Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

1. Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

Document Security Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) operates eight (8) business lines through eight (8) DSS subsidiaries located around the globe.

Of the eight subsidiaries, three of those have historically been the core subsidiaries of the Company: (1) Premier Packaging Corporation (DSS Packaging and Printing Group), (2) DSS Digital Inc., and its subsidiaries (DSS Digital Group), and (3) DSS Technology Management, Inc. (DSS Technology Management). Premier Packaging Corporation operates in the paper board folding carton, smart packaging and document security printing markets. It markets, manufactures and sells paper products designed to protect valuable information from unauthorized scanning, copying, and digital imaging. DSS Digital Inc., researches, develops, markets and sells the Company’s digital products worldwide. The primary product is AuthentiGuard®, which is a brand authentication application that integrates the Company’s counterfeit deterrent technologies with proprietary digital data security-based solutions. DSS Technology Management Inc., manages, licenses and acquires intellectual property (“IP”) assets for the purpose of monetizing these assets through a variety of value-enhancing initiatives, including, but not limited to, investments in the development and commercialization of patented technologies, licensing, strategic partnerships and commercial litigation. In 2020, under its (4) Decentralize Sharing Systems, Inc. subsidiary, created a fourth business segment, Direct Marketing. Direct marketing or network marketing is designed to sell products or services directly to the public through independent distributors, rather than selling through the traditional retail market.

In addition to the four subsidiaries listed above, in 2019 and early 2020, DSS has created five new, wholly owned subsidiaries. (5) DSS Blockchain Security, Inc., a Nevada corporation, that intends to specialize in the development of blockchain security technologies for tracking and tracing solutions for supply chain logistics and cyber securities across global markets. (6) DSS Securities, Inc., a Nevada corporation, has been established to develop or to acquire assets in the securities trading or management arena, and to pursue two parallel streams of digital asset exchanges in multiple jurisdictions: (i) securitized token exchanges, focusing on digitized assets from different vertical industries and (ii) utilities token exchanges, focusing on “blue-chip” utility tokens from solid businesses. (7) DSS BioHealth Security, Inc., a Nevada corporation, is our business line which we will intend to invest in or to acquire companies related to the biohealth and biomedical field, including businesses focused on the research to advance drug discovery and development for the prevention, inhibition, and treatment of neurological, oncology and immuno-related diseases. This new division will place special focus on open-air defense initiatives, which curb transmission of air-borne infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and influenza, among others. (8) DSS Secure Living, Inc., a Nevada Corporation, intends to develop top of the line advanced technology, energy efficiency, quality of life living environments and home security for everyone for new construction and renovations of residential single and multifamily living facilities. Aside from Decentralized Sharing Systems, Inc. the activity in the these newly created subsidiaries have been minimal or in various start-up or organizational phases.

On March 3, 2020, the Company, via its subsidiary DSS Securities, entered into a share subscription agreement and loan arrangement with LiquidValue Asset Management Pte Ltd., AMRE Asset Management, Inc. and American Medical REIT Inc. under which it acquired a 52.5% controlling ownership interest in AMRE Asset Management Inc. (“AAMI”) which currently has a 93% equity interest in American Medical REIT Inc. (“AMRE”) (see Note 4).

AAMI is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) management company that sets the strategic vision and formulate investment strategy for AMRE. It manages the REIT’s assets and liabilities and provides recommendations to AMRE on acquisition and divestments in accordance with the investment strategies. American Medical REIT, Inc is a Maryland corporation, organized for the purposes of acquiring hospitals and other acute or post-acute care centers from leading clinical operators with dominant market share in secondary and tertiary markets, and leasing each property to a single operator under a triple-net lease. AMRE was formed to originate, acquire, and lease a credit-centric portfolio of licensed medical real estate. AMRE is planned to qualify as a Real Estate Investment Trust for federal income tax purposes, which will provide. AMRE’s investors the opportunity for direct ownership of Class A licensed medical real estate. As of September 30, 2020 has not yet closed on any acquisition.

