Note 8 - Other Intangible Assets, Net

12 Months Ended

May 31, 2014

Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]

Intangible Assets Disclosure [Text Block]

8. OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net

Other intangible assets consist of the following (in thousands):

			As of May 31
			2014							2013
	Weighted Average Life (years)		Cost		Accumulated Amortization			Net		Cost		Accumulated Amortization			Net
Intangible assets subject to amortization:
Customer relationships		20	$	470,679		(63,989	)		406,690		465,909		(40,392	)		425,517
Existing technology / trade names		11		314,350		(71,246	)		243,104		291,250		(44,526	)		246,724
Corporate trade name		15		40,000		(7,421	)		32,579		40,000		(4,754	)		35,246
Below market leasehold interests		7		1,200		(449	)		751		1,200		(313	)		887
Other intangibles		4		399		(53	)		346		99		(20	)		79
Total amortizable assets				826,628		(143,158	)		683,470		798,458		(90,005	)		708,453
Intangible assets not subject to amortization:
In-process research and development				9,400		-			9,400		6,150		-			6,150
Total non-amortizable assets				9,400		-			9,400		6,150		-			6,150
Intangible assets, net			$	836,028		(143,158	)		692,870		804,608		(90,005	)		714,603

The weighted average life for below market leasehold interests changed from 6 to 8 years as of August 31, 2013 as a result of the renewal of certain lease agreements which extended the lease terms of existing leases. The costs associated with the new leases were treated as operating expenses as incurred.

In fiscal 2014, it was determined that an in-process research and development (“IPR&D”) project related to our transplant and molecular diagnostics business was no longer economically feasible. And, in fiscal 2013, an IPR&D project related to our molecular immunohematology business was determined to no longer be economically feasible. These projects were therefore abandoned and fully written-off in those years. As a result, a loss of $0.2 million and $3.5 million was recorded in fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013, respectively, and included in impairment loss on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations.

Also during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, certain IPR&D projects related to the development of products that detect certain types of antibodies in our serology business and a new software product suite designed specifically for transfusion medicine were completed and placed in service. As a result, $9.8 million of costs related to those projects were reclassed from the IPR&D category of other intangible assets to the existing technologies / trade names category in the table presented above. The Company began amortizing these costs over their anticipated benefit periods of approximately 10 years.

A portion of the Company’s customer relationships is held in functional currencies outside the U.S. Therefore, the stated cost as well as the accumulated amortization is affected by the fluctuation in foreign currency exchange rates. Amortization of other intangible assets amounted to $53.0 million in fiscal 2014, $50.8 million in fiscal 2013, $39.2 million in the Successor fiscal 2012 period, and $0.9 million in the Predecessor fiscal 2012 period. The following table presents an estimate of amortization expense for each of the next five fiscal years (in thousands):   

Year Ending May 31:
2015	54,772
2016	54,736
2017	54,580
2018	54,464
2019	50,541