Registration with SEC both choice and requirement
If a company wants to list itself on the OTCQB, NASDAQ, NYSE, etc, registration with the SEC is a requirement
OTOH, SEC registration isn't required with OTC Pink Sheet stocks.
BIEL probably shouldn't have registered with the SEC, but instead become a pink sheet stock and then register with the SEC when profitable.
Maybe they thought that if they were SEC registered with a patented profit, it would be easier to get larger investors to buy restricted shares at a higher price to fund the company, but that never worked out and the stock price fell low enough that they were stuck with SEC registration and a low stock price that either meant convertible debt sold to outside investors or the scheme that they eventually came up with, using friends, family and IBEX.