GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549
FORM 20-F
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007
Commission File Number: 000-30540
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
8TH FLOOR,
207 TIDING BOULEVARD, SECTION 2, TAIPEI 114, TAIWAN, R.O.C.
(Address of principal executive offices)
Registrants telephone number, including area code
886-2- 2656-8000
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:
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Title of Each Class
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Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered |
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Ordinary Shares
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The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC |
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act:
None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:
None
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuers classes of capital or common
stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report:
53,699,740 ordinary shares
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes þ No o
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is
not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. Yes o No þ
Note Checking the box above will not relieve any registrant required to file reports
pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from their obligations under
those Sections.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed
by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or
for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been
subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the
financial statements included in this filing:
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U.S. GAAP þ
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International Financial Reporting Standards as issued
by the International Accounting Standards Board o
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Other o |
If Other has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark
whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated
filer. See definition of accelerated filer and large accelerated filer in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer o Accelerated filer þ Non-accelerated filer o
Indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.
o Item 17 þ Item 18
If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company
(as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No þ
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page |
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2 |
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ITEM 1.
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IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS
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2 |
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ITEM 2.
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OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE
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2 |
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ITEM 3.
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KEY INFORMATION
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2 |
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ITEM 4.
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INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY
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18 |
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ITEM 4A.
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UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
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45 |
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ITEM 5.
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OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS
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45 |
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ITEM 6.
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DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES
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70 |
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ITEM 7.
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MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
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76 |
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ITEM 8.
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FINANCIAL INFORMATION
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77 |
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ITEM 9.
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THE OFFER AND LISTING
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79 |
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ITEM 10.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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80 |
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ITEM 11.
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QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
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94 |
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ITEM 12.
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES
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94 |
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94 |
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ITEM 13.
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DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES
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94 |
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ITEM 14.
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MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF
PROCEEDS
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95 |
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ITEM 15.
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CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
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95 |
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ITEM 16.
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[Reserved]
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96 |
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ITEM 16 A.
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AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT
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96 |
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ITEM 16 B.
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CODE OF ETHICS
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96 |
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ITEM 16 C.
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PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
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96 |
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ITEM 16 D.
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EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES
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97 |
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ITEM 16 E.
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PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS
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97 |
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97 |
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ITEM 17.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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97 |
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ITEM 18.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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97 |
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ITEM 19.
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EXHIBITS
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98 |
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EX-4.55 EXCLUSIVE BUSINESS CONSULTANCY SERVICE AGREEMENT DATED NOVEMBER 15, 2006 |
EX-4.56 SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT TO EXCLUSIVE BUSINESS CONSULTANCY SERVICE AGREEMENT DATED APRIL 1, 2007 |
EX-4.57 EXCLUSIVE TECHNICAL SERVICE AND CONSULTANCY AGREEMENT DATED NOVEMBER 15, 2006 |
EX-4.58 SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT TO EXCLUSIVE TECHNICAL SERVICE AND CONSULTANCY AGREEMENT DATED APRIL 1, 2007 |
EX-4.59 AGREEMENT FOR PLEDGE OF SHARES DATED FEBRUARY 9, 2007 |
EX-4.60 EXCLUSIVE CALL OPTION AGREEMENT DATED FEBRUARY 9, 2007 |
EX-4.61 PROXY VOTING AGREEMENT DATED FEBRUARY 9, 2007 |
EX-4.62 EXCLUSIVE BUSINESS CONSULTANCY SERVICE AGREEMENT DATED NOVEMBER 15, 2006 |
EX-4.63 SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT TO EXCLUSIVE BUSINESS CONSULTANCY SERVICE AGREEMENT DATED JANUARY 1, 2007 |
EX-4.64 AGREEMENT FOR PLEDGE OF SHARES DATED MARCH 20, 2008 |
EX-4.65 EXCLUSIVE CALL OPTION AGREEMENT DATED MARCH 20, 2008 |
EX-4.66 PROXY VOTING AGREEMENT DATED MARCH 20, 2008 |
EX-4.67 SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT DATED JUNE 3, 2007 |
EX-4.68 SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT DATED JUNE 6, 2007 |
EX-4.69 SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT DATED JUNE 10, 2007 |
EX-4.70 SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT DATED JULY 5, 2007 |
EX-4.71 SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT DATED JULY 6, 2007 |
EX-4.72 SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT DATED JULY 6, 2007 |
EX-4.73 SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT DATED MAY 26, 2008 |
EX-12.1 CERTIFICATION BY CEO |
EX-12.2 CERTIFICATION BY CFO |
EX-13.1 CERTIFICATION BY CEO |
EX-13.2 CERTIFICATION BY CFO |
EX-15.1 CONSENT OF GHP HORWATH, P.C. |
====================================================================================================================================
USE OF CERTAIN TERMS
In this annual report, all references to (i) we, us, our, our Company or GigaMedia
are to GigaMedia Limited and, unless the context requires otherwise, its subsidiaries; (ii)
Shares are to ordinary shares of our Company; (iii) CESL are to Cambridge Entertainment
Software Limited (previously known as Grand Virtual International Limited), a company incorporated
under the laws of the British Virgin Islands; (iv) Hoshin GigaMedia are to Hoshin GigaMedia
Center Inc., a company incorporated under the laws of Taiwan, Republic of China, (R.O.C.); (v)
FunTown are to our online games business operated through Hoshin GigaMedia and FunTown World
Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands; (vi) T2CN are to
T2CN Holding Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands; (vii)
online games business are to online game and service
business operated through FunTown and T2CN;
and (viii) Internet access service business are to Internet access and service business operated
through Hoshin GigMedia and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Koos Broadband Telecom Co., Ltd. (KBT).
All references in this annual report to U.S. dollar, $ and US$ are to United States dollars
and all references to NT dollar and NT$ are to New Taiwan dollars.
DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This annual report contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
These statements include projections and business trends that are forward-looking within the
meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are
generally indicated by the use of forward-looking terminology such as believe, expect,
anticipate, estimate, plan, project, may, will or other similar words. The
forward-looking statements included in this annual report relate to, among others:
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our business plan and strategies; |
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our future business development and potential financial condition, results of
operations and other projected financial information; |
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our ability to manage current and potential future growth; |
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expected continued acceptance of our revenue model; |
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our plans for strategic partnerships, licenses and alliances; |
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our acquisition and strategic investment strategy, and ability to successfully
integrate any past, current, or future acquisitions into our operations; |
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our ability to protect our intellectual property rights and the security of our
customers information; |
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expected continued acceptance of our online games and gaming software, including
expected growth of the online games and online gaming industry, and consumer
preferences for our products and services; |
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the development of new online game and gaming software products in-house, our plans
to license additional games from third parties, and the launch of these new games or
gaming software systems, including the timing of any such development, licenses or
launches; |
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potential entry of new competitors in any of our business lines; |
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changes in PRC laws and governmental regulation, and future enforcement of those
laws and regulations, including laws and regulations relating to Internet usage,
advertising over the Internet, Internet content providers, foreign investors in online
business and distribution of dividends; |
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expected growth in the number of Internet, online games, and gaming software users
in the PRC and other areas of operation; |
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changes or stability in certain regulatory environments in our places of operation,
including our licensees operations or gaming licenses; |
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the outcome of ongoing, or any future, litigation or arbitration; and |
1
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our corporate classification by various governmental entities. |
These forward-looking statements are based on our own information and on information from
other sources we believe to be reliable. Our actual results may differ materially from those
expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors and other
factors noted throughout this annual report, including those described under Item 3, Key
Information D. Risk Factors and those detailed from time to time in other filings with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission). We undertake no obligation to update
or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this
annual report or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Given this level of
uncertainty, you are advised not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.
PART I
ITEM 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS
Not applicable.
ITEM 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE
Not applicable.
ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION
Exchange Rates
Our consolidated financial statements were historically reported in New Taiwan dollars.
Effective January 1, 2004, we adopted the U.S. dollar as our reporting currency because operations
denominated in U.S. dollars represented an increasing portion of our business following the
acquisition of our gaming software and service business. Comparative financial information has
been recast as if the U.S. dollar had been used as our reporting currency as of and for the year
ended December 31, 2003.
Assets and liabilities on our balance sheet denominated in non-U.S. dollars are translated
into U.S. dollars using year-end exchange rates. Income and expense items in our statement of
operations denominated in non-U.S. dollars are translated into U.S. dollars using the
weighted-average exchange rates. Certain other operating financial information denominated in
non-U.S. dollars, not included in our consolidated financial statements and provided in this annual
report, are translated using weighted-average exchange rates. For convenience,
transactions in 2008 denominated in non-U.S. dollars are translated into U.S. dollars using the
year-end exchange rate for 2007. We make no representation that the non-U.S. dollars could be
converted to U.S. dollars at such rate or any particular rates.
A. Selected Financial Data
The selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 and the selected
consolidated statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007 have
been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual
report. The selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, and
the selected consolidated statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2003 and
2004 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended
December 31, 2003, 2004 and 2005, which are not included in this annual report. The consolidated
financial statements have been prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles in the United States, or U.S. GAAP. The selected consolidated financial data
set forth below should be read in conjunction with Item 5, Operating and Financial Review and
Prospects and the consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements included
elsewhere in this annual report. The statements of operations for the years ended December 31,
2003, and 2004 have been restated to reflect the results of our music distribution business, which
was sold in September 2005, as discontinued operations. Certain prior-year amounts have been
reclassified to conform to the current-year presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on
the results of operations or shareholders equity as previously reported.
2
For the Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands except for earnings/loss per share amounts)
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2003 |
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2004 |
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2005 |
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2006 |
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2007 |
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US$ |
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US$ |
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US$ |
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US$ |
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US$ |
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA: |
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OPERATING REVENUES |
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Gaming software and service revenues |
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0 |
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11,434 |
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22,511 |
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55,019 |
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118,950 |
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Online game and service revenues |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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18,692 |
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32,764 |
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Internet access and service revenues |
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19,396 |
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21,303 |
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21,589 |
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20,537 |
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15,147 |
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Other revenues |
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117 |
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107 |
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87 |
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44 |
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17 |
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Total operating revenues |
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19,513 |
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32,844 |
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44,187 |
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94,292 |
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166,878 |
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OPERATING COSTS |
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Cost of gaming software and service revenues |
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0 |
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(1,592 |
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(3,327 |
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(7,824 |
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(16,201 |
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Cost of online game and service revenues |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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(3,667 |
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(9,118 |
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Cost of Internet access and service revenues |
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(15,093 |
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(13,873 |
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(13,568 |
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(11,449 |
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(10,002 |
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Cost of other revenues |
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(1,022 |
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(644 |
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(488 |
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(391 |
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(223 |
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Total operating costs |
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(16,115 |
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(16,109 |
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(17,383 |
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(23,331 |
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(35,544 |
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GROSS PROFIT |
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3,398 |
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16,735 |
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26,804 |
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70,961 |
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131,334 |
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OPERATING EXPENSES |
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Product development and engineering expenses |
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(1,211 |
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(2,513 |
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(3,562 |
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(5,738 |
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(7,911 |
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Selling and marketing expenses |
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(2,432 |
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(6,310 |
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(10,777 |
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(30,123 |
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(62,349 |
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General and administrative expenses |
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(5,162 |
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(5,657 |
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(7,892 |
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(12,421 |
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(22,240 |
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Bad debt expenses |
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(128 |
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220 |
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(207 |
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(715 |
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(743 |
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Impairment loss on property, plant and equipment |
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(1,557 |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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(10,490 |
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(14,260 |
) |
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(22,438 |
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(48,997 |
) |
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(93,243 |
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Income (loss) from operations |
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(7,092 |
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2,475 |
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4,366 |
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21,964 |
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38,091 |
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Income (loss) from continuing operations |
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(9,799 |
) |
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1,253 |
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6,490 |
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30,784 |
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38,890 |
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Income (loss) from discontinued operations |
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(4,296 |
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429 |
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(154 |
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0 |
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0 |
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Net income (loss) |
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(14,095 |
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1,682 |
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6,336 |
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30,784 |
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38,890 |
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Earnings (loss) per share (in dollars) |
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Basic: |
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Income (loss) from continuing operations |
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(0.20 |
) |
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0.02 |
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0.13 |
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0.60 |
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0.74 |
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Income (loss) from discontinued operations |
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(0.08 |
) |
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0.01 |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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Net income (loss) |
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(0.28 |
) |
|
|
0.03 |
|
|
|
0.13 |
|
|
|
0.60 |
|
|
|
0.74 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Diluted: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income (loss) from continuing operations |
|
|
(0.20 |
) |
|
|
0.02 |
|
|
|
0.12 |
|
|
|
0.51 |
|
|
|
0.65 |
|
Income (loss) from discontinued operations |
|
|
(0.08 |
) |
|
|
0.01 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) |
|
|
(0.28 |
) |
|
|
0.03 |
|
|
|
0.12 |
|
|
|
0.51 |
|
|
|
0.65 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of December 31,
(US dollars in thousands except for number of issued shares)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003 |
|
2004 |
|
2005 |
|
2006 |
|
2007 |
|
|
US$ |
|
US$ |
|
US$ |
|
US$ |
|
US$ |
BALANCE SHEET DATA: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total current assets |
|
|
77,709 |
|
|
|
67,726 |
|
|
|
70,204 |
|
|
|
64,176 |
|
|
|
115,417 |
|
Property, plant and equipment-net |
|
|
15,636 |
|
|
|
15,056 |
|
|
|
10,747 |
|
|
|
10,098 |
|
|
|
13,008 |
|
Goodwill |
|
|
|
|
|
|
29,607 |
|
|
|
29,243 |
|
|
|
55,817 |
|
|
|
85,149 |
|
Intangible assets-net |
|
|
6,199 |
|
|
|
8,372 |
|
|
|
2,704 |
|
|
|
23,067 |
|
|
|
26,060 |
|
Total assets |
|
|
119,792 |
|
|
|
125,977 |
|
|
|
113,519 |
|
|
|
182,619 |
|
|
|
283,865 |
|
Total shareholders equity |
|
|
90,363 |
|
|
|
95,971 |
|
|
|
100,648 |
|
|
|
134,087 |
|
|
|
180,665 |
|
Common shares, no par value, and
additional paid-in capital |
|
|
239,004 |
|
|
|
287,657 |
|
|
|
287,920 |
|
|
|
289,495 |
|
|
|
296,793 |
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003 |
|
2004 |
|
2005 |
|
2006 |
|
2007 |
|
|
US$ |
|
US$ |
|
US$ |
|
US$ |
|
US$ |
Number of issued shares (in thousands) |
|
|
50,154 |
|
|
|
50,154 |
|
|
|
50,344 |
|
|
|
51,495 |
|
|
|
53,700 |
|
Dividend declared per share (in dollars) |
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Presentation of financial information for the financial years ended December 31, 2003 through
December 31, 2006 has been reclassified to conform with the presentation for the year ended
December 31, 2007.
B. Capitalization and Indebtedness
Not applicable.
C. |
|
Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds |
Not applicable.
D. Risk Factors
Risks Related to Our Business
Our limited operating history as a gaming software and services provider and an online games
operator, and the unproven long-term potential of those business models make evaluating our
business and prospects difficult
We acquired our gaming software and service business, CESL, in April 2004 and our online games
business, comprised of the game platforms of FunTown and T2CN, in January 2006 and June 2007,
respectively. We launched new poker software products in 2004, which generated approximately 18 percent, 56 percent and 75 percent of our total gaming software and service revenues in
2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. In addition, the senior management teams of our different
businesses and our employees have worked together at our Company for only a relatively short period
of time.
As a result, we have a limited relevant operating history as a gaming software and services
developer and an online games operator for you to evaluate. It is also difficult to evaluate our
prospective business, because we may not have sufficient experience to address the risks frequently
encountered by companies using new and unproven business models and entering new and rapidly
evolving markets, including the online gaming and online games markets. These risks may include
our potential failure to:
|
|
|
retain existing customers or attract new customers; |
|
|
|
|
license, develop, or acquire additional online games that are appealing to
consumers; |
|
|
|
|
anticipate and adapt to changing consumer preferences; |
|
|
|
|
adapt to competitive market conditions; |
|
|
|
|
adapt to regulatory changes; |
|
|
|
|
respond to technological changes or resolve unexpected service interruptions in a
timely manner; |
|
|
|
|
adequately and efficiently operate, upgrade and develop our transaction and service
platforms; or |
4
|
|
|
maintain adequate control of our expenses. |
If we are unsuccessful in addressing any of the risks listed above, our business and financial
condition will be adversely affected.
Our businesses face intense competition, which may adversely affect our revenues,
profitability and planned business expansion
We face competition from many competitors, and we expect to face additional competition from
potential competitors, including those with:
|
|
|
significantly greater technological, financial, sales and marketing resources; |
|
|
|
|
larger customer bases and longer operating histories; |
|
|
|
|
greater name recognition; and |
|
|
|
|
more established relationships with distribution partners, advertisers, content and
application providers and/or other strategic partners. |
Competition in the gaming software and service business
The Internet gaming software industry is characterized by rapid technological change, and we
face significant and intense competition from online gaming software design houses and application
service providers. Given the relatively low barriers to entry into the software industry and the
increasing popularity of Internet-based businesses, we face a large number of potential competitors
from many different segments of the software and Internet industries. Traditional entertainment
service providers, many of which have financial resources significantly greater than ours, might
elect to provide Internet-based entertainment services. Such Internet service providers and other
entertainment service providers could also develop and offer the underlying software solutions and
tools to others in direct competition with us.
We are also exposed to competition faced in the Internet gaming industry by our licensees,
such as Ultra Internet Media, S.A. (UIM), as license fees with respect to gaming software
provided by us typically include a variable fee based on revenues earned by such licensees from the
operation of the licensed software. Our major licensee is UIM, a provider of Internet gaming
services. Although we do not have any equity ownership interest in UIM, in accordance with FIN
46(R) we consolidate its assets, liabilities and results of operations in our financial statements
and are entitled to fees from UIM based upon its revenues. For additional information, see Item 5,
Operating and Financial Review and Prospects A. Operating Results Certain Significant
Events Affecting Our Results of Operations for 2005, 2006 and 2007 Consolidation of UIM, T2
Entertainment and T2 Advertisement under FIN 46(R). Our licensees (including UIM), face strong
competition in the online gaming industry.
Furthermore, some of our competitors and competitors of our licensees (including UIM) are more
established, enjoy greater market recognition, are substantially larger and have substantially
greater resources and distribution capabilities than we do. There is no assurance that we or our
licensees (including UIM) will be able to compete successfully with existing and future
competitors, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or
results of operations. See Item 4, Information on the Company B. Business Overview Gaming
Software and Service Business Competition for additional information.
Finally, as a result of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (the UIGEA) and
subsequent closing of the online gaming market in the United States, we and our licensees
(including UIM) face increasing competition from entertainment service providers in our markets in
Continental Europe, which are also increasingly subject to regulation from governmental
authorities. There is no assurance that we or our licensees (including UIM) will be able to
compete successfully with existing and future competitors, which could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. See Item 4, Information on
the Company B. Business Overview Gaming Software and Service Business Competition for
additional information.
5
Competition in the online games business
Our main competitors in the online games business are online game operators in Taiwan, Hong
Kong, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and Macau, or Greater China, including Shanda
Interactive Entertainment Ltd. (Shanda), Giant Interactive Group, Inc., The9 Limited, Nineyou
(Shanghai Everstar Online Entertainment Co., Ltd.), Tencent Holdings Limited, Ourgames.com (Beijing
Globalink Computer Technology Co., Ltd.) and Chinagames.net in China, and online game operators in
Taiwan, including Gamania Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Gamania) and Soft-World International
Corporation.
We expect more companies to enter the online games industry in Greater China and a wider range
of online games to be introduced to the Greater China market. Our competitors vary in size and
many have significant financial, marketing and game development resources as well as name
recognition. We may not be able to devote the same degree of resources to designing, developing or
acquiring new games, undertaking extensive marketing campaigns, adopting aggressive pricing
policies, paying high compensation to game developers or compensating independent game developers
as a number of our competitors may be able to do. We cannot assure you that we will be able to
compete successfully against any new or existing competitors.
As a result of the above, the increased competition we anticipate in the online games industry
may reduce the number of our users or the growth rate of our user base, reduce the average number
of hours played by our users, or cause us to reduce usage fees. All of these competitive factors
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
Competition in the Internet access service business
Our main competitors in the retail broadband Internet service provider (ISP) business are
fixed-line service providers and other ISPs in Taiwan that offer asymmetrical digital subscriber
line (ADSL) broadband services, including Chunghwa Telecoms HiNet, the overwhelmingly dominant
provider of broadband services; Taiwan Fixed Network, a fixed-line service provider; and Seednet,
SoNet and Asia Pacific Online, which are all ISPs. Our competitors also include cable-based
Internet access companies that have developed their own cable-based services and market those
services to cable operators, and those that are seeking to contract with cable operators to bring
their services into geographic areas that are not covered by an exclusive relationship between our
Company and our cable partners. Our corporate ISP business faces competition from fixed-line
service providers, including Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Fixed Network, NCICs Sparq and Asia Pacific
Online. The primary basis of competition in the Internet access business industry is price. We
can offer no assurance that we will be able to attract new subscribers or retain existing
subscribers, as a result of which our revenues may decline. All of these competitive factors could
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In
recent years, we have experienced a reduction in the number of our new consumer subscribers and
total consumer subscribers, in line with our ongoing strategy to shift resources away from this
legacy business. Consistent with our focus on online entertainment, we have retained financial
advisors to explore the sale of this legacy business.
Our business could suffer if we do not successfully manage current growth and potential future
growth
We are pursuing a number of growth strategies, including leveraging our customer base to
develop additional sources of revenues and exploring opportunities to expand into new gaming
software and service business segments. Some of these strategies relate to new services or
products for which there are no established markets, or relate to services, products or markets in
which we lack experience and expertise. We are also expanding our online poker software business
into new European markets such as Greece, Poland, Finland and Hungary. We cannot assure you that
we will be able to deliver new products or services on a commercially viable basis or in a timely
manner, or at all.
Our growth to date has placed, and our anticipated further expansion of our operations,
including a significant expansion of our headcount, will continue to place, a significant strain on
our management, systems and resources. In addition to training and managing our workforce, we will
need to continue to develop and improve our financial and management controls and our reporting
systems and procedures, including those of acquired businesses. We cannot assure you that we will
be able to efficiently or effectively manage the growth of our operations, and any failure to do so
may limit our future growth and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
We expect the marketing costs for our gaming software and service business to continue to
increase, which could have an adverse effect on our business
Our selling and marketing costs have been increasing rapidly, primarily due to increasing
competition in our core markets, the lack of available new markets and the high level of
advertising by our competitors in Europe. These costs increased by 126 percent, from
6
US$22.1
million in 2006 to US$50.0 million in 2007. We expect that we will need to continue to
significantly increase our marketing expenses for our gaming software and service business, which
could have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.
Our business strategy, which contemplates growth through acquisitions and strategic
investments, exposes us to significant risks
As a component of our growth strategy, we intend to continue to enhance our business
development, including our game content offerings, by acquiring other businesses that complement
our current online businesses, or which represent related but new lines of business that we believe
to be appropriate areas of expansion, or that we believe may benefit us in terms of user base,
product or content offering. We also intend to make selective strategic investments. We will
continue to examine the merits, risks and feasibility of potential transactions, and expect to
search for additional acquisition opportunities in the future.
Such search and examination efforts, and any related discussions with third parties, may or
may not lead to future acquisitions and investments. Our reported financial results may be
affected by any such acquisitions and/or investments, including any acquisitions or dispositions
undertaken by us in anticipation of or in connection with any such acquisitions and/or investments.
Our ability to grow through such acquisitions and investments will depend on the availability of
suitable acquisition candidates at an acceptable cost, our ability to reach agreement with
acquisition candidates or investee companies on commercially reasonable terms, the availability of
financing to complete larger acquisitions or investments and our ability to obtain any required
governmental approvals. In addition, the benefits of an acquisition or investment transaction may
take considerable time to develop and we cannot assure you that any particular acquisition or
investment will produce the intended benefits.
Furthermore, the identification and completion of any acquisition or investment may require us
to expend significant management and other resources, and may require that we expend a significant
portion of our cash reserves and/or issue a substantial amount of new equity, which could adversely
affect our financial condition and liquidity and result in significant dilution of our
shareholders interests. The impact of dilution may restrict our ability to consummate further
acquisitions. We may also incur debt and losses related to the impairment of goodwill and other
intangible assets upon or following the acquisition of another business, which could negatively
impact our results of operations. As of December 31, 2007, we carried US$85.1 million of goodwill,
including the goodwill recorded in connection with our acquisition of T2CN. Any write-off of
goodwill in the future may have a negative impact on our financial results.
Additional risks associated with acquisitions include, but are not limited to, the following:
|
|
|
It may be difficult to assimilate the operations and personnel of an acquired
business into our organization; |
|
|
|
|
Management, information, and accounting systems of an acquired business may be
different from our current systems and need to be successfully integrated; |
|
|
|
|
Our management must devote its attention to assimilating acquired businesses, which
diverts attention from other business concerns; |
|
|
|
|
Suppliers, vendors and/or distributors may renegotiate or cancel contracts with us
following the acquisition of a business; |
|
|
|
|
We may enter markets in which we have limited prior experience. For example, in
December 2006, we entered into a strategic alliance with Infocomm Asia Holdings Pte Ltd
(Infocomm Asia), an online gaming operator and distributor operating primarily in the
Southeast Asia region. In addition, in June 2007, we also acquired control of a
majority of the voting rights over the shares of T2CN, an online casual sports game
operator in China, a market in which we had limited prior experience; and |
|
|
|
|
We could lose some of our key employees or key employees of an acquired business. |
7
Unauthorized use of our intellectual property by third parties, and the expenses incurred in
protecting our intellectual property rights, may adversely affect our business
We regard our copyrights, service marks, trademarks, trade secrets, patents and other
intellectual property as critical to our success. Unauthorized use of the intellectual property,
whether owned by us or licensed to us, could adversely affect our business and reputation.
We rely on trademark, patent and copyright law, trade secret protection and confidentiality
agreements with our employees, customers, business partners and others to protect our intellectual
property rights. Despite our precautions, it may be possible for third parties to obtain and use
the intellectual property used in our business without authorization.
The validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property in
Internet-related industries are uncertain and evolving. In particular, the laws and enforcement
procedures of Taiwan, Hong Kong, the PRC and certain other countries are uncertain or do not
protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws and enforcement procedures
of the United States. Moreover, litigation may be necessary in the future to enforce our
intellectual property rights. Future litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of
our resources, which could disrupt our business and could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our results of operations are subject to significant fluctuations
Our revenues, expenses and results of operations have varied in the past and may fluctuate
significantly in the future due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. The
key factors affecting our businesses include, but are not limited to:
|
|
|
Gaming software and service business: availability of Internet infrastructure,
competition from existing and new competitors, the revenues, expenses and results of
operations of our customer and major licensee, UIM, and the regulatory restrictions
applicable to the Internet gaming industry. |
|
|
|
|
Online games business: existing and new competitors, the pace of rollout of new
games and price competition in the industry, regulatory and other risks arising in
connection with our China operations. |
|
|
|
|
Internet access service business: price competition in the Internet access
business, the rate at which new customers subscribe to our services, subscriber
turnover rates and the pace of rollout of our services. |
In addition, our operating expenses are based on our expectations of the future demand for our
services and are relatively fixed in the short term. We may be unable to adjust spending quickly
enough to offset any unexpected demand shortfall. A shortfall in revenues in relation to our
expenses could have a material and adverse effect on our business and financial results.
The markets for our principal businesses are characterized by rapid technological change, and
failure to respond quickly and sufficiently to new Internet technologies or standards may have a
material adverse effect on our business
The markets for our gaming software and service business, online games business and Internet
access service business are characterized by rapid technological advances, evolving industry
standards, changes in user requirements and frequent new service introductions and enhancements.
The online gaming and online games industries, in particular, are subject to rapid
technological change. We need to anticipate the emergence of new technologies and games, assess
their acceptance and make appropriate investments accordingly. If we are unable to do so, new
technologies in online gaming and online games programming or operations could render our gaming
software and online games obsolete or unattractive.
We use internally developed software systems that support nearly all aspects of our billing
and payment transactions in our online games business. All of our businesses may be adversely
affected if we are unable to upgrade our systems quickly enough to accommodate future traffic
levels, to avoid obsolescence or to successfully integrate any newly developed or acquired
technology with our existing systems. Capacity constraints could cause unanticipated system
disruptions and slower response times, affecting data transmission and game play. These factors
could, among other things, cause us to lose existing or potential customers and existing or
potential game development partners.
8
Our revenues from our Internet access and service business declined from approximately US$20.6
million in 2006 to US$15.2 million in 2007, mainly due to a decrease in the number of consumer
subscribers and a corresponding decrease in revenues from such customers. If we are unable to
effectively use leading technologies, continue to develop our technological expertise, enhance our
current services and continue to improve the performance, features and reliability of our products
and services, or we are unable to respond quickly and sufficiently to new technologies or
standards, we may not be able to attract new customers and our business and financial results may
be materially and adversely affected.
Our gaming software and service business, online games business, and Internet access and
service business depend on the reliability of our network infrastructure, which is subject to
physical, technological, security and other risks
The development and operation of our online networks are subject to physical, technological,
security and other risks which may result in interruption in service or reduced capacity for
customers. These risks include physical damage, power loss, telecommunications failure, capacity
limitation, hardware or software failures or defects and breaches of security by computer viruses,
break-ins or otherwise. The occurrence of any of these events could result in interruptions,
delays or cessation in service to users of our online services, which could have a material adverse
effect on our business and operating results. For example, in February 2007, an earthquake off the
coast of Taiwan damaged several undersea optic-fiber cables linking countries such as Malaysia,
Singapore, Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, the United States and Europe, causing disruptions
in Internet traffic worldwide. An increase in the volume of usage of online services could strain
the capacity of our software and hardware employed, which could result in slower response time or
system failures. We do not have redundant facilities in the event of an emergency, but we have a
variety of backup servers at our primary site to deal with possible system failures.
While we have implemented industry-standard security measures, our network may still be
vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses, denial of service attacks and other disruptive
problems. A party that is able to circumvent security measures could misappropriate proprietary
information and, perhaps, most importantly, cause interruptions in our operations. Internet and
online service providers have, in the past, experienced and may, in the future, experience
interruptions in service as a result of the accidental or intentional actions of Internet users,
current and former employees or others. We may be required to expend significant capital or other
resources to protect against the threat of security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by
such breaches. There can be no assurance that any measures implemented will not be circumvented in
the future.
The adoption of new laws or changes to or the application of existing laws relating to
Internet commerce may affect the growth of our gaming software and services and online games
businesses
In addition to regulations pertaining specifically to online entertainment, we may become
subject to a number of laws and regulations that may be adopted with respect to the Internet and
electronic commerce. New laws and regulations that address issues such as user privacy, pricing,
online content, taxation, advertising, intellectual property, information security, and the
characteristics and quality of online products and services may be enacted. For example, in order
to counter alleged Internet addiction, in March 2007, the PRC government prohibited the opening of any
new Internet cafés for the rest of 2007, and in April 2007, it issued regulations to discourage
online game-players who are minors from spending excessive amounts of time playing online games.
Pursuant to these regulations, Internet game operators have been ordered to install anti-addiction
software features on games offered in the PRC, which will (among other features) limit the number
of points and other benefits which can be awarded to game players after they have been online in
excess of specified periods of time. Internet game operators will also be required to adopt
real-name registration, which will require online game players to register their real identity
information before they will be allowed to play online games.
Current laws, which predate or are incompatible with Internet commerce, may also be enforced
in a manner that restricts the electronic commerce market. In addition, the application of such
pre-existing laws regulating communications or commerce in the context of the Internet and
electronic commerce is uncertain.
The adoption of new laws or regulations relating to the Internet, or particular applications
or interpretations of existing laws, could decrease the growth in the use of the Internet, decrease
the demand for our products and services, increase the cost of conducting our business or could
otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, revenues, operating results and financial
condition.
The worldwide legal and regulatory environment in which our gaming software and service
business operates is characterized by uncertainties that could adversely affect our business and
operating results
Our gaming software and service business includes software development and the provision of
application services for Internet gaming. We license our gaming software to operators of online
gaming businesses and to UIM, which also sub-licenses our software products to third parties. Fees
earned by us are based on the revenues earned from the operation of the licensed software. Each of
these businesses is subject to applicable laws and regulations relating to online gaming and
electronic commerce in various jurisdictions throughout the world, and it is in many cases
uncertain which governments have authority to legislate or regulate different aspects of
9
these
industries. Moreover, the Internet gaming industry is still in an early stage of development and
the worldwide legal and regulatory environment in which the businesses operate remains highly fluid
and subject to change. While most foreign jurisdictions have some form of legal framework
applicable to games of chance, few provide clear guidance on how this framework applies to Internet
gaming. Issues such as determining the physical location of a gaming event and significant
differences among the gaming laws and Cyberlaws of various countries all make traditional
concepts of jurisdiction and conflicts of laws difficult to apply. In addition, the very nature of
Internet gaming creates new and unique forms of entertainment that were neither contemplated nor
feasible in the past.
Due to the uncertainties in the worldwide legal and regulatory environment in which our gaming
software business operates and the potential for aggressive legal steps by certain governments to
protect online gaming business in their jurisdictions, we cannot assure you that our operations as
an application service provider to the gaming industry, or the Internet gaming services provided by
our licensees (including UIM), are in compliance with all laws and regulations of the jurisdictions
where our gaming software products are used, or that changes in such laws and regulations, or in
their interpretation, will not adversely affect our business and operating results. UIM, our major
licensee, currently holds a gaming license issued by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada.
However, certain jurisdictions in which UIM operates may require local licensing in the future, and
there can be no assurance that it will be successful in its efforts to obtain a gaming license from these jurisdictions, and that as a result UIM
would not face the potential loss of key partners and service providers. Also, the substantial
uncertainties in the global regulatory environment relating to online gaming expose us to the risk
that regulatory authorities in various jurisdictions will determine that our Company provides
online gaming services (rather than only providing software and application services to our
licensees) and thus subject our Company to gaming laws and regulations in such jurisdictions.
In Europe, several countries, led by the United Kingdom, have adopted a regulated online
gaming approach. Italy has proposed more liberal online gaming regulations and is currently seeking
approval by the European Union (EU) before becoming enforceable. However, opposing views are
present in Europe. Some European countries, where there are state-owned gaming monopolies,
primarily related to lotteries and online sports betting, have taken action or introduced
legislation aimed at banning foreign online gaming operators, which could have a material adverse
effect on our licensees and consequently on our Company. For example, the French governmental
authorities have passed legislation effective from March 2007, prohibiting operators other than
certain specified state-owned enterprises from operating Internet gaming sites in France.
Additionally, the German Interstate Gambling Treaty came into force on January 1, 2008 which seeks
a prohibition on the use of the Internet for all gambling services (except horserace betting). Both
the French and German legislation call for various forms of ISP blocking or warning pages to be
placed on gaming sites, financial transaction blocking and advertising restrictions. As of June 1,
2008, regulations and other necessary actions required to implement these laws and the banking
restrictions have not been adopted.
Such actions have generally been declared in violation of EU law which governs the EU and its
27 member nations. According to rulings by both the EU Commissioner of Internal Markets and the
European Court of Justice, such actions by member nations are illegal violations of the freedom to
provide services and of establishment as protected by the Treaty of the European Union.
There can be no assurance, however, that the rulings of the European Commission or the
European Court of Justice will be enforced in a timely manner without disruption to the business of
our licensees (including UIM).
Our business is international and therefore faces associated risks
There are certain difficulties and inherent risks faced by our licensees (including UIM), in
doing business internationally, including the burden of complying with multiple and conflicting
regulatory requirements, foreign exchange controls, potential restrictions or tariffs on gaming
activities that may be imposed, potentially adverse tax consequences and tax risks. Changes in the
political and economic stability, regulatory and taxation structures, and the interpretation
thereof, in jurisdictions in which we or our licensees operate, and in which our licensees
customers are located could have a material adverse effect on our business, revenues, operating
results and financial condition.
Our gaming software and service business is dependent on one master licensee, and any adverse
effect on its business could have an adverse effect on our revenues, operating results and
financial condition
All of our revenues from our gaming software and service business have historically been
derived from UIM, our master licensee which sub-licenses our software products to third parties.
UIMs revenues are derived principally from online poker. Although we do not have any ownership
interest in UIM, we consolidate its assets, liabilities and results of operations in our financial
statements and are entitled to fees from UIM based upon its revenues. We do not control its
management and hence have no control over its business decisions. In addition, there is
significant competition in the online poker industry. There can be no assurance that online poker
will continue to be popular among our users. These factors may have an adverse effect on UIMs
business, operating results or financial performance, which could have an adverse effect on our
business, operating results and financial performance. In December 2006, we agreed to license
certain of our gaming software for use on Web sites to be launched and operated by Laptop Finance
Group Ltd.
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Online gaming is a relatively new industry and therefore, we do not know if the market will
continue to grow
Both the Internet entertainment and online gaming industries are relatively new industries
that continue to evolve and are characterized by an increasing number of market entrants. The
demand and market acceptance for recently introduced products and services are typically subject to
a high level of uncertainty. The success of our gaming software and service business will depend
on the widespread adoption of the Internet for commercial transactions. There can be no assurance
that entertainment on the Internet and online gaming will become widespread.
All of the revenues from our gaming software and service business to date have been derived
from the licensing of our online gaming software and support of our associated services. Our
continued success will depend largely upon the success of our online gaming software. If the
market fails to develop, develops more slowly than expected, or becomes saturated with competitors
or if our services do not achieve market acceptance, our business, revenues, operating results and
financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
We may be vulnerable to delays or interruptions due to our reliance on infrastructure and
related services provided by third parties
Our electronic commerce product for handling transactions over the Internet relies on ISPs to
allow the customers of licensees and servers to communicate with each other. If all of the ISPs
experienced lengthy service interruptions, it would prevent communication over the Internet and
would greatly impair our ability to carry out our business. For example, in February 2007, an
earthquake off the coast of Taiwan damaged several undersea optic-fiber cables linking
countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, the United States and
Europe, causing disruptions in Internet traffic worldwide.
Our ability to process e-commerce transactions depends on bank processing and credit card
systems. In order to prepare for certain types of system problems, we are developing a formal
disaster recovery plan. Nevertheless, any system failure, including network, software or hardware
failure, which causes a delay or interruption in our e-commerce services could have a material
adverse effect on our business, revenues, operating results and financial condition.
The licensees of our gaming software depend on credit card transactions for a substantial
portion of the deposits or payments by their customers
Our gaming software and service business has historically derived all of its revenues from its
major licensee, UIM. A substantial portion of the deposits or payments to UIM are made through
credit card transactions. If credit card companies were to stop processing online gaming
transactions, either generally or in jurisdictions where our licensees operate, our gaming software
and service business could be materially and adversely affected.
Furthermore, there is a higher incidence of fraud associated with online credit card payments
than with other types of transactions, which could further discourage issuing banks from processing
online gaming transactions.
Undetected programming errors or defects in our software, services and games and the
proliferation of cheating programs could materially and adversely affect our gaming software and
services and online games businesses, financial condition and results of operations
Our software, services and games may contain undetected programming errors or other defects.
These errors or other defects could result in losses to our licensees (in the case of our gaming
software and service business), end-users and to us, and claims resulting from losses to end users
could damage our reputation and subject us to liability.
In addition, parties unrelated to us may develop Internet cheating programs that enable our
users to acquire superior features for their game characters that they would not have otherwise.
Furthermore, certain cheating programs could cause the loss of a characters superior features
acquired by a user. The occurrence of undetected errors or defects in our games, and our failure
to discover and disable cheating programs affecting the fairness of our game environment, could
disrupt our operations, damage our reputation and detract from the game experience of our users.
As a result, such errors, defects and cheating programs could materially and adversely affect our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We could be liable for breaches of security on our Web sites and fraudulent transactions by
users of our Web sites
A portion of our transactions are conducted through our Web sites and Web sites of our
licensees. In such transactions, secured transmission of confidential information (such as
customers credit card numbers and expiration dates, personal information and billing addresses)
over public networks is essential to maintain consumer confidence. Our current security measures
may not be adequate. In addition, we and our licensees may face internal fraud, including
potential unauthorized usage of customer credit card information by our employees and those of our
licensees. While we have taken steps to prevent this, including the implementation of payment card
industry data security standards, these measures may not be adequate. Security breaches could
expose us to litigation and possible liability for failing to secure confidential customer
information and could harm our or our licensees reputation and ability to attract customers.
We face the risks of changing consumer preferences and uncertainty of market acceptance of our
new products in our online games business
The level of demand and market acceptance of our online games is subject to a high degree of
uncertainty. Our future operating results will depend on numerous factors beyond our control.
These factors include:
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the popularity of existing and new online games operated by us; |
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the introduction of new online games, competing with or replacing our existing
online games; |
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general economic conditions, particularly economic conditions adversely affecting
discretionary consumer spending; |
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changes in customer tastes and preferences; |
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the availability of other forms of entertainment; and |
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critical reviews and public tastes and preferences, all of which change rapidly and
cannot be predicted. |
Our ability to plan for product development and distribution and promotional activities will
be significantly affected by how well we anticipate and adapt to relatively rapid changes in
consumer tastes and preferences. Currently, a substantial portion of our online games revenue comprises revenues from our Freestyle and MahJong games offered by T2CN and
FunTown, respectively. However, there is no assurance that these games will continue to be popular
in Greater China. A decline in the popularity of online games in general or, in particular, the
online MahJong and basketball games that we operate, is likely to adversely affect our business,
financial condition and results of operations. We are also generally required to continuously
invest in the enhancement, improvement, expansion or upgrading of our games with new features. If
we fail to do so, revenues generated from these games may decline.
In addition, we expect that as we introduce new online games, a portion of our existing
customers will switch to the new games. If this transfer of players from our existing games
exceeds our expectations, we may have to adjust our marketing, pricing and other business plans
and, as a result, our growth and profitability could be materially and adversely affected.
In order for our business strategy to succeed over time, we will need to license, acquire or
develop new online games that are attractive to our users to replace our existing online games as
they reach the end of their commercial lifespan. To achieve this, we will need to identify games
that will appeal to our users, compete effectively to attract the licensors of such games, and
obtain government approvals required for the licensing and operation of such games. Also, in order
to maintain the lifespan of our online games, we need to continue to develop and release upgrades
to our online games. We cannot assure you that we will be able to identify appropriate games or
enter into arrangements with those game developers to offer these games. If we are not able to
license, develop or acquire additional online games that appeals to our users, our future revenues
and profitability will decline. Due to increased competition among online game operators in Taiwan
and China, license fees for online games have increased and most licensors are demanding guaranteed
minimum royalty payments. We may be unable to fully recover upfront and minimum royalty licensing
costs if a licensed game is not popular among our users.
We cannot be certain that the games we license from third parties or internally develop will
be attractive to our users, will be considered by the regulatory authorities as complying with the
relevant applicable restrictions, will be launched as scheduled or will be
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able to compete with
games operated by our competitors. If we are not able to consistently license or develop online
games that appeal to our users, our future profitability and growth prospects will decline.
Our future results of operations or the growth of our business may suffer if we are unable to
maintain a satisfactory relationship with the licensors of our online games
We need to maintain stable and satisfactory working relationships with our licensors in order
to ensure the continued smooth operation of our licensed online games and our continued access to
new online game licenses. We depend on our licensors to provide the necessary technical support for
the operation of the licensed games as well as expansion packs and upgrades that sustain continuing
interest in the games. Our ability to maintain satisfactory working relationships with our
licensors may also influence our ability to license new online games developed by the same or other
licensors. If we are unable to maintain satisfactory relationships with our licensors, our
financial condition, results of operations, future profitability and growth prospects may be
materially and adversely affected.
PRC laws and regulations restrict foreign ownership of the Internet content provision,
Internet culture operation and Internet publishing licenses, and substantial uncertainties exist
with respect to the application and implementation of PRC laws and regulations
We are classified as a foreign enterprise under PRC laws and various regulations in the PRC
currently restrict foreign or foreign-owned enterprises from holding certain licenses required to
provide online games over the Internet in the PRC, including Internet content provision, or ICP,
Internet culture operation and Internet publishing licenses. In order to comply with foreign
ownership restrictions, we operate our online games business in the PRC through contractual
arrangements with Shanghai T2 Entertainment Co., Ltd. (T2 Entertainment) and Shanghai T2
Advertisement Co., Ltd. (T2 Advertisement). T2 Entertainment holds the Internet content provision
and Internet cultural operation licenses that are required to operate our online games business in
the PRC, and T2 Advertisement holds advertising license that is require to sell advertisements on
our Web sites in the PRC. Beginning in June 2007, the results of T2 Entertainment and T2
Advertisement have been included in our consolidated financial statements.
In July 2006, the Ministry of Information Industry, or MII, issued a notice (the New MII
Notice), which prohibits ICP license holders from leasing, transferring or selling a
telecommunications business operating license to any foreign investors in any form, or providing
any resource, sites or facilities to any foreign investors for their illegal operation of
telecommunications business in the PRC. The notice also requires that ICP license holders and their
shareholders directly own the domain names and trademarks used by such ICP license holders in their
daily operations. The notice further requires each ICP license holder to have the necessary
facilities for its approved business operations and to maintain such facilities in the regions
covered by its license. In addition, all value-added telecommunication service providers are
required to maintain network and information security in accordance with the standards set forth
under relevant PRC regulations. Local authorities in the various regions were required to ensure
that existing ICP license holders conducted self-assessments of their compliance with the New MII
Notice and submitted their status reports to the MII prior to November 1, 2006. T2 Entertainment
has conducted its self-assessment and believes that it is in compliance with the requirements of
the New MII Notice.
We believe that the ownership structure and business operation models of our PRC subsidiaries
comply with all existing PRC laws, rules and regulations, and no consent, approval or license is
required under any of the existing laws and regulations of the PRC for their ownership structure,
businesses and operations, except those which we have already obtained or which would not have a
material adverse effect on our business or operations as a whole. There are, however, substantial
uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current or future PRC laws and regulations. Accordingly, we cannot assure you
that PRC government authorities will ultimately take a view that is consistent with our view. If
we or any of our PRC operating companies are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC
laws or regulations, the relevant regulatory authorities would have broad discretion in dealing
with such violations and could impose significant penalties and sanctions or other regulatory or
enforcement actions, including levying fines, that could be harmful to our business. Any of these
actions could cause our business, financial condition and results of operations to suffer.
We could also face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine
that our contractual arrangements with T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement were not made on
reasonable commercial terms. In such an event, they could adjust our income and expenses for PRC
tax purposes in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment which could result in an increase in our
PRC subsidiaries tax liability or limit our PRC subsidiaries ability to maintain preferential tax
treatments and other financial incentives.
We depend on certain operating licenses for the operation of our online games business in the
PRC. Our business could be disrupted and our results of operations may be materially and adversely
affected if either T2 Entertainment or T2 Advertisement violates their contractual arrangements
with us
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Due to restrictions in the PRC on foreign equity ownership of companies providing Internet
content services and other licensing restrictions, our online games business in the PRC is operated
in the PRC through T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement, which hold the licenses required for the
operation of our online games business. We have entered into a series of contractual arrangements
which are intended to give us effective control over these entities, but which are not as effective
as compared to having direct ownership and control over these companies. For example, T2
Entertainment and T2 Advertisement could violate their contractual arrangements with us, go
bankrupt, suffer from problems in their businesses or otherwise become unable to perform their
contracts with us. As a result, we could lose the licenses required for our online game
operations and our reputation and business could be harmed.
In addition, the enforcement of these contractual arrangements in the PRC is subject to
uncertainties. Uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these
contractual arrangements. While we believe that the ownership structure and the business and
operation models of T2CN with respect to its contractual arrangements with the respective PRC
entities mentioned above comply with all existing PRC laws, rules and regulations and no consent,
approval or license is required under any of the existing laws and regulations of the PRC for the
respective ownership structures, businesses and operations of T2CN, there are substantial
uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current or future PRC laws and
regulations. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that the PRC regulatory authorities will not
ultimately take a view contrary to the above. If we, T2CN, or any of our subsidiaries with
operations in the PRC are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or
regulations, the relevant regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to deal with such
violations, including the revocation of the business and operating licenses of T2CN or those of the
PRC entities which are licensed to operate online games in the PRC, discontinuing or restricting
our, T2CNs operations, requiring T2CN to restructure its respective ownership structures or
operations or taking other regulatory or enforcement actions, including the levying of fines, that
could be harmful to our business.
The principal shareholders of T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement have potential conflicts
of interest with us, which may adversely affect our business
While pursuant to contractual arrangements we have the ability to effectively control our two
principal T2CN VIEs, T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement, the principal shareholders of T2
Entertainment and T2 Advertisement are executive officers of T2CN and have no substantial
shareholdings in our Company. Thus, conflicts of interest between their duties to our Company and
T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement, respectively, may arise. We cannot assure you that when
conflicts of interest arise, these persons will act completely in our interests or that conflicts
of interests will be resolved in our favor. In any such event, we would have to rely on the PRC
legal system to enforce the contractual arrangements. Any legal proceeding could result in the
disruption of our business, diversion of our resources and the incurring of substantial costs.
The laws and regulations governing the online games industry in the PRC are evolving and new
regulations may adversely affect our business
Our provision of online games and online game-related content on our Web sites in the PRC is
subject to various Chinese laws and regulations relating to the telecommunications industry and
Internet and online games, and is regulated by various government and regulatory authorities,
including the MII, the Ministry of Culture, the General Administration of Press and Publication,
the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the Ministry of Public Security and the
State Administration for Industry and Commerce. The principal PRC regulations governing the
provision of Internet content and online gaming services include (among others) the
Telecommunications Regulations (2000), the Administrative Rules for Foreign Investments in
Telecommunications Enterprises (2001), the Administrative Measures for Telecommunications Business
Operating Licenses (2001), the Tentative Measures for Administration of Internet Culture (2003),
the Tentative Measures for the Administration of Internet Publications (2002), the Opinions on the
Development and Management of Online Games (2005) and the Anti-Internet Addiction Regulations
(2007).
We may be affected by these regulations, which (among other things) seek to regulate the
content of online games and discourage online game players from spending excessive amounts of time
playing online games. This may (among other things) reduce the number of our users, the growth
rate of our user base, the general online games market in the PRC or the average number of hours
played by online game players, or cause us to reduce usage fees or other charges in connection with
our online games business. In addition, such regulations may require us to incur substantial costs of compliance in
modifying or adapting our game software to comply with the regulatory requirements. This may
adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
There are no clear laws or regulations governing virtual asset property rights, in particular,
in Greater China, and therefore, it is not clear what liabilities, if any, online game operators
may have in respect of virtual assets
In the course of playing online games, some virtual assets, such as special equipment, player
experience grades and other features of our users game characters, are acquired and accumulated.
Such virtual assets can be important to online game players. In practice, virtual assets can be
lost for various reasons, often through unauthorized use of users IDs by other users and
occasionally through data loss caused by delay of network service or by a network crash. Currently
there are no clear laws or regulations governing virtual asset property rights, in particular, in
Greater China, where we operate our online games business. In the case of a loss of virtual
assets, we may be sued by online game players and could be held liable for damages, which may
negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Our
business may be adversely affected by government policies and regulation of online games
and Internet cafés in the PRC
In April 2007, various relevant governmental authorities in the PRC jointly issued a circular
that mandated the implementation of an anti-addiction system in online games to protect the
physical and psychological well-being of minors. This circular requires that all online games
incorporate an anti-addiction system and an identification verification system, both of which may
limit the amount of time that a minor or other user may continuously spend playing an online game.
