1.	BUSINESS AND FUNDING

Description of Business

Our principal operations include the development, production and marketing of thin flat display technologies, including low-voltage phosphor color displays and low-power passive E-Paper^® displays, and the development, production and marketing of multi-functional encryption products that provide information security for domestic and international users over several communications media.

Funding and Management's Plans

Since our inception, we have met our liquidity and capital expenditure needs primarily through the proceeds from sales of common stock in our initial public offering and in private placements, upon exercise of warrants issued in connection with the private placements and our initial public offering, and upon the exercise of stock options. In addition, we have generated limited cash flows from sales of our encryption products and from license fees from Videocon Industries Limited, an Indian company ("Videocon") related to our display technology pursuant to the Videocon License Agreement (as defined below). In May 2011, we entered into the AUO License Agreements (as defined below) with AU Optronics Corp., a Taiwanese company ("AUO"), and in June 2011 we received an initial license fee from AUO.

During fiscal year 2011, our cash used in operating activities was $716,000. This resulted from payments to suppliers, employees and consultants of approximately $3,280,000, which was offset by cash of approximately $131,000 received from collections of accounts receivable related to sales of encryption products, $2,400,000 received from display technology licensing fees, and approximately $34,000 of dividend income received. Our cash used in investing activities during fiscal year 2011 was approximately $2,138,000, which resulted from purchases of short-term investments consisting of certificates of deposit and U.S. government securities of approximately $3,948,000 and purchases of approximately $9,000 of equipment, offset by approximately $1,700,000 received upon maturities of short-term investments consisting of U.S. government securities and approximately $119,000 received upon the sale of Digital Info Security Co. Inc. ("DISC") common stock. Our cash provided by financing activities during fiscal year 2011 was approximately $2,534,000, which resulted from cash of $1,250,000 received from the sale of common stock and warrants in a private placement and approximately $1,284,000 received upon the exercise of stock options. As a result, our cash, cash equivalents, and investments in U.S. government securities at October 31, 2011 increased to approximately $3,023,000 from approximately $1,094,000 at the end of fiscal year 2010.

Total employee compensation expense during fiscal years 2011 and 2010 was approximately $3,661,000 and $3,469,000, respectively. During fiscal years 2011 and 2010, a significant portion of employee compensation consisted of the issuance of stock and stock options to employees in lieu of cash compensation. We recorded compensation expense for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2011 and 2010 of approximately $1,819,000 and $1,832,000, respectively, for shares of common stock issued to employees. We recorded approximately $742,000 and $743,000 of stock-based compensation expense, related to stock options granted to employees and directors, during the years ended October 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

 

In February 2011, we sold 7,000,000 unregistered shares of our common stock in a private placement at a price of $0.1786 per share, for proceeds of $1,250,000, of which 3,360,000 shares were sold to our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer and director, and the two other directors of the Company. In conjunction with the sale of the common stock, we issued warrants to purchase 7,000,000 unregistered shares of our common stock. Each warrant grants the holder the right to purchase one share of our common stock (or 7,000,000 shares of common stock in the aggregate) at the purchase price of $0.1786 per share on or before February 8, 2016. The warrants were valued at $0.0756 per share using the Black-Scholes pricing model, adjusted for the estimated impact on fair value of the restrictions relating to the warrants.

We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, investments in U.S. government securities and certificates of deposit, and accounts receivable, together with cash flows from expected sales of our encryption products and revenue relating to our display technologies, and other potential sources of cash flow, will be sufficient to enable us to continue our marketing, production, and research and development activities for at least 12 months. However, our projections of future cash needs and cash flows may differ from actual results. If current cash and cash that may be generated from operations are insufficient to satisfy our liquidity requirements, we may seek to sell our investment securities or other financial assets or our debt or additional equity securities or obtain loans from various financial institutions where possible. The sale of additional equity securities or convertible debt could result in dilution to our stockholders. It is also management's intention to continue to compensate employees and consultants by issuing stock or stock options. We currently have no arrangements with respect to additional financing. We can give no assurance that we will generate sufficient revenues in the future (through sales, license fees and royalties, or otherwise) to satisfy our liquidity requirements or sustain future operations, that our production capabilities will be adequate, that other products will not be produced by other companies that will render our products obsolete, that employees and consultants will continue to accept stock as compensation, or that other sources of funding, such as sales of equity or debt, would be available, if needed, on favorable terms or at all. If we cannot obtain such funds if needed, we would need to curtail or cease some or all of our operations.

AU Optronics Corp.

In May 2011, we entered into an Exclusive License Agreement (the "EPD License Agreement") with AUO. Under the EPD License Agreement, we provided AUO with an exclusive, non-transferable, worldwide license of our E-Paper ^® display patents and technology (the "EPD Licensed Technology"), for AUO (or an AUO subsidiary) to produce, market and sell products containing the EPD Licensed Technology, with the right to sublicense the technology to third parties. We retained the non-exclusive right to use the EPD Licensed Technology in a non-competitive manner.

In May 2011, we also entered into another license agreement (the "Nano Display License Agreement" and together with the EPD License Agreement, the "AUO License Agreements") with AUO. Under the Nano Display License Agreement, we provided AUO with a non-exclusive, non-transferable, worldwide license of our Nano Display patents and technology (the "Nano Display Licensed Technology"), for AUO (or an AUO subsidiary) to produce, market and sell products containing the Nano Display Licensed Technology, with the right to consent to the granting of licenses of the Nano Display Licensed Technology to third parties.

