Digimarc CORP - Quarter Report: 2016 March (Form 10-Q)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2016

OR

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission File Number: 001-34108

DIGIMARC CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

9405 SW Gemini Drive, Beaverton, Oregon 97008

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(503) 469-4800

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ¨    No  x

As of April 22, 2016, there were 9,080,541 shares of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, outstanding.

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

DIGIMARC CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except per share data)

(UNAUDITED)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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DIGIMARC CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share data)

(UNAUDITED)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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DIGIMARC CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(In thousands)

(UNAUDITED)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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DIGIMARC CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

(UNAUDITED)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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DIGIMARC CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(In thousands, except per share data)

(UNAUDITED)

1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business

Digimarc Corporation (“Digimarc” or the “Company”), an Oregon corporation, enables governments and enterprises around the world to give digital identities to media and objects that computers can sense and recognize and to which they can react. The Company has developed the Digimarc Discover^® and Digimarc Barcode Intuitive Computing Platform that are designed to optimize the identification of all consumer brand impressions, wherever and whenever they may appear, facilitating modern mobile-centric shopping. The platform includes means to embed “Digimarc Barcodes,” invisible and inaudible barcode-like information that is recognizable by smartphones, tablets, industrial scanners, and other computer interfaces into virtually all forms of media content, including consumer product packaging. Digimarc Barcodes have many applications, including facilitating remarkably faster scanning of products at retail checkout as well as improved engagement with smartphone-equipped consumers. The Digimarc Barcode is robust yet imperceptible by people in ordinary use, allowing for reliable, efficient, economical, globally scalable automatic identification of media without visible computer codes like traditional barcodes.

Interim Consolidated Financial Statements

The Company has adhered to the accounting policies set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 in preparing the accompanying interim consolidated financial statements.

The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared from the Company’s records without audit and, in management’s opinion, include all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring adjustments) necessary to fairly reflect the financial condition and the results of operations for the periods presented. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, which was filed with the SEC on February 25, 2016. The results of operations for the interim periods presented in these consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of the results for the full year.

Reclassifications

Certain prior period amounts in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. These reclassifications had no material effect on the results of operations or financial position for any period presented.

Accounting Pronouncements Adopted

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement.” ASU No. 2015-05 provides guidance about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2015, and interim periods beginning in the first interim period within the year of adoption. The Company has adopted this standard electing the prospective transition approach and noted no material impact on its financial condition, results of operations and disclosures.

Accounting Pronouncements Issued But Not Yet Adopted

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606).” ASU No. 2014-09 provides specific guidance to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14 to defer the effective date of the new revenue standard

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for public entities by one-year to annual reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2017, and interim periods beginning in the first interim period within the year of adoption. The amendments in this update permit the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company has not yet selected a transition method and is currently assessing the potential future impact of this standard on its financial condition, results of operations and disclosures.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, “Financial Instruments-Overall, Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Liabilities (Subtopic 825-10).” ASU No. 2016-01 updates certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. This guidance requires equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income, requires public business entities to use the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes, requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset, and eliminates the requirement for public business entities to disclose the method(s) and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized cost. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017, and interim periods beginning in the first interim period within the year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the potential future impact of this standard on its financial condition, results of operations and disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842),” which supersedes Topic 840, Leases. ASU No. 2016-02 increases the transparency and comparability of organizations by recognizing leases assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. This guidance requires that operating leases recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability measured at the present value of the lease payments in the statement of financial position, recognize a single lease cost allocated over the lease term on a generally straight-line basis, and classify all cash payments within operating activities in the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2018, and interim periods beginning in the first interim period within the year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted. In transition, lessees and lessors are required to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach which includes a number of optional practical expedients that entities may elect to apply. The Company is currently assessing the potential future impact of this standard on its financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “Compensation – Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (Topic 718).” ASU No. 2016-09 simplifies the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, statutory tax withholding requirements, and classification in the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2016, and interim periods beginning in the first interim period within the year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted. Any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. The Company is currently assessing the potential future impact of this standard on its financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and disclosures.

2. Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The estimated fair values of the Company’s financial instruments, which include cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other accrued liabilities approximate their carrying values due to the short-term nature of these instruments. The Company records marketable securities at amortized cost, which approximates fair value.