The relevant authorities have also tightened its regulations of Internet cafés including through
limiting the number of new operating licenses issued and reducing the operating hours of such
cafés. The implementation of these systems, or enactment by the PRC government of any additional
laws to further regulate Internet activities and online games or its supervision of Internet cafés,
may result in fewer customers or less time spent by customers playing our online games, which may
materially and adversely affect our business results and prospects for future growth.
Failure to maintain effective internal controls could have a material adverse effect on our
business, results of operations and the trading price of Shares
Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reasonable assurance with respect
to its financial reports and to effectively prevent fraud. If our company cannot provide reasonable
assurance with respect to our financial reports and effectively prevent fraud, our companys
operating results could be affected. We are subject to reporting requirements under the U.S.
securities laws. The Commission, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, has
adopted rules requiring public companies to include a report of management on such companys
internal control over financial reporting in its annual report, which must contain an assessment by
management of the effectiveness of such companys internal control over financial reporting. In
addition, an independent registered public accounting firm must express an opinion on the
effectiveness of the companys internal control over financial reporting.
Our management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over
financial reporting and concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective
as of December 31, 2007. In addition, the report of our independent registered public accounting
firm includes an opinion regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial
reporting. We have successfully completed our Section 404 assessment under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
and received our auditors attestation as of December 31, 2007. However, internal control over
financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements because of its inherent limitations,
including the possibility of human error, the circumvention or overriding of controls, or fraud.
Therefore, even effective internal controls can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to
the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements. In addition, projections of any
evaluation of effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting to future periods are
subject to the risk that the control may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or
that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could result in
the loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which in turn could
harm our business and negatively impact the trading price of Shares. Furthermore, we may incur
additional costs and use significant management and other resources in an effort to comply with
Section 404 and other requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act going forward.
We may need additional capital in the future, and it may not be available on acceptable terms
The development of our business may require significant additional capital in the future to:
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fund our operations; |
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enhance and expand the range of products and services we offer; and |
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respond to competitive pressures and perceived opportunities, such as investment,
acquisition and international expansion activities. |
We cannot assure you that additional financing will be available on terms favorable to us, if
at all. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms, we may be forced to curtail or
cease our operations. Moreover, even if we are able to continue our operations, any failure to
obtain additional financing could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations, and we may need to delay the deployment of our services. See
Item 5, Operating and Financial Review and Prospects B. Liquidity and Capital Resources.
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We depend on our key personnel, and our business and growth prospects may be severely
disrupted if we lose their services
Our future success is heavily dependent upon the continued service of our key executives and
other key employees. In particular, we rely on the expertise, experience and leadership ability of
our chief executive officer, Arthur Wang, and our president and chief operating officer, Thomas
Hui, in our business operations, and rely on their personal relationships with our employees, the
relevant regulatory authorities, and our game and service suppliers. We also rely on a number of
key technology officers and staff for the development and operation of our online games. In
addition, as we expect to focus increasingly on our online games business, we will need to continue
attracting and retaining skilled and experienced professionals to maintain our competitiveness.
If one or more of our key personnel are unable or unwilling to continue in their present
positions, we may not be able to easily replace them and may incur additional expenses to recruit
and train new personnel. As a result, our business could be severely disrupted, and our financial
condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, since
our industry is characterized by high demand and intense competition for talent, we may need to
offer higher compensation and other benefits in order to attract and retain key personnel in the
future. We cannot assure you that we will be able to attract or retain the key personnel that we
will need to achieve our business objectives.
We may be classified as a passive foreign investment company for U.S. federal income tax
purposes. As a result, you may be subject to materially adverse tax consequences with respect to
Shares
Although we do not believe we should be classified as a passive foreign investment company for
the 2008 taxable year, no assurances may be given that we will not be classified as a passive
foreign investment company in the current or any future taxable year. For a discussion of the
factors that will affect whether or not we are classified as a passive foreign investment company,
see Item 10, Additional Information E. Taxation U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for
U.S. Holders Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules. If you are a U.S. person holding Shares,
(or have held Shares during a taxable year in respect of which we were classified as a passive
foreign investment company and you continue to hold such Shares or portion thereof) and we are
classified as a passive foreign investment company and you do not determine to make a
mark-to-market election, you will be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that may have
materially adverse tax consequences and will require annual reporting. See Item 10, Additional
Information E. Taxation U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders Passive
Foreign Investment Company Rules.
Fluctuations in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and other currencies in which we
conduct our business could adversely affect our profitability
Since January 1, 2004, we have reported our financial results in U.S. currency, which is
subject to fluctuations with respect to the currencies of the countries in which we operate. The
operations of UIM, our major licensee, are conducted in U.S. dollars, Canadian Dollars and Euros.
The operations of our online games business are conducted in NT dollars, Hong Kong dollars and
Renminbi. Our Internet access and service business is conducted mainly in NT dollars.
Accordingly, fluctuations in the exchange rates of world currencies could have a positive or
negative effect on our reported results. Given the constantly changing currency exposures and the
substantial volatility of currency exchange rates, we cannot predict the effect of exchange rate
fluctuations upon future operating results. There can be no assurance that we will not experience
currency losses in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on our business,
revenues, operating results and financial condition.
We are controlled by the Koo family, which has significant influence in determining the
outcome of any corporate transaction or other matters submitted to our shareholders for approval,
and their interests may conflict with your interests
As of June 16, 2008, members of the Koo family beneficially owned approximately 19.98 percent
of our outstanding shares. Accordingly, the members of the Koo family have significant influence
in determining the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matters submitted to our
shareholders for approval, including mergers, consolidations, the sale of all or substantially all
of our assets and the power to prevent or cause a change in control. The interests of such members
of the Koo family may differ from or conflict with your interests.
Our transactions with affiliates may not benefit us and may harm our Company
We have entered into several transactions with our affiliates. Our policy is that
transactions with affiliates are to be conducted on an arms-length basis and on terms as favorable
to us as with non-affiliates. However, we cannot assure you that all our future transactions with
affiliates will be beneficial to us. See Item 7, Major
Shareholders and Related-Party Transactions.
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Our operating results and financial condition are affected by general economic conditions,
levels of consumer spending, political stability, as well as the occurrence of natural disasters and
epidemics
Our operating results and financial condition, particularly in relation to our gaming software
and service business and our online games business, are directly dependent upon general economic
conditions and levels of consumer spending. Political unrest, war, acts of terrorism and other
instability, as well as natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons which are common in
Taiwan and the PRC, can result in disruption to our business or the businesses of our customers.
Similar occurrences in the future could result in increased volatility in or damage to the global
financial markets, which in turn may adversely affect our business and results of operations. Past
economic downturns have resulted in lower levels of consumer spending and have negatively impacted
our sales and profit. There can be no assurance that rising interest rates, an economic recession,
other adverse economic developments, or natural disasters or epidemics will not have a material
adverse effect on our cash flows, profitability or financial condition.
There are economic risks associated with doing business in Taiwan, particularly due to the
tense relationship between Taiwan and the PRC
Our
principal executive offices, a major portion of our online games business and our Internet
access service business are located in Taiwan and substantially all of our net revenues with
respect to these businesses are derived from customers in Taiwan. Taiwan, as part of the Republic
of China, has a unique international political status. The PRC asserts sovereignty over mainland
China and Taiwan and does not recognize the legitimacy of the Taiwan government. Relations between
Taiwan and the PRC and other factors affecting the political or economic conditions of Taiwan could
also affect our online games and Internet access service businesses.
The ability of our subsidiaries to distribute dividends to us may be subject to restrictions
under the laws of Taiwan and the PRC
We are a holding company, and some of our assets constitute our ownership interests in our
subsidiaries in Taiwan, including Hoshin GigaMedia, which owns the Taiwan-based operations of our
online games business and our Internet access service business. Accordingly, part of our primary
internal source of funds to meet our cash needs is our share of the dividends, if any, paid by our
subsidiaries, including those in Taiwan. The distribution of dividends to us from these
subsidiaries in Taiwan is subject to restrictions imposed by the applicable corporate and tax
regulations in these countries, which are more fully described in Item 5, Operating and Financial
Review and Prospects B. Liquidity and Capital Resources Dividends from Our Subsidiaries. In
addition, although there are currently no foreign exchange control regulations which restrict the
ability of our subsidiaries in Taiwan to distribute dividends to us, the relevant regulations may
be changed and the ability of these subsidiaries to distribute dividends to us may be restricted in
the future.
In June 2007, we acquired control over a majority of the voting rights over the shares of
T2CN, an online games operator and distributor which operates its business primarily in the PRC.
Accordingly, we are subject to further restrictions imposed by PRC corporate, tax and exchange
control regulations which are applicable to T2CN and its business. Current PRC regulations only
permit our subsidiaries in the PRC to pay dividends out of their respective accumulated profits, if
any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations and these entities are
required to allocate at least 10 percent of their respective accumulated profits each year, if any,
to fund certain capital reserves until the cumulative total of the allocated reserves reaches 50
percent of registered capital. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. In
addition, failure to comply with relevant State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE),
regulations may also restrict the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us.
These restrictions on dividends or other payments from PRC subsidiaries may adversely affect our
ability to make cash or other distributions to the holders of our Shares. Moreover, recent PRC
regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents
may subject our PRC resident shareholders or us to penalties and limit our ability to inject
capital into our PRC subsidiaries, limit our subsidiaries ability to increase their registered
capital, distribute profits to us, or otherwise adversely affect us.
We are a Singapore company, and because the rights of shareholders under Singapore law differ
from those under U.S. law, you may have difficulty protecting your shareholder rights
Our corporate affairs are governed by our Memorandum and Articles of Association and by the
laws governing corporations incorporated in Singapore. The rights of our shareholders and the
responsibilities of members of our board of directors under Singapore law are different from those
applicable to a corporation incorporated in the United States and, therefore, our shareholders may
have more difficulty protecting their interests in connection with actions by the management,
members of our board of directors or our controlling shareholders than they would as shareholders
of a corporation incorporated in the United States.
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Anti-takeover provisions under the Singapore Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289) and the
Singapore Code on Take-overs and Mergers may delay, deter or prevent a future takeover or change of
control of our Company, which could adversely affect the price of Shares
There are provisions under the Singapore Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289) and the
Singapore Code on Take-overs and Mergers (the Code) that may delay, deter or prevent a future
takeover or change of control of our Company. Anyone acquiring an interest, either on his own or
together with parties acting in concert with him, in 30 percent or more of our voting shares must
extend a takeover offer for the remaining voting shares in accordance with the provisions of the
Code. A person holding between 30 percent and 50 percent of our voting shares, either on his own
or together with parties acting in concert with him, must also make a takeover offer in accordance
with the provisions of the Code if that person together with parties acting in concert with him
acquires additional voting shares in excess of one percent of the total number of voting shares in
any six-month period. These provisions may discourage or prevent transactions that involve an actual or threatened change of control of our Company.
This may harm you because an acquisition bid may allow you to sell your Shares at a price above the
prevailing market price.
Our shareholders may be subject to Singapore taxes
You should consult your tax advisors concerning the overall tax consequences of acquiring,
owning or selling the Shares. Singapore tax law may differ from the tax laws of other
jurisdictions, including the United States.
We may be subject to claims of intellectual property right infringement, and our limited
intellectual property protection causes us to be vulnerable to competitors infringing upon or
misappropriating our proprietary rights
As a distributor of Internet content, we face the same types of risks that apply to all
businesses that publish or distribute information, such as potential liability for copyright,
patent or trademark infringement, defamation, indecency and other similar claims. Any imposition
of liability that is not covered by insurance, is in excess of insurance coverage or for which we
are not indemnified by a content provider, could have a material adverse effect on our business and
results of operations.
We rely on a combination of copyright and trademark laws, trade secret protection,
confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, and other contractual provisions to protect our
proprietary software, trade secrets and similar intellectual property. These are especially
critical to our gaming software and service and online games businesses. We can offer no assurance
that our efforts will prove to be sufficient or that third parties will not infringe upon or
misappropriate our proprietary rights. We may have to engage in litigation to enforce and protect
our trade secrets and other intellectual property rights. We may also be sued for allegedly
infringing the rights of others or to determine the scope and validity of their intellectual
property rights. Any litigation involving proprietary rights could be costly, require us to seek
licenses from third parties and prevent us from selling our products and services, any of which
could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Risks Related to Shares
The price of Shares has been volatile historically and may continue to be volatile, which may
make it difficult for holders to resell the Shares when desired or at attractive prices
The trading price of Shares has been and may continue to be subject to wide fluctuations. In
2007, the closing prices of Shares on the NASDAQ Global Market have ranged from US$9.28 to US$24.61
per share, and the last reported sale price on June 16, 2008 was US$15.56. Our Share price may
fluctuate in response to a number of events and factors. In addition, the financial markets in
general, and the market prices for Internet-related companies in particular, have experienced
extreme volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies.
These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the price of Shares, regardless
of our operating performance.
ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY
A. History and Development of our Company
Our legal and commercial name is GigaMedia Limited. We were incorporated in September 1999 as
a company limited by shares organized under the laws of the Republic of Singapore. Our Singapore
company registration number is 199905474H. Our principal executive offices are located at 8th
Floor, 207 Tiding Boulevard, Section 2, Taipei 114, Taiwan, and our telephone number is
886-2-2656-8000. Our Web site address is: http://www.gigamedia.com.tw.
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Prior to September 2002, all our operations were conducted primarily through our wholly-owned
subsidiary, Hoshin GigaMedia. Hoshin GigaMedia was incorporated in October 1998 in Taiwan. Hoshin
GigaMedia, as an unlisted Taiwanese company, could not directly offer its shares to investors
outside of Taiwan. To enable it to offer its shares to international investors, GigaMedia was
incorporated in Singapore in September 1999 and acquired 99.99 percent of Hoshin GigaMedia in
November 1999. In October 2002, GigaMedia acquired the remaining 0.01 percent of Hoshin GigaMedia.
We completed the initial public offering of Shares on February 18, 2000. Shares trade on the
NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol GIGM. We were the first Internet company based in Taiwan to
list on the NASDAQ Global Market.
In September 2002, we acquired Rose Records (formerly known as Point Records Co., Ltd.) and
Tachung Records (formerly known as Music King Co., Ltd.), two of the largest music store chains in
Taiwan, with a view to expanding our business to retail entertainment services.
Under new management in 2004, we began to restructure our Company to achieve profitability,
generate growth and enhance shareholder value.
In April 2004, we acquired the business and operations of Grand Virtual, Inc. and related
affiliates, a privately-held gaming software developer and application service provider, through
CESL, our wholly-owned subsidiary, with a view to enhancing our diversified entertainment products
portfolio.
In September 2005, we sold all of our ownership interest in the Rose Records and Tachung
Records music store chains with a view to eliminating our non-core operations.
In order to enhance our position in the online entertainment market, in January 2006, we
acquired FunTown, an Asian online games business.
Between April 2006 and June 2007, we acquired voting control over the shares of T2CN, one of
the leading online sports game operators in the PRC. As of June 16, 2008, we hold approximately
65.68 percent of the total outstanding voting rights of T2CN. Due to restrictions in the PRC on
foreign equity ownership of companies providing Internet content services and certain other
licensing restrictions, we operate our online games business in the PRC through T2 Entertainment
and T2 Advertisement, which hold the licenses required for the operation of our online games
business. We have entered into a series of contractual arrangements which are intended to give us
effective control over these entities. See Item 4, Information on the Company B. Business
Overview Online Games Business T2CN.
In May 2006, we disposed of our ADSL business, which formed a part of our Internet access
service business.
See Notes 4 and 5 of our consolidated financial statements for additional information.
In December 2006, we entered into a strategic alliance with Infocomm Asia, an operator and
distributor of online games in Southeast Asia, in connection with which we acquired preferred
shares convertible into an interest of approximately 32.26 percent of the issued ordinary shares of
Infocomm Asia, which was subsequently diluted in February, 2007 due to Infocomm Asia securing
additional equity investors. As of June 16, 2008, convertible preferred shares held by us in
Infocomm Asia are convertible into a post-dilution interest of approximately 28.43 percent in the
ordinary shares of Infocomm Asia. Upon conversion of the convertible securities held by us, we
expect that we will become the largest shareholder of Infocomm Asia.
Between October and January 2008, we also entered into strategic alliances with Neostorm
Holdings Limited (Neostorm), XLGames Inc. (XL Games) and Access China Holding Limited (Access
China). Neostorm was formed by the merger of four previously independent game development
studios, creating one of the largest independent game development companies in South Korea.
Neostorm focuses on medium-core casual game titles. We acquired preferred shares convertible into
an approximately 33 percent holding in Neostorms common shares. XL Games was founded by the
creator of one of the most popular online game franchises in history and focuses on MMORPGs, with
studios in Seoul, South Korea and Austin, Texas. We acquired preferred shares convertible into an
approximately 15 percent holding in XL Games common shares. Access China is an online game
software developer in the PRC and we acquired preferred shares convertible into an approximately 30
percent holding in Access Chinas common shares.
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On May 15, 2008, we entered into certain agreements with SuperCup Entertainment (Holdings)
Limited (SuperCup) and its affiliates, pursuant to which we purchased convertible preferred
shares representing approximately 45 percent of the issued share capital of SuperCup, and obtained
worldwide exclusive rights to cooperate with SuperCup in MahJong and the Asian card games business.
As part of the investment, we agreed to provide a loan in the amount of up to US$1.0 million to
SuperCup at market terms.
For a description of the important events in the development of our business since the
beginning of our last three financial years to the date of this annual report, see Item 5,
Operating and Financial Review and Prospects A. Operating Results. A description of our
principal capital expenditures and divestitures, since the beginning of our last three financial
years to the date of this annual report is set forth in Item 5, Operating and Financial Review and
Prospects B. Liquidity and Capital Resources. Information concerning the principal capital
expenditures and divestitures currently in progress is also described in Item 5 Operating and
Financial Review and Prospects B. Liquidity and Capital Resources.
B. Business Overview
We are a holding company and, through several subsidiaries, develop and license online gaming
software and provide application services, own and operate an online games business, and provide
broadband Internet access and services. Our gaming software and service business is operated
through our subsidiary, CESL. Our online games business in the PRC is operated through our
majority-controlled subsidiary, T2CN, and our online games business in Greater China (excluding the
PRC) is operated through FunTown. Our Taiwan Internet access and service business is operated
through our subsidiary, Hoshin GigaMedia, which focuses on retail users, and Hoshin GigaMedias
subsidiary, KBT, which focuses on corporate users.
Prior to 2002, our primary business was the provision of broadband Internet access and
services in Taiwan. Since disposing of our music distribution business in 2005 and acquiring a
gaming software provider in 2004 and the online games business in 2006, we have become a major
provider of gaming software and online gaming services and online games.
We acquired our gaming software and service business in a private transaction from the
founding shareholders of GV Enterprise Voting Trust in April 2004 with a view to enhancing our
portfolio of entertainment products. In this transaction, we acquired all the outstanding and
issued shares of some of the founding shareholders subsidiaries, Grand Virtual, Inc., Grand
Virtual Limited and Grand Virtual (Alderney) Limited, for an all-cash consideration of US$32.5
million, excluding related transaction costs. Since the acquisition, we have restructured the
business and currently operate our gaming software and service business through our subsidiary
CESL, which develops and provides software solutions through its wholly-owned subsidiary Cambridge
Interactive Development Corporation (CIDC), in Cambridge, MA and in Montreal, Canada, and application services
through its wholly-owned subsidiary Internet Media Licensing Limited (IMLL), for clients
operating in the expanding Internet-based entertainment markets worldwide, including UIM whose
financial results we consolidate into our consolidated financial statements. For additional
information, see Item 5, Operating and Financial Review and Prospects A. Operating Results
Certain Significant Events Affecting Our Results of Operations for 2005, 2006 and 2007
Consolidation of UIM, T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement under FIN
46(R). Our gaming software
and service business generated revenues of approximately US$119.0 million and operating income of
approximately US$37.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2007.
We acquired FunTown, an online games business, in January 2006 to strengthen our online
entertainment business. Founded in 1998, FunTown is one of the leading casual games platforms in
Asia, with approximately 11.6 million registered users and an offering of more than 40 casual games
and services in Greater China as of May 31, 2008. FunTown generates revenues through access fees
and also through the sales of various in-game items. FunTowns games can be played on personal
computers, mobile phones and airplane entertainment consoles and are expected to be available on
the Xbox 360 in Taiwan in the second half of 2008. FunTown has strong research and development
capabilities and has developed over 90 percent of its online casual games in-house. Going forward,
we expect to offer a mix of both internally-developed and externally-developed and licensed product
offerings. We expect our licensed games to be made available on our platforms by the end of 2008.
We also provide value-added services, such as tournaments, personal contact lists and social
networking to help build a strong player community. As of June 16, 2008, we hold approximately
65.68 percent of the total outstanding voting rights of T2CN, an online sports game operator
operating mainly in the PRC. T2CN is one of the leading online sports and casual game operators in
the PRC and operates FreeStyle Basketball, an online sports game in the PRC. T2CN is currently led
by a management team with a strong track record in the PRC online games industry and has marketing
arrangements with international brands such as Coca-Cola, Nike and Nokia. We have consolidated the
financial results of T2CN in our financial results from June 1, 2007. Our online games and service
business generated revenues of approximately US$32.8 million and operating income of approximately
US$6.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2007.
We operate our legacy Internet access and service business through our subsidiary Hoshin
GigaMedia, which provides Internet access and services. In addition, another of our subsidiaries,
KBT, provides broadband services to corporate customers. On May 15, 2006, we entered into an asset
purchase and sale agreement and a service agreement with Webs-TV Inc. (Webs-TV), previously
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known
as Webs-TV Digital International Corporation, to sell our ADSL business and provide certain telecom
and consulting services on a transitional basis. Our Internet access and service business
generated revenues of approximately US$15.2 million and operating income of approximately US$671
thousand in 2007. We have retained financial advisers to explore the sale of this legacy business.
For a further description of financial information for our business activities over the past
three financial years, see Item 5, Operating and Financial Review and Prospects A. Operating
Results. Information concerning revenue and income by geographic area is set forth in Note 26 of
our consolidated financial statements.
Our Business Strategy
We seek to continue to expand our market in the gaming software and service business and the
online games business and maximize our overall performance by employing the following strategies:
Focus on our core business of product and service offerings in gaming software and online games
We plan to continue to grow our core business areas: our gaming software and service business
and online games business. Increasingly, we have focused on expanding our online poker and casino
software business and developing new online games and gaming software products in-house. We also
plan to continue to seek licenses to access new online games. As part of our focus on these
businesses, we have placed less emphasis on our legacy Internet access and service business in
recent years. We believe that our strategic focus has enabled us to grow more quickly and expand
our business internationally.
Diversify our operations through strategic investments to expand into selected new markets
Subject to changes in economic conditions, we intend to continue to enhance our business
development, including our game content offerings, by acquiring other businesses that complement
our current online businesses, or which represent related but new lines of business that we believe
to be appropriate areas of expansion, or that we believe may benefit us in terms of user base,
product or content offering. We also intend to make selective strategic investments and expand into
new geographic markets. We believe our acquisition of a controlling interest in T2CN has given us a
strong presence in the PRC upon which we can build through offering quality game products and
effective marketing. As part of our growth strategy, we will continue to seek to minimize our
capital commitments and maximize our return on capital. See Item 3, Key Information D. Risk
Factors Our business strategy, which contemplates growth through acquisitions and strategic
investments, exposes us to significant risks.
Focus on attracting and developing an experienced and motivated management and design and marketing
teams
We will continue to focus on recruiting and retaining motivated and knowledgeable experienced
professional managers. Retaining experienced managers will enable us to manage our growth
effectively and evaluate new areas for expansion and product development. We also intend to
continue to attract skilled game and software system developers and build our marketing team to
maintain our competitive advantage in our core business areas.
Gaming Software and Service Business
Overview
We operate our gaming software and service business through our subsidiary, CESL, and through
its wholly-owned subsidiaries, CIDC and IMLL. CESL develops and licenses software solutions and
application services in the expanding Internet-based, online gaming markets. CESL offers a wide
array of products and services, including online poker and casino software and services. CESLs
software solutions and services also offer great expansion capabilities. CESL can help existing
and potential clients expand geographically through language localization for products and
services. Currently, our products and services are available in 16 languages, which include mostly
European languages and some Asian languages. CESL also helps existing and potential clients who
license our software and services to expand their business through a fully-customizable,
multi-tiered licensing program to a great number of sub-licensees.
Our Products
Our software products are built upon modern Internet technologies capable of providing
multi-player gaming platforms, powerful transaction engines, advanced risk management tools,
comprehensive online marketing tools, sophisticated data mining and
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reporting utilities, intuitive
graphical user interfaces and localization in 16 major languages including English, French, German,
Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Finnish, Polish, Hungarian,
Simplified Chinese and Japanese.
Our software products are specially designed to enable our clients to manage their online
gaming properties and offer online gaming services to visitors of their online gaming properties.
We currently provide the following gaming software products:
Online Gaming Management these are tools that enable our existing and potential clients to
offer online gaming software, monitor end-user behavior, and potentially to monetize the traffic
and patronage generated by the end-users. Our integrated and comprehensive multi-lingual
e-commerce system facilitates Internet-based transaction processing and can provide detailed
analysis of transaction records of our diversified international end-users. In addition, there are
promotional tools that help build player loyalty and increase retention rates.
Online Gaming Modules these are customizable gaming modules that run on Microsoft Windows
2000/ME/XP/VISTA and feature a realistic 3-D environment, selectable background music, and local
language interface. In 2004, we developed and launched a new suite of software that enables
players to compete against each other in real time.
Our Services
In addition to licensing our software products to our licensees, including UIM, we offer a
variety of application services and consulting services for backend operations. These services
include:
Infrastructure Design Services
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Infrastructure Design: Architecture design of servers, routers, firewalls, network
software and management tools required for an Internet property. |
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Site Creation: Creation and branding of our clients Internet property, customized
to match our licensees unique identities and creative themes. |
Transaction Processing Design Services
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Payment: Consultation for the design of timely collection and distribution of
payments through a variety of channels and merchants. |
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Billing: Consultation for the design of real-time and out-of-band transaction
processing and order management. |
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Risk Management: Consultation for design of tools and processes for fraud
detection, prevention, and management. |
Customer Support Services
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Infrastructure Consultation Support: Complete round-the-clock consultation support
to help clients resolve infrastructure issues. |
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Platform Technical Support: Consultation during periodic maintenance to update,
patch, and fine-tune the system performance of our software solutions. |
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Custom Gaming Software Development Services
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Design and development of custom entertainment modules and interfaces for our
platform meeting client-specific requests. |
Our Technology and Infrastructure
Our Universal Gaming Platform is based on a sophisticated modular distributed transaction
processing architecture that is designed to be flexible, extensible, scalable and secure. Composed
of multiple fault-tolerant distributed modules, our backend infrastructure provides the functions
of gaming servers, game points management, financial stored-value management, e-commerce engines, a
central database and an extensive toolset to handle fraud screening, data mining, player support
and partner programs. Being comprehensive and extensible, our Universal Gaming Platform can be
used as a generic common platform to support a wide range of online gaming, including skills-based
gaming and multi-player gaming. Our multiple real-time gaming server software enables seamless
integrated management of all end-user registration, account administration, deposit and
transactions. With our software, end-users on various platforms can communicate securely across
the Internet through multiple real-time gaming servers. To further increase the flexibility of our
platform, a transaction server layer encapsulates business logic and abstracts data and third-party
services, such as payment processors. This allows us to isolate the core processing module with
business logic, greatly reducing the amount of development and quality assurance work required when
we want to extend the system. Our comprehensive administration tools enable advanced data analysis
to deliver high-quality end-user support and licensee management. Our multiple payment processor
gateway capabilities provide choice and flexibility to handle the complexities of international
markets.
We have developed expertise as well as necessary infrastructure to make our products suitable
for the local markets in which our licensees operate, including non-English speaking markets. We
also employ in-house teams of native language experts to ensure cultural fidelity in everything
from content to graphics to interfaces and controls.
UIM
Our gaming software and service business is dependent upon our major licensee, UIM. The
following is a brief description of UIMs business. Since we have no equity interest in UIM and do
not exercise any control over it, the information below has been obtained from publicly available
sources, and in part was provided to us by officers of UIM. Though we have no reason to believe
the information below is inaccurate, we could not independently verify the accuracy thereof.
UIM is an online entertainment operator that provides online gaming services, including online
casinos and virtual poker rooms. By utilizing our software, UIM offers these services through
several Web sites, including Everest Casino (www.everestcasino.com) and Everest Poker
(www.everestpoker.com), which was named the Poker Operation of the Year in 2007 by e-Gaming Review,
a poker industry journal. UIM markets its Web sites, in part, through Affiliated Web Attractions
United Partner Program (www.affiliatedweb.com), and
through its newly launched Web site Everest
Affiliates (www.everestaffiliates.com), which also utilizes our software. Under these programs,
private and commercial owners of Web sites are invited to place on their Web sites banners
containing links to UIMs Web sites, in return for fees based on the number of qualified new
players signing up, or from revenues generated by users that have been directed to UIMs Web site
from such banners. Our software package also includes the platform to operate this aspect of the
business. UIM intends to phase out its marketing program through the United Partner Program
replacing it with launching its Website Everest Affiliates program in 2008.
In March 2008, UIM secured a key multi-year promotional agreement with the World Series of
Poker, a premier world poker event with over 50,000 participants from around the world competing
for a prize pool of over US$150 million, with a broadcast audience of over 350 million households
worldwide over approximately 2,700 broadcast hours. Pursuant to the terms of this agreement,
Everest Poker will be the sole poker-related table sponsor of the World Series of Poker and will
enjoy a prominent logo position on the felt of every table used in the competition, as well as
exclusive brand positioning on the inner-rung of the championship table. Everest Poker will also
be given other prominent on-site visibility during the events, including hanging banners and
barricade logos.
UIM is located in and operates exclusively from computer servers located in the Kahnawake
Territory in Canada under a gaming license issued by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, subject to
continuing compliance with applicable licensing requirements. See Item 4, Information on the
Company B. Business Overview Regulation Regulation Relating to Online Gaming. In addition
to licensing our software, we provide UIM with application services and consulting services for its
Internet property and infrastructure, including Web site design, payment gateways and database and
operating systems, in return for a fixed percentage of UIMs gross receipts.
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Although we do not have any equity ownership interest in UIM, we consolidated UIMs assets,
liabilities and results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007 in our
consolidated financial statements in accordance with the requirements under FIN 46(R). We are
entitled to fees from UIM based upon its revenues. See Item 5, Operating and Financial Review and
Prospects A. Operating Results Certain Significant Events Affecting Our Results of Operations
for 2005, 2006 and 2007 Consolidation of UIM , T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement under FIN
46(R) for additional information.
Competition
The Internet gaming software industry is characterized by rapid technological change. Our
success depends, in part, upon our ability to enhance our products and services to keep pace with
technological developments, respond to evolving customer requirements and achieve continued market
acceptance.
Online gaming software design houses and application service providers are our primary
competitors. However, given the low barriers to entry in the software industry and the increasing
popularity of Internet-based businesses, there are a large number of competitors scattered
throughout many different segments of software and Internet industries. We potentially compete
with a number of public and private companies, which provide Internet property architecture
design/development, Web design/development and online gaming software design/development, in
addition to marketing tools and solutions providers, customer support tools and solutions
providers, and e-commerce tools and solutions providers. The diversity of our potential
competitors makes it difficult to compile information about the nature of our competitors, their
operations and their resources. Traditional Internet service providers and other entities, many of
which have significant financial resources and name brand recognition, may provide online gaming
services in the future. Such Internet service providers and gaming service providers may also
develop and offer underlying software solutions and tools to others in direct competition with us.
We are also exposed to competition in the Internet gaming industry through our licensees, such
as UIM, as license fees with respect to gaming software provided by us typically include a variable
fee based on revenues earned by such licensees from the operation of the licensed software. Our
licensees (including UIM), face tough competition in the online gaming industry, which is also
characterized by low barriers to entry, rapid technological change and ever-changing consumer
preferences. New entrants to the online gaming sector, market consolidation and aggressive
marketing and pricing by competitors may lead to a significant decline in the customer base,
revenues and margins of our licensees. Any future liberalization of licensing or regulation of
online gaming in countries where our competitors generate significant revenues is likely to lead to
increased competition, including competition from companies that do not currently offer online
gaming services. For example, as a result of the UIGEA and the subsequent closing of the online
gaming market in the United States, we and our licensees (including UIM) face increasing
competition from entertainment service providers in our markets in Continental Europe, which are
also increasingly subject to regulation from governmental authorities.
Furthermore, some of our competitors and competitors of our licensees (including UIM) are more
established, enjoy greater market recognition, are substantially larger and have substantially
greater resources and distribution capabilities than we do.
Faced with our known competitors, and most likely several new competitors that may be
established in the near future, we will continue to improve the principal competitive factors that
we believe can differentiate us from our competitors, including: brand, technology, financial
stability and resources, proven track record, regulatory compliance, independent oversight and
transparency of business practices in our industry.
Online Games Business
Overview
Our online games business in the PRC is operated through our majority-controlled subsidiary,
T2CN, and our online games business in Greater China (excluding the PRC) is operated through
FunTown.
FunTown
FunTown offers a broad range of online games and services, which we develop in-house or
license from third parties. The online games offered by FunTown include casual games such as
MahJong and numerous varieties of card, chess, and table games, most of which cater specifically to
Asian audiences, as well as advanced casual games.
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Our online games allow users access to a broad continuum of online entertainment, from
traditional Asian games that are instantly recognizable and easy to learn and play, to more
advanced online games that allow users to interact with each other in virtual worlds by assuming
characters they may customize. We believe that the traditional appeal, and interactive and
group-oriented nature of these games, combined with our brand, our community-focused services and
the large size of our user base, contributes to retaining our current users and attracting new
users.
We had originally planned to launch certain MMORPGs by the end of 2007; however, due to delays
in the release or launch dates of such games by the developers from which we licensed these games,
we were unable to launch any MMORPGs in 2007. Based on estimated launch dates provided by the game
developers from which we have licensed such games, we expect to launch our first MMORPG in the
second half of 2008.
In March 2007, we secured an exclusive license from the Sega Corporation to operate Phantasy
Star Universe, an online and offline action role-playing game where players customize their size
and appearance, vehicles, weapons and helper robots to create their own unique characters.
In September 2007, we secured an exclusive license from Mgame Corporation, a Korean game
developer, to offer and operate Holic Online, a 3D MMORPG game featuring cartoon-like characters,
which is expected to be launched in the second half of 2008 in
Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and the PRC.
In October 2007, we secured an exclusive license from Electronic Arts Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
to offer and operate NBA Street Online, an online basketball game emulating the NBA basketball
series, in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. NBA Street Online is currently expected to be launched in
the second half of 2008.
In January 2008, we secured exclusive licenses from Electronic Arts Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. to
offer and operate Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Warhammer®
Online: Age of Reckoning is expected to launch in 2009.
FunTown also provides services, such as game clubs for players, tournaments related to
FunTowns online games, and social networking, all of which are intended to help build a strong
player community. As of May 31, 2008, FunTown had approximately 11.6 million registered members,
and for the month of May 2008, approximately
107,000 monthly paying users, approximately 42,000
peak concurrent users and 21,000 average concurrent users. The majority of FunTowns online game
players are 25 to 35 years old, and consist of approximately 55 percent male and 45 percent female
players.
Our operating platform includes our technological infrastructure, distribution and payment
system, customer service center, game content management and marketing platform. Our technological
infrastructure consists of a server network throughout Greater China, the architecture of which is
easily scalable to accommodate business growth and increased future user demand. Our distribution
and payment network in Taiwan includes approximately 13,000 physical distribution points.
Additionally, in 2007, we processed approximately 956,000 online transactions for virtual point
cards. Our customer service system includes a 24-hour call center and a walk-in customer service
center. In addition, our most popular online games have separate game content management teams
that manage the operation of the games and the online community for the games.
Currently, our games and services are primarily accessed through personal computers. Our
games are also available on mobile phones, the Intel Viiv platform and on certain airlines. We
expect FunTowns games to be offered on Microsofts Xbox 360 in Taiwan in the second half of 2008.
In March 2006, we entered into a cooperation agreement with Wretch Co., Ltd. (Wretch)
pursuant to which we entered into a strategic alliance with Wretch for the development of an online
entertainment community. In 2006, Yahoo! Taiwan agreed to acquire
Wretch, which acquisition was completed in May 2007. In connection with this transaction, we
agreed to terminate our right to subscribe for an equity interest in Wretch, in consideration for a
cash payment of US$0.6 million and a strategic partnership with Yahoo! Taiwan to develop a co-branded Web site with co-marketing of FunTowns games
on key Yahoo! Taiwan properties.
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T2CN
T2CN, one of Chinas leading online sports game operators, was incorporated in the British
Virgin Islands on May 7, 2004 as a limited liability company by founders, including the CEO of
T2CN. Between April 2006 and June 2007, we acquired voting control over the shares of T2CN, and as
of June 16, 2008, we hold approximately 65.68 percent of the total outstanding voting rights of
T2CN.
Due to restrictions in the PRC on foreign equity ownership of companies providing Internet
content services and certain other licensing restrictions, we operate our online games business in
the PRC through T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement, which hold the licenses required for the
operation of our online games business, and which are owned by PRC nationals. Incorporated on
October 8, 2004, T2 Entertainment is owned by Jim Ji Wang, the CEO of T2CN and a shareholder of
T2CN, and Ning Lu, a PRC citizen. T2 Advertisement was incorporated on September 18, 2006 and is
owned by Gerry Min Ji, the Vice President of Finance of T2CN, and Neil Tao Zhang, the Chief
Technology Officer of T2CN.
We have entered into a series of contractual arrangements which are intended to give us
effective control over these entities:
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Shareholder Voting Rights and Proxy Agreements. T2CN Information Technology
(Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (T2 Technology), a wholly-owned subsidiary of T2CN incorporated
in Shanghai, entered into shareholder voting rights and proxy agreements with the
shareholders of T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement, pursuant to which each of these
shareholders have irrevocably granted T2 Technology the power to exercise all of the
voting rights of T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement. |
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Exclusive Equity Transfer Call Agreements. T2 Technology entered into exclusive
equity transfer call agreements with each of the shareholders of T2 Entertainment and
T2 Advertisement, pursuant to which each of these shareholders has granted T2
Technology an irrevocable option to acquire all or part of the equity interests held by
them in T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement, to the extent permitted by
then-effective laws and regulations in the PRC. |
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Exclusive Technical Service and Consultancy Agreements. T2 Technology entered into
certain exclusive technical service and consultancy agreements with each of T2
Entertainment and T2 Advertisement, pursuant to which T2 Technology provides technical
consulting and related information services for an initial term of eighteen years.
Service fees paid to T2 Technology by T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement are
eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. |
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Equity Pledge Agreements. Each of the shareholders of T2 Entertainment and T2
Advertisement have pledged all of their respective equity interests in these companies
as security for the full performance of their respective obligations under each of the
agreements described above. |
As of May 31, 2008, T2CN had approximately 72.5 million registered players, and for the month of May 2008, approximately
446,000 paying players, approximately 140,000 peak concurrent users
and approximately 46,000 average concurrent users. The majority of T2CNs online game players are
18 to 28 years old, and consist of approximately 90 percent male and 10 percent female players.
To strengthen the game pipeline, T2CN secured the exclusive operating rights of several online
games in the PRC through licensing, joint-development, or self-development. T2CN licensed a MMORPG
game, Holic from a Korea developer in September 2007, and
a casual flying game, Sky-Romance from a
PRC developer in December 2007. T2CN also began a game development initiative to create one MMORPG
game and a few sports casual games, such as tennis and snowboarding.
T2CN also acquired the game,
The House of Flying Dagger from a PRC developer in November 2007, with the aim to bring this game
to the market in the second half of 2008.
Our Products
Our online games business in the PRC is operated through our majority-controlled subsidiary,
T2CN, and our online games business in Greater China (excluding the PRC) is operated through
FunTown.
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FunTown offers more than 40 online multi-player casual games in the following categories:
MahJong, Chinese poker, Chinese chess, table games, social games, puzzle-style games, advanced
casual games and chance-based games, and intends to launch certain MMORPGs in late 2008. These
games are real-time and multi-player capable.
T2CN game offering in the PRC includes Freestyle Basketball, a casual sports game, and
NeoSteam, a MMORPG. T2CN also has entered into agreements securing the right to operate several
other online games through licensing, joint-development and internal-development.
In general, online casual games are games with simple rules that are easy to learn and play,
and which can be completed in short sessions. MMORPGs are more complex, require much greater time
to learn and often involve large groups of players competing simultaneously online.
MahJong
MahJong is a traditional and highly popular Chinese social game, often played on holidays, at
social gatherings and during special occasions such as weddings. It is widely played in Japan,
Korea, Greater China and other parts of Asia. Similar to poker, MahJong is a multi-player game
consisting of four players per game. FunTown offers different local versions of MahJong for
players in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Players select a table, based on either skill or stakes, and can
then invite friends to play on the same table online. Players can compete with anyone throughout
FunTowns Greater China network. Virtual currency is purchased in order to play these games, and
may be used to play other FunTown games or to purchase virtual items, but may not be redeemed for
cash.
Special offline events are held from time to time to stimulate interest and foster group
solidarity among the many MahJong guilds that players can join online. FunTown organizes a large
annual MahJong tournament in Taipei which is open to anyone belonging to one of FunTowns MahJong
guilds. In May 2007, approximately 400 guilds and 20,000 players participated in the event and
attended the tournament. In December 2006, we also obtained the exclusive right to co-host the
MahJong World Championship together with the World MahJong Organization. In conjunction with the
World MahJong Organization, we held or co-hosted a series of MahJong tournaments in Taiwan, Japan
and Europe in 2007. On May 15, 2008, we entered into certain agreements with SuperCup and its
affiliates, pursuant to which we purchased convertible preferred shares representing approximately
45 percent of the total voting rights of SuperCup. We also obtained worldwide exclusive
cooperation rights in conjunction with MahJong and other Asian card games offered by SuperCup.
Advanced Casual Games
In the PRC, T2CN offers a leading online casual sports game, Freestyle Basketball, a
peer-to-peer online street basketball game, in which players can form teams to compete against
other teams and customize in-game character appearances and skills through the purchase of virtual
items. T2CN is also intending to launch several sports casual games, such as tennis and
snowboarding, and a casual flying game.
FunTown
offers a multi-player obstacle running game called Tales Runner which was launched in June
2006. FunTown also secured licenses to operate Nanaimo, an online action role-playing game, from
the Topping Corporation, a Korean game developer. Nanaimo was launched in Hong Kong in late 2007
and is expected to launch in Taiwan in the second half of 2008. In October 2007, FunTown secured an
exclusive license from Electronic Arts Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. to offer and operate NBA Street
Online, an online basketball game emulating the NBA basketball series, in Taiwan, Hong Kong and
Macau. NBA Street Online is currently expected to be launched in the second half of 2008.
In March 2007, we secured an exclusive license from the Sega Corporation to operate Phantasy
Star Universe, an online and offline action role-playing game where players customize their size
and appearance, vehicles, weapons and helper robots to create their own unique characters.
Chinese Poker, Chinese Chess, Puzzle-Style Games and Chance-Based Games
FunTown offers many different Chinese poker games popular in various regions of Greater China.
As with MahJong, there are several varieties of poker played in different regions of Greater
China. FunTowns players can select their desired poker table based on the level of skill or
stakes. Virtual currency is purchased in order to play these games, and may be used to play other
FunTown games or to purchase virtual items, but may not be redeemed for cash. FunTown also offers
various popular Chinese chess games. Players can select from opponents online based on different
skill levels.
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FunTown also operates a platform known as Osuke Playground, which offers a collection of
puzzle-style games and matching games. In addition, Osuke Playground also offers some table games
such as nine-ball, a contemporary variation of pocket billiards. These games are designed with
online multi-player features that allow players to pit their skills against one another. In
addition, like all other games offered by FunTown, the Osuke Playground games are integrated into
our FunTown platform with features such as a player-to-player messaging system, virtual currency
and avatars. The more popular games in Osuke Playground include Magical Blocks, Happy Link,
Zoo Match and Fortress 2.
To enhance the variety of FunTown products, FunTown also offers chance-based games for users,
who purchase virtual currency in order to play the games. Virtual currency purchased may be used
to play other FunTown games, which include bingo, lotto, horse racing, Sic-Bo, and various
different kinds of slot games, or to purchase virtual avatar items, but may not be redeemed for
cash.
MMORPGs
Through
T2CN in the PRC, we also offer NeoSteam, which is licensed
from the leading Korean developer, HanbitSoft. Launched in September
2006, Neosteam is a MMORPG battle game with steam
power as its main energy source.
In December 2006, we, through our 70 percent owned subsidiary, Dragongate Enterprises, secured
an exclusive license to offer and operate Hellgate: London, an online action-driven role-playing
game, in the territories of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. In the game, the player creates a heroic
character and completes quests and battles to advance through experience levels and branching skill
paths. A robust, flexible skill and spell system, highly customizable appearances and a massive
variety of randomly generated equipment allow players to create their own unique heroes. Hellgate:
London is a creation of Flagship Studios, an online game development studio founded in 2003 by a
team of executives and developers renowned for numerous best-selling games and multiple
Game-of-the-Year Awards to their credit, including the worldwide best-selling Diablo®, Starcraft®
and Warcraft® games.
In September 2007, we secured an exclusive license from Mgame Corporation, a Korean game
developer, to offer and operate Holic Online, a 3D MMORPG game featuring cartoon-like characters,
which is expected to be launched in the second half of 2008 in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and the
PRC.
In November 2007, we acquired the game House of Flying Daggers from a PRC developer. The game
is based on the motion picture of the same name.
In January 2008, we also managed to secure exclusive licenses from Electronic Arts Asia
Pacific Pte. Ltd. to offer and operate Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning in Taiwan, Hong Kong
and Macau. Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning is a fantasy war and combat game which is part of
the Warhammer series of games. We expect to launch
Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning in 2009.
Social Games
FunTown has a social networking and matching game called FunTown Village, which offers a
virtual playground for players to meet other players through their online avatars. Players can
purchase virtual items, such as clothing and accessories, to enhance the appeal of their online avatars. We plan to introduce more virtual items within
FunTown Village to address the strong social interests of our players and to help increase
FunTowns overall appeal as a distinct game community and brand.
Our Services FunTown
FunTown provides many online game services to its players to enhance their playing experiences
and support the development of a strong player community.
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Player Clubs
We offer player clubs in which FunTown players can form their own club, invite players with
similar interests or skill levels to join, and organize online and offline events for club members.
Player clubs complement the strong social qualities of online games by helping to build and
maintain an online game community.
Tournaments
Tournaments are one of the most important services provided by FunTown. Players can organize
and participate in clubs and compete in weekly online club tournaments. On an annual basis,
FunTown also sponsors large-scale, real-person tournaments where players attend the tournament in
person and compete online via computers provided on the tournament premises.
Friends and Family
The FunTown platform has a unique personal contact feature, similar to the contact list of
instant message programs, which enables players to see when their personal network of friends and
family are online. This enables players to invite people in their network to play online games
together.
Social Networking
FunTowns platform is designed to be an attractive forum in which to make friends and have
fun, as well as compete and win prizes. The platform has a virtual town hall, in which players may
interact, meet new people or even get married. FunTowns social networking features help build an
important online community.
Avatars
To help players customize their persona online and increase their overall entertainment
experience, FunTown also offers many in-game items which may be purchased by players for their
online personas, or avatars, in order to create their own unique look while participating in the
online community. The items for sale for avatars include facial expressions, clothes and
accessories. These items are particularly popular with younger players, who like to customize
their avatars to express themselves and establish unique identities and distinct fashions in the
online community.
Customer Services
FunTown provides support and services to its customers through its 24-hour call center in
Taipei, its walk-in customer service centers in its offices in Taipei and Hong Kong and through
e-mails and online bulletin boards where users can pose questions and receive responses from other
users.
Our Services T2CN
Online games offered by T2CN are offered free-of-charge to all players. Players download and
install client software from T2CNs Web sites and play the games. In order to enhance their online
game playing experience, players may purchase virtual items that enhance their characters
performance or other virtual items which may improve the look and feel of their characters or the
game playing experience.
Membership Management
T2CN-Passport is an integrated membership management and payment system, which allows T2CN to
maintain a single customer database containing each customers profile and payment history.
T2CN-Passport is an integrated platform providing one-stop service to customers, distributors and
developers. Customers may log in, pay and use any of the fee-based products and services T2CN
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offers through T2CN-Passport, which also allows our distributors to sell our online points to
Internet cafés, and enables Internet cafés to check their point-balances and pay on their
customers behalf.
Social Networking
T2CNs integrated system also incorporates a variety of community-building features, such as
bulletin boards which allow registered users to post notes or inquiries and respond to other users
notes or inquiries. We believe these features encourage user congregation on our site and
facilitate player interaction for the games we offer.
Customer Services
T2CN focuses on providing excellent customer service in order to retain its existing customers
as well as attract new customers. T2CNs customers can access its customer service centers via
phone or e-mail at any time.
T2CN also provides in-game game masters dedicated to the games. Game masters are responsible
for organizing in-game events, troubleshooting and actively and continuously monitoring the online
game environment. Game masters are available to respond to players inquiries, initiate
bug-reporting and removal process, as well as to identify, record and deal with inappropriate
player behavior such as cheating and fighting. We believe that our provision of game masters to
monitor the gaming environment is an important element in both maintaining our customer loyalty and
efficiently addressing technical problems as they arise.
Our Pricing, Distribution and Payment
Our principal sources of revenue for online games are access fees for FunTown and fees for
sale of in-game items for FunTown and T2CN. We offer flexible pricing to suit different players
playing habits. We have both hourly and monthly access fee pricing schemes to cater to light-usage
and heavy-usage players, respectively.
We also charge players fees for the purchase of various in-game items, mainly virtual coins
and customized avatars.
T2CN and FunTown have both physical and virtual distribution channels for its games:
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Physical distribution channels. Physical distribution channels include convenience
chain stores, such as 7-11, and Internet cafés. At these locations, users may purchase
pre-paid cards with varying amounts of credits to play FunTowns and T2CNs casual
games. In addition, players may purchase game packs to play specific games on
FunTowns and T2CNs platforms. |
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Virtual distribution channels. Virtual distribution channels consist of various Web
sites, including FunTown and T2CNs official Web sites. Users of FunTown may also
purchase game credits through online sites with their credit card, bill charges through
their telecom carrier or web ATM. |
To use our fee-based online games, a customer must register an account in our system. Once
registered, the customer may log onto our network, select and activate the games the customer
wishes to play, and then charge his or her account using a prepaid card or prepaid online points.
Customers only need to maintain one account, which provides information regarding the customers
available prepaid game credits and payment history.
