental, such a license would eliminate concern for increased monthly fees. Continental did not respond immediately to Diamond’s June proposal. However, on July 1, 1983, three months after the date identified in the License Agreement, it informed Diamond that it had chosen Hewlett Packard’s HP 9000 super-micro computer as the vehicle for DCFs software system.

By August of 1983, DCFs financial situation had worsened. Following a meeting on August 12, 1983, Diamond, on August 13, 1983, wrote to Gilchrest again proposing “various paid-up license options.” Dia[409]*409mond’s written proposál identified eleven items which Continental could obtain by payment of discounted paid-up license fees and/or customization charges. Diamond, in his letter, indicated that:

Standard license fees for all items amount to $1,706,700. The total amount of the individual Discounted License Fees if acquired individually is $1,103,535. If individual items are selected, Discounted License Fees will apply.

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73 B.R. 406, 1987 Bankr. LEXIS 649, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cataldo-v-continental-insurance-co-in-re-data-concepts-international-mad-1987.