WEBTOON Entertainment Inc.
For the period ended Mar 31, 2026. Filed May 11, 2026.
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Mar 31, 2026 · Filed May 11, 2026
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Item 1. Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we are subject to legal proceedings, claims and investigations relating to intellectual property, data privacy and data protection, privacy and other torts, illegal or objectionable content, consumer protection, securities, labor and employment, contractual rights, civil rights infringement, false or misleading advertising, governmental investigations and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. This risk is enhanced in certain jurisdictions outside of the U.S. where our protection from liability for content published on our platform by third parties may be unclear and where we may be less protected under local laws than we are in the U.S. It is not possible to predict the timing and ultimate outcome of a pending or ongoing legal proceeding with certainty, and our assessment of the materiality of a legal proceeding, including any accruals taken in connection therewith, may not be consistent with the ultimate outcome of the legal proceeding. In addition, our current estimates of the potential impact of pending or ongoing legal proceedings on our business, financial condition or results of operations could change from time to time in the future. For additional information about our legal proceedings, see Note 8. Commitments and Contingencies to our unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Report.
Securities Litigation
On September 5, 2024, a purported stockholder filed a putative class action lawsuit against the Company, its directors, and the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering completed on June 28, 2024 (the “IPO”) in the federal court for the Central District of California, purportedly on behalf of all purchasers of shares of the Company’s common stock pursuant or traceable to the IPO Prospectus and the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-279863) relating to our IPO (the “Registration Statement”). The complaint alleges that the Registration Statement was materially false and misleading in violation of Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933. On October 10, 2024, the court ordered that the defendants are not required to answer or otherwise respond to the complaint, deferring any response until after the court rules on any motion by a purported class member to serve as lead plaintiff. On December 12, 2024, the court appointed a lead plaintiff and lead counsel. On February 3, 2025, the lead plaintiff filed an amended complaint, and on March 4, 2025, the Company, its directors, and the underwriters of the IPO moved to dismiss the amended complaint. On March 11, 2025, the lead plaintiff filed an opposition to this motion to dismiss, and on March 18, 2025, the Company, its directors, and the underwriters filed a reply in support of the motion to dismiss. On November 14, 2025, the court issued an order granting in part and denying in part the motion to dismiss. On December 2, 2025, the court issued an amended order granting in part and denying in part the motion to dismiss. On January 9, 2026, the WEBTOON defendants and underwriter defendants filed answers to the operative complaint. Fact discovery is ongoing. The Company intends to defend this case vigorously. At this early stage of the proceedings, the Company can neither predict the ultimate outcome of the litigation nor estimate any range of possible losses.
On November 15, 2024, a purported stockholder filed a shareholder derivative lawsuit against the Company’s directors, naming the Company as a nominal defendant, in the federal court for the Central District of California. The complaint focuses on the same allegations as the putative securities class action described above, including that the Company’s Registration Statement was materially false or misleading. The complaint includes claims for violations of Section 14 (a) of the Exchange Act, breach of fiduciary duties, and unjust enrichment, abuse of control, gross mismanagement, waste of corporate assets, and contribution under Section 11(f) of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 31D of the Exchange Act of 1934. On January 13, 2025, by stipulation of the parties, the court ordered the shareholder derivative lawsuit stayed pending resolution of the Company’s motion to dismiss in the putative securities class action. On April 24, 2026, by stipulation of the parties, the court ordered the shareholder derivative lawsuit stayed until the end of the fact discovery period in the securities class action (currently scheduled for November 30, 2026). At this early stage of the proceedings, the Company can neither predict the ultimate outcome of the litigation nor estimate any range of possible losses.
On May 5, 2026, a purported shareholder filed a shareholder derivative lawsuit against the Company’s directors, naming the Company as a nominal defendant, in the federal court for the Central District of California. The complaint focuses on similar allegations as the putative securities class action described above, including that the Company’s Registration Statement was materially false or misleading. The complaint includes claims for breach of fiduciary duties, aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, waste of corporate assets, and contribution under Section 11(f) of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 31D of the Exchange Act of 1934. At this early stage of the proceedings, the Company can neither predict the ultimate outcome of the litigation nor estimate any range of possible losses.
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