IMMERSION CORP - Quarter Report: 2009 March (Form 10-Q)
Table of Contents
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(MARK ONE)
þ | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2009
OR
o | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission file number 000-27969
IMMERSION CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 94-3180138 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
incorporation or organization) |
801 Fox Lane, San Jose, California 95131
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)
(408) 467-1900
(Registrants 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 þ No o
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 (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months
(or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).
Yes o No o
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 the definitions of large
accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer o | Accelerated filer þ | Non-accelerated filer o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
Smaller Reporting Company o |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act).
Yes o No þ
Number of shares of common stock outstanding at April 30, 2009: 27,957,359
IMMERSION CORPORATION
INDEX
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3 | ||||||||
4 | ||||||||
5 | ||||||||
6 | ||||||||
20 | ||||||||
33 | ||||||||
34 | ||||||||
35 | ||||||||
36 | ||||||||
51 | ||||||||
52 | ||||||||
EX-10.37 | ||||||||
EX-10.38 | ||||||||
EX-10.39 | ||||||||
EX-31.1 | ||||||||
EX-31.2 | ||||||||
EX-32.1 | ||||||||
EX-32.2 | ||||||||
EX-99.01 | ||||||||
EX-99.02 |
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PART I
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
IMMERSION CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
March 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
ASSETS |
||||||||
Current assets: |
||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 36,997 | $ | 64,769 | ||||
Short-term investments |
43,933 | 20,974 | ||||||
Accounts receivable (net of allowances for doubtful accounts of: March 31, 2009
$954 and December 31, 2008 $436 |
4,064 | 6,829 | ||||||
Inventories, net |
4,136 | 3,396 | ||||||
Deferred income taxes |
226 | 226 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
3,205 | 3,225 | ||||||
Total current assets |
92,561 | 99,419 | ||||||
Property and equipment, net |
4,379 | 3,827 | ||||||
Intangibles and other assets, net |
10,358 | 9,945 | ||||||
Total assets |
$ | 107,298 | $ | 113,191 | ||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY |
||||||||
Current liabilities: |
||||||||
Accounts payable |
$ | 2,460 | $ | 2,842 | ||||
Accrued compensation |
2,248 | 3,010 | ||||||
Other current liabilities |
3,247 | 3,466 | ||||||
Deferred revenue and customer advances |
5,883 | 5,125 | ||||||
Total current liabilities |
13,838 | 14,443 | ||||||
Long-term deferred revenue, less current portion |
17,685 | 16,887 | ||||||
Deferred income tax liabilities |
226 | 226 | ||||||
Other long-term liabilities |
217 | 212 | ||||||
Total liabilities |
31,966 | 31,768 | ||||||
Contingencies (Note 15) |
||||||||
Stockholders equity: |
||||||||
Common stock and additional paid-in capital $0.001 par value; 100,000,000 shares
authorized; shares issued: March 31, 2009 30,733,728 and December 31, 2008
30,674,045; shares outstanding: March 31, 2009 27,945,859 and
December 31, 2008 27,887,482 |
167,337 | 165,885 | ||||||
Warrants |
1,724 | 1,731 | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income |
40 | 109 | ||||||
Accumulated deficit |
(75,372 | ) | (67,913 | ) | ||||
Treasury stock at cost: March 31, 2009 2,787,869 shares and
December 31, 2008 2,786,563 shares |
(18,397 | ) | (18,389 | ) | ||||
Total stockholders equity |
75,332 | 81,423 | ||||||
Total liabilities and stockholders equity |
$ | 107,298 | $ | 113,191 | ||||
See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
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IMMERSION CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended | ||||||||
March 31, | ||||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
Revenues: |
||||||||
Royalty and license |
$ | 3,781 | $ | 3,461 | ||||
Product sales |
2,751 | 2,669 | ||||||
Development contracts and other |
446 | 799 | ||||||
Total revenues |
6,978 | 6,929 | ||||||
Costs and expenses: |
||||||||
Cost of product sales (exclusive of amortization of intangibles
shown separately below) |
1,126 | 1,683 | ||||||
Sales and marketing |
4,760 | 3,136 | ||||||
Research and development |
3,904 | 3,229 | ||||||
General and administrative |
4,366 | 4,263 | ||||||
Amortization of intangibles |
376 | 235 | ||||||
Restructuring costs |
646 | | ||||||
Total costs and expenses |
15,178 | 12,546 | ||||||
Operating loss |
(8,200 | ) | (5,617 | ) | ||||
Interest and other income |
430 | 1,507 | ||||||
Loss from continuing operations before provision for income taxes |
(7,770 | ) | (4,110 | ) | ||||
Benefit (provision) for income taxes |
(91 | ) | 1,203 | |||||
Loss from continuing operations |
(7,861 | ) | (2,907 | ) | ||||
Discontinued operations (Note 9) : |
||||||||
Gain on sales of discontinued operations net of provision for income taxes of $0 |
167 | | ||||||
Gain from discontinued operations, net of provision for
income taxes of $150 and $195 |
235 | 322 | ||||||
Net loss |
$ | (7,459 | ) | $ | (2,585 | ) | ||
Basic and diluted net loss per share
|
||||||||
Continuing operations |
$ | (0.28 | ) | $ | (0.09 | ) | ||
Discontinued operations |
0.01 | 0.01 | ||||||
Total |
$ | (0.27 | ) | $ | (0.08 | ) | ||
Shares used in calculating basic and diluted net loss per share |
27,924 | 30,478 | ||||||
See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
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IMMERSION CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended | ||||||||
March 31, | ||||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: |
||||||||
Net loss |
$ | (7,459 | ) | $ | (2,585 | ) | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in)
operating activities: |
||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
390 | 260 | ||||||
Amortization of intangibles |
376 | 235 | ||||||
Stock-based compensation |
1,241 | 964 | ||||||
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation |
| (107 | ) | |||||
Realized gain on short-term investments |
| (81 | ) | |||||
Allowance for doubtful accounts |
519 | (12 | ) | |||||
Loss on disposal of equipment |
2 | | ||||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
||||||||
Accounts receivable |
2,242 | 2,220 | ||||||
Inventories |
(884 | ) | (369 | ) | ||||
Deferred income taxes |
| (251 | ) | |||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
20 | (1,234 | ) | |||||
Other assets |
| (3 | ) | |||||
Accounts payable |
(469 | ) | 541 | |||||
Accrued compensation and other current liabilities |
(1,382 | ) | 521 | |||||
Income taxes payable |
2 | (412 | ) | |||||
Deferred revenue and customer advances |
1,557 | 1,991 | ||||||
Other long-term liabilities |
5 | 12 | ||||||
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities |
(3,840 | ) | 1,690 | |||||
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities: |
||||||||
Purchases of short-term investments |
(33,962 | ) | | |||||
Maturities of short-term investments |
11,000 | 49,657 | ||||||
Intangibles and other assets |
(542 | ) | (508 | ) | ||||
Purchases of property and equipment |
(580 | ) | (280 | ) | ||||
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities |
(24,084 | ) | 48,869 | |||||
Cash flows provided by financing activities: |
||||||||
Issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase plan |
134 | 168 | ||||||
Exercise of stock options and warrants |
70 | 659 | ||||||
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation |
| 107 | ||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
204 | 934 | ||||||
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents |
(52 | ) | (5 | ) | ||||
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents |
(27,772 | ) | 51,488 | |||||
Cash and cash equivalents: |
||||||||
Beginning of the period |
64,769 | 86,493 | ||||||
End of the period |
$ | 36,997 | $ | 137,981 | ||||
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: |
||||||||
Cash paid (received) for taxes |
$ | | $ | 761 | ||||
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities: |
||||||||
Amounts accrued for property and equipment, and intangibles |
$ | 1,090 | $ | | ||||
Non-cash treasury stock purchase |
$ | 6 | $ | | ||||
See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
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IMMERSION CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March 31, 2009
(Unaudited)
1. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Description of Business
Immersion Corporation (the Company) was incorporated in 1993 in California and
reincorporated in Delaware in 1999 and develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range
of hardware and software technologies and products that enhance digital devices with touch
interaction.
Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation
The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Immersion Corporation
and its majority-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts, transactions, and balances have
been eliminated in consolidation.
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance
with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim
financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X and,
therefore, do not include all information and footnotes necessary for a complete presentation of
the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows, in conformity with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These condensed consolidated
financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Companys audited consolidated
financial statements included in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2008. In the opinion of management, all adjustments consisting of only normal and
recurring items necessary for the fair presentation of the financial position and results of
operations for the interim period have been included.
The results of operations for the interim periods ended March 31, 2009 are not necessarily
indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.
Reclassifications
Certain reclassifications have been made to the 2008 presentation to conform to the 2009
presentation.
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenues in accordance with applicable accounting standards, including
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 104, Revenue
Recognition (SAB No. 104); Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) No. 00-21, Accounting for
Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables (EITF No. 00-21); American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Statement of Position (SOP) No. 81-1 Accounting for
Performance for Construction-Type and Certain Production-Type contracts (SOP No. 81-1); and SOP
No. 97-2, Software Revenue Recognition (SOP NO. 97-2), as amended. Revenue is recognized when
persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or service has been rendered,
the fee is fixed and determinable, and collectability is probable. The Company derives its revenues
from three principal sources: royalty and license fees, product sales, and development contracts.
Royalty and license revenue The Company recognizes royalty and license revenue based on
royalty reports or related information received from the licensee as well as time-based licenses of
its intellectual property portfolio. Up-front payments under license agreements are deferred and recognized as
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revenue either based on the royalty reports received or amortized over the license
period depending on the nature of the agreement. Advance payments under license agreements that
also require the Company to provide future services to the licensee are deferred and recognized over the service period
when vendor-specific objective evidence (VSOE) related to the value of the services does not
exist. These services are not essential to the functionality of the license agreement.
The Company generally recognizes revenue from its licensees under one or a combination of the
following models:
License revenue model | Revenue recognition | |
Perpetual license of
intellectual property portfolio
based on per unit royalties, no
services contracted.
|
Based on royalty reports received from licensees. No further obligations to licensee exist. | |
Time-based license of
intellectual property portfolio
with up-front payments and/or
annual minimum royalty
requirements, no services
contracted. Licensees have
certain rights to updates to
the intellectual property
portfolio during the contract
period.
|
Based on straight-line amortization of annual minimum/up-front payment recognized over contract period or annual minimum period. | |
Perpetual license of
intellectual property portfolio
or technology license along
with contract for development
work.
|
Based on proportional performance method over the service period or completed performance method. | |
License of software or
technology, no modification
necessary, no services
contracted.
|
Up-front revenue recognition based on SOP No. 97-2 criteria or SAB No. 104, as applicable. |
Individual contracts may have characteristics that do not fall within a specific license model
or may have characteristics of a combination of license models. Under those circumstances, the
Company recognizes revenue in accordance with SAB No. 104, EITF No. 00-21, SOP No. 81-1, and SOP
No.97-2, as amended, to guide the accounting treatment for each individual contract. See also the
discussion regarding Multiple element arrangements below.
Product sales The Company recognizes revenues from product sales when the product is
shipped, provided the other revenue recognition criteria are met, including that collection is
determined to be probable and no significant obligation remains. The Company sells the majority of
its products with warranties ranging from three to sixty months. The Company records the estimated
warranty costs during the quarter the revenue is recognized. Historically, warranty-related costs
and related accruals have not been significant. The Company offers a general right of return on the
MicroScribe® product line for 14 days after purchase. The Company recognizes revenue at
the time of shipment of a MicroScribe digitizer and provides an accrual for potential returns based
on historical experience. The Company offers no other general right of return on its products.
Development contracts and other revenue Development contracts and other revenue is comprised
of professional services (consulting services and/or development contracts), customer support, and
extended warranty contracts. Development contract revenues are recognized under the proportional
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performance accounting method based on physical completion of the work to be performed or completed
performance method. Losses on contracts are recognized when determined. Revisions in estimates are
reflected in the period in which the conditions become known. Customer support and extended
warranty contract revenue is recognized ratably over the contractual period.
Multiple element arrangements The Company enters into revenue arrangements in which the
customer purchases a combination of patent, technology, and/or software licenses, products,
professional services, support, and extended warranties (multiple element arrangements). When VSOE
of fair value exists for all elements, the Company allocates revenue to each element based on the
relative fair value of each of the elements. The price charged when the element is sold separately
or other objective evidence generally determines the fair value or VSOE.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2007, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 141 (revised 2007) (SFAS No. 141(R)), Business
Combinations, which replaces SFAS No 141. The statement retains the purchase method of accounting
for acquisitions, but requires a number of changes, including changes in the way assets and
liabilities are recognized in purchase accounting. It also changes the recognition of assets
acquired and liabilities assumed arising from contingencies, requires the capitalization of
in-process research and development at fair value, and requires the expensing of
acquisition-related costs as incurred. SFAS No. 141(R) is effective for the Company beginning
January 1, 2009 and will be applied prospectively to business combinations completed on or after
that date. The impact of the adoption of SFAS No. 141(R) will depend on the nature and extent of
any business combinations occurring on or after January 1, 2009.
In April 2008, the FASB issued FSP No. FAS 142-3, Determination of the Useful Life of
Intangible Assets (FSP No. FAS 142-3). FSP No. FAS 142-3 amends the factors that should be
considered in developing renewal or extension assumptions used to determine the useful life of a
recognized intangible asset under Statement of SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible
Assets. FSP No. FAS 142-3 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008. The
Company does not believe that FSP No. FAS 142-3 will have a material impact on its results of
operations, financial position, or cash flows.
In April 2009, the FASB issued FSP No. FAS 115-2 and FAS No. 124-2, Recognition and
Presentation of Other-Than-Temporary Impairments (FSP No. FAS 115-2 and FAS No. 124-2). This FSP
amends the other-than temporary impairment guidance for debt securities to make the guidance more
operational and to improve the presentation and disclosure of other-than-temporary impairments in
the financial statements. The most significant change the FSP brings is a revision to the amount of
other-than-temporary loss of a debt security recorded in earnings. FSP No. FAS 115-2 and FAS No.
124-2 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods ending after June 15, 2009. The Company
does not believe that the implementation of this standard will have a material impact on its
condensed consolidated financial statements.
In April 2009, the FASB issued FSP No. FAS 157-4, Determining Fair Value When the Volume and
Level of Activity for the Asset or Liability Have Significantly Decreased and Identifying
Transactions That Are Not Orderly (FSP No. FAS 157-4). This FSP provides additional guidance for
estimating fair value in accordance with SFAS No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (SFAS No. 157),
when the volume and level of activity for the asset or liability have significantly decreased. This
FSP also includes guidance on identifying circumstances that indicate a transaction is not orderly.
This FSP emphasizes that even if there has been a significant decrease in the volume and level of
activity for the asset or liability and regardless of the valuation technique(s) used, the
objective of a fair value measurement remains the same. Fair value is the price that would be
received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction (that is, not a
forced liquidation or distressed sale) between market participants at the measurement date under
current market conditions. FSP No. FAS 157-4 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods
ending after June 15, 2009, and is applied prospectively. The Company does not believe that the
implementation of this standard will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial
statements.
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In April 2009, the FASB issued FSP No. FAS 107-1 and Accounting Principles Board (APB) 28-1,
Interim Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments (FSP No. FAS 107-1 and APB 28-1).
This FSP amends SFAS No. 107, Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments, to require
disclosures about fair value of financial instruments for interim reporting periods of publicly
traded companies as well as in annual financial statements. This FSP also amends APB Opinion No.
28, Interim Financial Reporting, to require those disclosures in summarized financial information
at interim reporting periods. FSP FAS 107-1 and APB 28-1 is effective for interim and annual
reporting periods ending after June 15, 2009. The Company does not believe that the implementation
of this standard will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
2. FAIR VALUE DISCLOSURES
Short-term Investments
March 31, 2009 | ||||||||||||||||
Gross | Gross | |||||||||||||||
Unrealized | Unrealized | |||||||||||||||
Amortized | Holding | Holding | ||||||||||||||
Cost | Gains | Losses | Fair Value | |||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Corporate commercial paper |
$ | 9,986 | $ | 1 | $ | | $ | 9,987 | ||||||||
U.S. government agency securities |
33,930 | 16 | | 33,946 | ||||||||||||
Total |
$ | 43,916 | $ | 17 | $ | | $ | 43,933 | ||||||||
December 31, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||
Gross | Gross | |||||||||||||||
Unrealized | Unrealized | |||||||||||||||
Amortized | Holding | Holding | ||||||||||||||
Cost | Gains | Losses | Fair Value | |||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Corporate commercial paper |
$ | 9,980 | $ | 1 | $ | | $ | 9,981 | ||||||||
U.S. government agency securities |
10,975 | 18 | | 10,993 | ||||||||||||
Total |
$ | 20,955 | $ | 19 | $ | | $ | 20,974 | ||||||||
The contractual maturities of the Companys available-for-sale securities on March 31, 2009
and December 31, 2008 were all due in one year or less.
Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments
The financial assets of the Company measured at fair value on a recurring basis are cash
equivalents and short-term investments. The Companys cash equivalents and short-term investments
are generally classified within Level 1 or Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy because they are
valued using quoted market prices, broker or dealer quotations, or alternative pricing sources with
reasonable levels of price transparency.
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The types of instruments valued based on quoted market prices in active markets include most
U.S. government agency securities and most money market securities. Such instruments are generally
classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.
The types of instruments valued based on quoted prices in markets that are less active, broker
or dealer quotations, or alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency
include most investment-grade corporate commercial paper. Such instruments are generally classified
within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
The following table sets forth the Companys cash equivalents and short-term investments which
are measured at fair value on a recurring basis by level within the fair value hierarchy as of
March 31, 2009. As required by SFAS No. 157, these are classified based on the lowest level of
input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
Fair value measurement using | Assets at | |||||||||||||||
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | fair value | |||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Corporate commercial paper |
$ | | $ | 14,987 | $ | | $ | 14,987 | ||||||||
U.S. Government agency securities |
34,017 | | | 34,017 | ||||||||||||
Money market accounts |
29,481 | | | 29,481 | ||||||||||||
Total |
$ | 63,498 | $ | 14,987 | $ | | $ | 78,485 | ||||||||
The above table excludes $2.4 million of cash held in banks.
3. INVENTORIES
March 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Raw materials and subassemblies |
$ | 3,276 | $ | 3,119 | ||||
Work in process |
565 | 209 | ||||||
Finished goods |
295 | 68 | ||||||
Inventories, net |
$ | 4,136 | $ | 3,396 | ||||
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4. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
March 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Computer equipment and purchased software |
$ | 4,832 | $ | 4,735 | ||||
Machinery and equipment |
3,518 | 3,269 | ||||||
Furniture and fixtures |
1,443 | 1,336 | ||||||
Leasehold improvements |
1,631 | 1,261 | ||||||
Total |
11,424 | 10,601 | ||||||
Less accumulated depreciation |
(7,045 | ) | (6,774 | ) | ||||
Property and equipment, net |
$ | 4,379 | $ | 3,827 | ||||
5. INTANGIBLES AND OTHER ASSETS
March 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Patents and technology |
$ | 17,835 | $ | 17,283 | ||||
Other assets |
156 | 156 | ||||||
Gross intangibles and other assets |
17,991 | 17,439 | ||||||
Accumulated amortization of patents and technology |
(7,633 | ) | (7,494 | ) | ||||
Intangibles and other assets, net |
$ | 10,358 | $ | 9,945 | ||||
The estimated annual amortization expense for intangible assets as of March 31, 2009 is $1.4
million in 2009, $1.2 million in 2010, $1.2 million in 2011, $1.1 million in 2012, $1.1 million in
2013, and $4.4 million in total for all years thereafter.
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6. COMPONENTS OF OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES AND DEFERRED REVENUE AND CUSTOMER ADVANCES
March 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Accrued legal |
$ | 447 | $ | 491 | ||||
Income taxes payable |
11 | 9 | ||||||
Other current liabilities |
2,789 | 2,966 | ||||||
Total other current liabilities |
$ | 3,247 | $ | 3,466 | ||||
Deferred revenue, current |
$ | 5,786 | $ | 5,037 | ||||
Customer advances |
97 | 88 | ||||||
Total deferred revenue, current and customer advances |
$ | 5,883 | $ | 5,125 | ||||
7. LONG-TERM DEFERRED REVENUE
On March 31, 2009, long-term deferred revenue was $17.7 million and included approximately
$16.3 million of deferred revenue from Sony Computer Entertainment. On December 31, 2008, long-term
deferred revenue was $16.9 million and included approximately $15.4 million from Sony Computer
Entertainment.
8. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
Stock Options and Awards
The Companys equity incentive program is a long-term retention program that is intended to
attract, retain, and provide incentives for talented employees, consultants, officers, and
directors and to align stockholder and employee interests. The Company may grant options, stock
appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units (RSUs), performance shares,
performance units, and other stock-based or cash-based awards to employees, directors, and
consultants. Under these programs, stock options may be granted at prices not less than the fair
market value on the date of grant for stock options. These options generally vest over 4 years.
RSUs generally vest over 3 years and expire 10 years from the date of grant. Restricted stock
generally vests over one year. On March 31, 2009, 3,305,612 shares of common stock
were available for grant, and there were 7,325,914 options to purchase shares of common stock
outstanding, as well as 287,787 RSUs and restricted stock outstanding.
General Stock Option Information
The following table sets forth the summary of option activity under the Companys stock option
plans:
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Number | ||||
of Shares | ||||
Outstanding at December 31, 2008 (4,055,180 exercisable at a
weighted average price of $9.35 per share) |
7,009,667 | |||
Granted (weighted average fair value of $2.09 per share) |
1,195,433 | |||
Exercised |
(25,307 | ) | ||
Forfeited and Cancelled |
(853,879 | ) | ||
Outstanding at March 31, 2009 |
7,325,914 | |||
Exercisable at March 31, 2009 |
3,980,188 | |||
Restricted Stock Units
Restricted stock unit activity for the three months ended March 31, 2009 is as follows:
Number | ||||
Beginning balance at December 31, 2008 |
34,500 | |||
Awarded |
246,287 | |||
Released |
(4,000 | ) | ||
Forfeited |
(16,000 | ) | ||
Ending Balance at March 31, 2009 |
260,787 | |||
Expected to Vest (1) |
171,362 | |||
(1) | RSUs expected to vest reflect estimated forfeiture rates. |
The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the market value of the RSUs as of March 31,
2009.
Restricted Stock
Restricted stock activity for the three months ended March 31, 2009 is as follows:
Number | Aggregate | |||||||
of Shares | Intrinsic Value | |||||||
Beginning balance at December 31, 2008 |
| |||||||
Awarded |
27,000 | |||||||
Released |
| |||||||
Forfeited |
| |||||||
Ending Balance at March 31, 2009 |
27,000 | $ | 79,110 | |||||
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The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the market value of the Restricted Stock as of
March 31, 2009.
The assumptions used to value option grants and shares under the ESPP are as follows:
Options | Employee Stock Purchase Plan | |||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended | Three Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
March 31, | March 31, | |||||||||||||||
2009 | 2008 | 2009 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
Expected life (in years) |
5.5 | 5.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | ||||||||||||
Interest rate |
1.8 | % | 2.5 | % | 0.4 | % | 2.2 | % | ||||||||
Volatility |
69 | % | 62 | % | 109 | % | 73 | % | ||||||||
Dividend yield |
| | | |
Total stock-based compensation recognized in the condensed consolidated statements of
operations is as follows:
Three Months Ended | ||||||||
March 31, | ||||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
Income Statement Classifications | (In thousands) | |||||||
Cost of product sales |
$ | 62 | $ | 20 | ||||
Sales and marketing |
117 | 229 | ||||||
Research and development |
448 | 286 | ||||||
General and administrative |
614 | 409 | ||||||
Total |
$ | 1,241 | $ | 944 | ||||
As of March 31, 2009, there was $13.1 million of unrecognized compensation cost, adjusted for
estimated forfeitures, related to non-vested stock options, restricted stock and RSUs granted to
the Companys employees and directors. This cost will be recognized over an estimated
weighted-average period of approximately 3.3 years for options, 0.93 years for restricted stock and
2.88 years for RSUs. Total unrecognized compensation cost will be adjusted for future changes in
estimated forfeitures.
Stock Repurchase Program
On November 1, 2007, the Company announced that its board of directors authorized the
repurchase of up to $50 million of the Companys common stock. The Company may repurchase its stock
for cash in the open market in accordance with applicable securities laws. The timing of and amount
of any stock repurchase will depend on share price, corporate and regulatory requirements, economic
and market conditions, and other factors. The stock repurchase authorization has no expiration
date, does not require the Company to repurchase a specific number of shares, and may be modified,
suspended, or discontinued at any time. During the three months ended March 31, 2009, there were no
stock repurchases under this program.
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9. RESTRUCTURING COSTS AND DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS
The Company accounts for restructuring costs and discontinued operations in accordance with
SFAS No. 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets and SFAS No. 146,
Accounting for Costs Associated with Exit of Disposal Activities. The following table sets forth
the charges and expenses that are included in the restructuring line on the Companys condensed
consolidated Statement of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2009:
December 31, | March 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
2008 | Quarter Ended March 31, | 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||
Restructuring | Add | Deduct Cash | Non-Cash | Restructuring | ||||||||||||||||
Reserve | Charges | Payments | Expenses | Reserve | ||||||||||||||||
($ in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medical workforce reductions |
$ | | 166 | | | $ | 166 | |||||||||||||
Touch workforce reductions |
247 | 481 | 317 | (1 | ) | 410 | ||||||||||||||
Other |
15 | | 3 | | 12 | |||||||||||||||
Total |
$ | 262 | $ | 647 | $ | 320 | $ | (1 | ) | $ | 588 | |||||||||
On March 2, 2009, the Company announced that it was relocating its Medical business operations
from Gaithersburg, Maryland to San Jose, California. The Company had workforce reductions that were
recorded as Medical segment restructuring charges for the three months ended March 31, 2009.
Workforce reduction costs consisting of severance benefits of $166,000 are included in accrued
compensation on the Companys condensed consolidated balance sheet. In addition, the Company
expects to record approximately $200,000 of workforce reduction costs relating to the remaining
service period of these Medical division employees for the three months ended June 30, 2009,
bringing the cumulative total to $366,000. All of the severance benefits are expected to be paid in
the second or third quarter of 2009 with the exception of certain COBRA costs that will be paid by
the end of 2009. The Company will also incur costs in the remainder of 2009 for temporary housing,
the closing down of the Gaithersburg, Maryland facility, and the movement of operations to the San
Jose facility.
On November 17, 2008, the Company announced that it would divest its 3D product line which was
part of its Touch segment. The Companys 3D product line consisted of a variety of products in the
area of 3D digitizing, 3D measurement and inspection, and 3D interaction and included products such
as MicroScribe digitizers, the CyberGlove family of products, and a SoftMouse 3D positioning
device. In the three months ended March 31, 2009, the company sold its CyberGlove and SoftMouse 3D
positioning device product families including inventory, fixed assets, and intangibles and has
recorded a gain on sale of discontinued operations of $167,000. Negotiated consideration received for
the sales was $900,000 in the form of cash and notes receivable and the proceeds are being
recognized when they are received. The Company has abandoned all other 3D operations. Accordingly,
the operations of the 3D product line have been classified as discontinued operations, net of
income tax, in the condensed consolidated statement of operations.
Revenues included in discontinued operations of the 3D product line were $531,000 and $1.2
million for the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, respectively. The assets sold
consisted primarily of intangibles that had no carrying value on the Companys books at the time of
sale.
In addition, for the first three months of 2009, there were reorganizations in the Companys
Touch segment due to business changes causing workforce reductions that have been recorded as
accrued compensation in the companys condensed consolidated balance sheet and restructuring
charges in the statement of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2009.
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10. INTEREST INCOME
The Company has accounted for payments from Sony Computer Inc. due under a license entered in
with them in 2007 in accordance with APB No. 21. Under APB No. 21, the Company determined the
present value of $22.5 million of payments from them due over the three years ended December 31,
2009 to equal $20.2 million. The Company is accounting for the difference of $2.3 million as
interest income which is being recognized in the income statement as each quarterly payment
installment becomes due.
11. INCOME TAXES
For the three months ended March 31, 2009, the Company recorded an income tax expense of
$91,000 on a pre-tax loss from continuing operations of $7.8 million, yielding an effective tax
rate of 1.2%. For the three months ended March 31, 2008, the Company recorded an income tax benefit
of $1.2 million on a pre-tax loss from continuing operations of $4.1 million, yielding an effective
tax rate of (29.3)%. The effective tax rate differs from the statutory rate primarily due to
certain permanent items and foreign withholding taxes. The income tax provision or benefit for the
three months ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, are as a result of applying the estimated annual
effective tax rate to loss from continuing operations before taxes, adjusted for certain discrete
items which are fully recognized in the period they occur.
The Company adopted FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes
an interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109, (FIN 48), regarding accounting for uncertain tax
benefits, on January 1, 2007. As of March 31, 2009, the Company has unrecognized tax benefits of
approximately $647,000, including interest of $20,000. The total amount of unrecognized tax
benefits that would affect the Companys effective tax rate, if recognized, is $219,000. There
were no material changes in the amount of unrecognized tax benefits during the quarter ended March
31, 2009. The Company does not expect any material changes to its liability for unrecognized tax
benefits during the next twelve months. The Companys policy is to account for interest and
penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax provision.
Because the Company has net operating loss and credit carryforwards, there are open statutes
of limitations in which federal, state, and foreign taxing authorities may examine the Companys
tax returns for all years from 1993 through the current period.
During 2008, the Company recorded a valuation allowance for the entire deferred tax asset as a
result of uncertainties regarding the realization of the asset balance due to losses in fiscal
2008, the variability of operating results, and near term projected results. In the event that the
Company determines the deferred tax assets are realizable, an adjustment to the valuation allowance
may increase income in the period such determination is made. The valuation allowance does not
impact the Companys ability to utilize the underlying net operating loss carryforwards.
The net tax benefits from employee stock option transactions were approximately $0 and
$108,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, respectively, and are
reflected as an increase to additional paid-in capital. The Company includes only the direct tax
effects of employee stock incentive plans in calculating this increase to additional paid-in
capital.
12. NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE
The following is a reconciliation of the numerators and denominators used in computing basic
and diluted net income (loss) per share (in thousands, except per share amounts):
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Three Months Ended | ||||||||
March 31 | ||||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
Numerator: |
||||||||
Loss from continuing operations |
$ | (7,861 | ) | $ | (2,907 | ) | ||
Gains from discontinued operations |
402 | 322 | ||||||
Net loss |
$ | (7,459 | ) | $ | (2,585 | ) | ||
Denominator: |
||||||||
Shares used in computation, basic and diluted
(weighted average common shares outstanding) |
27,924 | 30,478 | ||||||
Basic and diluted net loss per share: |
||||||||
Continuing operations |
$ | (0.28 | ) | $ | (0.09 | ) | ||
Discontinued operations |
0.01 | 0.01 | ||||||
Total |
$ | (0.27 | ) | $ | (0.08 | ) | ||
As of March 31, 2009 and 2008, the Company had securities outstanding that could potentially
dilute basic earnings per share in the future, but these were excluded from the computation of
diluted net loss per share in the periods presented since their effect would have been
anti-dilutive. These outstanding securities consisted of the following:
March 31, | March 31, | |||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
Outstanding stock options |
7,325,914 | 6,840,918 | ||||||
Restricted Stock and RSUs |
287,787 | | ||||||
Warrants |
431,243 | 436,772 |
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13. COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
The following table sets forth the components of comprehensive income (loss):
Three Months Ended | ||||||||
March 31, | ||||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | (7,459 | ) | $ | (2,585 | ) | ||
Change in unrealized losses on short-term investments |
(2 | ) | (7 | ) | ||||
Foreign currency translation adjustment |
(67 | ) | (12 | ) | ||||
Total comprehensive income (loss) |
$ | (7,528 | ) | $ | (2,604 | ) | ||
14. SEGMENT REPORTING, GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, AND SIGNIFICANT CUSTOMERS
The Company develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of hardware and software
technologies that more fully engage users sense of touch when operating digital devices. The
Company focuses on the following target application areas: automotive, consumer electronics,
entertainment, gaming, and commercial and industrial controls; medical simulation; mobile
communications; and three-dimensional design and interaction. The Company manages these application
areas under two operating and reportable segments: 1) Touch (previously called Immersion Computing,
Entertainment, and Industrial), and 2) Medical. The Company determines its reportable segments in
accordance with criteria outlined in SFAS No. 131, Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and
Related Information.