On August 21, 2020, Document Security Systems, Inc. (the “Company”), completed its acquisition of Impact BioMedical, Inc. (“Impact BioMedical”), pursuant to a Share Exchange Agreement by and among the Company, DSS BioHealth Security, Inc. (“DSS BioHealth”), Alset International Limited (formally Singapore eDevelopment Ltd.), and Global Biomedical Pte Ltd. (“GBM”), which was previously approved by the Company’s shareholders (the “Share Exchange”). Under the terms of the Share Exchange, the Company issued 483,334 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.02 per share, nominally valued at $6.48 per share, and 46,868 newly issued shares of the Company’s Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Stock”). As a result of the Share Exchange, Impact BioMedical is now a wholly owned subsidiary of DSS BioHealth, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary (see Note 4).

Impact BioMedical strives to leverage its scientific know-how and intellectual property rights to provide solutions that have been plaguing the biomedical field for decades. By tapping into the scientific expertise of its partners, Impact BioMedical has undertook a concerted effort in the research and development (R&D), drug discovery and development for the prevention, inhibition, and treatment of neurological, oncological and immune related diseases.

In August 2020 the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, DSS Securities, Inc. entered into a corporate venture to form and operate a real estate title agency, under the name and flagging of Alset Title Company, Inc, a Texas corporation (“ATC”). DSS Securities, Inc. shall own 70% of this venture with the other two shareholders being attorneys necessary to the state application and permitting process.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 8.03 of Regulation S-X for smaller reporting companies. Accordingly, these statements do not include all the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the accompanying balance sheets and related interim statements of operations and comprehensive loss and cash flows include all adjustments considered necessary for their fair presentation in accordance with U.S. GAAP. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results expected for the full year. For further information regarding the Company’s accounting policies, refer to the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.

Principles of Consolidation - The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Document Security Systems and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates - The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and disclosed in the financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to the accounts receivable, inventory, fair values of investments, intangible assets and goodwill, useful lives of intangible assets and property and equipment, fair values of options and warrants to purchase the Company’s common stock, preferred stock, deferred revenue and income taxes, among others. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities.

Reclassifications - Certain amounts on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets for the year ended December 31, 2019 have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.

Cost and Equity Method Investments – In accordance with ASC 325-20, Cost Method Investments, the Company records its investment in common stock of BMI Capital International LLC, a Texas limited liability company, at cost as the fair market value of the investment is not readily determinable. As of June 30, 2020, the Company classified its approximate 17% investment in Sharing Services Global Corp. (“SHRG”), a publicly traded company, as marketable equity security and measured it at fair value with gains and losses recognized in other income. In July 2020, through continued acquisition of common stock, the Company obtain greater than 20% ownership of SHRG, and thus has the ability to exercise significant influence over it. The Company accounts for investments in which the Company owns more than 20% or has the ability to exercise significant influence of the investee, using the equity method in accordance with ASC Topic 323, Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures. The Company evaluates investment for indications of impairment at least annually. See Note 5 for further details on investments.

Marketable Securities – The Company’s investments in marketable equity securities are classified based on the nature of the securities. Marketable securities are classified as long-term assets on the consolidated balance sheets as the Company has the intent and ability to hold the investments for a period of at least one year. The Company’s marketable equity securities are measured at fair value with gains and losses recognized in other income (expense). See Note 5 for further details on investments and marketable securities.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Fair Value Measurement Topic of the FASB ASC establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring 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). These tiers include:

● Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets;

● Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and

● Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable.

The carrying amounts reported in the balance sheet of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, prepaids, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value because of the immediate or short-term maturity of these financial instruments. Marketable securities classify as a Level 1 fair value financial instrument. The fair value of notes receivable approximates their carrying value as the stated or discounted rates of the notes do not reflect recent market conditions. The fair value of revolving credit lines notes payable and long-term debt approximates their carrying value as the stated or discounted rates of the debt reflect recent market conditions. The fair value of investments carried at cost less impairment; however, the fair value is not considered readily determinable based on the lack of liquidity for the shares owned.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Goodwill - The Company monitors the carrying value of long-lived assets for potential impairment and tests the recoverability of such assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable. If a change in circumstance occurs, the Company performs a test of recoverability by comparing the carrying value of the asset or asset group to its undiscounted expected future cash flows. If cash flows cannot be separately and independently identified for a single asset, the Company will determine whether impairment has occurred for the group of assets for which the Company can identify the projected cash flows. If the carrying values are in excess of undiscounted expected future cash flows, the Company measures any impairment by comparing the fair value of the asset or asset group to its carrying value. Consistent with this accounting impairment analysis, the Company determined that due to many factors, including the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and the related closing of the operations of the Plastic Group, the Company has quantitatively tested the carrying value of its goodwill associated with the DSS Plastics Group and determined that an impairment of the DSS Plastics’ goodwill had occurred and the Company recorded a full goodwill impairment of $685,000 during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. This impairment has been included in the calculation of the discontinued operations of DSS Plastics group.

