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Royalty Obligation and Deferred License Fees
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Royalty Obligation and Deferred License Fees [Abstract]  
Royalty Obligation and Deferred License Fees
5. Royalty Obligation and Deferred License Fees
 
BioTime amortizes deferred license fees over the estimated useful lives of the licensed technologies or licensed research products.  BioTime is applying a 10 year estimated useful life to the technologies and products that it is currently licensing.  The estimation of the useful life any technology or product involves a significant degree of inherent uncertainty, since the outcome of research and development or the commercial life a new product cannot be known with certainty at the time that the right to use the technology or product is acquired.  BioTime will review its amortization schedules for impairments that might occur earlier than the original expected useful lives.
 
On January 3, 2008, BioTime entered into a Commercial License and Option Agreement with Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation ("WARF").  The WARF license permits BioTime to use certain patented and patent pending technology belonging to WARF, as well as certain stem cell materials, for research and development purposes, and for the production and marketing of products used as research tools, including in drug discovery and development.  BioTime or ReCyte Therapeutics will pay WARF royalties on the sale of products and services using the technology or stem cells licensed from WARF.  The royalty will range from 2% to 4%, depending on the kind of products sold.  The royalty rate is subject to certain reductions if BioTime also becomes obligated to pay royalties to a third party in order to sell a product.  BioTime paid licensing fees, totaling $295,000 in cash and BioTime stock, and reimbursed WARF for certain costs associated with preparing, filing, and maintaining the licensed patents.  In addition, BioTime pays WARF $25,000 annually as a license maintenance fee.    The licensing fees less the amortized portion were included in deferred license fees in BioTime's condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
 
On June 24, 2008, BioTime, along with its subsidiary, ReCyte Therapeutics, entered into a Product Production and Distribution Agreement with Lifeline Cell Technology, LLC for the production and marketing of human embryonic progenitor cells ("hEPC") or hEPC lines, and products derived from those hEPCs.  The products developed under the agreement with Lifeline will be produced and sold for research purposes such as drug discovery and drug development uses.  ReCyte Therapeutics paid Lifeline $250,000, included in the advanced license fee and other fees, to facilitate their product production and marketing efforts.  BioTime will be entitled to recover that amount from the share of product sale proceeds that otherwise would have been allocated to Lifeline.
 
On July 10, 2008, ReCyte Therapeutics entered into a License Agreement with Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. ("ACT"), under which ReCyte Therapeutics acquired exclusive worldwide rights to use ACT's "ACTCellerate" technology for methods to accelerate the isolation of novel cell strains from pluripotent stem cells.  ReCyte Therapeutics paid ACT a $250,000 license fee.  ReCyte Therapeutics has assigned its rights under the License Agreement to BioTime.  BioTime will pay an 8% royalty on sales of products, services, and processes that utilize the licensed technology.  Once a total of $1,000,000 of royalties has been paid, no further royalties will be due.  The license will expire in twenty years or upon the expiration of the last to expire of the licensed patents, whichever is later.  The $250,000 license fee less the amortized portion is included in deferred license fees in BioTime's condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
 
On August 15, 2008, ReCyte Therapeutics entered into a License Agreement and a Sublicense Agreement with ACT under which ReCyte Therapeutics acquired world-wide rights to use an array of ACT technology (the "ACT License") and technology licensed by ACT from affiliates of Kirin Pharma Company, Limited (the "Kirin Sublicense").  The ACT License and Kirin Sublicense permit the commercialization of products in human therapeutic and diagnostic product markets.
 
The technology licensed by ReCyte Therapeutics covers methods to transform cells of the human body, such as skin cells, into an embryonic state in which the cells will be pluripotent.  Under the ACT License, ReCyte Therapeutics paid ACT a $200,000 license fee and will pay a 5% royalty on sales of products, services, and processes that utilize the licensed ACT technology, and 20% of any fees or other payments (other than equity investments, research and development costs, loans and royalties) received by ReCyte Therapeutics from sublicensing the ACT technology to third parties.  Once a total of $600,000 of royalties has been paid, no further royalties will be due.  The license will expire in twenty years or upon the expiration of the last-to-expire of the licensed patents, whichever is later.  The $200,000 license fee payment less the amortized portion is included in deferred license fees in BioTime's condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
 
Under the Kirin Sublicense, ReCyte Therapeutics has paid ACT a $50,000 license fee and will pay a 3.5% royalty on sales of products, services, and processes that utilize the licensed ACT technology, and 20% of any fees or other payments (other than equity investments, research and development costs, loans and royalties) received by ReCyte Therapeutics from sublicensing the Kirin Technology to third parties.  ReCyte Therapeutics will also pay to ACT or to an affiliate of Kirin Pharma Company, Limited ("Kirin"), annually, the amount, if any, by which royalties payable by ACT under its license agreement with Kirin are less than the $50,000 annual minimum royalty due.  Those payments by ReCyte Therapeutics will be credited against other royalties payable to ACT under the Kirin Sublicense.  The license will expire upon the expiration of the last to expire of the licensed patents, or May 9, 2016 if no patents are issued.  The $50,000 license fee payment less the amortized portion is included in deferred license fees in BioTime's condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
 
On February 29, 2009, ReCyte Therapeutics entered into a Stem Cell Agreement with Reproductive Genetics Institute ("RGI").  In partial consideration of the rights and licenses granted to ReCyte Therapeutics by RGI, BioTime issued to RGI 32,259 common shares, having a market value of $50,000 on the effective date of the Stem Cell Agreement.  This $50,000 payment less the amortized portion is included in deferred license fees in BioTime's condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
 
As of March 31, 2013, future amortization of deferred license fees described above was as follows:
 
Year Ended
 
Deferred License
 
December 31,
 
Fees
 
2013
 
$
82,125
 
2014
 
 
109,500
 
2015
 
 
109,500
 
2016
 
 
109,500
 
2017
 
 
109,500
 
Thereafter
 
 
101,333
 
Total
 
$
621,458