InterDigital Inc (IDCC)

[Data_Rox]

so...we're now past 12 quarters of deferring revenue (now $52M+) from "one" of our technology solution partners...and over a year since arbitration on the matter

WTH?

Rox re the $9m deferred being from Infineon

Yes, I'm almost certain that it is Infineon also. Not anything from the 10K, but from the CC as follows:

"Our technology solutions revenue has also been affected by discussions with one of our customers regarding the royalties owed on specific product classes. While this customer continues to pay us the entire amount owed under the agreement, we are deferring revenue recognition on royalties for these product classes until we resolve the discussion. Through December 31, 2010, we have deferred approximately $9 million in related revenue.

Ron Shuttleworth – M Partners

Okay. All right. Now, the $9 million in deferred revenues, that’s a longstanding customer, correct?

William J. Merritt

It is."


Brett Simpson – Arete

Okay. And just looking at your tax (should be tech, not tax) solutions business, if we back out what you sometimes disclose around the same, it look likes your Infineon business has dropped off in the last few quarters and you’ve also suggested that the $9 million deferral is related to tax (tech) solutions, so I’m sort of putting two together, but can you just give us a bit of backgrounds in terms of why we’re seeing this drop-off at Infineon?

William J. Merritt


Well, we kind of gave you the number for Q4 for the IP licensing activities associated with engineering services. So you can back that out and future revenues from that activity will depend on additional deals through the sale of additional services to those customers.

In terms of the deferred revenue that we backed out, we’d say approximately $9 million or so, that reduction came in the third and fourth quarter, so there’s about $4 million or so backed out in Q3, close to $5 million backed out in Q4. So that gives you an idea of the cash that’s coming in that we are not choosing, not to recognize as revenue at this point. Conservatively, I believe that probably it provides a pretty good explanation for why you see that going down over time.

Brett Simpson – Arete

And this is a technology solutions deferral essentially?

William J. Merritt

It is.

Charlie Anderson – Dougherty & Company

And then just one more from me. The dispute over the product classes, does that refer to the chip or the end product, like a handset versus tablet?

William J. Merritt

It’s the chip solution.

Charlie Anderson – Dougherty & Company

Chip solution. Okay. Thanks so much."


(My note: The only long-standing technology solutions customer that could be involved in a $9m dispute for just two quarters has to be Infineon; it can't be anyone else.)