The Company’s fair value hierarchy for its cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, was as follows:

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The fair value maturities of the Company’s cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2016 are as follows:

The Company considers all highly liquid marketable securities with original maturities of 90 days or less at the date of acquisition to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents include money market funds and certificates of deposit totaling $6,827 and $2,401 at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. Cash equivalents are carried at cost or amortized cost, which approximates fair value.

3. Revenue Recognition

The Company derives its revenue primarily from professional services, subscriptions and licensing of its intellectual property:

Revenue is recognized in accordance with ASC 605 “Revenue Recognition” and ASC 985 “Software” when the following four criteria are met:

Some customer arrangements encompass multiple deliverables, such as patent licenses, professional services, software licenses, and maintenance and support fees. For arrangements that include multiple deliverables, the Company identifies separate units of accounting at inception based on the consensus reached under ASC 605-25 “Multiple-Element Arrangements,” which provides that revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables should be divided into separate units of accounting if certain criteria are met. The Company applies ASC 985 to software deliverables when relevant. The consideration for the arrangements under ASC 605-25 is allocated to the separate units of accounting using the relative selling price method.

The relative selling price method allocates the consideration based on the Company’s specific assumptions rather than assumptions of a marketplace participant, and any discount in the arrangement proportionally to each deliverable on the basis of each deliverable’s selling price.

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Applicable revenue recognition criteria are considered separately for each separate unit of accounting as follows:

Deferred revenue consists of billings in advance for professional services, subscriptions and licenses for which revenue has not been earned.

4. Segment Information

Geographic Information

The Company derives its revenue from a single reporting segment: media management solutions. Revenue is generated in this segment through development services, subscriptions and licensing of intellectual property. The Company markets its products in the U.S. and in non-U.S. countries through its sales and licensing personnel.

Revenue by geographic area, based upon the “bill-to” location, was as follows:

Major Customers

Customers who accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s revenue are as follows:

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Long-lived assets by geographical area

The Company’s long-lived assets are all domestic, domiciled in the U.S.

5. Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation includes expense charges for all stock-based awards to employees and directors. These awards include option grants and restricted stock awards.

Stock-based compensation expense related to internal labor is capitalized to software and patents based on direct labor hours charged to capitalized software and patent costs.

Determining Fair Value

Stock Options

The Company estimates the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The fair value of stock options is determined on the date of the grant (measurement date), and is recognized over the vesting period of the option using the straight-line method.

There were no stock options granted during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.

The Company records stock-based compensation expense for stock option awards only for those awards that are expected to vest.

Restricted Stock

The fair value of restricted stock awarded is based on the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of the grant (measurement date), and is recognized over the vesting period of the award using the straight-line method.

The Company records stock-based compensation expense for restricted stock awards only for those awards that are expected to vest.

Stock-based Compensation

The following table sets forth total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock-based awards granted under all equity compensation plans, including stock options and restricted stock:

Total unrecognized compensation costs will be adjusted for any future changes in estimated forfeitures.

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The Company expects to recognize the unrecognized compensation costs as of March 31, 2016 for stock options and restricted stock over weighted average periods through March 2020 as follows:

Stock Option Activity

As of March 31, 2016, under all of the Company’s stock-based compensation plans, equity awards to purchase an additional 1,298 shares were authorized for future grants under the plans. The Company issues new shares upon option exercises.

The following table reconciles the outstanding balance of stock options:

The aggregate intrinsic value is based on the closing price of $30.30 per share of Digimarc common stock on March 31, 2016, which would have been received by the optionees had all of the options with exercise prices less than $30.30 per share been exercised on that date.

Restricted Stock Activity

The following table reconciles the unvested balance of restricted stock:

The following table indicates the fair value of all restricted stock awards that vested during the three-months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015:

6. Earnings Per Common Share

The Company calculates basic and diluted earnings per common share in accordance with ASC 260 “Earnings Per Share,” using the two-class method because the Company’s unvested restricted stock is a participating security since these awards contain non-forfeitable rights to receive dividends. Under the two-class method, earnings are allocated to each class of common stock and participating security as if all of the net earnings for the period had been distributed.

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Basic earnings per common share excludes dilution and is calculated by dividing earnings to common shares by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per common share is calculated by dividing earnings to common shares by the weighted-average number of common shares, as adjusted for the potentially dilutive effect of stock options. The following table reconciles earnings (loss) per common share for the three-months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015:

There were 0 and 175 common stock equivalents related to stock options that were anti-dilutive and excluded from diluted earnings per common share calculations for the three-months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, because their exercise prices were higher than the average market price of the underlying common stock for the period.