Related Party Liabilities - The Company’s HWH World, Inc subsidiary has a service agreement pending with HWH Korea, a subsidiary of Alset International Limited (formally Singapore eDevelopment Limited), and thus a related party. This service agreement will allow HWH Korea to utilize the Company’s merchant account in connection with their direct marketing network with periodic remittance of the cash collected to them. As of September 30, 2020, the Company has collected approximately $774,000 on behalf of HWH Korea and will remit amounts during the fourth quarter. The related party liability is included in “Other current liabilities” on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Contingent Legal Expenses - Contingent legal fees are expensed in the consolidated statements of operations in the period that the related revenues are recognized. In instances where there are no recoveries from potential infringers, no contingent legal fees are paid; however, the Company may be liable for certain out of pocket legal costs incurred pursuant to the underlying legal services agreement that will be paid out from the proceeds from settlements or licenses that arise pursuant to an enforcement action, which will be expensed as legal fees in the period in which the payment of such fees is probable. Any unamortized patent acquisition costs will be expensed in the period a conclusion is reached in an enforcement action that does not yield future royalties potential.

Business Combinations - Business combinations and non-controlling interests are recorded in accordance with FASB ASC Business Combinations. Under the guidance, the assets and liabilities of the acquired business are recorded at their fair values at the date of acquisition. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values is recorded as goodwill. If the fair value of the assets acquired exceeds the purchase price and the liabilities assumed, then a gain on acquisition is recorded. Under the guidance, all acquisition costs are expensed as incurred and in-process research and development costs are recorded at fair value as an indefinite-lived intangible asset. The application of business combination accounting requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions.

Discontinued Operations – On April 20, 2020, the Company executed a nonbinding letter of intent with a perspective buyer for the sale of certain assets of its plastic printing business line, which it operated under Plastic Printing Professionals, Inc. (“DSS Plastics”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. That sale was consummated and closed on August 14, 2020. The remaining assets of DSS Plastics were either sold, separately disposed, or retained by other existing DSS businesses lines. Accordingly, the operations of DSS Plastics have been discontinued. Based on the magnitude of DSS Plastics’ historical revenue to the Company and because the Company has exited the production of laminated and surface printed cards, this sale represented a significant strategic shift that has a material effect on the Company’s operations and financial results. Accordingly, the Company has applied discontinued operations treatment for this sale as required by Accounting Standards Codification 210-05—Discontinued Operations. The major classes of assets and liabilities of DSS Plastics are classified as Held For Sale – Discontinued Operations on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and the operating results of the discontinued operations is reflected on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) as Loss from Discontinued Operations. See Note 10.

Reverse Stock Split - On May 4, 2020, Document Security Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) held a Special Meeting of Stockholders (the “Special Meeting”) at which the Company’s stockholders approved amendment to the Company’s certificate of incorporation to effect a reverse split of common stock of the Company by a ratio of 1-for-30 (the “Reverse Split”) with the effectiveness of such amendment to be determined by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”). The form of the certificate of amendment to effect the Reverse Split was subsequently approved by the Board on May 4, 2020. On May 7, 2020, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation (the “Amendment”) with the Secretary of State of the State of New York to effect a 1-for-30 reverse stock split of the Company’s outstanding common stock. The Amendment was effective at 5:01 p.m. Eastern Time on May 7, 2020 (the “Effective Time”). The reverse stock split has been retroactively applied to all financial statements presented.

Earnings Per Common Share - The Company presents basic and diluted earnings per share. Basic earnings per share reflect the actual weighted average of shares issued and outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share are computed including the number of additional shares from outstanding warrants, stock options and preferred stock that would have been outstanding if dilutive potential shares had been issued and is calculated utilizing the treasury stock method. In a loss period, the calculation for basic and diluted earnings per share is the same, as the impact of potential common shares is anti-dilutive. Weighted average shares outstanding used for diluted earnings per share includes the assumed conversion of the 47,000 preferred shares, convertible into 7,233,000 common shares, for the period they were outstanding resulting in an additional 3,223,000 and 1,082,000 shares for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2020, respectively.  

