Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Related Party Transactions

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Related Party Transactions
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions

Note 15 - Related Party Transactions (restated)

 

On June 19, 2012, the Company entered into a 3-year exclusive License & Supply Agreement with ChubeWorkx Guernsey Limited (as successor to SONO International Limited) (“ChubeWorkx”) for the purchase and distribution of Akers’ proprietary breathalyzers outside North America. ChubeWorkx paid a licensing fee of $1,000,000 which was recognized over the term of the agreement through September 30, 2015.

 

On June 13, 2013, the Company announced an expansion of the License and Supply Agreement with ChubeWorkx to include worldwide marketing and distribution of the “Be CHUBE” program using the Company’s breathalyzer.

 

On August 17, 2016, the Company entered into a Settlement Agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) with ChubeWorkx Guernsey Limited (“ChubeWorkx”), a major shareholder, which settled all pending claims between the Company and ChubeWorkx. Specifically, the Company and ChubeWorkx agreed to voluntarily dismiss (i) the action in the United States Federal Court, District of New Jersey brought by the Company against ChubeWorkx for outstanding amounts due to the Company under a promissory note and (ii) the action in The High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division Commercial Court, Royal Courts of Justice, United Kingdom brought by ChubeWorkx against the Company arising from an exclusive licensing agreement between ChubeWorkx and the Company (“Licensing Agreement”).

 

Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the Company will recover the full outstanding principal amount in the current fiscal year in the form of $750,000 of BreathScan® Alcohol Detector inventory – which the Company intends to subsequently sell – and the balance of $549,609 as prepaid royalty. Akers’ established an allowance for this doubtful note in the Company’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015. As a result of the Settlement Agreement, the Company reversed the allowance for doubtful note in the amount of $1,299,609 which was included in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss for the year ended December 31, 2016.

 

In addition to addressing the promissory note described above, the Settlement Agreement also allows the Company to market and sell all of the Company’s breath technology tests worldwide, unencumbered by any past/future claims by ChubeWorkx under the Licensing Agreement (entered into with ChubeWorkx in 2012 and subsequently amended in 2013). Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, ChubeWorkx no longer holds any rights pertaining to Akers’ BreathScan® technology, which serves as the basis for a number of commercialized products including BreathScan® Alcohol Detector and BreathScan OxiChek™; and a number of products in development.

 

In return for the Company regaining the full rights to sell breath technology products, under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, ChubeWorkx is entitled to receive a royalty of 5% of the Company’s gross revenues (the “ChubeWorkx Royalty”) until ChubeWorkx has earned an aggregate $5,000,000, after which point ChubeWorkx will no longer be entitled to receive any royalties from the Company and the Company shall have no further obligation to ChubeWorkx. The Settlement Agreement further allows the Company to retain 50% of the ChubeWorkx Royalty until the full $549,609 cash component of the monies owed by ChubeWorkx to the Company as described above has been satisfied. The Company recorded royalty expenses of $34,328 and $128,108 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and $117,949 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 which are included in sales and marketing expenses – related party on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

 

Other terms of the Settlement include: 1) the pledge as security of all earned but unpaid royalties by the Company to ChubeWorkx all Company assets, worthy to satisfy its obligations, including all inventory and receivables, with the exception of (i) distribution contracts of the Company or any of its affiliates, (ii) customer lists, (iii) manufacturing processes (including all intellectual property required to use those processes and exploit products made thereby), and (iv) all equipment required to perform said manufacturing processes and other equipment; 2) the pledge as security of the settlement sum which remains unpaid by the Company to ChubeWorkx all Company (i) distribution contracts of the Company or any of its affiliates, (ii) customer lists, (iii) manufacturing processes (including all intellectual property required to use those processes and exploit products made thereby), and (iv) all equipment required to perform said manufacturing processes and other equipment; and 3) the grant of voting proxy by ChubeWorkx to the Company which allows the Company to vote ChubeWorkx’s shares for corporate formalities under certain conditions.

 

The pledged assets are only at risk in the event that the Company cannot satisfy any outstanding royalty payment obligations subject to various cure periods and/or through a restructuring and/or liquidation under the United States Bankruptcy laws of the Company in favor of payment of said obligation.

 

Prior to the acquisition of the BreathScan® Alcohol Detector inventory pursuant to the Settlement Agreement from ChubeWorkx, the Company had pre-existing inventory totaling $467,646 for the detectors purchased. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company sold 1.8% and 6.2% of the cumulative unit inventory and recognized revenue totaling $39,100 and $139,900 and $- for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016.

 

The Company began purchasing manufacturing molds, plastic components and the assembled BreathScan Lync™ device through Hainan and its related party during the year ended December 31, 2016 (Note 9). The Company purchased a total of $- during the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 and $16,774 and $2,287 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 from this related party. As of September 30, 2017, the Company had a prepayment credit of $25,989 with Shenzhen and owed two other related companies of Hainan $3,081 which is included in trade and other payables – related parties on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.

 

Trade receivables – related parties as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 were $- and $31,892. The amounts due are non-interest bearing, unsecured and generally have a term of 30-180 days (Note 6).

 

Product revenue – related parties for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $- and total $- and $380 for the nine months then ended. The revenue was the result of sales to Hainan and its related parties.