There were 207 and 212 common stock equivalents related to stock options that were anti-dilutive and excluded from diluted earnings per common share for the three-months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, as the Company incurred a net loss for the period.

7. Trade Accounts Receivable

Trade Accounts Receivable

Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount.

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Allowance for doubtful accounts

The allowance for doubtful accounts is the Company’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in the Company’s existing trade accounts receivable. The Company determines the allowance based on historical write-off experience and current information. The Company reviews its allowance for doubtful accounts each reporting period. Account balances are charged against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote.

Unpaid deferred revenue

The unpaid deferred revenue that is included in trade accounts receivable is billed in accordance with the provisions of the contracts with the Company’s customers. Unpaid deferred revenue from the Company’s cash-basis customers is not included in trade accounts receivable nor deferred revenue.

Major customers

Customers who accounted for 10% or more of trade accounts receivable, net are as follows:

8. Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Repairs and maintenance are charged to expense when incurred.

Depreciation on property and equipment is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, generally two to seven years. Leasehold improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful life or the lease term.

9. Intangibles

Intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.

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Amortization of capitalized patent costs associated with the application and award of patents in the U.S. and various other countries are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the patents as determined at the award date, which varies depending on the pendency period of the application, generally approximating seventeen years.

Amortization of intangible assets acquired is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets.

10. Joint Ventures and Related Party Transactions

In March 2012, Digimarc and Nielsen decided to reduce the investments in their two joint ventures, TVaura LLC (in which Digimarc holds a 51% ownership interest) and TVaura Mobile LLC (in which Digimarc holds a 49% ownership interest), to minimal levels while assessing alternative approaches to achieving each of their goals in the emerging market opportunity of synchronized second screen television.

In October 2015, Digimarc and Nielsen reactivated the TVaura Mobile LLC joint venture to allow it to provide solutions to programmers and advertisers for engaging with consumers on second screens and otherwise provide enhanced flexibility to brand strategies targeting modern consumers. The enhanced cooperation represents another building block in developing the market for Digimarc Discover and Digimarc Barcode. Neither Digimarc nor Nielsen contributed any capital to the joint venture upon reactivation.

As of March 31, 2016, both Digimarc and Nielsen continued to assess the market opportunities of TVaura LLC joint venture.

Summarized financial information for the joint ventures has not been provided because the disclosures are immaterial to the Company’s filing. TVaura LLC and TVaura Mobile LLC had no revenue or expenses for the three-months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.

The Company’s investment in each joint venture was $0 as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015.

11. Income Taxes

The (provision) benefit for income taxes for the three-months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 reflects current taxes, deferred taxes, and withholding taxes in certain foreign jurisdictions. The effective tax rate for the three-months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 was 0% and 0%, respectively. The valuation allowance against net deferred tax assets as of March 31, 2016 was $17,682, an increase of $2,262 from $15,420 as of December 31, 2015.

12. Commitments and Contingencies

Certain of the Company’s product license and services agreements include an indemnification provision for claims from third parties relating to the Company’s intellectual property. These indemnification provisions are accounted for in accordance with ASC 450 “Contingencies.” To date, there have been no claims made under such indemnification provisions.

The Company is subject from time to time to other legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of business.

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The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains forward-looking statements relating to future events or the future financial performance of Digimarc, that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Please see the discussion regarding forward-looking statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q under the caption “Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.”

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider the disclosures made in Part II, Item 1A (Risk Factors) of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 filed on February 25, 2016 (our “2015 Annual Report”), and other reports and filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to “Digimarc,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Digimarc Corporation.

All dollar amounts are in thousands except per share amounts or unless otherwise noted. Percentages within the following tables may not foot due to rounding.

Digimarc, Digimarc Discover and Guardian are registered trademarks of Digimarc Corporation. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q also includes trademarks and trade names owned by other parties, and all other such trademarks and trade names mentioned in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are the property of their respective owners.

