QUEST PATENT RESEARCH CORP 10-Q

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations The following discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated unaudited financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. See “Forward-Looking Statements.” Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Overview Our principal operations include the development, acquisition, licensing and enforcement of intellectual property rights that are either owned or controlled by us or one of our wholly owned subsidiaries. We currently own, control or manage twenty-two intellectual property portfolios, of which we are currently seeking or may seek monetization with respect to twelve, which principally consist of patent rights. As part of our intellectual property asset management activities and in the ordinary course of our business, it has been necessary for either us or the intellectual property owner who we represent to initiate, and it is likely to continue to be necessary to initiate patent infringement lawsuits and engage in patent infringement litigation. We anticipate that our primary source of revenue will come from the grant of licenses to use our intellectual property, including licenses granted as part of the settlement of patent infringement lawsuits. Market and Economic Conditions In recent years, the United States and other markets have experienced cyclical or episodic downturns, and worldwide economic conditions remain uncertain, including, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, recent attacks by Hamas on Israel from the Gaza Strip and the resultant action by Israel against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the potential for broader conflict in the Middle East, instability in the U.S. and global banking systems, rising fuel prices, increasing interest rates or foreign exchange rates and increased inflation and the possibility of a recession. We cannot predict the timing, strength, or duration of any future economic slowdown or any subsequent recovery generally, or in any industry. A significant downturn in economic conditions may adversely affect the intellectual property licensing market including the financial condition of financing sources and the willingness of potential financing sources to provide funding for our litigation; a law firms’ ability and willingness to provide us with legal services on acceptable contingent fee terms; and the financial condition and prospects of defendants and potential defendants, which could make it less likely that they would be willing to settle our claim. Further, to the extent that holders of intellectual property rights see these and other macroeconomic factors, they may be reluctant to sell intellectual property to us on terms which are acceptable to us, if at all. We seek to generate revenue from patent licensing fees relating to our intellectual property portfolio, which includes fees from the licensing of our intellectual property, primarily from litigation relating to enforcement of our intellectual property rights. All of the revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 was from patent licensing fees, of which approximately 100% was paid or is payable to the patent seller, funding sources and legal counsel pursuant to our agreements with patent sellers, funding sources and legal counsel. Because of the nature of our business transactions to date, we recognize revenues from licensing upon execution of a license agreement following settlement of litigation and not over the life of the patent. Thus, we would recognize revenue when we receive the license fee or settlement payment. Although we intend to seek to develop portfolios of intellectual property rights that provide us a continuing stream of revenue, to date we have not been successful in doing so, and we do not anticipate that we will be able to generate any significant revenue from licenses that provide a continuing stream of revenue. Thus, to the extent that we continue to generate cash from single payment licenses, our revenue can, and is likely to, vary significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year and the net income we generated during the year ended December 31, 2023 may prove to be an aberration. Our gross profit from license fees reflects the payment of any royalties due in connection with our license. 19 It is generally necessary to commence litigation in order to obtain a recovery for past infringement of, or to license the use of, our intellectual property rights. Intellectual property litigation is very expensive, with no certainty of any recovery. To the extent possible we seek to engage counsel on a contingent fee or partial contingent fee basis, which significantly reduces our litigation cost, but which also reduces the value of the recovery to us. We do not have the resources to enable us to fund the cost of litigation. Because we cannot fund litigation ourselves, we need to enter into an agreement with a third-party funding source. Our agreements with the funding sources typically provide that the funding source pays the litigation costs and that the funding source receives a percentage of the recovery, thus reducing our recovery in connection with any settlement of the litigation. In view of our limited cash and our working capital deficiency, we are not able to institute any monetization program that may require litigation unless we engage counsel on a fully contingent basis or we obtain funding from third party funding sources. In these cases, counsel may be afforded a greater participation in the recovery and the third party that funds the litigation would be entitled to participate in any recovery. To the extent that we have agreements with counsel and/or litigation funding sources pursuant to which payments made to them represent a portion of the gross recovery, and such payment is contingent upon a recovery, our revenue from litigation reflects the gross recovery from litigation as licensing fees, and payments to counsel and/or litigation funding sources are reflected as cost of revenue. Agreements with QF3, QFL and Intelligent Partners On March 12, 2023, we entered into a funding agreement with QF3. Pursuant to the QF3 Purchase Agreement, QF3 agreed to make available to us a financing facility of: (a) up to $25,000,000 for the acquisition of mutually agreed patent rights that we intend to monetize, of which no amounts have been received as of March 31, 2024; (b) up to $4,000,000 for operating expenses, of which the we have requested and received $3,334,381 as of March 31, 2024; and (iii) $3,300,000 to fund the cash payment portion of the purchase price of a patent portfolio acquired from Tower. In return we transferred to QF3 a right to receive a portion of net proceeds generated from the monetization of those patents. We used $3,300,000 proceeds from the QF3 financing as the cash payment portion of the purchase price of a portfolio acquired from Tower. Our obligations to QF3 are secured by the proceeds from the patents acquired with their funding, the patents and all general intangibles now or hereafter arising from or related to the foregoing and the proceeds and products of the foregoing. On February 22, 2021, we entered into a funding agreement with QFL and a restructure agreement with Intelligent Partners. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement with QFL, QFL agreed to make available to us a financing facility of: (a) up to $25,000,000 for the acquisition of mutually agreed patent rights that we intend to monetize, of which $2,653,000 has been advanced as of March 31, 2024; (b) up to $2,000,000 for operating expenses, of which the we have requested and received $2,000,000 as of March 31, 2024; and (iii) $1,750,000 to fund the cash payment portion of the restructure of our obligations to Intelligent Partners. In return we transferred to QFL a right to receive a portion of net proceeds generated from the monetization of those patents. We used $1,750,000 of proceeds from the QFL financing as the cash payment portion of the restructure of our obligations to Intelligent Partners. Our obligations to QFL are secured by the proceeds from the patents acquired with their funding, the patents and all general intangibles now or hereafter arising from or related to the foregoing and the proceeds and products of the foregoing. We also granted QFL a ten-year warrant to purchase a total of up to 962,463 shares of our common stock, with an exercise price of $0.54 per share which may be exercised through February 18, 2031 on a cash or cashless basis, subject to certain limitations on exercisability. The warrant also contains certain minimum ownership percentage antidilution rights pursuant to which the aggregate number of shares of common stock purchasable upon the initial exercise of the Warrant shall not be less than 10% of the aggregate number of outstanding shares of our capital stock (determined on a fully diluted basis). A portion of any gain from sale of the shares, net of taxes and costs of exercise, realized prior to the completion of all monetization activities shall be credited against the total return due to QFL pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. We also agreed to take all commercially reasonable steps necessary to regain compliance with the OTCQB eligibility standards as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 12 months from the closing date, and regained compliance on May 7, 2021 and we granted QFL registration rights with respect to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. We also granted QFL certain board observation rights. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, all of the net proceeds from the monetization of the intellectual property acquired with funds from QFL are paid directly to QFL. After QFL has received a negotiated rate of return, we and QFL share net proceeds equally until QFL achieves its investment return, as defined in the agreement. Thereafter, we retain 100% of all net proceeds. Except in an Event of Default, as defined therein, all payments by us to QFL pursuant to the Purchase Agreement are non-recourse and shall be paid only if and after net proceeds from monetization of the patent rights owned or acquire by us are received, or to be received. 20 Contemporaneously with the execution of the agreements with QFL, we entered into a restructure agreement with Intelligent Partners to eliminate any obligations we had with respect to the outstanding notes and the securities purchase agreement. As part of the restructure of our agreements with Intelligent Partners, we amended the existing MPAs and granted Intelligent Partners certain rights in the monetization proceeds from any new intellectual property we acquire. Under these MPAs, Intelligent Partners receives a 60% interest in the proceeds from our intellectual property owned by the eight Subsidiary Guarantors. Intelligent Partners also participates in the monetization proceeds from new intellectual property that we acquire until the total payments under all the monetization participation agreements equal $2,805,000, as follows: for net proceeds between $0 and $1,000,000, Intelligent Partners receives 10% of the net proceeds realized from new patents, except that if, in any calendar quarter, net proceeds realized by us exceed $1,000,000, Intelligent Partners’ entitlement for that quarter only shall increase to 30% on the portion of net proceeds in excess of $1,000,000 but less than $3,000,000. If in the same calendar quarter, net proceeds exceed $3,000,000, Intelligent Partners’ entitlement for that quarter only shall increase to 50% on the portion of net proceeds in excess of $3,000,000. The payments with respect to the new patents terminate once total payments to Intelligent Partners under all monetization participation agreements reach $2,805,000. The payments to Intellectual Partners with respect new patents are payable from the proceeds which are allocated to us under the QFL agreements, which start after QFL has received a negotiated rate of return. Portfolios In October 2022, TLL brought patent infringement suits in the U.S. District for the Eastern District of Texas against Fortinet, Inc., and Musarubra US, LLC. The actions against Fortinet, Inc. and Musarubra US LLC have been resolved and revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024 includes revenue from the related settlements. In February 2024, Harbor Island Dynamic brought a patent infringement suit in the U.S. District for the Eastern District of Texas against Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. This action is pending. Results of Operations Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Revenues (patent licensing fees) $ 1,045,000 $ 202,500 Cost of revenue (litigation and licensing expenses) 561,552 187,973 Selling, general and administrative expenses 577,279 777,857 Income (loss) from operations (93,831 ) (763,330 ) Other expenses Change in fair market value of warrant liability (199,422 ) (8,566 ) Interest expense (138,189 ) (137,469 ) Total other expenses (337,611 ) (146,035 ) Loss before income tax (431,442 ) (909,365 ) Income tax expense — (30,000 ) Net loss $ (431,442 ) $ (939,365 ) We generated revenues of approximately $1,045,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 as compared to approximately $203,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023. Our revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was generated from licenses pursuant to the settlement of patent infringement lawsuits in the TLL portfolio. Our revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was generated from licenses pursuant to the settlement of patent infringement lawsuits in the Tyche and STX portfolios. The total settlement recovery is included in revenue and the associated costs are deducted as cost of revenue. Cost of revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 relating to patent service costs was approximately $562,000 and $188,000, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company received a reimbursement for costs expensed in prior periods in the amount of approximately $334,000, resulting in a reduction of litigation and licensing expenses. The timing and amount of our revenue is dependent upon the results of litigation seeking to enforce our intellectual property rights, and we cannot predict when or whether we will have a recovery and how much of the recovery will be received by us after payments to legal counsel, to our funding sources, to inventors/former patent owners and to Intelligent Partners, all of whom or may have an interest in our share of the recovery from certain patent portfolios after deducting payments due to counsel and the litigation funding source. Selling, general, and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 decreased by approximately $201,000, or approximately 26%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily due to compensation expense. Our principal operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 were amortization of intangible assets of approximately $167,000 and compensation expenses of approximately $165,000. Our principal operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2023 were amortization of intangible assets of approximately $159,000 and compensation expenses of approximately $450,000. We had stock-based compensation costs of approximately $6,000 and $19,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We anticipate increased administrative expenses in the second quarter of 2024 as a result of the restatement of our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the filing of an amendment to our 10-K annual report. 21 Other income and expense for the three months ended March 31, 2024 included a loss on change in fair value of warrant liability of approximately $199,000. We realized a loss on change in fair value of warrant liability of approximately $9,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The fair value of the warrant liability is affected by the price of our common stock, so the liability increases as the stock price goes up, resulting in an expense, and decreases as the stock price goes down resulting in income from change in warrant liability. Other expense also reflects interest expense of approximately $138,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and approximately $137,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023. We incurred income tax expense of approximately $0 and $30,000 for foreign income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As a result of the foregoing, we realized a net loss of approximately $431,000, or $0.08 per share (basic and diluted) and net loss of approximately $939,000, or $0.17 per share (basic and diluted), for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Liquidity and Capital Resources At March 31, 2024, we had current assets of approximately $4,844,000 and current liabilities of approximately $14,809,000. Our current liabilities include funding liabilities of approximately $8,161,000 payable to QFL and QF3, a non-interest bearing total monetization proceeds obligation (the “TMPO”) to Intelligent Partners in the amount of approximately $2,797,000 under the Restructure Agreement, both of which are only payable from money generated from the monetization of intellectual property, loans payable of approximately $138,000, a warrant liability of approximately $481,000, accounts payable and accrued liabilities of approximately $1,999,000, and accrued interest of approximately $1,233,000. As of March 31, 2024, we have an accumulated deficit of approximately $24,342,000 and a negative working capital of approximately $9,965,000. Other than salary and pension benefits to our chief executive officer, we do not contemplate any other material operating expense requiring cash in the near future other than normal general and administrative expenses and legal fees, including expenses relating to our status as a public company filing reports with the SEC. The following table shows the summary cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023: Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Cash flows used in operating activities $ (628,437 ) $ (607,835 ) Cash flows used in investing activities — (3,300,000 ) Cash flows from financing activities 835,649 3,944,140 Net increase in cash 207,212 36,305 Cash at beginning of year 563,484 90,601 Cash at end of year $ 770,696 $ 126,906 We cannot assure you that we will be successful in generating future revenues, in obtaining additional debt or equity financing or that such additional debt or equity financing will be available on terms acceptable to us, if at all, or that we will be able to obtain any third-party funding in connection with any of our intellectual property portfolios or that we will receive any of the proceeds of any litigation settlements after making all required payments to counsel and funding sources and payments to Intelligent Partners. We have no credit facilities. Although our agreement provides for QFL and QF3 to provide us with funding to acquire intellectual property rights, subject to QFL’s and QF3’s approval, it does not provide for financing the litigation necessary for the monetization of the intellectual property rights. We do not have any credit facilities or any arrangements for us to finance the litigation necessary to monetize our intellectual property rights other than contingent fee arrangements with counsel with respect to our pending litigation. If we do not secure contingent representation or obtain litigation financing, we may be unable to monetize our intellectual property. We cannot predict the success of any pending or future litigation. Typically, our agreements with the funding sources provide that the funding sources will participate in any recovery which is generated. We believe that our financial condition, our history of losses and negative cash flow from operations, and our low stock price make it difficult for us to raise funds in the debt or equity markets. 22 As noted below, there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Critical Accounting Estimates The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates. We base our estimates on historical experience and on other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form our basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Management believes the following critical accounting policies affect the significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements. 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 (collectively “patents”) acquired from third-parties or acquired in connection with business combinations. Patent acquisition costs are allocated equally across the patents in force at the time of acquisition. 