The Companys chief operating decision maker (CODM) is the Chief Executive Officer. The CODM
allocates resources to and assesses the performance of each operating segment using information
about its revenue and operating profit before interest and taxes. A description of the types of
products and services provided by each operating segment is as follows:
Touch develops and markets touch feedback technologies that enable software and hardware developers
to enhance realism and usability in their mobility, computing, entertainment, and industrial
applications. Medical develops, manufactures, and markets medical training simulators that recreate
realistic healthcare environments.
The following tables display information about the Companys reportable segments:
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Three Months Ended | ||||||||
March 31 | ||||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Revenues: |
||||||||
Touch |
$ | 4,475 | $ | 3,962 | ||||
Medical |
2,538 | 3,008 | ||||||
Intersegment eliminations |
(35 | ) | (41 | ) | ||||
Total |
$ | 6,978 | $ | 6,929 | ||||
Net Income (Loss): |
||||||||
Touch |
$ | (4,300 | ) | $ | (1,410 | ) | ||
Medical |
(3,158 | ) | (1,158 | ) | ||||
Intersegment eliminations |
(1 | ) | (17 | ) | ||||
Total |
$ | (7,459 | ) | $ | (2,585 | ) | ||
March 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Total Assets: |
||||||||
Touch |
$ | 129,079 | $ | 129,674 | ||||
Medical |
9,223 | 10,706 | ||||||
Intersegment eliminations |
(31,004 | ) | (27,189 | ) | ||||
Total |
$ | 107,298 | $ | 113,191 | ||||
15. CONTINGENCIES
In re Immersion Corporation
The Company is involved in legal proceedings relating to a class action lawsuit filed on
November 9, 2001 in the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, In re Immersion
Corporation Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation, No. Civ. 01-9975 (S.D.N.Y.), related to
In re Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation, No. 21 MC 92 (S.D.N.Y.). The named defendants
are the Company and three of its current or former officers or directors (the Immersion
Defendants), and certain underwriters of its November 12, 1999 initial public offering (IPO).
Subsequently, two of the individual defendants stipulated to a dismissal without prejudice.
The operative amended complaint is brought on purported behalf of all persons who purchased
the Companys common stock from the date of the Companys IPO through December 6, 2000. It alleges
liability under Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, on the grounds that the registration statement for the IPO did
not disclose that: (1) the underwriters agreed to allow certain customers to purchase shares in the
IPO in exchange for
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excess commissions to be paid to the underwriters; and (2) the underwriters
arranged for certain customers to purchase additional shares in the aftermarket at predetermined
prices. The complaint also appears to allege that false or misleading analyst reports were issued.
The complaint does not claim any specific amount of damages.
Similar allegations were made in other lawsuits challenging over 300 other initial public
offerings and follow-on offerings conducted in 1999 and 2000. The cases were consolidated for
pretrial purposes. On February 19, 2003, the District Court ruled on all defendants motions to
dismiss. The motion was denied as to claims under the Securities Act of 1933 in the case involving
Immersion as well as in all other cases (except for 10 cases). The motion was denied as to the claim
under Section 10(b) as to the Company, on the basis that the complaint alleged that the Company had made
acquisition(s) following the IPO. The motion was granted as to the claim under Section 10(b), but denied
as to the claim under Section 20(a), as to the remaining individual defendant.
In September 2008, all of the parties to the lawsuits reached a settlement, subject to
documentation and approval of the District Court. The Immersion Defendants would not be required
to contribute to the settlement. Subsequently, an underwriter defendant filed for bankruptcy and
other underwriter defendants were acquired. On April 2, 2009, final documentation evidencing the
settlement was presented to the District Court for approval. If the settlement is not approved by
the District Court, the Company intends to defend the lawsuit vigorously.
Other Contingencies
From time to time, the Company receives claims from third parties asserting that the Companys
technologies, or those of its licensees, infringe on the other parties intellectual property
rights. Management believes that these claims are without merit. Additionally, periodically, the
Company is involved in routine legal matters and contractual disputes incidental to its normal
operations. In managements opinion, the resolution of such matters will not have a material
adverse effect on the Companys consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or
liquidity.
In the normal course of business, the Company provides indemnifications of varying scope to
customers against claims of intellectual property infringement made by third parties arising from
the use of the Companys intellectual property, technology, or products. Historically, costs
related to these guarantees have not been significant, and the Company is unable to estimate the
maximum potential impact of these guarantees on its future results of operations.
As permitted under Delaware law, the Company has agreements whereby it indemnifies its
officers and directors for certain events or occurrences while the officer or director is, or was,
serving at its request in such capacity. The term of the indemnification period is for the
officers or directors lifetime. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could
be required to make under these indemnification agreements is unlimited; however, the Company
currently has director and officer insurance coverage that limits its exposure and enables it to
recover a portion of any future amounts paid. Management believes the estimated fair value of these
indemnification agreements in excess of applicable insurance coverage is indeterminable.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties.
Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as anticipates, believes, expects,
intends, may, will, and other similar expressions. However, these words are not the only
way we identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements, which refer to
expectations, projections, or other characterizations
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of future events, or circumstances, are
forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the
forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those set forth below in
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Risk
Factors, those described elsewhere in this report, and those described in our other reports filed
with the SEC. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements,
which speak only as of the date of this report, and we undertake no obligation to update these
forward-looking statements after the filing of this report. You are urged to review carefully and
consider our various disclosures in this report and in our other reports publicly disclosed or
filed with the SEC that attempt to advise you of the risks and factors that may affect our
business.
OVERVIEW
We are a leading provider of haptic technologies that allow people to use their sense of touch
more fully when operating a wide variety of digital devices. To achieve this heightened
interactivity, we develop and manufacture or license a wide range of hardware and software
technologies and products. While we believe that our technologies are broadly applicable, we are
currently focusing our marketing and business development activities on the following target
application areas: automotive, consumer electronics, entertainment, gaming, and commercial and
industrial controls; medical simulation; and mobile communications. We manage these application
areas under two operating and reportable segments: 1) Touch and 2) Medical.
In some markets, such as video console gaming, mobile phones, and automotive controls, we
license our technologies to manufacturers who use them in products sold under their own brand
names. In other markets, such as medical simulation we sell products manufactured under our own
brand name through direct sales to end users, distributors, OEMs, or value-added resellers. From
time to time, we also engage in development projects for third parties. In the three months ended
March 31, 2009, the Company divested its 3D product line which was part of its Touch segment. It
ceased operations of the 3D product line and sold its CyberGlove and SoftMouse 3D positioning
device product families. The Company has abandoned all other 3D operations.
Our objective is to drive adoption of our touch technologies across markets and applications
to improve the user experience with digital devices and systems. We and our wholly owned
subsidiaries hold over 700 issued or pending patents in the U.S. and other countries, covering
various aspects of hardware and software technologies.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based
upon our condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with
GAAP. The preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements requires management to
make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues,
expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we
evaluate our estimates and assumptions, including those related to revenue recognition, stock-based
compensation, bad debts, inventory reserves, short-term investments, warranty obligations, patents
and intangible assets, contingencies, and litigation. We base our estimates and assumptions on
historical experience and on various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the
circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values
of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may
differ from these estimates and assumptions.
We believe the following are our most critical accounting policies as they require our
significant judgments and estimates in the preparation of our condensed consolidated financial
statements:
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenues in accordance with applicable accounting standards, including SAB No.
104, EITF No. 00-21, SOP No. 81-1 and SOP No. 97-2. Revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence
of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or service has been rendered, the fee is fixed and
determinable,
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and collectability is probable. We derive our revenues from three principal sources:
royalty and license fees, product sales, and development contracts.
Royalty and license revenue We recognize royalty and license revenue based on royalty
reports or related information received from the licensee as well as time-based licenses of our
intellectual property portfolio. Up-front payments under license agreements are deferred and
recognized as revenue either based on the royalty reports received or amortized over the license
period depending on the nature of the agreement. Advance payments under license agreements that
also require us to provide future services to the licensee are generally deferred and recognized
over the service period when VSOE related to the value of the services does not exist. These
services are not essential to the functionality of the license agreement.
We generally recognize revenue from our licensees under one or a combination of the following
license models:
License revenue model | Revenue recognition | |
Perpetual license of
intellectual property portfolio
based on per unit royalties, no
services contracted.
|
Based on royalty reports received from licensees. No further obligations to licensee exist. | |
Time-based license of
intellectual property portfolio
with up-front payments and/or
annual minimum royalty
requirements, no services
contracted. Licensees have
certain rights to updates to
the intellectual property
portfolio during the contract
period.
|
Based on straight-line amortization of annual minimum/up-front payment recognized over contract period or annual minimum period. | |
Perpetual license of
intellectual property portfolio
or technology license along
with contract for development
work.
|
Based on proportional performance method over the service period or completed performance method. | |
License of software or
technology, no modification
necessary, no services
contracted.
|
Up-front revenue recognition based on SOP No. 97-2 criteria or SAB No. 104, as applicable. |
Individual contracts may have characteristics that do not fall within a specific license model
or may have characteristics of a combination of license models. Under those circumstances, we
recognize revenue in accordance with SAB No. 104, EITF No. 00-21, SOP No. 81-1, and SOP No. 97-2,
as amended, to guide the accounting treatment for each individual contract. See also the
discussions regarding Multiple element arrangements below. If the information received from our
licensees regarding royalties is incorrect or inaccurate, our revenues in future periods may be
adversely affected. To date, none of the information we have received from our licensees has caused
any material reduction in future period revenues.
Product sales We recognize revenues from product sales when the product is shipped, provided
the other revenue recognition criteria are met, including that collection is determined to be
probable and no significant obligation remains. We sell our products with warranties ranging from
three to sixty months. We record the estimated warranty costs during the quarter the revenue is
recognized. Historically, warranty-related costs and related accruals have not been significant. We
offer a general right of return on the MicroScribe product line for 14 days after purchase. We
recognize revenue at the time of shipment of a
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MicroScribe digitizer and provide an accrual for
potential returns based on historical experience. We offer no other general right of return on our
products.
Development contracts and other revenue Development contracts and other revenue is comprised
of professional services (consulting services and/or development contracts), customer support, and
extended warranty contracts. Development contract revenues are recognized under the proportional
performance accounting method based on physical completion of the work to be performed or completed
performance method. Losses on contracts are recognized when determined. Revisions in estimates are
reflected in the period in which the conditions become known. Customer support and extended
warranty contract revenue is recognized ratably over the contractual period.
Multiple element arrangements We enter into revenue arrangements in which the customer
purchases a combination of patent, technology, and/or software licenses, products, professional
services, support, and extended warranties (multiple element arrangements). When VSOE of fair value
exists for all elements, we allocate revenue to each element based on the relative fair value of
each of the elements. If vendor specific objective evidence or other objective evidence of fair
value does not exist, the revenue is generally recorded over the term of the contract.
Our revenue recognition policies are significant because our revenues are a key component of
our results of operations. In addition, our revenue recognition determines the timing of certain
expenses, such as commissions and royalties. Revenue results are difficult to predict, and any
shortfall in revenue or delay in recognizing revenue could cause our operating results to vary
significantly from quarter to quarter and could result in greater or future operating losses.
Stock-based Compensation
We account for stock-based compensation in accordance with SFAS No. 123R. We accounted for
stock-based compensation using the modified-prospective method, under which prior periods are not
revised for comparative purposes. Under the fair value recognition provisions of this statement,
stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award
and is recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is
the vesting period.
Valuation and amortization method We use the Black-Scholes model, single-option approach to
determine the fair value of stock options, and ESPP shares. All share-based payment awards are
amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods of the awards, which are
generally the vesting periods. The determination of the fair value of stock-based payment awards on
the date of grant using an option-pricing model is affected by our stock price as well as
assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables. These variables include actual
and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors that impact the expected term and forfeiture
rates, our expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards, risk-free interest rate,
and expected dividends.
Expected term We estimate the expected term of options granted by calculating the average
term from our historical stock option exercise experience. We used the simplified method as
prescribed by SAB No. 110 for options granted prior to January 1, 2008.
Expected volatility We estimate the volatility of our common stock taking into consideration
our historical stock price movement and our expected future stock price trends based on known or
anticipated events.
Risk-free interest rate We base the risk-free interest rate that we use in the option
pricing model on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with remaining terms similar to the expected term
on the options.
Expected dividend We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future
and therefore use an expected dividend yield of zero in the option pricing model.
Forfeitures We are required to estimate future forfeitures at the time of grant and revise
those estimates in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. We record
stock-based compensation expense only for those awards that are expected to vest. We estimate our
forfeiture rate based on anticipated future trends in pre-vesting options and awards forfeitures
and recent historical data.
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If factors change and we employ different assumptions for estimating stock-based compensation
expense in future periods, or if we decide to use a different valuation model, the future periods
may differ significantly from what we have recorded in the current period and could materially
affect our operating results.
The Black-Scholes model was developed for use in estimating the fair value of traded options
that have no vesting restrictions and are fully transferable, characteristics not present in our
option grants and ESPP shares. Existing valuation models, including the Black-Scholes and lattice
binomial models, may not provide reliable measures of the fair values of our stock-based
compensation. Consequently, there is a risk that our estimates of the fair values of our
stock-based compensation awards on the grant dates may bear little resemblance to the actual values
realized upon the exercise, expiration, early termination, or forfeiture of those stock-based
payments in the future. Certain stock-based payments, such as employee stock options, may expire
and be worthless or otherwise result in zero intrinsic value as compared to the fair values
originally estimated on the grant date and reported in our financial statements. Alternatively,
value may be realized from these instruments that are significantly higher than the fair values
originally estimated on the grant date and reported in our financial statements. There currently is
no market-based mechanism or other practical application to verify the reliability and accuracy of
the estimates stemming from these valuation models, nor is there a means to compare and adjust the
estimates to actual values.
See Note 8 to the condensed consolidated financial statements for further information
regarding the SFAS No. 123R disclosures.
Accounting for Income Taxes
We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method,
income tax expense is recognized for the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current
year. In addition, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax
consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and
liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Valuation allowances are
established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized and
are reversed at such time that realization is believed to be more likely than not. Management must
make assumptions, judgments, and estimates to determine our current provision for income taxes and
also our deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance to be recorded against a
deferred tax asset.
Our judgments, assumptions, and estimates relative to the current provision for income tax
take into account current tax laws, our interpretation of current tax laws, and possible outcomes
of current and future audits conducted by foreign and domestic tax authorities. We have established
reserves for income taxes to address potential exposures involving tax positions that could be
challenged by tax authorities. Although we believe our judgments, assumptions, and estimates are
reasonable, changes in tax laws or our interpretation of tax laws and any future tax audits could
significantly impact the amounts provided for income taxes in our condensed consolidated financial
statements.
Our assumptions, judgments, and estimates relative to the value of a deferred tax asset take
into account predictions of the amount and category of future taxable income, such as income from
operations or capital gains income. Actual operating results and the underlying amount and category
of income in future years could render inaccurate our current assumptions, judgments, and estimates
of recoverable net deferred taxes. Any of the assumptions, judgments, and estimates mentioned above
could cause our actual income tax obligations to differ from our estimates, thus materially
impacting our financial position and results of operations.
Short-term Investments
Our short-term investments consist primarily of highly liquid commercial paper and government
agency securities purchased with an original or remaining maturity of greater than 90 days on the
date of purchase. We classify all debt securities with readily determinable market values as
available-for-sale in accordance with SFAS No. 115, Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt
and Equity Securities. Even though the stated maturity dates of these debt securities may be one
year or more beyond the balance sheet date, we have classified all debt securities as short-term
investments in accordance with Accounting
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Research Bulletin No. 43, Chapter 3A, Working
CapitalCurrent Assets and Current Liabilities, as they are reasonably expected to be realized in
cash or sold within one year. These investments are carried at fair market value with unrealized
gains and losses considered to be temporary in nature reported as a separate component of other
comprehensive income (loss) within stockholders equity.