Overview

Digimarc Corporation enables governments and enterprises around the world to give digital identities to media and objects that computers can sense and recognize and to which they can react. We have developed the Digimarc Discover^® and Digimarc Barcode Intuitive Computing Platform that are designed to optimize the identification of all consumer brand impressions, wherever and whenever they may appear, facilitating modern mobile-centric shopping. The platform includes means to embed “Digimarc Barcodes,” invisible and inaudible barcode-like information that is recognizable by smartphones, tablets, industrial scanners, and other computer interfaces into virtually all forms of media content, including consumer product packaging. Digimarc Barcodes have many applications, including facilitating remarkably faster scanning of products at retail checkout as well as improved engagement with smartphone-equipped consumers. The Digimarc Barcode is robust yet imperceptible by people in ordinary use, allowing for reliable, efficient, economical, globally scalable automatic identification of media without visible computer codes like traditional barcodes.

Our media identification and discovery innovations enable our business partners to create numerous applications across a wide range of media content, including solutions that:

The Intuitive Computing Platform has a proprietary foundation in a signal processing innovation known as “digital watermarking,” which allows imperceptible digital information to be embedded in all forms of digitally designed, produced or

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distributed media content and many physical objects, including photographs, movies, music, television, personal identification documents, financial instruments, industrial parts and product packages. We refer to the embedded information as the Digimarc Barcode. This digital information can be detected and read by a wide range of computers, smartphones, tablets and other digital devices.

Our inventions allow our business partners and customers to provide persistent digital identities for virtually any media content that is digitally processed at some point during its lifecycle. The technology can be applied to printed materials, video, audio, and images to supply a wide range of patented consumer engagement, media management and security solutions across multiple consumer and government industry sectors. Over the years our enabling software and business processes, and associated intellectual property portfolio have grown to encompass many related technologies.

We provide solutions directly and through our business partners. Our inventions provide a powerful element of document security, giving rise to a long-term relationship with a consortium of central banks (“Central Banks”), and many leading companies in the information technology industry. We and our business partners have successfully propagated the use of our technology in music, movies, television broadcasts, digital images, e-books and printed materials. Digimarc Barcodes have been used in these applications to improve media rights and asset management, reduce piracy and counterfeiting losses, improve marketing programs, permit more efficient and effective distribution of valuable media content and enhance consumer entertainment and commercial experiences.

Digimarc Barcodes are easily embedded into all forms of media and are imperceptible to human senses, but quickly detected by computers, networks or other digital devices like smartphones and tablets. Unlike traditional barcodes and tags, our solution does not require publishers to give up valuable visual space in magazines and newspapers; nor does it impact the overall layout or aesthetics of the publication. Digimarc Barcodes are imperceptible to people and do all that visible barcodes do, but performs better. Our Digimarc Discover platform delivers a range of rich media experiences to its readers on their smartphones or tablets across multiple media including print, audio, video and packaging. Unique to the Digimarc Discover platform is its seamless multi-model use of various content identification technologies as needed, including Digimarc Barcode when present.

We introduced Digimarc Barcodes for use in consumer product packaging in 2014. These Digimarc Barcodes can contain the same information found in traditional universal product codes (“UPC”). The UPC information is invisibly repeated multiple times over the entire package surface. We partnered with Datalogic, a global leader in Automatic Data Capture and Industrial Automation markets and producer of barcode readers, in introducing the Digimarc Barcode to the consumer product packaging market. The first retail scanner enabled was Datalogic’s Magellan^TM 9800i multi-plane imaging scanner. Since then additional scanner vendors and other channel partners have announced support for the platform. Digimarc Barcodes can also connect mobile-enabled consumers directly from packaging to engaging mobile experiences such as additional product information, special offers, recommendations, reviews, social networks and more.

Our intellectual property portfolio of patents contain many innovations in digital watermarking, pattern recognition (sometimes referred to as “fingerprinting”), digital rights management and related fields. To protect our inventions, we have implemented an extensive intellectual property protection program that relies on a combination of patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws, and nondisclosure agreements and other contracts. As a result, we believe we have one of the world’s most extensive patent portfolios in digital watermarking and related fields, with approximately 1,150 U.S. and foreign patents and pending patent applications as of March 31, 2016. We continue to develop and broaden our portfolio in the fields of media identification and management technology and related applications and systems. We devote significant resources to developing and protecting our inventions and continuously seek to identify and evaluate potential licensees for our patents. The patents in our portfolio have a life of approximately 20 years from the effective filing date, and up to 17 years after the patent has been granted.

The market for patent licensing has become more challenging in recent years. As a result, we have shifted our focus from direct monetization via enforcement and licensing to:

For a discussion of activities and costs related to our research and development, read the section titled “Results of Operations –Summary – Research, development and engineering.”

