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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 2 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Principles of consolidation and financial statement presentation

 

The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”) and present the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its wholly-owned and majority owned subsidiaries as of September 30, 2018.

 

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts and operations of:

 

Quest Patent Research Corporation (“the Company”)
Quest Licensing Corporation (NY) (wholly-owned)
Quest Licensing Corporation (DE) (wholly-owned)
Quest Packaging Solutions Corporation (90% owned)
Quest Nettech Corporation (wholly-owned)
Semcon IP, Inc. (wholly-owned)
Mariner IC, Inc. (wholly-owned)
IC Kinetics, Inc. (wholly-owned)
CXT Systems, Inc. (wholly-owned)
Photonic Imaging Solutions Inc. (wholly-owned)

 

The operations of Wynn Technologies Inc. are not included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements as there are significant contingencies related to its control of Wynn Technologies Inc. The sole asset of Wynn Technologies Inc. is US Patent No. RE38,137E. Wynn Technologies Inc. cannot transfer, assign, sell, hypothecate or otherwise encumber US Patent No. RE38,173E without the express written consent of Sol Li, owner of 35% of Wynn Technologies Inc., unless, as of the date of such transfer, assignment, sale, hypothecation or other encumbrance, Mr. Li has received a total of at least $250,000.

 

The Company accounts for its 65% interest in Wynn Technologies, Inc. under the equity method whereby the investment accounts are increased for contributions by the Company plus its 60% share of income pursuant to the contractual agreement, which provides that Sol Li retains 40% of the income, and are reduced for distributions and its 60% share of losses incurred, respectively, with the restriction whereby the account balances cannot go below zero.

 

Significant intercompany transaction and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Use of Estimates

 

In preparing financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Intangible Assets

 

Intangible assets consist of patents which are amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives or statutory lives whichever is shorter and are reviewed for impairment upon any triggering event that may give rise to the assets ultimate recoverability as prescribed under the guidance related to impairment of long-lived assets. Costs incurred to acquire patents, including legal costs, are also capitalized as long-lived assets and amortized on a straight-line basis with the associated patent.

 

Patents include the cost of patents or patent rights (hereinafter, collectively “patents”) acquired from third-parties or acquired in connection with business combinations. Patent acquisition costs are amortized utilizing the straight-line method over their remaining economic useful lives, ranging from one to ten years. Certain patent application and prosecution costs incurred to secure additional patent claims that, based on management’s estimates are deemed to be recoverable, are capitalized and amortized over the remaining estimated economic useful life of the related patent portfolio.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments

 

The Company evaluates the embedded conversion feature within its convertible debt instruments under ASC 815-15 and ASC 815-40 to determine if the conversion feature meets the definition of a liability and, if so, whether to bifurcate the conversion feature and account for it as a separate derivative liability. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. For stock-based derivative financial instruments, the Company uses a Black Scholes model, in accordance with ASC 815-15 “Derivative and Hedging” to value the derivative instruments at inception and on subsequent valuation dates. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative instrument liabilities are classified in the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether net-cash settlement of the derivative instrument could be required within 12 months after the balance sheet date.

 

Fair value of financial instruments

 

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. A fair value hierarchy is used, which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. See Note 4 for information about derivative liabilities.

 

The fair value hierarchy based on the three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value are as follows:

 

Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

Level 2 – Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. 

 

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are financial instruments whose values are determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques, as well as instruments for which the determination of fair value requires significant judgment or estimation.

 

The carrying value reflected in the consolidated balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses and short-term borrowings approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these items.

 

Income Tax

 

The Company records revenues on a gross basis, before deduction for income taxes. The Company incurred foreign income tax expenses of approximately $0 and approximately $1,040,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and approximately $170 and approximately $105,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.

 

Inventor/Former Owner Royalties and Contingent Legal/Litigation Finance Expenses

 

In connection with the investment in certain patents and patent rights, certain of the Company’s operating subsidiaries may execute related agreements which grant to the inventors and/or former owners of the respective patents or patent rights, the right to receive a percentage of future net revenues (as defined in the respective agreements) generated as a result of licensing and otherwise enforcing the respective patents or patent portfolios.

 

The Company’s operating subsidiaries may retain the services of law firms that specialize in patent licensing and enforcement and patent law in connection with their licensing and enforcement activities. These law firms may be retained on a contingent fee basis whereby such law firms are paid a percentage of any negotiated fees, settlements or judgments awarded.

 

The Company’s operating subsidiaries may engage with funding sources that provide financing for patent licensing and enforcement. These litigation finance firms may be engaged on a non-recourse basis whereby such litigation finance firms are paid a percentage of any negotiated fees, settlements or judgments awarded in exchange for providing funding for legal fees and out of pocket expenses incurred as a result of the licensing and enforcement activities.

 

The economic terms of the inventor agreements, operating agreements, contingent legal fee arrangements and litigation financing agreements associated with the patent portfolios owned or controlled by the Company’s operating subsidiaries, if any, including royalty rates, contingent fee rates and other terms, vary across the patent portfolios owned or controlled by such operating subsidiaries. Inventor/former owner royalties, payments to non-controlling interests, contingent legal fees expenses and litigation finance expenses fluctuate period to period, based on the amount of revenues recognized each period, the terms and conditions of revenue agreements executed each period and the mix of specific patent portfolios with varying economic terms and obligations generating revenues each period. Inventor/former owner royalties, contingent legal fees expenses and litigation finance expenses will continue to fluctuate and may continue to vary significantly period to period, based primarily on these factors.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. Under Topic 606, revenue is recognized when there is a contract which has commercial substance which is approved by both parties and identifies the rights of the parties and the payment terms. The Company adopted Topic 606 as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method, with no impact on the consolidated financial position or results of operations.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

The Company is currently evaluating ASC 842 “Leases” for future adoption, which the Company will adopt on January 1, 2019. The new guidance establishes the principles to report transparent and economically neutral information about the assets and liabilities that arise from leases and is consistent with the principles of revenue recognition in Topic 606. The Company does not believe that this guidance will affect its accounting.

 

Other than those pronouncements, management does not believe that there are any other recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards which, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

 

Going Concern

 

As shown in the accompanying financial statements, the Company has an accumulated deficit of approximately $17,820,000 and negative working capital of approximately $5,097,000 as of September 30, 2018. The Company generated nominal revenue in the quarter ended September 30, 2018. The short-term debt at September 30, 2018 includes $4,253,944 of principal and interest due to United Wireless, which is secured by a security interest in our patents as described in Note 3. Our inability to pay these notes when due could result in a default in our loan from United Wireless. If United Wireless seeks to foreclose on the patent rights which secure the debt, it may result in the loss by the Company’s subsidiaries that own the patents of their rights to the patents, which will further reduce the ability of the Company to generate revenue and the Company may be unable to continue in business. Because of the Company’s lack of a revenue stream, continuing losses, the working capital deficiency, the uncertainty of future revenue, the Company’s low stock price and the absence of a trading market in its common stock, the ability of the Company to raise funds in equity market or from lenders is severely impaired. These conditions raise substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Although the Company may seek to raise funds and to obtain third party funding for litigation to enforce its intellectual property rights, the availability of such funds is uncertain and the disbursement of any such funds will be controlled by the lender. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.