NexTT Solutions, LLC v. XOS Technologies, Inc.

113 F. Supp. 3d 450, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89263, 2015 WL 4128255
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedJuly 9, 2015
DocketCivil Action No. 15-10562-NMG
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 113 F. Supp. 3d 450 (NexTT Solutions, LLC v. XOS Technologies, 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
NexTT Solutions, LLC v. XOS Technologies, Inc., 113 F. Supp. 3d 450, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89263, 2015 WL 4128255 (D. Mass. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

GORTON, District Judge.

This breach of contract action is brought by plaintiff NExTT Solutions, LLC (“NExTT”) against defendant XOS Technologies, Inc. d/b/a XOS Digital (“XOS”). In 2009, NExTT entered into a comprehensive licensing agreement, with XOS’s predecessor-in-interest, StratBridge, LLC (“StratBridge”), whereby it granted Strat-Bridge an exclusive license to use, market arid sell its proprietary software for player scouting to teams in the National Football League (“NFL”) in exchange for royalties. NExTT alleges that both StratBridge and XOS subsequently breached the agreement and, to the detriment of NExTT, XOS- persists in withholding royalties owed.

Now pending before the Court is defendant’s motion to dismiss all .counts of the complaint. For the reasons that follow, the motion will be allowed, in part,’ and denied, in part.

I. Background

A. Parties

NExTT is an Indiana limited liability company with its principal place of business in South Bend, Indiana.1 XOS is a Delaware corporation with its corporate headquarters in Wilmington, Massachusetts and Orlando, Florida. Both parties offer a variety of sports software to professional and collegiate leagues and organizations.

B. 2009 License Agreement between NExTT and Stratbridge

In 2009, NExTT’s flagship product was a comprehensive software program sold to NFL teams to create both scouting reports on future opponents and to evaluate college players in anticipation of the annual NFL Draft (“the NFL Scouting Program”). NExTT was approached by Stratbridge, the predecessor-in-interest of XOS, about obtaining an exclusive license from NExTT on its NFL Scouting Program. By that time, NExTT had licensing agreements for that program in place with eight NFL teams and was in the final stages of negotiating a license with a ninth team. Stratbridge, on the other hand, had [454]*454only limited contracts with various NFL teams for its ticketing software services. Thus, according to NExTT, Stratbridge saw its NFL Scouting Frogram as an'attractive business opportunity for expanding Stratbridge’s .connections within the lucrative NFL market.

In pitching its own experience, technological capabilities and sales and support staff to NExTT, Stratbridge purportedly represented that it would be able to convince between one and six new NFL teams per year to adopt the NFL Scouting Program over the next five years. Strat-bridge also represented that the projected total revenue stream, during that five-year time period would be. between $5.9 million and $8.4 million,. .

On the basis of such representations, which NExTT now contends Stratbridge knew were false, NExTT agreed to enter into a multi-faceted license agreement for the NFL Scouting Program.' In May, 2009, the parties executed the agreement, titled “Technology License and Assignment Agreement” (“the License Agreement”).

The License Agreement granted Strat-bridge the exclusive right to use the NFL Scouting Program,. and all of its accompanying technology and intellectual property, for the purpose of developing, marketing and selling its “Royalty Bearing Products” (“RBPs”). .RBPs were defined as “any software product that incorporates, builds upon or extends”'the NFL Scouting Program. In exchange for that exclusive license, Stratbridge agreed to remit bimonthly to NExTT 18.5% of all product revenues (“the Revenue Share”) it received for RBPs for a five-year period.2

Stratbridge committed to use “commercially reasonable efforts” to pursue agreements with NFL teams for RBPs for the first two years after May 29, 2009, i.e., the effective date of the License Agreement. Further, NExTT agreed to provide ongoing services through April, 2010 to ensure a smooth transition for both Stratbridge and the NFL teams under preexisting contracts. NExTT also assigned to Strat-bridge all of its then current license agreements for the NFL Scouting Program.

Of importance to NExTT, Section 7(d) of the License Agreement established a “Minimum Revenue ‘ Share”. Regardless of the success of Stratbridge’s efforts to increase the licensing of the NFL Scouting Program throughout the NFL, the parties agreed that

NExTT shall be entitled to receive a minimum amount of $2,000,000 in aggregate Revenue Share payments (the “Minimum Revenue Share”) as compensation [for the exclusive license and ongoing assistance and - training to Strat-bridge]. -■

If the Minimum Revenue Share was not received by NExTT by the end of the original five-year license period, the royalty term was to be automatically extended for an additional three-year period. Thus, the License Agreement called for a maximum term of eight years if the Minimum Revenue .Share was not paid to NExTT before May 29, 2014. Moreover,. Strat-bridge had an incentive to ensure that the Minimum Revenue Share was remitted to NExTT within the original five-ryear term because, if it failed to do so, NExTT was entitled not only to the $2 million minimum but also to. any , additional Revenue Share above and beyond that amount that was generated from years five through eight.

[455]*455NExTT agreed that if it received at least the Minimum Revenue Share, it would assign its rights to the NFL Scouting Program and accompanying technology and intellectual property to Stratbridge permanently.

C. Contractual Breakdown

NExTT contends that while Stratbridge made some Revenue Share, payments, it failed to do so in a timely manner or in the full amount owed. NExTT repeatedly communicated its disapproval of Strat-bridge’s performance to no avail.

In June, 2012, XOS acquired Strat-Bridge’s sports software and data management division in an Asset Purchase Agreement. As part of that agreement, XOS expressly assumed all of the obligations' owed by Stratbridge to NExTT under the License Agreement and began utilizing the technology underlying the NFL Scouting Program in its own software product.

In May, 2013, general counsel for XOS purportedly ■ sent an email to NExTT in which he admitted royalties were due to NExTT. NExTT contends that XOS not only has faded to remit those royalties but also has incurred additional royalties since-it assumed Stratbridge’s obligations in 2012.

Now, more than six years after the execution of the License Agreement, NExTT contends that it has received Revenue Share payments amounting to approximately $129,501, far short of the $2,000,000 Minimum Revenue Share it claims to be owed. In light of XOS’s failure timely to remit the Minimum' Revenue' Share, NExTT claims the license agreement remains in effect until 2017.

II. Procedural History

In February, 2015, NExTT filed an eight-count complaint, asserting affirmative claims for breach of contract (Count I), anticipatory breach of contract (Count II), breach of fiduciary duty (Count III), breach, of the implied ■ covenant of good faith and fair dealing (Count IV), fraudulent inducement (Count V) and violation of the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, M.G.L; c. 93A (Count VIII)., Plaintiff also seeks a declaratory judgment (Count VI) and an accounting of the transactions of both Stratbridge and XOS with NFL teams dating back to May, 2009 (Count VII).

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113 F. Supp. 3d 450, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89263, 2015 WL 4128255, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nextt-solutions-llc-v-xos-technologies-inc-mad-2015.