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. Warrant Liability We reflect a warrant liability with respect to warrants for which the number of shares underlying the warrants is not fixed until the date of the initial exercise. The amount of the liability is determined at the end of each fiscal period by using a Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value. The period to period change in the amount of warrant liability is reflected as a gain or loss in warrant liability and is included under other expenses. Stock-Based Compensation We account for stock-based compensation for employees and non-employees pursuant to ASC 718, “Compensation — Stock Compensation,” which prescribes accounting and reporting standards for all stock-based payment transactions. Transactions include incurring liabilities, or issuing or offering to issue shares, options and other equity instruments. Stock-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, are recognized as compensation expense in the financial statements based on their fair values estimated using a Black-Scholes option pricing model. That expense is recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide services in exchange for the award, known as the requisite service period (usually the vesting period). 23 Revenue Recognition Patent Licensing Fees We recognize 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. For the periods presented, revenue contracts executed by us primarily provided for the payment of contractually determined, one-time, paid-up license fees in consideration for the grant of certain intellectual property rights for patented technologies owned or controlled by us or our operating subsidiaries as part of the settlement of litigation commenced by our subsidiaries. Intellectual property rights granted included the following, as applicable: (i) the grant of a non-exclusive, retroactive and future license to manufacture and/or sell products covered by patented technologies, (ii) a covenant-not-to-sue, (iii) the release of the licensee from certain claims, and (iv) the dismissal of any pending litigation. The intellectual property rights granted were perpetual in nature, extending until the legal expiration date of the related patents. The individual intellectual property rights are not accounted for as separate performance obligations, as (a) the nature of the promise, within the context of the contract, is to transfer combined items to which the promised intellectual property rights are inputs and (b) the Company’s promise to transfer each individual intellectual property right described above to the customer is not separately identifiable from other promises to transfer intellectual property rights in the contract. Since the promised intellectual property rights are not individually distinct, we combine each individual IP right in the contract into a bundle of IP rights that is distinct, and accounted for all of the intellectual property rights promised in the contract as a single performance obligation. The intellectual property rights granted were “functional IP rights” that have significant standalone functionality. Our subsequent activities do not substantively change that functionality and do not significantly affect the utility of the IP to which the licensee has rights. Our subsidiaries have no further obligation with respect to the grant of intellectual property rights, including no express or implied obligation to maintain or upgrade the technology, or provide future support or services. The contracts provide for the grant (i.e., transfer of control) of the licenses, covenants-not-to-sue, releases, and other significant deliverables upon execution of the contract. Licensees legally obtain control of the intellectual property rights upon execution of the contract. As such, the earnings process is complete and revenue is recognized upon the execution of the contract, when collectability is probable and all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. Revenue contracts generally provide for payment of contractual amounts within 30 to 90 days of execution of the contract. Contractual payments made by licensees are generally non-refundable. We do not have any significant payment terms, as payment is received shortly after goods are delivered or services are provided, therefore there is no significant financing component or consideration payable to the customer in these transactions. Our revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was generated from licenses pursuant to the settlement of patent infringement lawsuits in the TLL portfolio. Our revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was generated from licenses pursuant to the settlement of patent infringement lawsuits in the Tyche and STX portfolios. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Management does not believe that there are any recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards which, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on our financial statements. 24 Going Concern We have an accumulated deficit of approximately $24,342,000 and negative working capital of approximately $9,965,000 as of March 31, 2024. Although we generated income in 2023, we incurred a loss for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and we have a history of losses and can give no assurance that we will generate income in the future. Because of our history of losses, our working capital deficiency, the uncertainty of future revenue, our obligations to Intelligent Partners, QF3, and QFL, the low stock price of our common stock and the absence of an active trading market in our common stock and our failure to have effective internal controls over financial reporting, as reflected in the restatement of its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023, our ability to raise funds in the equity market or from lenders is severely impaired. These conditions, as well as any adverse consequences which would result from our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of the OTCQB, raise substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern. Our revenue is generated exclusively from license fees generated from litigation seeking damages for infringement of our intellectual property rights. Although we may seek to raise funds and to obtain third-party funding for litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, the availability of such funds is uncertain. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements We have not entered into any other financial guarantees or other commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of any third parties. We have not entered into any derivative contracts that are indexed to our shares and classified as stockholder’s equity or that are not reflected in our consolidated financial statements. Furthermore, we do not have any retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk. We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are not required to provide the information under this item.