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FOR PUBLICATION UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK -------------------------------------------------------------x In re: Chapter 11 4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT, INC., et al.,1 Case No. 10-11607 (SCC) Debtors. (Jointly Administered) -------------------------------------------------------------x TV TOKYO CORPORATION and NIHON AD SYSTEMS, INC., Plaintiffs, v. Adv. Pro. No. 11-02225 (SCC) 4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT, INC., Defendant and Counterclaim-Plaintiff, v. ASATSU-DK INC., NIHON AD SYSTEMS, INC., TELEVISION TOKYO CHANNEL 12, LTD and TV TOKYO CORPORATION, Counterclaim-Defendants. -------------------------------------------------------------x POST-TRIAL FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW 1 The Debtors, along with the last four digits of each Debtor’s federal tax identification number, are: 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (1380); 4Kids Ad Sales, Inc. (6309); 4Kids Digital Games, Inc. (7645); 4Kids Entertainment Home Video, Inc. (0094); 4Kids Entertainment Licensing, Inc. (3342); 4Kids Entertainment Music, Inc. (6311); 4Kids Productions, Inc. (3593); 4Kids Technology, Inc. (8181); 4Kids Websites, Inc. (7563); 4Sight Licensing Solutions, Inc. (8897); The Summit Media Group, Inc. (2061); and World Martial Arts Productions, Inc. (8492). A P P E A R A N C E S: OLSHAN GRUNDMAN FROME ROSENZWEIG & WOLOSKY LLP Attorneys for Plaintiffs and Counterclaim-Defendants Park Avenue Tower 65 East 55th Street New York, NY 10022 By: Kyle C. Bisceglie, Esq. Michael S. Fox, Esq. Ellen V. Holloman, Esq. Mason Barney, Esq. KAYE SCHOLER LLP Attorneys for Debtor/Defendant and Counterclaim-Plaintiff 425 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 By: Michael B. Solow, Esq. Frederic W. Yerman, Esq. Paul C. Llewellyn, Esq. Jessica A. Malkin, Esq. TABLE OF CONTENTS PARTIES AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY ..................................................................................2 FINDINGS OF FACT......................................................................................................................5 I. Background ..........................................................................................................................5 A. The Licensor Parties and the Yu-Gi-Oh! Brand ......................................................5 B. The Yu-Gi-Oh! License Agreements .......................................................................6 1. The Short Form Agreement ...............................................................................6 2. The 2001 Agreement ..........................................................................................7 3. The 2008 Agreement ..........................................................................................7 4. The Gross Income Provision ..............................................................................8 II. 4Kids’ Activities Under the Yu-Gi-Oh! License Agreements ...........................................10 III. ADK’s Royalty Audit of 4Kids .........................................................................................11 IV. ADK’s Plan to Start its Own U.S. Home Video Business .................................................14 V. The Final Audit Findings ...................................................................................................15 A. Finding No. 1: Funimation Service Fees ...............................................................16 1. 4Kids’ Decision to Start 4Kids Home Video ...................................................16 2. The Negotiation of the Home Video Rights in the 2001 Agreement ..............17 3. The Parties’ Understanding of Paragraph 1(b) of the 2001 Agreement ..........19 4. The 4Kids-Funimation Agreements .................................................................20 a. The Funimation Distribution Agreement ...................................................20 b. The Funimation Services Agreement .........................................................22 c. Execution of the Funimation Agreements .................................................26 d. Disclosure of the Funimation Services Agreement and Fees ....................29 5. 4Kids’ Home Video Subsidiary .......................................................................32 6. The Revision of Paragraph 1(b)(iii) in the 2008 Agreement ...........................33 i B. Finding No. 2: Majesco Service Fees ....................................................................34 1. Background of the 4Kids-Majesco Relationship .............................................34 2. The Majesco Services Agreement ...................................................................36 C. Finding No. 3: International Withholding Taxes ...................................................37 1. Withholding Taxes Generally ..........................................................................37 2. Treatment of Withholding Taxes under the License Agreements ...................39 3. Mr. Elliott’s Audit Finding ..............................................................................44 4. Expert Testimony Regarding Japanese Tax Law .............................................48 5. There Is No Credible Evidence That ADK Ever Requested Foreign Tax Withholding Certificates from 4Kids Prior to the Audit .................................53 6. There Is No Evidence That ADK Suffered Any Tax Related Injury ...............57 D. Finding No. 4: Post-June 2008 Home Video Revenue ..........................................61 E. Finding No. 5: Costs of Third-Party Audits...........................................................62 F. Finding No. 6: Errors & Omissions Insurance Allocation .....................................69 1. 4Kids’ Methods ................................................................................................70 2. Mr. Elliott’s Method ........................................................................................71 G. Finding No. 7: Bank Charges.................................................................................72 H. Finding No. 8: Miscellaneous Costs ......................................................................73 I. Finding No. 9: Material & Courier Costs ..............................................................74 VI. ADK’s Purported Termination of the 2008 Agreement ....................................................78 A. The 2008 Agreement’s Termination Provision ......................................................78 B. Mr. Elliott’s Preliminary Audit Findings ...............................................................78 C. The Parties’ June 2010 Correspondence ................................................................80 1. ADK’s June 17, 2010 Letter ............................................................................80 2. ADK’s June 25, 2010 Letter ............................................................................81 3. 4Kids’ June 29, 2010 Response .......................................................................82 ii D. The Parties’ December 2010 Correspondence .......................................................83 1. ADK’s December 20, 2010 Letters .................................................................83 2. 4Kids’ December 29, 2010 Responses ............................................................87 E. The Parties’ 2011 Negotiations ..............................................................................88 1. Adaptation Agreement .....................................................................................90 2. Mr. Sugimoto’s “Inadvertent” March 9, 2011 Email ......................................92 3. 4Kids’ $1 Million Good-Faith Payment ..........................................................94 4. The March 18, 2011 Meeting...........................................................................95 5. 4Kids’ Efforts to Continue Negotiations to Resolve the Audit Claims ...........96 F. The March 25, 2011 Purported Termination .........................................................97 G. Balance Owed to 4Kids at the Time of Termination .............................................99 EVIDENTIARY MATTERS .......................................................................................................100 I. Admissibility of Expert Testimony ..................................................................................100 A. Plaintiffs’ Motion in Limine to Exclude the Expert Report and Testimony of Takaaki Tokuhiro .................................................................................................101 B. 4Kids’ Motion in Limine to Exclude the Testimony of Robert Freedman and Arthur Erk ............................................................................................................104 II. Evidentiary Issues Regarding the Translation of Documents ..........................................105 III. Other Evidentiary Objections ..........................................................................................107 DISCUSSION ..............................................................................................................................108 I. Applicable Law ................................................................................................................108 II. Licensor’s Purported Termination of the 2008 Agreement was Ineffective Because Licensor Failed to Provide 4Kids with Adequate Formal Written Notice of Breach ....................................................................112 A. ADK’s June 17, 2010 Letter ................................................................................114