Our Marketing
Our marketing strategy is to capitalize on our established brand and utilize our large
existing user base and distribution network to retain our existing users and attract new users. We
employ a variety of traditional and online marketing programs and promotional activities to promote
our games, which include:
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In-Game Events and Marketing. We organize in-game events for our users, which we
believe encourages the development of virtual communities among our users and increases
user interest in our games. Examples of in-game |
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events include special challenges or
features introduced to the game environments for a scheduled period. In addition, we
use in-game events to introduce users to new features of our games. We may also post
announcements in the game environment to promote new features, other improvements to
the games, and in-game events. We may conduct in-game marketing programs from time to
time, including online contests for prizes. |
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Cross-Marketing. We have cross-marketing relationships with popular consumer
brands, technology companies and major telecom carriers. We believe that our
cross-marketing relationships with certain well-known companies, including Coca-Cola,
7-11 and Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft), will increase the recognition of our
online game brands. |
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Open Beta Testing. Our open beta testing system tests both the operation of new
games under open market conditions and introduces new games to users. During open beta
testing, we do not charge users to play the new game. Open beta testing provides an
initial user base and creates initial interest and word-of-mouth publicity to support
the commercial launch of the game. |
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Offline Events/Promotions. From time to time we distribute free game-related
posters, promotional prepaid cards for beginners and game-related souvenirs at trade
shows, selected Internet cafés and other locations. We may conduct events
at popular venues to stage exhibitions, distribute software and game content-related
merchandise, and interact directly with our user base. Furthermore, we may sponsor
select media events, such as industry-related awards shows and TV shows, to promote our
brand names and our games. |
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TV Commercials. We use TV commercials to attract potential customers and to promote
our games and brand. |
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Marketing Research. We use various qualitative and quantitative market research
methods to analyze our target market and to differentiate our product offerings from
those of our competitors. |
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Game Magazine Advertisements. We also advertise certain games in various game
magazines. From time to time, we also collaborate with these magazines in various
promotions, including giving away copies of certain games free of charge with each
magazine sold. |
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Direct Marketing. We use telemarketing and email correspondence to inform our users
of new products, promotions and other product related services. |
Our Players
As of May 31, 2008, we had over 84.1 million registered players of our online games, and we
recorded over 553,000 paying players, approximately 182,000 peak concurrent users and 67,000
average concurrent users, all in the month of May 2008.
Our Sources of Products and Services
Historically, FunTown developed its games and services in-house to have better control of the
game features and allow for seamless integration with our games platform while T2CN licensed games
from leading developers. Occasionally, we outsource game development to game studios to expedite
the development process and time to market. As of May 31, 2008, we hold licenses for the operation
of eight games in various territories: Tales Runner, Hellgate: London, Phantasy Star Universe,
Nanaimo, NBA Street Online, Holic, Sky-Romance and Warhammer Online. Game licensing costs
typically consist of an upfront fee and an ongoing licensing fee equal to a percentage of revenues
earned from the licensed games.
We continue to aggressively expand our product and service offerings by developing and
launching new games and updating games and community features on our platform. We are currently
working with Microsoft to launch FunTowns online MahJong on the Xbox 360 in Taiwan, which is
expected in the second half of 2008. In order to support FunTowns product development
capabilities and develop our proprietary online games, FunTown has a strong research and
development team composed of approximately 63 employees in Taipei and Shanghai as of May 31, 2008.
Through T2CN, we have also entered into joint-development agreements with third-party game
developers and have also created an internal game-development unit, which is comprised of 26
employees. Going forward, we expect to offer a mix of both
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internally-developed
and outsourced,
and licensed product offerings. We expect our licensed games to be made available on our platforms
by the end of 2008.
Our Technology and Infrastructure
We have a scalable and modular platform that enables us to increase our game offerings and
services. The platform consists of several key modules: authentication, billing, game management,
customer service, and the basic platform operation. Since our platform was designed with
scalability in mind, both FunTown and T2CN have their own unified user account system, which allows
FunTown players to use a single account to access all FunTown games and T2CN players to use a
single account to access all T2CN games, respectively. Our billing and game management modules are
flexible enough to integrate both in-house developed and licensed games. Our customer service
module enables us to assist our players both in and outside of the games.
As technologies advance and enable people to access the Internet in new ways, we plan to
expand our offerings to match these new access technologies and platforms. FunTown is currently
working with Microsoft to develop some of our available games for use on the Xbox 360 platform,
with Intel to make some of our games and services available on its Viiv technology for digital home
media centers and with Chunghwa Telecom to offer certain of our popular game titles on its
media-on-demand system. FunTown also has created games for use on other wireless mobile phone
platforms. In addition to these new technologies, FunTowns games are currently available to air
travelers on certain airlines, enabling players to play with other passengers traveling on the same
flight.
Competition
Our main competitors in the online games business are online game operators in Taiwan, Hong
Kong, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and Macau, or Greater China, including Shanda
Interactive Entertainment Ltd. (Shanda), Giant Interactive Group, Inc., The9 Limited, Nineyou
(Shanghai Everstar Online Entertainment Co., Ltd.), Tencent Holdings Limited, Ourgames.com (Beijing
Globalink Computer Technology Co., Ltd.) and Chinagames.net in China, and online game operators in
Taiwan, including Gamania Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Gamania) and Soft-World International
Corporation.
We expect more companies to enter the online games industry in Greater China and a wider range
of online games to be introduced to the Greater China market given the relatively low entry
barriers to the online games industry. Our competitors vary in size and include large companies
such as Shanda, many of which have significant financial, marketing and game development resources
as well as name recognition. To cope with competition, we aim to develop new features and services
that we think our players will pay for and enjoy. We also work on strengthening the appeal of our
online games platform through building player communities, honorary titles, virtual badges and
banners of honor, as well as other virtual assets.
Intellectual Property and Proprietary Rights
We rely on copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other intellectual property laws, as well
as non-competition, confidentiality and license agreements with our employees, suppliers, business
partners and others to protect our intellectual property rights. Our employees are generally
required to sign agreements acknowledging that all inventions, trade secrets, works of authorship,
developments and other processes generated by them on our behalf are our property, and assign to us
any ownership rights that they may claim in those works.
As of May 31, 2008, we were the owner of 56 software copyrights and 55 trademarks registered
with various government agencies throughout Greater China. We also hold licenses for the operation
of eight online games, including: Tales Runner, Hellgate: London, Phantasy Star Universe, Nanaimo,
NBA Street Online, Holic, Sky-Romance and Warhammer Online. We also began our game development
initiative to create one MMORPG game and a few sports casual games, such as tennis and
snowboarding.
Internet Access and Service Business
Our Services
We provide broadband Internet access and services to consumer and corporate customers through
various technologies and products including, cable modems, leased-lines, virtual private network
and other value-added services. Our Internet access and service business continues to operate in a
very competitive and challenging environment. The availability of similar services at competitive
prices has made it difficult for us to attract and retain customers. Accordingly, we do not expect
to see significant growth in our subscriber base in the future, in line with our ongoing strategy
to shift resources away from this legacy business.
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Internet Access and Services Offerings
Cable Modems. We offer our broadband Internet access and services for consumers via cable
modems at transmission speeds of up to 6 Mbps. Our cable modem-based broadband access services
allow subscribers to use bandwidth-intensive multimedia applications such as interactive games,
high-quality audio, video and distance learning applications, and electronic commerce applications
such as retailing, financial services and online software distribution more efficiently. We reached
an agreement in principle in May 2004 with a number of our cable partners to whom we provide
bandwidth on an exclusive basis to equally share revenues, thus providing our cable partners with
increased economic incentives to promote two-way cable services through their systems. In September
2005, we started providing a number of our exclusive cable partners, cable modem services that they
could sell under their own brand name. Two-way cable systems allow us to offer subscribers higher
upstream transmission speeds and always on Internet access capabilities. Some of our agreements
with cable modem partners expired in June 2008, and we are in the process of renewing these
agreements. As of December 31, 2007, we had 6,906 cable modem-based broadband customers, as
compared to 2006, when we had 11,447 cable modem-based broadband customers, and we had 17,600 cable
modem-based broadband customers as of December 31, 2005.
Corporate Internet Access And Services. We also offer dedicated and high-speed Internet
access and services to corporate customers over optic-fiber lines. Our target customers include
ISPs, Internet content providers (ICPs), corporations, SMEs and Internet cafés. Our corporate
ISP services include leased-line services (ranging from 1 Mbps to 1 Gbps) virtual private network
and other value-added services.
ADSL. In May 2006, we sold our ADSL Internet access and service business to Webs-TV. The
total transaction price of approximately US$18.1 million consisted of a cash consideration of
approximately US$8.9 million related to the sale of the ADSL business, and a cash consideration of
approximately US$9.2 million related to the provision of certain agreed upon services, including
bandwidth, billing, and consulting services, and the right to use GigaMedias ADSL brand for a
period of five years. Cash proceeds in 2006 and 2007 from the sale of the ADSL business, net of
transaction costs and VAT, were approximately US$3.3 million and US$4.9 million, respectively.
Markets for Internet Access and Services
Consumer Internet Access And Services. Our two-way cable modem-based broadband service
packages are offered at approximately US$36.97 per subscriber per
month for premium service,
approximately US$26.21 per subscriber per month for a mid-tier package, and approximately US$21.55
per subscriber per month for a basic service. We also offer selected subscribers discounts on
their monthly access fees and quarterly or yearly payment options to further promote our access
services. We recognize our revenues from access fees net of the split with cable partners and
these discounts. In the future, our product mix may change in response to market dynamics.
The number of subscribers of our two-way cable modem-based broadband services has declined
significantly due to competition. The table below sets forth the number of our subscribers on the
dates specified. We do not expect to see significant growth in our subscriber base in the future,
in line with our ongoing strategy to shift resources away from this legacy business. Consistent
with our focus on online entertainment, we have retained financial advisers to explore the
potential sale of this legacy business.
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Number of Subscribers |
Date |
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2005 |
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2006 |
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2007 |
31-Mar |
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18,645 |
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16,417 |
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10,155 |
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30-Jun |
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17,929 |
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15,154 |
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8,844 |
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30-Sep |
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17,386 |
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13,185 |
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7,521 |
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31-Dec |
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16,534 |
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11,447 |
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6,906 |
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Besides directly providing cable modem-based Internet services under GigaMedias brand name to
end-users, we also provide trunk bandwidth and backend systems, which include a customer
provisioning system, billing system and network management system, to cable operators that wish to
operate their cable modem-based Internet service under their own brand names or turnkey cable modem
services. We receive fees from these cable systems under various revenue sharing arrangements. As
of May 31, 2008, we had exclusive agreements with 11 out of our 25 cable partners granting us the
exclusive right to provide Internet access and services through their cable systems.
Corporate Access Services. KBT offers and sells dedicated and high-speed Internet access to
corporate customers over optic-fiber Ethernet MAN infrastructure. KBT offers various speeds of
leased-line services, ranging from 1Mbps to 1Gbps, to different kinds of subscribers like ISPs,
ICPs, corporations, SMEs and Internet cafés. KBT charges its customers monthly access fees and
other value-added services depending on the level of bandwidth and type of services provided. As
of May 31, 2008, KBT had more than 900 corporate users, and the business contributes more than
56.2 percent of the revenues from our Internet access and service business.
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Other Services
As part of our Internet services, we provide various other value-added services including
electronic mail, bulletin boards and photo albums.
Our Broadband Network Cable and ADSL Network
In early 2005, we completed the upgrade of our island-wide backbone network, which is based
primarily on Gigabit Ethernet technologies and covers 20 major districts out of a total 25
districts in Taiwan. In addition, we built small regional data centers to host both the cable
Internet and ADSL headend equipment in these 20 districts connected by our backbone network. These
centers also act as service hubs for:
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the provision of key community services, including electronic mail, photo albums and
personal Web hosting, to subscribers; |
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the management of network performance; |
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the replication of content and applications; and |
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the provision of a cost-efficient infrastructure to cache data. |
In connection with the sale of our ADSL business, we have given Webs-TV the right to co-locate
their equipment in our network operation centers.
Network Operations Centers. We provide centralized network management through our network
operations centers, which represent the nerve center of our whole network. Our centers use
advanced proprietary network management tools and systems to monitor the network infrastructure 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, enabling us to effectively address network problems before they
adversely affect our subscribers.
Data Backbone
Ongoing privatization of the telecommunications market by Taiwans government has expanded the
number of telecommunications operators. Including Chunghwa Telecom, there are currently four
fixed-line telecommunications operators in Taiwan. It is our policy to continually monitor the
usage pattern, adjust the network architecture, and select better leased-line circuit providers to
optimize our user experience and service economics.
Private peer-to-peer relationships among ISPs (i.e., private direct cable connections as
opposed to public Internet connections) have become the most effective solutions to resolve the
problems of packet loss and latency resulting from the significant traffic volume through Internet
networks. We have peering arrangements with most of Taiwans major networks and ISPs, providing us
with what we believe to be the one of the most comprehensive array of Internet connections in
Taiwan. Our extensive peering arrangements have enabled us to route most of our traffic over the less congested private peering links. This
enhances the efficiency of our network and allows us to provide better, faster access services to
our subscribers.
Through our peering arrangements with several Internet service providers and networks, we
currently connect to Taiwans Internet backbone from our network operations center. We have
installed direct Internet connections at each of our regional data centers to minimize backbone
traffic flow and to provide Internet connection redundancies. We currently connect to the
international Internet through a direct trans-Pacific submarine cable link. As competition in the
trans-Pacific submarine cable segment provides better price economics, we are able to significantly
increase our bandwidth without incurring additional cost.
Information System
We have established a versatile, scalable, real-time information system that integrates
service provisioning, customer management, billing, data gathering and usage tracking functions.
With independent multiple processing layers, we are able to respond to increases in user,
subscriber or service data by expanding our information systems capacity on demand.
34
Sales and Marketing
Consumer Access Services. We plan to continue utilizing bundled marketing with our strategic
partners to minimize costs.
Turnkey Cable Modem Services. For cable operators that are interested in providing or
improving upon their cable Internet services, we have formed a team of sales personnel, network
engineers, backend software engineers and customer service specialists to provide consultancy and
turnkey solutions. We believe that direct sales contact and site visits to existing cable partners
and referrals by our existing cable partners are the most efficient methods of marketing our cable
modem services.
Corporate Access Services. With an optical Ethernet MAN infrastructure and solution, KBT is
able to provide corporate customers one-megabit increment, on-demand leased-line services. We
primarily use a direct sales force to reach our potential customers.
Customer Service
We provide our subscribers with a comprehensive range of customer service, including
assistance on cable modem installations, post-installation technical support and prompt responses
to billing and service requests.
Our customer service department is divided into two groups: technical support and general
customer service. Our customer service department operates a toll-free help desk with extended
hours of operation. Our subscribers may also contact us via electronic mail or through accessing
our interactive self-service Web site. Our general customer service staff assists subscribers with
cable modem questions and problems, as well as basic computer and software configuration questions
and billing inquiries. Our technical support group handles technical problems referred by the
general customer service staff.
Competition
The Internet access and service industry is highly competitive.
We mainly compete with broadband ISPs, which provide basic Internet access to consumer and
corporate users generally through the provision of ADSL services using existing telephone networks
or cable modem-based services operating over cable television networks. The Internet access and
service industry in Taiwan is highly competitive. The broadband Internet access and service
industry in Taiwan is dominated by the main fixed-line telecommunication company, Chunghwa Telecom.
As of May 31, 2008, Chunghwa Telecoms HiNet broadband service is the broadband ISP market leader
estimated to have over 80 percent of the market share, while we have only managed to capture less
than 1 percent of the market share. The primary basis for competition is price. The availability
of similar services at competitive prices has made it difficult for us to attract and retain
customers.
We also compete with other broadband technologies, including integrated services digital
networks and wireless (and, in particular, WiMax). In the cable modem-based Internet access
market, we believe that our close relationships with a large number of cable partners and our
exclusive access to a substantial portion of Taiwans households and businesses provide us with a
competitive advantage. Our competitors in Internet access and services include all four fixed-line
operators in Taiwan.
We also face competition in corporate ISP services from fixed-line service providers,
including Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Fixed Network, NCICs Sparq and Asia Pacific Online and other
Internet access and service providers in Taiwan.
Some of our major competitors, including Chunghwa Telecom, have certain competitive advantages
over us, including financial and marketing resources, established customer relationships, brand
awareness, customer access and telecommunications infrastructure.
Intellectual Property and Proprietary Rights
As of May 31, 2008, we held 22 trademarks and two patents registered in Taiwan.
35
Regulation
Regulation Relating to Online Gaming
Our gaming software and service business includes software development and the provision of
application services for Internet gaming. We are dependent on UIM for all of the revenues from our
gaming software and service business. UIM operates an online gaming business and also sub-licenses
our software products to third parties. We earn fees from UIM based upon its revenues.
We are incorporated in Singapore, and Singapore law does not prohibit us from providing
software products and application services to online gaming companies.
UIM operates exclusively in the Kahnawake territory in Canada under a gaming license issued by
the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, subject to continuing satisfaction of strict licensee
requirements. All of UIMs gaming transactions take place in Kahnawake. UIM operates exclusively
from computer servers in Kahnawake.
However, the end-users of our software products, including the online gaming customers of UIM
and its sub-licensees, are located around the world and it is, in many cases, uncertain which
governments have authority to legislate or regulate different aspects of these industries.
Moreover, the Internet gaming industry is still in an early stage of development and the worldwide
legal and regulatory environment in which the businesses operate therefore remains highly fluid and
subject to change. While most foreign jurisdictions have some form of legal framework applicable to
games of chance, few provide clear guidance on how this framework applies to Internet gaming.
Issues such as determining the physical location of a gaming event as well as significant
differences in the gaming laws and Cyberlaws of various countries all make traditional concepts
of jurisdiction and conflicts of laws difficult to apply. In addition, the very nature of Internet
gaming creates new and unique forms of entertainment that were neither contemplated nor feasible in
the past. The risks and uncertainties in the worldwide legal and regulatory environment make it
impossible to assess whether our status or operations as an application service provider to the
online gaming industry, or the Internet gaming services provided by UIM, are in compliance with all
laws and regulations of the jurisdictions where our gaming software products are used.
In the United States, the current administration adheres to the view that Internet gambling is
already prohibited by the Federal Wire Act and other federal laws, such as the Patriot Act. Under
the Patriot Act, both U.S. and non-U.S. banks that process online gaming transactions for U.S.
persons may face potential criminal proceedings, as U.S. jurisdiction extends to non-U.S. banks
that have correspondent accounts in the United States. Internet gambling activity also constitutes
illegal gambling activity in all 50 U.S. states, including those states where other forms of
gambling are legal.
In addition, the UIGEA became law in the United States in September 2006. The UIGEA prohibits
the use of communication facilities and financial transactions in connection with Internet gambling
by restricting the payment methods for such activities and by imposing criminal penalties on
Internet gambling businesses which accept wagers or payment in violation of such restrictions. The
UIGEA also criminalizes any gambling business which arises from using a communication facility to
transmit bets or wagers, or to transmit information assisting in the placing of bets and wagers, to
or from the United States, and prevents gambling businesses from accepting credit cards or other
bank instruments in connection with illegal Internet gambling. The UIGEA also directs various
federal agencies to develop regulations that would require financial institutions with electronic
payment systems to establish policies and procedures to identify and block restricted transactions,
and creates judicial procedures through which federal agencies could obtain injunctions directing
interactive computer services to remove or disable access to online sites that violate the law.
In November 2004, the World Trade Organization (WTO) found that the United States was in
violation of its commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) by not
allowing operators of online gaming services licensed in Antigua and Barbuda to access U.S.
markets. The decision was appealed and, in April 2005, the Appellate Body of the WTO found that the
provisions of the Wire Act, Travel Act and Illegal Gambling Business Act are inconsistent with the
obligations of the United States under the GATS, but also that the United States had shown that
such measures are necessary to protect public morals or maintain public order and therefore fall
within an exception to its general obligations. However, the Appellate Body further found that, in
light of existing federal legislation regarding Internet gambling on horseracing, the United States
had failed to demonstrate that the Wire Act, Travel Act and Illegal Gambling Business Act are
applied equally to both foreign and domestic providers of online gambling services for horseracing
and therefore recommended that the United States bring its legislation into conformity with its
obligations under the GATS. In March 2007, the WTO issued a report which found that the United
States had failed to bring its legislation into conformity with its obligations under the GATS.
The United States has moved to withdraw gambling from the list of U.S. service industries
covered by its commitments to the 1994 GATS treaty, a move to further limit its ongoing exposure to
actions taken by other nations excluded from offering gambling
36
services in the United States. In
order to do so, the U.S. first must agree to compensatory trade concessions with the eight WTO
members which claimed to be prejudiced by such a move (the EU, China, India, Canada, Australia,
Costa Rica, Japan and Antigua). Once this process is concluded, the U.S. will effectively no
longer be accountable to the WTO over restrictions applied to any type of gambling service, whether
remote or terrestrial.
In December 2007, WTOs arbitration panel announced an award to Antigua and the U.S. agreed to
a compensation package with the European Union. It is believed that the U.S. has already agreed to
deals with Australia, Canada and Japan. Negotiations with the remaining countries continue.
A number of states are lobbying/petitioning U.S. federal authorities to ensure they retain the
ability to regulate state gaming and that this ability is not affected by the WTO decision.
However, because of these recent WTO events, U.S. legislative pressure for a regulated solution has
diminished and the likelihood of any additional WTO cases against the U.S. has been greatly
reduced.
Finally, substantial uncertainties in the global regulatory environment relating to online
gaming expose our Company to a real risk that regulatory authorities in various jurisdictions may
determine that our gaming software and service business provides online gaming services (rather
than only providing software and application services to our licensees) and thus subject our
Company to the gaming laws and regulations in those jurisdictions.
In Europe, several countries, led by the United Kingdom, have adopted a regulated online
gaming approach. Italy has proposed more liberal online gaming regulations and is currently seeking
EU approval for the regulations to take effect. However, opposing views are present in Europe.
Some European countries, where there are state-owned gaming monopolies, primarily related to
lotteries and online sports betting, have taken action or introduced legislation aimed at banning
foreign online gaming operators, which could have a material adverse effect on our licensees and
consequently on our Company. For example, the French governmental authorities have passed
legislation effective from March 2007, prohibiting operators other than certain specified
state-owned enterprises from operating Internet gaming sites in France. Additionally, the German
Interstate Gambling Treaty came into force on January 1, 2008, an agreement that seeks a
prohibition on the use of the Internet for all gambling services (except horserace betting). Both
the French and German legislation call for various forms of ISP blocking or warning pages to be
placed on gaming sites, financial transaction blocking and advertising restrictions. As of June 1,
2008, regulations and other necessary actions required to implement these laws and the banking
restrictions have not been adopted. Such actions by these European Union (EU) member states are
in contrast with rulings from the European Court of Justice and have prompted the European
Commission (EC) to look at creating new legislation that could harmonize online gaming within the
EU, in line with the EUs principles regarding the European single market. There is no indication
that any such legislation will be introduced in the near term.
For additional information on the regulatory environment relating to online gaming, see Item
3, Key Information D. Risk Factors The worldwide legal and regulatory environment in which
our gaming software and service business operates is characterized by uncertainties that could
adversely affect our business and operating results.
Regulations Relating to Online Games in Taiwan
At present, there is no specific law in Taiwan governing online game services, nor are there
any specific licensing requirements imposed on Internet content providers in connection with
offering online game services. The National Communications Commission (the NCC) was established
in March 2006. In December 2006, the NCC proposed the overhaul of the regulatory framework in the
communications and broadcasting sectors by amending the Telecommunications Act, the Radio and
Television Act, the Cable Radio and Television Act and the Satellite Radio and Television Act.
Pursuant to this proposal, the legislation at issue would be consolidated into a new legislative
Act to be known as the Communications and Broadcasting Act. The proposed legislation is currently
being reviewed by the Executive Yuan and will be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for approval
before coming into effect.
Rating of Internet Content. The Government Information Office, which was the agency in charge
of Internet content prior to establishment of the NCC, promulgated the Regulations for the Rating
of Internet Content in April 2004, as amended in October 2005. In general, Internet content shall
not include any illegal or banned materials. To avoid negative impact on the physical or mental
development of children or adolescents, Internet content containing any of the following materials
shall be rated as restricted and shall not be viewed by those below the age of 18: (i) excessive
depiction of gambling, robbery or other criminal offenses; (ii) excessive depiction of suicide;
(iii) depiction involving terror, blood or cruelty which is presented in an matter acceptable to
adults; or (iv) depiction of sexual acts or sexual obscenity which does not embarrass or disgust
adults in general. If Internet content is in violation of the Regulations for the Rating of
Internet Content, competent authorities may order the relevant Internet service providers to
restrict access to children or adolescents or remove the offending content and impose an
administrative fine on the offenders.
37
Computer Software Ratings. The Ministry of Economic Affairs announced in July 2006 the
Regulations Governing Computer Software Rating, which took effect in January 2007. Computer
software includes the game software which can be installed in computers. The provider of computer
software shall identify the rating of the computer software when it provides it to users. There
are four ratings: (i) Mature Audience Only (not suitable for those below the age of 18); (ii)
Parental Guidance Advisable (not suitable for those below the age of 12; parental guidance is
advisable for those between the age of 12 to 18) (iii) Parental Guidance Strongly Suggested (not
suitable for those below the age of 6; guidance from parents, teachers or adults is strongly
suggested for those between the age of 6 to 12); and (iv) General Audience (suitable for all ages).
Online Game Contract Template. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Consumer Protection
Commission have published a model contract template which sets out permitted terms and limitations
with respect to online game services offered in Taiwan, pursuant to the Consumer Protection Act.
Generally, consumers should be given at least three days to review such contract. Amendments or
changes to fees payable for services offered must be publicly announced at least thirty days prior
to such amendment, and notification provided to consumers. Consumer game records must be maintained
by each online game operator for a minimum period of thirty days and shall be open to inspection by such consumers. Suspension periods
for consumers who have breached the terms of their online game contracts may not exceed a period of
seven days.
Regulations Relating to Online Games in the PRC
Our provision of online games and online game-related content on our Web sites in the PRC is
subject to various Chinese laws and regulations relating to the telecommunications industry and
Internet and online games and is regulated by various government and regulatory authorities. See
Item 3, Key Information D. Risk Factors The laws and regulations governing the online games
industry in the PRC are evolving and new regulations may adversely affect our business.
PRC regulations prohibit a foreign investor from owning more than 50 percent of the equity in
a PRC entity which provides value-added telecommunications services. Internet content provision
services are classified as value-added telecommunications businesses, and a commercial operator of
such services must obtain a value-added telecommunications business operating license, or an ICP
license, from the appropriate telecommunication authorities in order to carry on its operations in
the PRC.
In addition, since online games fall within the definition of Internet culture products
under the Tentative Measures for Internet Culture Administration (2003), a commercial operator of
online games must, in addition to the ICP license, obtain an Internet culture operation license
from the appropriate Ministry of Culture for its operation of online games, and foreign investors
are restricted from owning equity in such entities. The provision of online games is also deemed
an Internet publication activity, within the meaning of the Tentative Measures for Internet
Publication Administration (2002), and therefore, an online game operator must also obtain the
approval of the relevant press and publication administrative authorities or cooperate with a
licensed Internet publisher, as well as the appropriate licenses, in order to carry on its online
games business in the PRC. Foreign investors are also restricted from owning equity in entities
which provide Internet publications. Further, no online game products involving (among others)
obscenity, gambling, violence, superstition or illegal money-collecting transactions are allowed to
be produced and circulated in the PRC, and online games regardless of whether imported or domestic
are subject to a content review and require approval or filing with the Ministry of Culture in
accordance with relevant PRC law. If games are imported without such approval, the Ministry of
Culture may impose penalties on the non-complying operator, which include the revocation of its
Internet culture operation license. In addition, online game operators are required to develop
identification verification and reorganization software for online game products, to restrain
youths from playing online games and limit their playing time, and to reform gaming rules which
might induce online gaming addiction (including adoption of real-name registration systems).
In April 2007, the PRC governmental authorities, including GAPP, the MII, the Ministry of
Education and the Ministry of Public Security also passed the Anti-Internet Addiction
Regulations, with the purpose of discouraging minors from spending excessive amounts of time
playing online games. Pursuant to these regulations, Internet game operators have been ordered to
install anti-addiction software features on all existing online games from mid-July 2007 and
include the software in all online games to be put into operation in the PRC, which will (among
other features) limit the number of points and other benefits which can be awarded to game players
after they have been online in excess of specified periods of time. Internet game operators will
also be required to adopt real-name registration, which will require online game players to
register their real identity information before they will be allowed to play online games. Failure
by the online game operators to comply with these requirements may subject operators to penalties,
including but not limited to suspension of operation of online games, revocation of operating
licenses and approvals for operations, rejection or suspension of application for approvals,
licenses, or filings for any new game, or being prohibited from operating any new game.
On February 15, 2007, fourteen governmental authorities, including the Ministry of Culture,
the Ministry of Information Industry, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and the
Peoples Bank of China (PBOC), jointly issued a circular entitled a Circular for Further
Strengthening the Administration of Internet Café and Online Games. This circular grants the PBOC
administrative authority over virtual currencies issued by online game operators for use by players
in online games to avoid the potential
38
impact such virtual currencies may have on the real-world
financial systems. The circular also restricts the volume of virtual currency that may be issued
and the purchase of such virtual currencies. Virtual currency must not be used to purchase any
physical products, refunded with a premium or otherwise illegally traded.
Telecommunications Regulation in Taiwan
The NCC was established in March 2006 to act as the regulator of the telecommunications and
broadcasting industry. Prior to the establishment of the NCC, the Ministry of Transportation and
Communications and the Directorate General of Telecommunications of Taiwan regulated Taiwans
telecommunications industry primarily under the Telecommunications Act of Taiwan. The Directorate
General of Telecommunications has been merged into the NCC, while the Ministry of Transportation
and Communications remains responsible for industrial policy and promotion of the
telecommunications industry.
The Telecommunications Act regulates two types of telecommunications companies, Type I
operators and Type II operators. Type I operators, such as Chunghwa Telecom, are enterprises that
have established their own switching and transmission facilities to provide telecommunications
services. These facilities-based services are similar to common carrier services or basic services
in the United States. Type II operators, such as Hoshin GigaMedia and KBT, comprise all
telecommunications operators other than Type I operators, including companies that generate fees
from providing Internet access, online information, electronic mail and electronic commerce
services.
Regulation of Type II Operators. Type II operators typically provide telecommunications
services to customers by using the telecommunications facilities of Type I operators and are not
permitted to engage in the buildup of telecommunications facilities. Type II telecommunications
services can be further divided into special Type II telecommunications services and general Type
II telecommunications services. A special Type II telecommunications license is required for any
Type II operator which provides simple voice resale, Internet telephony and other international
telecommunications services by leasing international circuit(s). A general Type II
telecommunications license is required for any Type II operator which provides telecommunications
services other than those specified above. Hoshin GigaMedia and KBT each hold a general Type II
telecommunication license.
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License. A Type II license is valid for ten years, and may be renewed six months
before its expiration. The license is nontransferable. Hoshin GigaMedias license is
due to expire in 2008. KBTs license is due to expire in 2012. |
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Tariff Regulation. Type II operators are required to announce their business
regulations with respect to the terms for provision of services, including tariffs for
major rates and charges. Any changes to the business regulations must be filed with
the NCC before they become effective. Tariff information must include the types of
services provided, terms and fee schedules for all service items, rights and
obligations of customers, contract termination events and other matters affecting the
right and obligations of customers, all to be included in the operators business
plans. |
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Change in Business. Under Taiwans Regulations Governing Type II Telecommunications
Operators, any change of type or scope of business must be approved by the NCC. For
change of the systems structure stated in the business plan, a report shall be filed
with the NCC for recording within one month from the effective date of change of such
system structure. In addition, Type II operators must report to the NCC and inform
their customers in advance of any plan to suspend or terminate any of their businesses. |
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Technical Standards. Special Type II operators are required to retain qualified
senior telecommunications engineers to install and maintain telecommunications
equipment. Any telecommunications equipment used by a Type II operator must also
satisfy technical standards adopted by the NCC. |
Regulation of Type I Operators. Type I operators are more heavily regulated than Type II
operators, and the government of Taiwan has broad powers to limit the number of operators and their
business scope and markets. Under the Telecommunications Act, Type I operators must satisfy
required levels of capital adequacy and, to ensure that they meet their facilities rollout
obligations, are subject to pre-licensing merit review of their business plans and tariff rates.
In addition, the Telecommunications Act prescribes that any adjustment to the tariff rates of a
Type I operator is subject to a price cap set according to the annual increase rate of the consumer
price index promulgated by the Directorate General of Budget, Account and Statistics under the
Executive Yuan of Taiwan minus adjusted coefficient.
Liberalization of Type I Fixed Network Licensing. The Directorate General of
Telecommunications adopted the Regulations Governing Fixed Telecommunications Network Business
(Fixed Network Regulations) in 1999 to govern the issuance of fixed
39
network communication
licenses and the business conducts of fixed network business operators. Type I fixed network
communications licenses are subdivided into comprehensive network, local network, long distance
network, international network and lease-circuit licenses. These regulations have been designed to
grant additional comprehensive network licenses to encourage competition with Chunghwa Telecom,
which is a state-owned company and currently the dominant fixed-line network operator in Taiwan.
The NCC promulgated amendments to the Fixed Network Regulations on May 21, 2007 whereby the NCC
lowers the threshold for a cable TV system operator to operate a local telecommunications network
within its franchise area on the one hand and allows a fixed network operator to operate a
multimedia content transmission platform (to broadcast programmed channels) on the other.
Content Liability. If content sent, transmitted or received via the Internet through an
operators system is found to be obscene, defamatory or in violation of public order or national
security, the relevant operator would be liable for the content only if it knew or should have
known that the content was obscene, defamatory or in violation of public order or national
security. In addition, carriers must provide telecommunications services on a fair and equal basis
and may not refuse to receive or transmit telecommunications information unless the content would
endanger the national security or offend against the public order of Taiwan.
Cable Regulation in Taiwan
Regulation on Shareholding. In 2000 and 2001, the Cable Radio and Television Act was
modified. Under the modified regulations, the original regulations of a single shareholder cannot
own more than 10 percent of the total issued shares of a cable operator, and no shareholder and
its related parties may collectively own more than 20 percent of a cable operators total issued
shares were eliminated. Instead, the shares of a cable operator directly or indirectly held by
foreign shareholders cannot exceed 60 percent of all outstanding shares of the cable operator.
Furthermore, foreign shareholders who directly hold shares of a cable operator are limited to
foreign corporations, and the total shares held by them cannot exceed 20 percent of all outstanding
shares of the cable operator.
Operating Licenses. To obtain an operating license, a cable operator must first apply for a
rollout permit. After receiving this permit, the cable operator generally has three years to
complete the cable system rollout as set forth in its permit application. Upon the satisfactory
completion of the rollout, the NCC will issue an operating license to the cable operator. If the
cable operator has not received an operating license before its rollout permit expires, its right to engage in the
cable television business will be terminated immediately.
The term of an operating license is nine years. The NCC conducts a periodic review of the
performance of each licensed cable operator on the basis of its business and operating plans every
three years. Following a review, a licensed cable operator may be instructed by the NCC to make
requested improvements in its business within a specified period. A failure to timely comply with
the instruction could result in revocation of the cable operators license.
Market Share Limitations. Under the Cable Radio and Television Act, the number of subscribers
of all affiliated cable operators may not exceed one-third of the total number of cable television
subscribers in Taiwan. In addition, the number of affiliated cable operators may not exceed
one-third of the total number of all cable operators in Taiwan.
Competition. Under the Cable Radio and Television Act, the NCC is authorized to issue
additional licenses in a franchised area if it believes that the existing license holders in that
area are engaging in anti-competitive or unfair competition practices. In addition, service fees
charged by cable operators must be approved by local government authorities on an annual basis.
Open Access Regulation. Under the Regulation Governing Fixed Network Business described
above, cable operators must obtain leased-circuit licenses issued by the NCC in order to lease
their circuits to companies that provide services through their cable systems. The Directorate
General of Telecommunications (which was replaced by the NCC in March 2006) began to accept
applications for these licenses from cable operators in June 1999 and most of the cable operators
have been granted with leased-circuit licenses to lease out their cable capacities to Type I
operators and Type II operators, including Hoshin GigaMedia and KBT. As a condition to holding
these licenses, any licensed cable operator that is deemed to be a dominant operator in the fixed
network business market (such as in leased-circuit business) may be required by the NCC to allow
all parties to provide services, including Internet access and services, through their cable
systems on substantially similar terms. Any imposition of this requirement from the NCC on the
cable partners having exclusive relationships with us will eliminate the benefits associated with
our exclusive rights.
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C. Organizational Structure
We are a holding company incorporated in Singapore in September 1999. Prior to 2002, our
primary business was to provide broadband Internet access and services in Taiwan. After we
acquired our gaming software and service business in April 2004 and our online games business in
January 2006, we became a major provider of online entertainment software services. In September
2005, we sold our interest in our land-based music distribution business. The organization chart
and the table below set forth our business structure and the name, year and country of
incorporation for each of our principal subsidiaries and our percentage holding and principal
activities as of June 16, 2008:
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Organization
Structure*
*Includes
our principal operating subsidiaries only.
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Holding |
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Principal Activities |
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Held by our Company |
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GigaMedia International Holdings Limited
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2004 |
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British Virgin Islands
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100% |
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Holding company |
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Hoshin GigaMedia Center Inc.
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1998 |
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Taiwan
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100% |
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Cable-based Internet
access services and
FunTown online games
portal |
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Held by Hoshin GigaMedia Center Inc |
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Koos Broadband Telecom Co., Ltd.
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2001 |
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Taiwan
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100% |
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Broadband Internet
access services
targeting business
clients |
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Held by GigaMedia International Holdings Limited |
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Cambridge Entertainment Software Limited
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2004 |
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British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FunTown World Limited
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GigaMedia Asia Limited
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GigaMedia Asia Pacific Limited
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GigaMedia Finance International Limited
|
|
|
2000 |
|
|
Cayman Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GigaMedia Global Limited
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Online game company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GigaMedia (HK) Limited
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
Hong Kong
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Skyace Pacific Limited
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Centermax Limited
|
|
|
2007 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GigaMedia Capital Limited
|
|
|
2007 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GigaMedia Development Limited
|
|
|
2007 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Giga Slam Dunk Corporation
|
|
|
2007 |
|
|
Malaysia
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Giga Wartime Corporation
|
|
|
2007 |
|
|
Malaysia
|
|
100% |
|
|
Online game company |
43
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Place of |
|
Our |
|
|
|
|
Year of |
|
Incorporation |
|
Percentage |
|
|
Entity |
|
Incorporation |
|
Operation |
|
Holding |
|
Principal Activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E-Sports International Corporation Limited
|
|
|
2008 |
|
|
Hong Kong
|
|
100% |
|
|
Online game company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GigaMedia SuperCup Holdings Limited
|
|
|
2008 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Online game company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Held by FunTown World Limited |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FunTown Hong Kong Limited
|
|
|
1999 |
|
|
Hong Kong
|
|
100% |
|
|
Online games portal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Held by GigaMedia Asia Limited |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GigaMedia China Limited
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Holding company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Held by Skyace Pacific Limited |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dragongate Enterprises Limited
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
70% |
|
|
Online game developer
and operator |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Held by Cambridge Entertainment Software Limited |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cambridge Interactive Development Corporation
|
|
|
1997 |
|
|
U.S.A.
|
|
100% |
|
|
Software developer and
application service
provider |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cambridge Interactive Development Corporation
(Quebec) Inc.
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
Canada
|
|
100% |
|
|
Financial and management
services |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cambridge Interactive Development Co., Ltd
|
|
|
2008 |
|
|
United Kingdom
|
|
100% |
|
|
Software support services |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Internet Media Licensing Limited
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
100% |
|
|
Software developer and
application service
provider |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Held by GigaMedia China Limited |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T2CN Holding Limited
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
British Virgin Islands
|
|
65.68% |
|
|
Online game developer
and operator |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Held by T2CN Holding Limited |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J-Town Information Co., Ltd.
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
Shanghai, PRC
|
|
100% |
|
|
Online game developer
and technical service
provider |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T2CN Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
Shanghai, PRC
|
|
100% |
|
|
Online game developer
and technical service
provider |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Held by T2CN Information Technology (Shanghai)
Co., Ltd. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shanghai T2 Entertainment Co., Ltd.
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
Shanghai, PRC
|
|
100% controlled
|
|
Online game developer
and operator |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shanghai T2 Advertisement Co., Ltd.
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
Shanghai, PRC
|
|
100% controlled
|
|
Advertising |
44
D. Property, Plant and Equipment
Our principal executive office and operating office are located at 7th to
9th Floor, 207 Tiding Boulevard, Section 2, Taipei 114, Taiwan, where we lease
approximately 35,398 square feet of office space. We also lease office and other space, including
space for our servers, in various other locations. In Hong Kong, we lease office space of
approximately 5,772 square feet located at Unit 2201-3A and Unit 06, 22/F, The Centrium, 60 Wyndham
Street, Central, Hong Kong.
We operate our gaming software and service business from CESLs headquarters at 100 Cambridge
Park Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140, U.S.A., where we lease approximately 45,025 square feet, and from
the offices of Cambridge Interactive Development Corporation (Quebec) Inc. at 1550 Metcalfe Street,
Suite 1510, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1X6, Canada, where we lease approximately 1,638 square feet.
We operate our online games business from FunTowns office in Taiwan at 8F, No. 22, Lane 407,
Sec. 2, Tiding Blvd., Taipei 114, Taiwan, where we lease approximately 47,137 square feet,
FunTowns Hong Kong office at Suite 1403-1405 Sunbeam Plaza, 1155 Canton Rd. KL, Hong Kong, where
we lease approximately 4,831 square feet and also approximately 1,265 square feet of warehouse
space situated at the same location.
We operate our online games business in China from T2CNs offices located at 12F, Xinyuan
Technology Plaza, 418, Gui Ping Road, Shanghai, China, where we lease approximately 28,807 square
feet.
We operate our legacy Internet service and access business from Hoshin GigaMedias office at
4F, No. 57, Dongxing Road, Taipei 110, Taiwan, where we lease approximately 9,272 square feet, and
from KBTs office at 6F, No. 20, Lane 478, Rueiguang Road, Neihu District, Taipei 114, Taiwan,
where we lease approximately 13,092 square feet.
ITEM 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
We
do not have any unresolved Staff comments that are required to be
disclosed under this item.
ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS
A. Operating Results
Unless stated otherwise, the discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of
operations in this section apply to our consolidated financial statements as prepared in accordance
with U.S. GAAP. You should read the following discussion of our financial condition and results of
operations together with the financial statements and the notes to these statements included
elsewhere in this annual report.
Overview
We are a holding company. We operate three principal businesses through our subsidiaries:
|
|
|
Through our gaming software and service business, we develop and license online
poker and casino gaming software solutions and application services, primarily
targeting emerging continental European markets. As a software developer and support
service provider, we offer software solutions for online gaming, which we license under
software license and support service contracts. |
|
|
|
|
Our online game and service business operates a suite of play-for-fun online games,
mainly targeting online game players in Asia. |
45
|
|
|
Our legacy Internet access and service business, which provides Internet access and
service with multiple delivery technologies to consumers and broadband services to
corporate customers in Taiwan. |
In 2007, we recorded total operating revenues of approximately US$166.9 million, an increase
of approximately US$72.6 million year-over-year, resulting mainly from revenue growth in our gaming
software and service business, which had an increase in operating revenues of approximately US$63.9
million year-over-year, and consolidation of T2CN from June 1, 2007. Our total costs and expenses
increased by approximately US$56.5 million year-over-year to US$128.8 million. We recorded net
income in 2007 of approximately US$38.9 million, an increase of approximately US$8.1 million
year-over-year.
Gaming Software and Service Business. We operate our gaming software and service business
through our subsidiary, CESL, and through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, CIDC and IMLL. Our gaming
software and service business generated revenues of approximately US$119.0 million, gross profit of
approximately US$102.7 million, and operating income of approximately US$37.7 million in 2007.
We are dependent on our licensee, UIM, whose financial results were incorporated into our
consolidated financial statements pursuant to FIN 46(R) although we do not own any equity in UIM.
See A. Operating Results Certain Significant Events Affecting Our Results of Operations for
2005, 2006 and 2007 Consolidation of UIM, T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement under FIN
46(R). Under the terms of the licenses granted by us to our licensees (including UIM), we are
entitled to a share of the revenues of such licensees and as such, we bear certain economic risks
with respect to, and derive certain economic benefits from, their operations.
Online gaming software design houses and application service providers are our primary
competitors. However, given the low barriers to entry in the software industry and the increasing
popularity of Internet-based businesses, there are a large number of competitors scattered
throughout many different segments of the software and Internet industries. In addition to known
current competitors, traditional gaming service providers and other entities, many of which have
significant financial resources and name brand recognition, may provide online gaming services in
the future, and thus become our competitors.
Faced with our known competitors, and most likely several new competitors which may be
established in the near future, we will continue to focus on the principal competitive factors that
we believe can differentiate our product offerings from those of our competitors, including: brand,
technology, financial stability and resources, proven track record, regulatory compliance,
independent oversight and transparency of business practices in our industry.
Online Game and Service Business. We operate our online game and service business through
FunTown and T2CN. FunTown is a leading casual games business with operations throughout Greater
China. We acquired FunTown in January 2006 and incorporated results of the business into our
consolidated financial statements starting from January 1, 2006. T2CN is a leading online sports
game operator in the PRC. We consolidated and incorporated T2CN operation results into our
consolidated financial statements starting from June 1, 2007. Our online game and service business
generated revenues of approximately US$32.8 million, a gross profit of approximately US$23.6
million, and operating income of approximately US$6.8 million in 2007. As we did not acquire our
online games business until January 2006, our historical financial results prior to fiscal year
2006 do not reflect the financial results of our online games business.
In December 2006, we entered into a strategic alliance with Infocomm Asia, a Southeast Asia
online games operator and distributor offering blockbuster titles such as Granado Espada and
Hellgate: London, both under exclusive license for most of Southeast Asia. We also secured an
exclusive license to offer and operate Hellgate: London in the territories of Taiwan, Hong Kong and
Macau. We will operate Hellgate: London through a strategic joint venture, Dragongate Enterprises,
in which we hold a 70 percent interest and Cyber Gateway Pte. Ltd. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Infocomm Asia) holds a 30 percent interest.
Between October and December 2007, we also entered into strategic alliances with Neostorm and
XL Games. Neostorm was formed by the merger of four previously independent game development
studios creating one of the largest independent game development companies in South Korea.
Neostorm focuses on medium-core casual game titles. XL Games was founded by the creator of one of
the most popular online game franchises in history and focuses on MMORPGs with studios in Seoul,
South Korea and Austin, Texas.
Online casual game operators in Taiwan and the PRC are currently our primary competitors. We
also expect to compete in the future with online casual game and MMORPG operators throughout
Greater China. Given the low barriers to entry in the online game industry and the increasing
popularity of Internet-based businesses, there are a large number of potential competitors
scattered throughout many different segments of the software and Internet industries. In addition
to the aforementioned competitors, traditional
46
entertainment service providers and other entities,
many of which have significant financial resources and name brand recognition, may provide online
game services in the future, and thus become our competitors.
Faced with our known competitors, and most likely several new competitors which may be
established in the near future, we will continue to improve the principal competitive factors that
we believe can differentiate our product offerings from those offered by our competitors,
including: brand, technology, financial stability and resources, proven track record, independent
oversight and transparency of business practices in our industry.
Internet Access and Service Business. We operated a major broadband ISP and provided broadband
Internet access and service with multiple delivery technologies in Taiwan targeting both consumer
and corporate customers. Our Internet access and service business generated revenues of
approximately US$15.2 million, gross profit of approximately US$4.9 million, and operating income
of approximately US$671 thousand in 2007.
Our consumer ISP business is operated through Hoshin GigaMedia and our corporate ISP business
is operated through Hoshin GigaMedias subsidiary, KBT. In May 2006, we sold our ADSL business to
Webs-TV. See Item 4, Information on the Company B. Business Overview. The resulting decrease
in monthly ADSL revenues were partially offset for the transition period from May 16, 2006 to
December 31, 2007 by service revenues from Web-TV for the provision of certain bandwidth and
consulting services on a transitional basis. We reached an agreement in principle in May 2004 with our cable partners to equally share
revenues, thus providing our cable partners with additional economic incentives to promote two-way
cable services through their systems.
Our corporate ISP services include leased-line, virtual private networks and other value-added
services. Internet access and service revenues from our corporate ISP business grew from US$6.9
million in 2006 to US$7.3 million in 2007, and accounted for approximately 48 percent of total
Internet access and service revenues in 2007. Internet access and service revenues from our
consumer ISP business declined 43 percent from US$13.7 million in 2006 to US$7.9 million in 2007,
and accounted for approximately 52 percent of total Internet access and service revenues in 2007 as
compared to 67 percent of our Internet access and service revenues in 2006.
Our Internet access and service business continues to operate in a very competitive and
challenging environment. Our principal competitor, Chunghwa Telecom is the dominant provider of
broadband services in Taiwan and has significantly greater resources than us. The availability of
similar services at competitive prices has made it difficult for us to attract and retain
customers. We do not expect to see significant growth in our subscriber base in the future, in line
with our ongoing strategy to shift resources away from this legacy business. We have retained
financial advisors to explore the sale of this legacy business.
Subsequent Events
We entered into the following transactions after December 31, 2007.
Investment in Access China
On January 18, 2008, we entered into share purchase and shareholders agreements with Access
China, an online game software developer in the PRC, to acquire preferred shares convertible into
an approximately 30 percent holding in Access Chinas common shares.
Warhammer License and Distribution Agreement
On January 28, 2008, we entered into a license and distribution agreement with Electronic Arts
Inc. (EA), pursuant to which EA granted us an exclusive and non-transferable license for three
years commencing from the first commercial release date to operate, host, maintain and market the
multi-player online game titled Warhammer Online in Taiwan,
Hong Kong and Macau. Under the agreement, we are required to pay a recoupable advance, which can be offset against
future royalties. We have also agreed to provide certain external marketing resources and localization efforts
for Warhammer Online in the form of online and live events, and other advertising and promotions
via marketing activities.
47
Investment in SuperCup
On May 15, 2008, we entered into certain agreements with SuperCup and its affiliates, pursuant
to which we purchased convertible preferred shares representing approximately 45 percent of the
issued share capital of SuperCup, and obtained worldwide exclusive rights to cooperate with
SuperCup in MahJong and the Asian card games business. As part of the investment, we agreed to
provide a loan in the amount of up to US$1.0 million to SuperCup at market terms.
Additional Investment in T2CN
On May 26, 2008, we made an additional investment to acquire common shares of T2CN. After our
additional investment, our controlling interest of the total outstanding voting rights of T2CN was
increased to 65.68 percent.
Certain Significant Events Affecting Our Results of Operations for 2005, 2006 and 2007
Divestiture Music Distribution Business
On September 29, 2005, we sold our land-based music distribution business to Nextbase
International Limited. The music distribution business has been accounted for as a discontinued
operation under U.S. GAAP and, therefore, the results of operations for all periods presented have
been restated to reflect the result of the music distribution business as a discontinued operation.
See Note 1, Business Overview, Basis of Presentation, and Summary of Significant Accounting
Policies of our consolidated financial statements for further information.
