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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)
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Dec. 31, 2013
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| Accounting Policies [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basis of Presentation and Principle of Consolidation |
The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”) and present the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its wholly owned and majority owned subsidiaries as of December 31, 2013. In the preparation of consolidated financial statements of the Company, intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated. |
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| Development Stage Company in Prior Years |
Prior to 2013, the Company was a development stage company in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 915,” Development Stage Entities.” During that time, the prior management spent time organizing the business, developing plans, working to raise capital and undertook limited activities in several different businesses but did not generate revenue or profits from those businesses and did not build a significant, sustainable level of operations in any particular business.
In November 2012, the situation changed with the Company by making the decision to enter the business of acquiring patents and patent rights and monetizing the value of those assets through a plan of engaging in multiple enforcement campaigns, acquired an initial portfolio of patents, hired new executive management experienced in the patent monetization business, and commenced operations in that business. During 2013, the Company continued to execute its plan, acquired eight additional portfolios, including two from its enforcement activities, generated revenue from that business in each of the last three quarters aggregating to $3,418,371 (including the value of the two portfolios from its enforcement activities), built out its management team for sustained operations, and raised $5,777,506 of new capital. As a result of this operating performance, management believes that during the fourth quarter of 2013, the Company emerged from being a development stage company and became an established company. Accordingly, the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013 are presented as those of an operating company. |
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| Cash and Cash Equivalents |
The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments and other short-term investments with maturity of three months or less, when purchased, to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains cash and cash equivalent balances at one financial institution that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Company’s account at this institution is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") up to $250,000. For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company’s bank balances exceeded the FDIC insurance limit. To reduce its risk associated with the failure of such financial institution, the Company evaluates at least annually the rating of the financial institution in which it holds deposits. |
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| Use of Estimates and Assumptions |
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates made by management include, but are not limited to, the assumptions used to calculate fair value of warrants and options granted, common stock issued for services, and common stock issued in connection with an option agreement and common stock issued for the acquisition of patents. |
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| Accounts Receivable |
The Company has a policy of reserving for accounts based on its best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in its existing accounts receivable. The Company periodically reviews its accounts receivable to determine whether an allowance is necessary based on an analysis of past due accounts and other factors that may indicate that the realization of an account may be in doubt. Account balances deemed to be uncollectible are charged to the bad debt expense after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. At December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company had recorded an allowance for bad debts in the amount of $57,050 and $0, respectively. Net accounts receivable at December 31, 2013 and 2012, were $270,000 and $0, respectively. |
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| Concentration of revenue and geographic area |
Revenue from the Company’s patent enforcement activities is considered United States revenue as any payments for licenses included in that revenue are for United States operations irrespective of the location of the licensee's or licensee's parent home domicile.
As of December 31, 2013, two customers accounted for 100% of the Company’s net accounts receivable. Revenues from two customers accounted for approximately 55% of the Company’s revenue for the year ended December 31, 2013. There were no revenues in 2012. The Company derived these revenues from the one-time issuance of non-recurring, non-exclusive, non-assignable licenses to two different entities and their affiliates for certain of the Company’s patents. While the Company has a growing portfolio of patents, at this time, the Company expects that a significant portion of its future revenues will be based on one-time grants of similar non-recurring, non-exclusive, non-assignable licenses to a relatively small number of entities and their affiliates. Further, with the expected small number of firms with which the Company enters into license agreements, and the amount and timing of such license agreements, the Company also expects that its revenues may be highly variable from one period to the next.
At the current time, we define customers as firms that take licenses to the Company’s patents, either prior to or during enforcement litigation. These firms generally enter into non-recurring, non-exclusive, non-assignable license agreements with the Company, and these customers do not generally engage on ongoing, recurring business activity with the Company. The Company has historically had a small number of customers enter into such agreements, resulting in higher levels of revenue concentration.
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| Revenue Recognition |
The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 605, “Revenue Recognition”. Revenue is recognized when (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) all obligations have been substantially performed, (iii) amounts are fixed or determinable and (iv) collectability of amounts is reasonably assured.