We follow the guidance provided by FSP 115-1/124-1 and EITF No. 03-01 The Meaning of
Other-Than-Temporary Impairment and Its Application to Certain Investments to assess whether our
investments with unrealized loss positions are other than temporarily impaired. Realized gains and
losses and declines in value judged to be other than temporary are determined based on the specific
identification method and are reported in the condensed consolidated statement of operations.
Factors considered in determining whether a loss is temporary include the length of time and extent
to which fair value has been less than the cost basis, the financial condition and near-term
prospects of the investee, and our intent and ability to hold the investment for a period of time
sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in market value.
Effective January 1, 2008, we adopted the provisions of SFAS No. 157, which defines fair
value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and expands disclosures about fair value
measurements required under other accounting pronouncements. SFAS No. 157 clarifies that fair value
is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to
transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. SFAS No. 157 also
requires that a fair value measurement reflect the assumptions market participants would use in
pricing an asset or liability based on the best information available. Assumptions include the
risks inherent in a particular valuation technique (such as a pricing model) and/or the risks
inherent in the inputs to the model.
SFAS No. 157 establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation
techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted
quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1 measurements) and the
lowest priority to unobservable inputs (level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value
hierarchy under SFAS No. 157 are described below:
Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement
date for identical unrestricted assets or liabilities;
Level 2: Quoted prices in markets that are less active or financial instruments for which all
significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly;
Level 3: Prices or valuations that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value
measurement and unobservable.
A financial instruments level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of
any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
In February 2008, the Financial FASB issued FSP No. 157-2 that delays the effective date of
SFAS No. 157 for nonfinancial assets and nonfinancial liabilities, except for items that are
recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis (at least
annually) until fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008. The delay is intended to allow the
FASB and constituents additional time to consider the effect of various implementation issues that
have arisen, or that may arise, from the application of SFAS No. 157. We continue to assess the
impact that FSP 157-2 may have on our consolidated financial position and results of operations.
The Company does not believe that FSP 157-2 will have a material impact on its condensed
consolidated financial statements.
Further information about the application of SFAS No. 157 may be found in Note 2 to the
condensed consolidated financial statements.
Recovery of Accounts Receivable
We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from our review
and assessment of our customers ability to make required payments. If the financial condition of
one or more
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of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to
make payments, additional allowances might be required.
Inventory Reserves
We reduce our inventory value for estimated obsolete and slow moving inventory in an amount
equal to the difference between the cost of inventory and the net realizable value based upon
assumptions about future demand and market conditions. If actual future demand and market
conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory write-downs
may be required.
Product Return and Warranty Reserves
We provide for estimated costs of future anticipated product returns and warranty obligations
based on historical experience when related revenues are recognized, and we defer warranty-related
revenue over the related warranty term.
Intangible Assets
We have acquired patents and other intangible assets. In addition, we capitalize the external
legal and filing fees associated with patents and trademarks. We assess the recoverability of our
intangible assets, and we must make assumptions regarding estimated future cash flows and other
factors to determine the fair value of the respective assets that affect our consolidated financial
statements. If these estimates or related assumptions change in the future, we may be required to
record impairment charges for these assets. We amortize our intangible assets related to patents
and trademarks, over their estimated useful lives, generally 10 years. Future changes in the
estimated useful life could affect the amount of future period amortization expense that we will
incur. During the first three months of 2009, we capitalized costs associated with patents and
trademarks of $767,000. Our total amortization expense for the same period for all intangible
assets was $376,000.
Restructuring Costs
In connection with our exit activities, we record restructuring charges for employee
termination costs and other exit-related costs. These charges are incurred pursuant to formal plans
developed by management and accounted for in accordance with SFAS No. 146, Accounting for Costs
Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities. The recognition of restructuring charges requires our
management to make judgments and estimates regarding the nature, timing, and amount of costs
associated with the planned exit activity, including move related costs and the fair value, less
selling costs, of property, plant and equipment to be disposed of. Estimates of future liabilities
may change, requiring us to record additional restructuring charges or reduce the amount of
liabilities already recorded. At the end of each reporting period, we evaluate the remaining
accrued balances to ensure their adequacy, that no excess accruals are retained, and that the
utilization of the provisions are for their intended purposes in accordance with developed exit
plans. In the event circumstances change and the provision is no longer required, the provision is
reversed.
The above listing is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all of our accounting
policies. In many cases, the accounting treatment of a particular transaction is specifically
dictated by GAAP, with no need for managements judgment in their application. There are also areas
in which managements judgment in selecting any available alternative would not produce a
materially different result.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2009 AND 2008
The following discussion and analysis includes the Companys results of operations from
continuing operations for the three months ended March 2009 and 2008. A separate discussion of the
3D product line under discontinued operations has been presented following our analysis of continuing
operations. Accordingly, the sales, gross profit, sales and marketing expense, and income tax
provision from our discontinued operations have been aggregated and reported as loss from
discontinued operations and are not a component of the aforementioned continuing operations
discussion.
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Overview
We achieved a 1% increase in revenues from continuing operations during the three months ended
March 31, 2009 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008. The first three months revenue
growth was primarily due to a 9% increase in royalty and license revenues from increased Touch
royalty and license fees mainly from customers that sell mobile devices. The revenue increase also
included a 3% increase in product sales partially offset by a 44% decrease in development contract
revenues. In conjunction with our plan to move our medical operating segment to San Jose and other
workforce reductions in our Touch segment, we had restructuring costs relating to workforce
reductions of $646,000. We divested our 3D product line and recorded a gain of $235,000 from
discontinued operations for the three months ended March 31, 2009 as compared to a gain of $322,000
for the three months ended March 31, 2008. We also had a gain on sale of discontinued operations of
$167,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2009. Our net loss
was $7.5 million for the three
months ended March 31, 2009 compared to a net loss of $2.6 million for the three months ended March
31, 2008.
With our divestiture of the 3D product line, our move of the medical operating segment to San
Jose, and other restructuring efforts, we hope to achieve cost reductions in 2009. In 2009, we
expect to continue to focus on the execution of plans in our established businesses to seek to
increase revenue and make selected investments for product-based solutions for longer-term growth
areas. Our success could be limited by several factors, including the current macro-economic
climate, the timely release of our new products and our licensees products, continued market
acceptance of our products and technology, the introduction of new products by existing or new
competitors, and the cost of ongoing litigation. For a further discussion of these and other risk
factors, see Part II Item 1A Risk Factors.
March 31, | ||||||||||||
REVENUES | 2009 | 2008 | Change | |||||||||
($ In thousands) | ||||||||||||
Three months ended: |
||||||||||||
Royalty and license |
$ | 3,781 | $ | 3,461 | 9 | % | ||||||
Product sales |
2,751 | 2,669 | 3 | % | ||||||||
Development contracts and other |
446 | 799 | (44 | )% | ||||||||
Total Revenue |
$ | 6,978 | $ | 6,929 | 1 | % | ||||||
Three Months Ended March 31, 2009 Compared to Three Months Ended March 31, 2008
Total Revenue Our total revenue from continuing operations for the first three months of
2009 increased by $49,000 or 1% from the first three months of 2008.
Royalty and license revenue Royalty and license revenue is comprised of royalties earned on
sales by our TouchSense licensees and license fees charged for our intellectual property portfolio.
Royalty and license revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2009 was $3.8 million, an
increase of $320,000 or 9% from the three months ended March 31, 2008. The increase in royalty and
license revenue was primarily due to an increase in royalty and license revenue from our Touch
segment from increased shipments by licensees of mobile devices partially offset by decreased
shipments by gaming and automotive licensees. We expect royalty revenue to be a significant component of our revenue
as our technology continues to be included in mobile phone handsets and other mobility devices.
Based on our litigation conclusion and new business agreement entered into with Sony Computer
Entertainment in March 2007, we are recognizing a minimum of $30.0 million as royalty and license
revenue from March 2007 through March 2017, approximately $750,000 per quarter. The revenue from
our third-party peripheral licensees included in royalty and license revenue has also generally
continued to decline primarily due to i) the reduced sales of past generation video console systems
due to the launches of
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the next-generation console models from Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation
3 (PS3), and Nintendo Wii, and ii) the decline in third-party market share of aftermarket game
console controllers due to the launch of next-generation peripherals by manufacturers of console
systems.
Sony has, to date, not yet broadly licensed third parties to produce peripherals of the PS3
system. To the extent Sony discourages or impedes third-party controller makers from making more
PS3 controllers with vibration feedback, our licensing revenue from third-party PS3 peripherals
will continue to be severely limited.
For the Microsoft Xbox 360 video console system launched in November 2005, Microsoft has, to
date, not broadly licensed third parties to produce game controllers. Because our gaming royalties
come mainly from third-party manufacturers, unless Microsoft broadens its licenses to third-party
controller makers, particularly with respect to wireless controllers for Xbox 360, our gaming
royalty revenue may decline. Additionally, Microsoft is now making touch-enabled wheels covered by
its royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to our worldwide portfolio of patents that could
compete with our licensees current or future products for which we earn per unit royalties. For
the Nintendo Wii video console system launched in December 2006, Nintendo has, to date, not yet
broadly licensed third parties to produce game controllers for its Wii game console. Because our
gaming royalties come mainly from third-party manufacturers, unless Nintendo broadens its licenses
to third-party controller makers, our gaming royalty revenue may decline.
In addition, BMW has begun to remove our technology from certain controller systems, which
also caused automotive royalties to decline. We expect that this removal of our technology from
certain controller systems will cause our automotive royalty revenue to decline in the future,
which may be partially offset by new vehicles from other manufacturers brought to market.
Product sales Product sales for the three months ended March 31, 2009 were $2.8 million, an
increase of $82,000 or 3% as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008. The increase in
product sales was primarily due to an increase in medical product sales. Increased medical product
sales was mainly due to increased sales of our endovascular and laparoscopy simulators. This
increase in product sales was a result of pursuing a product growth strategy for our medical
business, which includes leveraging our strategic industry alliances, and expanding international
sales. We expect that the current economic downturn may have a negative effect on capital purchases of
our products in the near term.
Development contract and other revenue Development contract and other revenue is comprised
of revenue on commercial contracts and extended support and warranty contracts. Development
contract and other revenue was $446,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2009, a decrease of
$353,000 or 44% as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008. The decrease was mainly
attributable to a decrease in medical contract revenue of $535,000 due to the completion of work
performed under medical contracts that occurred through the first six months of 2008. Partially
offsetting that decrease was increased revenue recognized on Touch development contracts and
support of $182,000. We do not currently have any government projects in development. We continue
to transition our engineering resources from certain commercial development contract efforts to
product development efforts that focus on leveraging our existing sales and channel distribution
capabilities.
We categorize our geographic information into four major regions: North America, Europe, Far
East, and Rest of the World. In the first three months of 2009, revenue generated in North
America, Europe, Far East, and Rest of the World represented 45%, 29%, 24%, and 2%, respectively, compared to 62%,
23%, 11%, and 4%, respectively, for the first three months of 2008. The shift in revenues among
regions was mainly due to an increase in royalty revenue and medical product revenue from Europe
and the Far East and a decrease in royalty and medical contract revenue in North America and
Medical product revenue from the Rest of the World. We partially attribute increased European and
Far East revenue to the addition of increased international sales and support personnel in 2008.
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March 31, | Change | |||||||||||
COST OF PRODUCT SALES | 2009 | 2008 | ||||||||||
($ In thousands) | ||||||||||||
Three months ended: |
||||||||||||
Cost of product sales |
$ | 1,126 | $ | 1,683 | (33 | )% | ||||||
% of total product revenue |
41 | % | 63 | % |
Cost of Product Sales Our cost of product sales (exclusive of amortization of intangibles)
consists primarily of materials, labor, and overhead. There is no cost of product sales associated
with royalty and license revenue or development contract revenue. Cost of product sales from
continuing operations was $1.1 million, a decrease of $557,000 or 33% for the three months ended
March 31, 2009 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2008. The decrease in cost of
product sales was primarily due to reduced obsolescence expense of $209,000, reduced direct
material costs of $134,000, and reduced overhead costs of $120,000. The decrease in obsolescence
expense was mainly due to lower excess and obsolescence write-off from medical, touch,
and other parts in 2009. The decrease in direct material costs was mainly the result of a product mix
change in medical product sales where we sold a greater percentage of products with higher margins.
Overhead costs decreased mainly as a result of reduced salary expense from decreased headcount.
Cost of product sales decreased as a percentage of product revenue to 41% in the first three months
of 2009 from 63% in the first three months of 2008. This increase is mainly due to the reduced
costs and the change in the product sales mix mentioned above.
March 31, | Change | |||||||||||
OPERATING EXPENSES AND OTHER | 2009 | 2008 | ||||||||||
($ In thousands) | ||||||||||||
Three months ended: |
||||||||||||
Sales and marketing |
$ | 4,760 | $ | 3,136 | 52 | % | ||||||
% of total revenue |
68 | % | 45 | % | ||||||||
Research and development |
$ | 3,904 | $ | 3,229 | 21 | % | ||||||
% of total revenue |
56 | % | 47 | % | ||||||||
General and administrative |
$ | 4,366 | $ | 4,263 | 2 | % | ||||||
% of total revenue |
63 | % | 62 | % | ||||||||
Amortization of intangibles |
$ | 376 | $ | 235 | 60 | % | ||||||
% of total revenue |
5 | % | 3 | % | ||||||||
Restructuring Costs |
$ | 646 | $ | | * | % | ||||||
% of total revenue |
9 | % | * | % |
* | Not meaningful |
Sales and Marketing Our sales and marketing expenses are comprised primarily of employee
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compensation and benefits costs, advertising, public relations, trade shows, brochures, market
development funds, travel, and an allocation of facilities costs. Sales and marketing expenses from
continuing operations were $4.8 million, an increase of
$1.6 million or 52% in the first three
months of 2009 compared to the comparable period in 2008. The increase was primarily due to an
increase in bad debt expense of $571,000 primarily from one customer that has not paid within
terms, increased compensation, benefits, and overhead of $357,000, increased marketing,
advertising, and public relations costs of $291,000, increased consulting costs of $220,000 to
supplement our sales and marketing staff, and increased sales and marketing travel expense of
$171,000. The increased sales and marketing expenses were primarily due to the expansion of our
sales and marketing efforts internationally. We are taking steps to reduce our sales and marketing
expenses, although we expect to continue to focus our sales and marketing efforts on medical,
mobile device, and touchscreen market opportunities to build greater market acceptance for our
touch technologies as well as continue to expand our sales and marketing presence internationally.
Research and Development Our research and development expenses are comprised primarily of
employee compensation and benefits costs, consulting fees, tooling and supplies, and an allocation
of facilities costs. Research and development expenses from continuing operations were $3.9
million, an increase of $675,000 or 21% in the first three months of 2009 compared to the same
period in 2008. The increase was primarily due to increased compensation, benefits, and overhead of
$627,000. The increased compensation, benefits, and overhead expense was primarily due to increased
research and development headcount and increased non-cash stock based compensation charges. We are
taking steps to reduce our research and development expenses, yet we believe that continued
significant investment in research and development is critical to our future success, and we expect
to make significant investments in areas of research and technology development to support future
growth.
General and Administrative Our general and administrative expenses are comprised primarily
of employee compensation and benefits, legal and professional fees, office supplies, travel, and an
allocation of facilities costs. General and administrative expenses from continuing operations were
$4.4 million, an increase of $103,000 or 2% in the first three months of 2009 compared to the same
period in 2008. The increase was primarily due to increased compensation, benefits, and overhead of
$486,000, increased travel of $87,000, increased public company expense of $61,000, and increased
supplies and office expenses of $31,000 partially offset by decreased legal and professional fees
of $588,000. The increased compensation, benefits, and overhead expense was primarily due to
increased general and administrative headcount and increased non-cash stock-based compensation
charges. The decreased legal, professional, and license fee expenses were primarily due to
decreased litigation costs, mainly Microsoft litigation which was settled in 2008; decreased audit,
tax, and accounting fees due to completion of the accounting and valuation for Sony Computer
Entertainment litigation conclusion and patent license; resolution of a routine SEC review of our
prior periodic filings; and reduction of income tax related issues, partially offset by increased
consulting costs. We expect that the dollar amount of general and administrative expenses to
continue to be a significant component of our operating expenses, but we are currently taking steps
to reduce our general and administrative expenses. We will continue to incur costs related to
litigation as we continue to assert our intellectual property and contractual rights and defend
lawsuits brought against us.