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Detailed information on our critical accounting policies and estimates are set forth in our 2015 Annual Report in Part II, Item 7 thereof (“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”), under the caption “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates,” which is incorporated by reference into this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Results of Operations

The following table presents statements of operations data for the periods indicated as a percentage of total revenue. Unless otherwise indicated, all references in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations to the three-month period relate to the three-month period ended March 31, 2016 and all changes discussed with respect to such period reflect changes compared to the three-month period ended March 31, 2015.

Summary

Total revenue for the three-months ended March 31, 2016 decreased $0.4 million, or 7%, to $5.6 million compared to the same period in 2015 as a result of lower service and subscription revenue, partially offset by higher license revenue.

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Total operating expenses for the three-months ended March 31, 2016 increased $1.1 million, or 14%, to $8.9 million compared to the same period in 2015, primarily reflecting higher investment in sales and marketing as we continue to focus on market development and delivery of Digimarc Discover and Digimarc Barcode.

Revenue

Service. Service revenue consists primarily of software development and consulting services. The majority of service revenue arrangements are structured as time and materials consulting agreements. Most of our service revenue is derived from contracts with the Central Banks and government agency contractors. The agreements range from several months to several years in length, and our longer term contracts are subject to work plans that are reviewed and agreed upon at least annually. These contracts generally provide for billing hours worked at predetermined rates and, to a lesser extent, reimbursement for third party costs and services. Increases or decreases in the services provided under these contracts are generally subject to both volume and price changes. The volume of work is generally negotiated at least annually and can be modified as the customer’s needs change. We also have provisions in our longer term contracts that allow for specific hourly rate price increases on an annual basis to account for cost of living variables. Contracts with government agency contractors are generally shorter term in nature, less linear in billings and less predictable than our longer term contracts because the contracts with government agency contractors are subject to government budgets and funding.

The decrease in service revenue for the three-month period was primarily due to the timing of program work with a government agency contractor and the expiration of the minimum support services to Intellectual Ventures (“IV”).

Subscription. Subscription revenue includes revenue from the sale of Digimarc Discover, Digimarc Barcode and Guardian products and services, and is generally recurring in nature, paid in advance and recognized over the term of the subscription.

The decrease in subscription revenue for the three-month period was primarily due to lower software license revenue, which is recognized over the associated 12-month support period, partially offset by growth in Digimarc Barcode.

License. License revenue originates primarily from licensing our intellectual property where we receive license fees and/or royalties as our income stream.

The increase in license revenue for the three-month period was primarily due to higher reported royalties from existing licensees.

Revenue by Geography

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The decrease in domestic revenue for the three-month period was primarily the result of lower service and subscription revenue among domestic customers.

The increase in international revenue for the three-month period was primarily the result of higher license revenue among international customers.

Cost of Revenue

Service. Cost of service revenue primarily includes costs that are allocated from research, development and engineering, sales and marketing and intellectual property that relate directly to performing services under our customer contracts and direct costs of program delivery for both personnel and operating expenses. Costs include:

Subscription. Cost of subscription revenue primarily includes:

License. Cost of license revenue primarily includes:

Gross Profit

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The decrease in total gross profit for the three-month period was due primarily to lower revenue.

Operating Expenses

We allocate certain costs of research, development and engineering, sales and marketing, and intellectual property to cost of revenue when they relate directly to our customer contracts. We record all remaining, or “residual,” costs as sales and marketing, research, development and engineering, general and administrative, and intellectual property expenses.

Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of:

The increase in sales and marketing expenses for the three-month period was due primarily to:

Research, development and engineering

Research, development and engineering expenses consist primarily of:

The increase in research, development and engineering expenses for the three-month period was due primarily to increased headcount and compensation-related expenses of $0.2 million.

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General and administrative

We incur general and administrative costs in the functional areas of finance, legal, human resources, executive and board of directors. Costs for facilities and information technology are also managed as part of the general and administrative processes and are allocated to this area as well as each of the areas in cost of revenue, sales and marketing, research, development and engineering and intellectual property.

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of:

General and administrative expenses were relatively flat for the three-month period.

Intellectual property

We incur intellectual property expenses that arise primarily from costs associated with documenting, applying for, and maintaining domestic and international patents and trademarks.

