SEC Company Response from ZI CORP (CIK 0000922658) — Nov 1, 2005
ZI CORP (CIK 0000922658)
Date: Nov. 1, 2005 · CIK: 0000922658 · Accession: 0001144204-05-033476
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 000-24018
Referenced dates: August 3, 2005
Show Raw Text
CORRESP
1
filename1.htm
Unassociated Document
August
26, 2005
Via
Facsimile: 202-772-9205
Mr.
Larry
Spirgel
Assistant
Director
Division
of Corporation Finance
United
States Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Re: Zi
Corporation
Form
20-F
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004
Filed
April 5, 2005
File
No.
000-24018
Dear
Mr.
Spirgel:
We
refer
to the comment letter dated August 3, 2005 from the staff (the “Staff”) of the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) concerning the Form
20-F for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2004 (the “Form 20-F”) filed by Zi
Corporation (the "Company") and its December 31, 2004 Consolidated Financial
Statements included therein under Item 18. The responses to the Staff’s
comments are provided below in the order in which the comments were set out
in
the August 3, 2005 letter and are numbered correspondingly. The Staff’s
comments, indicated by bold, are followed by responses of the Company.
Comments
By Independent Registered Chartered Accountant on Canada-United States of
American Reporting Differences, page F-2
1.
We
note in the 2nd
to last paragraph on page F-2 that your auditors reference an audit
report
dated March 2, 2005. In your response letter, please have your
auditors
explain to us what report dated March 2, 2005 they are referring
to. If
they intended to reference the report dated March 11, 2005, please
revise
to have your auditors include an addendum paragraph that appropriately
indicates this fact.
The
Company will have this typographical issue corrected in an amended Form 20-F
filing. Please see the amended Item 18 - Financial Statements as included
with
this letter.
Zi
Corporation of Canada,
Inc. Telephone
403 233
8875 www.zicorp.com
Suite
2100, 840 - 7 Avenue SW
Facsimile 403 233 8878
Calgary,
AB
T2P
3G2
Canada
Consolidated
Statements of Loss, page F-4
2.
If
the captions “Cost of sales” and “Gross margin” exclude depreciation and
amortization for property and equipment directly attributed to
the
generation of revenue, we believe that this presentation inappropriately
reports a figure for income before depreciation and amortization.
As
required by SAB 11:B, revise your presentation to either reclassify
the
applicable depreciation to “Cost of sales” or remove the caption “Gross
margin” and indicate the amount of applicable depreciation that is
excluded from “Cost of
sales.”
The
Company acknowledges the Staff’s comment and has enhanced its reporting by
allocating depreciation and amortization that is directly attributed to the
generation of revenue to the cost of sales commencing in the first quarter
interim report for 2005. The cost of sales included in the years reported
in the
Form 20-F currently exclude this allocation. Depreciation and amortization
associated with the generation of revenue, gross margin and gross margin
percentage both as stated and restated are as follows:
Year
Gross
Margin As Stated
Gross
Margin Percentage As Stated
Allocation
of Depreciation and Amortization to Cost of Sales
Gross
Margin As Restated
Gross
Margin Percentage As Restated
2004
471,814
96%
8,072
479,886
96%
2003
435,535
96%
14,783
450,318
96%
2002
1,055,037
87%
44,229
1,099,266
87%
Based
upon our analysis, the Company believes that the impact is immaterial to
the
consolidated financial statements from a quantitative perspective either
in
total or on an individual financial statement line-item basis.
From
a
qualitative perspective, SAB Topic 1.M addresses circumstances in which a
quantitatively small misstatement may be rendered material. In this regard,
the
differences noted above do not:
·
mask
a change in earnings or other
trends
·
hide
a failure to meet analysts’ consensus
expectations
·
change
income into a loss
·
affect
compliance with regulatory requirements, loan covenants or other
contractual requirements.
·
have
impacted management compensation
·
conceal
an unlawful transaction
In
summary, we do not believe that these differences would impact the judgement
of
a reasonable person relying upon our financial statements. As noted above,
in
filings since the first quarter of 2005 the Company has complied with SAB
Topic
11.B.
2.
Significant Accounting Policies, page F-7
3.
We
note that you initiated reporting your consolidated financial statements
in US dollars effective March 31, 2004, with comparative periods
restated
to US dollars. In your response letter, explain to us in detail
your
consideration of SFAS 52 and how you calculated these restated
comparative
period amounts. In addition, since you revised your financial statements
to account for the new reporting currency, please amend to label
all
applicable columns in the financial statements and related notes
restated.
The
Company applied the guidance as noted in Topic 6 of the “Accounting Disclosure
Rules and Practices” (2000 Edition) of the Division of Corporation Finance (“SEC
Training Manual”). The guidance in the SEC Training Manual states, in part, that
in the case of a change in reporting currency, the financial information
for all
periods presented in the filing should be recast into the new reporting currency
using a methodology consistent with SFAS No. 52, Foreign
Currency Translation.
The
objective of the procedure is to present financial statements as if the issuer
had always used the new reporting currency. Accordingly, the Company translated
income statements from the old reporting currency into the new reporting
currency using weighted average exchange rates for the applicable period,
and
the balance sheets were similarly translated using the applicable period
end
exchange rates. The Company did not use the Convenience Method to effect
this
restatement. In accordance with SEC Regulation S-X, Rule 3-20(e), the Company
has recast its financial statements as if the newly adopted reporting currency
had been used since its incorporation.
