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Joint Ventures
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]  
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures Disclosure [Text Block]

Note 4Joint Ventures

 

On December 16, 2009, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with the U.S. entertainment subsidiary of a leading Japanese advertising and animation production company in which it owned fifty percent interest. The joint venture (“Pacific Animation Partners”) was created to develop and produce a boys’ animated television show, which it licensed worldwide for television broadcast as well as consumer products. The Company produced toys based upon the television program under a license from the joint venture which also licensed certain other merchandising rights to third parties. The joint venture completed and delivered 65 episodes of the show, which began airing in February 2012, and has since ceased production of the television show. The joint venture was terminated on December 2, 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company recognized income from the joint venture of $2,341, nil and $22,000, respectively.

 

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the balance of the investment in the Pacific Animation Partners joint venture is nil.

 

In September 2012, the Company entered into a joint venture (“DreamPlay Toys”) with NantWorks LLC (“NantWorks”) in which it owns a fifty percent interest. Pursuant to the operating agreement of DreamPlay Toys, the Company paid to NantWorks cash in the amount of $8.0 million and issued NantWorks a warrant to purchase 1.5 million shares of the Company’s common stock at a value of $7.0 million in exchange for the exclusive right to arrange for the provision of the NantWorks recognition technology platform for toy products. The Company had classified these rights as an intangible asset, which was being amortized over the anticipated revenue stream from the exploitation of these rights. However, the Company has abandoned the use of the technology in connection with its toy products and no future sales are anticipated, and the Company recorded an impairment charge to income of $2.9 million to write off the remaining unamortized technology rights during the third quarter of 2017. The Company retains the financial risk of the joint venture and is responsible for the day-to-day operations, which are expected to be nominal in future periods. The results of operations of the joint venture are consolidated with the Company’s results.

 

In addition, in 2012, the Company invested $7.0 million in cash in exchange for a five percent economic interest in a related entity, DreamPlay, LLC, that was expected to monetize the exploitation of the recognition technologies in non-toy consumer product categories. Adoption of the technology has been inadequate to establish a commercially viable market for the technology. NantWorks has the right to repurchase the Company’s interest for $7.0 million, but the Company does not anticipate that NantWorks will do so. As of September 30, 2017, the Company determined the value of this investment will not be realized and that full impairment of the value had occurred. Accordingly, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $7.0 million during the quarter ended September 30, 2017.

 

In November 2014, the Company entered into a joint venture with Meisheng Culture & Creative Corp., for the purpose of providing certain JAKKS licensed and non-licensed toys and consumer products to agreed-upon territories of the People’s Republic of China. The joint venture includes a subsidiary in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone that sells, distributes and markets these products, which include dolls, plush, role play products, action figures, costumes, seasonal items, technology and app-enhanced toys, based on top entertainment licenses and JAKKS’ own proprietary brands. The Company owns fifty-one percent of the joint venture and consolidates the joint venture since control rests with the Company. The non-controlling interest’s share of the income (loss) from the joint venture for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was $130,000, $169,000 and ($57,000), respectively.

 

In October 2016, the Company entered into a joint venture with Hong Kong Meisheng Cultural Company Limited (“Meisheng”), a Hong Kong-based subsidiary of Meisheng Culture & Creative Corp., for the purpose of creating and developing original, multiplatform content for children including new short-form series and original shows. JAKKS and Meisheng each own fifty percent of the joint venture and will jointly own the content. JAKKS will retain merchandising rights for kids’ consumer products in all markets except China, which Meisheng Culture & Creative Corp. will oversee through the Company’s existing distribution joint venture. The results of operations of the joint venture are consolidated with the Company’s results. The non-controlling interest’s share of the loss from the joint venture for years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was nil. As of December 31, 2020, Meisheng beneficially owns 9.2% of the Company’s outstanding common stock.

 

In March 2017, the Company entered into an equity purchase agreement with Meisheng which provided, among other things, that as long as Meisheng and its affiliates hold 10% or more of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, Meisheng shall have the right from time to time to designate a nominee (who currently is Mr. Xiaoqiang Zhao) for election to the Company’s board of directors.