Concentration of Credit Risk - The Company maintains its cash in bank and brokerage deposit accounts, which at times may exceed federally insured limits. To address this potential risk, the Company (i) periodically evaluates the financial soundness of the banks and brokerage agencies with which it holds deposit and (ii) has spread its cash holdings over multiple banks and brokerage companies to diversify the risk. As a result, management does not believe that it is materially exposed to any significant credit risk as a result of any potential insolvency of any financial institution(s).

During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, two customers accounted for approximately 21% and 16%, respectively, of the Company’s consolidated revenue and accounted for 36% and 12%, respectively, of the Company’s accounts receivable balance as of September 30, 2020. The risk with respect to accounts receivables is mitigated by credit evaluations the Company performs on its customers, the short duration of its payment terms for most of its customer contracts and by the diversification of its customer base.

Income Taxes - The Company recognizes estimated income taxes payable or refundable on income tax returns for the current year and for the estimated future tax effect attributable to temporary differences and carry-forwards. Measurement of deferred income items is based on enacted tax laws including tax rates, with the measurement of deferred income tax assets being reduced by available tax benefits not expected to be realized. We recognize penalties and accrued interest related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements - In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, “Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326)”, which requires entities to measure all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This replaces the existing incurred loss model and is applicable to the measurement of credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost. This guidance is effective for the Company for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company is currently assessing the impact that adopting this new accounting standard will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) – Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment”, which eliminates the two-step process that required identification of potential impairment and a separate measure of the actual impairment. The annual assessment of goodwill impairment will be determined by using the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the reporting unit. The standards update is effective for goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and has been adopted by the Company effective January 1, 2020.

Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak - The COVID-19 pandemic has created global economic turmoil and has potentially permanently impacted how many businesses operate and how individuals will socialize and shop in the future. We continue to feel the effect of the COVID-19 business shutdowns and consumer stay-at-home protections. But the effect of the economic shutdown has impacted our business lines differently; some more severely than others. In most cases, we believe the negative economic trends and reduced sales will recover over time. However, management determined that one of its business lines, DSS Plastics, had been, and would continue to be, more severely impacted by the pandemic than our other divisions, and we did not believe this was a short-term phenomenon. We expected that this business would be permanently impacted because we believe that both consumer and corporate future travel habits will be negatively impacted and, as a result, use of hotel access cards will be diminished. We believe that conventions and sporting events will be fewer and smaller in attendance, and therefore demand for our card identification products would be reduced. Further, we believe that physical security cards and individual IDs will be replaced by more digital and optical technologies. As a result, management decided to fully impair its goodwill related to DSS Plastics during the first quarter 2020, and to exit this business line. The impact of this decision in our first quarter 2020 earnings and for year-to-date earnings for the 9 months ended September 30, 2020 was an impairment of approximately $685,000.

Additionally, it is reasonably possible that estimates made in the financial statements have been, or will be, materially and adversely impacted in the near term as a result of these conditions, including losses on inventory; impairment losses related to goodwill and other long-lived assets and current obligations

Continuing Operations and Going Concern – The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. This basis of accounting contemplates the recovery of our assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. These consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to the specific amounts and classifications of assets and liabilities, which might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern. While the Company has approximately $11.6 million in cash, and a positive working capital position of approximately $13.3 million as of September 30, 2020, the Company has incurred operating losses as well as negative cash flows from operating and investing activities over the past two years.

To continue as a going concern, during the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company through multiple underwriting agreements with Aegis Capital Corp., acting as representative of the several underwriters, provided the issuance and sale by the Company in an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”) shares of the Company’s common stock. The net offering proceeds to the Company approximated $20.1 million.

The Company’s management intends to take actions necessary to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans concerning these matters includes, among other things, continued growth among our operating segments, and tightly controlling operating costs and reducing spending growth rates wherever possible to return to profitability. In addition, the Company has taken steps, and will continue to take measures, to materially reduce the expenses and cash burn at all corporate and business line levels. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, material steps were taken to materially reduce or eliminate cash burns in the IP Monetization program, the DSS Digital Group and the DSS Plastics group.

At the Company’s current operating levels and capital usage, we believe that without any further acquisition or investments, our $11.6 million in aggregate cash and equivalents as of September 30, 2020, would allow us to fund our eight business lines current and planned operations through October 2021. Based on this, the Company has concluded that substantial doubt of its ability to continue as a going concern has been alleviated.