Amortization of Intangibles Our amortization of intangibles is comprised primarily of patent
amortization and other intangible amortization. Amortization of intangibles increased by $141,000
or 60% in the first three months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. The increase was
primarily attributable to an increase from the cost and number of new patent costs being amortized
and a revision to how we amortize our patents partially offset by some intangible assets reaching
full amortization.
Restructuring Restructuring costs consist primarily of severance benefits paid in connection
with the reduction of workforce due to severance benefits to be paid as the result of a planned
reduction of
workforce due to the relocation of the Maryland medical business operations to San Jose of
$166,000 and severance benefits to be paid as the result of the reduction of workforce due to
business changes in our Touch segment of $480,000. There were no restructuring charges incurred in
the three months ended March 31, 2008. We expect to record approximately $200,000 of workforce
reduction costs relating to the remaining service period of the Maryland business operations
employees plus additional costs relating to the move and close down of facilities in the second
quarter of 2009.
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Interest and Other Income Interest and other income consist primarily of interest income and
dividend income from cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments and gain on sale of
short-term investments. Interest and other income decreased by $1.1 million in the first three
months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. This was primarily the result of decreased
interest income due to a reduction in cash equivalents and short-term investments and reduced
interest rates on cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments. We expect that the accretion
of interest income from Sony Computer Inc. that was approximately $272,000 in the three months
ended March 31, 2009 and will total approximately $1.3 million in 2009 will be completed at the
end of 2009.
Provision for Income Taxes We recorded a provision for income taxes for the three months
ended March 31, 2009 of $91,000 on pre-tax loss from continuing
operations of $7.8 million,
yielding an effective tax rate of 1.2%. For the three months ended March 31, 2008, we recorded a
benefit for income taxes of $1.2 million on pre-tax loss from continuing operations of $4.1
million, yielding an effective tax rate of (29.3)%. The income tax provision or benefit for the
three months ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008 are arrived at as a result of applying the
estimated annual effective tax rate to cumulative loss before taxes, plus foreign withholding tax
expense, adjusted for certain discrete items which are fully recognized in the period they occur.
Discontinued Operations In the three months ended March 31, 2009, we ceased operations of
the 3D product line and sold both our CyberGlove family of products and SoftMouse 3D positioning
device family of products and has recorded a gain on sale of discontinued operations of $167,000.
Accordingly, the operations of the 3D product line have been classified as discontinued operations
in the condensed consolidated statement of operations. Gain from discontinued operations, net of
tax, decreased by $87,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2009 compared to the same period in
2008, primarily due to the decrease in activity due to the ceasing of 3D operations in the quarter
ended March 31, 2009 resulting in reduced sales volumes and costs and expenses associated with 3D
operations during that period.
SEGMENT RESULTS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2009 AND 2008
Three Months Ended | ||||||||
March 31, | ||||||||
2009 | 2008 | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Revenues: |
||||||||
Touch |
$ | 4,475 | $ | 3,962 | ||||
Medical |
2,538 | 3,008 | ||||||
Intersegment eliminations |
(35 | ) | (41 | ) | ||||
Total |
$ | 6,978 | $ | 6,929 | ||||
Net Income (Loss): |
||||||||
Touch |
$ | (4,300 | ) | $ | (1,410 | ) | ||
Medical |
(3,158 | ) | (1,158 | ) | ||||
Intersegment eliminations |
(1 | ) | (17 | ) | ||||
Total |
$ | (7,459 | ) | $ | (2,585 | ) | ||
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* | Note: Segment information may not be indicative of the financial position or results of operations that would have been achieved had these segments operated as unaffiliated entities. |
Touch segment Revenues from the Touch segment were $4.5 million, an increase of $513,000 or
13% in the first three months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. Royalty and license
revenues increased by $320,000 mainly due to increased shipments by licensees of mobile devices
partially offset by decreased shipments by gaming and automotive licensees. Development contract
revenue increased by $182,000 primarily due to increased development contracts and support. Net
loss for the three months ended March 31, 2009 was
$4.3 million, an increase of $2.9 million
compared to the same period in 2008. The increase was primarily due to an increase in provision for
income taxes of $1.3 million, a decrease in interest and other income of $996,000 mainly due to
reduced interest rates and a reduction in cash equivalents and short-term investments, an increase
of research and development expenses of $603,000, an increase in
restructuring costs of $480,000, an increase in sales and marketing
expenses of $417,000 and an increase in amortization expense of
$140,000. The increases to the net loss were partially offset by increased gross margin of $850,000
due to increased royalty and license revenue and a decrease in general and administrative expenses
of $189,000.
Medical segment Revenues from the Medical segment were $2.5 million, a decrease of $470,000
or 16%, for the first three months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. The decrease was
primarily due to a reduction of medical development contract revenue due to the completion of work
performed under medical contracts that occurred through the first six months of 2008 partially
offset by an increase in product sales mainly due to increased sales of our endovascular and
laparoscopy simulators. Net loss for the three months ended
March 31, 2009 was $3.2 million, an
increase of $2.0 million compared to the same period in 2008. The increase was mainly due to
increased sales and marketing expenses of $1.2 million as the segment expands international sales
and marketing efforts, increased general and administrative expenses of $292,000, a decrease in
gross margin of $261,000 primarily due to reduced development contract revenue, and an increase in
restructuring costs of $166,000.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments consist primarily of money market funds
and highly liquid commercial paper and government agency securities. All of our short-term
investments are classified as available-for-sale under the provisions of SFAS No. 115. The
securities are stated at market value, with unrealized gains and losses reported as a component of
accumulated other comprehensive income, within stockholders equity.
On March 31, 2009, our cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $80.9
million, a decrease of $4.8 million from $85.7 million on December 31, 2008.
In March 2007, we concluded our patent infringement litigation against Sony Computer
Entertainment and we received $97.3 million. Furthermore, we entered into a new business agreement
under which, we are to receive twelve quarterly installments of $1.875 million for a total of $22.5
million beginning on March 31, 2007 and ending on December 31, 2009. As of March 31, 2009, we had
received nine of these installments.
Net cash used in operating activities during the three months ended March 31, 2009 was $3.8
million, a change of $5.5 million from the $1.7 million provided during the three months ended
March 31, 2008. Cash used in operations during the three months ended March 31, 2009 was primarily
the result of a net loss of $7.5 million, a decrease of $1.4 million due to a change in accrued
compensation and other current
liabilities, a decrease of $884,000 due to a change in inventories, and a decrease of $469,000
due to a change in accounts payable. These decreases were offset by a $2.2 million increase due to
a change in accounts receivable and a $1.6 million increase due to a change in deferred revenue and
customer advances. Cash used in operations during the three months ended March 31, 2009 was also
impacted by noncash charges and credits of $2.5 million, including $1.2 million of noncash
stock-based compensation, an increase of $519,000 to allowance for doubtful accounts, $390,000 in
depreciation and amortization, and $376,000 in amortization of intangibles.
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Net cash used in investing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2009 was $24.1
million, compared to the $48.9 million provided by investing activities during the three months
ended March 31, 2008, an increase of $73.0 million. Net cash used in investing activities during
the period consisted of purchases of short-term investments of $34.0 million; $580,000 used to
purchase property and equipment; and a $542,000 increase in intangibles and other assets, primarily
due to capitalization of external patent filing and application costs partially offset by
maturities or sales of short-term investments of $11.0 million.
Net cash provided by financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2009 was
$204,000 compared to $934,000 provided during the three months ended March 31, 2008, or a $730,000
decrease from the prior year. Net cash provided by financing activities for the period consisted
primarily of issuances of common stock and exercises of stock options and warrants in the amount of
$204,000.
We believe that our cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to meet our working capital
needs for at least the next twelve months. We will continue to protect and defend our extensive
intellectual property portfolio across all business segments. We anticipate that capital
expenditures for the year ended December 31, 2009 will total approximately $3.0 million in
connection with anticipated maintenance and upgrades to operations and infrastructure.
Additionally, if we acquire one or more businesses, patents, or products, our cash or capital
requirements could increase substantially. In the event of such an acquisition, or should any
unanticipated circumstances arise that significantly increase our capital requirements, we may
elect to raise additional capital through debt or equity financing. Any of these events could
result in substantial dilution to our stockholders. There is no assurance that such additional
capital will be available on terms acceptable to us, if at all.
SUMMARY DISCLOSURES ABOUT CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND COMMERCIAL COMMITMENTS
The following table reflects a summary of our contractual cash obligations and other
commercial commitments as of December 31, 2008:
2010 and | 2012 and | |||||||||||||||||||
Contractual Obligations | Total | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2014 | |||||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Operating leases |
$ | 3,555 | $ | 928 | $ | 1,250 | $ | 1,094 | $ | 283 | ||||||||||
As discussed in Note 11 to the condensed consolidated financial statements, effective January
1, 2007, we adopted the provisions of FIN 48. On March 31, 2009, we had a liability for
unrecognized tax benefits totaling approximately $647,000, including interest of $20,000. Due to
the uncertainties related to these tax matters, we are unable to make a reasonably reliable
estimate when cash settlement with a taxing authority will occur. Settlement of such amounts could
require the utilization of working capital.
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
See Note 1 to the condensed consolidated financial statements for information regarding the
effect of new accounting pronouncements on our financial statements.
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are exposed to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates and foreign
currency exchange rates. Changes in these factors may cause fluctuations in our earnings and cash
flows. We evaluate and manage the exposure to these market risks as follows:
Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments We have cash equivalents and short-term
investments of $78.5 million as of March 31, 2009. These securities are subject to interest rate
fluctuations. An increase in interest rates could adversely affect the market value of our cash
equivalents and short-term investments.
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A hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest rates
would result in an approximate $289,000 decrease in the fair value of our cash equivalents and
short-term investments as of March 31, 2009.
We limit our exposure to interest rate and credit risk by establishing and monitoring clear
policies and guidelines for our cash equivalents and short-term investment portfolios. The primary
objective of our policies is to preserve principal while at the same time maximizing yields,
without significantly increasing risk. Our investment policy limits the maximum weighted average
duration of all invested funds to 12 months. Our policys guidelines also limit exposure to loss by
limiting the sums we can invest in any individual security and restricting investment to securities
that meet certain defined credit ratings. We do not use derivative financial instruments in our
investment portfolio to manage interest rate risk.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rates A substantial majority of our revenue, expense, and capital
purchasing activities are transacted in U.S. dollars. However, we do incur certain operating costs
for our foreign operations in other currencies but these operations are limited in scope and thus
we are not materially exposed to foreign currency fluctuations. Additionally we have some reliance
on international and export sales that are subject to the risks of fluctuations in currency
exchange rates. Because a substantial majority of our international and export revenues, as well as
expenses, are typically denominated in U.S. dollars, a strengthening of the U.S. dollar could cause
our products to become relatively more expensive to customers in a particular country, leading to a
reduction in sales or profitability in that country. We have no foreign exchange contracts, option
contracts, or other foreign currency hedging arrangements.
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
EVALUATION OF DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Our management evaluated, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief
Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of March 31, 2009. Based on this
evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our
disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of
March 31, 2009 due to the previously reported material
weakness in our internal control over financial reporting with respect to accounting for income
taxes that was disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended
December 31, 2008.
The material weakness we disclosed was in the area of accounting for income taxes. A material
weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial
reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual
or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
In connection with our plan to remediate this material weakness, we have engaged in, and are
continuing to engage in, substantial efforts to improve our internal control over financial
reporting and disclosure controls and procedures related to income tax matters including the
following:
Commencing the First Quarter of 2008, we engaged outside consultants to advise us in areas of
complex tax accounting and to design and implement controls to ensure proper communication with our
personnel to obtain the needed advice and review of tax related accounting and reporting
documentation.
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not
expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal controls will prevent all error
and all fraud. A
control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not
absolute assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a
control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of
controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all
control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues
and instances of fraud, if any within Immersion, have been detected.
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CHANGES IN INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
There were no changes to our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter
ended March 31, 2009 that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect
our internal control over financial reporting.
PART II
OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
In re Immersion Corporation
We are involved in legal proceedings relating to a class action lawsuit filed on November 9,
2001 in the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, In re Immersion Corporation
Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation, No. Civ. 01-9975 (S.D.N.Y.), related to In re
Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation, No. 21 MC 92 (S.D.N.Y.). The named defendants are
Immersion and three of our current or former officers or directors (the Immersion Defendants),
and certain underwriters of our November 12, 1999 initial public offering (IPO). Subsequently,
two of the individual defendants stipulated to a dismissal without prejudice.
The operative amended complaint is brought on purported behalf of all persons who purchased
our common stock from the date of our IPO through December 6, 2000. It alleges liability under
Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, on the grounds that the registration statement for the IPO did not disclose
that: (1) the underwriters agreed to allow certain customers to purchase shares in the IPO in
exchange for excess commissions to be paid to the underwriters; and (2) the underwriters arranged
for certain customers to purchase additional shares in the aftermarket at predetermined prices. The
complaint also appears to allege that false or misleading analyst reports were issued. The
complaint does not claim any specific amount of damages.
Similar allegations were made in other lawsuits challenging over 300 other initial public
offerings and follow-on offerings conducted in 1999 and 2000. The cases were consolidated for
pretrial purposes. On February 19, 2003, the District Court ruled on all defendants motions to
dismiss. The motion was denied as to claims under the Securities Act of 1933 in the case involving
us as well as in all other cases (except for 10 cases). The motion was denied as to the claim under
Section 10(b) as to us, on the basis that the complaint alleged that we had made acquisition(s)
following the IPO. The motion was granted as to the claim under Section 10(b), but denied as to the
claim under Section 20(a), as to the remaining individual defendant.
In September 2008, all of the parties to the lawsuits reached a settlement, subject to
documentation and approval of the District Court. The Immersion Defendants would not be required
to contribute to the settlement. Subsequently, an underwriter defendant filed for bankruptcy and
other underwriter defendants were acquired. On April 2, 2009, final documentation evidencing the
settlement was presented to the District Court for approval. If the settlement is not approved by
the District Court, we intend to defend the lawsuit vigorously.
Immersion Corporation v. Mentice AB, Mentice SA, Simbionix USA Corp., and Simbionix Ltd.
On April 16, 2008, we announced that our wholly owned subsidiary, Immersion Medical, Inc.,
filed lawsuits for patent infringement in the United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Texas against Mentice AB, Mentice SA, Simbionix USA Corp., and Simbionix Ltd (collectively the
Defendants), seeking damages and injunctive relief. On July 11, 2008, Mentice AB and Mentice SA
(collectively, Mentice) answered the complaint by denying the material allegations and alleging
counterclaims seeking
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a judicial declaration that the asserted patents were invalid, unenforceable,
or not infringed. On July 11, 2008, Simbionix USA Corp. and Simbionix Ltd, (collectively,
Simbionix) filed a motion to stay or dismiss the lawsuit, and a motion to transfer venue for
convenience to Ohio. On August 7, 2008, we filed our opposition to both motions filed by
Simbionix. The court has not ruled on the pending motions. On December 2, 2008, the court held a
status conference in which it set a trial date for December 5, 2011 and a claim construction
hearing for June 1, 2011. We intend to vigorously prosecute this lawsuit.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Company Risks
THE UNCERTAIN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT COULD REDUCE OUR REVENUES AND COULD HAVE AN ADVERSE
EFFECT ON OUR FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
The current global economic recession could materially hurt our business in a number of ways
including, longer sales and renewal cycles, delays in adoption of our products, increased risk of
competition for our products, increased risk of inventory obsolescence, higher overhead costs as a
percentage of revenue, risk of nonpayment or delayed payment by our customers, delays in signing or
failing to sign customer agreements, or signing customer agreements at reduced purchase levels. In
addition, our suppliers, customers, potential customers, and business partners are facing similar
challenges, which could materially and adversely affect the level of business they conduct with us.
The current economic downturn may lead to a reduction in corporate, university, or government
budgets for research and development in sectors including the automotive, aerospace, mobility, and
medical sectors, which use our products. Sales of our products may be adversely affected by cuts in
these research and development budgets. Furthermore, a prolonged tightening of the credit markets
could significantly impact our ability to liquidate investments or reduce the rate of return on
investments.