The Company considers the revenue generated from its settlement and licensing agreements as one unit of accounting under ASC 605-25, “Multiple-Element Arrangements” as the delivered items do not have value to customers on a standalone basis, there are no undelivered elements and there is no general right of return relative to the license. Under ASC 605-25, the appropriate recognition of revenue is determined for the combined deliverables as a single unit of accounting and revenue is recognized upon delivery of the final elements, including the license for past and future use and the release.
Also, due to the fact that the settlement element and license element for past and future use are the Company’s major central business, the Company presents these two elements as one revenue category in its statement of operations. The Company does not expect to provide licenses that do not provide some form of settlement or release. Revenue from patent enforcement activities accounted for 100% of the Company’s revenues for the year ended December 31, 2013. |
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| Prepaid Expenses |
Prepaid expenses of $752,931 and $40,333 at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, consist primarily of costs paid for future services that will occur within a year. Prepaid expenses include prepayments in cash and in equity instruments for investor relations public relations services, business advisory, other consulting and prepaid insurance, all of which assets are being amortized over the terms of their respective agreements. |
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| Marketable Securities |
Marketable securities that the Company invests in publicly traded equity securities and are generally restricted for sale under Federal securities laws. The Company’s policy is to liquidate securities received when market conditions are favorable for sale. Since these securities are often restricted, the Company is unable to liquidate them until the restriction is removed. Pursuant to ASC Topic 320, “Investments –Debt and Equity Securities” the Company’s marketable securities have a readily determinable and active quoted price, such as from NASDAQ, NYSE Euronext, the Over the Counter Bulletin Board, and the OTC Markets Group.
Available for sale securities are carried at fair value, with changes in unrealized gains or losses are recognized as an element of comprehensive income based on changes in the fair value of the security. Once liquidated, realized gains or losses on the sale of marketable securities - available for sale, are reflected in the net income (loss) for the period in which the security was liquidated.
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| Related Party Transaction |
Parties are considered to be related to the Company if the parties, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, control, are controlled by, or are under common control with the Company. Related parties also include principal owners of the Company, its management, members of the immediate families of principal owners of the Company and its management and other parties with which the Company may deal if one party controls or can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the other to an extent that one of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests. The Company discloses all related party transactions.
On November 14, 2012, upon the closing of the Sampo Share Exchange, LVL Patent Group LLC, in which Mr. Croxall, our Chief Executive Officer, was also the Chief Executive Officer of LVL Patent Group LLC. and John Stetson, were former members of Sampo, received 307,692 and 38,461 shares of the Company’s common stock, respectively, in connection with the Sampo Share Exchange.
On May 13, 2013, we entered into a six year advisory services agreement (the "Advisory Services Agreement") with IP Navigation Group, LLC, of which Erich Spangenberg is Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Spangenberg is an affiliate of the Company. The terms of the Advisory Services Agreement provides that, in consideration for its services as intellectual property licensing agent, the Company will pay to IP Navigation Group, LLC 10-20% of the gross proceeds of certain licensing campaigns in which IP Navigation Group, LLC acts as intellectual property licensing agent. The Advisory Services Agreement with IP Navigation Group, LLC is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.62, and incorporated by reference in its entirety. |
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| Comprehensive Income |
Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-05 amends Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Codification Topic 220 on comprehensive income (1) to eliminate the current option to present the components of other comprehensive income (loss) in the statement of changes in equity, and (2) to require presentation of net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss) (and their respective components) either in a single continuous statement or in two separate but consecutive statements. These amendments do not alter any current recognition or measurement requirements in respect of items of other comprehensive income. The amendments in this Update are to be applied prospectively. |
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| Fair Value of Financial Instruments |
The Company adopted FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC 820”), for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis. ASC 820 establishes a common definition for fair value to be applied to existing US GAAP that require the use of fair value measurements, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosure about such fair value measurements. The adoption of ASC 820 did not have an impact on the Company’s financial position or operating results, but did expand certain disclosures. ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Additionally, ASC 820 requires the use of valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. These inputs are prioritized below:
Investment measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2013:
Investment measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2012:
At December 31, 2013, the Company classifies the investments in marketable securities available for sale as Level 3, adjusted for the effect of market illiquidity. The securities could not readily be resold by the Company without adversely affecting the market price of the security. At December 31, 2012, the Company classified the investments in marketable securities available for sale as Level 3, adjusted for the lack of registration of the securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or the availabilities of an exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act. Until such time as the securities are registered or until such restriction otherwise lapses, the Company is unable to sell them in the market. Unrealized gains or losses on marketable securities available for sale are recognized as an element of comprehensive income based on changes in the fair value of the security. Once liquidated, realized gains or losses on the sale of marketable securities available for sale are reflected in our net income for the period in which the security was liquidated.
