Call highlights from this morning...
posted on
Mar 06, 2013 11:26AM
Intellectual Licenses for Electronics & Communications
Taken from one of the reputable posters on SH: (inoutorhold)
- buyback is intended to start in the next days or week.
- LG litigation: while they disagree with ruling, the must now accept it. BUT
when rating tables are eventually changed they WILL be infringing and Wilan will
be back to go after them for past and present sales. This applies ONLY to LG
and affects no other parties payment of royalties. Other companies continue to
pay and continue to sign.
- plan to keep buying patents to increase their package value to their
licensee's
- Gladios now has 12 partnerships
- determined (his exact word) to not sign licensees based on short term
pressures. "we do not lose anything by signing someone later...when settled we
receive the damages/fees for the past infringing."
- signing for less than reasonable does nothing for the long term success of the
company.
- more aggressive pressures will start to be used on infringing companies
- loss last year at this quarter was 5 cents...this years quarter it is a 2 cent
loss.
- 30 million was returned to shareholders through dividends and buybacks in 2012
- next quarter is expected to be a 2 cent loss to break even. (based on
present standing...if there are signings this will change and they only count
booked earnings now)
- they are purposely conservative with all guidance. so yes it could be way
more if settlements occur, ("way more" were his words)
- re Apple litigation: these are the same patents that most of the industry has
already settled on and they also have a very good markman now to go with
it..."we very confident we will win or apple will settle before."
- re HTC: judge reaffirmed the trial starts in april.
- re LG digital trial: no date as of yet which is an anomoly. They are not sure
why as they usually get a schedule much quicker.
- regarding the step down in revs the last three quarters: one time payments are
often up front and some are re-ocurring that expire so there are fluctuations in
our rev stream. This is not a deterioration in the business but shows how rev
for us is lumpy. "Let me clear we believe we have never been stronger."
- re media tek: a major player with wi-fi but not in north america...more
international. They do not have any other patents other than wi-fi licensed
with us.
- 2012 was more concentrated and there is an expectation of much more signings
in 2013 with all the litigation. We are much stronger than in 2011. (when the
sp was so high)
- Florida courts move much quicker which is why we have some headquarters there.
- question on guidance: hard to focus on quarter to quarter results since
signings and litigation have no schedule. Guidance will fluctuate on deals in
the pocket...Wilan has thus chosen to not give specific guidance. Understands
why analysts want it, but they simply cant do it.
- question asked: will licensees be more likely to have a broad licensee
agreement or cherry pic and have many litigations for each infringments? Reply:
Yes, and JS expects HTC to resolve all issues with a broad agreement and not
just for some. He would be VERY surprised if they didn't settle everything.
- Texas trial dates rarely move so he expects them to stay as posted. Florida
can be a little more lenient to move dates.
- still working on a large OEM package that will be announced before too long.
- re Siemens patent acquisition: part of the wireless core patents but also
different. There will be more news on this before too long.
- Very pleased that many law suits are being given dates six months from filing.
The speed is VERY good for Wilan. The quicker they get to trial, the quicker
they can get a license AND it is much less expensive.
- relationship with Signas: patents are for small cell and large cell
technology.