WE HAD AN
ACCUMULATED DEFICIT OF $75 MILLION AS OF MARCH 31, 2009, HAVE A HISTORY OF LOSSES, EXPECT
TO EXPERIENCE LOSSES IN THE FUTURE, AND MAY NOT ACHIEVE OR MAINTAIN PROFITABILITY IN THE FUTURE.
Since 1997, we have incurred losses in all but four quarters. We need to generate
significant ongoing revenue to return to profitability. We anticipate that we will continue to
incur expenses as we:
| continue to develop our technologies; | ||
| increase our sales and marketing efforts; | ||
| attempt to expand the market for touch-enabled technologies and products and change our business; | ||
| protect and enforce our intellectual property; | ||
| pursue strategic relationships; | ||
| acquire intellectual property or other assets from third-parties; and | ||
| invest in systems and processes to manage our business. |
If our revenues grow more slowly than we anticipate or if our operating expenses exceed our
expectations, we may not achieve or maintain profitability.
WE HAVE LITTLE OR NO CONTROL OR INFLUENCE ON OUR LICENSEES DESIGN, MANUFACTURING, PROMOTION,
DISTRIBUTION, OR PRICING OF THEIR PRODUCTS
INCORPORATING OUR TOUCH-ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES, UPON WHICH WE GENERATE ROYALTY REVENUE.
A key part of our business strategy is to license our intellectual property to companies that
manufacture and sell products incorporating our touch-enabling technologies. Sales of those
products generate royalty and license revenue for us. For the three months ended March 31, 2009 and
2008, 54% and 50%, respectively, of our total revenues were royalty and license revenues. We do not
control or influence the design, manufacture, quality control, promotion, distribution, or pricing
of products that are manufactured and sold by our licensees, nor can we control consolidation
within an industry which could either reduce
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the number of licensing products available or reduce
royalty rates for the combined licensees. In addition, we generally do not have commitments from
our licensees that they will continue to use our technologies in current or future products. As a
result, products incorporating our technologies may not be brought to market, achieve commercial
acceptance, or otherwise generate meaningful royalty revenue for us. For us to generate royalty
revenue, licensees that pay us per-unit royalties must manufacture and distribute products
incorporating our touch-enabling technologies in a timely fashion and generate consumer demand
through marketing and other promotional activities. If our licensees products fail to achieve
commercial success or if products are recalled because of quality control problems, our revenues
will not grow and could decline.
Peak demand for products that incorporate our technologies, especially in the video console
gaming and computer gaming peripherals market, typically occurs in the fourth calendar quarter as a
result of increased demand during the year-end holiday season. If our licensees do not ship
products incorporating our touch-enabling technologies in a timely fashion or fail to achieve
strong sales in the fourth quarter of the calendar year, we may not receive related royalty and
license revenue.
WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DERIVE SIGNIFICANT REVENUES FROM MAKERS OF PERIPHERALS FOR
POPULAR VIDEO GAMING PLATFORMS.
A significant portion of our gaming royalty revenues come from third-party peripheral makers
who make licensed gaming products designed for use with popular video game console systems from
Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Video game console systems are closed, proprietary systems, and
video game console system makers typically impose certain requirements or restrictions on
third-party peripheral makers who wish to make peripherals that will be compatible with a
particular video game console system. If third-party peripheral makers cannot or are not allowed
to obtain or satisfy these requirements or restrictions, our gaming royalty revenues could be
significantly reduced. Furthermore, should a significant video game console maker choose to omit
touch-enabling capabilities from its console system or somehow restrict or impede the ability of
third parties to make touch-enabling peripherals, it may very well lead our gaming licensees to
stop making products with touch-enabling capabilities, thereby significantly reducing our gaming
royalty revenues.
Under the terms of our agreement with Sony, Sony receives a royalty-free license to our
worldwide portfolio of patents. This license permits Sony to make, use, and sell hardware,
software, and services covered by our patents in its PS1, PS2, and PS3 systems for a fixed license
payment. Sony has, to date, not yet broadly licensed third parties to produce peripherals of the
PS3 system. To the extent Sony selectively limits its licensing to leading third-party controller
makers to make PS3 controllers with vibration feedback, our licensing revenue from third-party PS3
peripherals will be severely limited. Sony continues to sell the PS2, and our third party
licensees continue to sell licensed PS2 peripherals. However, sales of PS2 peripherals continue to
decline as more consumers switch to the PS3 console system and other next-generation console
systems like the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox 360.
Both the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii include touch-enabling capabilities. For the
Microsoft Xbox 360 video console system launched in November 2005, Microsoft has, to date, not yet
broadly licensed third parties to produce peripherals for its Xbox 360 game console. To the extent
Microsoft does not fully license third parties, Microsofts share of all aftermarket Xbox 360 game
controller sales will likely remain high or increase, which we expect will limit our gaming royalty
revenue. Additionally, Microsoft is now making touch-enabled steering wheel products covered by its
royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to our worldwide portfolio of patents that could
compete with our licensees current products for which we earn per unit royalties.
BECAUSE WE HAVE A FIXED PAYMENT LICENSE WITH MICROSOFT, OUR ROYALTY REVENUE FROM LICENSING IN THE
GAMING MARKET AND OTHER CONSUMER MARKETS HAS DECLINED AND MAY FURTHER DO SO IF MICROSOFT INCREASES
ITS VOLUME OF SALES OF TOUCH-ENABLED GAMING PRODUCTS AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR
OTHER LICENSEES.
Under the terms of our present agreement with Microsoft, Microsoft receives a royalty-free,
perpetual, irrevocable license to our worldwide portfolio of patents. This license permits
Microsoft to make, use, and sell hardware, software, and services, excluding specified products,
covered by our patents. We will not receive any further revenues or royalties from Microsoft under
our current agreement with Microsoft.
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Microsoft has a significant share of the market for
touch-enabled console gaming computer peripherals and is pursuing other consumer markets such as
mobile phones, PDAs, and portable music players. Microsoft has significantly greater financial,
sales, and marketing resources, as well as greater name recognition and a larger customer base than
some of our other licensees. In the event that Microsoft increases its share of these markets, our
royalty revenue from other licensees in these market segments might decline.
WE GENERATE REVENUES FROM TOUCH-ENABLING COMPONENTS THAT ARE SOLD AND INCORPORATED INTO THIRD-PARTY
PRODUCTS. WE HAVE LITTLE OR NO CONTROL OR INFLUENCE OVER THE DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, PROMOTION,
DISTRIBUTION, OR PRICING OF THOSE THIRD-PARTY PRODUCTS.
Part of our business strategy is to sell components that provide touch feedback capability in
products that other companies design, manufacture, and sell. Sales of these components generate
product revenue. However, we do not control or influence the design, manufacture, quality control,
promotion, distribution, or pricing of products that are manufactured and sold by those customers
that buy these components. In addition, we generally do not have commitments from customers that
they will continue to use our components in current or future products. As a result, products
incorporating our components may not be brought to market, meet quality control standards, or
achieve commercial acceptance. If the customers fail to stimulate and capitalize upon market demand
for their products that include our components, or if products are recalled because of quality
control problems, our revenues will not grow and could decline.
THE TERMS IN OUR AGREEMENTS MAY BE CONSTRUED BY OUR LICENSEES IN A MANNER THAT IS INCONSISTENT WITH
THE RIGHTS THAT WE HAVE GRANTED TO OTHER LICENSEES, OR IN A MANNER THAT MAY REQUIRE US TO INCUR
SUBSTANTIAL COSTS TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS OVER LICENSE TERMS.
We have entered into, and we expect to continue to enter into, agreements pursuant to which
our licensees are granted rights under our technology and intellectual property. These rights may
be granted in certain fields of use, or with respect to certain market sectors or product
categories, and may include exclusive rights or sublicensing rights. We refer to the license terms
and restrictions in our agreements, including, but not limited to, field of use definitions, market
sector, and product category definitions, collectively as License Provisions.
Due to the continuing evolution of market sectors, product categories, and licensee business
models, and to the compromises inherent in the drafting and negotiation of License Provisions, our
licensees may, at some time during the term of their agreements with us, interpret License
Provisions in their agreements in a way that is different from our interpretation of such License
Provisions, or in a way that is in conflict with the rights that we have granted to other
licensees. Such interpretations by our licensees may lead to claims that we have granted rights to
one licensee which are inconsistent with the rights that we have granted to another licensee.
In addition, after we enter into an agreement, it is possible that markets and/or products, or
legal and/or regulatory environments, will evolve in a manner that we did not foresee or was not
foreseeable at the time we entered into the agreement. As a result, in any agreement, we may have
granted rights that will preclude or restrict our exploitation of new opportunities that arise
after the execution of the agreement.
IF WE ARE UNABLE TO ENTER INTO NEW LICENSING ARRANGEMENTS WITH OUR EXISTING LICENSEES AND WITH
ADDITIONAL THIRD-PARTY MANUFACTURERS FOR OUR TOUCH-ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES, OUR ROYALTY REVENUE MAY
NOT GROW.
Our revenue growth is significantly dependent on our ability to enter into new licensing
arrangements. Our failure to enter into new or renewal of licensing arrangements will cause our
operating results to suffer. We face numerous risks in obtaining new licenses on terms consistent
with our business objectives and in maintaining, expanding, and supporting our relationships with
our current licensees. These risks include:
| the lengthy and expensive process of building a relationship with potential licensees; | ||
| the competition we may face with the internal design teams of existing and potential licensees; |
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| difficulties in persuading product manufacturers to work with us, to rely on us for critical technology, and to disclose to us proprietary product development and other strategies; | ||
| difficulties with persuading potential licensees who may have developed their own intellectual property or licensed intellectual property from other parties in areas related to ours to license our technology versus continuing to develop their own or license from other parties; | ||
| challenges in demonstrating the compelling value of our technologies in new applications like mobile phones, portable devices, and touchscreens; | ||
| difficulties in persuading existing and potential licensees to bear the development costs and risks necessary to incorporate our technologies into their products; | ||
| difficulties in obtaining new licensees for yet-to-be commercialized technology because their suppliers may not be ready to meet stringent quality and parts availability requirements; | ||
| inability to sign new gaming licenses if the video console makers choose not to license third parties to make peripherals for their new consoles; and | ||
| reluctance of content developers, mobile phone manufacturers, and service providers to sign license agreements without a critical mass of other such inter-dependent supporters of the mobile phone industry also having a license, or without enough phones in the market that incorporate our technologies. |
OUR RECENTLY-ANNOUNCED CONSOLIDATION OF OUR MEDICAL OPERATIONS MAY NOT BE SUCCESSFUL, AND MAY
NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR BUSINESS
In March 2009, we announced that we are consolidating the operations of our Medical line of
business with the rest of our business. As a result of this consolidation, we are moving the
operations of our Medical line of business from Maryland to our headquarters in San Jose,
California. Consolidations and business restructurings involve numerous risks and uncertainties,
including, but not limited to: the potential loss of key employees, customers and business
partners; market uncertainty related to our future business plans; the incurrence of unexpected
expenses or charges; diversion of management attention from other key areas of our business;
negative impacts on employee morale; and other potential dislocations and disruptions to the
business. For the three months ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, our Medical line of business
represented 36% and 43%, respectively, of our total revenues. Accordingly, if we are unable to
manage this consolidation effectively, our overall business and operating results could be
materially and adversely affected.
LITIGATION REGARDING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS COULD BE EXPENSIVE, DISRUPTIVE, AND TIME
CONSUMING; COULD RESULT IN THE IMPAIRMENT OR LOSS OF PORTIONS OF OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY; AND
COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESS.
Intellectual property litigation, whether brought by us or by others against us, has caused us
to expend, and may cause us to expend in future periods, significant financial resources as well as
divert managements time and efforts. From time to time, we initiate claims against third parties
that we believe infringe our intellectual property rights. We intend to enforce our intellectual
property rights vigorously and
may initiate litigation against parties that we believe are infringing our intellectual
property rights if we are unable to resolve matters satisfactorily through negotiation. Litigation
brought to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights could be costly, time-consuming,
and difficult to pursue in certain venues, and distracting to management and potential customers
and could result in the impairment or loss of portions of our intellectual property. In addition,
any litigation in which we are accused of infringement may cause product shipment delays, require
us to develop non-infringing technologies, or require us to enter into royalty or license
agreements even before the issue of infringement has been decided on the merits. If any litigation
were not resolved in our favor, we could become subject to substantial damage claims from third
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parties and indemnification claims from our licensees. We could be enjoined from the continued use
of the technologies at issue without a royalty or license agreement. Royalty or license agreements,
if required, might not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. If a third party claiming
infringement against us prevailed, and we may not be able to develop non-infringing technologies or
license the infringed or similar technologies on a timely and cost-effective basis, our expenses
could increase and our revenues could decrease.
While we attempt to avoid infringing known proprietary rights of third parties, third parties
may hold, or may in the future be issued, patents that could be infringed by our products or
technologies. Any of these third parties might make a claim of infringement against us with respect
to the products that we manufacture and the technologies that we license. From time to time, we
have received letters from companies, several of which have significantly greater financial
resources than we do, asserting that some of our technologies, or those of our licensees, infringe
their intellectual property rights. Certain of our licensees may receive similar letters from these
or other companies from time to time. Such letters or subsequent litigation may influence our
licensees decisions whether to ship products incorporating our technologies. In addition, such
letters may cause a dispute between our licensees and ourselves over indemnification for the
infringement claim. Any of these notices, or additional notices that we or our licensees could
receive in the future from these or other companies, could lead to litigation against us, either
regarding the infringement claim or the indemnification claim.
We have acquired patents from third parties and also license some technologies from third
parties. We must rely upon the owners of the patents or the technologies for information on the
origin and ownership of the acquired or licensed technologies. As a result, our exposure to
infringement claims may increase. We generally obtain representations as to the origin and
ownership of acquired or licensed technologies and indemnification to cover any breach of these
representations. However, representations may not be accurate and indemnification may not provide
adequate compensation for breach of the representations. Intellectual property claims against our
licensees, or us, whether or not they have merit, could be time-consuming to defend, cause product
shipment delays, require us to pay damages, harm existing license arrangements, or require us or
our licensees to cease utilizing the technologies unless we can enter into licensing agreements.
Licensing agreements might not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. Furthermore,
claims by third parties against our licensees could also result in claims by our licensees against
us for indemnification.
The legal principles applicable to patents and patent licenses continue to change and evolve.
Legislation and judicial decisions that make it easier for patent licensees to challenge the
validity, enforceability, or infringement of patents, or make it more difficult for patent
licensors to obtain a permanent injunction, obtain enhanced damages for willful infringement, or to
obtain or enforce patents, may adversely affect our business and the value of our patent portfolio.
Furthermore, our prospects for future revenue growth through our royalty and licensing based
businesses could be diminished.
OUR CURRENT LITIGATION UNDERTAKINGS ARE EXPENSIVE, DISRUPTIVE, AND TIME CONSUMING, AND WILL
CONTINUE TO BE, UNTIL RESOLVED, AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE ARE ULTIMATELY SUCCESSFUL, COULD
ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESS.
We are currently a party to various legal proceedings. Due to the inherent uncertainties of
litigation, we cannot accurately predict how these cases will ultimately be resolved. We
anticipate that the litigation will continue to be costly, and there can be no assurance that we
will be successful or able to recover the costs we incur in connection with the litigation. We
expense litigation costs as incurred and only accrue for costs that have been incurred but not paid
to the vendor as of the financial statement date. Litigation has diverted, and is likely to
continue to divert, the efforts and attention of some of our key management and personnel. As a
result,
until such time as it is resolved, litigation could adversely affect our business. Further,
any unfavorable outcome could adversely affect our business. For additional background on this and
our other litigation, please see Note 15 to the condensed consolidated financial statements and
Item 1. Legal Proceedings of this Part II.
PRODUCT LIABILITY CLAIMS COULD BE TIME-CONSUMING AND COSTLY TO DEFEND AND COULD EXPOSE US TO LOSS.
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Our products or our licensees products may have flaws or other defects that may lead to
personal or other injury claims. If products that we or our licensees sell cause personal injury,
property injury, financial loss, or other injury to our or our licensees customers, the customers
or our licensees may seek damages or other recovery from us. Defending any claims against us,
regardless of merit, would be time-consuming, expensive to defend, and distracting to management,
and could result in damages and injure our reputation, the reputation of our technology and
services, and/or the reputation of our products, or the reputation of our licensees or their
products. This damage could limit the market for our and our licensees products and harm our
results of operations. In addition, if our business liability insurance coverage proves inadequate
or future coverage is unavailable on acceptable terms or at all, our business, operating results,
and financial condition could be adversely affected.
