Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Notes to Financial Statements  
NOTE I - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

[1] Legal Fees:

 

Russ, August & Kabat provides legal services to the Company with respect to its pending patent litigations filed in April 2014 and December 2014 against Google Inc. and YouTube, LLC in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York relating to certain patents within the Company's Cox Patent Portfolio (see Note K[1] hereof).  The terms of the Company's agreement with Russ, August & Kabat provides for legal fees on a full contingency basis ranging from 15% to 30% of the net recovery (after deduction of expenses) depending on the stage of the proceeding in which the result (settlement or judgment) is achieved.  The Company is responsible for all of the expenses incurred with respect to this litigation.

 

Dovel & Luner, LLP provided legal services to the Company with respect to its patent litigation commenced in May 2013 against Apple Inc., Microsoft, Inc. and other major vendors of document system software and computer systems in the United States District Court of Texas, Tyler Division, for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,006,227 (part of the Mirror Worlds Patent Portfolio - see Note K[2] hereof).  The terms of the Company's agreement with Dovel & Luner LLP provided for legal fees on a contingency basis ranging from 25% to 40% of the net recovery (after deduction of expenses) depending upon the stage of proceeding in which a result (settlement or judgment) is achieved, subject to certain agreed upon contingency fee caps depending upon the amount of the net recovery.  The Company paid a certain portion of the expenses incurred with respect to the litigation.  For the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2016, the Company incurred contingent aggregate legal fees and expenses with respect to the litigation of $10,649,000 to Dovel & Luner, LLP.

 

Dovel & Luner, LLP provides legal services to the Company with respect to its patent litigation filed in September 2011 against sixteen (16) data networking equipment manufacturers in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Tyler (see Note K[3]).  The terms of the Company's agreement with Dovel & Luner LLP essentially provide for legal fees on a full contingency basis ranging from 12.5% to 35% (with certain exceptions) of the net recovery (after deduction for expenses) depending on the stage of the preceding in which a result (settlement or judgment) is achieved.  For the three month period ended September 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015, the Company incurred aggregate contingent legal fees with respect to the litigation of $2,348,000 and $442,000, respectively, to Dovel & Luner, LLP.  For the nine month period ended September 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015, the Company incurred aggregate contingent legal fees with respect to the litigation of $2,706,000 and $665,000.  The Company is responsible for a certain portion of the expenses incurred with respect to the litigation.

 

Dovel & Luner, LLP provided legal services to the Company with respect to the litigation settled in July 2010 against Cisco and several other major data networking equipment manufacturers (see Note K[4]).  The terms of the Company's agreement with Dovel & Luner, LLP with respect to this litigation provided for legal fees of a maximum aggregate cash payment of $1.5 million plus a contingency fee of 24% (based on the settlement being achieved at the trial stage).  As a result of the royalty payments payable quarterly by Cisco in accordance with the Company's settlement and license agreement with Cisco, the Company has an obligation to pay Dovel & Luner, LLP (including local counsel) 24% of such royalties received.  During the three months ended September 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015, the Company incurred aggregate legal fees to Dovel & Luner LLP, of $264,000 and $322,000, respectively, with respect to the litigation.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015, the Company incurred aggregate legal fees to Dovel & Luner, LLP of $1,824,000 and $1,868,000 respectively, with respect to the litigation.

 

[2] Patent Acquisitions:

 

On February 28, 2013, the Company completed the acquisition of four patents (as well as a pending patent application) from Dr. Ingemar Cox (these patents together with subsequent related patent issuances comprise the Cox Patent Portfolio), a technology leader in digital watermarking content identification, digital rights management and related technologies, for a purchase price of $1,000,000 in cash and 403,226 shares of the Company's common stock.  In addition, the Company is obligated to pay Dr. Cox 12.5% of the net proceeds (after deduction of expenses) generated by the Company from licensing, sale or enforcement of the patents.  Since the acquisition of the patent portfolio from Dr. Cox, the Company has been issued eight additional related patents (five patent applications are pending) by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO").  Professional fees and filing fees of $169,000 were capitalized as patent cost.

 

On May 21, 2013, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Mirror Worlds Technologies, LLC, acquired all of the patents previously owned by Mirror Worlds, LLC (which subsequently changed its name to Looking Glass LLC ("Looking Glass")), consisting of nine issued United States patents and five pending applications covering foundational technologies that enable unified search and indexing, displaying and archiving of documents in a computer system (these patents together with subsequent related patent issuances comprise the Mirror Worlds Patent Portfolio).  As consideration for the patent acquisition, the Company paid Looking Glass $3,000,000 in cash, and issued 5-year warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,750,000 shares of the Company's common stock (875,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.40 per share and 875,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.10 per share) (the "Looking Glass Warrants").  On June 3, 2014, the Company repurchased the Looking Glass Warrants from Looking Glass at a cost of $505,000.