Summary selected financial information for discontinued operations is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
Revenues |
|
$ |
37,907 |
|
|
|
|
|
Loss before tax and minority interest income |
|
$ |
(1,861 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Income tax benefit |
|
$ |
(1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Minority interest loss |
|
$ |
(796 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Loss from discontinued operations |
|
$ |
(154 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Major classes of assets and liabilities which comprised the music distribution business at the
date of disposal, September 29, 2005, included the following:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
Cash (including restricted cash) |
|
$ |
3,098 |
|
Accounts receivable |
|
|
1,842 |
|
Inventory |
|
|
6,679 |
|
Other current assets |
|
|
683 |
|
Property and equipment |
|
|
1,666 |
|
Intangible assets |
|
|
4,689 |
|
Other assets |
|
|
1,553 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Assets |
|
$ |
20,210 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable |
|
$ |
11,239 |
|
Other liabilities |
|
|
1,945 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total liabilities |
|
$ |
13,184 |
|
|
|
|
|
48
Divestiture of our ADSL Business
On May 15, 2006, we entered into an asset purchase and sale agreement and a transition service
agreement with Webs-TV to sell our ADSL business and provide certain transition services. Under the
agreements, Webs-TV purchased our ADSL business and agreed upon services in an all cash transaction
with a total price of approximately US$18.1 million (including VAT). Approximately US$8.9 million
of the price is for the ADSL business, and approximately US$0.9 million of the price is for the
right to use our ADSL brand for five years. Both are payable from May 15, 2006 through July 31,
2007. Approximately US$8.3 million represents fees for bandwidth, consulting and other support
services to be provided by Hoshin GigaMedia on a transitional basis through December 31, 2007,
payable from May 15, 2006 through February 28, 2008. Cash proceeds received in 2006 and 2007 from
the sale of the ADSL business, net of transaction costs and VAT, were approximately US$3.3 million
and US$4.9 million, respectively. The transferred ADSL business includes our ADSL-related
equipment, business contracts, and subscription contracts between Hoshin GigaMedia and
approximately 62,000 ADSL subscribers. For further information, see Note 4 of our consolidated
financial statements.
Our results of continuing operations in 2006 included a pre-tax one-time gain from the sale of
the ADSL business of US$7.7 million, which was recorded in non-operating income. The ADSL business
does not qualify under FAS 144 as a component that may be reported as discontinued operations since
the operations and cash flows of our ADSL business cannot be clearly distinguished operationally
and for financial reporting purposes from the rest of our ISP business. Therefore, we have not
reported the sale of our ADSL business as discontinued operations.
Consolidation of UIM, T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement under FIN 46(R)
Our Company adopted FIN 46 in July 2003. FIN 46 requires certain VIEs to be consolidated by
the primary beneficiary of the entity if the equity investors in the entity do not have the
characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for
the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other
parties. The FASB amended FIN 46 by issuing FIN 46(R) in December 2003. FIN 46(R) is an update of
FIN 46 and contains different implementation dates based on types of entities subject to the
standard and based on whether a company has adopted FIN 46. Accordingly, the financial statements
of the following VIEs have been consolidated into our Companys Consolidated Financial Statements
since July 1, 2003 or their respective date of establishment or acquisition, whichever is later.
In April 2004, our Company entered into a software license and support service contract
with UIM to provide Internet software support services for UIMs online gaming operations. The
contract allows for us to charge a percentage of UIM gross receipts resulting from UIMs online
gaming operations. The percentage of gross receipts varies depending upon the software and support
services provided to UIM. We analyzed the provisions of FIN 46(R) as it relates to contractual
relationships and determined that we were and continue to be a primary beneficiary of UIM. As a
result of such determination, we have incorporated the results of UIM into our consolidated US
financial statements even though we own none of UIMs equity and recorded goodwill arising from the
consolidation of UIM totaling US$209 thousand. UIMs net assets as of December 31, 2006 and 2007
were approximately US$784 thousand and US$933 thousand, respectively. The consolidation of UIM
resulted in increases in assets and liabilities of approximately US$12.8 million and US$12.1
million, respectively, in 2006, and US$32.9 million and US$31.9 million, respectively, in 2007.
Beginning in June 2007, we consolidated T2CN. Pursuant to various agreements entered into
between T2CN, T2 Entertainment, T2 Advertisement and the equity owners of T2 Entertainment and T2
Advertisement, T2CN generally has control and the risks and rewards of ownership of T2
Entertainment and T2 Advertisement and is further considered the primary beneficiary of T2
Entertainment and T2 Advertisement. T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement were established to hold
the necessary licenses for our participation in online game and related advertisement services in
the PRC. Accordingly, from the date that we consolidated T2CN, the results of T2 Entertainment and
T2 Advertisement have been included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
T2 Entertainments and T2 Advertisements net assets as of December 31, 2007 were
approximately US$115 thousand and US$63 thousand, respectively. The consolidation of T2
Entertainment and T2 Advertisement resulted in increases in assets of approximately US$4.7 million
and US$201 thousand, respectively, and in liabilities of approximately US$4.6 million and US$138
thousand, respectively, in 2007.
See Item 3, Key Information D. Risk Factors We depend on certain operating licenses for
the operation of our online games business in the PRC. Our business could be disrupted and our
results of operations may be materially and adversely affected if either T2 Entertainment or T2
Advertisement violate their contractual arrangements with us.
49
Acquisitions
FunTown
On December 19, 2005, we entered into a definitive agreement with TWP to acquire FunTown. In
January 2006, we completed the acquisition of FunTown and purchased certain assets and assumed
certain liabilities of FunTown for a total consideration of approximately US$43.0 million, which
included cash payments of approximately US$27.2 million and zero coupon convertible notes in the
aggregate principal amount of approximately US$15.0 million with a valuation premium on the
convertible notes of approximately US$756 thousand. In 2007, we made an additional incentive
payment of approximately US$4.8 million, net of VAT, an amount determined based on the adjusted
pre-tax income of FunTown in 2006 as opposed to 2005.
T2CN
Beginning in June 2007, we consolidated T2CN. T2CN is a leading operator and provider of
online sport games in the PRC. We acquired T2CN in order to enhance our position in the online game
market in Asia. This primary factor, among others, contributed to a purchase price in excess of the
fair market value of the net tangible assets and intangible assets acquired. As of May 31, 2008, we
owned 43,113,681 common shares of T2CN, which represents a controlling interest of 65.68 percent of
the total outstanding voting rights of T2CN.
The following summarizes the key stages in our acquisition of T2CN:
2006
In April 2006, our Company entered into a strategic investment agreement with T2CN, pursuant
to which we made an investment of US$15.0 million to acquire 7,500,000 voting preferred shares
convertible into 7,500,000 common shares, or an approximately 19.02 percent interest in T2CN.
2007
In February 2007, we made an additional investment of US$19.3 million to acquire 18,118,926
common shares of T2CN, representing a 39.87 percent holding in T2CNs common shares. The investment
in T2CN was accounted for under the equity method. The first payment was paid on February 12, 2007,
which consisted of approximately US$9.4 million, including related costs, in cash and 173,814
shares of common stock of GigaMedia, valued at approximately US$2.1 million. The value of the
173,814 common shares issued was determined based on the market price of GigaMedias common shares
at the time the terms of acquisition were agreed to and the number of shares became fixed. The
remaining purchase price of US$7.8 million was paid in cash on August 15, 2007.
In May 2007, we acquired an additional 7,500,000 convertible preferred shares of T2CN for
all-cash consideration of US$75 thousand, pursuant to our exercise of the rights stated in a
shareholder agreement which we entered into with T2CN and certain of its shareholders in April
2006, which was amended and restated in November 2006. We were granted rights to subscribe for
additional convertible preferred shares of T2CN based on the financial performance of T2CN during
each of the twelve-month periods ending March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2007.
In June 2007, we entered into a voting trust agreement with a shareholder of T2CN, pursuant to
which we obtained voting rights over an additional 1.28 percent of the outstanding voting rights of
T2CN. This voting trust agreement expired August 31, 2007.
In July 2007, we converted our 15,000,000 convertible voting preferred shares of T2CN into
15,000,000 common shares. We also acquired an additional 5,494,755 common shares of T2CN for
approximately US$3.7 million in cash and 52,571 shares of common stock of GigaMedia, valued at
approximately US$656 thousand. The value of the 52,571 common shares issued was determined based
on the market price of GigaMedias common shares at the time the terms of acquisition were
agreed to and the number of shares became fixed.
50
In connections with the acquisition, we recorded goodwill of US$29.4 million. Such goodwill
amount is non-deductible for tax purposes. Since June 1, 2007, results of T2CNs operations have
been included on our consolidated financial statements under the online game and service business.
The identified intangible assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their useful
lives of 3.5 years.
2008
On May 26, 2008, we acquired 4,500,000 ordinary shares of T2CN for an all-cash consideration
of approximately US$3.4 million. The purchase price allocation for this acquisition is not
considered final as of the date of this annual report and our Company is still reviewing all the
assumptions and calculations used in the allocation.
In the absence of a quoted market price for these businesses, the acquisition prices of these
businesses were determined based on managements estimates for the fair value of the acquired net
assets, including goodwill and intangibles. We determined the purchase price allocation based on
estimates of the fair values of the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed
at the date of acquisition. These estimates were conducted according to recognized valuation
techniques with managements assessment based on industry knowledge and experience. Any excess of
cost over the net amounts of the fair value assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed
is recorded as goodwill. The actual fair value of such acquired net assets may differ significantly
from managements estimates.
Critical Accounting Policies
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are derived
from our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting
principles generally accepted in the U.S., or U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these financial
statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of
assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the related disclosure of contingent assets and
liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. We continually evaluate our
estimates and assumptions, which are based on historical experience and other various factors that
we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. The results of these estimates and assumptions
form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of certain assets and liabilities.
Our actual results could differ significantly from those estimates under different assumptions and
conditions. We believe that the following discussions address the most critical accounting policies
applicable to our Company, which are those that are most important to the portrayal of the
financial condition and results of operations of our Company, and require managements most
difficult, subjective and complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about
the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain.
Acquisitions
Our Company accounts for acquisitions using the purchase method as required by FAS No. 141,
Business Combinations, (FAS 141). Under FAS 141, the acquiring company allocates the purchase
price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the
date of acquisition, including intangible assets that can be identified. The purchase price in
excess of the fair value of the net assets and liabilities identified is recorded as goodwill, for
which the provisions of FAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (FAS 142) apply.
Revenue Recognition
Our Company recognizes revenues when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery
occurs or services are rendered, the sales price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is
reasonably assured. We present the sales taxes assessed by governmental authorities on our revenue
transactions on a net basis in our consolidated financial statements.
Our Company enters into multiple-element revenue arrangements, which may include any
combination of services, software, and/or products. To the extent that a deliverable in a
multiple-element arrangement is subject to specific guidance, whether and/or how to separate
multiple deliverable arrangements into separate units of accounting (separability) and how to
allocate the arrangement consideration among those separate units of accounting (allocation) for
that deliverable is accounted for in accordance with such specific guidance. All other deliverables
in multiple-element arrangements are accounted for in accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force
(EITF ) 00-21 Revenue Arrangements with Multiple
Deliverables (EITF 00-21).
51
In addition to the aforementioned general policies, the following are the specific revenue
recognition policies for each major category of revenue.
Gaming Software and Service Revenues
Gaming software and service revenues are related to software developed by us as well as
license and support services we provide for online real-money gaming solutions and applications.
Under the provisions of FIN 46(R), the results of UIM have been incorporated into our
consolidated financial statements. UIM and GigaMedia are separately owned. (See Note 3 of our
consolidated financial statements for additional information.) Our software licensing and support
service revenues are based upon a percentage of gross receipts generated by UIMs online gaming
operations and are recognized monthly. Software licensing and support service revenues we receive
from providing such services to UIM have been eliminated in consolidation.
UIM generates revenue by providing and promoting online games of skill and chance that are
available on its free download gaming software. Multiple-element revenue arrangements involving
UIMs provision of software and software-related elements to customers are accounted for in
accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Statement of
Position (SOP) No. 97-2, Software Revenue Recognition (SOP 97-2). UIMs online gaming service
is inseparable from the software element involved and UIM does not sell each element separately.
UIMs online gaming service does not involve significant production, modification, or customization
of the gaming software. Revenues derived from UIMs online gaming software platform, which are
included on our consolidated financial statements in accordance with FIN 46(R), are recognized at
the time games are played and are net of player winnings. Transaction fee revenues derived from
UIMs online multi-player poker platform are recognized as services are provided. Commissions and
other related expenses are charged to expenses as incurred.
Online Game and Service Revenues
Online game and service revenues are related to our online game and service business that
operates play-for-fun games online in Asia.
Online game revenues are collected through the sale of online game points, pre-paid cards, and
game packs. Virtual online game points are sold directly to end-users who can make the payments
through credit cards, Internet ATMs or telecommunication service operators. Physical pre-paid cards
and game packs are sold through distributors and convenience stores. Proceeds from sales of
physical cards and game packs, net of sales discounts, and online game points are deferred (i) when
received and revenue is recognized upon the actual usage of the playing time or in-game virtual
items by the end-users, (ii) over the estimated useful life of virtual items, or (iii) when the
sold game points expire and are no longer eligible to access the online games or products in
accordance with our published game points expiration policy.
In accordance with EITF 99-19, Reporting Revenue Gross as a Principal Versus Net as an
Agent, we report sales of virtual online game points on a gross basis. In the sales of virtual
online game points, we act as principal and we have latitude in establishing price. Fixed
percentage fees retained by service providers for payment processing related to our online game
services are recognized as cost of online game revenues.
Online game and service revenues also include revenues derived from online advertising
arrangements, sponsorship arrangements, or a combination of both. These service arrangements allow
advertisers to place advertisements on particular areas of our Companys Web site and online games
platforms over a stated period of time. Service revenues from online advertising arrangements are
recognized ratably over the displayed period of the contract when the collectability is reasonably
assured.
Internet Access and Service Revenues
Internet access and service revenues include revenues derived from provision of cable modem
Internet access and services, Internet access and services to corporate customers, IP bandwidth
services to cable operators that enable them to offer their own cable modem services, certain
Internet access-related services including non-refundable activation fees, billing and consulting
services and other value-added services, and an ADSL Internet access and services business, which
we sold in May 2006 (see Note 4 of our consolidated financial statements for additional
information).
52
Cable modem, ADSL, and corporate revenues are recorded net of discounts, and in the case of
our cable modem and corporate services, net of fees paid to our cable partners in accordance with
revenue sharing agreements in effect between our Company and our cable partners. Customers have a
choice of paying either monthly or in advance for a certain period of time, for which they receive
corresponding discounts. We record any advanced payment receipts deterred revenues included in
other current liabilities on our consolidated financial statements and amortize such revenues over
the subscription period. Revenues related to provision of bandwidth to cable operators are
calculated in accordance with revenue generated by cable operators, or subscriber numbers, or the
level of bandwidth usage. Non-refundable activation fees are combined with our Companys Internet
access revenues as a single unit of accounting. Since activation fees are not in exchange for
services performed that represent the culmination of a separate earnings process, such fees are
deferred in accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104,
Revenue Recognition. As part of
our Internet access-related services, our Company also provides a variety of value-added services
to corporate customers including billing, consulting, co-location, and VPN services, and premium
mail, Web storage space, and online photo albums, to retail customers. The value-added services are
not bundled together as a group of services within one contract, nor are they bundled with any of
our Companys broadband access services. They are billed separately.
All the Internet access and service revenues are recognized on a straight-line basis over the
subscription period or for the period in which the service is performed if no significant Company
obligations remain and collection of the receivables is reasonably assured.
Our Company also provides cable modem equipment and Internet access-related equipment
solutions to our customers on an operating lease basis. The rental service is bundled with the
access service contract. Pursuant to EITF 00-21 and Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
(FAS) No.13, Accounting for Leases (FAS 13), the contract considerations are allocated
among/between the FAS 13 deliverable and non-FAS 13 deliverable(s) based on their relative fair
values. For the leased cable modem, the amounts attributable to the rental elements are negligible
and rental revenue is recognized over the same period as the access service is rendered. Our
Company therefore does not allocate the FAS 13 deliverable separately from the total contract
considerations. For leased Internet access-related equipment solutions, the FAS 13 element is
separated from the contract considerations and reported under the caption, Other Revenues.
Other Revenues
Other revenues consist of sales of other Internet access-related products and rental income
from the lease of Internet access-related equipment to subscribers of our Companys Internet access
and service business, and are recognized when products are delivered or services are provided.
Discontinued Operations
For 2005, a portion of our Companys revenues was generated from retail sales of music
merchandise comprised of pre-recorded music (including compact discs and audio cassettes), video
(including DVD and pre-recorded video cassettes), video games and other complementary products
(including electronics, accessories, blank tapes and CD-Rs). Revenues from these retail sales were
recognized at the point of sale to the consumer, at which time payment was tendered. Our Companys
policy was to not accept sales refunds or exchanges.
We disposed of our music distribution business in September 2005 and as a result have
classified the income from these revenue-generating activities as part of discontinued operations.
(See Note 4 of our consolidated financial statements for additional information.)
Player Account Balances
Player account balances are related to player deposits from our gaming software and service
business. Player account balances are presented as current liabilities, which are first accrued for
in full upon the receipt of player deposits, and increased or decreased based on player activities,
including player wins or losses, withdrawals or refunds.
53
Deferred Revenues
Deferred revenues are included in other current liabilities and consist of the prepaid income
related to our online game and services business and the advance payment receipts related to
Internet access and service business.
Operating Costs
Operating costs consist primarily of gaming software and online game processing costs, online
game royalties, production costs for prepaid game cards and game packs, amortization of intangible
assets, customer service department costs for our online game and Internet access businesses,
Internet access engineering costs, Internet access bandwidth costs, and depreciation, maintenance
and other overhead expenses directly attributable to the provision of gaming software and services,
online game and service revenues, and Internet access and service revenues.
Prepaid Licensing and Royalty Fees
Our Company, through our subsidiaries and VIE subsidiaries, entered into several license
agreements with licensors to acquire licenses for the usage, marketing, distribution, selling and
publishing of multi-player online games.
Prepaid licensing fees paid to licensors are capitalized when technological feasibility is
achieved and amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the useful economic life of the
relevant online game or license period, which is usually two to five years. The annual
amortization shall be modified if the ratio of current gross revenues for a game license and the
total of current and anticipated future gross revenues for that game license is greater than the
amount computed using the straight-line method.
Prepaid royalty fees and related costs are recognized in the period in which the related
online game revenue is recognized.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
An allowance for doubtful accounts is provided based on an evaluation of collectibility of
notes receivable, accounts receivable and other receivables. An allowance for doubtful accounts is
also provided, when considered necessary, to loans receivable. We review loans receivable
individually and the evaluation primarily consists of an analysis based upon current information
available about the borrowers.
For those accounts in which a loss is probable, we record a specific reserve. Receivable
losses are charged against the allowance when the Company believes the uncollectability of the
receivable is confirmed. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance.
Marketable Securities
All of our Companys investments in marketable securities are classified as
available-for-sale. Available-for-sale marketable securities are accounted for in accordance with
FAS No. 115, Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities (FAS 115). These
marketable securities are stated at fair value with any unrealized gains or losses recorded in
accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in shareholders equity until realized.
Other-than-temporary declines in market value from original cost, if any, are included on the
Consolidated Statements of Operations. In determining whether an other-than-temporary decline in
market value has occurred, our Company considers the period of time that, and extent to which, fair
value of the investment is below its cost. Realized gains and losses also are included in
non-operating income and expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
We had approximately US$13.8 million and US$11.4 million of investments classified as current
marketable securities as of December 31, 2006 and 2007, respectively. As of December 31, 2006 and
2007, the balances of unrealized gains from these securities
54
were approximately US$0.6 million and
US$0.7 million, respectively. There is no unrealized loss for current marketable securities as of
December 31, 2007. See Note 9 of our financial statements for additional information.
We had approximately US$25.0 million and US$21.0 million of investments classified as
non-current marketable securities as of December 31, 2006 and 2007, respectively. As of December
31, 2007, our non-current marketable securities consisted primarily of our investments in Infocomm
Asia, XL Games and Neostorm.
All of our Companys marketable securities noncurrent are invested in convertible preferred
shares. The convertible preferred shares were carried at estimated fair value, with no unrealized
gain or loss as of December 31, 2006 and 2007.
The preferred shares are convertible into common shares on a 1:1 basis, subject to certain
adjustments, and shall be automatically converted upon certain conditions outlined in the
agreements. The convertible preferred shares are all redeemable at certain agreed-upon conditions.
The embedded conversion options of the convertible preferred shares do not meet the definition
of derivative instruments under FAS 133, Accounting for Derivatives Instruments and Hedging
Activities, (FAS 133) and are not bifurcated from the preferred share investment.
We have considered the guidance provided in EITF 02-14, Whether an Investor Should Apply the
Equity Method of Accounting to Investment Other Than Common Stock (EITF 02-14), to determine
whether our investments in preferred share are in-substance common shares, which should be
accounted for under the equity method. Given that our convertible preferred shares have substantive
redemption rights, we have accounted for them as debt securities under FAS 115. We assessed the
estimated fair values and potential impairment of our investments and concluded that the estimated
fair values are approximately represented by their carrying costs.
Investments
We apply Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) No. 18, The Equity Method of Accounting
for Investments in Common Stock in accounting for our investments.
Equity investments in non-publicly traded securities, over which our Company has no ability to
exercise significant influence are accounted for under the cost method. The equity investments
accounted for under the cost method as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 were US$0 thousand and
US$1,850 thousand, respectively.
Equity investments in companies over which our Company has the ability to exercise significant
influence but does not hold a controlling interest are accounted for under the equity method, and
our Companys proportionate share of income or losses is recorded in non-operating income or
expenses. The difference between the cost of the acquisition and the Companys share of fair value
of the net identifiable assets is recognized as goodwill and is included in the carrying amount of
the investment. The equity investments accounted for under the equity method as of December 31,
2006 and 2007 were US$0 thousand and US$2,762 thousand, respectively.
Unrealized losses that are considered other-than-temporary, if any, are included on the
consolidated statements of operations. Realized gains and losses, measured against carrying amount,
are also included on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. There was no other-than-temporary
loss in 2007.
As of December 31, 2007, our investments consisted primarily of CJIT2 Holding Limited
(CJIT2), Softstar Entertainment Inc. (Softstar), and Rock Mobile (Cayman) Corporation (RMC).
Equity investments in CJIT2 are accounted for under the equity method. Other investments are
accounted for using the cost method.
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Goodwill and Long-Lived Assets
We have significant amortizable intangible assets arising from the acquisition of CESL,
FunTown and T2CN, and the capitalization of software development costs in our gaming software and
service business and online game and service business. Our
55
Companys intangible assets with
definite lives are being amortized by the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives,
ranging from three to ten years. As of December 31, 2007, the balance of amortizable intangible
assets was US$15.2 million. Intangible assets with an indefinite useful life of approximately
US$10.9 million were not amortized.
Goodwill represents the adjusted amount of the cost of acquisitions in excess of the fair
value of net assets acquired in purchase transactions. Effective January 1, 2002, we adopted FAS
No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (FAS 142). Under the provisions of FAS 142,
goodwill is no longer subject to amortization.
Potential impairment of goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives has been
evaluated using the specific guidance provided by FAS 142. This impairment analysis is performed at
the reporting unit level at least annually, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate
that the carrying value of an asset might not be recoverable from its related future undiscounted
cash flows. Impairment is measured as the difference between the carrying amounts and the fair
value of the assets and is recognized as a loss from operations.
Potential impairment of long-lived assets other than goodwill and intangible assets not being
amortized has been evaluated using the guidance provided by FAS No. 144, Accounting for the
Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets (FAS 144). This impairment analysis is performed at
least annually, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of
an asset might not be recoverable from its related future undiscounted cash flows. If such assets
are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which
the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. The estimate of fair value
is generally based on quoted market prices or on the best available information, including prices
for similar assets and the results of using other valuation techniques. When an impairment is
identified, the carrying amount of the asset is reduced to its estimated fair value.
We performed an impairment analysis of our goodwill, intangible assets and long-lived assets
as of December 31, 2007 and recorded no impairment loss for 2007. However, as the value of
goodwill, intangible assets and long-lived assets and its impairment are determined based on a
number of assumptions and managements estimates, a change in assumptions and circumstances in the
future may have a significant impact on our results of operations in the period when a change
occurs.
Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and
liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the
financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax
bases. We recognize the tax benefit from investment credits and certain equity investments using
the flow-through method. Loss carryforwards and investment credits are measured using the enacted
tax rate and laws that will be in effect in different jurisdictions in which we operate when the
differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted
tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are
expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change
in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the tax rates enactment date.
Deferred tax assets are subject to valuation allowances based upon the managements estimate of
realization. Due to slow market growth and the strong competition we face in our Internet access
and service business and certain subsidiaries and VIE subsidiaries of our online game and services
business that will not be able to utilize their operating loss carryforwards, we made a substantial
allowance for all of the aggregate net deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2007. Actual results
may differ significantly from managements estimate.
Effective January 1, 2007, we adopted FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty
in Income Taxes, an Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109 (FIN 48), which prescribes a
recognition threshold and measurement attribute for financial statement recognition and measurement
of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. Under FIN 48, our Company
recognizes the financial statement impact of a tax position when it is more likely than not that
the position will be sustained upon examination. If the tax position meets the more-likely-than-not
recognition threshold, the tax effect is recognized at the largest amount of the benefit that has
greater than a fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The interest
and penalties are reflected as income tax benefits (expenses) on our consolidated financial
statements. The current portion of FIN 48 tax liabilities is included in income tax liability and
the non-current portion of tax liabilities is included in other liabilities on the Consolidated
Balance Sheets. See Note 22 of our consolidated financial statements for additional information.
56
Minority Interest
Minority interest includes 100 percent of the common stock of UIM held by third-party
shareholders. UIM was deemed a VIE as defined by FIN 46(R), and our Company was considered the
primary beneficiary of UIM. Under the provisions of FIN 46(R), we have incorporated the results of
UIM into our 2005, 2006 and 2007 consolidated financial statements, even though we own none of
UIMs equity. (See Note 3 of our financial statements, Variable-Interest Entities, for more
information.)
Beginning in December 2006, minority interest also includes 30 percent of the common stock of
Dragongate Enterprises Limited (Dragongate Enterprises), which is held by Cyber Gateway Pte Ltd
(Cyber Gateway), which is 100 percent owned by
Infocomm Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd. (Infocomm Asia). We also own 500,000 voting convertible
preferred shares of Infocomm Asia. (See Note 11 of our financial statements, Marketable Securities
Noncurrent, for additional information.)
Beginning in June 2007, we consolidated T2CN and the results of T2CN have been incorporated on
the consolidated financial statements. As of December 31, 2007, minority interest also includes
41.89 percent of the common stock of T2CN, which is held by third-party shareholders. (See Note 5
of our financial statements, Acquisitions, for more information.)
Prior to the sale of our music distribution business in September 2005, minority interest also
included 41.42 percent of the common stock of G-Music Limited held by third-party shareholders.
Subsequent to the divestiture of G-Music Limited, related minority interest income was included in
discontinued operations.
Stock-Based Compensation
Prior to January 1, 2006, we elected to measure stock-based compensation expense using the
intrinsic value method prescribed by APB No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees (APB
25), as interpreted, with pro-forma disclosures of net income and earnings per share, as if the
fair-value method of accounting defined in FAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation
(FAS 123) were used.
Effective January 1, 2006, we adopted the fair value recognition provisions of FAS No. 123(R),
Share-Based Payment (FAS 123(R)), using the modified prospective method and therefore have not
restated results for prior periods. Under this transition method, stock-based compensation expense
for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2007 includes compensation expense for all stock-based
compensation awards granted prior to, but not yet vested, as of January 1, 2006 based on the grant
date fair value estimated in accordance with the original provision of FAS 123. Stock-based
compensation expense for all stock-based compensation awards granted after January 1, 2006 is
based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with the provision of FAS 123(R). FAS
123(R) requires companies to estimate the fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of
grant using an option-pricing model. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately
expected to vest is recognized as expense over the requisite service period. In connection with the
adoption of FAS 123(R), we changed our method of attributing the value of stock-based compensation
to expense from the graded-vesting method to the straight-line method. Compensation expense for all
share-based payment awards granted prior to January 1, 2006 have been recognized using the
graded-vesting method, while compensation expense for all share-based payment awards granted
subsequent to January 1, 2006 are recognized using the straight-line method. Since our Company had
not recorded any compensation cost in our Statement of Operations prior to the adoption of FAS
123(R), no cumulative effect adjustment was recorded upon adoption. We have also applied the
provisions of Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107 (SAB 107) in our adoption of FAS 123(R). For more
information, see Note 20 of our consolidated financial statements.
Our Company accounts for shares and stock options granted to non-employees in accordance with
EITF 96-18, Accounting for Equity Instruments That Are Issued to Other Than Employees for
Acquiring or In Conjunction with Selling Goods or Services (EITF 96-18). Accordingly, we measure
the fair value of the equity instruments granted to non-employees at the earlier of the performance
commitment date or when performance is completed.
Retirement Plan and Net Periodic Pension Cost
Under a defined benefit pension plan, net periodic pension cost, which includes service cost,
interest cost, expected return on plan assets, amortization of unrecognized net transition
obligation and gains or losses on plan assets, is recognized based on an actuarial valuation
report. Effective December 31, 2006, our Company adopted the provisions of FAS No. 158, Employers
Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Post-Retirement Plans An Amendment of FASB
Statements Nos. 87, 88, 106, and 132(R) (FAS 158). FAS 158 requires the recognition of the
funded status of pension plans and non-pension post-retirement benefit plans (retirement-
57
related
benefit plans) as an asset or a liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. In addition, the
pronouncement requires previously unrecognized items, such as actuarial gains and unrecognized
prior service costs or credits, to be recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component
of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). The provisions of FAS 158 were adopted pursuant
to the transition provisions therein. See Note 18 of our financial statements for additional
information, including the incremental effect of the adoption on our consolidated financial
statements.
Under our defined contribution pension plan, net periodic pension cost is recognized as
incurred.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In September 2006, the FASB issued FAS No. 157, Fair Value Measures (FAS 157), which
defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures about
assets and liabilities measured at fair value. The statement will be effective for financial
statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. In February 2008, the FASB
issued Staff Positions No. 157-1 and No. 157-2 which partially defer the effective date of FAS 157
for one year for certain non-financial assets and liabilities, and remove certain leasing
transactions from its scope. We are in the process of determining what effect, if any, the adoption
of FAS 157 will have on our consolidated financial statements.
In February 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and
Liabilities (FAS 159). FAS 159 permits companies to choose to measure many financial instruments
and certain other items at fair value. If the fair value option is elected, unrealized gains and
losses will be recognized in earnings at each subsequent reporting date. FAS 159 will be effective
for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. We are in the process of determining what
effect, if any, the adoption of FAS 159 will have on our consolidated financial statements.
In June 2007, the FASBs Emerging Issues Task Force reached a consensus on EITF Issue No.
07-3, Accounting for Nonrefundable Advance Payments for Goods or Services to Be Used in Future
Research and Development Activities (EITF 07-3), that would require non-refundable advance
payments made by the Company for future R&D activities to be deferred and capitalized and
recognized as an expense as the related goods are delivered or the related services are performed
by the Company. The adoption of EITF 07-3 had no material impact on our consolidated financial
statements.
In December 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 141(R), Business Combinations (FAS 141(R)).
Under FAS 141(R), an acquiring entity will be required to recognize all the assets acquired and
liabilities assumed in a transaction at the acquisition-date fair value with limited exceptions.
FAS 141(R) applies prospectively to business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or
after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2008.
We are in the process of determining what effect, if any, the adoption of FAS 141(R) will have on
our consolidated financial statements.
In December 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 160, Non-controlling Interests in consolidated
financial statements an Amendment of ARB No. 51 (FAS 160). FAS 160 establishes new accounting
and reporting standards for the non-controlling interest in a subsidiary and for the
deconsolidation of a subsidiary. FAS 160 will be effective for fiscal years, and interim periods
within those fiscal years, beginning on or after December 15, 2008. We are in the process of
determining what effect, if any, the adoption of FAS 160 will have on our consolidated financial
statements.
Foreign Currency Translation
The consolidated financial statements of our Company and our subsidiaries have been reported
in U.S. dollars. Assets and liabilities denominated in non-U.S. currency are translated to U.S.
dollars at year-end exchange rates. Income and expense items are translated at weighted-average
rates of exchange prevailing during the year. Cumulative translation adjustments resulting from
this process are charged or credited to other comprehensive income in shareholders equity. Gains
and losses on foreign currency transactions are included in other income and expenses.
Taxation
On December 31, 2007, we had net operating loss carryforwards for tax purposes of
approximately US$3.5 million and US$1.4 million, arising from our Internet access and service
business in Taiwan our online games business in the PRC, respectively. These operating loss
carryforwards will expire at various times from December 2008 through December 2012. On December
31, 2007,
58
we had a deferred tax asset of US$3.0 million, relating principally to our net operating
loss. Our ability to realize the value of our deferred tax asset depends on many factors, including
(among others) an assessment of our ability to generate taxable income, overall industry outlook
and the outlook for the Taiwan and PRC economies. We value our deferred income tax assets on an
ongoing basis and make valuation allowances if, in our assessment, current results suggest that it
is more likely than not that a portion or all of our deferred income tax assets will not be
realized before their expiration. We determined that valuation allowance was required as of
December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
As per the R.O.C. income tax laws, all retained earnings generated beginning January 1, 1998
by our subsidiaries under Taiwan law and not distributed to us as dividends in the following year
are assessed a 10 percent retained earnings tax. This rule applies primarily to our Internet access
and service business and our FunTown online games portal, whose principal operating entities are
incorporated under Taiwan law.
On January 1, 2006, the R.O.C. government enacted the AMT Act. Taxes imposed under the AMT Act
are supplemental tax payable if the income tax payable pursuant to the R.O.C. Income Tax Act is
below the minimum amount prescribed under the AMT Act. The AMT rate for business entities is 10
percent. The taxable income for calculating the AMT includes most income that is exempted from
income tax under various legislation such as tax holidays and investment tax credits. For example,
gains on disposal of marketable securities from our Taiwan-based entities were exempt from income
tax based on Taiwan tax laws prior to the AMT Act. However, such gains will need to be included for
the purpose of calculating the AMT.
China-based operations derived mainly from T2CN are subject to PRC corporate income tax.
T2CNs subsidiaries in the PRC, which include T2 Technology and J-Town (Shanghai) Technology Co.,
Ltd. (J-Town), and VIE subsidiaries in the PRC, which include T2 Entertainment and T2
Advertisement, are subject to Enterprise Income Tax (EIT) on the taxable income as reported in
their respective statutory financial statements and adjusted in accordance with the Income Tax Law
of the PRC concerning Foreign Investment Enterprise and Foreign Enterprises and the Enterprise
Income Tax Law (collectively the PRC Income Tax Laws). Pursuant to the PRC Income Tax Laws,
T2CNs subsidiaries and VIE subsidiaries in the PRC are generally subject to EIT at a statutory
rate of 33 percent for the year ended December 31, 2007. However, the subsidiaries that are located
in the Pudong New District of Shanghai, including T2 Technology and J-Town, as approved by related
tax authorities, are subject to a 15 percent preferential EIT rate.
In
2007, T2 Entertainment and J-Town each received approval from certain government
authorities to be classified as a Software Company. This classification, subject to annual
inspection, entitles these two entities to enjoy a two-year EIT exemption for 2006 and 2007,
followed by three years of a 50 percent EIT tax reduction for 2008, 2009 and 2010, for which the
related tax authorities have granted approval.
Effective from January 1, 2008, T2CN shall determine and pay the corporate income tax in
accordance with the Corporate Income Tax Law of the PRC (hereinafter the new CIT Law) as approved
by the National Peoples Congress on March 16, 2007. Under the new CIT law, the general applicable
tax rate is reduced from 33 percent to 25 percent.
The new CIT law provides that further detailed measures and regulations on the determination
of taxable profit, tax incentives and grandfathering provisions will be issued by the State Council
in due course. T2CN will assess the implications, if any, when the State Council announces
additional regulations and guidance.
The majority of our gaming software and service business is located outside the United States,
with the exception of CIDC, an entity registered in Delaware which is subject to U.S. federal
income tax, state tax and local tax. Current U.S. federal income tax rates and state and local tax
rates applicable to our business for the year ended December 31, 2007 are 34.0 percent and 6.3
percent, respectively. Our operations in the United States did not have a significant tax impact on
the Companys consolidated financial statements.
Discussion of Results of Operations
Factors Affecting Our Performance
We believe that the following are the principal factors affecting our results of operations:
Acquisitions and disposals. We have made several significant acquisitions and dispositions of
businesses during the past several years, and may enter into additional acquisition and disposition
transactions in the future. Past acquisitions and dispositions have
59
had a significant impact on our
results of operations over the past several years, and if we engage in such transactions in the
future, the nature, amounts and timing of our revenues, expenses and cash flows and the nature and
amounts our assets and liabilities are likely to be materially affected.
Development of gaming software and service and online games industries. The online gaming and
online games industries are in relatively early stages of development. We believe that our results
of operations are likely to be affected by developments in these industries, including:
|
|
|
the development and regulation of these industries generally; |
|
|
|
|
our adaptation to technological change; |
|
|
|
|
changing consumer preferences; |
|
|
|
|
legal development affecting these industries, in particular the gaming software and
service industry; and |
|
|
|
|
general economic conditions in the markets where we or our licensees operate. |
Competition. All of our businesses are in industries that are extremely competitive. Our
gaming software and online games businesses are characterized by rapid technological change and we
face significant and intense competition from online gaming software design houses, application
service providers and casual games operators. Our Internet access and service business has
experienced a reduction in the number of new consumer subscribers and total consumer subscribers
due to intense competition in the Internet access and services industry in Taiwan. The primary
basis of competition in the Internet access business industry is price. Due to this intense
competition, there may be a limited market opportunity for our broadband access services.
For each of our businesses, we cannot assure you that we will be successful in adapting to
technological developments and achieving widespread acceptance of our services before our
competitors offer services similar to our current or prospective offerings. As a consequence, we
may lose our existing customers and not expand our client base, which would have a material adverse
effect on our revenues and financial condition.
The table below presents, for the periods indicated, information regarding certain revenues
and expense items for our consolidated operations. The presentation of financial information for
the financial years ended December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2006 has been reclassified to conform
with the current year presentation for the year ended December 31, 2007:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the year ended December 31, |
|
|
2005 |
|
2006 |
|
2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
% of |
|
Amount |
|
% of |
|
Amount |
|
% of |
|
|
Amount in US$ |
|
total |
|
in US$ |
|
total |
|
in US$ |
|
total |
|
|
thousands |
|
revenues |
|
thousands |
|
revenues |
|
thousands |
|
revenues |
Particulars |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OPERATING REVENUES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gaming software and service revenues |
|
|
22,511 |
|
|
|
50.9 |
|
|
|
55,019 |
|
|
|
58.3 |
|
|
|
118,950 |
|
|
|
71.3 |
|
Online game and service revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18,692 |
|
|
|
19.8 |
|
|
|
32,764 |
|
|
|
19.6 |
|
Internet access and service revenues |
|
|
21,589 |
|
|
|
48.9 |
|
|
|
20,537 |
|
|
|
21.8 |
|
|
|
15,147 |
|
|
|
9.1 |
|
Other revenues |
|
|
87 |
|
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
|
44 |
|
|
|
0.1 |
|
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
0.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total operating revenues |
|
|
44,187 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
|
|
|
94,292 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
|
|
|
166,878 |
|
|
|
100.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OPERATING COSTS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of gaming software and service
revenues |
|
|
3,327 |
|
|
|
7.5 |
|
|
|
7,824 |
|
|
|
8.3 |
|
|
|
16,201 |
|
|
|
9.7 |
|
Cost of online game and service revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,667 |
|
|
|
3.9 |
|
|
|
9,118 |
|
|
|
5.5 |
|
Cost of Internet access and service
revenues |
|
|
13,568 |
|
|
|
30.7 |
|
|
|
11,449 |
|
|
|
12.1 |
|
|
|
10,002 |
|
|
|
6.0 |
|
Cost of other revenues |
|
|
488 |
|
|
|
1.1 |
|
|
|
391 |
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
|
|
223 |
|
|
|
0.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total operating costs |
|
|
17,383 |
|
|
|
39.3 |
|
|
|
23,331 |
|
|
|
24.7 |
|
|
|
35,544 |
|
|
|
21.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit |
|
|
26,804 |
|
|
|
60.7 |
|
|
|
70,961 |
|
|
|
75.3 |
|
|
|
131,334 |
|
|
|
78.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
60
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the year ended December 31, |
|
|
2005 |
|
2006 |
|
2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
% of |
|
Amount |
|
% of |
|
Amount |
|
% of |
|
|
Amount in US$ |
|
total |
|
in US$ |
|
total |
|
in US$ |
|
total |
|
|
thousands |
|
revenues |
|
thousands |
|
revenues |
|
thousands |
|
revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OPERATING EXPENSES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product development and engineering
expenses |
|
|
3,562 |
|
|
|
8.1 |
|
|
|
5,738 |
|
|
|
6.1 |
|
|
|
7,911 |
|
|
|
4.7 |
|
Selling and marketing expenses |
|
|
10,777 |
|
|
|
24.4 |
|
|
|
30,123 |
|
|
|
31.9 |
|
|
|
62,349 |
|
|
|
37.4 |
|
General and administrative expenses |
|
|
7,892 |
|
|
|
17.9 |
|
|
|
12,421 |
|
|
|
13.2 |
|
|
|
22,240 |
|
|
|
13.3 |
|
Bad debt expense |
|
|
207 |
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
|
|
715 |
|
|
|
0.8 |
|
|
|
743 |
|
|
|
0.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total operating expenses |
|
|
22,438 |
|
|
|
50.8 |
|
|
|
48,997 |
|
|
|
52.0 |
|
|
|
93,243 |
|
|
|
55.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income from operations |
|
|
4,366 |
|
|
|
9.9 |
|
|
|
21,964 |
|
|
|
23.3 |
|
|
|
38,091 |
|
|
|
22.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSES) |
|
|
2,710 |
|
|
|
6.1 |
|
|
|
10,690 |
|
|
|
11.3 |
|
|
|
2,483 |
|
|
|
1.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INCOME TAX BENEFIT (EXPENSE) |
|
|
(436 |
) |
|
|
(1.0 |
) |
|
|
(1,549 |
) |
|
|
(1.6 |
) |
|
|
(403 |
) |
|
|
(0.2 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MINORITY
INTEREST |
|
|
(150 |
) |
|
|
(0.3 |
) |
|
|
(321 |
) |
|
|
(0.4 |
) |
|
|
(1,281 |
) |
|
|
(0.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS |
|
|
6,490 |
|
|
|
14.7 |
|
|
|
30,784 |
|
|
|
32.6 |
|
|
|
38,890 |
|
|
|
23.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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INCOME (LOSS) FROM DISCONTINUED
OPERATIONS |
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(154 |
) |
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(0.4 |
) |
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NET INCOME |
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6,336 |
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14.3 |
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30,784 |
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32.6 |
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38,890 |
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23.3 |
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The key items included in our income statement are:
OPERATING REVENUES. Our operating revenues consist of revenues from our gaming software and
service business, online games business and the Internet access business. Revenues from the gaming
software and service business include revenues of UIM, our licensee, from providing and promoting
online games of skill and chance. See Consolidation of UIM, T2 Entertainment and T2
Advertisement under FIN 46(R). Software licensing and support services revenues received by our
subsidiary, CESL, from UIM have been eliminated in consolidation. Online game revenues are related
to our online games business in Asia and are collected through the sale of online game points,
pre-paid cards and game packs. Revenues from Internet access business represent an increasingly
less significant portion of our total revenue stream and consist of Internet access revenues,
subscription revenues and proceeds from sales of cable modems and other related products.
OPERATING COSTS. Operating costs consist primarily of gaming software and online game
processing costs, online game royalties, production costs for prepaid game cards and game packs,
amortization of intangible assets, customer service department costs for our online game and
Internet access businesses, Internet access engineering costs, Internet access bandwidth costs, and
depreciation, maintenance and other overhead expenses directly attributable to the provision of
gaming software and services, online games and services, and Internet access and service revenues.
OPERATING EXPENSES. Operating expenses include product development and engineering expenses,
selling and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses and bad debt expenses.
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSES). Non-operating income and expenses consist of interest income
and expenses, gain or loss on sales of marketable securities, gain on divestiture of business,
foreign exchange gain or loss and gain or loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment.
INCOME TAX BENEFITS (LOSSES). Taxes include income tax in various jurisdictions in which our
subsidiaries operate and deferred tax assets or liabilities that arise due to the timing
differences between book profits and taxable profits that originate in one
period and are capable of reversal in one or more subsequent periods. Taxes are measured using
the tax rates and laws that have been enacted or subsequently enacted as of the date of the
financial statements.
MINORITY INTEREST. Minority interest represents the portion of net income allocated to the
non-controlling voting stock of our majority-owned subsidiaries (T2CN and Dragongate Enterprises)
as well as UIM, which is consolidated pursuant to FIN 46(R). Prior to the sale of the music
distribution business in September 2005, minority interest also included the portion of net income
allocated to the non-controlling voting stock of G-Music Limited held by third-party shareholders;
subsequent to the divestiture of G-Music Limited, related minority interest was included in
discontinued operations.
The financial information in relation to our business segments is provided net of
inter-segment transactions.
61
For the Years Ended December 31, 2007 and 2006
Consolidated Results of Operations
OPERATING REVENUES. Operating revenues for 2007 grew by approximately 77.0 percent to
approximately US$166.9 million from approximately US$94.3 million in 2006. The increase was
primarily a result of a 116.2 percent revenue growth in our gaming software and service business,
which contributed approximately US$119.0 million or 71.3 percent of our total revenues in 2007. Our
online games business revenues also increased by 75.3 percent, primarily due to consolidation of
T2CN from June 2007, to approximately US$32.8 million, or 19.6 percent of our total revenues in
2007.
OPERATING COSTS. Operating costs increased by approximately 52.4 percent to approximately
US$35.5 million in 2007 from approximately US$23.3 million in 2006. The increase in total operating
costs was mainly due to an US$8.4 million or 107.1 percent increase in operating costs in our
gaming software and service business related to a higher level of volume in 2007, and a US$5.5
million or 148.7 percent increase in operating costs in our online games and service business
primarily resulting from the consolidation of T2CN with effect from June 2007, which increased
operating costs in that business unit by approximately US$3.9 million from 2006.
GROSS PROFIT. Gross profit increased by approximately 85.1 percent to approximately US$131.3
million in 2007 from approximately US$71.0 million in 2006. The increase in consolidated gross
profit resulted from respective 117.7 percent and 57.4 percent increases in gross profits in our
gaming software and service business and our online games and service business.
OPERATING EXPENSES. Total operating expenses increased by approximately 90.3 percent to
approximately US$93.2 million in 2007 from approximately US$49.0 million in 2006. The increase in
total operating expenses was mainly due to a US$34.6 million or 113.8 percent increase in expenses
in our gaming software and service business, and a US$7.4 million or 78.6 percent increase in
expenses in our online games and service business.
Consolidated product development and engineering expenses increased by approximately 37.9
percent in 2007 to approximately US$7.9 million from US$5.7 million in 2006, mainly due to a US$3.0
million or 69.1 percent increase in our gaming software and service business.
Consolidated selling and marketing expenses increased by approximately 107.0 percent to
approximately US$62.3 million in 2007 from US$30.1 million in 2006, primarily due to an increase of
US$27.9 million or 126.2 percent in selling and marketing expenses in our gaming software and
service business, and a US$4.2 million or 75.9 percent increase in selling and marketing expenses
in our online game and service business.
Consolidated general and administrative expenses increased by approximately 79.1 percent in
2007 to US$22.2 million from US$12.4 million in 2006, reflecting a US$3.7 million or 93.5 percent
increase in our gaming software and service business and a US$4.1 million or 161.5 percent increase
in our online games and service business
OPERATING INCOME. Operating income for 2007 increased by approximately 73.4 percent to US$38.1
million from approximately US$22.0 million in 2006. The increase was primarily due to a 124.8
percent increase in operating income in our gaming software and service business and a 21.8 percent
increase in operating income in our online game and service business.
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSES). Non-operating income decreased in 2007 by approximately 76.8
percent to approximately US$2.5 million in 2007 from approximately US$10.7 million in 2006. This
was principally due to the sale of our ADSL business to Webs-TV in May 2006, which contributed
approximately US$7.7 million to non-operating income.
NET INCOME. Net income for 2007 increased by approximately 26.3 percent to US$38.9 million
from approximately US$30.8 million in 2006.
62
Business Segment Results
Gaming Software and Service Business
OPERATING REVENUES. Consolidated revenues of our gaming software and service business include
the revenues of UIM, our licensee. Software licensing and support services revenues received by us
from UIM have been eliminated or consolidated. Total operating revenues in 2007 increased by 116.2
percent to approximately US$119.0 million from US$55.0 million in 2006. Such increase was primarily
attributable to strong growth in our poker software business, and growth in our casino software
business in 2007. Software licensing and support services revenues received by us from UIM
increased by 94.9 percent from US$27.5 million in 2006 to US$53.6 million in 2007. Revenues from
our poker software business grew from approximately US$30.9 million in 2006 to US$89.7 million in
2007 and accounted for approximately 75.4 percent of our gaming software and service revenues
in 2007 compared to 56.1 percent in 2006. Revenues from our casino software business increased to
approximately US$29.0 million in 2007 from US$24.1 million in 2006.
OPERATING COSTS. Cost of our gaming software and service revenues increased by 107.1 percent
to approximately US$16.2 million in 2007 from US$7.8 million in 2006. The increase was due to
higher business volume and the associated increase in payment processing costs in 2007.
GROSS PROFIT. Gross profit increased by 117.7 percent to approximately US$102.7 million in
2007 from US$47.2 million in 2006. The increase was primarily due to strong revenue growth in our
poker software business in the period.
OPERATING EXPENSES. Total operating expenses increased by approximately 113.8 percent to
approximately US$65.0 million in 2007 from approximately US$30.4 million in 2006. The increase in
total operating expenses resulted from increases in selling and marketing expenses, general and
administrative expenses, and product development and engineering expenses incurred to support
revenue growth.
Selling and marketing expenses. Selling and marketing expenses increased by approximately
126.2 percent to approximately US$50.0 million in 2007 from US$22.1 million in 2006, primarily due
to an increase in commissions to partners related to growth in revenue, and an increase in
advertising and promotional expenses.
OPERATING INCOME. Operating income in 2007 increased 124.8 percent to approximately US$37.7
million from US$16.8 million in 2006. The increase was primarily due to strong revenue growth and
operating margin increase from 30.5 percent in 2006 to 31.7 percent in 2007. Operating income does
not reflect certain corporate headquarters expenses. For a reconciliation of business segment
results to our consolidated net income, see Note 26 of our consolidated financial statements.
Online Game and Service Business
OPERATING REVENUES. Total operating revenues increased 75.3 percent to approximately US$32.8
million in 2007 from approximately US$18.7 million in 2006. Such increase was driven by organic
growth of FunTown in Taiwan and Hong Kong and the consolidation of T2CN in China. Revenue from
FunTown grew 27.1 percent from 18.7 million in 2006 to 23.8 million in 2007. Revenue consolidated
from T2CN beginning in June 2007 was US$9.0 million in 2007.
OPERATING COSTS. Cost of our online game revenues increased by 148.7 percent to approximately
US$9.1 million in 2007 from US$3.7 million in 2006. The increase was due to increased bandwidth
costs, increased royalty fees and licensing fees related to the licensing of new games, and
consolidation of T2CN from June 2007.