In the past, manufacturers of peripheral products including certain gaming products such as
joysticks, wheels, or gamepads, have been subject to claims alleging that use of their products has
caused or contributed to various types of repetitive stress injuries, including carpal tunnel
syndrome. While we have not experienced any product liability claims to date, we could face such
claims in the future, which could harm our business and reputation. Although our license agreements
typically contain provisions designed to limit our exposure to product liability claims, existing
or future laws or unfavorable judicial decisions could limit or invalidate the provisions.
OUR PRODUCTS ARE COMPLEX AND MAY CONTAIN UNDETECTED ERRORS, WHICH COULD HARM OUR REPUTATION AND
FUTURE PRODUCT SALES.
Any failure to provide high quality and reliable products, whether caused by our own failure
or failures of our suppliers or OEM customers, could damage our reputation and reduce demand for
our products. Our products have in the past contained, and may in the future contain, undetected
errors or defects. Some errors in our products may only be discovered after a product has been
shipped to customers. Any errors or defects discovered in our products after commercial release
could result in loss of revenue, loss of customers, and increased service and warranty costs, any
of which could adversely affect our business.
THE NATURE OF SOME OF OUR PRODUCTS MAY ALSO SUBJECT US TO EXPORT CONTROL REGULATION BY THE U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. VIOLATIONS OF THESE REGULATIONS CAN RESULT IN
MONETARY PENALTIES AND DENIAL OF EXPORT PRIVILEGES.
Our sales to customers in some areas outside the United States could be subject to government
export regulations or restrictions that prohibit us from selling to customers in some countries or
that require us to obtain licenses or approvals to export such products internationally. Delays
or denial of the grant of any required license or approval, or changes to the regulations, could
make it difficult or impossible to make sales to foreign customers in some countries and could
adversely affect our revenue. In addition, we could be subject to fines and penalties for violation
of these export regulations if we were found in violation. Such violation could result in
penalties, including prohibiting us from exporting our products to one or more countries, and could
materially and adversely affect our business.
COMPLIANCE WITH DIRECTIVES THAT RESTRICT THE USE OF CERTAIN MATERIALS MAY INCREASE OUR COSTS AND
LIMIT OUR REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES.
Our products and packaging must meet all safety, electrical, labeling, marking, or other
requirements of the countries into which we ship products or our resellers sell our products. We
have to assess each product and determine whether it complies with the requirements of local
regulations or whether they are exempt from meeting the requirements of the regulations. If we
determine that a product is not exempt and
does not comply with adopted regulations, we will have to make changes to the product or its
documentation if we want to sell that product into the region once the regulations become
effective. Making such changes may be costly to perform and may have a negative impact on our
results of operations. In addition, there can be no assurance that the national enforcement bodies
of the regions adopting such regulations will agree with our assessment that certain of our
products and documentation comply with or are exempt from the regulations. If products are
determined not to be compliant or exempt,
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we will not be able to ship them in the region that
adopts such regulations until such time that they are compliant, and this may have a negative
impact on our revenue and results of operations.
BECAUSE PERSONAL COMPUTER PERIPHERAL PRODUCTS THAT INCORPORATE OUR TOUCH-ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES
CURRENTLY WORK WITH MICROSOFTS OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE, OUR COSTS COULD INCREASE AND OUR
REVENUES COULD DECLINE IF MICROSOFT MODIFIES ITS OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE.
Our hardware and software technologies for personal computer peripheral products that
incorporate our touch-enabling technologies are currently compatible with Microsofts Windows 2000,
Windows Me, Windows XP, and Windows Vista operating systems, including DirectX, Microsofts
entertainment API. Modifications and new versions of Microsofts operating system and APIs
(including DirectX and Windows 7) may require that we and/or our licensees modify the
touch-enabling technologies to be compatible with Microsofts modifications or new versions, and
this could cause delays in the release of products by our licensees. If Microsoft modifies its
software products in ways that limit the use of our other licensees products, our costs could
increase and our revenues could decline.
In addition, Microsoft announced that its new product, Windows 7, will feature a new
multi-touch input function, allowing users to use multiple fingers simultaneously to interact with
touch surfaces. Enabling multi-location touch-feedback will require us to innovate hardware and
software, enable Windows 7 APIs with multi-touch output support, and work with our licensees and
third parties to integrate such features. There are feasibility risks with both hardware and
software, and there may be potential delays in the revenue growth of haptically-enabled multi touch
surfaces.
IF WE ARE UNABLE TO DEVELOP OPEN SOURCE COMPLIANT PRODUCTS, OUR ABILITY TO LICENSE OUR TECHNOLOGIES
AND GENERATE REVENUES WOULD BE IMPAIRED.
We have seen, and believe that we will continue to see, an increase in customers requesting
that we develop products that will operate in an open source environment. Developing open source
compliant products, without imperiling the intellectual property rights upon which our licensing
business depends, may prove difficult under certain circumstances, thereby placing us at a
competitive disadvantage for new product designs. As a result, our revenues may not grow and could
decline.
THE MARKET FOR CERTAIN TOUCH-ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES AND TOUCH-ENABLED PRODUCTS IS AT AN EARLY STAGE
AND IF MARKET DEMAND DOES NOT DEVELOP, WE MAY NOT ACHIEVE OR SUSTAIN REVENUE GROWTH.
The market for certain of our touch-enabling technologies and certain of our licensees
touch-enabled products is at an early stage. If we and our licensees are unable to develop demand
for touch-enabling technologies and touch-enabled products, we may not achieve or sustain revenue
growth. We cannot accurately predict the growth of the markets for these technologies and products,
the timing of product introductions, or the timing of commercial acceptance of these products.
Even if our touch-enabling technologies and our licensees touch-enabled products are
ultimately widely adopted, widespread adoption may take a long time to occur. The timing and amount
of royalties and product sales that we receive will depend on whether the products marketed achieve
widespread adoption and, if so, how rapidly that adoption occurs.
We expect that we will need to pursue extensive and expensive marketing and sales efforts to
educate prospective licensees, component customers, and end users about the uses and benefits of
our technologies and to persuade software developers to create software that utilizes our
technologies. Negative product reviews or publicity about our company, our products, our licensees
products, haptic features, or haptic technology in general could have a negative impact on market
adoption, our revenue, and/or our ability to license our technologies in the future.
IF WE FAIL TO PROTECT AND ENFORCE OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, OUR ABILITY TO LICENSE OUR
TECHNOLOGIES AND GENERATE REVENUES WOULD BE IMPAIRED.
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Our business depends on generating revenues by licensing our intellectual property rights and
by selling products that incorporate our technologies. We rely on our significant patent portfolio
to protect our proprietary rights. If we are not able to protect and enforce those rights, our
ability to obtain future licenses or maintain current licenses and royalty revenue could be
impaired. In addition, if a court or the patent office were to limit the scope, declare
unenforceable, or invalidate any of our patents, current licensees may refuse to make royalty
payments, or they may choose to challenge one or more of our patents. It is also possible that:
| our pending patent applications may not result in the issuance of patents; | |
| our patents may not be broad enough to protect our proprietary rights; and | |
| effective patent protection may not be available in every country in which we or our licensees do business. |
We also rely on licenses, confidentiality agreements, other contractual agreements, and copyright,
trademark, and trade secret laws to establish and protect our proprietary rights. It is possible
that:
| laws and contractual restrictions may not be sufficient to prevent misappropriation of our technologies or deter others from developing similar technologies; and | |
| policing unauthorized use of our patented technologies, trademarks, and other proprietary rights would be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, within and particularly outside of the United States of America. |
CERTAIN TERMS OR RIGHTS GRANTED IN OUR LICENSE AGREEMENTS OR OUR DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTS MAY LIMIT
OUR FUTURE REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES.
While it is not our general practice to sign license agreements that provide exclusive rights
for a period of time with respect to a technology, field of use, and/or geography, or to accept
similar limitations in product development contracts, we have entered into such agreements and may
in the future. Although additional compensation or other benefits may be part of the agreement, the
compensation or benefits may not adequately compensate us for the limitations or restrictions we
have agreed to as that particular market develops. Over the life of the exclusivity period,
especially in markets that grow larger or faster than anticipated, our revenue may be limited and
less than what we could have achieved in the market with several licensees or additional products
available to sell to a specific set of customers.
IF WE FAIL TO DEVELOP NEW OR ENHANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR NEW APPLICATIONS AND PLATFORMS, WE MAY NOT
BE ABLE TO CREATE A MARKET FOR OUR TECHNOLOGIES OR OUR TECHNOLOGIES MAY BECOME OBSOLETE, AND OUR
ABILITY TO GROW AND OUR RESULTS OF OPERATIONS MIGHT BE HARMED.
Our initiatives to develop new and enhanced technologies and to commercialize these
technologies for new applications and new platforms may not be successful or timely. Any new or
enhanced technologies may not be favorably received by consumers and could damage our reputation or
our brand. Expanding our technologies could also require significant additional expenses and strain
our management, financial, and operational resources. Moreover, technology products generally have
relatively short product life cycles and our current products may become obsolete in the future.
Our ability to generate revenues will be harmed if:
| we fail to develop new technologies or products; | |
| the technologies we develop infringe on third-party patents or other third-party rights; | |
| our new technologies fail to gain market acceptance; or |
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| our current products become obsolete or no longer meet new regulatory requirements. |
Our ability to achieve revenue growth also depends on our continuing ability to improve and
reduce the cost of our technologies and to introduce these technologies to the marketplace in a
timely manner. If our development efforts are not successful or are significantly delayed,
companies may not incorporate our technologies into their products and our revenue growth may be
impaired.
WE HAVE LIMITED ENGINEERING, CUSTOMER SERVICE, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, QUALITY ASSURANCE AND
MANUFACTURING RESOURCES TO DESIGN AND FULFILL FAVORABLE PRODUCT DELIVERY SCHEDULES AND SUFFICIENT
LEVELS OF QUALITY IN SUPPORT OF OUR DIFFERENT PRODUCT AREAS. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MAY NOT BE
DELIVERED IN A TIMELY WAY, WITH SUFFICIENT LEVELS OF QUALITY, OR AT ALL, WHICH MAY REDUCE OUR
REVENUE.
Engineering, customer service, technical support, quality assurance, and manufacturing
resources are deployed against a variety of different projects and programs to provide sufficient
levels of quality necessary for channels and customers. Success in various markets may depend on
timely deliveries and overall levels of sustained quality and customer service. Failure to provide
favorable product and program deliverables and quality and customer service levels, or provide them
at all, may disrupt channels and customers, harm our brand, and reduce our revenues.
THE HIGHER COST OF PRODUCTS INCORPORATING OUR TOUCH-ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES MAY INHIBIT OR PREVENT
THEIR WIDESPREAD ADOPTION.
Personal computer and console gaming peripherals, mobile devices, touchscreens, and automotive
and industrial controls incorporating our touch-enabling technologies can be more expensive than
similar competitive products that are not touch-enabled. Although major manufacturers, such as ALPS
Electric Co., BMW, LG Electronics, Logitech, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony have licensed our
technologies, the greater expense of development and production of products containing our
touch-enabling technologies, together with the higher price to the end customer, may be a
significant barrier to their widespread adoption and sale.
THIRD-PARTY VALIDATION STUDIES MAY NOT DEMONSTRATE ALL THE BENEFITS OF OUR MEDICAL TRAINING
SIMULATORS, WHICH COULD AFFECT CUSTOMER MOTIVATION TO BUY.
In medical training, validation studies are generally used to confirm the usefulness of new
techniques, devices, and training methods. For medical training simulators, several levels of
validation are generally tested: content, concurrent, construct, and predictive. A validation study
performed by a third party, such as a hospital, a teaching institution, or even an individual
healthcare professional, could result in showing little or no benefit for one or more types of
validation for our medical training simulators. Such validation study results published in medical
journals could impact the willingness of customers to buy our training simulators, especially new
simulators that have not previously been validated. In addition, customers may be reluctant to
purchase these products if no studies have been published or until a favorable study has been
published, which would negatively impact our revenues from sales of these products.
MEDICAL LICENSING AND CERTIFICATION AUTHORITIES MAY NOT RECOMMEND OR REQUIRE USE OF OUR
TECHNOLOGIES FOR TRAINING AND/OR TESTING PURPOSES AND CERTAIN LEGISLATION THAT MAY ENCOURAGE THE
USE OF SIMULATORS MAY NOT BECOME LAW, SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWING OR INHIBITING THE MARKET PENETRATION OF
OUR MEDICAL SIMULATION TECHNOLOGIES.
Several key medical certification bodies, including the American Board of Internal Medicine
(ABIM), the American Board of Surgery (ABS), and the American College of Cardiology (ACC),
have great influence in recommending particular medical methodologies, including medical training
and
testing methodologies, for use by medical professionals. In the event that the ABIM and the
ACC, as well as other, similar bodies, do not endorse medical simulation products in general, or
our products in particular, as a training and/or testing tool, and in addition in the event that
the H.R. 855 Enhancing
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Simulation Act of 2009 does not pass into law, market penetration for our
products in the medical market could be significantly and adversely affected.
WE HAVE LIMITED DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS AND RESOURCES TO MARKET AND SELL OUR PRODUCTS, AND IF WE ARE
UNSUCCESSFUL IN MARKETING AND SELLING THESE PRODUCTS, WE MAY NOT ACHIEVE OR SUSTAIN PRODUCT REVENUE
GROWTH.
We have limited resources for marketing and selling our products, either directly or through
distributors. To achieve our business objectives, we must build a balanced mixture of sales through
a direct sales channel and through qualified distribution channels. The success of our efforts to
sell products will depend upon our ability to retain and develop a qualified sales force and
effective distribution channels. We may not be successful in attracting and retaining the personnel
necessary to sell and market our products. A number of our distributors are small, specialized
companies and may not have sufficient capital or human resources to support the complexities of
selling and supporting our products. In addition, many of our distributors do not have exclusive
relationships with us and may not devote sufficient time and attention to selling our products.
There can be no assurance that our direct selling efforts will be effective, distributors or OEMs
will market our products successfully or, if our relationships with distributors or OEMs terminate,
that we will be able to establish relationships with other distributors or OEMs on satisfactory
terms, if at all. Any disruption in the distribution, sales, or marketing network for our products
could have a material adverse effect on our product revenues.
IT IS DIFFICULT FOR US TO PREDICT THE SALES VOLUME OF OUR DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS, WHICH MAKES IT
DIFFICULT FOR US TO FORECAST OUR BUSINESS.
The sales volumes for our limited distribution channels are volatile and hard to predict. We
consider forecasts in determining our component needs and our inventory requirements. If the
business in these limited distribution channels fails to meet expectations, or if we fail to
accurately forecast our customers product demands, we may have inadequate or excess inventory of
our products or components or assets that are not realizable, which could adversely affect our
operating results.
THE MARKETS IN WHICH WE PARTICIPATE OR MAY TARGET IN THE FUTURE ARE INTENSELY COMPETITIVE, AND IF
WE DO NOT COMPETE EFFECTIVELY, OUR OPERATING RESULTS COULD BE HARMED.
Our target markets are rapidly evolving and highly competitive. Many of our competitors and
potential competitors are larger and have greater name recognition, much longer operating
histories, larger marketing budgets, and significantly greater resources than we do, and with the
introduction of new technologies and market entrants, we expect competition to intensify in the
future. We believe that competition in these markets will continue to be intense and that
competitive pressures will drive the price of our products and our licensees products downward.
These price reductions, if not offset by increases in unit sales or productivity, will cause our
revenues to decline. If we fail to compete effectively, our business will be harmed. Some of our
principal competitors offer their products or services at a lower price, which has resulted in
pricing pressures. If we are unable to achieve our target pricing levels, our operating results
would be negatively impacted. In addition, pricing pressures and increased competition generally
could result in reduced sales, reduced margins, losses, or the failure of our application suite to
achieve or maintain more widespread market acceptance, any of which could harm our business.