The
Company will mark in an amended Form 20-F filing under Item 18 - Financial
Statements the affected columns of the financial statements “restated - see note
2” as included with this letter.
Foreign
currency translation, page F-7
4.
Refer
to the chart on page F-21 which indicates that most of your revenues
and
expenses for the previous three fiscal years relate to your Canadian
geographic segment. As such, clarify for us why you consider the
US dollar
to be the functional currency of Zi Corporation on a stand-alone
basis.
Address each of the indicators listed in Appendix A of SFAS 52
in your
response letter.
Our
Canadian geographic segment includes four legal entities of which one is
Zi
Corporation, the parent company. The operations of this legal entity are
those
of a head office and functions include legal, corporate governance, regulatory
reporting and compliance, investor relations and senior management. The
functional currency of Zi Corporation is the US dollar as determined by
management and is supported by the salient economic factors discussed below
and
as outlined in Appendix A of FAS 52:
a)
Cash
flow indicators - the parent company’s operations include the procurement of
investor funds through private placements to finance past operating deficits
of
the various business segments of the parent company. Such funds historically
are
raised in US dollars and/or held in US funds once raised. On occasion, Canadian
funds are raised through the issuance of shares and are used to fund Canadian
operating subsidiaries. Funds borrowed or loans issued by the company including
loans to related parties and wholly owned subsidiaries have also been
denominated and settled in US dollars except when possible in Canadian funds
to
Canadian subsidiaries. Cash flow from operating activities is primarily in
US
dollars as operating expenses are primarily US dollar denominated as discussed
in d) Expense indicators below.
b)
Sales
price indicators - the parent company operations do not include contracting
for
sales of the products sold by its subsidiaries.
c)
Sales
market indicator - the parent company operations do not include contracting
for
sales of the products sold by its subsidiaries.
d)
Expense indicators - the parent company expenses are predominantly denominated
in US dollars. These include the majority of legal fees, corporate governance
related costs, fees related to regulatory compliance, excluding audit fees,
investor relations and senior management contracts.
e)
Finance indicators - as discussed in a) “Cash flow indicators” above, the parent
company’s operations include the procurement of investor funds through private
placements to finance past operating deficits of the various segments of
the
parent company.
f)
Inter-company transactions and arrangements indicators - funds borrowed or
loans
issued by the company including loans to related parties and wholly owned
subsidiaries have also been denominated and settled in US dollars. Currently,
the parent company’s does not have significant other inter-company arrangements
with its subsidiaries.
For
further clarification, the functional currency of our Canadian subsidiaries
is
the Canadian dollar. The operations of two of the three Canadian subsidiaries,
whose functional currency is the Canadian dollar, are inactive and immaterial.
Zi Corporation of Canada, Inc. (“Zi Canada”) develops
software designed to enhance the usability of mobile and consumer electronic
devices.
The
functional currency of Zi Canada is the Canadian dollar as determined by
management and is supported by the salient economic factors discussed below
and
as outlined in Appendix A of FAS 52:
a)
Cash
flow indicators - Zi Canada’s operations include the internal development and
sale of software. Zi Canada generates cash inflows through sale contracts
with
customers throughout Europe and North America. These contracts are usually
denominated in US dollars and upon receipt of this revenue, Zi Canada converts
the revenue to Canadian dollars to fund the Canadian operations. As this
subsidiary historically has operated at a loss, funding has been received
from
the parent company in mostly Canadian funds. Cash outflows as further discussed
in d) below are predominantly in Canadian dollars. Cash flows from financing
activities are mainly Canadian dollar advances received from the parent company.
Cash flows used in investing activities are mainly capitalized software
development costs denominated in Canadian dollars and investments in tangible
capital assets also mainly denominated in Canadian dollars.
b)
Sales
price indicators - though contracts are generally denominated in US dollars,
prices are determined by competition in each of the geographic markets which
Zi
Canada’s products are sold into. Zi Canada sales are distributed through Europe
and North America.
c)
Sales
market indicator - though contracts are generally denominated in US dollars,
Zi
Canada’s market is throughout Europe and North America.
d)
Expense indicators - Zi Canada’s expenses are predominantly denominated in
Canadian dollars. These include salaries and wages, the majority of consulting
fees, office rent and expenses and the majority of travel expenses.
e)
Finance indicators - as discussed in a) “Cash flow indicators”
above.
f)
Inter-company transactions and arrangements indicators - funds borrowed from
the
parent company are predominantly in Canadian dollars. Currently, Zi Canada
does
not have significant other inter-company arrangements with its affiliates
or
parent company.
11.
Income Taxes, page F-17
5.
Refer
to the last sentence on page F-17 which states “The amount of tax that
would otherwise be payable in 2004 is $166,871 and has not been
accrued.”
In your response letter, please explain to us in more detail the
nature of
these tax holidays and tell us your US GAAP basis for not accruing
for
this tax.
Pursuant
to tax law in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), those Foreign
Investment Entities (“FIE”) established in China that are involved in
“productive” activities are entitled to tax holidays and tax reductions