 

As part of the acquisition of the Mirror Worlds Patent Portfolio, the Company also entered into an agreement with Recognition Interface, LLC ("Recognition"), an entity that financed the commercialization of the patent portfolio prior to its sale to Mirror Worlds, LLC and also retained an interest in the licensing proceeds of the patent portfolio held by Mirror Worlds, LLC.  Pursuant to the terms of the Company's agreement with Recognition, Recognition received (i) 5-year warrants to purchase 250,000 shares of the Company's common stock at an exercise price of $1.40 per share, and (ii) 5-year warrants to purchase 250,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.10 per share. Recognition also received from the Company an interest in the net proceeds realized from the monetization of the Mirror Worlds Patent Portfolio, as follows: (i) 10% of the first $125 million of net proceeds; (ii) 15% of the next $125 million of net proceeds; and (iii) 20% of any portion of the net proceeds in excess of $250 million.  For the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2016, the Company paid Recognition $1,427,000 and $2,909,000, respectively, with respect to such net proceeds interest related to the Mirror Worlds Patent Portfolio (see Note K[2] and Note M).  In addition, Abacus and Associates, Inc. ("Abacus"), an entity affiliated with Recognition, received a 60-day warrant to purchase 500,000 shares of the Company's common stock at an exercise price of $2.05 per share.  In accordance with the Company's agreement with Recognition, as a result of the exercise of the 60-day warrant by Abacus in July 2013, additional 5-year warrants to purchase an aggregate of 250,000 shares of the Company's common stock were issued to Recognition (125,000 shares at an exercise price of $2.10 per share and 125,000 shares at an exercise price of $1.40 per share).  As part of the acquisition of the Mirror Worlds Patent Portfolio, professional fees and filing fees of $409,000 were capitalized as patent cost.

 

[3] Amended Patent Purchase Agreement:

 

In January 2005, the Company and Merlot Communications, Inc., the successor of which is BAXL Technologies, Inc. (the "Seller"), amended the Patent Purchase Agreement originally entered into in November 2003 (the "Amendment") pursuant to which the Company paid an additional purchase price of $500,000 to Seller for the restructuring of future contingent payments to Seller from the licensing or sale of the patents (including the Remote Power Patent and the QoS Patents).  The Amendment provided for future contingent payments by the Company to Seller of $1.0 million upon achievement of $25 million of Net Royalties (as defined) which payment was made in 2012, an additional $1.0 million contingent payment upon achievement of $50 million of Net Royalties (the "Second Contingent Payment") and an additional $500,000 contingent payment upon achievement of $62.5 million of Net Royalties from the licensing or sale of the patents acquired from Seller.  On March 11, 2015, the Company entered into an agreement with a secured creditor of the Seller, who had all rights with respect to the Second Contingent Payment, pursuant to which the Company paid the secured creditor $900,000 in full satisfaction of the Second Contingent Payment of $1.0 million.  During the second quarter of 2016, the Company accrued the above final contingent payment of $500,000 which payment has been made.

 

[4] Services Agreement:

 

Pursuant to a master services agreement, dated November 30, 2004 (the "Services Agreement"), between the Company and ThinkFire Services USA, Ltd. ("ThinkFire"), the Company was obligated to pay ThinkFire fees from royalty payments received from certain licensees of the Remote Power Patent over the term of the licenses in consideration for services performed on behalf of the Company.  On February 10, 2015, the Company entered into an agreement with ThinkFire pursuant to which the Services Agreement was terminated with no further obligations in consideration of the Company's payment of $285,000 to ThinkFire ($261,000 of such payment has been included as general and administrative expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2015).

 

[5] Lease Agreements:

 

The Company leases its principal office space in New York City at a monthly base rent of approximately $3,700 which lease expires on May 31, 2017.

 

The Company entered into a lease agreement in July 2011 to rent office space in New Canaan, Connecticut.  In August 2015, the Company entered into an agreement to extend the lease for a four year period (expiring September 30, 2019) at a base rent of $7,000 per month for the first year  (increasing $100 per month each year), which is subject to annual adjustments to reflect increases in real estate taxes and operating expenses.

 

Mirror Worlds Technologies, LLC, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into a one year lease, at a base rent of $620 per month, to rent office space in Tyler, Texas (expiring April 30, 2017).