Earnings Labs

Digimarc Corporation (DMRC)

Q2 2013 Earnings Call· Fri, Jul 26, 2013

$7.08

-0.98%

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Good afternoon, and thank you, for participating in today's conference call. Now, I will turn the call over to Bruce Davis, Chairman and CEO of Digimarc. Mr. Davis, please proceed.

Bruce L. Davis

Management

Thank you, and good afternoon. Welcome to our conference call. Mike McConnell, our CFO, is with me. On the call today, we'll discuss and review Q2 2003 (sic) financial results and talk about significant business developments and market conditions and provide an update on our strategy and operations. This webcast will be archived in the Investor Relation section of our website. Please note that during the course of this call, we'll be making certain forward-looking statements, including those regarding revenue recognition matters, results of operations, investments, initiatives and growth strategies. These statements are subject to many assumptions, risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances. Any assumptions we share about future performance represent a point-in-time estimate. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to revise or update any assumptions, projections or other forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this conference call. For more information about risk factors that may cause actual results to differ from expectations, please see the company’s filings with the SEC, including our latest Form 10-K. Mike will begin by commenting on our financial results. I'll then discuss our execution strategy and outlook. Mike?

Michael McConnell

Management

Thanks, Bruce, and good afternoon, everyone. Our Q2 revenues were 15% higher than the same quarter a year ago. The majority of the year-over-year growth is due to the acquisition of Attributor, with most of the rest of the growth coming from our work with the central banks. Revenues from the former Attributor business acquired in December were below expectations and well below the revenue threshold associated with the earn out consideration. At this point, we do not anticipate paying any of the contingent consideration associated with the acquisition. We've been working on restructuring and expanding the business, now being marketed under the Digimarc Guardian brand. We feel that the business is now on an upward trajectory after navigating numerous transition challenges there's a good strategy and a stable and productive team in place. Our Q2 results included the second quarter of operations since the acquisition of Attributor and we're in the final stages of integrating the Attributor team into the operations of Digimarc. In parallel, as you know, we've ramped our investment and growth initiatives including further developing and marketing of Digimarc Discover, adding audio watermarking and packaging, and developing the second wave patents, all in support of our vision of enabling computer networks -- computers, networks and other digital devices to see, hear, understand and respond to their surroundings. Looking further into the details of our Q2 2013 financial results, we see that gross margin was 80%, 3 points lower than a year ago due to the higher percentage of revenues from Guardian subscriptions associated with the Attributor acquisition. Operating expenses increased by 20% over the year-ago period due to the addition of Attributor operations and increased investments in R&D and marketing. Our operating profit was $1.4 million, or 13% of revenues, and operating cash flow was $2.8…

Bruce L. Davis

Management

Thanks, Mike. I hope that you have -- all had an opportunity to study the mid-May supplemental presentation detailing our strategy as well as our new video showcasing our vision for the enablement of the Shopper's Journey with retailers and brands. Both are available on our website and our execution of that strategy is well underway. We have increased our rate of investment in R&D and marketing to address certain time-sensitive market and relationship opportunities. I believe that this is a potentially pivotal year for Digimarc where we may able to realize significant increases in value of the company if we can effectively consolidate the fruits of the last 15 years of R&D into a robust software platform and associated services while generating substantial patent assets from our increased investment in R&D. We intend to invent and deliver directly and through licensing a common platform that connects prospects and customers to brands across the full spectrum of what the retail industry refers to as the Shopper's Journey. The focus of our market development is on mass merchants. Expanding the application of Digimarc Discover for magazines and catalogs to weekly newspapers inserts, direct mail, print ads, packaging, in-store promotion and television and radio advertising. Our publishing business continues to grow at a healthy rate. Watermark scans by readers were roughly triple last year's numbers during the quarter. The same was true for the number of watermarks purchased by magazine publishers. The number of watermarks per issue has been steady at around 10 per issue. Coupons, recipes and sweepstakes continue to garner the most hits and the vast majority of activity was in the United States. We are pleased to have the Ford Motor Company add its brochures in the mix of publications enabled for automatic mobile connections to important product information…

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] You have a question from Paul Sonz.

Paul D. Sonz - Paul D. Sonz Partners

Analyst

Bruce, what is the cost, the ongoing cost of trying to settle this matter with Intellectual Ventures?

Michael McConnell

Management

Yes, Paul. We kind of disclosed any changes in our operating expenses in our Q and that will be filed tomorrow. But we -- I think -- we probably spent maybe a couple hundred thousand dollars in that and other royalty license audits, we have an ongoing program, and so that's what we spent.

Paul D. Sonz - Paul D. Sonz Partners

Analyst

All right. So it's not a big deal one way or the other?

Michael McConnell

Management

Correct.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] At this time, there are no further questions.

Bruce L. Davis

Management

All right. Thanks, everyone, for participating. We'll be in touch as soon as we've got some more material information for you. Thanks.

Operator

Operator

This concludes your conference. You may now disconnect.