GROSS PROFIT. Gross profit increased by 57.4 percent to approximately US$23.6 million in 2007
from US$15.0 million in 2006. The increase resulted from organic revenue growth and the
consolidation of T2CN beginning in June 2007. Gross profit margin decreased to 72.2 percent from
80.4 percent in 2006. The decline reflected an increase in revenue contributions from licensed
games that have lower margins than self-developed games.
OPERATING EXPENSES. Total operating expenses increased by approximately 78.6 percent to
approximately US$16.8 million in 2007 from approximately US$9.4 million in 2006. The increase was
due to increased selling and marketing expenses and general and administrative expenses, as well as
consolidation of T2CN.
63
Selling and marketing expenses. Selling and marketing expenses increased by approximately 75.9
percent to approximately US$9.7 million in 2007 from US$5.5 million in 2006, primarily due to
increases in mass media marketing of FunTowns game products and services during the period, as
well as consolidation of T2CN.
OPERATING INCOME. Operating income in 2007 increased 21.8 percent to approximately US$6.8
million from US$5.6 million in 2006. The increase was due to revenue growth during the period.
Operating margin declined from 30.1 percent in 2006 to 20.9 percent in 2007, which reflected the
aforementioned decrease in gross margin and an increase in selling and marketing expenses, as well
as higher general and administrative expenses related to expansion of the online games and service
business. Operating income does not reflect certain corporate headquarter expenses. For a
reconciliation of business segment results to our consolidated net income, see Note 26 of our
consolidated financial statements.
Internet Access and Service Business
OPERATING REVENUES. Total operating revenues decreased 26.3 percent to approximately US$15.2
million in 2007 from approximately US$20.6 million in 2006. Such decrease was mainly attributable
to the disposal of our ADSL business in May 2006, and the decrease of consulting, support and
bandwidth services revenues related to transition services provided as part of the sale of the ADSL
business, and the continued decline in the consumer ISP business.
OPERATING COSTS. Operating costs decreased by 13.6 percent from approximately US$11.8 million
for 2006 to approximately US$10.2 million for 2007 due to decreases in depreciation, and customer
service costs. We terminated the customer service department servicing the ADSL business in August
2006 following the sale of our ADSL business.
GROSS PROFIT. Gross profit decreased by 43.5 percent from approximately US$8.7 million in 2006
to US$4.9 million in 2007. The decrease was due to the aforementioned decreases in revenues and a
decrease in gross profit margin from 42.5 percent in 2006 to 32.6 percent in 2007.
OPERATING EXPENSES. Total operating expenses decreased by 6.4 percent from approximately
US$4.6 million in 2006 to US$4.3 million in 2007, mainly as a result of a decline in selling and
marketing expenses.
OPERATING INCOME. Operating income decreased by 84.0 percent from approximately US$4.2 million
for 2006 to US$671 thousand in 2007. The decrease was primarily due to declines in revenues and
gross profit. Operating income does not reflect certain corporate headquarters expenses. For a
reconciliation of business segment results to our consolidated net income, see Note 26 of our
consolidated financial statements.
For the Years Ended December 31, 2006 and 2005
Consolidated Results Of Operations
OPERATING REVENUES. Operating revenues for 2006 grew by approximately 113 percent to
approximately US$94.3 million from approximately US$44.2 million in 2005. The increase was
primarily a result of strong revenue growth from the software licensing and online entertainment
business, which contributed approximately US$55 million, or 58 percent, of our total revenues in
2006 compared to approximately US$22.5 million in 2005, or 51 percent of our total revenues in 2005
and the acquisition of our online games business in January 2006, which contributed approximately
US$18.7 million, or 20 percent, of our total revenues in 2006.
OPERATING COSTS. Operating costs increased by approximately 34 percent to approximately
US$23.3 million in 2006 from approximately US$17.4 million in 2005. The increase in total operating
costs was mainly due to a higher level of gaming software and service business volume in 2006, and
the acquisition of our online games business in January 2006 which contributed approximately US$3.7
million of our total operating costs in 2006.
GROSS PROFIT. Gross profit increased by approximately 165 percent to approximately US$71.0
million in 2006 from approximately US$26.8 million in 2005. The increase in gross profit resulted
from the strong revenue growth in our gaming software and service business, the acquisition of our
online games business in January 2006 and a significant increase in gross margin from 60.7 percent
in 2005 to 75.3 percent in 2006.
64
OPERATING EXPENSES. Total operating expenses increased by approximately 118 percent to
approximately US$49.0 million in 2006 from approximately US$22.4 million in 2005. The increase in
total operating expenses was mainly due to a 130 percent increase in expenses related to our gaming
software and service business, which was mainly attributable to the increased selling and marketing
expenses as a result of our increased level of business volume, as well as to the acquisition of
our online games business in January 2006, which contributed approximately US$9.4 million of our
total operating expenses in 2006.
OPERATING INCOME. Operating income for 2006 increased by approximately 403 percent to US$22.0
million from approximately US$4.4 million in 2005. The increase was primarily due to strong revenue
growth in our gaming software and service business, the acquisition of our online games business in
January 2006, which contributed approximately US$5.6 million income from operations in 2006, and a
significant growth in operating income margin from 9.9 percent in 2005 to 23.3 percent in 2006.
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSES). Non-operating income increased in 2006 by approximately 294
percent to approximately US$10.7 million in 2006 from approximately US$2.7 million in 2005. This
was principally due to the sale of our ADSL business to Webs-TV in May 2006 which contributed
approximately US$7.7 million.
INCOME FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS. We had no income from discontinued operations in 2006.
NET INCOME. Net income for 2006 increased by approximately 386 percent to US$30.8 million from
approximately US$6.3 million in 2005.
Business
Segment Results
Gaming Software and Service Business
OPERATING REVENUES. Consolidated revenues of our gaming software and service business include
the revenues of UIM, our licensee. Software licensing and support services revenues received by us
from UIM have been eliminated in consolidation. Software licensing and support services revenues
received by us from UIM increased by 120 percent from US$12.5 million in 2005 to US$27.5 million in
2006. Total operating revenues in 2006 increased by 144 percent to approximately US$55.0 million
from US$22.5 million in 2005. Such increase was primarily attributable to strong growth in our
poker software business, and growth in our casino software business in 2006. Revenues from our
poker software business grew from approximately US$4.1 million in 2005 to US$30.9 million in 2006
and accounted for approximately 56 percent of our gaming software and service revenues in 2006
compared to 18 percent in 2005. Revenues from our casino software business increased to
approximately US$24.1 million in 2006 from US$18.4 million in 2005.
OPERATING COSTS. Cost of our gaming software and service revenues increased by 135 percent to
approximately US$7.8 million in 2006 from US$3.3 million in 2005. The increase was due to higher
business volume and the associated increase in payment processing costs in 2006.
GROSS PROFIT. Gross profit increased by 146 percent to approximately US$47.2 million in 2006
from US$19.2 million in 2005. The increase resulted from strong revenue growth in the period.
OPERATING EXPENSES. Total operating expenses increased by approximately 130 percent to
approximately US$30.4 million in 2006 from approximately US$13.2 million in 2005. The increase in
total operating expenses resulted from the increased level of business volume in the period and, in
particular, an increase in selling and marketing expenses.
Product development and engineering expenses. Product development and engineering expenses
increased by approximately 72 percent to approximately US$4.3 million in 2006 from US$2.5 million
in 2005, due to our ongoing efforts to develop and improve our products.
Selling and marketing expenses. Selling and marketing expenses increased by approximately 175
percent to approximately US$22.1 million in 2006 from US$8.0 million in 2005, primarily due to an
increase in commissions to partners due to growth in revenue, and an increase in advertising and
promotion expenses.
65
General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses increased by 49
percent to approximately US$4.0 million in 2006 from US$2.7 million in 2005 due to increases in
salaries and professional fees.
OPERATING INCOME. Operating income in 2006 increased 182 percent to approximately US$16.8
million from US$6.0 million in 2005. The increase was primarily due to strong revenue growth and an
expansion of operating margin from 26.5 percent in 2005 to 30.5 percent in 2006. Operating income
does not reflect certain corporate headquarter expenses. For a reconciliation of business segment
results to our consolidated net income, see Note 24 of our consolidated financial statements.
Online Game and Service Business
We acquired our online games business in January 2006 and incorporated results of the business
into our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2006. As this
business was acquired in 2006, year over year comparisons of this business segment are not
available, and total revenues, operating costs, gross profit, operating expenses, operating income,
and net income figures for the 2005 and 2006 periods may not be comparable. See Note 5 of our
consolidated financial statements for a summary of unaudited pro-forma results of operations for
the years ended December 31, 2005 as if the acquisition of our online games business had occurred
on January 1, 2005.
For the year ended December 31, 2006, the online games business recorded total operating
revenue of US$18.7 million, operating costs of US$3.7 million, gross profit of US$15.0 million,
operating expenses of US$9.4 million (comprising product development and engineering expenses,
selling and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses and bad debt expenses of US$0.9
million, US$5.5 million, US$2.5 million and US$0.5 million, respectively) and operating income of
US$5.6 million, respectively.
Internet Access and Service Business
OPERATING REVENUES. Total operating revenues decreased 5 percent to approximately US$20.6
million in 2006 from approximately US$21.7 million in 2005. Such decrease was attributable to the
disposal of our ADSL business in May 2006, the impact of which on our revenues has been partially
offset by fees received for the provision of consulting, support and bandwidth services related to
the sale and transition of the business, and the decrease of our consumer access revenue through
Hoshin GigaMedia. Of the total Internet access and service revenues recorded for 2006, our consumer
access revenues through Hoshin GigaMedia decreased by 9 percent to approximately US$13.7 million in
2006 from US$15.1 million in 2005, while corporate access revenues through KBT increased by 4
percent to approximately US$6.8 million in 2006 from US$6.5 million in 2005.
The number of our retail broadband subscribers decreased from 80,541 as of December 31, 2005
to 11,447 as of December 31, 2006 as a result of our sale of the ADSL business. The average blended
access revenues per retail broadband subscriber per month (ARPU) for access services in the fourth
quarter of 2006 was approximately US$14.80, as compared to approximately US$11.36 for the fourth
quarter of 2005. The increase in ARPU is due to the sale of our ADSL business, which had a lower
blended ARPU rate.
OPERATING COSTS. Operating costs decreased by 16 percent from approximately US$14.1 million
for 2005 to approximately US$11.8 million for 2006 due to decreases in depreciation, and customer
service costs. We terminated the customer service representative department servicing the ADSL
business in August 2006 following the sale of our ADSL business.
GROSS PROFIT. Gross profit increased by 15 percent to approximately US$8.7 million in 2006
from US$7.6 million in 2005. The increase was due to decreased operating costs, which led to an
expansion in gross margin from 35.2 percent in 2005 to 42.5 percent in 2006.
OPERATING EXPENSES. Total operating expenses decreased by 17 percent from approximately US$5.5
million in 2005 to US$4.6 million in 2006, mainly as a result of declines in product development
and engineering expenses, and in selling and marketing expenses.
Product development and engineering expenses. Product development and engineering expenses
decreased by approximately 52 percent from approximately US$1.0 million in 2005 to approximately
US$0.5 million in 2006 as a result of our continued effort to de-emphasize this aspect of our
operations.
Selling and marketing expenses. Selling and marketing expenses decreased by approximately 10
percent from approximately US$2.7 million in 2005 to approximately US$2.5 million in 2006,
primarily due to a slight decline in promotional expenses.
66
General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses decreased by 13
percent from approximately US$1.5 million in 2005 to US$1.3 million in 2006 due to centralizing of
certain back-office functions in our headquarters.
OPERATING INCOME. Operating income increased by 97 percent from approximately US$2.1 million
in 2005 to US$4.2 million in 2006. The increase was primarily due to decreases in operating costs
and expenses which resulted in an increase in operating margin from 9.8 percent in 2005 to 20.3
percent in 2006. Operating income does not reflect certain corporate headquarter expenses. For a
reconciliation of business segment results to our consolidated net income, see Note 24 of our
consolidated financial statements.
B. Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our principal sources of liquidity consist of cash generated from our operations, proceeds
generated from the disposal of our investments and other assets, bank borrowings, and interest
derived from our investments. Our cash and cash equivalents are held primarily in U.S. dollars, RMB
and NT dollars. Our policy with respect to liquidity management is to maintain sufficient cash and
cash equivalents to fund operations and strategic transactions, while placing remaining funds in
higher yield investment instruments.
Our future cash requirements will depend on a number of factors including:
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the rate at which we enter into strategic transactions; |
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|
the rate at which we expand our operations and employee base; |
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the timing of entry into new markets and new services offered; |
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changes in revenues and cost splits with our business partners; |
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|
the rate at which we invest in developing and licensing our products and upgrading
and maintaining our network and future technologies; and |
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the rate at which we grow and monetize our customer bases. |
As a result of our operating, investing and financing activities during 2007, the amount of
our cash and cash equivalents increased from approximately US$22.4 million as of December 31, 2006
to US$68.6 million as of December 31, 2007. Such increase was primarily attributable to the cash
inflows for our operating activities and short term loans in 2007, and partially offset by the
acquisition payments for T2CN and an incentive payment for FunTown, which was in the form of an
additional variable amount determined based on the pre-tax income of FunTown in 2006.
We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and expected cash
flow from operations will be sufficient to meet our capital expenditure, working capital, and cash
obligations under our existing lease arrangements and license agreements through 2008. We continue
to seek and review potential merger and acquisition opportunities on an ongoing basis, which may be
funded through cash on our balance sheet, bank borrowings or equity. We do not believe that any
potential merger or acquisition that we may be engaged in would alter our goal of preserving
sufficient cash and cash equivalents to fund future operations.
OPERATING ACTIVITIES. In 2007, our net cash provided by operating activities amounted to
US$56.0 million. This was primarily from income from continuing
operations of US$38.9 million, and a net increase in player
account balances of US$17.6 million. In 2006, our net cash provided by operating activities amounted to US$29.4 million. This was primarily from income from continuing operations of US$30.8 million.
INVESTING ACTIVITIES. Our net cash used in investing activities in 2007 was US$33.2 million.
This was primarily due to a net cash out flow for the acquisition of T2CN of US$9.2 million, which
is resulted from cash proceeds paid of US$21.0 million, net of cash acquired at consolidation of
US$11.8 million, incentive payment of US$4.8 million for the acquisition of FunTown, and strategic
investment in game development studios, including Softstar, Neostorm and XL Games, of US$10.6
million. Our net cash used in investing activities in 2006 was US$47.9 million. This was primarily due to a net cash out flow for the acquisition of FunTown of US$26.8 million, resulting from cash proceeds paid of US$27.2 million,
net of cash acquired of US$463 thousand, and strategic investments in T2CN and Infocomm Asia convertible preferred shares of US$15.0 million and US$10.0 million, respectively.
67
FINANCING ACTIVITIES. Our net cash provided in financing activities in 2007 was US$22.8
million. This was primarily due to proceeds from short-term borrowings of US$20.1 million by Hoshin
GigaMedia. Our net cash used in financing activities in 2006 was
approximately US$1.0
million. This was primarily due to redemption of our convertible
notes of approximately US$15.0 million, which was offset by bank borrowings of US$12.9 million.
OTHER. Set forth below are the aggregate amounts, as of December 31, 2007, of our future cash
payment obligations under our existing contractual obligations.
Capital Expenditures
We typically finance our capital expenditures through cash holdings. Our gross capital
expenditures for equipment, furniture and fixtures, software, intangible assets and other deferred
assets were US$4.0 million, US$5.7 million and US$9.9 million for 2005, 2006 and 2007,
respectively. Capital expenditures during 2007 were primarily for capitalized software development
and computer hardware equipment for our gaming software and service business and online games
business. Our capital expenditure plans for 2008 will continue to focus primarily on software
development and computer hardware equipment for our gaming software and service business and for
our online games business. We may adjust the amount of our capital expenditures upward or downward
based on cash flow from operations, the progress of our expansion plans, and market conditions.
Indebtedness
As of December 31, 2007, we have short-term borrowings of US$33.3 million. The
weighted-average interest rate on total short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2007 was 3.35
percent. We also pledged time deposits of US$6.2 million, and a net value of land and buildings of
US$1.7 million as collateral for secured bank loans as of December 31, 2007. All of our bank loans
are one-year revolving facilities.
The following table sets out certain information in respect of our outstanding loans as of
December 31, 2007:
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(in US$ thousands) |
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Maturity date of |
|
As of |
|
Name |
|
Interest rate range |
|
Facility |
|
December 31, 2007 |
|
China Trust Commercial Bank |
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1.865%~2.95% |
|
Mar. 10, 2008 |
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$ |
12,334 |
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Taishin International Bank |
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2.95%~3.39% |
|
Sep. 30, 2008 |
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7,709 |
|
Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank |
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3.902% |
|
Jul. 26, 2008 |
|
|
6,167 |
|
Far Eastern International Bank |
|
2.85%~3.17% |
|
Feb. 7, 2008 |
|
|
3,084 |
|
Waterland Financial Holdings |
|
2.738%~4.238% |
|
Feb. 7, 2008 |
|
|
1,541 |
|
Taching Bill Finance Limited |
|
3.758% |
|
Oct. 28, 2008 |
|
|
1,541 |
|
Union Bills Finance |
|
3.758% |
|
Aug. 31, 2008 |
|
|
925 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
33,301 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We repaid the borrowings from Far Eastern International Bank and Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank
in February and May 2008, respectively, and renewed the loan agreements with Waterland Financial
Holdings and China Trust Commercial Bank in February and March 2008, through March 2009 and August
2008, respectively.
Dividends From Our Subsidiaries
Under Singapore tax regulations, foreign-sourced dividend income used for capital
expenditures, including investments, and repayment of borrowings, would not be deemed as remitted
to Singapore and is not taxable. As of December 31, 2007, the Company has not accrued deferred
income taxes on US$56.8 million of unremitted earnings from non-Singapore subsidiaries as such
earnings are considered to be reinvested overseas or repayment of borrowings. Determination of the
amount of unrecognized deferred tax liability related to these earnings is not practicable.
In accordance with R.O.C. law, an appropriation for legal reserve amounting to 10 percent of a
companys net profit is required until the reserve equals the aggregate par value of such Taiwan
companys issued capital stock. As of December 31, 2006 and 2007, the legal reserves of Hoshin
GigaMedia, which represent a component of our accumulated deficits, were US$526 thousand, and
US$2.0 million, respectively. The reserve can only be used to offset a deficit or be distributed
as a stock divided of up to 50 percent of the reserve balance when the reserve balance has reached
50 percent of the aggregate paid-in capital of Hoshin GigaMedia.
68
In accordance with regulations in the PRC and their respective articles of association,
subsidiaries and VIE subsidiaries of T2CN incorporated in the PRC are required to make an
appropriation of retained earnings for statutory reserve equal to at least 10 percent of their
respective after-tax profits, calculated in accordance with PRC accounting standards and
regulations, until the reserve equals 50 percent of the registered capital of the respective
companies. As of December 31, 2007, the statutory reserves of T2 Entertainment and J-Town, which
represent a component of GigaMedias accumulated deficits, were US$38 thousand, and US$87 thousand,
respectively. The statutory reserves can be used to offset a deficit or to increase capital of the
respective companies. They are not transferable to our Company in the form of dividends, advances,
or loans.
C. Research, Development, Patents and Licenses, etc.
We make investments in research and development to keep pace and remain competitive with
technology advancements and product development relating to our gaming software and service
business and our online game and service business. We do not believe our expenditure for research
and development for 2005, 2006 and 2007 was material.
D. Trend Information
Please see Item 3, Key Information D. Risk Factors and Item 5, Operating and Financial
Review and Prospects A. Operating Results Overview Subsequent Events for a discussion of
the most recent trends in our operating costs and revenues since the end of 2007. In addition,
please refer to discussions included in this Item for a discussion of known trends, uncertainties,
demands, commitments or events that we believe are reasonable likely to have a material effect on
our net operating revenues, income from continuing operations, profitability or capital resources,
or that would cause reported financial information not necessarily to be indicative of future
operating results or financial condition.
E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Other than as disclosed in Note 24 of our consolidated financial statements, we currently do
not have (a) any obligation under a guarantee contract that has any of the characteristics
identified in paragraph 3 of FASB Interpretation No. 45, Guarantors Accounting and Disclosure
Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others (FIN 45),
as may be modified or supplemented, excluding the types of guarantee contracts described in
paragraphs 6 and 7 of FIN 45; (b) a retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an
unconsolidated entity or similar arrangement that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk
support to such entity for such assets; (c) any obligation under a derivative instrument that is
both indexed to the companys own stock and classified in stockholders equity, or not reflected,
in the companys statement of financial position; (d) any obligation, including a contingent
obligation, arising out of a variable interest (as referenced in FASB Interpretation No. 46,
Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, as may be modified or supplemented) in an
unconsolidated entity that is held by, and material to, the company, where such entity provides
financing, liquidity, market risk or credit risk support to, or engages in leasing, hedging or
research and development services with, the company.
F. Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payment Due by Period (in US dollars) |
|
|
Within 1 year |
|
1-3 years |
|
3-5 years |
|
>5 years |
|
Total |
1. Operating leases |
|
|
4,376,509 |
|
|
|
3,883,598 |
|
|
|
1,450,630 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,710,737 |
|
2. License fees |
|
|
6,900,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6,900,000 |
|
3. Minimum guarantees against royalties |
|
|
4,700,000 |
|
|
|
16,100,000 |
|
|
|
3,000,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23,800,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total contractual cash obligations |
|
|
15,976,509 |
|
|
|
19,983,598 |
|
|
|
4,450,630 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40,410,737 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4. Other liabilities-accrued pension
liabilities |
|
|
38,980 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
396,378 |
|
|
|
435,358 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5. Other long-term obligations |
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
360,516 |
|
|
|
46,762 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
407,278 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6. FIN 48 liabilities |
|
|
61,274 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
61,274 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most of the licensing fees and minimum guarantees against future royalties presented above are
not required to be paid until the commercial release dates of the various licensed games, or until
certain milestones are achieved, as outlined in the individual license agreements.
Additionally, we also have committed to support related marketing, promotion and advertising
activities for certain games. Such marketing expenditures shall be not less than US$12 million in
aggregate and are contingent on agreed upon payment schedules set forth in the agreements.
69
As of December 31, 2007, total FIN 48 liability was approximately US$61 thousand. In March
2008, we received the final results on the review of our research and development credits, which
stated that an unrecognized tax position of US$42 thousand can be recognized in 2008 and US$19
thousand cannot be recognized.
ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES
A. Directors and Senior Management
The following table sets forth information with respect to our directors and executive
officers as of June 16, 2008:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Appointed to |
|
Name |
|
Age |
|
Position |
|
Current Position |
|
WU, Daniel Chuen-Tai |
|
60 |
|
Chairman of the Board |
|
|
2003 |
|
BAO, Gilbert |
|
44 |
|
Independent Non-Executive Director |
|
|
2003 |
|
DING, Michael Y.J. |
|
51 |
|
Independent Non-Executive Director |
|
|
2003 |
|
HSU, Emmet Yu-Jui |
|
45 |
|
Independent Non-Executive Director |
|
|
2003 |
|
HU ZEE, Nancy Jing-Ying |
|
49 |
|
Independent Non-Executive Director |
|
|
2003 |
|
LEE, Howe Yong |
|
52 |
|
Independent Non-Executive Director |
|
|
2004 |
|
LEE, Yichin |
|
47 |
|
Independent Non-Executive Director |
|
|
2003 |
|
WANG, Arthur M. |
|
47 |
|
Chief Executive Officer and Director |
|
|
2003 |
|
HUI, Thomas T. |
|
36 |
|
President, Chief Operating Officer and Director |
|
|
2007/2005 |
|
CAHILL, Robert J. |
|
42 |
|
Head of Gaming Software and Service Business |
|
|
2004 |
|
CHOU, Samuel |
|
47 |
|
Chief Executive Officer of FunTown |
|
|
2007 |
|
HUANG, Kenny Ching-Kun |
|
43 |
|
Senior Vice President |
|
|
2004 |
|
MAI, Falco |
|
46 |
|
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer |
|
|
2001 |
|
SHEA, Joseph |
|
42 |
|
Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer of T2CN |
|
|
2004/2007 |
|
TARN, Chen-Wen |
|
48 |
|
Head of Internet Access and Service Business |
|
|
2003 |
|
Our former director, Mr. Nelson Chang, resigned on April 18, 2008 for personal reasons.
Mr. Samuel Chou was appointed as the chief executive officer of FunTown on April 20, 2007.
Biographical information with respect to each of our directors and executive officers is set
forth below.
DANIEL CHUEN-TAI WU is the chairman of the board of directors of our Company. He brings to our
Company significant operational experience and extensive business relationships in Taiwan. Dr. Wu
is currently senior executive vice president of China Development Financial Holding Corporation.
Previously, he served as the chairman of various companies including CDIB & Partners Investment
Holding Corp from 2004 to 2006, Videoland Inc. from 2002 to 2004, Grand Pacific Petrochemical Corp.
from 1994 to 2004, Biocare Corp. from 1997 to 2003 and Precision Semiconductor Mask Corp. from 1998
to 2000. He was the chief executive officer of Wyse Technology Inc. from 1990 to 1994 and the
president of Grand Pacific Petrochemical Corp. from 1992 to 1994. Dr. Wu was chairman of Crimson
Asia Capital Holdings, Ltd. from 1993 to 2000. Prior to that, Dr. Wu was also the chairman of Monte
Jade Science & Technology Association from 1993 to 1994. Dr. Wu received his doctorate in chemical
engineering from the University of Delaware in 1976 and an undergraduate degree in the same
discipline from National Taiwan University in 1970.
GILBERT BAO is an independent non-executive director of our Company. He is also currently
chairman of Chung Shing Textile Co., Ltd., general supervisor of Taiwan Spinners Association, and
chairman of Taiwan Manmade Fiber Industry Association. He graduated from the University of Southern
California in 1986.
MICHAEL Y.J. DING is an independent non-executive director of our Company. Mr. Ding has been
appointed as the chairman and CEO of Waterland Securities Co, Ltd. Prior to that, Mr. Ding was the
chairman of Fubon Securities Investment Consulting Co., Ltd., and president and chief executive
officer of Fubon Asset Management Co., Ltd., president and fund manager of the R.O.C. Fund (listed
on the New York Stock Exchange), as well as president of the International Investment Trust Co. in
Taiwan, where he also served as chief investment officer and a senior vice president. Mr. Ding was
previously chief economist and head of research at Citicorp International Securities Ltd. in Taipei
and head of research and information for the Greater China region at McKinsey & Co., Inc. Mr. Ding
holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Chinese Cultural University and a masters degree and a
doctorate in economics from Indiana University.
70
EMMET YU-JUI HSU is an independent non-executive director of our Company. He is also currently
chairman and president of Shihlin Electric and Engineering Corp., Hsinchu Transportation Co. Ltd.,
and The Ambassador Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan. He majored in business administration at the University
of Southern California and received a Master of Business Administration degree from Chengchi
University in Taiwan.
NANCY JING-YING HU ZEE is an independent non-executive director of our Company. Ms. Hu is
currently the president of Videoland Inc. She is also chairman of Ho Wei Communication, which is a
subsidiary of Videoland Inc. She is a certified accountant in the United States and Hong Kong and
is currently a director of NHL CPA, ETKING Media Technology Limited, and Global Mobile Corp..
Ms. Hu holds a bachelors degree from National Taiwan University, a masters degree in computers
from Barry University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Florida International
University.
HOWE YONG LEE is an independent non-executive director of our Company. He is currently the
managing director of Lee Kim Yew (Pte) Ltd., an investment company based in Singapore. Mr. Lee
received a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from the University of Washington in
1984.
YICHIN LEE is an independent non-executive director of our Company. He is also currently
managing director of Giant Management Consulting, LLC. of Taiwan and a founder of AMIA, Inc., an
education consultancy based in Belmont, California. Started in 2007, Mr. Lee also serves as an
independent director of the Board of Asia Pacific Wire & Cable Corp. Ltd. (Nasdaq: AWRCF.PK).
Mr. Lee holds a doctorate degree in resource planning and management from Stanford University.
ARTHUR M. WANG is the chief executive officer and a director of our Company. He is also a
member of the board of Linmark Group, a Hong Kong Stock Exchange listed global sourcing firm, where
he serves as chair of the compensation committee. Previously, Mr. Wang was a managing partner of
698 Capital Limited, an Asian investment firm, as well as an executive director of KGI Asia Limited
(KGI). At KGI, Mr. Wang served as head of corporate finance. He also served as an investment
advisor and board member of UFJ Asia Finance Technology Fund of the UFJ Group (formerly the Sanwa
Bank Group of Japan), and as a board member and director of Softbank Investment International
(Strategic) Limited, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange listed arm of Softbank Corporation. Mr. Wang
received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Juris
Doctorate degree from Yale Law School. He practiced corporate and securities law in the New York
and Hong Kong offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
THOMAS T. HUI is the president, chief operating officer and a director of our Company. Mr. Hui
joined GigaMedia from Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C. (Goldman Sachs), where he was an executive
director of the investment banking division. At Goldman Sachs, Mr. Hui originated and executed a
broad range of mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions in Asia. Prior to working at
Goldman Sachs, Mr. Hui served as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch & Co. and as a management
consultant at McKinsey & Company, both in Hong Kong. Mr. Hui holds a Master of Engineering degree
in electrical engineering from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical
engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison.
ROBERT J. CAHILL is the head of the gaming software and service business of our Company.
Mr. Cahill is the chief executive officer of CESL. Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Cahill served
as the chief financial officer for Smarterkids.com. He also previously served in the finance group
for Gensym Corporation and as an audit manager at Ernst & Young, LLC. Mr. Cahill received a Master
of Business Administration degree from Bentley College and a Bachelor of Science degree in business
administration from the University of Massachusetts.
SAMUEL CHOU is the head of the online games business of our Company. Mr. Chou became the chief
executive officer and president of online games and entertainment of GigaMedia in April 2007. Mr.
Chou was chairman and chief executive officer of Warner Music for the Greater China Region from
2004 to 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Chou was managing director of Warner Music in Taiwan. Mr. Chou was
also previously the chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry in
Taiwan. Mr. Chou received his Master of Business Administration degree from the National Giao Tung
University as well as a Bachelor of Sociology degree from National Taiwan University.
KENNY CHING-KUN HUANG is a senior vice president of our Company. He has experience in
investment banking, the television and cable industry, as well as the Asian gaming industry. Mr.
Huang is responsible for the promotion and business development of our gaming software in Asia.
Mr. Huang received his Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Irvine.
71
FALCO MAI is the chief administrative officer and an executive vice president of our Company.
He is also currently the chairman of KGI Futures Co. Ltd., and a director of KGI Securities Co. Ltd
in Taipei, Global Securities Finance Corporation and Taiwan Futures Exchange. Prior to joining our
Company, Mr. Mai worked at KGI Securities Co. Ltd in Taipei as a manager of the research
department, the equity and salesproprietary trading department and the derivatives product
department. Mr. Mai was also senior vice president to the general management office, as well as the
spokesman from 1993 to 2001. Mr. Mai received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical
engineering from National Taiwan University.
JOSEPH SHEA is an executive vice president of our Company responsible for strategic and
business development and the chief financial officer of T2CN. Prior to joining us, Mr. Shea was an
equity research analyst at Lehman Brothers Asia Limited covering the Internet industry. Mr. Shea
was also a manager at A.T. Kearney (Hong Kong) Limited (A.T. Kearney) where he was responsible
for project planning and engagement execution for clients based in Asia and Europe. While working
at A.T. Kearney, Mr. Shea led several Internet-related projects. Mr. Shea also held design engineer
positions in several major microprocessor design projects at Intel Corporation. Mr. Shea received
his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He also
holds a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Columbia University as well as a Bachelor
of Science in electrical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University.
CHEN-WEN TARN is the head of the Internet access and service business of our Company. Prior to
joining us, Mr. Tarn was a full professor of the National Taiwan University of Science and
Technology. Mr. Tarn holds a doctorate degree in electrical and computer engineering from Syracuse
University.
B. Compensation
For the year ended December 31, 2007, the aggregate compensation paid by us to all of our
executive officers was approximately US$1.24 million, and the aggregate compensation paid by us to
all of our directors, including the CEO and CFO, was approximately US$1.75 million. The total
outstanding number of share options granted to our directors and officers was 5,692,638. The total
number of restricted stock units granted to our directors and officers was 106,000, of which 18,108
shares were vested and 87,892 were unvested for information on stock option plans and equity
incentive plans, see Item 6, Directors, Senior Management and Employees E. Share Ownership.
For information on total amounts set aside by the Company to provide pension and retirement
benefits, see Note 17 of our consolidated financial statements.
C. Board Practices
Our board of directors has appointed an audit committee. Our audit committee currently
consists of Michael Y. J. Ding, Gilbert Bao and Yichin Lee. Our audit committee will select and
evaluate, on our behalf, the independent public accountants who audit our annual financial
statements, and will review and approve the planned scope of our annual audit, subject to the
appointment, replacement or removal from office of our independent public accountants as has been
approved by our shareholders at our Annual General Meeting. In accordance with our Articles of
Association and our audit committee charter, all of the members of our audit committee must be
persons who qualify as independent directors for purposes of the rules and regulations of the
NASDAQ Global Market.
We also have a compensation committee that consists of Daniel Chuen-Tai Wu, Michael Y.J. Ding
and Yichin Lee. Our compensation committee reviews and evaluates the compensation and performance
of executive officers, our Companys general compensation plans and other employee benefit plans,
and performs other duties and responsibilities pursuant to the compensation committee charter. In
accordance with our compensation committee charter, all of the members of the compensation
committee are qualified independent directors pursuant to the requirements of the NASDAQ Global
Market.
D. Employees
In the years ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007, our total employees were 323, 503 and
975, respectively. As of May 31, 2008, we had a total of 807 employees, excluding part-time and
temporary personnel and consultants. Our corporate headquarters employed 102 people. Our Internet
access and service business employed 117 people, including 46 people in Hoshin GigaMedia and 71
people in our subsidiary, KBT. Our gaming software and service business had 156 employees. Our
online games business had 432 employees, including 265 employees in FunTown and 167 employees in
T2CN. Of the total 807 employees, 651 were in Asia, and 156 were in North America.
72
E. Share Ownership
Share Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers
The
table below sets forth information as to our directors and executive officers share
ownership in our Company as of May 31, 2008:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Shares |
|
|
Number of Common |
|
Issuable upon |
Person |
|
Shares |
|
exercise of options |
WU, Daniel Chuen-Tai
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
BAO, Gilbert T.C.
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
DING, Michael Y.J.
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
HSU, Emmet Yu-Jui
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
* |
|
HU ZEE, Nancy Jing-Ying
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
LEE, Howe Yong
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
LEE, Yichin
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
WANG, Arthur M.
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
2,399,000 |
|
HUI, Thomas T.
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
1,400,000 |
|
CAHILL, Robert J.
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
600,000 |
|
CHOU, Samuel
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
0 |
|
HUANG, Kenny Ching-Kun
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
MAI, Falco
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
SHEA, Joseph
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
TARN, Chen-Wen
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
* |
|
All options granted to our directors and executive officers were granted pursuant to the 2002
Plan, the 2004 Plan, the 2006 Plan and the 2007 Plan as defined under Employee Share Option Plans
below.
Beneficial Ownership
No director or executive officer beneficially owns of record more than 1 percent of the
outstanding Shares of our Company. See Item 7, Major Shareholders and Related-Party Transactions
below.
Employee Share Option Plans
2002 Option Plan
At the June 2002 Annual General Meeting, the shareholders of our Company approved the
GigaMedia Limited 2002 Employee Share Option Plan (the 2002 Plan) under which up to 3,000,000
common shares of our Company were reserved for issuance. All employees, officers, directors,
advisors and consultants of our Company are eligible to participate in the 2002 Plan. The 2002 Plan
is administered by a committee designated by the board of directors. The committee as plan
administrator has complete discretion to determine the exercise price for the option grants, to
determine which eligible individuals are to receive option grants, the time or times when options
grants are to be made, the number of shares subject to grant and vesting schedule.
In August 2004, options to purchase 3,000,000 shares of our Companys common stock were
granted and vested at an exercise price of US$0.79 pursuant to the 2002 Plan. The maximum
contractual term under the 2002 Plan is approximately 10 years. Termination of employment will not
affect rights of exercise under vested options.
2004 Option Plan
At the June 2004 Annual General Meeting, the shareholders of our Company approved the
GigaMedia Limited 2004 Employee Share Option Plan (the 2004 Plan) under which up to 7,000,000
common shares of our Company were reserved for issuance.
73
All employees, officers, directors, advisors and consultants of our Company are eligible to
participate in the 2004 Plan. The 2004 Plan is administered by a committee designated by the board
of directors. The committee as plan administrator has complete discretion to determine the exercise
price for the option grants, to determine which eligible individuals are to receive option grants,
the time or times when options grants are to be made, and the number of shares subject to grant vesting
schedule.
In August 2004, options to purchase 5,462,530 shares of our Companys common stock were
granted at an exercise price of US$0.79 pursuant to the 2004 Plan. These options were subject to
two vesting schedules. In accordance with the terms of the first vesting schedule, 3,863,888
options were vested and exercisable upon granting. In accordance with the terms of the second
vesting schedule, 1,598,642 options were granted, of which 399,663 options were vested and
exercisable upon granting. The remaining 1,198,979 options will be vested at a rate of 399,661
options per year from the grant date.
In May 2005, options to purchase 100,000 shares of our Companys common stock were granted at
an exercise price of US$1.45 pursuant to the 2004 Plan. In accordance with the terms of the vesting
schedule, 25,000 options were vested and exercisable upon granting. The remaining 75,000 options
will be vested at the rate of 25,000 options per year from the grant date.
In December 2005, options to purchase 1,805,655 shares of our Companys common stock were
granted at an exercise price of US$2.55. These options were subject to two vesting schedules. In
accordance with the terms of the first vesting schedule, 1,570,655 options were vested and
exercisable upon granting. In accordance with the terms of the second vesting schedule, 94,000
options will vest and be exercisable in December 2007. The remaining 141,000 options will vest and
be exercisable in December 2008.
The maximum contractual term under the 2004 Plan is 10 years. Termination of employment will
not affect exercise rights under vested options. Unvested options will be forfeited upon
termination of employment.
2006 Equity Incentive Plan
At the June 2006 Annual General Meeting, the shareholders of our Company approved the
GigaMedia Limited 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2006 Plan) under which up to one million common
shares of our Company have been reserved for issuance. The 2006 Plan is administered by a committee
designated by the board of directors. The committee as plan administrator has complete discretion
to determine the grant of awards under the 2006 Plan.
In December 2006, we granted 115,000 restricted stock units (RSUs) to our employees. These
RSUs were subject to two schedules for the lapsing of restrictions on transfer. 25,000 RSUs are
subject to the terms of the first lapsing schedule, under which the restrictions on transfer shall
lapse with respect to the first 33 percent of the RSUs upon granting with the remaining 67 percent
of the RSUs vesting over a two-year period so long as the employee is employed by or providing
services to our Company. 90,000 RSUs are subject to the terms of the second lapsing schedule, under
which the restrictions on transfer shall lapse with respect to approximately 33 percent of the RSUs
annually over a three-year period, beginning April 1, 2007 so long as the employee is employed by
or providing services to our Company.
In March 2007, we granted 49,000 RSUs to employees of our Company. In accordance with the
terms of the lapsing schedule, the restrictions on transfer shall lapse with respect to
approximately 14.29 percent of the RSUs quarterly from June 2007 to December 2008 so long as the
employee is employed by or providing services to our Company.
In August 2007, we granted 30,000 RSUs to directors of the Company. In accordance with the
terms of the lapsing schedule, the restrictions on transfer shall lapse with respect to 25 percent
of the RSUs quarterly from November 2007 to August 2008 so long as the directors are providing
services to our Company. In August 2007, we also granted 126,443 RSUs to employees of our Company.
These RSUs were subject to two schedules for the lapsing of restrictions on transfer. 6,443 RSUs
are subject to the terms of the first lapsing schedule, under which the restrictions on transfer
shall lapse with respect to approximately 33 percent of the RSUs annually over a three-year period,
beginning January 1, 2008 so long as the employee is employed by or providing services to our
Company. 120,000 RSUs are subject to the terms of the second lapsing schedule, under which the
restrictions on transfer shall lapse with respect to 6.25 percent of the RSUs quarterly from
November 2007 to August 2011 so long as the employee is employed by or providing services to our
Company. Also in August 2007, options to purchase 580,000 shares of our Companys common stock were
granted at an exercise price of US$10.15. In accordance with the terms of the vesting schedule,
6.25 percent of the options are vested quarterly from November 2007 to August 2011.
74
In October 2007, options to purchase 50,000 shares of our Companys common stock were granted
at an exercise price of US$16.60. In accordance with the terms of the vesting schedule, 6.25
percent of the options are vested quarterly from January 2008 to October 2011.
The maximum contractual term under the 2006 Plan is 10 years. Termination of employment will
not affect the rights to exercise vested options. Unvested options will be forfeited upon
termination of employment. In the event that the employees employment with or service to our
Company is terminated prior to the lapsing of restrictions with respect to any portion of the RSUs,
such portion of the RSUs shall become forfeited.
2007 Equity Incentive Plan
At the June 2007 Annual General Meeting, the shareholders of our Company approved the
GigaMedia Limited 2007 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2007 Plan) under which up to two million common
shares of our Company have been reserved for issuance. The 2007 Plan is administered by a committee
designated by the board of directors. The committee as plan administrator has complete discretion
to determine the grant of awards under the 2007 Plan.
In August 2007, options to purchase 465,000 shares of our Companys common stock were granted
at an exercise price of US$10.15. These options were subject to two vesting schedules. In
accordance with the terms of the first vesting schedule, 6.25 percent of the 400,000 options are
vested quarterly from November 2007 to August 2011. In accordance with the terms of the second
vesting schedule, 25 percent of the 65,000 options are vested annually from August 2008 to August
2011.
In December 2007, options to purchase 50,000 shares of our Companys common stock were granted
at an exercise price of US$18.17. In accordance with the terms of the vesting schedule, 6.25
percent of the options are vested quarterly from March 2008 to December 2011.
The maximum contractual term under the 2007 Plan is 10 years. Termination of employment will
not affect the rights to exercise vested options. Unvested options will be forfeited upon
termination of employment.
All options and RSUs are expected to be settled by issuing new shares.
Options
No options were exercised before 2005. In 2006 and 2007, 1,151,514 and 1,910,996 options were
exercised, and cash received from the exercise of stock options was US$1.3 million and US$2.7
million, respectively, which resulted in no significant tax benefit realized on a consolidated
basis.
The impact resulting from our adoption of FAS 123(R) on income before income taxes and net
income on our 2006 consolidated financial statement was US$(310) thousand, and US$(250) thousand,
respectively. The impact on basic and diluted earnings per share was not material.
There were no stock-based compensation expenses recorded in 2005, as all options were granted
to employees at prices in excess of the common stock market price at the date of grant.
Employee Share Purchase Plan
At the June 2004 Annual General Meeting, the shareholders of our Company approved the
GigaMedia Limited 2004 Employee Share Purchase Plan (the 2004 ESPP) under which up to 2,000,000
common shares of our Company were reserved for issuance. Pursuant to the 2004 ESPP, our Company
offered its Shares to qualified employees on favorable terms and established a restricted period of
six months during which employees may not transfer the shares after purchasing them. To be
eligible, employees must be employed by our Company or its subsidiaries and the customary
employment shall be hired to work not less than 20 hours per week. Employees are also subject to
certain restrictions on the amount that may be invested to purchase the shares and to other terms
and
75
conditions of the 2004 ESPP. The 2004 ESPP is a one-time plan and is administered by a
committee designated by the board of directors. In March 2005, there were 189,642 shares subscribed
by eligible employees at a purchase price of approximately US$1.39 per share.
ITEM 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
A. Major Shareholders
The following table sets forth information known to us with respect to the ownership of our
shares as of March 31, 2008 by (1) each shareholder known by us to own more than 5 percent of our
shares and (2) all directors and executive officers as a group.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage of |
Name of Owner |
|
Shares Owned |
|
Shares Owned |
Best Method Limited (1) |
|
|
10,799,999 |
|
|
|
20.01 |
% |
Criterion Capital Management, LLC |
|
|
8,319,357 |
|
|
|
15.4 |
% |
Directors and executive officers as a group (15 persons) |
|
|
268,495 |
|
|
|
0.5 |
% |
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Through Best Method Limited, Jeffrey Koo, Jr. and Andre Koo jointly have a beneficial
ownership of 10,799,999 common shares of our Company. |
As of March 31, 2008 we had 53,977,010 ordinary shares outstanding, of which 34,589,159
shares representing approximately 64 percent of our total outstanding shares were not held by our
major shareholders and directors or executive officers as disclosed
above and in Item 6, Directors,
Senior Management and Employees E. Share Ownership. As of March 31, 2008, 42,509,777 shares
were held by 30 record holders, including nominee holders, with the registered address in the
United States.
None of our major shareholders have voting rights different from those of our other
shareholders.
B. Related-Party Transactions
In the course of operating our business, we provide Internet access and services to, or source
services from, our Companys business partners. These partners include companies in which we hold
an interest and companies with which members of our board, senior managers of our Company, and our
major shareholders or beneficial owners are associated. Business with such companies was not
material from the viewpoint of our Company.
Except for the following transactions, we were not a party to any transaction with any related
party that did not arise in the ordinary course of business or that was material to us.
As of December 31, 2007 and May 31, 2008, JC Entertainment Corporation (JC) owned 10.5 and
10.7 percent of the total outstanding voting rights of T2CN, respectively. During 2007, after our
consolidation of T2CN, T2CN paid certain licensing and royalty fees, totaling approximately US$3.0
million, and US$1.4 million, respectively, to JC. As of December 31, 2007, we had royalties payable
to JC of approximately US$593 thousand and prepaid licensing fees of approximately US$3.8 million.
Based on the game licensing agreements signed with JC, T2CN also committed to pay certain licensing
fees and a minimum guarantee for royalty payments in the following years totaling approximately
US$4.2 million and US$9 million, respectively. During January to May 2008, T2CN paid additional
royalty fee, totaling approximately US$1.4 million and had a royalty payable to JC of approximately
US$687 thousand as of May 31, 2008.
The key management of Fubon Financial Holdings Limited, which owned 100 percent of Taipei
Fubon Commercial Bank, included one of our directors. As of December 31, 2007, we had short-term
borrowings in the amount of US$6.2 million, bearing interest of 3.902 percent, due to Taipei Fubon
Commercial Bank, and we pledged time deposits as collateral for borrowings from Taipei Fubon
Commercial Bank of approximately US$2.5 million. As of May 31, 2008, we repaid all of our
borrowings from Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank.
C. |
|
Interests of Experts and Counsel |
Not applicable.
76
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information
Financial Statements
Please refer to Item 18, Financial Statements.
Information on Legal or Arbitration Proceedings
Class Action
In December 2001, a class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern
District of New York against our Company in connection with our
initial public offering of Shares.
The complaint alleged that our Company violated Section 11 and Section 15 of the Securities
Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated
thereunder. In October 2002, the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their claims against the
individual defendants without prejudice. On February 19, 2003, the court issued an opinion and
order on the defendants motion to dismiss, which granted the motions in part and denied the
motions in part. As to our Company, the Rule 10b-5 claims were dismissed without prejudice while
the Section 11 claims survived the motion.
In June 2004, the plaintiffs and issuer defendants, including our Company, presented the
executed settlement agreement to the presiding judge during a court conference. Subsequently, the
plaintiffs and issuer defendants made a motion for preliminary approval of the settlement
agreement. The key terms of the settlement agreement include: 1) the insurers of the issuers will
provide an undertaking that guarantees that plaintiffs will recover a total of US$1 billion; 2) the
insurers will pay up to US$15 million for the notice costs arising from the settlement; 3) the
issuers shall assign their interest in certain claims against the underwriters to a litigation
trust, represented by plaintiffs counsel; and 4) the plaintiffs shall release all of the settling
issuer defendants. If plaintiffs are successful in recovering more than US$1 billion from the
underwriters, the issuer defendants will not be obligated to pay any additional amounts. If the
plaintiffs recover less than US$1 billion from the underwriters, the insurers will pay the deficit
between US$1 billion and the amount received from the underwriters.
On February 15, 2005, the judge issued an opinion and order granting preliminary approval to
the settlement agreement, subject to a narrowing of the proposed bar order as to only contribution
claims. In July 2005, the settling parties reached agreement and submitted modifications to the
settlement agreement in accordance with the courts opinion.
The underwriter defendants are not part of the settlement between the issuers and the
plaintiffs. The underwriter defendants have continued to defend the action and discovery has
proceeded. In April 2006, plaintiffs and JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the underwriter defendants,
announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (the JPMorgan Chase MOU) to settle the
action for approximately US$425 million. This proposed settlement does not include the other
underwriter defendants.
On April 24, 2006, the court held a fairness hearing on the proposed Issuers Settlement,
which was subject to the courts approval. As of this date, the court has not issued its ruling. On
June 23, 2006 and October 12, 2006, the court held meetings with all legal counsel involved in the
case to discuss the proposed settlement. Subsequent to these meetings, the parties submitted an
amendment to the Issuers Settlement, which included the following terms: (1) waiving insurers
rights under the settlement agreement to recoup notice and defense cost, which is likely to exceed
US$60 million; and (2) waiving 50 percent of the amount of the JPMorgan Chase MOU (US$425 million)
which would operate as an offset to the US$1 billion guarantee. These changes were designed to
address potential problems that the judge may have had with the proposed settlement.
On December 5, 2006, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued an
opinion vacating the District Courts class certification of a litigation class in that portion of
the case between the plaintiffs and the underwriter defendants. Because the Second Circuits
opinion was directed to the class certification by the District Court for the plaintiffs
litigation against the underwriter defendants, the opinions effect on the proposed class to be
certified by the District Court in connection with the Issuers Settlement is unclear.
77
On December 15, 2006, the District Court held a conference with all counsel in the IPO
Securities Class Action to discuss the impact of the foregoing opinion. In the conference, the
District Court agreed to stay all proceedings, including discovery and consideration of the
Issuers Settlement and the JPMorgan Chase MOU, pending further decisions from the Second Circuit.
On January 5, 2007, plaintiffs filed a petition in the Second Circuit for rehearing and
rehearing en banc regarding the decision on class certification (the Petition). On January 24,
2007, the Second Circuit entered an order instructing the underwriter defendants to submit a brief
in response to the Petition. On April 6, 2007, the Second Circuit rendered its decision which
denied the Petition.
In April, May, and June 2007, the District Court held several conferences to discuss the
issues regarding class certification, statute of limitations, Issuers Settlement and discovery. In
June 2007, a stipulation terminating the Issuers Settlement was submitted to, and approved by, the
District Court.
In September 2007, discovery moved forward in the six focus cases, which do not include the
Company. Plaintiffs filed amended complaints against the focus case issuer and underwriter
defendants and moved for class certification in those actions. In November 2007, the underwriters
and issuers filed motions to dismiss the amended complaints in the focus cases. In December 2007,
plaintiffs filed their opposition to defendants motions to dismiss. In January 2008, defendants
filed their reply briefs in further support of the motions to dismiss.
On or about March 26, 2008, the District Court granted in part and denied in part the motion
to dismiss the focus cases. The motion to dismiss was granted only as to claims brought under
Section 11 of the Securities Act by plaintiffs who sold their securities for a price in excess of
the initial offering price and by those plaintiffs who purchased outside the previously certified
class period.
On April 9, 2008, the underwriters filed a motion for reconsideration of the holding in the
March 26, 2008 Opinion that the Section 11 claims against focus case issuer Sycamore Networks, Inc.
was not time barred, on the basis that no Section 11 class in that case was certified in 2004. The
issuers joined in that motion on behalf of Sycamore Networks, Inc. by letter to the District Court
on April 10, 2008.
In December 2007, the issuers filed their oppositions to class certification in the focus
cases. In March 2008, plaintiffs filed their reply brief in further support of class certification.
The underwriters and issuers submitted sur-replies in further opposition to class certification on
April 22, 2008, addressing issues related to the deposition of plaintiffs expert, Daniel Fischel.
Discovery in the focus cases is still continuing, and the focus case issuer defendants will
answer the amended complaints by the end of August 2008.
Neither we, nor our legal counsel, are able to assess the likelihood of the outcome, nor can
we determine the amount or range of potential loss, if any. We had an insurance policy with
American Insurance Group with US$10 million of liability coverage when the class action lawsuit was
made. According to the insurance policy, our Company is required to pay a US$500,000 deductible. We
recorded a provision of US$500,000 in 2003, representing our deductible amount, related to these
claims. In 2005, our legal counsel advised that it is unlikely that we will have to pay any
remaining, unused portion of our deductible with respect to the claims. Accordingly, we reversed
the provision of US$500,000 in 2005. We believe that the insurance coverage is sufficient to cover
the liability arising from the settlement and claim.
Patent Litigation
In July 2006, Hoshin GigaMedia obtained a patent in Taiwan (Patent No. I258284), which
entitles us to use the method of Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet to distribute fixed
internet protocol addresses to our ADSL users (the PPPoE Patent).
Two major Taiwanese Internet access service providers, Taiwan Fixed Network Co., Ltd. (TFN)
and Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. (CHT), are using the PPPoE method to distribute fixed Internet
protocol addresses to their ADSL users, which we believe infringes our PPPoE Patent. In April and
May 2008, we filed lawsuits in Taipei District Court against TFN and CHT for infringement of our
PPPoE Patent and claimed damages amounting to approximately US$1.54 million and US$15.42 million,
respectively.
78
As of May 31, 2008, we have not received notice from Taipei District Court with regard to the
date of the first court hearing, nor have we received any response from the defendants. Because the
suit is at an early stage, we are not able to assess the likelihood of success or provide a
timeline for these claims.
Dividend Policy
We have neither declared nor paid any dividends on our Shares. We anticipate that we will
continue to retain any earnings for use in the operation of our business, and we do not intend to
pay dividends in the foreseeable future.
B. Significant Changes
Except as disclosed in this annual report, no significant change has occurred since the date
of our consolidated financial statements.
ITEM 9. THE OFFER AND LISTING
A. Offer and listing details
The following table shows, for the periods indicated, the high and low closing prices for our
Shares as quoted on the NASDAQ Global Market.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Shares |
Year Ending December 31 |
|
High |
|
Low |
|
|
(in US$) |
2003 |
|
$ |
3.35 |
|
|
$ |
0.66 |
|
2004 |
|
$ |
2.43 |
|
|
$ |
0.70 |
|
2005 |
|
$ |
2.99 |
|
|
$ |
1.30 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Shares |
Year Ending December 31, 2006 |
|
High |
|
Low |
|
|
(in US$) |
First quarter |
|
$ |
6.01 |
|
|
$ |
2.90 |
|
Second quarter |
|
$ |
10.39 |
|
|
$ |
6.13 |
|
Third quarter |
|
$ |
12.38 |
|
|
$ |
7.30 |
|
Fourth quarter |
|
$ |
11.06 |
|
|
$ |
8.86 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Shares |
Year Ending December 31, 2007 |
|
High |
|
Low |
|
|
(in US$) |
First quarter |
|
$ |
14.34 |
|
|
$ |
9.28 |
|
Second quarter |
|
$ |
15.97 |
|
|
$ |
12.96 |
|
Third quarter |
|
$ |
16.76 |
|
|
$ |
9.45 |
|
Fourth quarter |
|
$ |
24.61 |
|
|
$ |
16.43 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Shares |
Year Ending December 31, 2008 |
|
High |
|
Low |
|
|
(in US$) |
January |
|
$ |
19.01 |
|
|
$ |
14.87 |
|
February |
|
$ |
20.70 |
|
|
$ |
18.21 |
|
March |
|
$ |
19.32 |
|
|
$ |
14.24 |
|
April |
|
$ |
16.62 |
|
|
$ |
14.82 |
|
May |
|
$ |
19.26 |
|
|
$ |
15.85 |
|
June (only through June 16, 2008) |
|
$ |
17.31 |
|
|
$ |
14.78 |
|
79
B. Plan of Distribution
Not applicable.
C. Markets
Our Shares have been listed and traded on the NASDAQ Global Market since February 18, 2000.
Under Rule 4350(l) of the NASDAQ rules, all securities listed on NASDAQ must be eligible for a
direct registration program operated by a registered clearing agency. We are required to comply
with the requirements of this rule by January 1, 2008. In order to fulfill the direct registration
program eligibility requirements, we are required to, among other provisions; amend our
constitutional documents to allow for the issue of non-certificated securities.
We are incorporated in the Republic of Singapore and are subject to the Singapore Companies
Act (Cap.50). We are advised by our Singapore counsel that under the Singapore Companies Act,
Singapore-incorporated companies are required to issue physical share certificates to its
registered shareholders, and there are no exceptions to or exemptions from this requirement that
would enable us to amend our constitutional documents to allow for the issue of non-certificated
securities. Therefore, we will not be able to comply with the provisions of Rule 4350(l).
Under Rule 4350(a)(1), as a foreign private issuer, we are allowed to follow our home country
practice in lieu of the requirements set out in the rule, subject to certain exceptions. We will be
relying on this rule for an exemption from the requirements of Rule 4350(l). We have informed the
NASDAQ Global Market about our election to comply with the laws of Singapore in lieu of the direct
registration system provisions of Rule 4350(l).
D. Selling Shareholders
Not applicable.
E. Dilution
Not applicable.
F. Expenses of the issue
Not applicable.
ITEM 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A. Share Capital
Not applicable.
B. Memorandum and Articles of Association
Our current Memorandum and Articles of Association were first adopted on our date of
incorporation, being September 13, 1999, and have been amended since that date.
The principal purpose of our Company is that of investment holding. Our Companys objects and
purposes are set out in full in Clause 3 of our Memorandum of Association. Subject to the
provisions of the Singapore Companies Act (Chapter 50) (the Singapore Companies Act) and any
other written law in Singapore and our Memorandum and Articles of Association, we have full
capacity to
80
carry on or undertake any business or activity, do any act or enter into any
transaction and for such purposes, full rights, powers and privileges.
The following is a summary of certain provisions of our Articles of Association.
DIRECTORS
Each of our directors will remain in his office as a director unless and until:
|
|
|
He is prohibited from acting as a director by reason of any order made pursuant to
the Singapore Companies Act; |
|
|
|
|
He ceases to be a director by virtue of any of the provisions of the Singapore
Companies Act or the Articles of Association of our Company; |
|
|
|
|
He resigns from his office; |
|
|
|
|
He receives a bankruptcy order made against him; |
|
|
|
|
He has a receiving order made against him or suspends payment or compounds with this
creditors generally; |
|
|
|
|
He is found to be a lunatic or of unsound mind; or |
|
|
|
|
He is removed by an ordinary resolution passed by our shareholders in accordance
with the provisions of the Singapore Companies Act. |
A director of our Company who is directly or indirectly interested in a transaction, contract
or arrangement with our Company shall, as soon as practicable after the relevant facts have come to
his knowledge, disclose the nature of his interest at a meeting of the board of directors. Subject
to such disclosure, a director shall be entitled to vote in respect of any contract or arrangement
in which he is interested and he shall be taken into account in ascertaining whether a quorum is
present.
Our directors may borrow or raise money from time to time for the purpose of our Company or
secure the payment of such sums as they think fit and may secure the repayment or payment of such
sums by mortgage or charge upon all or any of our property or assets or by the issue of debentures
or otherwise as they may think fit, provided that the directors shall not carry into effect any
proposals for disposing of the whole or substantially whole of our Companys undertaking or
property unless those proposals have been approved by our Company in general meeting.
Subject to the Singapore Companies Act, the remuneration of the directors shall be determined
from time to time by our Company in general meeting. Any director who is appointed to any
executive office or serves on any committee or who otherwise performs or renders services, which in
the opinion of the directors are outside his ordinary duties as a director, may, subject to the
Singapore Companies Act, be paid such extra remuneration as the directors may determine.
Our directors are not required to hold any of Shares by way of qualification. A director who
is not a shareholder of us is nevertheless entitled to attend and speak at shareholders meetings.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Our audit committee and our board of directors have the ultimate authority and responsibility
to select and evaluate, on our behalf, the independent registered public accounting firm who audits
our annual financial statements, subject to the appointment, replacement or removal from office of
our independent registered public accounting firm being approved by our shareholders at our
81
Annual
General Meeting. Our audit committee will review and approve the planned scope of our annual
audit. In accordance with our Articles of Association, all of the members of our audit committee
must be persons who qualify as independent directors for purposes of the rules and regulations of
the NASDAQ Global Market.
The audit committee currently consists of Messrs. Gilbert Bao, Michael Y. J. Ding and Yichin
Lee. We are in compliance with the requirements of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the
rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, and the NASDAQ Global Markets
requirements relating to audit committees.
DIVIDENDS
Our Company may by an ordinary resolution declare dividend, but no dividend shall be payable
except out of the profits of our Company or in excess of the amount recommended by the directors.
Our profits available for dividend and determined to be distributed shall be applied to pay
dividends to shareholders according to their respective rights and priorities. Except for Shares
with special rights as to dividends, all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the
amounts paid up on Shares.
All dividends unclaimed after having been declared may be invested or otherwise made use of by
our board of directors for the benefit of our Company. If any dividend has not been claimed for
six years from the date of declaration, such dividend may be forfeited and shall revert to our
Company. However, the directors may at any time thereafter at their absolute discretion annul any
such forfeiture and pay the dividend so forfeited to the person entitled thereto prior to the
forfeiture. No dividend shall bear interest against our Company.
LIQUIDATION DISTRIBUTION
In the case of a winding up of our Company and in accordance with applicable laws, our
shareholders may pass a special resolution to authorize a liquidator to divide and distribute our
assets to our shareholders, or authorize the liquidator to vest the whole or part of our assets in
trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of our shareholders but so that no shareholder will be
compelled to accept Shares or other securities on which there is any liability.
SHAREHOLDERS MEETINGS
We are required to hold an annual general meeting once in every calendar year and not more
than 15 months after the preceding annual general meeting. The directors may convene an
extraordinary general meeting whenever they think fit, and they must do so upon the request in
writing of shareholders representing not less than 10 percent of the voting rights of our Company.
In addition, two or more shareholders holding not less than 10 percent of the total number of
issued Shares (excluding treasury shares) may call a meeting of our shareholders. Unless otherwise
required by law or by our Articles of Association, voting at general meetings is by ordinary
resolution, requiring an affirmative vote of a simple majority of those present and voting. An
ordinary resolution suffices, for example, in respect of appointments of directors. A special
resolution, requiring an affirmative vote of at least 75 percent of those present and voting, is
necessary for certain matters under the Singapore Companies Act, such as an alteration of our
Articles of Association. Subject to the Singapore Companies Act, at least 21 days advance written
notice specifying the intention to propose a special resolution must be given of every general
meeting convened for the purpose of passing a special resolution. Subject to the Singapore
Companies Act, at least 14 days advance written notice must be given of every general meeting
convened for the purpose of passing an ordinary resolution.
VOTING RIGHTS
Voting at any meeting of our shareholders is by a poll. On a poll every shareholder who is
present in person or by proxy has one vote for every Share held by him.
SHARE CAPITAL
We generally have the right by obtaining a general mandate at the annual general meeting to
repurchase not more than 10 percent of our own Shares in issue.
82
Our board of directors may make a capital call on our shareholders with respect to the amounts
unpaid on their Shares and the shareholders are required to pay the amount called at the time(s)
and place(s) as appointed by the board of directors. The board of directors may revoke a call or
postpone the time previously fixed for the call payment.
We may by ordinary resolution:
|
(i) |
|
consolidate and divide all of Shares; |
|
|
(ii) |
|
subject to the Singapore Companies Act, sub-divide some or all of Shares,
provided always that in such sub-division, the proportion between the amount paid and
the amount (if any) unpaid on each reduced Share shall be the same as it was in the
case of the Share from which the reduced Share is derived; and |
|
|
(iii) |
|
subject to the Singapore Companies Act and our Articles of Association,
convert any class of Shares into any other class of Shares. |
We may also by special resolution reduce our share capital or any undistributable reserve in
any manner as authorized by law.
We are not required to provide any sinking fund pursuant to our Articles of Association.
There was no provision discriminating against any existing or prospective holder of shares as a
result of such shareholder owning a substantial number of Shares.
There is no limitation on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or
exercise voting rights on the Shares.
MODIFICATION OF RIGHTS
We may vary or abrogate any special rights attached to any class of Shares by a special
resolution passed at a separate meeting of holders of the Shares of that class or, where the
necessary majority for such special resolution is not obtained at the meeting, with the consent in
writing of the holders of three-fourths of the issued Shares of that class within two months of
such meeting.
TRANSFER OF SHARES
Subject to our Articles of Association, Shares are freely transferable but our directors may,
in their absolute discretion, decline to register any transfer of Shares on which we have a lien.
All of our outstanding Shares have been fully paid. In addition, our directors may refuse, at
their discretion, to register or transfer Shares to a transferee of whom they do not approve.
Shares may be transferred by a duly signed instrument of transfer in the usual common form or in a
form approved by our directors. Our directors may decline to register any transfer of Shares
evidenced in certificated form unless, among other things, it has been duly stamped and is
presented for registration together with the certificate of payment of stamp duty (if any), the
Share certificates to which the transfer relates and other evidence of title as they may require.
We will replace worn-out or defaced Share certificates upon production thereof to the directors and
upon payment of such fee as specified in our Articles of Association. We will replace lost,
destroyed or stolen Share certificates upon, among other things, the applicant furnishing evidence
and such indemnity as the directors may require.
TAKEOVERS
The acquisition of shares or general shares of public companies is regulated by the Singapore
Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289) and the Singapore Code on Take-overs and Mergers. Any
person, either on his own or together with persons acting in concert with him, acquiring an
interest in 30 percent or more of our voting Shares is obliged to extend a takeover offer for the
remaining Shares which carry voting rights, in accordance with the provisions of the Singapore Code
on Take-overs and Mergers. Unless the contrary is established, persons acting in concert are
presumed to include a company and its related and associated companies and a person who has
provided financial assistance (other than a bank in the ordinary course of business) to such
company or any of its related and associated companies for the purchase of voting rights, a company
and its directors, including their close relatives and related trusts, a company and its pension
funds and employee share schemes, a person and any investment company, unit trust or other fund
whose investment such person manages on a discretionary basis and a financial advisor and its
client in respect of shares held by the financial advisor and all the funds managed by the
financial advisor on a discretionary basis where the shareholdings of the financial advisor and
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any
of those funds in the client total 10 percent or more of the clients equity share capital. The
offer must be in cash or be accompanied by a cash alternative at not less than the highest price,
excluding stamp duty and dealing costs, paid by the offeror or persons acting in concert with him
for shares of that class within the preceding six months. A mandatory takeover offer is also
required to be made if a person holding between 30 percent and 50 percent, both inclusive, of the
voting shares, or any person acting in concert with him, acquires additional shares representing
more than 1 percent of the voting shares in any six-month period.
AMENDMENTS TO THE ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
It should be noted that the Singapore Companies Act has been amended with effect from January
30, 2006 resulting in significant changes to the company law regime. These amendments include the
abolition of the concepts of par value and authorized capital and allowing repurchased shares to be
held as treasury shares. With the abolition of the concept of par value pursuant to the Companies
(Amendment) Act of 2005, shares of a company no longer have any par or nominal value. The concepts
of share premium and the issue of shares at a discount have also been abolished. Our Articles of
Association were amended at the annual general meeting of our Company on June 29, 2006 to take into
account changes to the Singapore Companies Act arising from the Companies (Amendment) Act of 2005.
C. Material Contracts
The following are summaries of our material contracts entered into over the past two years.
However, these summaries may not contain all the information important to you. For more complete
information, you should read the entire agreements, which have been included as exhibits to this
annual report or incorporated into this annual report by reference from our annual report on Form
20-F/A filed with the Commission on December 8, 2006.
End-User License Agreement, dated April 1, 2004, between IMLL and UIM, as amended by the Second
Amendment to the End-User License Agreement, dated March 1, 2006 and the Third Amendment to the
End-User License Agreement, dated March 1, 2007.
On
April 1, 2004, IMLL entered into an end-user license agreement with UIM pursuant to which
IMLL granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable, worldwide license to UIM to use our software and
certain operational and support services for a licensing fee based on a revenues sharing
arrangement between us and UIM. The agreement is for a term of ten years.
In March 2007, we amended the terms of the end-user license agreement between ourselves and
UIM. Pursuant to the terms of the amended agreement, UIM will pay us royalties based on revenues
earned at the rate of 42 percent of gross revenues derived from our games of chance software and
17.5 percent of gross revenues derived from our multi-player game software.
Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated June 23, 2005, between Hoshin GigaMedia and Webs-TV
On June 23, 2005, we entered into an agreement with Webs-TV to assign our Internet content
business for a consideration of an amount in NT dollars equivalent to approximately US$0.7 million
and, for a period of ten years commencing from January 1, 2006, a portion of the net revenues
generated from the gigigaga.com.tw Web site will be transferred. Pursuant to the agreement, we have
transferred to Webs-TV all properties relating to the operation of
our gigigaga.com.tw Web site,
including fixed assets, the gigigaga logo, and our content and data.
Series A Preferred Share Purchase Agreement, dated April 27, 2006, between GigaMedia China
Limited and T2CN and certain shareholders of T2CN
On April 27, 2006, our wholly-owned subsidiary, GigaMedia China Limited (GigaMedia China),
entered into a share purchase agreement with T2CN, an online casual sports games operator in the
PRC, pursuant to which GigaMedia China made an initial investment of US$15 million to acquire 7.5
million shares of convertible preferred stock. The convertible preferred shares have an initial
liquidation preference, are entitled to receive cumulative dividends at 8 percent per annum, and
are redeemable starting December 31, 2009. The preferred shares are convertible into common shares
of T2CN on a 1:1 basis, subject to certain adjustments.
Strategic Partnership Agreement, dated April 27, 2006, between T2CN and GigaMedia China
On April 27, 2006, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, GigaMedia China, we entered into a
strategic partnership agreement with T2CN. Pursuant to this strategic partnership agreement,
GigaMedia and T2CN will together offer FunTowns existing games to the
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T2CN user base. GigaMedia
will become T2CNs exclusive provider for FunTowns existing games and preferred provider for games
newly developed by GigaMedia.
Shareholders Agreement, dated April 27, 2006, between GigaMedia China, T2CN and certain
shareholders of T2CN, as amended and restated by the Amended and Restated Shareholders
Agreement dated November 25, 2006
In connection with our strategic partnership with T2CN and subscription for preferential
shares in T2CN, in April 2006 we entered into a shareholders agreement with T2CN and certain
shareholders of TC2N to regulate our relationship with the ordinary shareholders of T2CN, which was
subsequently amended and restated in November 2006. Pursuant to these agreements, we obtained the
right to elect one member to the board of directors of T2CN, along with customary preferred share
rights and protections, and acquired certain veto rights over the management of T2CN. We were also
granted rights to subscribe for additional convertible preferred shares of T2CN based on the
financial performance of T2CN in each of the twelve-month periods ended March 31, 2007 and December
31, 2007. In addition, we provided shareholders of T2CN with an aggregate of approximately 52.92
percent of the issued share capital of T2CN with an option to sell their shares to us within two
years from May 8, 2006 at a price equivalent to 8.65 times the net operating income of T2CN per
share, subject to certain adjustments.
Service Agreement, dated May 15, 2006, between Hoshin GigaMedia and Webs-TV
In connection with the sale of our ADSL business, we agreed on May 15, 2006 to provide Webs-TV
with the following support and administrative services that are necessary for the ADSL business on
a transitional basis: bandwidth, consulting and other support services through December 31, 2007.
For these services, Webs-TV shall pay us a fee of approximately US$8.3 million, which is payable
from May 15, 2006 through February 28, 2008. The term of this agreement is from May 15, 2006 to
December 31, 2007.
Subscription Agreement, dated December 7, 2006, between GigaMedia Asia Pacific Limited and
Infocomm Asia
On December 7, 2006, we entered into a subscription agreement with Infocomm Asia, an online
game operator based in Singapore, through our wholly-owned subsidiary GigaMedia Asia Pacific
Limited (GigaMedia Asia Pacific). Pursuant to this agreement, we made an investment of
US$10 million to subscribe for 500,000 voting convertible preferred shares on an as-convertible
basis, representing approximately 32.26 percent of the total issued and outstanding common shares
of Infocomm Asia, making us the largest shareholder of Infocomm Asia.
Termination Agreement, dated December 12, 2006, between Hoshin GigaMedia, KBT, Wretch and
certain shareholders of Wretch
On December 12, 2006, we entered into an agreement with Wretch and certain of its shareholders
to terminate the subscription rights agreement dated March 10, 2006 entered into between Hoshin
GigaMedia, Wretch and its shareholders. Pursuant to this agreement, Wretch agreed to make a
one-time termination payment of NT$1.5 million (or US$46 thousand) to us, an indemnification fee
comprised of a fixed fee of NT$20 million (or US$0.6 million) (including VAT tax) and a variable
fee, which amount was to be determined based on the final acquisition price to be paid by a
third-party investor for the acquisition of all the issued share capital of Wretch as follows:
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if the final acquisition price exceeded US$24 million but was less than or equal to US$36
million, the additional payment would be equal to 18 percent of US$24 million; |
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if the final acquisition price exceeded US$36 million but was less than or
equal to US$48 million, the additional payment would be equal to the sum of US$2.16
million and 16 percent of US$ 36 million; and |
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if the final acquisition price exceeded US$48 million, the additional payment
would be equal to the sum of US$4.08 million and 14 percent of US$48 million. |
Pursuant to the agreement, we are also not obligated to provide Wretch with certain free
Internet services after December 31, 2006. In 2007, we received approximately US$0.6 million from
Wretch as a result of this agreement.
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License and Distribution Agreement, dated December 13, 2006, between Dragongate Enterprises and
HanbitSoft Inc.
In December 2006, Dragongate Enterprises, our 70:30 joint venture with Cyber Gateway Pte. Ltd.
(a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infocomm Asia), entered into an agreement with HanbitSoft Inc.
(HBS) pursuant to which HBS granted an exclusive sub-license to Dragongate Enterprises for the
operation, marketing, hosting and distribution of a multi-player online role playing game known as
Hellgate: London in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Under the agreement, Dragongate Enterprises is to
pay a non-refundable license fee of US$2.5 million, a non-refundable minimum guarantee against
royalties of US$6.5 million and certain royalties on a revenue-sharing basis as set out in the
agreement. We also committed to spend not less than US$10 million on related marketing, promotion
and advertising activities.
Share Purchase Agreements, between the Company and certain shareholders of T2CN, during 2007 and
2008
In 2007 and 2008, we entered into a series of share purchase agreements with certain
shareholders of T2CN. As of May 31, 2008, we owned 43,113,681 common shares of T2CN, which
represents a controlling interest of 65.68 percent of the total outstanding voting rights of T2CN.
The following summarizes our acquisitions of T2CN during 2007 and 2008.
In February 2007, we acquired 18,118,926 common shares of T2CN for US$19.3 million. The first
payment was paid on February 12, 2007, which consisted of approximately US$9.4 million (including
related costs) in cash and 173,814 Shares of common stock of GigaMedia, valued at US$2.1 million.
The remaining purchase price of US$7.8 million was paid in cash on August 15, 2007.
In May 2007, we acquired an additional 7,500,000 convertible preferred shares of T2CN for an
all-cash consideration of US$75 thousand, pursuant to our exercise of the rights stated in a
shareholder agreement which we entered into with T2CN and certain of its shareholders in April
2006, which was amended and restated in November 2006. We were granted rights to subscribe for
additional convertible preferred shares of T2CN based on the financial performance of T2CN during
each of the twelve-month periods ending March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2007.
In July 2007, we acquired 5,494,755 common shares of T2CN for US$3.7 million in cash and
52,571 Shares of common stock of GigaMedia, valued at US$656 thousand.
On May 26, 2008, we acquired 4,500,000 common shares of T2CN for all-cash consideration of
approximately US$3.4 million.
Shareholders Agreement, dated December 7, 2006, as amended on February 2, 2007, between
GigaMedia Asia Pacific, Bodhi China and India LLC, Etherfast Pte Ltd, Global Star International
Development Limited, Commerzbank Infocomm Segregated Portfolio, Infocomm Investments Pte Ltd,
Management Capital International Ltd and Infocomm Asia
On February 2, 2007, we entered into an agreement with Infocomm Asia and its shareholders to
regulate the affairs of Infocomm Asia. Pursuant to the agreement, we and other shareholders
holding Class B shares in Infocomm Asia are entitled to convert such shares into ordinary shares at
any time. Each Class B share is convertible into one ordinary share of Infocomm Asia, subject to
certain adjustment provisions as set out in the agreement. Alternatively, holders of Class B
shares are entitled to require Infocomm Asia to redeem their shares in cash upon the earlier of the
5th anniversary from January 12, 2007 or the redemption of any Class A shares. The redemption
price for any Class B share is stipulated to be 100 percent of the issue price, plus interest
accrued at the rate of 10 percent on the issue price per annum compounded annually, less any
declared and paid dividends thereon. In the event that the redemption is triggered by the
redemption of any Class A shares, holders of Class B shares are first entitled to the payment of a
premium equal to the sum of US$10 per Class B share to be redeemed and the compound interest
payable on the Class B shares as stipulated above, less any declared and paid dividends on such
Class B shares. The Class B shares may also be automatically converted into ordinary shares upon
the election of 75 percent of Class B shareholders, or the occurrence of a qualifying initial
public offering of Infocomm Asia as set out in the agreement.
T2CN AGREEMENTS WITH AFFILIATES
Due to restrictions in the PRC on foreign equity ownership of companies providing Internet
content services and certain other licensing restrictions, we operate our online games business in
the PRC through T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement, which hold the licenses required for the
operation of our online games business, and which are owned by PRC nationals. We have entered into
the following series of contractual arrangements which are intended to give us effective control
over these entities:
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Exclusive Technical Consulting Service Agreement, dated November 15, 2006 and amended April 1,
2007, between T2 Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of T2CN and T2 Entertainment
T2 Technology has entered into an exclusive technical consulting service agreement with T2
Entertainment pursuant to which T2 Technology provides technical consulting and related information
services for an initial term of eighteen years.
Exclusive Commercial Consulting Service Agreement, dated November 15, 2006 and amended April 1,
2007, between T2 Technology and T2 Entertainment
T2 Technology has entered into an exclusive commercial consulting service agreement with T2
Entertainment pursuant to which T2 Technology provides commercial consulting and related services
for an initial term of eighteen years.
Exclusive Call Option Agreements, dated February 9, 2007, between T2 Technology and shareholders
of T2 Entertainment
T2 Technology has entered into exclusive equity transfer call agreements with each of the
shareholders of T2 Entertainment, pursuant to which each of such shareholders has granted T2
Technology an irrevocable option to acquire all or part of the equity interests held by them in T2
Entertainment, to the extent permitted by then-effective laws and regulations in the PRC.
Equity Pledge Agreements, dated February 9, 2007, between T2 Technology and shareholders of T2
Entertainment
T2 Technology has entered into agreements whereby each of the shareholders of T2 Entertainment
have pledged all of their respective equity interests in T2 Entertainment as security for the full
performance of their respective obligations under all of their agreements with T2 Technology.
Proxy Agreements, dated February 9, 2007, between T2 Technology and shareholders of T2
Entertainment
T2 Technology has entered into shareholder voting rights and proxy agreements with each of the
shareholders of T2 Entertainment under which the shareholders have irrevocably granted T2
Technology the power to exercise all of their voting rights of T2 Entertainment.
Exclusive Commercial Consulting Service Agreement, dated November 15, 2006 and amended January
1, 2007, between T2 Technology and T2 Advertising
T2 Technology has entered into an exclusive commercial consulting service agreement with T2
Advertising pursuant to which T2 Technology provides commercial consulting and related services for
an initial term of eighteen years.
Exclusive Call Option Agreements, dated November 15, 2006, between T2 Technology and
shareholders of T2 Advertising
T2 Technology has entered into exclusive equity transfer call agreements with each of the
shareholders of T2 Advertising, pursuant to which each of such shareholders has granted T2
Technology an irrevocable option to acquire all or part of the equity interests held by them in T2
Advertising, to the extent permitted by then-effective laws and regulations in the PRC.
Equity Pledge Agreements, dated November 15, 2006, between T2 Technology and shareholders of T2
Advertising
T2 Technology has entered into agreements whereby each of the shareholders of T2 Advertising
have pledged all of their respective equity interests in T2 Advertising as security for the full
performance of their respective obligations under all of their agreements with T2 Technology.
Proxy Agreements, dated November 15, 2006, between T2 Technology and shareholders of T2
Advertising
T2 Technology has entered into shareholder voting rights and proxy agreements with each of the
shareholders of T2 Advertising under which the shareholders have irrevocably granted T2 Technology
the power to exercise all of their voting rights of T2 Advertising.
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D. Exchange Controls
There are currently no foreign exchange regulations which restrict the export or import of our
capital and the ability of our subsidiaries to distribute dividends to us. There are no
limitations imposed by Singapore law or by our Articles of Association on the right of a
non-resident or foreign owner to hold or vote the Shares.
E. Taxation
Singapore Tax Considerations
Taxation of Dividends received by Singapore Resident Shareholders
Dividends paid by us would be taxable in Singapore if they are received in Singapore or if
they are considered, in the hands of a particular shareholder, to be derived in Singapore (for
example if they constitute the income of a trade or business carried out in Singapore).
Under the Singapore-Taiwan Tax Treaty, if a dividend is paid by a company which is tax
resident in Taiwan to a person who is tax resident in Singapore, the tax on the dividend shall not
exceed an amount which, together with the corporate income tax on the profits of the company paying
the dividends, constitutes 40 percent of that part of the taxable income out of which the dividends
are paid. The term corporate income tax payable shall be deemed to include the corporate income
tax that would have been paid but for the reduction or exemption under the laws designed to promote
economic development.
If our shareholder, whether a company or an individual, receiving or deriving such dividends
is tax resident in Singapore, he would be entitled to foreign tax credits under the
Singapore-Taiwan Tax Treaty and, if the recipient is a company which owns not less than 25 percent
of Shares, the tax credit will include underlying tax paid by us.
Singapore foreign tax credit is limited to the lower of the foreign tax suffered and the
Singapore tax payable on the net foreign income (after attributable and allowable expenses).
Certain foreign dividends received by a Singapore resident person on or after June 1, 2003 will,
however, be exempt from tax. The main conditions to be satisfied for such exemption are that:
(a) the dividends are received from a jurisdiction with a maximum tax rate on the trade or
business income of a company of at least 15 percent; and
(b) the dividends themselves, or the income from which they are paid, have been subject to tax
in the foreign jurisdiction or have been exempted from tax under an incentive granted for
substantive business activities.
The normal tax rate for corporate profits in Singapore is 18 percent for the year of
assessment 2008 (i.e., for the income earned in the financial year or other basis period ended
2007). With effect from year of assessment 2008 as announced in the 2007 budget, the corporate tax
rate is reduced to 18 percent. Resident individuals are subject to tax at progressive rates.
Based on proposals made by the government in the 2006 budget, the maximum individual tax rate would
be 20 percent for the year of assessment 2007.
If our shareholders are corporations, our shareholders will be regarded as being tax resident
in Singapore if the control and management of our shareholders business is exercised in Singapore.
For example, if our shareholders board of directors meets and conducts the business of our
shareholders company in Singapore, our shareholders will be regarded as tax resident in Singapore.
If our shareholders are individuals, our shareholders will be regarded as being tax resident in
Singapore in a year of assessment if, in the preceding year, our shareholders were physically
present in Singapore or exercised an employment in Singapore (other than as directors of a company)
for 183 days or more, or if our shareholders had resided in Singapore.
All foreign-sourced income received in Singapore (except for income received through a
partnership in Singapore) on or after January 1, 2004 by tax resident individuals will be exempt
from tax.
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Gains on Disposal of Shares
Singapore does not impose a tax on capital gains. However, there are no specific laws or
regulations which deal with the characterization of capital gains and hence, gains may be construed
to be of an income nature and subject to tax if they arise from activities which the Inland Revenue
Authority of Singapore regards as the carrying on of a trade or business in Singapore.
Stamp Duty
There is no stamp duty payable in respect of the issuance and holding of Shares. Where
existing shares are acquired in Singapore, stamp duty is payable on the instrument of transfer of
the shares at the rate of S$2.00 for every S$1,000 of the consideration for or market value of the
shares, whichever is higher. The stamp duty is borne by the purchaser unless there is an agreement
to the contrary. Where an instrument is executed outside Singapore, or no instrument of transfer
is executed, no stamp duty is payable on the acquisition of existing shares. However, stamp duty
would be payable if an instrument of transfer which is executed outside Singapore is received in
Singapore.
Under Singapore law, our directors may not register a transfer of Shares unless the instrument
of transfer has been duly stamped.
Singapore Estate Duty
With respect to deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2002, the movable property of persons
who are not domiciled in Singapore at the time of death are exempt from estate duty. Therefore, an
individual holder of Shares who is not domiciled in Singapore at the time of his or her death will
not be subject to Singapore estate duty on the value of Shares.
If our shareholders are individuals who are domiciled in Singapore, Singapore estate duty is
imposed on the value of most immoveable property situated in Singapore and on most movable
property, wherever it may be situated, subject to specific exemption limits. Accordingly, Shares
held by an individual domiciled in Singapore are subject to Singapore estate duty upon such an
individuals death. Singapore estate duty is payable to the extent that the value of Shares
aggregated with any other assets subject to Singapore estate duty exceeds S$600,000. Unless other
exemptions apply to the other assets, (i.e., the separate exemption limit for residential
properties) any excess beyond S$600,000 will be taxed at 5 percent on the first S$12,000,000 of the
individuals Singapore chargeable assets and thereafter at 10 percent.
Estate duty has been abolished for deaths occurring on or after February 2008.
Individuals should consult their own tax advisors regarding the Singapore estate duty
consequences of their ownership of Shares.
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
The sale of our Shares by an investor belonging in Singapore to another person belonging in
Singapore is an exempt supply not subject to GST. Any GST directly or indirectly incurred by the
investor in respect of this exempt supply is a cost to the investor.
Where our Shares are sold by a GST-registered investor to a person belonging outside
Singapore, the sale is a taxable supply subject to GST at zero-rate. Any GST incurred by the
investor in the making of this sale, if the same is a supply in the course of furtherance of a
business, is claimable as a refund from the Comptroller of GST.
Services such as brokerage, handling and clearing services rendered by a GST-registered person
to an investor belonging in Singapore in connection with the investors purchase, sale or holding
of our Shares will be subject to GST at the rate of 7 percent effective July 1, 2007 (previously,
the GST rate was 5 percent). Similar services rendered to an investor belonging outside Singapore
are subject to GST at zero-rate.
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U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders
The following is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations for investors
in Shares that are U.S. persons (as defined below) that hold the Shares as a capital asset. This
discussion is based on U.S. federal income tax law as in effect on the date hereof, which is
subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis. This discussion is for general information
only and does not address all of the tax considerations that may be relevant to you in light of
your particular circumstances or if you are subject to special treatment under the U.S. federal
income tax laws, including if you are a:
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tax-exempt entity; |
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person holding Shares as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion or other integrated
investment; |
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a person owning, actually or constructively, 10 percent or more of the combined
voting power of all classes of our stock; or |
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a person whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar. |
This discussion does not address any U.S. state, local or foreign tax, or any U.S. federal
estate, gift or alternative minimum tax consideration of a holder of Shares.
As used in this discussion, the term U.S. person means a:
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corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation, created or organized under
the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof; |
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estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of
its source; or |
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trust if (1) it is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United
States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial
decisions of the trust, or (2) it has otherwise elected to be treated as a U.S. person
under the Internal Revenue Code. |
If a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax
purposes) holds Shares, the tax treatment of a partner in such partnership will generally depend
upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a
partnership holding Shares, you are urged to consult your tax advisors as to the particular U.S.
federal income tax consequences as applicable to you.
You are urged to consult your tax advisor concerning the particular U.S. federal, state, local
and foreign income and other tax considerations regarding the ownership and disposition of the
Shares, including the application of the passive foreign investment company rules discussed below.
Investors should carefully review the discussion below under Passive Foreign
Investment Company Rules.
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Taxation of Dividends
Except as discussed below with respect to the passive foreign investment company tax rules,
the amount of distributions you receive on your Shares (other than certain pro rata distributions
of Shares or rights to subscribe for Shares) will generally be treated as dividend income to you if
the distributions are made from our current and accumulated earnings and profits as calculated
according to U.S. federal income tax principles. Because we do not intend to determine our
earnings and profits on the basis of U.S. federal income tax principles, any distribution paid will
generally be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes. You will include such
dividends in your gross income as ordinary income on the day you actually or constructively receive
them. The amount of any distribution of property other than cash will be the fair market value of
such property on the date it is distributed. A non-corporate recipient of dividend income will
generally be subject to tax on dividend income from a qualified foreign corporation at a maximum
U.S. federal tax rate of 15 percent rather than the marginal tax rates generally applicable to
ordinary income, so long as certain holding period requirements are met. A non-U.S. corporation
(other than a passive foreign investment company) generally will be considered to be a qualified
foreign corporation (i) if it is eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive tax treaty with the
United States which the Secretary of Treasury of the United States determines is satisfactory for
purposes of this provision and which includes an exchange of information program or (ii) with
respect to any dividend it pays on stock which is readily tradable on an established securities
market in the United States. There is currently no tax treaty in effect between the United States
and Singapore. Shares are expected to be readily tradable on the NASDAQ Global Market, an
established securities market in the United States. U.S. corporate holders will generally not be
eligible for the dividends received deduction for distributions to domestic corporations with
regard to distributions on Shares.
The amount of any distribution paid in a currency other than the U.S. dollar will equal the
U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency you receive, calculated by reference to the exchange rate
in effect on the date you actually or constructively receive the distribution, regardless of
whether the foreign currency is actually converted into U.S. dollars. If you do not convert the
foreign currency you receive as a dividend on the date of receipt, you will have a basis in such
foreign currency equal to its U.S. dollar value on the date of receipt. Any gain or loss you
realize when you subsequently sell or otherwise dispose of such foreign currency generally will be
ordinary income or loss from sources within the United States for foreign tax credit limitation
purposes.
Holders may generally elect to claim a credit against their U.S. federal income tax liability
for Singapore tax withheld from dividends received with regard to the Shares. The rules relating
to the determination of the foreign tax credit are complex, and prospective purchasers are urged to
consult their personal tax advisors to determine whether and to what extent they would be entitled
to such credit. Holders that do not elect or are not permitted to claim foreign tax credits may
instead claim a deduction for Singapore tax withheld, but only for a year in which such holder
elects to do so for all creditable foreign income taxes. You will not be eligible for a foreign
tax credit for the underlying Singapore taxes on profits paid by us with respect to such dividends.
Sale or other disposition of Shares. Except as discussed below with respect to the passive
foreign investment company tax rules, a holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss for
U.S. federal income tax purposes upon a sale or other disposition of Shares in an amount equal to
the difference between the amount realized from the sale or disposition and the holders adjusted
tax basis in the Shares. Such gain or loss generally will be long-term (taxable at a reduced rate
for individuals) if, on the date of sale or disposition, the Shares were held by the holder for
more than one year and will generally be treated as gain or loss from U.S. sources for foreign tax
credit purposes. The deductibility of a capital loss may be subject to limitations.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
In general, we will be classified as a passive foreign investment company (PFIC) for any
taxable year if either (i) at least 75 percent of our gross income is passive income or (ii) at
least 50 percent of the value (determined on the basis of a quarterly average) of our assets
produce or are held for the production of passive income. Based upon an analysis of our income and
assets for the 2008 taxable year as reasonably approximated for purposes of applying the PFIC
rules, we do not believe we should be classified as a PFIC for the 2008 taxable year. Whether we
are classified as a PFIC in the current or any future taxable year will be determined on the basis
of, among other things, our asset values (including, among other items, the level of our cash, cash
equivalents and short-term investments) and gross income (including whether such income is active
versus passive income as specially determined under the PFIC rules) for such taxable year, which
assets, both of which and gross income are subject to change from year to year. Between April 2006
and June 2007, we acquired control over a majority of the voting rights in T2CN, consideration for
which mainly comprised cash. In July 2007 and May 2008, we acquired additional equity interests in
T2CN, also for primarily cash consideration. We will continue to investigate opportunities that
may give rise to the acquisition of additional businesses for cash, thereby reducing our cash or
other investment assets. If we acquire additional businesses for cash, we may, in turn, mitigate
our risk of being or becoming classified as a PFIC. Because the determination of whether we are a
PFIC is a factual determination made annually and because there are uncertainties in the
application of the relevant rules, there can be no assurance we will not be classified a PFIC in
the current or any future taxable year. Provided we are a PFIC for any taxable year during your
holding period of Shares, the PFIC tax rules discussed below generally will apply in future years
even if we cease to be a PFIC in subsequent years. The 15 percent maximum rate on our dividends
would not apply if we are or become classified as a PFIC.
91
If we are classified as a PFIC for any taxable year during which you hold Shares, and unless
you make a mark-to-market election (as described below), you will generally be subject to special
tax rules that have a penalizing effect, regardless of whether we remain a PFIC, on (i) any excess
distribution that we make to you (which generally means any distribution received by you in a
taxable year that is greater than 125 percent of the average annual distributions received by you
in the three preceding taxable years or your holding period for the Shares, if shorter), and (ii)
any gain realized on the sale or other disposition, including a pledge, of Shares. Under these
PFIC rules the:
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excess distribution or gain would be allocated ratably over your holding period for
the Shares; |
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amount allocated to the current taxable year and any taxable year prior to the first
taxable year in which we are classified as a PFIC (a pre-PFIC year) would be taxable
as ordinary income; |
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amount allocated to each prior taxable year, other than the current taxable year or
a pre-PFIC year, would be subject to tax at the highest tax rate in effect applicable
to you for that year; and |
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interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax would be imposed on the
tax attributable to each prior taxable year, other than the current taxable year or a
pre-PFIC year. |
As an alternative to the foregoing rules, a holder of marketable stock in a PFIC may make a
mark-to-market election, provided that the Shares are actively traded on a qualified exchange.
Under applicable Treasury regulations, a qualified exchange includes a national securities
exchange that is registered with the Commission or the national market system established under the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (i.e., the NASDAQ Global Market). In addition, we believe
that, based on the current level of trading activity of Shares on the NASDAQ Global Market, Shares
should qualify as being actively traded, but no assurances may be given in this regard. If you
make this election, you will generally (i) include as income for each taxable year the excess, if
any, of the fair market value of your Shares at the end of the taxable year over the adjusted tax
basis of the Shares and (ii) deduct as a loss the excess, if any, of the adjusted tax basis of the
Shares over the fair market value of the Shares at the end of the taxable year, but only to the
extent of the amount previously included in income as a result of the mark-to-market election.
Your adjusted tax basis in the Shares would be adjusted to reflect any income or loss resulting
from the mark-to-market election. If you make a mark-to-market election in respect of a
corporation classified as a PFIC and such corporation ceases to be classified as a PFIC, you will
generally not be required to take into account the gain or loss described above during any period
that such corporation is not classified as a PFIC.
The QEF Election, which serves as a further alternative to the foregoing rules, is not
available.
If you own Shares during any year that we are a PFIC, you must file an annual IRS Form 8621.
In the case of investors who have held Shares during any taxable year in respect of which we were
classified as a PFIC and continue to hold such Shares (or any portion thereof), who have not
previously determined to make a mark-to-market election, and who are now considering making a
mark-to-market election, special tax rules may apply relating to purging the PFIC taint of such
Shares. You are urged to consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax
consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing Shares if we are or become classified as a PFIC,
including the possibility of making a mark-to-market election.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
In general, unless you are an exempt recipient, such as a corporation, and demonstrate this
when required, information reporting will apply to dividend payments that we make to you paid
within the United States (and in some cases, outside of the United States). Additionally, if you
fail to provide your taxpayer identification number, or fail either to report in full dividend and
interest income or to make the necessary certifications, you will be subject to backup withholding.
In general, payment of the proceeds from the sale of Shares to or through a U.S. office of a
broker is subject to both U.S. backup withholding and information reporting unless you certify as
to your non-U.S. status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establish an exemption. U.S.
information reporting and backup withholding generally will not apply to a payment made outside the
United States or the proceeds of a sale of Shares through an office outside the United States of a
non-U.S. broker. However, U.S. information reporting requirements (but not backup withholding)
will apply to a payment made outside the United States or the proceeds of a sale of Shares through
an office outside the United States if the broker is:
92
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a U.S. person; |
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a foreign person 50 percent or more of whose gross income is effectively connected
with a U.S. trade or business for a specified three-year period; |
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a controlled foreign corporation for U.S. tax purposes; or |
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a foreign partnership, if at any time during its tax year; |
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one or more of its partners are U.S. holders (as defined in U.S. Treasury
regulations) who in the aggregate hold more than 50 percent of the income or capital
interest in the partnership; or |
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such foreign partnership is engaged in a U.S. trade or business; |
unless the broker has documentary evidence in its files that you are a non-U.S. person or you
otherwise establish an exemption.
Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a
credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability, provided you furnish the required
information to the Internal Revenue Service.
F. Dividends and Paying Agents
Not applicable.
G. Statements by Experts
Not applicable.
H. Documents on Display
The Commission allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file with the
Commission. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to
another document filed separately with the Commission. The information incorporated by reference
in this annual report is considered to be part of this annual report. We therefore incorporate by
reference in Item 19 of this annual report certain exhibits, which we filed with the Commission in
prior filings. You may read and copy this annual report, including the exhibits incorporated by
reference in this annual report, at the Commissions Public Reference Room at 450 Fifth Street,
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. You can also request copies of this annual report, including the
exhibits incorporated by reference in this annual report, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by
writing for information on the operation of the Commissions Public Reference Room.
You may also request a copy of our Commission filings, at no cost, upon written request to our
investor relations department at 8th Floor, 207 Tiding Boulevard, Section 2, Taipei 114, Taiwan,
R.O.C., or by e-mail to: Brad.miller@GigaMedia.com.tw. A copy of each report submitted in
accordance with applicable U.S. law is also available for public review at our principal executive
offices.
I. Subsidiary Information
Not applicable.
93
ITEM 11. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Market risk is the risk of loss related to adverse changes in market prices, including
interest rates and foreign exchange rates, of financial instruments. We are exposed to various
types of market risks in the normal course of business, including changes in interest rates and
foreign currency exchange rates.
Foreign Currency Exchange
Our subsidiaries conduct most of their business transactions in their own measurement
currencies; therefore the foreign currency risks derived from operations are not significant.
However, we hold some assets or liabilities in foreign currencies other than measurement currency
and the value of these assets and liabilities are subject to foreign currency risks resulting from
fluctuations in exchange rates between the foreign-denominated currency and the measurement
currency. We have not used hedging transactions to reduce our exposure to exchange rate
fluctuations; however, we may choose to do so in the future.
As of December 31, 2007, we had bank deposits of approximately US$2.0 million denominated in
foreign currencies other than measurement currencies of the entities holding such assets. These
assets are subject to foreign currency exchange risk. We recorded a realized foreign exchange loss
of approximately US$680 thousand and unrealized foreign exchange gain of approximately US$5
thousand in 2007.
As of December 31, 2007, we had available-for-sale marketable securities of approximately
US$5.5 million recorded under FAS 115 and denominated in foreign currencies other than measurement
currencies of the entity holding such assets. Future fluctuation of the exchange rates could
impact the periodic impairment assessment on other-than-temporary loss of these assets. We did not
record any impairment loss on these marketable securities in 2007.
Interest Rate Sensitivity
Our exposure to interest rates relates primarily to our investments in marketable securities
and short-term loans. As of December 31, 2007, we had approximately US$11.4 million of investment
in fixed-income or money market investment funds. These investments are subject to interest rate
risk in that the value of their holdings in debt instruments will fall if market interest rates
increase. Declines in interest rates over time will, however, reduce our interest income from our
bank deposits. As of December 31, 2007, we had approximately US$33.3 million of short-term loans,
with a weighted average interest rate of approximately 3.4 percent. Increases in interest rates of
the loans will increase our interest expenses. We have not entered into any interest rate swaps,
caps or hedge contracts to modify our exposure to interest rate fluctuations.
Other Market Risk
We are also exposed to other market risk, which is mainly derived from our investments.
Changes in the stock price, performance or net asset value of these companies and investment funds
might have significant impact on our financial positions or operating results.
ITEM 12. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES
Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 13. DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES
None.
94
ITEM 14. MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS
Not applicable.
ITEM 15. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and our chief financial
officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is
defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period
covered by this annual report. There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system
of disclosure controls and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the
circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures. Accordingly, in designing and
evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and
procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, rather than
absolute, assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management necessarily was
required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and
procedures. Based upon that evaluation, and taking into account the foregoing, our chief executive
officer and chief financial officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, our
disclosure controls and procedures are effective in providing reasonable assurance that information
required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is
recorded, processed, summarized and reported on a timely basis, and these controls and procedures
are effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we
file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including
our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions
regarding required disclosure.
Managements Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over
financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of
financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles in the United States. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those
policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail,
accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets (ii) provide
reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States and
that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our
management and directors and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely
detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material
effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent
or detect all misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of internal
control to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of
changes in conditions, and that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may
deteriorate. Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial
reporting as of December 31, 2007. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set
forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal
Control-Integrated Frameworks. Based on our assessment and those criteria, our management has
determined that our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007 was
effective.
As of December 31, 2007, with regard to the scope of our assessment, we excluded T2CN from our
assessment of internal control over financial reporting because it was consolidated beginning in
June 2007. T2CNs total assets, total revenues, and net income represent approximately
US$27.2 million, US$9.0 million and US$0.7 million, respectively, of our total assets, total
revenues and net income in 2007. We also did not extend our assessment to UIM, which was
consolidated based on FIN46(R), because we do not control UIM and do not have the right or
authority to assess, modify or dictate its internal controls. The consolidation of UIM resulted in
an increase in assets, liabilities, and revenues of approximately US$32.9 million, US$31.9 million
and US$65.1 million, respectively, as of and for the year ended December 31, 2007. Accordingly,
our conclusions regarding the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal
control over financial reporting do not extend to the disclosure controls and procedures and
internal control over financial reporting of T2CN and UIM. However, our internal control is
adequate to ensure that the financial information for such excluded businesses is reflected
properly in our consolidated financial statements.
95
GHP Horwath, P.C., an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the
consolidated financial statements included in this annual report on Form 20-F and, as part of the
audit, has issued a report, included herein on pages F-1 and F-2, on the effectiveness of our internal
control over financial reporting.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
During the year ended December 31, 2007, there have not been any significant changes in our
internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely
to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 16. [Reserved]
ITEM 16A. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT
Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Michael Y. J. Ding, a member of our audit
committee, qualifies as an audit committee financial expert in accordance with the requirements of
Item 16A of Form 20-F. Mr. Ding has served as an independent director of our board and a member of
our audit committee since July 30, 2003. Mr. Ding ahs been appointed as the chairman and CEO of
Waterland Securities Co., Ltd. Prior to this position, Mr. Ding was the chairman of Fubon
Securities Investment Consulting Co., Ltd., and president and chief executive officer of Fubon
Asset Management Co. Ltd., president and fund manager of the R.O.C. Fund (listed on the New York
Stock Exchange), as well as president of the International Investment Trust Co. in Taiwan, where he
also served as chief investment officer and a senior vice president. Prior to these positions, Mr.
Ding was a chief economist and head of research at Citicorp International Securities Ltd. in Taipei
and head of research and information for the Greater China region at McKinsey & Co., Inc.
ITEM 16B. CODE OF ETHICS
We have adopted a code of ethics, as defined in Item 16B of Form 20-F. Our code of ethics
applies to our chief executive officer, chief financial officer and persons performing similar
functions, as well as to our directors, other officers, employees and consultants. The code of
ethics was amended on December 19, 2005 in order to conform certain provisions in it with our newly
adopted anti-fraud policy. Our code of ethics is available on our Website at
http://www.gigamedia.com.tw/code.htm. If we further amend any provisions of our code of ethics
that apply to our chief executive officer, chief financial officer or persons performing similar
functions, or if we grant any waiver of such provisions, we will disclose such amendment or waiver
on our Website at the same address. We will also provide any person without charge a copy of our
code of ethics upon written request to our investor relations department at 8th Floor, No. 207
Tiding Boulevard, Section 2, Taipei 114, Taiwan, R.O.C., or by e-mail to:
Brad.miller@GigaMedia.com.tw.
On December 19, 2005, our board of directors adopted an anti-fraud policy for the purpose of
preventing fraud schemes, including fraudulent financial reporting misappropriation of assets, any
fraud committed by senior management, and information technology fraud. According to our
anti-fraud policy, our audit committee is responsible for monitoring the implementation of our
anti-fraud policy and procedures, and an anti-fraud taskforce is assigned by our audit committee to
be responsible for the anti-fraud hotline management, risk assessment, complaint investigation and
resolution, and reporting to our chief executive officer, chief financial officer and audit
committee.
On May 10, 2006, our audit committee adopted a whistleblower program pursuant to our
anti-fraud policy. The whistleblower program enables all employees to know how and when to use the
whistleblower hotline and communicate or report, on a confidential or anonymous basis, without fear
of retribution, concerns related to wrongdoings or violations, and ensures that all reported
incidents are properly investigated.
ITEM 16C. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The following table summarizes the aggregate fees billed to us by GHP Horwath, P.C. for
services performed relating to the fiscal years ended December 31, 2006 and 2007.
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For the Years Ended December 31, |
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2006 |
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2007 |
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(in US$) |
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(in US$) |
Audit Fees |
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492,922 |
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1,036,738 |
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Audit-Related Fees |
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0 |
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9,867 |
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Tax Fees |
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32,515 |
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42,847 |
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Other Fees |
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0 |
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0 |
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96
A. Audit Fees
Audit fees consist of fees billed for the annual audit of our consolidated financial
statements. Audit fees also include fees for services that are normally provided by the independent
registered public accounting firm in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or
engagements.
B. Audit-Related Fees
Audit-related fees consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are
reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements, such as
agreed-upon report for special purpose in 2007.
C. Tax Fees
Tax fees include fees billed for tax compliance services, including the preparation of
original and amended tax returns, and tax advisory services.
D. Other Fees
All other fees are fees billed for services provided by the independent registered public
accounting firm other than the services reported as audit fees, audit-related fees and tax fees
above. No other fees were billed during 2006 and 2007.
E. Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
In May 2005, we adopted our audit committee charter. Consistent with the Commissions
policies regarding auditor independence, our audit committee is directly responsible for the
appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the work of auditors engaged to provide us
with audit, review or attest services. Our audit committee has sole discretion to review and
pre-approve the appointment of auditors and to set their fees for the performance of audit and
non-prohibited non-audit services in accordance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the
Commission rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, subject to the appointment, replacement or
removal from office of our independent public accountants as approved by our shareholders at our
Annual General Meeting.
The appointment of our independent auditors, GHP Horwath, P.C., as well as the scope of each
audit, audit-related or non-prohibited, non-audit services provided pursuant to such appointment,
and our auditors fees for all such services, were approved by our audit committee.
ITEM 16D. EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES
Not applicable.
ITEM 16E. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS
Not applicable.
PART III
ITEM 17. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
We have elected to provide financial statements for fiscal year 2007 and the related
information pursuant to Item 18.
ITEM 18. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Our consolidated financial statements and the reports thereon by our independent registered
public accounting firm listed below are attached hereto as follows:
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Page |
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(a |
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
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F-1 F-2 |
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(b |
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Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 |
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F-3 F-4 |
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(c |
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Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2005, |
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2006 and 2007 |
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F-5 |
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(d |
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Consolidated Statements of Shareholders Equity for the years ended |
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December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007 |
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F-6 |
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(e |
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Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2005, |
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2006 and 2007 |
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F-7 F-8 |
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(f |
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Notes to the
Consolidated Financial Statements |
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F-9 F-83 |
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97
ITEM 19. EXHIBITS
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EXHIBIT |
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INDEX |
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1.1 |
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Memorandum of Association of our Company* |
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1.2 |
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Articles of Association of our Company* |
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1.3 |
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Amended Memorandum and Articles of Association of our Company********** |
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4.1 |
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Microsoft Commercial Internet System License Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center Inc., dated
April 1, 1998** |
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4.2 |
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License Agreement between Portal Information Network, Inc. and Hoshin GigaMedia Center Inc., dated
May 23, 1998** |
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4.3 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Prosperity
CATV Inc., dated May 12, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.4 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Everlasting
Cable TV Co., dated June 16, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.5 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Lee Kwan
Cable TV Co., dated June 16, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.6 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Wonderful
Cable TV Co. Ltd., dated June 16, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.7 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Powerful
CATV Co. Ltd., dated May 14, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.8 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Netwave
Cable TV Inc., dated April 16, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.9 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and New Visual
Wave CATV Inc., dated August 18, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.10 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Da Fung CATV
Co. Ltd., dated July 6, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.11 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Gaho Cable
Co. Ltd., dated May 12, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.12 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and TeleFirst
Cable Communication Co. Ltd., dated May 19, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.13 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Twinstar
CATV Co. Ltd., dated April 16, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.14 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Sun Crown
CATV Co. Ltd., dated April 16, 1999 (including English summary)** |
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4.15 |
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Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Shinyeongan
CATV Co. Ltd., dated May 21, 1999 (including English summary)** |
98
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EXHIBIT |
|
INDEX |
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4.16 |
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|
Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Chung Lian
Inc., dated April 16, 1999 (including English summary)** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.17 |
|
|
Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Gang Du
Cable TV Co. Ltd., dated April 16, 1999 (including English summary)** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.18 |
|
|
Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Union Cable
TV Co. Ltd., dated May 14, 1999 (including English summary)** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.19 |
|
|
Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and North
Taoyuan CATV Company, dated August 9, 1999 (including English summary)** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.20 |
|
|
Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Top Cable TV
System Co., dated November 1, 1999 (including English summary)** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.21 |
|
|
Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Shin Ho
Cable TV Co. Ltd., dated May 13, 1999 (including English summary)** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.22 |
|
|
Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Shuang Shing
Cable TV Co., dated June 16, 1999 (including English summary)** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.23 |
|
|
Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Hai Sun
Cable Broadcasting System Co. Ltd., dated August 9, 1999 (including English summary)** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.24 |
|
|
Broadband Internet over Cable Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Tien Wai
Tien CATV Co., Ltd., dated October 25, 1999 (including English summary)** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.25 |
|
|
Registration Rights Agreement among GigaMedia Limited and Microsoft Corporation, dated November 23,
1999** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.26 |
|
|
Shareholders Agreement among GigaMedia Limited and Microsoft Corporation, Koos Develop Corp., Kudos
Fund, Best Method Limited, TCC International, Mr. Chester Koo, Mr. Leslie Koo, Mr. Kent Yen, Mr.
Raymond Chang, Mr. Yichun Chang, Mr. Chris Tung and Mr. Michel Chu, dated November 23, 1999** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.27 |
|
|
Business Co-Operation Agreement among Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Microsoft Corporation, dated
November 1, 1999** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.28 |
|
|
Strategic Alliance Agreement among GigaMedia Limited, Hoshin GigaMedia Center Inc., and Gamania
Digital Entertainment Co., LTD., dated March 1, 2001*** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.29 |
|
|
Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of March 17, 2004, by and among GigaMedia International Limited, GV
Holding Company, and Alexander Saidakovsky, Alexander Ganelis and Daniil Utin****** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.30 |
|
|
End-User License Agreement between Internet Media Licensing Limited and Ultra Internet Media, S.A.,
dated April 1, 2004******* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.31 |
|
|
Purchase and Sale Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Webs-TV, Digital International
Corporation, dated June 23, 2005******* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.32 |
|
|
Put-Call Option Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and JSDWAY Digital Technology Co.
Ltd., dated December 21, 2005* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.33 |
|
|
Assets Sale and Purchase Agreement among GigaMedia Limited, FunTown World Limited, Hoshin GigaMedia
Center, Inc. and TWP Corporation, dated December 19, 2005* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.34 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between GigaMedia Limited and Nextbase International Limited, dated
September 17, 2005* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.35 |
|
|
Subscription Rights Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. Wretch Co., Ltd. and the
shareholders of Wretch Co. Ltd, dated March 10, 2006* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.36 |
|
|
Series A Preferred Share Purchase Agreement among T2CN Holding Limited, GigaMedia China Limited, and
certain shareholders of T2CN, dated April 27, 2006* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.37 |
|
|
Shareholders Agreement among T2CN Holding Limited and the Shareholders dated April 27, 2006* |
99
|
|
|
|
|
EXHIBIT |
|
INDEX |
|
4.38 |
|
|
Strategic Partnership Agreement between T2CN Holding Limited and GigaMedia China Limited, dated
April 27, 2006* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.39 |
|
|
Assets Purchase and Sale Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Webs-TV Digital
International Corporation, dated May 15, 2006* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.40 |
|
|
Service Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center, Inc. and Webs-TV Digital International Corporation,
dated May 15, 2006* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.41 |
|
|
Second Amendment to the End-User License Agreement between Internet Media Licensing Limited and Ultra
Internet Media, S.A., dated March 1, 2006* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.42 |
|
|
Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement between T2CN Holding Ltd., certain shareholders of T2CN,
GigaMedia China Limited, Marvel City Investments Limited, Patriot Capital Limited, TAE LLC and Ant
Bridge No. 2 Venture Capital Secondary Investment Limited Partnership, dated November 25,
2006********** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.43 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between GigaMedia China Limited, Newmargin T2CN Investment Ltd. and Shanghai
Newmargin Venture Capital Co., Ltd, dated January 1,
2007********** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.44 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between GigaMedia China Limited and Chengwei (China) Investment Company,
Greg. Wei Gang Ye, and Jia Yi Wan, dated January 1,
2007********** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.45 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between GigaMedia China Limited and certain shareholders of T2CN, dated
January 17, 2007********** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.46 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between GigaMedia China Limited, Shanghai Newmargin Venture Capital Co. Ltd.
and Newmargin Happydigital Investment Partners Inc., dated
January 1, 2007********** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.47 |
|
|
Subscription Agreement between GigaMedia Asia Pacific Limited and Infocomm Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd.,
dated December 7, 2006********** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.48 |
|
|
Termination Agreement between Hoshin GigaMedia Center Inc., Koos Broadband Telecom Co., Ltd, Wretch
Co., Ltd and certain shareholders of Wretch Co., Ltd, dated
December 12, 2006********** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.49 |
|
|
License and Distribution Agreement between Dragongate Enterprises Limited and HanbitSoft Inc., dated
December 13, 2006********** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.50 |
|
|
Third Amendment to the End-User License Agreement between Internet Media Licensing Limited and Ultra
Internet Media, S.A., dated March 1, 2007********** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.51 |
|
|
Shareholders Agreement between GigaMedia Asia Pacific Limited, Management Capital International Ltd,
Infocomm Investments Pte Ltd, Commerzbank Infocomm Segregated Portfolios, Global Star International
Development Limited and Etherfast Pte Ltd, dated December 7,
2006********** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.52 |
|
|
Shareholders Agreement, between GigaMedia Asia Pacific Limited, Bodhi China and India Investments
LLC, Etherfast Pte Ltd, Global Star International Development Limited, Commerzbank Infocomm Segregated
Portfolio, Infocomm Investments Pte Ltd, Management Capital International Ltd and Infocomm Asia, dated
February 2, 2007********** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.53 |
|
|
2006 Equity Incentive Plan******** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.54 |
|
|
2007 Equity Incentive Plan********* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.55 |
|
|
Exclusive Business Consultancy Service Agreement between T2 Technology and T2 Entertainment, dated
November 15, 2006# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.56 |
|
|
Supplemental Agreement to Exclusive Business Consultancy Service Agreement between T2 Technology and
T2 Entertainment, dated April 1, 2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.57 |
|
|
Exclusive Technical Service and Consultancy Agreement between T2 Entertainment and T2 Technology,
dated November 15, 2006# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.58 |
|
|
Supplemental Agreement to Exclusive Technical Service and Consultancy Agreement between T2
Entertainment and T2 Technology, dated April 1, 2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.59 |
|
|
Agreement for Pledge of Shares in T2 Entertainment between Wang Chi, Lu Ning and T2 Technology, dated |
100
|
|
|
|
|
EXHIBIT |
|
INDEX |
|
|
|
|
February 9, 2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.60 |
|
|
Exclusive Call Option Agreement regarding T2 Entertainment between Wang Chi, Lu Ning, T2 Entertainment
and T2 Technology, dated February 9, 2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.61 |
|
|
Proxy Voting Agreement regarding T2 Entertainment between T2 Technology, T2 Entertainment, Wang Chi
and Lu Ning, dated February 9, 2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.62 |
|
|
Exclusive Business Consultancy Service Agreement between T2 Technology and T2 Advertisement, dated
November 15, 2006# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.63 |
|
|
Supplemental Agreement to Exclusive Business Consultancy Service Agreement between T2 Technology and
T2 Advertisement, dated January 1, 2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.64 |
|
|
Agreement for Pledge of Shares in T2 Advertisement between Chi Min, Chang Tao and T2 Technology, dated
March 20, 2008# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.65 |
|
|
Exclusive Call Option Agreement regarding T2 Advertisement between Chi Min, Chang Tao, T2
Advertisement and T2 Technology, dated March 20, 2008# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.66 |
|
|
Proxy Voting Agreement regarding T2 Advertisement between T2 Technology, T2 Advertisement, Chi Min and
Chang Tao, dated March 20, 2008# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.67 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between William Zhu and GigaMedia China Limited, dated June 3, 2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.68 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between Yu-Chia Lee and GigaMedia China Limited, dated June 6, 2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.69 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between Zheng Bin and GigaMedia China Limited, dated June 10, 2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.70 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between J&R Music LLC, Ya-Tsen Lin and GigaMedia China Limited, dated July 5,
2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.71 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between Kingland Overseas Development Inc. and GigaMedia China Limited, dated
July 6, 2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.72 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between Wang Ji and GigaMedia China Limited, dated July 6, 2007# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.73 |
|
|
Share Purchase Agreement between Marvel City Investments Limited and GigaMedia China Limited, dated
May 26, 2008# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.1 |
|
|
List of Subsidiaries* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11.1 |
|
|
Code of ethics adopted by the registrant on April 21, 2004, as amended on December 19, 2005* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12.1 |
|
|
Certification by our Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12.2 |
|
|
Certification by our Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule13a-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13.1 |
|
|
Certification by our Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant
to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13.2 |
|
|
Certification by our Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant
to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002# |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15.1 |
|
|
Consent of GHP Horwath, P.C., Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm# |
|
|
|
* |
|
Incorporated by reference from annual report on Form 20-F, file number
000-30540 filed with the Commission on June 28, 2006. |
|
** |
|
Incorporated by reference from our Registration Statement on Form F-1, file
number 333-11416 filed with the Commission on February 2, 2000. |
|
*** |
|
Incorporated by reference from our annual report on Form 20-F, file number
000-30540 filed with the Commission on June 28, 2001. |
101
|
|
|
****** |
|
Incorporated by reference from our annual report on Form 20-F, file number
000-30540 filed with the Commission on June 30, 2004. |
|
******* |
|
Incorporated by reference from our annual report on Form 20-F, file number
000-30540 filed with the Commission on June 30, 2005. |
|
******** |
|
Incorporated by reference from our Registration Statement on Form S-8, file
number 333-142963 filed with the Commission on May 15, 2007 |
|
********* |
|
Incorporated by reference from our Registration Statement on Form S-8, file
number 333-148663 filed with the Commission on January 15, 2008 |
|
********** |
|
Incorporated by reference from our annual report on Form 20-F, file number
000-30540 filed with the Commission on June 29, 2007 |
|
# |
|
Filed herewith. |
|
102
SIGNATURE
The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F
and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on its
behalf.
|
|
|
|
|
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
|
|
|
By: |
|
/s/ Arthur Wang
|
|
|
|
|
Arthur Wang |
|
|
|
Chief Executive Officer
Date: June 30, 2008 |
|
|
103
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Board of Directors and Shareholders
GigaMedia Limited
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of GigaMedia Limited and subsidiaries
(the Company) as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the related consolidated statements of
operations, shareholders equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period
ended December 31, 2007. We also have audited the Companys internal control over financial
reporting as of December 31, 2007, based on criteria established in Internal ControlIntegrated
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
The Companys management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective
internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal
control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Managements Report on Internal
Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial
statements and an opinion on the Companys internal control over financial reporting based on our
audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement and
whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects. Our audit of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence
supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting
principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial
statement presentation. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining
an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material
weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal
control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we
considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis
for our opinions.
A companys internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable
assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial
statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A
companys internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1)
pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the
transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company
are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company;
and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized
acquisition, use, or disposition of the companys assets that could have a material effect on the
financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or
detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are
subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that
the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
F-1
As described in the accompanying Managements Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting,
managements assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting did not include T2CN Holding Limited (T2CN) which was acquired during 2007, because it
was not possible to conduct an assessment of the acquired businesss internal control over
financial reporting in the period between the acquisition consummation date and the date of
managements assessment. Additionally, Ultra Internet Media, S.A. (UIM), which has been
consolidated based on FASB Interpretation No. 46(R), Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities,
was not included in managements assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal
control over financial reporting as management does not control this business and did not have the
right or authority to assess, modify or dictate its internal controls. T2CNs total assets, total
revenues and net income included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of
December 31, 2007 and for the year then ended were approximately $27.2 million, $9.0 million and
$0.7 million, respectively. UIMs total assets, total liabilities and total revenue included in
the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of December 31, 2007 and for the year then
ended were approximately $32.9 million, $31.9 million and $65.1 million, respectively. Our audit
of internal control over financial reporting of the Company also did not include an evaluation of
the internal control over financial reporting of these two businesses.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all
material respects, the financial position of GigaMedia Limited and subsidiaries as of December 31,
2007 and 2006, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the years in
the three-year period ended December 31, 2007 in conformity with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all
material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007,
based on criteria established in Internal ControlIntegrated Framework issued by the Committee of
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
As discussed in Notes 1 and 20 to the consolidated financial statements, effective January 1, 2006,
the Company adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123(R), Share-Based Payment.
/s/ GHP HORWATH, P.C.
Denver, Colorado
May 9, 2008
F-2
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
December 31, 2006 and 2007
(in thousands )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31 |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
ASSETS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CURRENT ASSETS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents (Note 8) |
|
$ |
22,372 |
|
|
$ |
68,563 |
|
Marketable securitiescurrent (Note 9) |
|
|
13,816 |
|
|
|
11,354 |
|
Notes and accounts receivablenet (Note 10) |
|
|
15,076 |
|
|
|
18,291 |
|
Prepaid expenses |
|
|
3,196 |
|
|
|
5,615 |
|
Restricted cash (Note 12) |
|
|
2,697 |
|
|
|
6,247 |
|
Other receivable |
|
|
6,268 |
|
|
|
2,561 |
|
Other current assets (Note 13) |
|
|
751 |
|
|
|
2,786 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Current Assets |
|
|
64,176 |
|
|
|
115,417 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marketable securitiesnoncurrent (Note 11) |
|
|
25,000 |
|
|
|
21,018 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,612 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Land and building |
|
|
1,844 |
|
|
|
1,853 |
|
Information and communication equipment |
|
|
18,200 |
|
|
|
23,163 |
|
Office furniture and fixtures |
|
|
1,919 |
|
|
|
2,029 |
|
Leasehold improvements |
|
|
2,157 |
|
|
|
2,222 |
|
Other |
|
|
2,378 |
|
|
|
2,020 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
26,498 |
|
|
|
31,287 |
|
Less: Accumulated depreciation |
|
|
(16,400 |
) |
|
|
(18,279 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10,098 |
|
|
|
13,008 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GOODWILL (Notes 5 and 6) |
|
|
55,817 |
|
|
|
85,149 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INTANGIBLE ASSETSNET (Notes 5 and 7) |
|
|
23,067 |
|
|
|
26,060 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OTHER ASSETS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred assets |
|
|
217 |
|
|
|
334 |
|
Refundable deposits |
|
|
838 |
|
|
|
1,528 |
|
Prepaid licensing and royalty fees (Note 24) |
|
|
3,374 |
|
|
|
16,739 |
|
Other |
|
|
32 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Other Assets |
|
|
4,461 |
|
|
|
18,601 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL ASSETS |
|
$ |
182,619 |
|
|
$ |
283,865 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Continued)
F-3
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS(Continued)
December 31, 2006 and 2007
(in thousands )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31 |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
LIABILITIES & SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CURRENT LIABILITIES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Short-term borrowings (Note 14) |
|
$ |
12,853 |
|
|
$ |
33,301 |
|
Notes and accounts payable |
|
|
1,751 |
|
|
|
1,922 |
|
Accrued compensation |
|
|
3,458 |
|
|
|
5,750 |
|
Accrued expenses (Note 15) |
|
|
4,786 |
|
|
|
9,151 |
|
Player account balances |
|
|
9,527 |
|
|
|
27,136 |
|
Other current liabilities (Note 16) |
|
|
12,832 |
|
|
|
14,652 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Current Liabilities |
|
|
45,207 |
|
|
|
91,912 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OTHER LIABILITIES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Refundable deposits |
|
|
752 |
|
|
|
635 |
|
Accrued pension liabilities (Note 18) |
|
|
434 |
|
|
|
436 |
|
Other |
|
|
605 |
|
|
|
407 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Other Liabilities |
|
|
1,791 |
|
|
|
1,478 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Liabilities |
|
|
46,998 |
|
|
|
93,390 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MINORITY INTERESTS |
|
|
1,534 |
|
|
|
9,810 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Notes 24 and 25) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY (Note 19) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common shares, no par value, and additional paid-in capital;
issued 51,495 thousand and 53,700 thousand
shares on December 31, 2006 and 2007 |
|
|
289,495 |
|
|
|
296,793 |
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
|
(128,439 |
) |
|
|
(89,692 |
) |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
|
|
(26,969 |
) |
|
|
(26,436 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Shareholders Equity |
|
|
134,087 |
|
|
|
180,665 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
|
$ |
182,619 |
|
|
$ |
283,865 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-4
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
For the Years Ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007
(in thousands except for earnings per share amounts)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OPERATING REVENUES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gaming software and service revenues |
|
$ |
22,511 |
|
|
$ |
55,019 |
|
|
$ |
118,950 |
|
Online game and service revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
18,692 |
|
|
|
32,764 |
|
Internet access and service revenues |
|
|
21,589 |
|
|
|
20,537 |
|
|
|
15,147 |
|
Other revenues |
|
|
87 |
|
|
|
44 |
|
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
44,187 |
|
|
|
94,292 |
|
|
|
166,878 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OPERATING COSTS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of gaming software and service revenues |
|
|
(3,327 |
) |
|
|
(7,824 |
) |
|
|
(16,201 |
) |
Cost of online game and service revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3,667 |
) |
|
|
(9,118 |
) |
Cost of Internet access and service revenues |
|
|
(13,568 |
) |
|
|
(11,449 |
) |
|
|
(10,002 |
) |
Cost of other revenues |
|
|
(488 |
) |
|
|
(391 |
) |
|
|
(223 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(17,383 |
) |
|
|
(23,331 |
) |
|
|
(35,544 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GROSS PROFIT |
|
|
26,804 |
|
|
|
70,961 |
|
|
|
131,334 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OPERATING EXPENSES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product development and engineering expenses |
|
|
(3,562 |
) |
|
|
(5,738 |
) |
|
|
(7,911 |
) |
Selling and marketing expenses |
|
|
(10,777 |
) |
|
|
(30,123 |
) |
|
|
(62,349 |
) |
General and administrative expenses |
|
|
(7,892 |
) |
|
|
(12,421 |
) |
|
|
(22,240 |
) |
Bad debt expenses |
|
|
(207 |
) |
|
|
(715 |
) |
|
|
(743 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(22,438 |
) |
|
|
(48,997 |
) |
|
|
(93,243 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS |
|
|
4,366 |
|
|
|
21,964 |
|
|
|
38,091 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSES) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest income |
|
|
411 |
|
|
|
722 |
|
|
|
1,441 |
|
Gains on sales of marketable securities |
|
|
850 |
|
|
|
2,189 |
|
|
|
205 |
|
Interest expense |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(582 |
) |
|
|
(655 |
) |
Foreign exchange gain (loss) |
|
|
151 |
|
|
|
(161 |
) |
|
|
(675 |
) |
Gain (loss) on disposal of property, plant and equipment |
|
|
204 |
|
|
|
(37 |
) |
|
|
(134 |
) |
Gain on divestiture of business (Note 4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7,668 |
|
|
|
|
|
Proportionate share of losses under the equity method |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(369 |
) |
Other (Note 21) |
|
|
1,094 |
|
|
|
891 |
|
|
|
2,670 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,710 |
|
|
|
10,690 |
|
|
|
2,483 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES AND
MINORITY INTEREST |
|
|
7,076 |
|
|
|
32,654 |
|
|
|
40,574 |
|
INCOME TAX EXPENSES (Note 22) |
|
|
(436 |
) |
|
|
(1,549 |
) |
|
|
(403 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE MINORITY INTEREST |
|
|
6,640 |
|
|
|
31,105 |
|
|
|
40,171 |
|
MINORITY INTEREST |
|
|
(150 |
) |
|
|
(321 |
) |
|
|
(1,281 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS |
|
|
6,490 |
|
|
|
30,784 |
|
|
|
38,890 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LOSS FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATIONSNET OF TAX |
|
|
(154 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NET INCOME |
|
$ |
6,336 |
|
|
$ |
30,784 |
|
|
$ |
38,890 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EARNINGS PER SHARE (Note 2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income from continuing operations |
|
$ |
0.13 |
|
|
$ |
0.60 |
|
|
$ |
0.74 |
|
Income from discontinued operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income |
|
$ |
0.13 |
|
|
$ |
0.60 |
|
|
$ |
0.74 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Diluted: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income from continuing operations |
|
$ |
0.12 |
|
|
$ |
0.51 |
|
|
$ |
0.65 |
|
Income from discontinued operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income |
|
$ |
0.12 |
|
|
$ |
0.51 |
|
|
$ |
0.65 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES USED TO COMPUTE
EARNINGS PER SHARE (Note 2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic |
|
|
50,312 |
|
|
|
50,921 |
|
|
|
52,876 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Diluted |
|
|
55,059 |
|
|
|
61,114 |
|
|
|
60,022 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-5
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY
For the Years Ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007
(in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
and additional paid-in capital |
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
comprehensive |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
deficit (Note 19) |
|
|
income (loss) |
|
|
Total |
|
Balance as of January 1, 2005 |
|
|
50,154 |
|
|
$ |
287,657 |
|
|
|
($165,559 |
) |
|
|
($26,127 |
) |
|
$ |
95,971 |
|
Issuance of common shares for employee stock purchase plan |
|
|
190 |
|
|
|
263 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
263 |
|
Net income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6,336 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6,336 |
|
Components of other comprehensive income: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net unrealized loss on marketable securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(333 |
) |
|
|
(333 |
) |
Foreign currency translation adjustment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1,589 |
) |
|
|
(1,589 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total comprehensive income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,414 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance as of December 31, 2005 |
|
|
50,344 |
|
|
|
287,920 |
|
|
|
(159,223 |
) |
|
|
(28,049 |
) |
|
$ |
100,648 |
|
Issuance of common shares from exercise of stock options |
|
|
1,151 |
|
|
|
1,265 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,265 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
310 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
310 |
|
Adjustment for initial application of FAS 158 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
235 |
|
|
|
235 |
|
Net income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30,784 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30,784 |
|
Components of other comprehensive income: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net unrealized gain on marketable securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
335 |
|
|
|
335 |
|
Foreign currency translation adjustment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
510 |
|
|
|
510 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total comprehensive income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31,629 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance as of December 31, 2006 |
|
|
51,495 |
|
|
|
289,495 |
|
|
|
(128,439 |
) |
|
|
(26,969 |
) |
|
|
134,087 |
|
Issuance of common shares from exercise of stock options and RSUs |
|
|
1,979 |
|
|
|
2,733 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,733 |
|
Issuance of common shares for acquisition (Note 5) |
|
|
226 |
|
|
|
2,703 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,703 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,862 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,862 |
|
Adjustment for initial application of FIN 48 (Note 22) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(143 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(143 |
) |
Net income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
38,890 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
38,890 |
|
Components of other comprehensive income: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net unrealized gain on marketable securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
58 |
|
|
|
58 |
|
Defined benefit pension plan adjustment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(54 |
) |
|
|
(54 |
) |
Foreign currency translation adjustment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
529 |
|
|
|
529 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total comprehensive income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
39,423 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance as of December 31, 2007 |
|
|
53,700 |
|
|
$ |
296,793 |
|
|
|
($89,692 |
) |
|
|
($26,436 |
) |
|
$ |
180,665 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-6
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the Years Ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007
(in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
2006 |
|
2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income |
|
$ |
6,336 |
|
|
$ |
30,784 |
|
|
$ |
38,890 |
|
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided
by operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation |
|
|
4,203 |
|
|
|
3,167 |
|
|
|
3,184 |
|
Amortization |
|
|
2,202 |
|
|
|
2,876 |
|
|
|
3,214 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
310 |
|
|
|
1,862 |
|
Provision for bad debt expenses |
|
|
307 |
|
|
|
715 |
|
|
|
743 |
|
Gain on divestiture of business |
|
|
(911 |
) |
|
|
(7,668 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Gain on sales of investment option rights |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(498 |
) |
Gain on cancellation of prefered share call options |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1,069 |
) |
Loss (gain) on disposal of property, plant and equipment |
|
|
(204 |
) |
|
|
37 |
|
|
|
134 |
|
Gain on sale of marketable securities |
|
|
(958 |
) |
|
|
(2,189 |
) |
|
|
(205 |
) |
Proportionate share of losses under the equity method |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
369 |
|
Interest income from premium of convertible notes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(140 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Gain on early redemption of convertible notes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(625 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Cash dividend to minority interest shareholders of variable
interest entity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(100 |
) |
|
|
(200 |
) |
Minority interests income (loss) |
|
|
(646 |
) |
|
|
321 |
|
|
|
1,281 |
|
Other |
|
|
504 |
|
|
|
63 |
|
|
|
(86 |
) |
Net changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of
business acquisitions: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes and accounts receivable |
|
|
(2,193 |
) |
|
|
(5,723 |
) |
|
|
(3,864 |
) |
Prepaid expenses |
|
|
185 |
|
|
|
(2,422 |
) |
|
|
(2,316 |
) |
Other receivables |
|
|
(695 |
) |
|
|
(62 |
) |
|
|
2,998 |
|
Other current assets |
|
|
28 |
|
|
|
(376 |
) |
|
|
675 |
|
Notes and accounts payable |
|
|
(1,371 |
) |
|
|
69 |
|
|
|
(327 |
) |
Accrued expenses |
|
|
(1,177 |
) |
|
|
2,419 |
|
|
|
2,893 |
|
Accrued compensation |
|
|
(18 |
) |
|
|
2,264 |
|
|
|
1,991 |
|
Player account balances |
|
|
1,446 |
|
|
|
7,440 |
|
|
|
17,609 |
|
Other current liabilities |
|
|
1,217 |
|
|
|
254 |
|
|
|
(1,259 |
) |
Accrued pension liabilities |
|
|
62 |
|
|
|
(150 |
) |
|
|
(62 |
) |
Prepaid licensing and royalty fees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3,374 |
) |
|
|
(9,829 |
) |
Other |
|
|
3,205 |
|
|
|
1,553 |
|
|
|
(165 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by operating activities |
|
|
11,522 |
|
|
|
29,443 |
|
|
|
55,963 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Decrease (increase) in restricted cash |
|
|
176 |
|
|
|
(2,697 |
) |
|
|
(3,550 |
) |
Proceeds from disposal of marketable securities |
|
|
36,970 |
|
|
|
26,700 |
|
|
|
20,151 |
|
Divestiture of business, net of cash transferred |
|
|
3,253 |
|
|
|
3,318 |
|
|
|
4,930 |
|
Purchase of property, plant and equipment |
|
|
(2,652 |
) |
|
|
(2,716 |
) |
|
|
(4,900 |
) |
Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment |
|
|
949 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
46 |
|
Proceeds from sales of investment option rights |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
580 |
|
Purchase of marketable securities |
|
|
(20,184 |
) |
|
|
(42,509 |
) |
|
|
(26,552 |
) |
Purchase of investments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1,827 |
) |
Purchase of intangible assets |
|
|
(1,005 |
) |
|
|
(2,583 |
) |
|
|
(4,642 |
) |
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(26,760 |
) |
|
|
(13,983 |
) |
Increase in loan receivable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2,500 |
) |
Decrease (increase) in refundable deposits |
|
|
42 |
|
|
|
(197 |
) |
|
|
(610 |
) |
Decrease in other assets |
|
|
(16 |
) |
|
|
(82 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Increase in deferred assets |
|
|
(331 |
) |
|
|
(368 |
) |
|
|
(314 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities |
|
|
17,202 |
|
|
|
(47,886 |
) |
|
|
(33,171 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Continued)
F-7
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Continued)
For the Years Ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007
(in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from (repayment of) short-term borrowings |
|
|
(284 |
) |
|
|
12,853 |
|
|
|
20,126 |
|
Capital contribution received from minority shareholders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 |
|
Redemption of convertible notes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(15,000 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Increase (decrease) in refundable deposits |
|
|
268 |
|
|
|
(80 |
) |
|
|
(117 |
) |
Cash received from the exercise of stock options |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,265 |
|
|
|
2,733 |
|
Issuance of common shares for employee stock purchase plan |
|
|
263 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities |
|
|
247 |
|
|
|
(962 |
) |
|
|
22,772 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exchange difference |
|
|
(473 |
) |
|
|
46 |
|
|
|
627 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH
EQUIVALENTS |
|
|
28,498 |
|
|
|
(19,359 |
) |
|
|
46,191 |
|
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF
YEAR |
|
|
13,233 |
|
|
|
41,731 |
|
|
|
22,372 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF YEAR |
|
$ |
41,731 |
|
|
$ |
22,372 |
|
|
$ |
68,563 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW
INFORMATION: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest paid during the year |
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
581 |
|
|
$ |
621 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax paid during the year |
|
$ |
323 |
|
|
$ |
455 |
|
|
$ |
827 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NON-CASH FINANCING AND INVESTING ACTIVITIES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unrealized holding (loss) gain on available-for-sale securities |
|
|
($333 |
) |
|
$ |
335 |
|
|
$ |
58 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accrual for investing in marketable securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
2,204 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issuance of common shares for acquisition |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
2,703 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issuance of convertible notes as acquisition consideration |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
15,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustment to acquisition purchase price |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Divestiture of business |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
4,966 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-8
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
|
|
|
NOTE 1. |
|
BUSINESS OVERVIEW, BASIS OF PRESENTATION, AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
(a) Business Overview
GigaMedia Limited (referred to herein as GigaMedia, our Company, we, us, or our) is a major
provider of online entertainment software and services, with headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan.
We conduct our online entertainment business in two business segments: our gaming software and
service business, which develops and licenses software for online real-money gaming solutions and
applications; and our online game and service business, which operates play-for-fun games online.
The gaming software and service business develops and licenses online poker and casino gaming
software solutions and application services, primarily targeting emerging continental European
markets. As a software developer and support service provider, we offer software solutions for
online gaming, which we license under a software license and support service contract.
The online game and service business operates a suite of play-for-fun online games and provides
related services, mainly targeting online game players in Asia.
The third segment is our Internet access and service business, which provides Internet access
service with multiple delivery technologies to consumers and broadband services to corporate
customers in Taiwan.
(b) Basis of Presentation
In September 2005, we sold our legacy land-based music distribution business. (See Note 4,
Divestitures, for additional information). The music distribution business has been accounted for
as a discontinued operation under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America (GAAP) and, therefore, the results of operations of the music distribution business have
been removed from our Companys results of continuing operations for all periods.
F-9
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Principles of Consolidation
The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of GigaMedia and our wholly-owned and
majority-owned subsidiaries after elimination of all inter-company accounts and transactions. In
addition, the accounts of three variable-interest entities (VIE) as defined by the Financial
Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Interpretation No. 46(R) (FIN 46(R)) are included on the
Consolidated Financial Statements. (See Note 3, Variable-Interest Entities). The accounting
policy for other investments in securities is described in Note 1 within Marketable Securities
and Investments.
Foreign Currency Translation
The Consolidated Financial Statements of our Company and our subsidiaries have been reported in
U.S. dollars. Assets and liabilities denominated in non-U.S. currency are translated to U.S.
dollars at year-end exchange rates. Income and expense items are translated at weighted-average
rates of exchange prevailing during the year. Cumulative translation adjustments resulting from
this process are charged or credited to other comprehensive income in shareholders equity. Gains
and losses on foreign currency transactions are included in other income and expenses. Cumulative
translation adjustments as of December 31, 2005, 2006, and 2007 were $28 million, $28 million, and
$27 million, respectively.
(c) Summary of significant accounting policies
Use of Estimates
The preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to
make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and
disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the Consolidated Financial
Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual
results could differ from those estimates.
F-10
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Revenue Recognition
General
Our Company recognizes revenues when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery occurs
or services are rendered, the sales price is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably
assured.
We present the sales taxes assessed by governmental authorities on our revenue transactions on a
net basis on our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Multiple-Element Arrangements
Our Company enters into multiple-element revenue arrangements, which may include any combination of
services, software, and/or products. To the extent that a deliverable in a multiple-element
arrangement is subject to specific guidance, whether and/or how to separate multiple deliverable
arrangements into separate units of accounting (separability) and how to allocate the arrangement
consideration among those separate units of accounting (allocation) for that deliverable is
accounted for in accordance with such specific guidance. All other deliverables in multiple-element
arrangements are accounted for in accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF ) 00-21,
Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables, (EITF 00-21).
In addition to the aforementioned general policies, the following are the specific revenue
recognition policies for each major category of revenue.
Gaming Software and Service Revenues
Gaming software and service revenues are related to software we develop and license and support
services we provide for online real-money gaming solutions and applications.
Under the provisions of FIN 46(R), the results of a software licensee of our Company, Ultra
Internet Media, S.A. (UIM) have been incorporated into our Consolidated Financial Statements. UIM
and GigaMedia are separately owned. (See Note 3, Variable-Interest Entities, for additional
information). Our software licensing and support service revenues are based upon a percentage
F-11
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
of
gross receipts generated by UIMs online gaming operations, and are recognized monthly. Software
licensing and support service revenues we receive from providing such services to UIM have been
eliminated in consolidation.
UIM generates revenue by providing and promoting online games of skill and chance that are
available on its free download gaming software. Multiple-element revenue arrangements involving
UIMs provision of software and software-related elements to customers are accounted for in
accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Statement of
Position (SOP) No. 97-2, Software Revenue Recognition (SOP 97-2). UIMs online gaming service
is inseparable from the software element involved and UIM does not sell
each element separately. UIMs online gaming service does not involve significant production,
modification, or customization of the gaming software. Revenues derived from UIMs online gaming
software platform, which were included on our Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with
FIN 46(R), are recognized at the time games are played and are net of player winnings. Transaction
fee revenues derived from UIMs online multi-player poker platform are recognized as services are
provided. Commissions and other related expenses are charged to expenses as incurred.
Online Game and Service Revenues
Online game and service revenues are related to our online game and service business that operates
play-for-fun games online in Asia.
Online game revenues are collected through the sale of online game points, pre-paid cards, and game
packs. Virtual online game points are sold directly to end-users who can make the payments through
credit cards, the Internet ATMs or telecommunication service operators. Physical pre-paid cards and
game packs are sold through distributors and convenience stores. Proceeds from sales of physical
cards and game packs, net of sales discounts, and online game points are deferred when received and
revenue is recognized upon the actual usage of the playing time or in-game virtual items by the
end-users; over the estimated useful life of virtual items; or when the sold game points expire and
are no longer eligible to access the online games or
F-12
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
products in accordance with our published game
points expiration policy.
In accordance with EITF 99-19, Reporting Revenue Gross as a Principal Versus Net as an Agent, we
report sales of virtual online game points on a gross basis. In the sales of virtual online game
points, we act as principal and we have latitude in establishing price. Fixed percentage fees
retained by service providers for payment processing related to our online game services are
recognized as cost of online game revenues.
Online game and service revenues also include revenues derived from online advertising
arrangements, sponsorship arrangements, or a combination of both. These service arrangements allow
advertisers to place advertisements on particular areas of our Companys Web sites and online games
platforms over a stated period of time. Service revenues from online advertising arrangements are
recognized ratably over the displayed period of the contract when the collectability is reasonably
assured.
Internet Access and Service Revenues
Internet access and service revenues include revenues derived from provision of cable modem
Internet access services, Internet access services to corporate customers, IP bandwidth services to
cable operators that enable them to offer their own cable modem services, certain Internet
access-related services including non-refundable activation fees, billing and consulting services
and other
value-added services, and an ADSL Internet access services business, which we sold in May 2006 (See
Note 4, Divestitures, for additional information).
Cable modem, ADSL, and corporate revenues are recorded net of discounts, and in the case of our
cable modem and corporate services, net of fees paid to our cable partners in accordance with
revenue sharing agreements in effect between our Company and our cable partners. Customers have a
choice of paying either monthly or in advance for a certain period of time, for which they receive
corresponding discounts. We record any such advanced payment receipts as deferred revenues included
in other current liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets and amortize such revenues over the
F-13
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
subscription period. Revenues related to provision of bandwidth to cable operators are calculated
in accordance with revenue generated by cable operators, or subscriber numbers, or the level of
bandwidth usage. Non-refundable activation fees are combined with our Companys Internet access
revenues as a single unit of accounting. Since the activation fees are not in exchange for services
performed that represent the culmination of a separate earnings process, such fees are deferred in
accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, Revenue Recognition. As part of our Internet
access-related services, our Company also provides a variety of value-added services, including
billing, consulting, co-location, and VPN services to corporate customers, and premium mail, Web
storage space, and online photo albums, to retail customers. The value-added services are not
bundled together as a group of services within one contract, nor are they bundled with any of our
Companys broadband access services. They are billed separately.
All the Internet access and service revenues are recognized on a straight-line basis over the
subscription period or for the period in which the service is performed if no significant Company
obligations remain and collection of the receivables is reasonably assured.
Our Company also provides cable modem equipment and Internet access-related equipment solutions to
our customers on an operating lease basis. The rental service is bundled with the access service
contract. Pursuant to EITF 00-21 and Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (FAS) No. 13,
Accounting for Leases (FAS 13), the contract considerations are allocated among/between the FAS
13 deliverable and non-FAS 13 deliverable(s) based on their relative fair values. For the leased
cable modem, the amounts attributable to the rental elements are negligible and rental revenue is
recognized over the same period as the access service is rendered. Our Company therefore does not
allocate the FAS 13 deliverable separately from the total contract considerations. For leased
Internet access related equipment solutions, the FAS 13 element is separated from the contract
considerations and reported under the caption, Other Revenues.
F-14
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Other Revenues
Other revenues consist of sales of other Internet access-related products and rental income from
the lease of Internet access-related equipment to subscribers of our Companys Internet access
and service business, and are recognized when products are delivered or services are provided.
Discontinued Operations
For 2005, a portion of our Companys revenues was generated from retail sales of music merchandise
comprised of pre-recorded music (including compact discs and audio cassettes), video (including DVD
and pre-recorded video cassettes), video games and other complementary products (including
electronics, accessories, blank tapes and CD-Rs). Revenues from these retail sales were recognized
at the point of sale to the consumer, at which time payment was tendered. Our Companys policy was
to not accept sales refunds or exchanges.
We disposed of our music distribution business in September 2005, and as a result have classified
the income from these revenue-generating activities as part of discontinued operations. (See Note
4, Divestitures, for additional information).
Player Account Balances
Player account balances are related to player deposits from our gaming software and service
business. Player account balances are presented as current liabilities, which are first accrued for
in full upon the receipt of player deposits, and increased or decreased based on player activities,
including player wins or losses, withdrawals and refunds.
Deferred Revenues
Deferred revenues are included in other current liabilities, and consist of the prepaid income
related to our online game and service business, and the advance payment receipts related to
Internet access and services business.
F-15
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Operating Costs
Operating costs consist primarily of gaming software and online game processing costs, online game
royalties, production costs for prepaid game cards and game packs, amortization of intangible
assets, customer service department costs for our online game and Internet access businesses,
Internet access engineering costs, Internet access bandwidth costs, and depreciation, maintenance
and other overhead expenses directly attributable to the provision of gaming software and service
revenues, online game and service revenues, and Internet access and services revenues.
Prepaid Licensing and Royalty Fees
Our Company, through our subsidiaries and VIE subsidiaries, entered into several license agreements
with licensors to acquire licenses for the usage, marketing, distribution, selling and publishing
of multi-player online games.
Prepaid licensing fees paid to licensors are capitalized when technology feasibility is achieved,
and amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the useful economic life of the relevant
online game or license period, which is usually two to five years. The annual amortization shall be
modified if the amount computed using the ratio that current gross revenues for a game license bear
to the total of current and anticipated future gross revenues for that game license is greater than
the amount computed using the straight-line method.
Prepaid royalty fees and related costs are recognized in the period in which the related online
game revenue is recognized.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Our Companys financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, notes and accounts
receivable, marketable securities, investments, notes and accounts payable, and short-term debt.
These financial instruments are stated at their carrying value, which is a reasonable estimate of
fair value. In determining the fair value of our financial instruments, our Company uses a variety
of methods and assumptions that are based on market conditions and risks existing at each balance
sheet date. Standard market conventions and
F-16
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
techniques such as discounted cash flow analysis,
replacement cost and termination cost are used to determine fair value. All methods of assessing
fair value result in a general approximation of value and may not be indicative of the amounts that
we would realize in a current market exchange.
Cash Equivalents
Cash equivalents are short-term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known
amounts of cash and so near to their maturity that they present insignificant risk from changes in
interest rates. Commercial paper, negotiable certificates of deposit, time deposits and bank
acceptances with original maturities of three months or less are considered to be cash equivalents.
Marketable Securities
All of our Companys investments in marketable securities are classified as available-for-sale.
Available-for-sale marketable securities are accounted for in accordance with FAS No. 115
Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities (FAS 115). These marketable
securities are stated at fair value with any unrealized gains or losses recorded in accumulated
other comprehensive income (loss) in shareholders equity until realized.
Other-than-temporary declines in market value from original cost are included on the current years
Consolidated Statements of Operations. In determining whether an other-than-temporary decline in
the market value has occurred, our Company considers the duration that, and extent to which, fair
value of the investment is below its cost. Realized gains and losses also are included in
non-operating income and expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Investments
We apply Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) No. 18, The Equity Method of Accounting for
Investments in Common Stock in accounting for our investments.
F-17
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Equity investments in non-publicly traded securities over which our Company has no ability to
exercise significant influence are accounted for under the cost method. The equity investments
accounted for under the cost method as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 were $0 thousand and $1,850
thousand, respectively.
Equity investments in companies over which our Company has the ability to exercise significant
influence but does not hold a controlling interest are accounted for under the equity method and
our Companys proportionate share of income or losses is recorded in non-operating income or
expenses. The difference between the cost of the acquisition and the Companys share of fair value
of the net identifiable assets is recognized as goodwill and is included in the carrying amount of
the investment. The equity investments accounted for under the equity method as of December 31,
2006 and 2007 were $0 thousand and $2,762 thousand, respectively.
Unrealized losses that are considered other-than-temporary, if any, are included on the current
years Consolidated Statements of Operations. Realized gains and losses, measured against carrying
amount, are also included on the current years Consolidated Statements of Operations. There is no
other-than-temporary loss in 2007, therefore, the fair value of a cost-method investment is not
estimated.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
An allowance for doubtful accounts is provided based on an evaluation of collectability of notes
receivable, accounts receivable, and other receivables. An allowance for doubtful accounts is also
provided, when considered necessary, to loans receivable. We review loans receivable individually
and the evaluation primarily consists of an analysis based upon current information available about
the borrowers.
For those accounts in which a loss is probable, we record a specific reserve. Receivable losses are
charged against the allowance when the Company believes the uncollectability of the receivable is
confirmed. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance.
F-18
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is
provided on a straight-line basis over useful lives that correspond to categories as follows:
|
|
|
Categories |
|
Years |
Buildings |
|
50 |
Information and communication equipment |
|
2 to 5 |
Office furniture and equipment |
|
3 to 5 |
Leasehold improvements |
|
2 to 5 |
Other |
|
3 to 5 |
Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the life of the lease or the assets, whichever is
shorter. Improvements and replacements are capitalized and depreciated over their estimated useful
lives, while ordinary repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
Acquisitions
Our Company accounts for acquisitions using the purchase method as required by FAS No. 141,
Business Combinations, (FAS 141). Under FAS 141, the acquiring company allocates the purchase
price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the
date of acquisition, including intangible assets that can be identified. The purchase price in
excess of the fair value of the net assets and liabilities identified is recorded as goodwill, for
which the provisions of FAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (FAS 142) applies.
Intangible Assets and Goodwill
Our Companys intangible assets with definite lives are being amortized by the straight-line method
over their estimated useful lives, ranging from three to 10 years. Our Companys intangible assets
with an indefinite useful life are not amortized. The recoverability of intangible assets is
evaluated periodically and takes into account events or circumstances that warrant revised
estimates of useful lives or that indicate that impairment exists.
All goodwill, including goodwill related to acquisitions prior to July 1, 2002, is not amortized.
F-19
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Goodwill and Long-Lived Assets
Potential impairment of goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives has been
evaluated using the specific guidance provided by FAS 142. This impairment analysis is performed,
at the reporting unit level, at least annually, or whenever events or changes in circumstances
indicate that the carrying value of an asset might not be recoverable from its related future
undiscounted cash flows. Impairment is measured as the difference between the carrying amounts and
the fair value of the assets, and is recognized as a loss from operations.
Potential impairment of long-lived assets other than goodwill and intangible assets not being
amortized has been evaluated using the guidance provided by FAS No. 144, Accounting for the
Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, (FAS 144). This impairment analysis is performed,
at least annually, or
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset might not
be recoverable from its related future undiscounted cash flows. If such assets are considered to be
impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of
the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. The estimate of fair value is generally based on
quoted market prices or on the best available information, including prices for similar assets and
the results of using other valuation techniques. When an impairment is identified, the carrying
amount of the asset is reduced to its estimated fair value.
Software Cost
We recognize costs to develop our gaming software and online game products in accordance with FAS
No. 86, Accounting for Costs of Computer Software to be Sold, Leased or Otherwise Marketed.
Accordingly, costs are capitalized after technological feasibility has been established, until such
time when the product is available for general release to customers. Costs incurred prior to the
establishment of technological feasibility are expensed when incurred and are included in product
development and engineering expenses. Capitalized amounts are amortized using the straight-line
method, which is applied over the useful economic life of the software, ranging from three to five
years. The annual amortization shall be modified if the amount computed using the ratio
F-20
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
that
current gross revenues for a product bear to the total of current and anticipated future gross
revenues for that product is greater than the amount computed using the straight-line method.
We capitalize certain costs incurred to purchase or to create and implement internal-use computer
software, which includes software coding, installation, testing and certain data conversion in
accordance with SOP 98-1, Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software Developed or Obtained for
Internal Use. These capitalized costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of
the useful economic life of the software or its contractual license period, with ranges from three
to five years.
Product Development and Engineering
Product development and engineering expenses consist primarily of research compensation,
depreciation, and amortization, and are expensed as incurred.
Advertising
Direct-response advertising costs incurred related to the acquisition or origination of a customer
relationship are capitalized and deferred. The deferred costs are recognized on the Consolidated
Statements of Operations over the estimated lives of customer relationship. As of December 31, 2006
and 2007, $205 thousand and $1.8 million, respectively of advertising were reported as assets.
All other advertising expenditures are expensed as incurred. Advertising
expenses incurred in 2005, 2006 and 2007 totaled $915 thousand, $6.6 million and $24.7 million,
respectively (including $93 thousand reported in discontinued operations in 2005).
Stock-Based Compensation
Prior to January 1, 2006, we elected to measure stock-based compensation expense using the
intrinsic value method prescribed by APB No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, (APB
25), as interpreted, with pro-forma disclosures of net income and earnings per share, as if the
fair-value method of accounting defined in FAS No. 123 Accounting for Stock-Based
F-21
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Compensation,
(FAS 123), were used. Had our Company determined the stock-based compensation expense for our
stock options based upon the fair-value as determined by the Black-Scholes option-pricing model at
the grant date for the year ended December 31, 2005, our net income and earnings per share would
have been as the following pro-forma amounts indicate:
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands, |
|
Year Ended |
|
except per share figures) |
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2005 |
|
Net income |
|
|
|
|
As reported |
|
$ |
6,336 |
|
Less: Stock compensation expense,
net of related tax effects |
|
|
(1,951 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Pro-forma |
|
$ |
4,385 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings per share: |
|
|
|
|
As reported basic |
|
$ |
0.13 |
|
As reported diluted |
|
|
0.12 |
|
Pro-forma basic |
|
|
0.09 |
|
Pro-forma diluted |
|
|
0.08 |
|
(See Note 20, Share-Based Compensation, for the assumptions and methodology used to determine the
fair value of stock-based compensation).
Effective January 1, 2006, we adopted the fair value recognition provisions of FAS No. 123(R),
Share-Based Payment (FAS 123(R)), using the modified prospective method and therefore have not
restated results for prior periods. Under this transition method, stock-based compensation expense
for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2007 includes compensation expense for all stock-based
compensation awards granted prior to, but not yet vested as of
January 1, 2006 based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with the original
provision of FAS 123. Stock-based compensation expense for all stock-based compensation awards
granted after January 1, 2006 is based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with
the provision of FAS 123(R). FAS 123(R) requires companies to estimate the fair value of
share-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model. The value of the
portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest
F-22
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
is recognized as expense over the
requisite service period. In connection with the adoption of FAS 123(R), we changed our method of
attributing the value of stock-based compensation to expense from the graded-vesting method to the
straight-line method. Compensation expense for all share-based payment awards granted prior to
January 1, 2006 have been recognized using the graded-vesting method, while compensation expense
for all share-based payment awards granted subsequent to January 1, 2006 are recognized using the
straight-line method. Since our Company had not recorded any compensation cost in our Statement of
Operations prior to the adoption of FAS 123(R), no cumulative effect adjustment was recorded upon
adoption. We have also applied the provisions of Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107 (SAB 107) in
our adoption of FAS 123(R). (See Note 20, Share-Based Compensation, for additional information).
Our Company accounts for shares and stock options granted to non-employees in accordance with EITF
96-18, Accounting for Equity Instruments That Are Issued to Other Than Employees for Acquiring or
In Conjunction with Selling Goods or Services, (EITF 96-18). Accordingly, we measure the fair
value of the equity instruments granted to non-employees at the earlier of the performance
commitment date or when performance is completed.
Retirement Plan and Net Periodic Pension Cost
Under a defined benefit pension plan, net periodic pension cost, which includes service cost,
interest cost, expected return on plan assets, amortization of unrecognized net transition
obligation and gains or losses on plan assets, is recognized based on an actuarial valuation
report. Effective December 31, 2006, our Company adopted the provisions of FAS No. 158, Employers
Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Post-Retirement Plans An Amendment of FASB
Statements Nos. 87, 88, 106, and 132(R), (FAS 158). FAS 158 requires the recognition of the
funded status of pension plans and non-pension post-retirement benefit plans (retirement-related
benefit plans) as an asset or a liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. In addition, the
pronouncement requires previously unrecognized items, such as actuarial gains and unrecognized
prior service costs or credits, to be recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as a
F-23
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
component
of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). The provisions of FAS 158 were adopted pursuant
to the transition provisions therein. (See Note 18, Pension Benefits, for additional information,
including the incremental effect of the adoption on our Consolidated Financial Statements).
Under our defined contribution pension plan, net periodic pension cost is
recognized as incurred.
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity of a company from transactions and
other events and circumstances, excluding transactions resulting from investments from owners and
distributions to owners. Comprehensive income (loss) is recorded as a component of shareholders
equity. Our Companys comprehensive income (loss) consists of net income or loss, foreign currency
translation adjustments, changes in unrealized holding gains and losses on marketable securities,
unrecognized actuarial gains or losses related to our defined benefit pension plan, and
unrecognized transition assets or obligations arising from the adoption of FAS 158.
Accounting for Income Taxes
We have adopted FAS No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, (FAS 109). Under FAS 109, the asset
and liability method is used in accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets
and liabilities are determined based on the differences between financial reporting and tax bases
of assets and liabilities. We recognize the tax benefit from the purchase of equipment and
technology, research and development expenditures, employee training, and certain equity
investments using the flow-through method. Loss carryforwards and investment credits are measured
using the enacted tax rate and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to
reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the
amount that will more likely than not be realized. In assessing the likelihood of realization,
management considers estimates of future taxable income.
F-24
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Effective January 1, 2007, we adopted FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in
Income Taxes, an Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109, (FIN 48) , which prescribes a
recognition threshold and measurement attribute for financial statement recognition and measurement
of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. Under FIN 48, our Company
recognizes the financial statement impact of a tax position when it is more likely than not that
the position will be sustained upon examination. If the tax position meets the more-likely-than-not
recognition threshold, the tax effect is recognized at the largest amount of the benefit that has
greater than a fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The interest
and penalties are reflected as income taxes benefits (expenses) on our Consolidated Financial
Statements. The current portion of FIN 48 tax liabilities is included in income tax liability and
the noncurrent portion of tax liabilities is included in other liabilities on the Consolidated
Balance Sheets. (See Note 22, Income Taxes, for more information).
Earnings Per Share
We compute earnings per share in accordance with FAS No. 128, Earnings Per
Share, (FAS 128). Under the provisions of FAS 128, basic earnings per share is computed by
dividing the net income available to common shareholders for the period by the weighted average
number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed by
dividing the net income for the period by the weighted average number of common shares and
potential common shares outstanding during the period. Potential common shares, composed of
incremental common shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants and stock-based compensation and
the assumed conversion of convertible debt and convertible preferred shares, are included in the
computation of diluted earnings per share to the extent such shares are dilutive. Diluted EPS also
takes into consideration the effect of diluted securities issued by subsidiaries.
F-25
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Minority Interest
Minority interest includes 100 percent of the common stock of UIM held by third-party shareholders.
UIM was deemed a VIE as defined by FIN 46(R) and our Company was considered the primary beneficiary
of UIM. Under the provisions of FIN 46(R), we have incorporated the results of UIM into our 2005,
2006 and 2007 Consolidated Financial Statements, even though we own none of UIMs equity. (See Note
3, Variable-Interest Entities, for more information).
Beginning in December 2006, minority interest also includes 30 percent of the common stock of
Dragongate Enterprises Limited (Dragongate Enterprises), which is held by Cyber Gateway Pte. Ltd.
(Cyber Gateway), which is 100 percent owned by Infocomm Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd. (Infocomm
Asia). We also own 500,000 voting convertible preferred shares of Infocomm Asia. (See Note 11,
Marketable Securities Noncurrent, for additional information).
Beginning in June 2007, we consolidated T2CN Holding Limited (T2CN), which is included in the
online game and service business, and the results of T2CN have been incorporated on the
Consolidated Financial Statements. As of December 31, 2007, minority interest also includes 41.89
percent of the common stock of T2CN, which is held by third-party shareholders. (See Note 5,
Acquisitions, for more information).
Prior to the sale of the music distribution business in September 2005, minority interest also
included 41.42 percent of the common stock of G-Music Limited held by third-party shareholders;
subsequent to the divestiture of G-Music Limited, related minority interest income was included in
discontinued operations.
Reclassification
The presentation of certain prior years information has been reclassified to conform with current
year presentations.
F-26
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In September 2006, the FASB issued FAS No. 157, Fair Value Measures, (FAS 157), which defines
fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures about assets
and liabilities measured at fair value. The statement will be effective for financial statements
issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. In February 2008, the FASB issued Staff
Positions No. 157-1 and No. 157-2 which partially defer the effective date of FAS 157 for one year
for certain nonfinancial assets and liabilities and remove certain leasing transactions from its
scope. We are in the process of determining what effect, if any, the adoption of FAS 157 will have
on our Consolidated Financial Statements.
In February 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and
Liabilities, (FAS 159). FAS 159 permits companies to choose to measure many financial
instruments and certain other items at fair value. If the fair value option is elected, unrealized
gains and losses will be recognized in earnings at each subsequent reporting date. FAS 159 will be
effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. We are in the process of determining
what effect, if any, the adoption of FAS 159 will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements.
In June 2007, the FASBs Emerging Issues Task Force reached a consensus on EITF Issue No. 07-3,
Accounting for Nonrefundable Advance Payments for Goods or Services to Be Used in Future Research
and Development Activities, (EITF 07-3), that would require nonrefundable advance payments made
by the Company for future R&D activities to be deferred and capitalized, and recognized as an
expense as the related goods are delivered or the related services are performed by the Company.
The adoption of EITF 07-3 had no material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.
In December 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 141(R), Business Combinations (FAS 141(R)). Under FAS
141(R), an acquiring entity will be required to recognize all the assets acquired and liabilities
assumed in a transaction at the acquisition-date fair value with limited exceptions. FAS 141(R)
applies prospectively to business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after the
beginning of the first annual reporting period
F-27
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
beginning on or after December 15, 2008. We are in the process of determining what effect, if any,
the adoption of FAS 141(R) will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements.
In December 2007, the FASB issued FAS No. 160, Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial
Statements an Amendment of ARB No. 51, (FAS 160). FAS 160 establishes new accounting and
reporting standards for the noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary and for the deconsolidation of
a subsidiary. FAS 160 will be effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal
years, beginning on or after December 15, 2008. We are in the process of determining what effect,
if any, the adoption of FAS 160 will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements.
F-28
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
NOTE 2. EARNINGS PER SHARE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands, except per share figures) |
|
For the years ended December 31, |
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average outstanding shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic |
|
|
50,312 |
|
|
|
50,921 |
|
|
|
52,876 |
|
Effect of dilutive securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Employee share-based compensation |
|
|
4,747 |
|
|
|
7,509 |
|
|
|
7,146 |
|
Convertible notes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,684 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Diluted |
|
|
55,059 |
|
|
|
61,114 |
|
|
|
60,022 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings Per Share Basic |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income from continuing operations |
|
$ |
6,490 |
|
|
$ |
30,784 |
|
|
$ |
38,890 |
|
Loss from discontinued operations,
net of taxes |
|
|
(154 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income |
|
$ |
6,336 |
|
|
$ |
30,784 |
|
|
$ |
38,890 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings per share |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Continuing operations |
|
$ |
0.13 |
|
|
$ |
0.60 |
|
|
$ |
0.74 |
|
Discontinued operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
0.13 |
|
|
$ |
0.60 |
|
|
$ |
0.74 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings Per Share Diluted |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income from continuing operations |
|
$ |
6,490 |
|
|
$ |
30,784 |
|
|
$ |
38,890 |
|
Interest charges associated with convertible notes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
288 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income from continuing operations after assumed
conversion of convertible notes |
|
|
6,490 |
|
|
|
31,072 |
|
|
|
38,890 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss from discontinued operations,
net of taxes |
|
|
(154 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income after assumed conversion of convertible
notes and discontinued operations |
|
$ |
6,336 |
|
|
$ |
31,072 |
|
|
$ |
38,890 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings per share |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Continuing operations |
|
$ |
0.12 |
|
|
$ |
0.51 |
|
|
$ |
0.65 |
|
Discontinued operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
0.12 |
|
|
$ |
0.51 |
|
|
$ |
0.65 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE 3. VARIABLE-INTEREST ENTITIES
Our Company adopted FIN 46 in July 2003. FIN 46 requires certain VIEs to be consolidated by the
primary beneficiary of the entity if the equity investors in the entity do not have the
characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do
F-29
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional
subordinated financial support from other parties. The FASB amended FIN 46 by issuing FIN 46(R) in
December 2003. FIN 46(R) is an update of FIN 46 and contains different implementation dates based
on types of entities subject to the standard and based on whether a company has adopted FIN 46.
Accordingly, the financial statements of the following VIEs have been consolidated into our
Companys Consolidated Financial Statements since July 1, 2003 or their respective date of
establishment or acquisition, whichever is later.
In April of 2004, our Company entered into a software license and support service contract with UIM
to provide Internet software support services for UIMs online gaming operations. The contract
allows for us to charge a percentage of UIM gross receipts resulting from UIMs online gaming
operations. The percentage of gross receipts varies depending upon the software and support
services provided to UIM. We analyzed the provisions of FIN 46(R) as it relates to contractual
relationships and determined that we were and continue to be a primary beneficiary of UIM. As a
result of such determination, we have incorporated the results of UIM into our Consolidated
Financial Statements, even though we own none of UIMs equity, and recorded goodwill arising from
the consolidation of UIM totaling $209 thousand. UIMs net assets as of December 31, 2006 and 2007
were approximately $784 thousand and $933 thousand, respectively. The consolidation of UIM resulted
in increases in assets and liabilities of approximately $12.8 million and $12.1 million,
respectively, in 2006, and $32.9 million and $31.9 million, respectively, in 2007.
Beginning in June 2007, we consolidated T2CN. Pursuant to various agreements entered into between
T2CN, Shanghai T2 Entertainment Co., Ltd. (T2 Entertainment), Shanghai T2 Advertisement Co., Ltd.
(T2 Advertisement) and the equity owners of T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement, T2CN generally
has control and the risks and rewards of ownership of T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement and is
considered the primary beneficiary of T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement. T2 Entertainment and
T2 Advertisement were established to hold the necessary licenses for our participation in online
game and related advertisement
F-30
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
services in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Accordingly, from the date that we consolidated
T2CN, the results of T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement are included in the accompanying
Consolidated Financial Statements.
Details of certain key agreements between T2CN and its VIEs are as follows:
Shareholder Voting Rights Proxy Agreements. The shareholders of T2 Entertainment and T2
Advertisement entered into Shareholder Voting Rights Proxy Agreements with T2CN Information
Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (T2CN Technology), under which each shareholder irrevocably
granted T2CN Technology the power to exercise all voting rights to which they were entitled as
shareholders of T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement.
Exclusive Equity Transfer Call Agreements. T2CN entered into exclusive equity transfer call
agreements with each of the shareholders of T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement, under which the
parties irrevocably agreed that, at T2CNs sole discretion, it will be entitled to acquire all or
part of the equity interests in T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement, to the extent as permitted
by the then-effective PRC laws and regulations.
Exclusive Technical Service and Consultancy Agreement. T2CN Technology and T2 Entertainment
and T2 Advertisement entered into certain exclusive technical service and consultancy agreements
whereby T2CN Technology provides T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement with technical consulting
and related services and information services. T2CN Technology is the exclusive provider of these
services. The initial term of these agreements is eighteen years. In consideration for those
services, T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement have agreed to pay service fees to T2CN Technology.
The service fees are eliminated upon consolidation.
Equity Pledge Agreements. To secure the full performance of their respective obligations
under a related exclusive technical service and consultancy agreement and shareholder voting rights
proxy agreements, the shareholders of T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement have pledged all of
their equity
F-31
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
interests in T2 Entertainment and T2 Advertisement to T2CN Technology under equity pledge
agreements.
T2 Entertainments and T2 Advertisements net assets as of December 31, 2007 were approximately
$115 thousand and $63 thousand, respectively. The consolidation of T2 Entertainment and T2
Advertisement resulted in increases in assets of approximately $4.7 million and $201 thousand,
respectively, and in liabilities of approximately $4.6 million and $138 thousand, respectively, in
2007.
NOTE 4. DIVESTITURES
Divestiture Music Distribution Business
In September 2005, we completed the sale of our land-based music distribution business. The
transaction price, net of transaction costs, was $5.02 million. The cash proceeds, net of
transaction costs and cash transferred, was $3.25 million. Results for the music distribution
operations were reported as discontinued operations in 2005. In 2005, such amount was negative $154
thousand, which included an after-tax loss from the music distribution business, net of minority
interest, of $1.07 million and a gain on the sale of the business of $911 thousand. (See Note 1,
Business Overview, Basis of Presentation, and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (b)
Basis of Presentation, for additional information).
Summarized select financial information for discontinued operations is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
2005 |
|
Revenue |
|
$ |
37,907 |
|
|
|
|
|
Loss before tax and
minority interest income |
|
$ |
(1,861 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Income tax benefit |
|
$ |
(1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Minority interest loss |
|
$ |
(796 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Loss from discontinued
operations |
|
$ |
(154 |
) |
|
|
|
|
F-32
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Major classes of assets and liabilities which comprised the music distribution business at the date
of disposal, September 29, 2005, included the following:
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
|
|
|
Cash (including restricted cash) |
|
$ |
3,098 |
|
Accounts receivable |
|
|
1,842 |
|
Inventory |
|
|
6,679 |
|
Other current assets |
|
|
683 |
|
Property and equipment |
|
|
1,666 |
|
Intangible assets |
|
|
4,689 |
|
Other assets |
|
|
1,553 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets |
|
$ |
20,210 |
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable |
|
$ |
11,239 |
|
Other liabilities |
|
|
1,945 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total liabilities |
|
$ |
13,184 |
|
|
|
|
|
Divestiture ADSL Business
In May 2006, we sold our ADSL Internet access and service business to Webs-TV Digital International
Corporation (Webs-TV). The total transaction price of approximately $18.1 million consisted of a
cash consideration of approximately $8.9 million related to the sale of the ADSL business, and a
cash consideration of approximately $9.2 million related to the provision of certain agreed upon
services, including bandwidth, billing, and consulting services, and the right to use GigaMedias
ADSL brand for a period of five years. (See Note 24, Commitments and Contingencies, for
additional information). Cash proceeds in 2006 and 2007 from the sale of the ADSL business, net of
transaction costs and VAT, were approximately $3.3 million and $4.9 million, respectively.
Our results of continuing operations in 2006 included a pre-tax one-time gain from the sale of the
ADSL business of $7.7 million, which was recorded in non-operating income. The ADSL business does
not qualify under FAS 144 as a component that may be reported as discontinued operations since the
operations and cash flows of our ADSL business cannot be clearly distinguished operationally and
for financial reporting purposes from the rest of our Internet access and service business.
Therefore, we have not reported the sale of our ADSL business as discontinued operations.
F-33
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
NOTE 5. ACQUISITIONS
Acquisition T2CN
Beginning in June 2007, we consolidated T2CN. T2CN is a leading operator and provider of online
sport games in the PRC. We acquired T2CN in order to enhance our position in the online game market
in Asia. This primary factor and among others, contributed to a purchase price in excess of the
fair market value of the net tangible assets and intangible assets acquired.
As of December 31, 2007, we owned 38,613,681 common shares of T2CN, which represents a controlling
interest of 58.11 percent of the total outstanding voting rights of T2CN. The following summarizes
our acquisitions of T2CN during 2006 and 2007.
2006
In April 2006, our Company entered into a strategic investment agreement with T2CN, pursuant to
which we made an investment of $15.0 million to acquire 7,500,000 voting preferred shares
convertible into 7,500,000 common shares, or an approximately 19.02 percent interest in T2CN.
2007
In February 2007, we made an additional investment of $19.3 million to acquire 18,118,926 common
shares of T2CN, representing a 39.87 percent holding in T2CNs common shares. The investment in
T2CN was accounted for under the equity method. The first payment was paid on February 12, 2007,
which consisted of approximately $9.4 million, including related costs, in cash and 173,814 shares
of common stock of GigaMedia, valued at approximately $2.1 million. The value of the 173,814 common
shares issued was determined based on the market price of GigaMedias common shares at the time the
terms of acquisition were agreed to and the number of shares became fixed. The remaining purchase
price of $7.8 million was paid in cash on August 15, 2007.
In May 2007, we acquired an additional 7,500,000 convertible preferred shares of T2CN for all-cash
consideration of $75 thousand, pursuant to our exercise of
F-34
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
the rights stated in a shareholder agreement which we entered into with T2CN and certain of its shareholders in April 2006, which was
amended and restated in November 2006. We were granted rights to subscribe for additional
convertible preferred shares of T2CN, based on the financial performance of T2CN during
each of the twelve-month periods ending March 31, 2007 and December 31, 2007.
In June 2007, we entered into a voting trust agreement with a shareholder of T2CN, pursuant to
which we obtained voting rights over an additional 1.28 percent of the outstanding voting rights of
T2CN. This voting trust agreement expired August 31, 2007.
In July 2007, we converted our 15,000,000 convertible voting preferred shares of T2CN into
15,000,000 common shares. We also acquired 5,494,755 common shares of T2CN for approximately $3.7
million in cash and 52,571 shares of common stock of GigaMedia, valued at approximately $656
thousand. The value of the 52,571 common shares issued was determined based on the market price of
GigaMedias common shares at the time the terms of acquisition were agreed to and the number of
shares became fixed.
In connection with the acquisitions, we recorded goodwill of $29.4 million. Such goodwill amount is
non-deductible for tax purposes. Since June 1, 2007, results of T2CNs operations have been
included on our Consolidated Financial Statements under the online game and service business. The
identified intangible assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their useful lives
of 3.5 years.
The purchase price of T2CN shares was determined based on the managements estimate of the fair
value of T2CN in connection with the acquisitions. The purchase price allocation of the acquisition
is as follows:
F-35
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amortization life |
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
(in years) |
|
Amount |
|
Cash acquired |
|
|
|
$ |
11,773 |
|
Marketable securities / Investments |
|
|
|
|
3,724 |
|
Other current assets |
|
|
|
|
5,892 |
|
Fixed assets / non-current assets |
|
|
|
|
3,717 |
|
Intangible assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capitalized software cost |
|
3.5~5 |
|
|
2,974 |
|
Goodwill |
|
N/A |
|
|
29,354 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets acquired |
|
|
|
|
57,434 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities |
|
|
|
|
11,500 |
|
Noncurrent liabilities |
|
|
|
|
1,050 |
|
Minority interest |
|
|
|
|
6,171 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total liabilities assumed |
|
|
|
|
18,721 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total purchase price |
|
|
|
$ |
38,713 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following unaudited pro-forma information presents a summary of the results of operations of
our Company for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2007 as if we controlled 58.11 percent of the
outstanding total voting rights of T2CN and consolidated T2CN as of the beginning of the periods
presented.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands, |
|
Year ended December 31 |
|
except per share figures) |
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
|
Unaudited |
|
|
Unaudited |
|
Net revenue |
|
$ |
105,629 |
|
|
$ |
172,473 |
|
Income from operations |
|
|
4,186 |
|
|
|
38,617 |
|
Net income |
|
|
21,009 |
|
|
|
38,980 |
|
Basic earnings per share |
|
|
0.41 |
|
|
|
0.74 |
|
Diluted earnings per share |
|
|
0.35 |
|
|
|
0.65 |
|
The unaudited pro forma supplemental information is based on estimates and assumptions, which we
believe are reasonable; it is not necessarily indicative of the consolidated financial position or
results of income in future periods or the results that actually would have been realized had we
been a combined company during 2006 and 2007. The above unaudited pro-forma financial information
includes adjustments for the amortization of identified intangible assets.
F-36
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Acquisition FunTown
On January 2, 2006, GigaMedia acquired certain assets and liabilities of FunTown, which is included
in our online game and service business, from TWP Corporation. FunTown is one of the leading online
game operators in Asia. We acquired FunTown in order to establish our position in the online game
market. This primary factor and among others, contributed to a purchase price in excess of the fair
market value of the net tangible assets and intangible assets acquired. The total purchase price of
approximately $43.0 million consisted of a cash payment of approximately $27.2 million and
convertible notes in the aggregate principal amount of $15.0 million with a yield to maturity of 0
percent per annum excluding any contingent interest, representing a valuation premium of
approximately $756 thousand. Direct transaction costs amounting to approximately $110 thousand were
included as part of the acquisition cost. The convertible notes were issued on January 1, 2006 by
our Company to TWP Corporation, in the aggregate principal amount of approximately NT$494 million
($15.0 million) with 50 percent maturing on January 1, 2008 and 50 percent maturing on January 1,
2009 and were convertible into 4,794,323 shares of our common stock at $3.1287 per share. (The
conversion price was subject to adjustment for stock dividends, stock splits, reverse stock splits,
recapitalizations, mergers, and other dilutions). On January 1, 2006, we pledged our share holdings
in Hoshin GigaMedia Center Inc. (Hoshin GigaMedia), one of our subsidiaries, as collateral for
the convertible notes. These convertible notes were fully redeemed in July and September, 2006.
(See Note 17, Convertible Notes, for more information).
In 2007, we made an additional incentive payment of approximately $4.8 million, net of VAT, which
amount was determined based on the adjusted pre-tax income of FunTown in 2006 as compared to 2005.
In connection with the acquisition, including the incentive payment, we recorded goodwill of $26.2
million, which was assigned to our online game and service business. Such goodwill amount is
deductible for tax purposes. Since the closing of the acquisition on January 2, 2006, results of
FunTowns operations have been included on our Consolidated Financial Statements
F-37
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
under the online game and service business. The identified intangible assets (other than the trade name and
trademark) are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their useful lives ranging from five
to nine years, and the overall weighted-average life is 7.47 years.
The purchase price allocation of the acquisition, including the additional incentive payment paid
in 2007, is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
Amortization
life (in years) |
|
Original amount |
|
|
Price adjustment |
|
|
Total allocation |
|
Cash acquired |
|
|
|
$ |
463 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
463 |
|
Accounts receivable |
|
|
|
|
3,626 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,626 |
|
Other current assets |
|
|
|
|
106 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
106 |
|
Fixed assets / non-current assets |
|
|
|
|
628 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
628 |
|
Intangible assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trade name and trademark |
|
N/A |
|
|
10,795 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10,795 |
|
Customer relationships |
|
9 |
|
|
5,546 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,546 |
|
Completed technology |
|
7 |
|
|
2,301 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,301 |
|
Self-developed software |
|
5 |
|
|
1,534 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,534 |
|
Other |
|
5 |
|
|
73 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
73 |
|
Goodwill |
|
N/A |
|
|
21,409 |
|
|
|
4,762 |
|
|
|
26,171 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets acquired |
|
|
|
|
46,481 |
|
|
|
4,762 |
|
|
|
51,243 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities |
|
|
|
|
(3,501 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3,501 |
) |
Noncurrent liabilities |
|
|
|
|
(1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total liabilities assumed |
|
|
|
|
(3,502 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3,502 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total purchase price |
|
|
|
$ |
42,979 |
|
|
$ |
4,762 |
|
|
$ |
47,741 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following unaudited pro-forma information presents a summary of the results of operations of
our Company as of December 31, 2005 as if the acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2005.
F-38
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands, |
|
Year ended |
|
except per share figures) |
|
December 31 |
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
Unaudited |
|
Net revenue |
|
$ |
61,219 |
|
Income from operations |
|
|
8,949 |
|
Net income |
|
|
11,279 |
|
Basic earnings per share |
|
|
0.22 |
|
Diluted earnings per share |
|
|
0.20 |
|
The above unaudited pro-forma financial information includes adjustments for interest expense
associated with the convertible notes, amortization and depreciation of identified assets.
NOTE 6. GOODWILL
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gaming software |
|
|
Online game |
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
and service |
|
|
and service |
|
|
Total |
|
Balance as of December 31, 2005 |
|
$ |
29,243 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
29,243 |
|
Acquisition |
|
|
|
|
|
|
21,409 |
|
|
|
21,409 |
|
Post-acquisition adjustment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
5,000 |
|
Translation adjustment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
165 |
|
|
|
165 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance as of December 31, 2006 |
|
|
29,243 |
|
|
|
26,574 |
|
|
|
55,817 |
|
Acquisition |
|
|
|
|
|
|
29,354 |
|
|
|
29,354 |
|
Post-acquisition adjustment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(238 |
) |
|
|
(238 |
) |
Translation adjustment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
216 |
|
|
|
216 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance as of December 31, 2007 |
|
$ |
29,243 |
|
|
$ |
55,906 |
|
|
$ |
85,149 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No impairment of goodwill has been identified during 2005, 2006, and 2007.
In 2007, we reduced goodwill by $238 thousand as a result of an adjustment of VAT.
F-39
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
NOTE 7. INTANGIBLE ASSETS NET
The following table summarizes our Companys intangible assets, by major asset class:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
December 31, 2006 |
|
|
|
Gross carrying |
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
|
|
|
|
amount |
|
|
amortization |
|
|
Net |
|
Completed technology |
|
$ |
3,619 |
|
|
$ |
(1,523 |
) |
|
$ |
2,096 |
|
Trade name |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
trademark and non-competition agreement |
|
|
11,841 |
|
|
|
(307 |
) |
|
|
11,534 |
|
Capitalized software cost |
|
|
6,333 |
|
|
|
(1,910 |
) |
|
|
4,423 |
|
Customer relationships |
|
|
5,589 |
|
|
|
(621 |
) |
|
|
4,968 |
|
Other |
|
|
66 |
|
|
|
(20 |
) |
|
|
46 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
27,448 |
|
|
$ |
(4,381 |
) |
|
$ |
23,067 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
December 31, 2007 |
|
|
|
Gross carrying |
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
|
|
|
|
amount |
|
|
amortization |
|
|
Net |
|
Completed technology |
|
$ |
3,631 |
|
|
$ |
(1,966 |
) |
|
$ |
1,665 |
|
Trade name |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
trademark and non-competition agreement |
|
|
11,898 |
|
|
|
(423 |
) |
|
|
11,475 |
|
Capitalized software cost |
|
|
12,222 |
|
|
|
(3,711 |
) |
|
|
8,511 |
|
Customer relationships |
|
|
5,618 |
|
|
|
(1,249 |
) |
|
|
4,369 |
|
Other |
|
|
66 |
|
|
|
(26 |
) |
|
|
40 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
33,435 |
|
|
$ |
(7,375 |
) |
|
$ |
26,060 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Intangible assets include trade name assets of approximately $10.9 million which are not amortized.
The remaining intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives ranging from three
to 10 years, and the overall weighted-average life is 4.71 years. No impairment of intangible
assets has been identified during any of the periods presented.
For the years ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007, total amortization expenses of intangible
assets were $1.8 million, $2.7 million, and $3.0 million, respectively (including $732 thousand
reported in discontinued operations in
F-40
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
2005), which included respective amortization of capitalized software costs of $473 thousand, $1.2
million, and $1.9 million. As of December 31, 2007, based on the current amount of intangibles
subject to amortization, the estimated amortization expense for each of the succeeding five years
is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amount |
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
2008 |
|
$ |
3,928 |
|
2009 |
|
|
3,827 |
|
2010 |
|
|
3,375 |
|
2011 |
|
|
1,512 |
|
2012 |
|
|
1,051 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
13,693 |
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE 8. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
Checking and savings accounts |
|
$ |
22,372 |
|
|
$ |
60,809 |
|
Time deposits |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7,754 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
22,372 |
|
|
$ |
68,563 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE 9. MARKETABLE SECURITIES CURRENT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
( in US$ thousands ) |
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
Available-for-sale securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Open-end funds |
|
$ |
13,816 |
|
|
$ |
11,354 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All of our Companys marketable securities current are classified as available-for-sale. As of
December 31, 2006 and 2007, the balances of unrealized gains for marketable securities current
were $610 thousand and $669 thousand, respectively. During 2005, 2006 and 2007, realized gains from
disposal of marketable securities current amounted to $850 thousand, $2.2
F-41
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
million, and $205 thousand, respectively. The costs for calculating gains on disposal were based on
each securitys average cost.
There is no unrealized loss for marketable securities current at December 31, 2006 and 2007.
On December 21, 2005, our Company entered into a put-call option agreement with an independent
third party JSDWAY Digital Technology Co., Ltd., (JSDWAY) regarding the purchase and sale of
shares of Gamania Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Gamania) owned by us. From the period December
21, 2005 to December 21, 2006, we granted JSDWAY an option to buy, at NT$18.70 per share, a total
of 4,905,000 common shares of Gamania owned by our Company, and JSDWAY granted us an option to sell
to JSDWAY, at NT$18.70 per share, the Gamania shares owned by our Company. JSDWAY also provided a
time deposit to our Company to guarantee fulfillment of its payment obligations under the
aforementioned agreement. Due to this arrangement with JSDWAY, the Gamania securities had been
classified as marketable securities current and marked to market at NT$18.70 per share.
On December 4, 2006, our Company entered into a termination agreement with JSDWAY to terminate the
put-call option agreement regarding the purchase and sale of shares of Gamania. We then sold all of
our Gamania shares in the public market in December 2006, which resulted in gains of $2.1 million.
(See Note 23, Related Party Transactions, for additional information).
NOTE 10. NOTES AND ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE NET
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
( in US$ thousands ) |
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
Notes and accounts receivable |
|
$ |
16,971 |
|
|
$ |
19,653 |
|
Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts |
|
|
(1,895 |
) |
|
|
(1,362 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net |
|
$ |
15,076 |
|
|
$ |
18,291 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
F-42
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
( in US$ thousands ) |
|
For the years ended December 31, |
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
Allowance for doubtful accounts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at beginning of year |
|
$ |
2,050 |
|
|
$ |
1,684 |
|
|
$ |
1,895 |
|
Acquisition |
|
|
|
|
|
|
163 |
|
|
|
|
|
Additions: Bad debt expenses |
|
|
203 |
|
|
|
715 |
|
|
|
743 |
|
Less: Write-offs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(681 |
) |
|
|
(1,279 |
) |
Divestiture Music distribution business |
|
|
(489 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Translation adjustment |
|
|
(80 |
) |
|
|
14 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at end of year |
|
$ |
1,684 |
|
|
$ |
1,895 |
|
|
$ |
1,362 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE 11. MARKETABLE SECURITIES NONCURRENT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
( in US$ thousands ) |
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
held as |
|
|
|
|
|
|
held as |
|
|
|
Amount |
|
|
converted basis |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
converted basis |
|
T2CN |
|
$ |
15,000 |
|
|
|
13.41 |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Infocomm Asia |
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
32.26 |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
28.43 |
|
Neostorm Holdings Limited (Neostorm) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,564 |
|
|
|
33.33 |
|
XL GAMES Inc. (XL) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,454 |
|
|
|
14.55 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
25,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
21,018 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All of our Companys marketable securities noncurrent are invested in convertible preferred
shares and classified as available-for-sale under FAS 115. The convertible preferred shares were
carried at estimated fair value, with no unrealized gain or loss as of December 31, 2006 and 2007.
The preferred shares are convertible into common shares on 1:1 basis, subject to certain
adjustments, and shall be automatically converted upon certain conditions outlined in the
agreements. The convertible preferred shares are all redeemable at certain agreed-upon conditions.
The embedded conversion options of the convertible preferred shares do not meet the definition of
derivative instruments under FAS 133, Accounting for
F-43
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Derivatives Instruments and Hedging
Activities, (FAS 133) and are not bifurcated from the preferred share investment.
We have considered the guidance provided in EITF 02-14, Whether an Investor Should Apply the
Equity Method of Accounting to Investment Other Than Common Stock, (EITF 02-14), to determine
whether our investment in preferred share are in-substance common shares which should be accounted
for under the equity method. Given that our convertible preferred shares have substantive
redemption rights, we have accounted for them as debt securities under FAS 115. We assessed the
estimated fair values and potential impairment of our investments and concluded that the estimated
fair values are approximately represented by their carrying costs.
NOTE 12. RESTRICTED CASH
Restricted cash recorded in current assets as of December 31, 2006 and 2007 consisted of the
following:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
( in US$ thousands ) |
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
Restricted cash current assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Time deposit pledged to China Trust Commercial Bank and Taipei
Fubon Commercial Bank as guarantees for bank loans |
|
$ |
2,697 |
|
|
$ |
6,247 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE 13. OTHER CURRENT ASSETS
Other current assets include a loan receivable of approximately $2.5 million from Flagship Studios,
Inc. (Flagship). In December 2007, our Company entered into a loan agreement with Flagship,
providing a note with an interest rate of 10 percent per annum to Flagship. As of December 31,
2007, we have accrued a $14 thousand interest receivable based on the stated interest rate. The
unpaid principal balance of this note, together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, is
due on or before December 31, 2008.
F-44
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
NOTE 14. SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
( in US$ thousands ) |
|
Range of |
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
Name |
|
interest rate |
|
Due Date |
|
2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
China Trust Commercial Bank |
|
2.35%~2.45% |
|
Mar. 10, 2007 |
|
$ |
6,135 |
|
China Trust Commercial Bank |
|
1.735%~1.865% |
|
Mar. 10, 2007 |
|
|
2,117 |
|
Taishin International Bank |
|
2.90%~2.95% |
|
Sept. 30, 2007 |
|
|
4,601 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
12,853 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Range of |
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
Name |
|
interest rate |
|
Due Date |
|
2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
China Trust Commercial Bank |
|
1.865%~2.95% |
|
Mar. 10, 2008 |
|
$ |
12,334 |
|
Taishin International Bank |
|
2.95%~3.39% |
|
Sept. 30, 2008 |
|
|
7,709 |
|
Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank |
|
3.902% |
|
Jul. 26, 2008 |
|
|
6,167 |
|
Far Eastern International Bank |
|
2.85%~3.17% |
|
Feb. 7, 2008 |
|
|
3,084 |
|
Waterland Financial Holdings |
|
2.738%~4.238% |
|
Feb. 7, 2008 |
|
|
1,541 |
|
Taching Bill Finance Limited |
|
3.758% |
|
Oct. 28 ,2008 |
|
|
1,541 |
|
Union Bills Finance |
|
3.758% |
|
Aug. 31, 2008 |
|
|
925 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
33,301 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
As of December 31, 2006 and 2007, the weighted-average interest rate on total short-term
borrowings was 2.48% and 3.35%, respectively. |
We repaid the loans from Far Eastern International Bank in February 2008, and renewed the loan
agreements with Waterland Financial Holdings and China Trust Commercial Bank in February and March
2008, through March 2009 and August 2008, respectively.
We pledged time deposits (See Note 12, Restricted Cash, for more information), lands, and
buildings as collateral for borrowings from China Trust Commercial bank, Taishin International
Bank, and Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank, amounting to $4.4 million and $7.9 million as of December
31, 2006 and 2007, respectively.
F-45
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
NOTE 15. ACCRUED EXPENSES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
Accrued commission |
|
$ |
1,259 |
|
|
$ |
2,892 |
|
Accrued professional fee |
|
|
1,055 |
|
|
|
1,832 |
|
Accrued promotion expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
510 |
|
Other |
|
|
2,472 |
|
|
|
3,917 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
4,786 |
|
|
$ |
9,151 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE 16. OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred revenue |
|
$ |
3,222 |
|
|
$ |
7,647 |
|
Incentive payment for FunTown acquisition (See Note 5, Acquisitions) |
|
|
5,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Accrual for investment in Neostorm |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,204 |
|
Income tax payable and FIN 48 liabilities |
|
|
1,369 |
|
|
|
1,041 |
|
Other |
|
|
3,241 |
|
|
|
3,760 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
12,832 |
|
|
$ |
14,652 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE 17. CONVERTIBLE NOTES
On January 1, 2006, we issued convertible notes, in relation to the acquisition of FunTown, to TWP
Corporation in the aggregate principal amount of approximately NT$494 million (approximately $15.0
million) with 50 percent maturing on January 1, 2008 and 50 percent maturing on January 1, 2009.
These notes were convertible into 4,794,323 shares of our common stock at $3.1287 per share. (The
conversion price was subject to adjustment for stock dividends, stock splits, reserve stock splits,
recapitalizations, mergers, and other dilutions). On January 1, 2006, we pledged our share holdings
in Hoshin GigaMedia as collateral for the notes. Under the agreement, GigaMedia had an option to
redeem the convertible notes, in whole or in part, within the first 12 months after the issue date,
together with the accrued interest at 5 percent per annum.
F-46
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
On July 6, 2006, our Company repurchased a portion of convertible notes from TWP Corporation with
an aggregate face value of NT$380 million (approximately $11.5 million) and related accrued
interest, resulting in a gain of approximately $487 thousand. On September 4, 2006, we repurchased the remainder of our convertible notes, with an
aggregate face value of approximately NT$113.7 million (approximately $3.5 million) and related
accrued interest, resulting in a gain of approximately $138 thousand. The gain realized from the
retirement of these convertible notes was included in other non-operating income. The pledge of our
shareholdings in Hoshin GigaMedia was released upon the repurchase.
NOTE 18. PENSION BENEFITS
Our Company and our subsidiaries have defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans
that cover substantially all of our employees.
Defined Benefit Pension Plan
We have a defined benefit pension plan in accordance with the Labor Standards Law of the
Republic of China (R.O.C). for our employees located in Taiwan, covering substantially all
full-time employees for services provided prior to July 1, 2005, and employees who have elected to
remain in the defined benefit pension plan subsequent to the enactment of the Labor Pension Act on
July 1, 2005. Under the defined benefit pension plan, employees are entitled to two base points for
every year of service for the first 15 years and one base point for every additional year of
service, up to a maximum of 45 base points. The pension payment to employees is computed based on
base point and average salaries or wages for the six months prior to approved retirement.
We use a December 31 measurement date for our defined benefit pension plan. The following
tables set forth the actuarial assumptions of our defined benefit pension plan:
F-47
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Change in benefit obligation |
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
Benefit obligation at beginning of year |
|
$ |
449 |
|
|
$ |
541 |
|
Service cost |
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
14 |
|
Interest cost |
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
15 |
|
Actuarial gain |
|
|
103 |
|
|
|
27 |
|
Curtailment |
|
|
(42 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Exchange diff. |
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Benefit obligation at end of year |
|
$ |
541 |
|
|
$ |
600 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Change in plan assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year |
|
$ |
50 |
|
|
$ |
135 |
|
Actual return on plan assets |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
Employer contribution |
|
|
83 |
|
|
|
66 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fair value of plan assets at end of year |
|
$ |
135 |
|
|
$ |
204 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated benefit obligation |
|
$ |
(443 |
) |
|
$ |
(497 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funded status |
|
$ |
(406 |
) |
|
$ |
(396 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amounts recognized on our Consolidated Balance Sheets consisted of the following:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
Pension Benefits |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accrued benefit cost |
|
$ |
(406 |
) |
|
$ |
(396 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated other comprehensive income |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unrecognized transition obligation |
|
$ |
79 |
|
|
$ |
76 |
|
Unrecognized net gain |
|
|
(314 |
) |
|
|
(257 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated other comprehensive income |
|
$ |
(235 |
) |
|
$ |
(181 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Included in accumulated other comprehensive income, are a net pension gain and a net
transition obligation of $20 thousand and $4 thousand as of December 31, 2007 which are expected to
be recognized in 2008, respectively.
F-48
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
The net periodic benefit cost for the plans included the following components:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
2005 |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Service cost |
|
$ |
88 |
|
|
$ |
12 |
|
|
$ |
14 |
|
Interest cost |
|
|
21 |
|
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
15 |
|
Expected return on plan assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(4 |
) |
|
|
(5 |
) |
Amortization of transition obligation |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
Amortization of net (gain) loss |
|
|
(20 |
) |
|
|
(47 |
) |
|
|
(29 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net periodic benefit cost |
|
$ |
93 |
|
|
$ |
(19 |
) |
|
$ |
(1 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Curtailment loss (gain) |
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
(42 |
) |
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assumptions
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations and net periodic pension costs
at December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007 were as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
2006 |
|
2007 |
Discount rate |
|
|
3.50 |
% |
|
|
2.75 |
% |
|
|
2.75 |
% |
Rate of return on plan assets |
|
|
3.50 |
% |
|
|
2.75 |
% |
|
|
2.75 |
% |
Rate of compensation increase |
|
|
1.00 |
% |
|
|
1.00 |
% |
|
|
1.00 |
% |
Discount rate. The discount rate assumptions used for defined benefit pension plan accounting
reflect the rates of return on high-quality, fixed income investments currently available and
expected to be available during the period to maturity of the pension benefits. In countries where
there is no deep market in such bonds, the market yields (at the balance sheet date) on government
bonds are used. For our defined benefit pension plan in Taiwan, markets for high-quality, long-term
bonds are not generally as well developed, and the government owned Central Trust of China is the
only funding vehicle for statutory pension scheme. Therefore, the yield of government issued bonds
and the interest rate from the Central Trust of China are often used as the benchmark for
developing the discount rate, with adjustment made to take into consideration the differences in
maturities.
F-49
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
Rate of return on plan assets. The rate of return on plan assets is determined by using the
interest rate from the Central Trust of China as a base. All of our pension assets are deposited
and managed by the government owned Central Trust of China. Under R.O.C. regulations, government
authorities collect the cash contribution from companies as a Labor Retirement Fund and determine
asset allocations and investment policy. Participants are guaranteed to receive a minimum rate of
return not lower than the interest rate of two-year term time deposits from the Central Trust of
China.
Rate of compensation increase. The rate of compensation increase is estimated by our Company, based
upon our actual rate of compensation increase during a year, and the long-term plans for such
increases.
Starting July 1, 2005, we have contributed an amount equal to 2 percent of the salaries and wages
paid to all qualified employees located in Taiwan to a pension fund (the Fund). The Fund is
administered by a pension fund monitoring committee (the Committee) and deposited in the
Committees name in the Central Trust of China in Taiwan. Our Company makes pension payments from
our account in the Fund unless the Fund is insufficient, in which case we make payments from
internal funds as payments become due. We maintain a normal, highly liquid working capital balance
to ensure payments are made timely.
We expect to make a contribution of $62 thousand to the Fund in 2008. The benefits expected to be
paid from 2008 through 2012 are $49 thousand in aggregate, and from 2013 to 2017 are $0 thousand in
aggregate.
Effective December 31, 2006, we adopted FAS 158. (See Note 1, Business Overview, Basis of
Presentation, and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies). The following table presents the
incremental effect of applying FAS 158 on our Consolidated Balance Sheets:
F-50
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in US$ thousands) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Before |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
After Application |
|
At December 31, 2006: |
|
FAS No. 158 |
|
|
Adjustments* |
|
|
of FAS No. 158 |
|
Other assets |
|
$ |
90 |
|
|
$ |
(58 |
) |
|
$ |
32 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets |
|
|
182,677 |
|
|
|
(58 |
) |
|
$ |
182,619 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accrued pension liabilities |
|
|
727 |
|
|
|
(293 |
) |
|
$ |
434 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total liabilities |
|
|
47,291 |
|
|
|
(293 |
) |
|
$ |
46,998 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
|
|
(27,204 |
) |
|
|
235 |
|
|
$ |
(26,969 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total stockholders equity |
|
|
133,852 |
|
|
|
235 |
|
|
$ |
134,087 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Adjustments are primarily comprised of previously unrecognized gains/(losses) and transition obligations. |
Defined Contribution Pension Plan
We have provided defined contribution plans for employees located in Taiwan, North America, the PRC
and Hong Kong. Contributions to the plans are expensed as incurred.
Taiwan
Pursuant to the new Labor Pension Act enacted on July 1, 2005, our Company set up a defined
contribution pension plan for our employees located in Taiwan. For eligible employees who elect to
participate in the defined contribution pension plan, we contribute no less than 6 percent of the
employees salaries and wages paid each month, up to the maximum amount of NT$9 thousand
(approximately $278), to the employees individual pension accounts at the Bureau of Labor
Insurance. Benefits accrued are portable upon termination of service. Pension payments to employees
are made either by monthly installments or in a lump sum from the accumulated contributions and
earnings in employees individual accounts.
North America
We have provided a defined contribution plan for employees located in the United States.
Participants under the age of 50 are allowed to defer up to $10 thousand of their annual
compensation to the plan, whereas participants over the age of 50 are allowed to defer up to $12.5
thousand annually. Our Company contributes an amount equal to the lesser of 3 percent of the
participants compensation or 100 percent of the amount deferred by the
GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, 2006 AND 2007
employee.
We have also provided a defined contribution plan for employees located in Canada. Participants are
permitted to contribute a percentage of their earnings to this plan and select their own
investments. Each participants annual contributions are limited to 18 percent of his or her prior
year compensation or $19 thousand, whichever is less. Our Company contributes an amount equal to
the lesser of 3 percent of the participants compensation or 100 percent of the amount contributed
by the employee.
PRC
All PRC employees participate in employee social security plans, including pension and other
welfare benefits, organized and administered by governmental authorities. We have no other
substantial commitments to employees. The premiums and welfare benefit contributions that should be
borne by our Company are calculated in accordance with relevant PRC regulations, and are paid to
the labor and social welfare authorities.
Hong Kong
According to the relevant Hong Kong regulations, we provide a contribution plan for the eligible
employees in Hong Kong. We must contribute at least 5 percent of their total salaries, up to the
maximum amount of HK$1 thousand (approximately $128), to their individual contribution accounts of the authorities monthly. After the termination
of employment, the benefits still belong to the employees in any circumstances.
The defined contribution pension expenses pursuant to the plans in Taiwan, North America, the PRC
and Hong Kong for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2006, and 2007 were $216 thousand, $496
thousand, and $852 thousand, respectively.
F-52