Under the AUO License Agreements, AUO has agreed to pay CopyTele an aggregate license fee of up to $10 million, of which $3 million was paid by AUO in June 2011 and the remaining $7 million is payable upon completion of certain conditions for the respective technologies, in each case subject to a 20% foreign withholding tax. Accordingly, in June 2011 we received a payment from AUO, net of the withholding tax, of $2.4 million. In addition, each of the agreements also provides for the basis for royalty payments by AUO to CopyTele.

 

Related Party Transactions with Videocon Industries Limited

In November 2007, we entered into a Technology License Agreement (as amended in May 2008), (the "Videocon License Agreement") with Videocon. In April 2008, the Indian Government approved the Videocon License Agreement. Under the Videocon License Agreement, we provided Videocon with a non-transferable, worldwide license of our technology for thin, flat, low voltage phosphor, Nano Displays (the "Videocon Licensed Technology"), for Videocon (or a Videocon Group company) to produce and market products, including TVs, incorporating displays utilizing the Videocon Licensed Technology. With the approval and support of Videocon, we entered into the AUO License Agreements for AUO to utilize their production facilities to produce our display technologies, including the Videocon Licensed Technology, for their own products and potentially for Videocon products. Additional licenses of the Videocon Licensed Technology to third parties require the joint agreement of CopyTele, Videocon, and AUO.

Under the terms of the Videocon License Agreement, we were scheduled to receive a license fee of $11 million from Videocon, payable in installments over a 27 month period and an agreed upon royalty from Videocon based on display sales by Videocon (which royalty will decrease when a specified sales level and time period are reached and may increase under other certain circumstances as a result of significant improvements in the Videocon Licensed Technology). The initial installment commenced in May 2008 however certain license fee payments have been subsequently deferred in light of our joint decision to jointly develop improved versions of our Nano Display technology and the additional time and effort required by Videocon and us to incorporate the developmental improvements related thereto which are aimed at reducing the power consumption, improving the reliability and lowering the fabrication cost. However, the aggregate amount of the payments did not change and Videocon's obligation to make such payments continues to be subject to CopyTele's limited performance requirements and is not dependent on any specific performance standards which must be met by completion or delivery of prototypes of CopyTele's products in the development stage. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2010 we received license fee payments from Videocon of $600,000. No such license fee payments were received from Videocon during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2011. As of October 31, 2011, we have received aggregate license fee payments from Videocon of $3.2 million. We are presently in discussions with Videocon for us to receive the remaining or further license payments from Videocon, however, we cannot presently estimate specific future payment dates for the license fee payments.

The arrangement with Videocon also provides for each of the parties to designate an advisor to the other party's Board of Directors. The purpose of the advisor to the Board of Directors is to provide knowledge to the Board of the display market and to apprise the Board of developments in this market. CopyTele believes this to be inconsequential to the operation of the Videocon License Agreement.

Under the Videocon License Agreement we continue to have the right to produce and market products utilizing the Videocon Licensed Technology. We also continue to have the right to utilize Volga-Svet Ltd., a Russian corporation ("Volga"), in which we have a 19.9% ownership interest and with whom we have been working with for more than fourteen years, and an Asian company with whom we have been working with for more than eight years, to produce and market products utilizing the Videocon Licensed Technology.

 

At the same time we entered into the Videocon License Agreement in November 2007, we also entered into a Share Subscription Agreement (the "Share Subscription Agreement") with Mars Overseas Limited, an affiliate of Videocon ("Mars Overseas"). Under the Share Subscription Agreement, Mars Overseas purchased 20,000,000 unregistered shares of our common stock (the "CopyTele Shares") from us for an aggregate purchase price of $16,200,000. Also in November 2007, our wholly-owned subsidiary, CopyTele International Ltd. ("CopyTele International"), entered into a GDR Purchase Agreement with Global EPC Ventures Limited ("Global"), for CopyTele International to purchase from Global 1,495,845 global depository receipts of Videocon (the "Videocon GDRs") for an aggregate purchase price of $16,200,000.

For the purpose of effecting a lock up of the Videocon GDRs and CopyTele Shares (collectively, the "Securities") for a period of seven years, and therefore restricting both parties from selling or transferring the Securities during such period, CopyTele International and Mars Overseas entered into two Loan and Pledge Agreements in November 2007. The Videocon GDRs are to be held as security for a loan in the principal amount of $5,000,000 from Mars Overseas to CopyTele International, and the CopyTele Shares are similarly held as security for a loan in the principal amount of $5,000,000 from CopyTele International to Mars Overseas. The loans are for a period of seven years, do not bear interest, and prepayment of the loans will not release the lien on the Securities prior to end of the seven year period. The loan agreements provide for customary events of default, which may result in forfeiture of the Securities by the defaulting party, and also provide for the transfer to the respective parties, free and clear of any encumbrances under the agreements, any dividends, distributions, rights or other proceeds or benefits in respect of the Securities. The loan receivable from Mars Overseas is classified as a contra-equity under shareholders' equity in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet, because the loan receivable is secured by the CopyTele Shares and the Share Subscription Agreement and Loan and Pledge Agreement were entered into concurrently.