The carrying amounts reported in the balance sheet for cash, accounts receivable, prepaid expenses, accounts payable, and accrued expenses, approximate their estimated fair market value based on the short-term maturity of these assets and liabilities..
In addition, FASB ASC 825-10-25 “Fair Value Option” was effective for January 1, 2008. ASC 825-10-25 expands opportunities to use fair value measurements in financial reporting and permits entities to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value.
The Company has recorded unrealized loss of $6,250 as an element of comprehensive income during the year ended December 31, 2013.
In July 2013, the Company assigned its rights and interest in a mining lease agreement to an unrelated company. In consideration for the assignment of lease agreement, the unrelated company issued 1,293,967 of its shares (the “Unrelated Company Shares”) to the Company. At the time of issuance, the Company valued the Unrelated Company Shares and recorded the cost of investment at the fair market value (based on the sale of its shares in a private placement) of the shares at $0.13 per share or $168,216 and was recorded as a gain from sale of assets of discontinued operations (see Note 4) during the year ended December 31, 2013. In September 2013, the Company sold the Unrelated Company Shares and generated proceeds of $129,397. The decrease in fair value of $38,819 has been recorded as a realized loss in the statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2013.
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| Accounting for Acquisitions |
In the normal course of its business, the Company makes acquisitions of patent assets and may also make acquisitions of businesses. With respect to each such transaction, the Company evaluates facts of the transaction and follows the guidelines prescribed in accordance with ASC 805 – Business Combinations to determine the proper accounting treatment for each such transaction and then records the transaction in accordance with the conclusions reached in such analysis. The Company performs such analysis with respect to each material acquisition within the consolidated group of entities. |
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| Income Taxes |
The Company accounts for income taxes pursuant to the provision of ASC 740-10, “Accounting for Income Taxes” which requires, among other things, an asset and liability approach to calculating deferred income taxes. The asset and liability approach requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. A valuation allowance is provided to offset any net deferred tax assets for which management believes it is more likely than not that the net deferred asset will not be realized.
The Company follows the provision of the ASC 740-10 related to Accounting for Uncertain Income Tax Position. When tax returns are filed, it is highly certain that some positions taken would be situated upon examination by the taxing authorities, while others are subject to uncertainty about the merits of the position taken or the amount of the position that would be ultimately sustained. In accordance with the guidance of ASC 740-10, the benefit of a tax position is recognized in the financial statements in the period during which, based on all available evidence, management believes it is most likely that not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of appeals or litigation processes, if any. Tax positions taken are not offset or aggregated with other positions.
Tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold are measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement with the applicable taxing authority. The portion of the benefits associated with tax positions taken that exceeds the amount measured as described above should be reflected as a liability for uncertain tax benefits in the accompanying balance sheet along with any associated interest and penalties that would be payable to the taxing authorities upon examination. The Company believes its tax positions are all highly certain of being upheld upon examination. As such, the Company has not recorded a liability for uncertain tax benefits.
The Company has adopted ASC 740-10-25 Definition of Settlement, which provides guidance on how an entity should determine whether a tax position is effectively settled for the purpose of recognizing previously unrecognized tax benefits and provides that a tax position can be effectively settled upon the completion and examination by a taxing authority without being legally extinguished. For tax position considered effectively settled, an entity would recognize the full amount of tax benefit, even if the tax position is not considered more likely that not to be sustained based solely on the basis of its technical merits and the statute of limitations remains open. The federal and state income tax returns of the Company are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities, generally for three years after they were filed. |
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| Basic and Diluted Net Loss per Share |
Net loss per common share is calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 260: Earnings Per Share (“ASC 260”). Basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. The computation of diluted net loss per share does not include dilutive common stock equivalents in the weighted average shares outstanding as they would be anti-dilutive. As of December 31, 2013, the Company has 708,260 warrants outstanding and 1,338,076 common stock purchase options outstanding, all of which were excluded from the computation of diluted shares outstanding as they would have had an anti-dilutive impact on the Company’s net loss per share computation. In addition, as of December 31, 2013, the Company has outstanding a Restricted Stock Unit (“RSU”) for 100,000 shares of common stock, which RSU is also not included in the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share.
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted loss per share:
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| Intangible assets |
Intangible assets include patents purchased and patents acquired in lieu of cash in licensing transactions. The patents purchased are recorded based on the cost to acquire them and patents acquired in lieu of cash are recorded at their fair market value. The costs of these assets are amortized over their remaining useful lives. Useful lives of intangible assets are periodically evaluated for reasonableness and the assets are tested for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may no longer be recoverable. |
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| Goodwill and other intangible assets |
In accordance with ASC 350-30-65, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Others”, the Company assesses the impairment of identifiable intangibles whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors the Company considers to be important which could trigger an impairment review include the following:
When the Company determines that the carrying value of intangibles may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more of the above indicators of impairment and the carrying value of the asset cannot be recovered from projected undiscounted cash flows, the Company records an impairment charge.
The Company measures any impairment based on a projected discounted cash flow method using a discount rate determined by management to be commensurate with the risk inherent in the current business model. Significant management judgment is required in determining whether an indicator of impairment exists and in projecting cash flows. |
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| Impairment of Long-lived Assets |
The Company accounts for the impairment or disposal of long-lived assets according to the ASC 360 “Property, Plant and Equipment”. The Company continually monitors events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying amounts of long-lived assets, including mineral rights, may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to the estimated future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. When necessary, impaired assets are written down to their estimated fair value based on the best information available. Estimated fair value is generally based on either appraised value or measured by discounting estimated future cash flows. Considerable management judgment is necessary to estimate discounted future cash flows. Accordingly, actual results could vary significantly from such estimates. The Company recognizes an impairment loss when the sum of expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset. The Company recorded impairment charges on its long-lived assets of $0 during the year ended December 31, 2013 and $1,256,000 during the year ended December 31, 2012, which impairment charge was included in loss from discontinued operations. |
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| Stock-based Compensation |
Stock-based compensation is accounted for based on the requirements of the Share-Based Payment Topic of ASC 718, which requires recognition in the consolidated financial statements of the cost of employee and director services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments over the period the employee or director is required to perform the services in exchange for the award (presumptively, the vesting period). The ASC also requires measurement of the cost of employee and director services received in exchange for an award based on the grant-date fair value of the award.
Pursuant to ASC Topic 505-50, for share-based payments to consultants and other third-parties, compensation expense is determined at the “measurement date.” The expense is recognized over the vesting period of the award. Until the measurement date is reached, the total amount of compensation expense remains uncertain. The Company initially records compensation expense based on the fair value of the award at the reporting date. |
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| Mineral Property Acquisition and Exploration Costs |
Costs of lease, exploration, carrying and retaining unproven mineral lease properties were expensed as incurred. The Company expensed all mineral exploration costs as incurred. Such expenses are included in the loss from discontinued operations and prior periods have been restated in the Company’s financial statements and related footnotes to conform to this presentation. In June 2012, the Company discontinued its exploration stage gold and minerals business and currently does not hold any mining claims. |
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| Recent Accounting Pronouncements |
In April 2013, the FASB ASU 2013-07, “Presentation of Financial Statements: Topic Liquidation Basis of Accounting”. ASU 2013-07 requires an entity to prepare its financial statements using the liquidation basis of accounting when liquidation is imminent. Liquidation is considered imminent when the likelihood is remote that the organization will return from liquidation and either: (a) a plan for liquidation is approved by the person or persons with the authority to make such a plan effective and the likelihood is remote that the execution of the plan will be blocked by other parties; or (b) a plan for liquidation is being imposed by other forces. ASU 2013-07 will be effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2014. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2013-07 to have a material impact on its financial position, results of operations nor cash flows.
In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-11, "Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists." ASU 2013-11 provides guidance on the presentation of unrecognized tax benefits related to any disallowed portion of net operating loss carryforwards, similar tax losses, or tax credit carryforwards, if they exist. ASU 2013-11 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2013. The adoption of ASU 2013-11 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
There were other updates recently issued, most of which represented technical corrections to the accounting literature or application to specific industries and are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. |
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