Gross expenditures for intellectual property costs, before reflecting the effect of capitalized patent costs, primarily consist of:

Intellectual property expenses can vary from period to period based on the level of capitalized patent activity.

The increase in intellectual property expense for the three-month period resulted primarily from increased compensation-related expenses and increased write-off of abandoned patent costs.

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Stock-based compensation

Stock-based compensation expense was relatively flat for the three-month period. We anticipate incurring an additional $12,850 in stock-based compensation expense through March 2020 for awards outstanding as of March 31, 2016.

Other income, net

The increase in other income, net for the three-month period was primarily due to changes in foreign currency and higher interest income as a result of higher interest rates on cash and investments.

Income Taxes

The (provision) benefit for income taxes for the three-months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 reflects current taxes, deferred taxes, and withholding taxes in certain foreign jurisdictions. The effective tax rate for the three-months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 was 0% and 0%, respectively, because we have a full valuation allowance recorded against our deferred tax assets. The valuation allowance against deferred tax assets as of March 31, 2016 was $17,682, an increase of $2,262 from $15,420 as of December 31, 2015.

We continually assess the applicability of valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. Based upon the positive and negative evidence available as of March 31, 2016, and largely due to the cumulative loss incurred by us over the last three years, which is considered a significant piece of negative evidence when assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, a full valuation allowance is recorded against our deferred tax assets.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

The $3.3 million decrease in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities resulted primarily from:

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and trade accounts receivable. We place our cash and cash equivalents with major banks and financial institutions and at times deposits may exceed insured limits. Marketable securities primarily include federal agency notes, U.S. treasuries, commercial paper, corporate notes, pre-refunded municipal bonds and certificates of deposits. Our investment policy requires the portfolio to be invested to ensure that the greater of $3 million or 7% of the invested funds will be available within 30 days’ notice.

Other than cash used for operating needs, which may include short-term marketable securities, our investment policy limits our credit exposure to any one financial institution or type of financial instrument by limiting the maximum of 5% of our cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities or $1 million, whichever is greater, to be invested in any one issuer except for the U.S. government, U.S. federal agencies and U.S. backed securities, which have no limits, at the time of purchase. Our investment policy also limits our credit exposure by limiting to a maximum of 40% of our cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, or $15 million, whichever is greater, to be invested in any one industry category (e.g., financial or energy industries) at the time of purchase. As a result, we believe our credit risk associated with cash and investments to be minimal. A decline in the market value of any security below cost that is deemed to be other-than-temporary results in a reduction in carrying amount to fair value. To determine whether an impairment is other-than-temporary, we consider whether we have the ability and intent to hold the investment until a market price recovery and evidence indicating that the cost of the investment is recoverable outweighs evidence to the contrary. There have been no other-than-temporary impairments identified or recorded by us.

Operating Cash Flow.

The components of operating cash flows were:

Cash flows used in operating activities for the three-month period increased by $0.2 million, primarily as the result of a higher net loss, partially offset by changes in operating assets and liabilities. The increase from changes in operating assets and liabilities for the three-month period was primarily due to higher collections of accounts receivable.

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Cash flows provided by investing activities for the three-month period increased by $6.9 million from $0.6 million to $7.5 million, primarily as a result of higher net maturities of marketable securities.

Cash flows from financing activities for the three-month period decreased by $0.8 million from $0.4 million provided to $0.4 million used, primarily as a result of lower stock option exercises.

Future Cash Expectations

We believe that our current cash, cash equivalents, and short-term marketable securities balances will satisfy our projected working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months. We have a $100 million shelf registration statement in place, of which $30 million was allocated for sales of shares of our common stock under an Equity Distribution Agreement with Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. There are no shares remaining to be sold under the Equity Distribution Agreement. We may use similar or other financing means to raise working capital in the future, if necessary, to support continued investment in our growth initiatives. We may also raise capital in the future to fund acquisitions and/or investments in complementary businesses, technologies or product lines. If it becomes necessary to obtain additional financing, we may not be able to do so, or if these funds are available, they may not be available on satisfactory terms.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Other than the contractual obligations disclosed in our 2015 Annual Report, we do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenue or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material to investors.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933. Words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “continue,” variations of such terms or similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, or other statements made by us, are made based on our expectations and beliefs concerning future events impacting us, and are subject to uncertainties and factors (including those specified below), which are difficult to predict and, in many instances, are beyond our control. As a result, our actual results could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any such forward-looking statements, and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements relating to: