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Commitments And Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

NOTE 5 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

Operating Leases

 

The Company leases approximately 5,169 square feet at 4643 South Ulster Street, Denver, Colorado pursuant to an amended lease dated May 21, 2015 and expiring on December 31, 2020. Under the lease, the Company pays annual base rent on an escalating scale ranging from $143,000 to $152,000. On May 1, 2020, the Company entered into an amended lease agreement with its landlord. Under the terms of the amendment, the landlord agreed to waive rent, certain rent adjustments and parking for the period April 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020 and extend the term of the lease by three months. On July 29, 2020, the Company entered into another amended lease agreement with its landlord. Under the terms of the amendment, the landlord agreed to waive rent, certain rent adjustments and parking for the period July 1, 2020 through August 31, 2020 and extend the term of the lease by two months. As a result of these amendments, the lease term date, which was December 31, 2020, is now May 31, 2021. In addition, the due date of certain other rent adjustments due April 8, 2020 was deferred. The rent adjustments of approximately $5,000 were due 50% on June 1, 2020 and 50% on July 1, 2020.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

We are involved in certain legal proceedings that arise from time to time in the ordinary course of our business. Except for income tax contingencies, we record accruals for contingencies to the extent that our management concludes that the occurrence is probable and that the related amounts of loss can be reasonably estimated. Legal expenses associated with the contingency are expensed as incurred. Information about material legal proceedings follows:

  

Settlements

 

On June 18, 2018 the Company was named as a defendant in a case filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York: Securities and Exchange Commission vs. Joseph A. Fiore, Berkshire Capital Management Co., Inc., and Eat at Joe's, Ltd. n/k/a SPYR, Inc.(“Defendants”). Joseph A. Fiore was the Chairman of our Board of Directors and is a significant shareholder. Mr. Fiore resigned from his positions as Chairman of the Board and as a Director of the Company effective August 1, 2018. The suit alleged that Mr. Fiore, during 2013 and 2014, while he was the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors, engaged in improper conduct on behalf of the defendants named in the case related to the Company's sales of securities in Plandai Biotechnology, Inc. The Commission alleged that Mr. Fiore and the Company unlawfully benefited through the sales of those securities. The Commission also alleged that from 2013 to 2014, the Company's primary business was investing and that it failed to register as an investment company, resulting in an alleged violation of Section 7(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The suit sought to disgorge Joseph A. Fiore, Berkshire Capital Management Co., Inc., and the Company of alleged profits on the sale of the securities and civil fines related to the Company's failure to register as an investment company with the Commission.

 

Pursuant to a settlement agreement among the parties, on April 14, 2020, final judgment was entered in the case: Securities and Exchange Commission vs. Joseph A. Fiore, Berkshire Capital Management, Inc. and Eat at Joes, Inc., n/k/a SPYR, Inc., case number 7:18-cv-05474-KMK filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

 

On April 23, 2020, Joseph Fiore/Berkshire Capital Management, Inc. satisfied the Company's joint and several liability obligation by paying to the Commission the agreed upon sum of Two Million Dollars pursuant to a settlement agreement between Joseph Fiore/Berkshire Capital Management, Inc. and the Company, which settlement agreement was entered into on April 15, 2020. The Company has until April 14, 2021 to satisfy its remaining financial obligation to the Commission, an agreed upon civil penalty of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000). The $500,000 liability is reported as part of accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 and was recorded as litigation settlement costs on the consolidated statements of operations on the Company's form 10K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

In electing to settle with the Commission, the Company neither admitted nor denied liability to any of the Commission's allegations in its complaint, and in consideration for the Commission discontinuing its action, the Company, along with the two other defendants Joseph Fiore and Berkshire Capital Management agreed to be jointly and severally liable for disgorgement of profits and prejudgment interest in the amount of two million dollars, and to each be solely liable to pay a civil penalty in the amount of five hundred thousand dollars.[1]

 

Judgments

 

On or about January 24, 2019, SPYR APPS, LLC entered into an agreement with one of its vendors, Shatter Storm Studios, to whom it owed $84,250 for artwork related to the Steven Universe game. Pursuant to the terms of that agreement, SPYR APPS, LLC needed to make payment in the amount of $85,000 to cover the principal owed and attorneys' fees together plus 6% interest in that amount by December 1, 2019. Should SPYR APPS, LLC not make the required payment on or before December 1, 2019, it consented to entry of judgment in favor of Shatter Storm Studios for the amount owed. SPYR APPS, LLC did not make the payment and on January 27, 2020 Shatter Storm Studios initiated Case No. 1:200cv-00217 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado seeking entry of the consent judgment against SPYR APPS, LLC. The judgment was not contested by SPYR APPS, LLC and judgment in the amount of $85,000 plus post judgment interest at the rate of 6% was entered on March 17, 2020. The $85,000 plus accrued interest and attorneys' fees has been reported as part of accounts payable and accrued liabilities. The balance due as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 was approximately $91,000 and $90,000, respectively.

 

[1] In addition, an injunction was entered against the Company enjoined it from violating the antifraud, market manipulation, beneficial ownership reporting, and other provisions of the federal securities laws charged in the SEC's complaint.

Covid-19

 

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" and on March 10, 2020, declared it to be a pandemic. Actions taken around the world to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus include restrictions on travel, and quarantines in certain areas, and forced closures for certain types of public places and businesses. The coronavirus and actions taken to mitigate it have had and are expected to continue to have an adverse impact on the economies and financial markets of many countries, including the geographical area in which the Company operates. While it is unknown how long these conditions will last and what the complete financial effect will be to the company, the Company is anticipating potential reductions in revenue, labor and supply shortages, difficulty meeting debt covenants, delays in collecting accounts receivable and paying liabilities and changes in the fair value of assets and liabilities. Our concentrations due to major customers and the necessity for fund raising activities make it reasonably possible that we are vulnerable to the risk of a near-term severe impact.

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 potential credit losses on receivables and investments; impairment losses related to capitalized gaming assets and other long-lived assets; and contingent obligations.