In the medical simulation market, we face competition from Simbionix USA Corporation, Mentice
Corporation, Medical Education Technologies, Inc., and Medical Simulation Corporation. In the
mobility and touchscreen markets, we face competition from internal design teams of existing and
potential OEM customers. As a result of their licenses to our patent portfolios, we could face
competition from Microsoft and Sony.
Our licensees or other third parties may also seek to develop products using our intellectual
property or develop alternative designs that attempt to circumvent our intellectual property or
that they believe do not
require a license under our intellectual property. These potential competitors may have
significantly greater financial, technical, and marketing resources than we do, and the costs
associated with asserting our intellectual property rights against such products and such potential
competitors could be significant.
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Moreover, if such alternative designs were determined by a court
not to require a license under our intellectual property rights, competition from such unlicensed
products could limit or reduce our revenues.
Additionally, if haptic technology gains market acceptance, more research by universities
and/or corporations or other parties may be performed potentially leading to strong intellectual
property positions by third parties in certain areas of haptics or the launch of haptics products
before we commercialize our own technology.
Many of our current and potential competitors, including Microsoft, are able to devote greater
resources to the development, promotion, and sale of their products and services. In addition, many
of our competitors have established marketing relationships or access to larger customer bases,
distributors, and other business partners. As a result, our competitors might be able to respond
more quickly and effectively than we can to new or changing opportunities, technologies, standards,
or customer requirements. Further, some potential customers, particularly large enterprises, may
elect to develop their own internal solutions. For all of these reasons, we may not be able to
compete successfully against our current and future competitors.
WINNING BUSINESS IS SUBJECT TO A COMPETITIVE SELECTION PROCESS THAT CAN BE LENGTHY AND REQUIRES US
TO INCUR SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE, AND WE MAY NOT BE SELECTED.
Our primary focus is on winning competitive bid selection processes, known as design wins,
so that haptics will be included in our customers equipment. These selection processes can be
lengthy and can require us to incur significant design and development expenditures. We may not win
the competitive selection process and may never generate any revenue despite incurring significant
design and development expenditures. Because we typically focus on only a few customers in a
product area, the loss of a design win can sometimes result in our failure to get haptics added to
new generation products. This can result in lost sales and could hurt our position in future
competitive selection processes because we may not be perceived as being a technology leader.
After winning a product design for one of our customers, we may still experience delays in
generating revenue from our products as a result of the lengthy development and design cycle. In
addition, a delay or cancellation of a customers plans could significantly adversely affect our
financial results, as we may have incurred significant expense and generated no revenue. Finally,
if our customers fail to successfully market and sell their equipment it could materially adversely
affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations as the demand for our products
falls.
AUTOMOBILES INCORPORATING OUR TOUCH-ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES ARE SUBJECT TO LENGTHY PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT PERIODS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO PREDICT WHEN AND WHETHER WE WILL RECEIVE AUTOMOTIVE
ROYALTIES.
The product development process for automobiles is very lengthy, sometimes longer than four
years. We may not earn royalty revenue on our automotive technologies unless and until automobiles
featuring our technologies are shipped to customers, which may not occur until several years after
we enter into an agreement with an automobile manufacturer or a supplier to an automobile
manufacturer. Throughout the product development process, we face the risk that an automobile
manufacturer or supplier may delay the incorporation of, or choose not to incorporate, our
technologies into its automobiles, making it difficult for us to predict the automotive royalties
we may receive, if any. After the product launches, our royalties still depend on market acceptance
of the vehicle or the option packages if our technology is an option (for example, a navigation
unit), which is likely to be determined by many factors beyond our control.
WE HAVE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN OUR BUSINESS, AND WE CANNOT ASSURE YOU THAT THESE CHANGES
WILL RESULT IN INCREASED REVENUE OR PROFITABILITY.
Our business has undergone significant changes in recent periods, including the divestiture of
our 3D business, new management, consolidation of our touch, gaming, and mobility businesses,
personnel
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changes, and focus on additional target markets. These changes have required significant
investments of cash and other resources, as well as managements time and attention and have placed
significant strains on our managerial, financial, engineering, or other resources. We cannot
assure you that these efforts will result in growing our business successfully or in increased
operating performance.
OUR INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION EFFORTS SUBJECT US TO ADDITIONAL RISKS AND COSTS.
We intend to expand international activities. International operations are subject to a
number of difficulties and special costs, including:
| compliance with multiple, conflicting and changing governmental laws and regulations; | ||
| laws and business practices favoring local competitors; | ||
| foreign exchange and currency risks; | ||
| difficulty in collecting accounts receivable or longer payment cycles; | ||
| import and export restrictions and tariffs; | ||
| difficulties staffing and managing foreign operations; | ||
| difficulties and expense in enforcing intellectual property rights; | ||
| business risks, including fluctuations in demand for our products and the cost and effort to conduct international operations and travel abroad to promote international distribution and overall global economic conditions; | ||
| multiple conflicting tax laws and regulations; and | ||
| political and economic instability. |
Our international operations could also increase our exposure to international laws and
regulations. If we cannot comply with foreign laws and regulations, which are often complex and
subject to variation and unexpected changes, we could incur unexpected costs and potential
litigation. For example, the governments of foreign countries might attempt to regulate our
products and services or levy sales or other taxes relating to our activities. In addition, foreign
countries may impose tariffs, duties, price controls, or other restrictions on foreign currencies
or trade barriers, any of which could make it more difficult for us to conduct our business.
CERTAIN MEMBERS OF OUR EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM ARE RELATIVELY NEW AND IF THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES
WITH THIS LEADERSHIP TRANSITION IT COULD IMPEDE THE EXECUTION OF OUR BUSINESS STRATEGY.
Various members of our executive management team joined us in 2008 and early 2009. Our success
will depend to a significant extent on their ability to implement a successful strategy, to
successfully lead and motivate our employees, and to work effectively with other members of our
executive management team and board of directors. If this leadership transition is not successful,
our ability to execute our business strategy would be impeded.
WE MIGHT BE UNABLE TO RETAIN OR RECRUIT NECESSARY PERSONNEL, WHICH COULD SLOW THE DEVELOPMENT AND
DEPLOYMENT OF OUR TECHNOLOGIES.
Our ability to develop and deploy our technologies and to sustain our revenue growth
depends upon the continued service of our management and other key personnel, many of whom would be
difficult to
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replace. Management and other key employees may voluntarily terminate their employment
with us at any time upon short notice. The loss of management or key personnel could delay product
development cycles or otherwise harm our business.
We believe that our future success will also depend largely on our ability to attract,
integrate, and retain sales, support, marketing, and research and development personnel.
Competition for such personnel is intense, and we may not be successful in attracting, integrating,
and retaining such personnel. Given the protracted nature of if, how, and when we collect royalties
on new design contracts, it may be difficult to craft compensation plans that will attract and
retain the level of salesmanship needed to secure these contracts. Our equity award program is a
long-term retention program that is intended to attract, retain, and provide incentives for
talented employees, officers and directors, and to align stockholder and employee interests.
Additionally some of our executive officers and key employees hold stock options with exercise
prices above the current market price of our common stock. Each of these factors may impair our
ability to retain the services of our executive officers and key employees. Our technologies are
complex and we rely upon the continued service of our existing personnel to support licensees,
enhance existing technologies, and develop new technologies.
IF OUR FACILITIES WERE TO EXPERIENCE CATASTROPHIC LOSS, OUR OPERATIONS WOULD BE SERIOUSLY HARMED.
Our facilities could be subject to a catastrophic loss such as fire, flood, earthquake, power
outage, or terrorist activity. A substantial portion of our research and development activities,
manufacturing, our corporate headquarters, and other critical business operations are located near
major earthquake faults in San Jose, California, an area with a history of seismic events. An
earthquake at or near our facilities could disrupt our operations, delay production and shipments
of our products or technologies, and result in large expenses to repair and replace the facility.
Our existing insurance may not be adequate for all possible losses. In addition, California has
experienced problems with its power supply in recent years. As a result, we have experienced
utility cost increases and may experience unexpected interruptions in our power supply that could
have a material adverse effect on our sales, results of operations, and financial condition.
Investment Risks
OUR QUARTERLY REVENUES AND OPERATING RESULTS ARE VOLATILE, AND IF OUR FUTURE RESULTS ARE BELOW THE
EXPECTATIONS OF PUBLIC MARKET ANALYSTS OR INVESTORS, THE PRICE OF OUR COMMON STOCK IS LIKELY TO
DECLINE.
Our revenues and operating results are likely to vary significantly from quarter to quarter
due to a number of factors, many of which are outside of our control and any of which could cause
the price of our common stock to decline.
These factors include:
| the establishment or loss of licensing relationships; | ||
| the timing and recognition of payments under fixed and/or up-front license agreements; | ||
| the timing of work performed under development agreements; | ||
| the timing of our expenses, including costs related to litigation, stock-based awards, acquisitions of technologies, or businesses, dispositions and restructurings; | ||
| the timing of introductions and market acceptance of new products and product enhancements by us, our licensees, our competitors, or their competitors; |
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| our ability to develop and improve our technologies; | ||
| our ability to attract, integrate, and retain qualified personnel; | ||
| seasonality in the demand for our products or our licensees products; and | ||
| our ability to build or ship products on a timely basis. |
OUR STOCK PRICE MAY FLUCTUATE REGARDLESS OF OUR PERFORMANCE.
The stock market has experienced extreme volatility that often has been unrelated or
disproportionate to the performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may cause
our stock price to decline regardless of our performance. The market price of our common stock has
been, and in the future could be, significantly affected by factors such as: actual or anticipated
fluctuations in operating results; announcements of technical innovations; announcements regarding
litigation in which we are involved; changes by game console manufacturers to not include
touch-enabling capabilities in their products; new products or new contracts; sales or the
perception in the market of possible sales of large number of shares of our common stock by
insiders or others; stock repurchase activity; changes in securities analysts recommendations;
changing circumstances regarding competitors or their customers; governmental regulatory action;
developments with respect to patents or proprietary rights; inclusion in or exclusion from various
stock indices; and general market conditions. In the past, following periods of volatility in the
market price of a companys securities, securities class action litigation has been initiated
against that company.
PROVISIONS IN OUR CHARTER DOCUMENTS AND DELAWARE LAW COULD PREVENT OR DELAY A CHANGE IN CONTROL,
WHICH COULD REDUCE THE MARKET PRICE OF OUR COMMON STOCK.
Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may have the effect of delaying or
preventing a change of control or changes in our board of directors or management, including the
following:
| our board of directors is classified into three classes of directors with staggered three-year terms; | ||
| only our chairperson of the board of directors, a majority of our board of directors, or 10% or greater stockholders are authorized to call a special meeting of stockholders; | ||
| our stockholders can only take action at a meeting of stockholders and not by written consent; | ||
| vacancies on our board of directors can be filled only by our board of directors and not by our stockholders; | ||
| our restated certificate of incorporation authorizes undesignated preferred stock, the terms of which may be established and shares of which may be issued without stockholder approval; and | ||
| advance notice procedures apply for stockholders to nominate candidates for election as directors or to bring matters before an annual meeting of stockholders. |
In addition, certain provisions of Delaware law may discourage, delay, or prevent someone from
acquiring or merging with us. These provisions could limit the price that investors might be
willing to pay in the future for shares.
WE MAY ENGAGE IN ACQUISITIONS THAT COULD DILUTE STOCKHOLDERS INTERESTS, DIVERT MANAGEMENT
ATTENTION, OR CAUSE INTEGRATION PROBLEMS.
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As part of our business strategy, we have in the past and may in the future, acquire
businesses or intellectual property that we feel could complement our business, enhance our
technical capabilities, or increase our intellectual property portfolio. The pursuit of potential
acquisitions may divert the attention of management and cause us to incur various expenses in
identifying, investigating, and pursuing suitable acquisitions, whether or not they are
consummated.
If we consummate acquisitions through the issuance of our securities, our stockholders could
suffer significant dilution. Acquisitions could also create risks for us, including:
| unanticipated costs associated with the acquisitions; | ||
| use of substantial portions of our available cash to consummate the acquisitions; | ||
| diversion of managements attention from other business concerns; | ||
| difficulties in assimilation of acquired personnel or operations; | ||
| failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquired intellectual property or other assets; | ||
| charges associated with amortization of acquired assets or potential charges for write-down of assets associated with unsuccessful acquisitions; | ||
| potential intellectual property infringement claims related to newly-acquired product lines; and | ||
| potential costs associated with failed acquisition efforts. |
Any acquisitions, even if successfully completed, might not generate significant additional
revenue or provide any benefit to our business.
FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE INTERNAL CONTROLS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 404 OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT COULD HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR BUSINESS AND STOCK PRICE.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires, among other things, that we establish and maintain
internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. We must perform
system and process evaluation and testing of our internal control over financial reporting to allow
management to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, as
required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Our independent registered public accounting
firm is also required to report on our internal control over financing reporting. Our and our
auditors testing may reveal deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting that are
deemed to be material weaknesses and render our internal control over financial reporting
ineffective. We have incurred, and we expect to continue to incur, substantial accounting and
auditing expense and expend significant management time in complying with the requirements of
Section 404. If we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner,
or if we or our independent registered public accounting firm identify deficiencies in our internal
control over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses, the market price of our
stock could decline and we could be subject to investigations or sanctions by the SEC, the NASDAQ
Stock Market, NASDAQ, or other regulatory authorities, or become subject to litigation. To the
extent any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting are identified in
the future, we could be required to expend significant management time and financial resources to
correct such material weaknesses or to respond to any resulting regulatory investigations or
proceedings.
WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT OUR INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING IS CURRENTLY INEFFECTIVE.
As discussed in Part I, Item 4, Controls and Procedures, our management team, under the
supervision and with the participation of our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer,
conducted an
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evaluation of our internal controls as of March 31, 2009. Management concluded that we had a
material weakness in internal controls over financial reporting related to income taxes. We have
subsequently initiated actions that are intended to improve our accounting for income taxes and the
related internal controls. Any continuation of this material weakness in our internal controls over
the accounting for income taxes could impair our ability to report our financial position and
results of operations accurately and in a timely manner.
AS OUR BUSINESS GROWS, SUCH GROWTH MAY PLACE A SIGNIFICANT STRAIN ON OUR MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS
AND, AS A RESULT, OUR BUSINESS MAY SUFFER.
We plan to continue expanding our business, and any significant growth could place a significant
strain on our management systems, infrastructure, and other resources. We recently transitioned
the preparation of all of our internal reporting to upgraded management information systems and are
in the process of implementing this system for all of our subsidiaries. If we encounter problems
with the implementation of these systems, we may have difficulties preparing or tracking internal
information, which could adversely affect our financial results. We will need to continue to invest
the necessary capital to upgrade and improve our operational, financial, and management reporting
systems. If our management fails to manage our growth effectively, we could experience increased
costs, declines in product quality, or customer satisfaction, which could harm our business.
ITEM 6. EXHIBITS
The following exhibits are filed herewith:
Exhibit | ||
Number | Description | |
10.37
|
Form of 2009 Executive Incentive Plan | |
10.38
|
Amended and Restated Retention and Ownership Agreement dated April 20, 2009 between Immersion Corporation and Clent Richardson | |
10.39
|
Amended and Restated Retention and Ownership Agreement dated April 23, 2009 between Immersion Corporation and Stephen Ambler | |
31.1
|
Certification of Clent Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
31.2
|
Certification of Stephen Ambler, Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
32.1
|
Certification of Clent Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
32.2
|
Certification of Stephen Ambler, Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
99.01
|
Form of Restricted Stock Agreement | |
99.02
|
Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly
caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
Date: May 6, 2009
IMMERSION CORPORATION |
||||
By | /s/ Stephen Ambler | |||
Stephen Ambler | ||||
Chief Financial Officer | ||||
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit | ||
Number | Description | |
10.37
|
Form of 2009 Executive Incentive Plan | |
10.38
|
Amended and Restated Retention and Ownership Agreement dated April 20, 2009 between Immersion Corporation and Clent Richardson | |
10.39
|
Amended and Restated Retention and Ownership Agreement dated April 23, 2009 between Immersion Corporation and Stephen Ambler | |
31.1
|
Certification of Clent Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
31.2
|
Certification of Stephen Ambler, Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
32.1
|
Certification of Clent Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
32.2
|
Certification of Stephen Ambler, Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
99.01
|
Form of Restricted Stock Agreement | |
99.02
|
Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock |