Form 20-F
Table of Contents

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 20-F

 

 

(Mark One)

 

¨ REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

OR

 

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011

OR

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

OR

 

¨ SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of event requiring this shell company report

For the transition period from              to             .

Commission file number: 001-33429

 

 

Acorn International, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Not applicable

(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)

Cayman Islands

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

18/F, 20th Building, 487 Tianlin Road, Shanghai 200233

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

 

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.

 

Title of each class

 

Name of each exchange on which registered

American Depositary Shares, each representing three

ordinary shares, par value $0.01 per share

  New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act.

None

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act.

None

 

 

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report: 89,938,784

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    ¨  Yes    x  No

If this report is an annual or transaction report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.    ¨  Yes    x  No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    x  Yes    ¨  No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    ¨  Yes    ¨  No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer.

Large accelerated filer  ¨                    Accelerated filer  x                    Non-accelerated filer  ¨

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

 

US GAAP  x  

International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the

International Accounting Standards Board  ¨

  Other  ¨

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.    ¨  Item 17    ¨  Item 18

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    ¨  Yes    x  No

 

 

 


Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

INTRODUCTION

     1   

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     1   

PART I

     2   

ITEM 1.

  IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS      2   

ITEM 2.

  OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE      2   

ITEM 3.

  KEY INFORMATION      2   

ITEM 4.

  INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY      37   

ITEM 4A.

  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS      67   

ITEM 5.

  OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS      67   

ITEM 6.

  DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES      88   

ITEM 7.

  MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS      100   

ITEM 8.

  FINANCIAL INFORMATION      102   

ITEM 9.

  THE OFFER AND LISTING      105   

ITEM 10.

  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION      106   

ITEM 11.

  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK      114   

ITEM 12.

  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES      115   

PART II

     117   

ITEM 13.

  DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES      117   

ITEM 14.

 

MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS

     117   

ITEM 15T.

  CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES      117   

ITEM 16A.

  AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT      118   

ITEM 16B.

  CODE OF ETHICS      119   

ITEM 16C.

  PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES      119   

ITEM 16D.

  EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES      119   

ITEM 16E.

 

PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS

     119   

ITEM 16F.

  CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT      120   

ITEM 16G.

  CORPORATE GOVERNANCE      120   

ITEM 16H.

  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE      120   

PART III

     121   

ITEM 17.

  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS      121   

ITEM 18.

  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS      121   

ITEM 19.

  EXHIBITS      121   

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     F-1   


Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Except where the context otherwise requires and for purposes of this annual report only, references to:

 

   

“ordinary shares” are to our ordinary shares, par value $0.01 per share;

 

   

“ADSs” are to our American depositary shares, each of which represents three ordinary shares;

 

   

“ADRs” are to American depositary receipts, which, if issued, evidence our ADSs;

 

   

“$”, “US$” and “U.S. dollars” are to the legal currency of the United States;

 

   

“China” and the “PRC” are to the People’s Republic of China, excluding Taiwan and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau;

 

   

“RMB” and “Renminbi” are to the legal currency of China; and

 

   

“we”, “us”, “our company” and “our” refer to Acorn International, Inc., its predecessor entities and its subsidiaries.

This annual report on Form 20-F includes our audited consolidated statements of operation data for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, and audited consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2010 and 2011.

We and certain of our shareholders completed the initial public offering of 8,855,000 ADSs in May 2007. Our ADSs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ATV”.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This annual report on Form 20-F contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements based on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about us and our industry. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “aim”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “is/are likely to”, “may”, “plan”, “potential”, “will” or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements included in this annual report relate to, among others:

 

   

our goals and strategies;

 

   

expected trends in our direct sales platform and our distribution network, and in our margins and certain cost or expense items as a percentage of our net revenues;

 

   

our future business development, financial condition and results of operations;

 

   

our ability to introduce successful new products and attract new customers;

 

   

competition in the TV direct sales market and retail market in China for our consumer products;

 

   

our ability to effectively control our cost of sales and efficiently access media channels and manage our media time;

 

   

our ability to integrate and manage acquired product lines; and

 

   

PRC governmental policies and regulations relating to our businesses.

The forward-looking statements made in this annual report relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this annual report. All forward-looking statements included herein attributable to us or other parties or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

 

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Table of Contents

PART I

ITEM 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

Not applicable.

ITEM 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

Not applicable.

ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION

A. Selected Financial Data

The following selected consolidated statements of operations data for the three years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, have been derived from our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, and are included elsewhere in this annual report. Our selected consolidated statements of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2008, and our consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009, have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this annual report. The selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with those consolidated financial statements and related notes and Item 5, “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” in this annual report. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

 

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Table of Contents
    For the years ended December 31,  
    2007     2008     2009     2010     2011  
    (in thousands, except share and per share data)  

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations Data

         

Revenues:

         

Direct sales, net

  $ 181,320      $ 166,947      $ 160,358      $ 195,821      $ 291,525   

Distribution sales, net

    66,717        67,190        127,228        97,420        70,533   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenues, net

    248,037        234,137        287,586        293,241        362,058   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cost of revenues:

         

Direct sales

    85,982        83,301        67,531        106,990        160,360   

Distribution sales

    37,366        37,326        83,097        74,732        45,584   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total cost of revenues

    123,348        120,627        150,628        181,722        205,944   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross profit

    124,689        113,510        136,958        111,519        156,114   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating (expenses) income:

         

Advertising expenses

    (74,966 )     (73,381 )     (61,048 )     (58,470 )     (68,563

Other selling and marketing expenses(1)

    (29,250 )     (38,317 )     (42,956 )     (43,377 )     (59,854

General and administrative expenses(1)

    (26,100 )     (28,926 )     (31,196 )     (25,434 )     (31,681

Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets

    —          (8,668 )     (15,248 )     —          —     

Other operating income, net

    3,144        5,039        6,004        2,977        5,084   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating (expenses) income

    (127,172 )     (144,253 )     (144,444 )     (124,304 )     (155,014
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) from operations

    (2,483 )     (30,743 )     (7,486 )     (12,785 )     1,100   

Other (expenses) income

    13,711        (626 )     2,068        4,826        7,822   

Income tax (expense) benefit

    13        (5 )     2,539        1,539        (3,111
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Equity in losses of affiliates

    —          (41 )     (417 )     (797 )     (772 )

Income (loss) from continuing operations

    11,241        (31,415 )     (3,296 )     (7,217 )     5,039   

Income from discontinued operations, net of taxes

    14,474        8,274        15,363        —          —     

Income from extraordinary items, net of tax

    —          —          —          827        —     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income (loss)(2)(3)

    25,715        (23,141 )     12,067        (6,390 )     5,039   

Net income attributable to non-controlling interests

    (7,063 )     (3,629 )     (184 )     (19 )     84   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income (loss) attributable to Acorn International, Inc

    18,652        (26,770 )     11,883        (6,409 )     5,123   

Deemed dividend on Series A convertible redeemable preferred shares

    (54 )     —          —          —          —     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income (loss) attributable to holders of ordinary shares

  $ 18,598      $ (26,770 )   $ 11,883      $ (6,409 )   $ 5,123   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) per ordinary share:

         

Basic

  $ 0.20      $ (0.31 )   $ 0.13      $ (0.07 )   $ 0.06   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted

  $ 0.19      $ (0.31 )   $ 0.13      $ (0.07 )   $ 0.06   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted average number of shares used in calculating income (loss) per ordinary share

         

Basic

    77,738,701        86,856,467        88,174,675        88,923,162        89,629,395   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted

    84,472,947        86,856,467        88,174,675        88,923,162        89,796,835   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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     As of December 31,  
           2007                  2008                  2009                  2010                  2011        
     (in thousands)  

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet Data

              

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 148,743       $ 147,649       $ 142,953       $ 91,667       $ 111,180   

Prepaid advertising expenses

     23,151         16,757         9,968         8,433         11,655   

Total assets

     287,776         304,185         273,383         214,632         245,676   

Deferred revenue

     13,352         12,798         —           —           —     

Total liabilities

     35,160         74,860         68,357         30,812         48,781   

Total liabilities and equity

   $ 287,776       $ 304,185       $ 273,383       $ 214,632       $ 245,676   

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
           2009                 2010                 2011        
     (in thousands, except percentages)  

Selected Operating Data

      

Number of inbound calls generated through direct sales platforms

     7,450        6,487        6,107   

Conversion rate for inbound calls to product purchase orders

     31.0 %     25.4 %     31.4

Total TV direct sales program minutes

     410        290        186   

 

(1)

Includes share-based compensation of:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
           2007                 2008                 2009                 2010                 2011        
     (in thousands)  

Other selling and marketing expenses

   $ (423 )   $ (292 )   $ (94 )   $ —        $ —     

General and administrative expenses

   $ (6,096 )   $ (4,176 )   $ (1,751 )   $ (215 )   $ (130

 

(2)

Includes:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2007     2008     2009     2010     2011  
     (in thousands)  

Share-based compensation

   $ (6,519 )   $ (4,468 )   $ (1,846 )   $ (215 )     $(130

Goodwill and intangible assets impairment losses

     —          (8,668 )     (15,248 )     —          —     

(Loss) Gain on change in fair value of derivative assets

     —          (3,275 )     (1,306 )     199        306   

 

(3)

Net income for the periods presented reflect effective tax rates, which may not be representative of our long- term expected effective tax rates in light of the tax holidays and exemptions enjoyed by certain of our PRC subsidiaries and our consolidated affiliated entities. See Item 5.A, “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—Taxation”.

Exchange Rate Information

We have published our financial statements in U.S. dollars. Our business is primarily conducted in China and denominated in Renminbi. Periodic reports will be made to shareholders and will be expressed in U.S. dollars using the then current exchange rates. The conversion of Renminbi into U.S. dollars in this annual report is based on the official base exchange rate published by the People’s Bank of China. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars in this annual report were made at $1.00 to RMB6.3009, which was the prevailing rate on December 31, 2011. The prevailing rate on April 20, 2012 was $1.00 to RMB6.3042. We make no representation that any Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could be,

 

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converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate, the rates stated below, or at all. The PRC government imposes controls over its foreign currency reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of Renminbi into foreign exchange and through restrictions on foreign trade.

The People’s Bank of China sets and publishes daily a base exchange rate. Until July 21, 2005, the People’s Bank of China set this rate with reference primarily to the supply and demand of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar in the market during the prior day. Beginning on July 21, 2005, the People’s Bank of China has set this rate with reference primarily to the supply and demand of Renminbi against a basket of currencies in the market during the prior day. The People’s Bank of China also takes into account other factors such as the general conditions existing in the international foreign exchange markets. Although governmental policies were introduced in the PRC in 1996 to reduce restrictions on the convertibility of Renminbi into foreign currency for current account items, conversion of Renminbi into foreign exchange for capital items, such as foreign direct investment, loans or security, requires the approval of the State Administration for Foreign Exchange and other relevant authorities.

The following table sets forth various information concerning exchange rates between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar for the periods indicated. These rates are provided solely for your convenience and are not necessarily the exchange rates that we used in this annual report or will use in the preparation of our periodic reports or any other information to be provided to you.

 

Period

   Noon Buying Rate  
     Period-End      Average(1)      Low      High  

2006

     7.8087         7.9693         7.8051         8.0705   

2007

     7.2946         7.5806         7.2946         7.8127   

2008

     6.8225         6.9193         6.7800         7.2946   

2009

     6.8282         6.8314         6.8201         6.8399   

2010

     6.6227         6.7668         6.6227         6.8284   

2011

     6.3009         6.4445         6.3009         6.6349   

October

     6.3233         6.3566         6.3233         6.3762   

November

     6.3482         6.3408         6.3165         6.3587   

December

     6.3009         6.3281         6.3009         6.3421   

2012

           

January

     6.3115         6.3168         6.3001         6.3306   

February

     6.2919         6.3000         6.2919         6.3116   

March

     6.2943         6.3081         6.2840         6.3359   

April (through April 20, 2012)

     6.3042         6.2992         6.2879         6.3072   

 

(1)

Annual average for any given year is calculated by using the average of the exchange rates on the end of each month during such year. Monthly average for any given month is calculated by using the average of the daily rates during such month.

B. Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable.

 

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D. Risk Factors

Risks Relating to Our Business

Our evolving business model and the evolution of China’s direct sales industry makes it difficult to evaluate our business and future prospects.

Our business model continues to evolve in conjunction with the evolution of China’s direct sales industry (including the TV home shopping industry) and market conditions. The direct sales industry in China is still in the early stage of development and the competitive landscape and range of products being offered continue to evolve rapidly. Our business model has varied throughout our operating history in response to changes in the direct sales industry. Historically, we focused on our proprietary branded products, such as Ozing and Meijin. In 2006, we began selling and marketing certain third-party branded products on our TV direct sales platform pursuant to joint sales arrangement, which, to date, we have sold through our nationwide distribution network only in limited quantities. Additionally, in 2007, we began relationships with four established domestic banks through which we directly market products through specialized catalogs to credit card holders of these banks. As of December 31, 2011, we had established relationships with 33 domestic banks. However, our arrangements with these banks are not exclusive and the banks may send catalogs of our competitors to the credit card holders as well. In addition, the banks retain the right to elect which products are offered in our catalogs, and we may not be able to market our featured products or our highest profit margin products. Further, sales generated from our other direct sales platform have grown at a faster pace than our sales from TV direct sales platform in 2011 primarily due to our utilization of our customer database, the changing regulatory environment and the increase in media price. We expect sales from other direct sales platforms, including catalogs, third party banks, Internet and outbound calls, to be of higher growth potential and growing importance to our business in the future. The evolution of our business model makes it difficult for you to evaluate our business and future prospects.

Our longer term goal is to become the leading media and branding company in China and to capitalize on our integrated multi-media platform with an aim to become partners of choice for both well-established and promising new businesses to market and distribute their products in China. To achieve this goal, our management has adopted a new performance review system since 2010 which focuses on the optimization of our media return. In addition, while maintaining our expansive distribution network, we expect to focus more on our TV and other direct sales platform starting from 2011. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to effectively implement our business strategies and the new performance review system, which could materially adversely affect our result of operations and prospects.

Our operating results fluctuate from period to period, making them difficult to predict. Our operating results for a particular period could fall below our expectations or the expectations of investors or any market analyst that may issue reports or analyses regarding our ADSs, resulting in a decrease in the price of our ADSs.

Our operating results are highly dependent upon, and will fluctuate based on, the following product-related factors:

 

   

the mix of TV direct sales programs, including the portion thereof dedicated to products marketed by us pursuant to joint sales arrangements, and brand promotion advertising;

 

   

the mix of products selected by us for marketing through our TV direct sales programs, our other direct sales channels and our nationwide distribution network and their average selling prices;

 

   

the mix of our TV versus other direct sales platforms;

 

   

new product introductions by us or our competitors and our ability to identify new products;

 

   

the availability of competing products and possible reductions in the sales price of our products over time in response to competitive offerings or in anticipation of our introduction of new or upgraded offerings;

 

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seasonality with respect to certain of our products, such as our electronic learning products, for which sales are typically higher around our first and third fiscal quarters corresponding with the end and beginning of school semesters in China, respectively;

 

   

the cycles of our products featured in our TV direct sales programs, with such sales typically growing rapidly over the initial promotional period and then declining over time, sometimes precipitously in a short period of time;

 

   

the market of certain featured products becoming saturated over time;

 

   

discounts offered to our distributors as part of incentive plans to stimulate sales;

 

   

the success of our distributors in promoting and selling our products locally; and

 

   

the potential negative impact distributor sales may have on our own direct sales efforts.

In addition, factors not directly relating to our products which could cause our operating results to fluctuate in a particular period or in comparison to a prior period include:

 

   

any requirement to suspend or terminate a particular TV direct sales program, including in response to regulatory actions;

 

   

new laws, regulations or rules promulgated by the PRC government governing the TV direct sales industry;

 

   

negative publicity about our products;

 

   

natural disasters, such as the severe snow storms or earthquake experienced by China in 2008;

 

   

the amount and timing of operating expenses incurred by us, including our media procurement expenses, inventory-related losses, bad debt expense, product returns and options grants to our employees;

 

   

gains and losses related to our investments in marketable securities; and

 

   

the level of advertising and other promotional efforts by us and our competitors in a particular period.

Due to these and other factors, our operating results will vary from period to period, will be difficult to predict for any given period, may be adversely affected from period to period and may not be indicative of our future performance. If our operating results for any period fall below our expectations or the expectations of investors or any market analyst that may issue reports or analyses regarding our ADSs, the price of our ADSs is likely to decrease.

Our best-selling featured product lines account for, and are expected to continue to account for, the substantial majority of our sales. Featured products sales may decline, these products may have limited product lifecycles, and we may fail to introduce new products to offset declines in sales of our featured products.

Our five best-selling featured products or product lines accounted for 81.8%, 81.4% and 85.6% of our gross revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. In 2011, our electronic learning product line, which has consistently been one of our five best-selling products prior to 2007 and in 2009, has experienced a large decline due to the electronic learning product market decline. Our electronic learning product sales accounted for 17.2% of our gross revenues in 2011. Sales of our cell phone product line, which was our best-selling product in 2010, accounted for 45.7% of our gross revenues in 2011.

Only approximately 15.4% of our TV direct sales customers purchased products through our direct sales platform more than once in 2011. Our featured products may fail to maintain or achieve sufficient consumer market popularity and sales may decline due to, among other factors, the introduction of competing products,

 

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entry of new competitors, customer dissatisfaction with the value or quality offered by our products, negative publicity or market saturation (particularly in the area of cell phones). Consequently, our future sales success depends on our ability to successfully identify, develop, introduce and distribute in a timely and cost- effective manner new and appealing products, including new and upgraded products.

Our product sales for a given period will depend upon, among other things, a positive customer response to our TV direct sales programs, our effective management of product inventory and the stage of our products’ lifecycles during the period. Customer response to our TV direct sales programs depends on many factors, including the appeal of the products being marketed, the effectiveness of the TV direct sales programs, the viability of competing products and the timing and frequency of airtime. Our new products may not receive market acceptance. In addition, from time to time, we experience delays in the supply of our products to customers due to production delays or shortages or inadequate inventory management, and we lose potential product sales as a result. Furthermore, during a product’s lifecycle, problems may arise regarding regulatory, intellectual property, product liability or other issues which may affect the continued viability of the product for sale.

Although we have previously offset declining sales of a featured product line through increased sales of a new or expanded featured product line, we may be unable to do so in the future. If we fail to identify and introduce additional successful products, including those to replace existing featured products suffering from declining sales or approaching the end of their product lifecycle, our gross revenues may not grow or may decline and our market share and value of our brand may be materially and adversely affected.

Our business depends significantly on the strength of our product brands and corporate reputation; our failure to develop, maintain and enhance our product brands and corporate reputation may materially and adversely affect the level of market recognition of, and trust in, our products.

In China’s fragmented, developing and increasingly competitive consumer market, product brands and corporate reputation have become critical to the success of our new products and the continued popularity of our existing products. Our ability to develop, maintain and enhance a given products brand image and recognition depends largely on our ability to remain a leader in the TV direct sales market industry in China. Our brand promotion efforts, particularly our brand promotion activities, may be expensive and may fail to either effectively promote our product brands or generate additional sales.

Our product brands, corporate reputation and product sales could be harmed if, for example:

 

   

our advertisements, including our TV direct sales programs, or the advertisements of the owners of the third-party brands that we market or those of our distributors, are deemed to be misleading or inaccurate;

 

   

our products fail to meet customer expectations;

 

   

we provide poor or ineffective customer service;

 

   

our products contain defects or otherwise fail;

 

   

consumers confuse our products with inferior or counterfeit products;

 

   

consumers confuse our TV direct sales programs with those of our competitors, some of which may promote inferior products, be misleading or inaccurate, or be of poor production quality; or

 

   

consumers find our outbound calls intrusive or annoying.

Furthermore, some of our customers reported that they have received phone calls from certain unidentified third parties impersonating our staff. These unidentified individuals called our customers to request that they (i) modify their order because the ordered product was out of stock or (ii) reject an ordered product upon delivery

 

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because it was damaged. In some cases, these unidentified individuals delivered counterfeit or inferior products to our customers. After our internal investigation and the investigation conducted by relevant PRC authorities, a group of impersonators were arrested by the police and were sentenced by the court in August 2011. We believe that this case will play a great role to prevent similar events in the future, however, we can not assure you that similar events won’t happen in the future. We believe that we have taken the necessary steps to prevent similar events from recurring. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to effectively prevent the recurrence of such events in the future, and in case such events recurs in the future, it could materially adversely affect our reputation among our customers and potential customers and our result of operations.

Our business depends on our access to TV media time to market our products in China, which is limited by PRC regulations. We do not generally have long-term contracts to purchase TV media time, and any regulatory or other disruption of our access to desired TV time slots could negatively impact the effectiveness of our TV direct sales platform.

Our business is dependent on having access to media time to televise our TV direct sales programs. A significant portion of our direct sales, which accounted for 55.8%, 66.8% and 80.5% of our total net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively, are generated through our TV direct sales platform. In addition, our nationwide distribution network is significantly dependent on our TV direct sales platform since our distributors generally seek to distribute products that were or continue to be sold successfully through our TV direct sales programs.

Under PRC regulations, airtime used to broadcast retail sales programs is generally considered advertising time. PRC regulations restrict the overall daily TV advertising time and the amount of TV advertising time during certain time periods. New regulations and rules that imposed tighter restrictions on TV advertising were issued in 2009. The Circular on Strengthening the Administration of TV Direct Sales Advertising and Home Shopping Programs issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or SARFT, on September 10, 2009 requires that TV direct sales advertising programs not be broadcasted on some specialized TV channels, including news channels, international channels, and TV home shopping channels and not be broadcasted on satellite TV channels during the period from 6:00pm to 12:00am every day. The Administrative Measures on Advertising on Television or Radio issued by the SARFT on September 8, 2009 and effective as of January 1, 2010 which was amended on November 15, 2011 further requires that the total airtime allocated to commercial advertising on each TV channel not exceed 12 minutes per hour and not exceed 18 minutes in total during the period from 7:00pm to 9:00pm; no commercial advertising shall be inserted in whatever form during broadcasting of an episode (calculated as 45 minutes) of a television drama. Violation of these time restrictions may result in a warning, an order to correct the violation, a fine of up to RMB20,000, the suspension of broadcasting relevant to advertising, the suspension of the operation of the TV channel where the relevant advertising is broadcast, or even the withdrawal of the TV station’s operating license.

Our TV direct sales programs, which are typically five to ten minutes in length, are in most cases treated by TV stations as advertising for purposes of complying with these PRC regulations. Accordingly, adverse or unanticipated regulatory changes, including any change that limits the amount of time available for TV advertising generally or its availability to us, could significantly harm our business or limit our ability to operate. For example, the 2009 new regulations and rules described above have caused a strong increase in media price and as a result, we have to further lower our purchase of TV advertising time to focus on more cost effective channels and time slots and to better control our cost. We purchase TV advertising time mainly from TV advertising agencies that have exclusive rights to sell certain TV advertising time slots for certain TV channels, while we also purchase TV advertising time from TV stations directly. Competition for attractive TV advertising time and for channels in China is intense, in part, due to the daily restrictions discussed above. Competitors for advertising time include other TV-based retail companies and companies seeking to advertise their own products. In addition, certain TV channels have in the past allocated, and might choose in the future to allocate, fewer time slots for TV direct sales programs. As our existing contracts expire, we may be unable to purchase or renew desired advertising time slots on desirable TV channels or at favorable price levels, if at all. Any significant

 

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increase in media price or decreases in our access to media time, including as result of any failure to renew or extend our existing contracts with TV stations or their advertising agencies, could negatively impact the effectiveness of our TV direct sales platform and our TV direct sales net revenues and total net revenues.

Our advertising commitments represent our largest operating expenditure. However, our advertising commitments may not generate higher net revenues, thereby negatively impacting our overall profitability.

The purchase of TV advertising time is our largest operating expenditure. A significant increase in the cost of media time could negatively impact our overall profitability. In 2011, we optimized our media resources on the basis of media return data collected in 2010. We ceased the purchase of TV airtime with low media returns and increased the purchase of TV airtime with higher media returns. We expect that our TV direct sales will continue to grow because of the further optimization of our media resources and the increase of our total purchase of TV airtime.

Our TV advertising time purchase contracts typically require us to make full advance payment before broadcasting our TV direct sales programs. As of December 31, 2011, we had signed contracts to purchase $72.6 million of TV advertising time for direct sales programs for 2012. Accordingly, if we fail to manage our media time efficiently or effectively, and our TV advertising efforts fail to generate sufficient return or profit potential, our results of operations and business performance may be materially and adversely affected. In addition, we may be unable to use all of our purchased time due to factors out of our control, such as preemption of our time by special programming events and programming overruns by relevant TV stations. For example, in 2008, approximately 10.1% of our purchased TV advertising time was preempted by these TV stations due to special events such as the Beijing Olympic Games in August 2008, which significantly affected our sales performance in the third quarter. In 2011, approximately 5.61% of our purchased TV advertising time was preempted by these TV stations due to TV station machine inspection or other reasons. Although these TV stations reimburse us or provide us alternative advertising time slots in the event of preemption, this might not fully compensate us for the loss of our desired time slots.

We rely on our nationwide distribution network for a substantial portion of our revenues. Failure to maintain good distributor relations could materially disrupt our distribution business and harm our net revenues.

Our distribution sales account for a substantial portion of our net revenues. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, 44.2%, 33.2% and 19.5%, respectively, of our net revenues were generated through our distributors across China. Our largest distributor accounted for approximately 2.5%, 1.4% and 1.2% of our gross revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. We do not maintain long-term contracts with our distributors. Maintaining relationships with existing distributors and replacing any distributor may be difficult or time consuming. Our failure to maintain good relationships with our distributors could materially disrupt our distribution business and harm our net revenues.

We may be unable to effectively manage our nationwide distribution network. Any failure by our distributors to operate in compliance with our distribution agreements and applicable law may result in liability to us, may interrupt the effective operation of our distribution network, may harm our brands and our corporate image and may result in decreased sales.

We have limited ability to manage the activities of our distributors, who are independent from us. In addition, our distributors or the retail outlets to which they sell our products may violate our distribution agreements with them or the sales agreements between our distributors and the retail outlets. Such violations may include, among other things:

 

   

failure to meet minimum sales targets for our products or minimum price levels for our products in accordance with relevant agreements;

 

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failure to properly promote our products through local marketing media, including local TV and print media, violation of our media content requirements, or failure to meet minimum required media spending levels;

 

   

selling products that compete with our products, including product imitations, or selling our products outside their designated territories, possibly in violation of the exclusive distribution rights of other distributors;

 

   

providing poor customer service; or

 

   

violating PRC law in the marketing and sale of our products, including PRC restrictions on advertising content or product claims.

In particular, we have discovered that some of the retail outlets to which our distributors sell our products are selling imitation products that compete with our products, such as our Babaka branded posture correction product. Although we continue to rigorously monitor this situation and require our distributors to abide by their contractual obligation to eliminate any such violation by the retail outlets, we may be unable to police or stop violations such as the selling of imitation products by retail outlets.

If we determine to fine, suspend or terminate our distributors for acting in violation of our distribution agreements, or if the distributors fail to address material violations committed by any of their retail outlets, our ability to effectively sell our products in any given territory could be negatively impacted. In addition, these and similar actions could negatively affect our brands and our corporate image, possibly resulting in loss of customers and a decline in sales.

Some of our distributors may compete with us in certain TV direct sales markets, possibly negatively affecting our direct sales in those markets.

Several of our current distributors market and sell some of our and our competitors’ products through their own TV direct sales platforms and call centers. Of those distributors, one was among our five best-performing distributors in 2009, 2010 and 2011, with aggregate revenue contribution of approximately 2.0%, 2.3% and 0.8% of our gross revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Each of these distributors is a party to our standard distribution arrangement and each operated its own TV direct sales platform prior to becoming our distributor. These distributors continue to operate their own TV direct sales platforms. These distributors’ TV direct sales efforts may compete with and negatively affect our own TV direct sales in their respective territories.

Certain of our distributors are beneficially owned by our employees. It may be difficult for us to effectively evaluate the performance of these distributors or to replace any of them if they are non-performing, underperforming or non-compliant with our distribution agreements.

We have approximately 150 distributors constituting our nationwide distribution network that distribute our products across China. Some of our distributors are owned in part, or in some cases in whole, by certain of our employees or their family members. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the aggregate sales generated by distributors owned in whole or in part by our employees accounted for approximately 12.7%, 10.9% and 16.9% of our distribution gross revenues, respectively, or 5.6%, 3.6% and 3.3% of our total gross revenues, respectively. Certain of these distributors have been among our top distributors in 2009, 2010 and 2011. We entered into the distribution agreements with these related distributors on an arm’s-length basis and the terms in the distribution agreements with these distributors are the same as those with our independent distributors. Nevertheless, the economic interests held by our employees in our distributors may make it difficult for us to effectively evaluate the performance of such distributors or fine, suspend or terminate a non-performing, under-performing or non-compliant distributor without harming our relationship with those employees.

 

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We may not realize the anticipated benefits of our potential future joint ventures, acquisitions or investments or be able to integrate any acquired employees, businesses, products, which in turn may negatively affect their performance and respective contributions to our results of operations.

From time to time, we conduct acquisitions, make investments or enter into joint ventures with other entities as a means of developing new products, acquiring managerial expertise or further expand our complementary distribution network infrastructure. In addition to the four joint ventures and other minority investments that we currently maintain, we may continue to enter into similar joint ventures or make other acquisitions or investments when proper opportunities occur. Risks related to our existing and future joint ventures, acquisitions and investments include, as applicable:

 

   

our ability to enter into, exit or acquire additional interests in our joint ventures or other acquisitions or investments may be restricted by or subject to various approvals under PRC law or may not otherwise be possible, may result in a possible dilutive issuance of our securities or may require us to secure financing to fund those activities;

 

   

we may disagree with our joint venture partner(s) or other investors on how the venture or business investment should be managed and/or operated;

 

   

to the degree we wish to do so, we may be unable to integrate and retain acquired employees or management personnel; incorporate acquired products, or capabilities into our business; integrate and support pre-existing manufacturing or distribution arrangements; consolidate duplicate facilities and functions; or combine aspects of our accounting processes, order processing and support functions; and

 

   

the joint venture or investment could suffer losses and we could lose our total investment, which would have a negative effect on our operating results.

Any of these events could distract our management’s attention and result in our not obtaining the anticipated benefits of our joint ventures, acquisitions or investments and, in turn, negatively affect the performance of such joint ventures, acquisitions and investments and their respective contributions to our results of operations.

Our failure to adequately manage our growth and expansion could negatively impact our ability to effectively operate our business, accurately report our financial results as a public company and attract and train our employees and management, which could hamper our business strategy and result in deterioration in our operating results.

Our operations have grown rapidly. We grew from 128 employees in 2000, to 1,899 employees as of December 31, 2011. In addition, we purchased a fifty-year land use right of a piece of land in Qingpu district of Shanghai in the first quarter of 2009. We have completed construction on a warehouse and a factory for keeping our inventories and manufacturing our proprietary branded products on this land and have finished various completion inspections. We expect to receive relevant building ownership certificates in the near future. We may not be able to successfully operate the factory built on such land due to, among others, our lack of prior experience. Our recent growth has resulted, and future growth could continue to result, in substantial demands being placed on our operational and administrative systems, our financial and management controls and resources, our management and our employee training capabilities. Any failure in these areas could significantly harm our ability to effectively operate our business, accurately report our financial results as a public company and attract and train our employees and management, which could hamper our business strategy and result in deterioration in our operating results.

We depend on our senior management team, key personnel and skilled and experienced employees in all aspects of our business, and our business and operations may be severely disrupted and our performance negatively affected if we lose their services.

Our future success significantly depends upon the continuing service of our senior management team, including Robert W. Roche, our co-founder and executive chairman, Don Dongjie Yang, our co-founder, chief

 

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executive officer and director, Peng Lu, our president, Lifu Chen, Rong Wang, Yongqiang Zhu and David Wei Meng, our vice presidents. If one or more members of our senior management team or other key employees are unable or unwilling to continue in their present position, we may not be able to replace them easily or at all, our business could be severely disrupted, and our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. We do not maintain key-man life insurance for any of our senior management.

To maintain our competitive position and expand our operations, we must attract, train and retain skilled and experienced employees in numerous areas, including product development, media procurement and call center operations. The monthly average turnover rate for our call centers ranged from 2.7% to 9.5% in 2009, 2.1% to 12.0% in 2010 and 0.2% to 9.0% in 2011, reflecting both voluntary terminations and termination of employees failing to meet our performance standards. Any inability to attract and retain a significant number of skilled and experienced employees in our call centers or other critical areas could seriously disrupt our business and operations and negatively affect our financial performance.

In fulfilling sales through our direct sales platforms, we face customer acceptance, delivery, payment and collection risks that could adversely impact our direct sales net revenues and overall operating results. We are dependent on China Express Mail Service Corporation, or EMS and local delivery companies, to make our product deliveries and from time to time we have been required to write off certain accounts receivable from them.

We rely on EMS, the largest national express mail service operated by the China Post Office, and local delivery companies to deliver products sold through our direct sales platforms. EMS and local delivery companies made deliveries of products representing 47.4% and 38.0% of our sales in 2009, respectively, 32.5% and 49.5% of our sales in 2010, respectively, and 37.3% and 45.2% of our sales in 2011, respectively. Although we have started offering credit card payment options for selected card holders, almost all of the products that we sell through our direct sales platforms are delivered and paid for by customers on a cash on delivery, or COD, basis. We rely on EMS and local delivery companies to remit customer payment collections to us. Of the total attempted product deliveries by EMS and local delivery companies on a COD basis, approximately 73%, 68% and 70% were successful in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Reasons for delivery failure primarily include customer refusal to accept a product upon delivery or failure to successfully locate the delivery address. Although we continue to explore alternative payment methods and expand our credit card payment options, we expect to continue to be dependent on COD customer payments for the foreseeable future.

EMS typically requires 26 days to remit to us the COD payments received from our customers. Of our total accounts receivable balance as of December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, $2.2 million or 12.8%, $0.2 million or 1.6% and $1.8 million or 10.7%, respectively, were due from EMS. In addition, from time to time, we have been required to write off certain EMS accounts receivable due to a difference between EMS’s collections according to our records and cash amounts actually received by EMS according to their records. The total amount of EMS-related accounts receivable written off in 2009, 2010 and 2011 was approximately $0.3 million, $0.3 million, and $0.1 million respectively. We may be required to write off similar or higher amounts in the future. We do not maintain a long-term contract with EMS or local delivery companies. Failure or inability to renew our contract with EMS or local delivery companies could disrupt our business and operations and negatively affect our financial performance.

In addition, one local delivery company that we used for delivery of our products became insolvent in 2011 and is currently in the process of liquidation. Although we are trying to recover the outstanding account receivables due from such local delivery company, our management considered that the possibility to fully collect such account receivables is remote and made a $2.5 million bad debt provision in connection with the receivables from such local delivery company. If any similar event occurs in the future, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

 

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We expect competition in China’s consumer market to intensify. If we do not compete successfully against new and existing competitors, we may lose our market share, and our profitability may be adversely affected.

Competition from current or future competitors could cause our products to lose market acceptance or require us to significantly reduce our prices or increase our promotional activities to maintain and attract customers. Many of our current or future competitors may have longer operating histories, better brand recognition and consumer trust, strong media management capabilities, better media and supplier relationships, a larger technical staff and sales force and/or greater financial, technical or marketing resources than we do. Because of our integrated vertical business model, we face competition from the following companies operating in our value chain:

 

   

other TV direct sales companies operating in China with generally similar business models to ours, including Moneng TV, Pacific Media and China SevenStar;

 

   

TV home shopping companies that operate across China or in large parts of China, such as CCTV Home Shopping and Hunan TV Happigo, and companies that operate on multiple channels in multiple provinces, such as Oriental CJ Home Shopping, U-you Home Shopping and TVSN;

 

   

numerous domestic and international sellers of consumer branded products that sell their products in China and which compete with our products, such as our Ozing electronic learning products which compete with electronic learning products from BBK, Zhongshan Subor Digital Sound Co., Ltd., Group Sense, and other brands, and our cell phone products which compete with similar products sold by local and international cell phone manufacturers; and

 

   

traditional retailers and distributors, as well as direct marketers such as Avon and Amway, operating in China which currently or in the future may offer competing products, including products under their own brand, or may otherwise offer or seek to offer small and medium manufacturers and suppliers distribution capabilities throughout China.

Particularly, we are facing more intense competition from TV home shopping companies, whose number has increased significantly during the past years in China. Many of these companies are supported by, or affiliated with, TV or radio stations and therefore may have access to cheaper TV airtime than us.

In addition, large multi-national home shopping companies such as QVC may enter the China market directly or indirectly. Entry by these players becomes more likely if existing PRC restrictions on content, number of advertising hours per day and foreign ownership of TV stations are relaxed.

We also compete with companies that make imitations of our products at substantially lower prices, such as our Babaka branded posture correction products, which may be sold in department stores, pharmacies and general merchandise stores.

Interruption or failure of our telephone system and management information systems could impair our ability to effectively sell and deliver our products or result in a loss or corruption of data, which could damage our reputation and negatively impact our results of operations.

In 2009, 2010 and 2011, approximately 55.8%, 66.8% and 80.5% of our total net revenues, respectively, were generated through our direct sales platforms with orders processed by our call centers. Our call centers rely heavily on our telephone and management information systems, or MIS, to receive customer calls at our call centers, process customer purchases, arrange product delivery and assess the effectiveness of advertising placements and consumer acceptance of our products, among other things. As our business evolves and our MIS requirements change, we may need to modify, upgrade and replace our systems. We work closely with third-party vendors to provide telephone tailored to our specific needs. We are and will continue to be substantially reliant on these third-party vendors for the provision of maintenance, modifications, upgrades and replacements

 

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to our systems. If these third-party vendors can no longer provide these services, it may be difficult, time consuming and costly to replace them. Any such modification, upgrading or replacement of our systems may be costly and could create disturbances or interruptions to our operations. Similarly, undetected errors or inadequacies in our telephone and MIS may be difficult or expensive to timely correct and could result in substantial service interruptions.

From time to time, our computer systems experience short periods of power outage. Any telephone or MIS failure (including as a result of natural disaster or power outage), particularly during peak or critical periods, could inhibit our ability to receive calls and complete orders or evaluate the effectiveness of our promotions or consumer acceptance of our products or otherwise operate our business. These events could, in turn, impair our ability to effectively sell and deliver our products or result in the loss or corruption of customer, supplier and distributor data, which could damage our reputation and negatively impact our results of operations.

Failure to protect personal and confidential information of our customers could damage our reputation and substantially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We collect and store personally identifiable information of our customers in our database through which we sell and market our products. We may not be able to prevent third parties, such as hackers or criminal organizations, from stealing information provided by our customers to us. In addition, significant capital and other resources may be required to protect against security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by such breaches. The methods used by hackers and others engaged in online criminal activities are increasingly sophisticated and constantly evolving. Even if we are successful in adapting to and preventing new security breaches, any perception by the public that the privacy of customer information are becoming increasingly unsafe or vulnerable to attack could inhibit the growth of online business generally, which in turn may reduce our customers’ confidence and materially and adversely affect our business and prospects. Moreover, we may be obligated to comply with the privacy and data security laws of foreign countries where our customers reside. Our exposure to foreign countries’ privacy and data security laws impacts our ability to collect and use personal data, increases our legal compliance costs and may expose us to liability. As such laws proliferate, there may be uncertainty regarding their application or interpretation, which consequently increases our exposure to potential compliance costs and liability. Even if a claim of noncompliance against us does not ultimately result in liability, investigating or responding to a claim may present significant costs and demands on our management.

We could be liable for breaches of security of our service and third-party payment systems, which may have a material and adverse effect on our reputation and business.

In recent years, we have generated an increasingly significant proportion of our net revenues from payments collected through third-party online payment systems, which are primarily generated from our Internet sales. In such transactions, confidential information, such as customers’ debit and credit card numbers and expiration dates, personal information and billing addresses, is transmitted over public networks and security of such information is essential for maintaining customer confidence. While we have not experienced any breach of our security to date, current security measures may be inadequate. In addition, we expect that an increasing number of our sales will be conducted over the Internet as a result of our expanding customer base and the growing use of online payment systems. We also expect that associated online crime will likely increase accordingly. We must therefore be prepared to increase our security measures and efforts so that our customers have confidence in the reliability of the online payment systems that we use.

We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our product brand, reputation and competitive position. In addition, we may have to enforce our intellectual property rights through litigation. Such litigation may result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

We rely on a combination of patent, copyright, trademark and unfair competition laws, as well as nondisclosure agreements and other methods to protect our intellectual property rights. In particular, we rely on

 

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the trademark law in China to protect our product brands. We currently maintain approximately 269 trademark registrations in China. The legal regime in China for the protection of intellectual property rights is still at a relatively early stage of development. Despite many laws and regulations promulgated and other efforts made by China over the years to enhance its regulation and protection of intellectual property rights, private parties may not enjoy intellectual property rights in China to the same extent as they would in many western countries, including the United States, and enforcement of such laws and regulations in China has not achieved the levels reached in those countries. Although the PRC State Council approved the State Outlines on the Protection of Intellectual Property on April 9, 2008 in an effort to protect intellectual property, the steps we have taken may still be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation of our intellectual property. Separately, we are in the process of applying for registration or transfer of approximately 143 trademarks in China.

We may be unable to enforce our proprietary rights in connection with these trademarks before such registrations or transfers are approved by the relevant authorities and it is possible that such registrations or transfers may not be approved at all. In addition, manufacturers or suppliers in China may imitate our products, copy our various brands and infringe our intellectual property rights. We have recently discovered unauthorized products in the marketplace that are counterfeit reproductions of our products sold by the retailers within our nationwide distribution network and by third parties in retail stores and on websites. The counterfeit products that we found include our Babaka posture correction products, our Yierjian fitness products, our cosmetic products and our oxygen generation products.

It is difficult and expensive to police and enforce against infringement of intellectual property rights in China. Imitation or counterfeiting of our products or other infringement of our intellectual property rights, including our trademarks, could diminish the value of our various brands, harm our reputation and competitive position or otherwise adversely affect our net revenues. We may have to enforce our intellectual property rights through litigation. Such litigation may result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

We have in the past been, currently are, and in the future may again be, subject to intellectual property rights infringement claims by third parties, which could be time-consuming and costly to defend or litigate, divert our attention and resources, or require us to enter into licensing agreements. These licenses may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

We have in the past been, currently are, and in the future may again be, the subject of claims for infringement, invalidity, or indemnification relating to other parties’ proprietary rights. For example, in April 2011, Xinjiang Yujinsheng Advertising Marketing Co., Ltd., or Xinjiang Yujingsheng, filed a suit in the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court against Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Jinyifang Culture Communication Co., Ltd. and Xinjiang Guoyu Hetianyu Co., Ltd., alleging that the cicada-shaped jade pendants sold on our website, which were produced and supplied by the other two defendants, infringe upon the patent right for design of Xinjiang Yujingsheng. Xingjiang Yujinsheng claimed damages of RMB1,019,646 (approximately $161,825 ). A court decision was delivered on July 25, 2011 dismissing all the claims of Xingjiang Yujinsheng. Xingjiang Yujinsheng appealed the court decision and the Shanghai Higher People’s Court affirmed the decision of the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court on October 17, 2011.

In May 2011, Yangya Zidian Co., Ltd filed a suit in the Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court against Zhongshan Meijin Digital Technology Co., Ltd., alleging that the video “Let’s Talk in English” we provide on our website to the users of our electronic learning products infringe upon the copyright of Yangya Zidian. Yangya Zidian claimed damages of approximately RMB1.4 million (approximately $216,203). After negotiation, Zhongshan Meijin and Yangya Zidian reached a settlement on November 18, 2011 pursuant to which Zhongshan Meijin has paid RMB200,000 (approximately $31,741) to Yangya Zidian and Yangya Zidian has withdrawn the suit.

In June 2011, Bubugao education and electronic Co., Ltd (“Bubugao”) filed a suit in Wuhan Intermediate People’s Court against Shanghai HJX Digital technology Co., Ltd (“HJX”), alleging that video of courseware by

 

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HuangGang middle school we provide in our electronic learning products infringed upon the copyright of Bubugao. Bubugao claimed damages of RMB522,598 (approximately $82,940 ). After negotiation, HJX and Bubugao reached an agreement on October, 2011. HJX has paid RMB 100,000 to Bubugao and Bubugao has withdrawn the suit.

We may from time to time become a party to legal proceedings which, if adversely decided, could materially adversely affect us.

We may from time to time become a party to legal proceedings, defense of which may increase our expenses and divert management attention and resources. In addition, an adverse outcome in any such proceeding could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

For example, in March 2009, we received a complaint from Advertising Broadcasting Center of Liaoning TV Station, or Liaoning TV, which filed a suit against Shanghai Acorn Advertising Broadcasting Co., Ltd., or Shanghai Advertising, claiming that Shanghai Advertising breached its advertisement broadcasting contract with Liaoning TV by not fully performing its payment obligation under the contract and asserted damages of approximately RMB19 million (approximately $2.8 million). Liaoning TV further applied for provisional seizure of Shanghai Advertising’s bank account in the same amount of its claim. In June 2009, the people’s court ruled in favor of Liaoning TV and awarded Liaoning TV an aggregate payment of RMB10.9 million (approximately $1.6 million). In July 2009, we appealed to the people’s court at higher level, which affirmed the judgment in September 2009. On November 19, 2009 we paid Liaoning TV RMB10.9 million (approximately $1.6 million).

In July 2011, Shanghai HJX Digital Technology Co., Ltd., or Shanghai HJX, filed a suit in the People’s Court of Guangzhou Baiyun District against Guangzhou Yangyikang Electric Device Co., Ltd., or Yangyikang, claiming that Yangyikang breached the research and development contract between Yangyikang and Shanghai HJX by not performing its research and development obligations under the contract and asserted that Yangyikang should return the RMB2.0 million (approximately $317,415) R&D fees. On September 30, 2011, Shanghai HJX received the verdict from the People’s Court of Guangzhou Baiyun District on the jurisdiction of the suit. Shanghai HJX was ordered to file the suit in the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court. On January 29, 2012, Shanghai HJX filed a suit to the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court in accordance with the verdict and the case is currently pending.

In October 2011, Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd., or Beijing Acorn, filed a suit in the People’s Court of Beijing Haidian District against Beijing Jin’anda Delivery Co., Ltd., or Jin’anda, and Wang Juntang claiming that Jin’anda breached the Agency Contract between Beijing Acorn and Jin’anda by not transferring the payments collected from our customers to Beijing Acorn after the delivery of the goods. Beijing Acorn asserted Jin’anda returning of the RMB1,703,090.92 (approximately $270,293) payment of the goods and Wang Juntang paying RMB340,618 (approximately $54,059) for breach of the contract as the joint guarantor. Since the two defendants could not be contacted any more, the People’s Court of Beijing Haidian District has summoned the defendants by announcement and the case is currently pending.

In March 2012, Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., or Acorn Information, received a compliant filed by Hong Kong Hua Feng Shi Ye Co., Ltd., or Hua Feng, in the People’s Court of Nanshan District, Shenzhen against Acorn Information. Hua Feng requested in the complaint that Acorn Information shall continue to perform the business and brand cooperative agreement, or the eroda agreement, in connection with the “eroda” trademarks entered into between Acorn Information and Hua Feng in 2011. We believe that there are no grounds for this claim and are actively defending the case.

In March 2012, Mr. Chengzhi Li filed a labor arbitration against Yiyang Yukang Communication Equipment Co. Ltd., or Yiyang Yukang, with the Arbitration Committee in Baoan District, Shenzhen. Mr. Li alleged his labor contract was illegally terminated and requested for salary and damages in a total amount of RMB1,652,912.85. We believe that there are no grounds for Mr. Li to bring up such claim and are actively defending the case.

 

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We do not believe that the above legal proceeding will have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

We have limited general business insurance coverage and we may be subject to losses that might not be covered by our existing insurance policies, which may result in our incurring substantial costs and the diversion of resources.

Insurance companies in China offer limited business insurance products and do not, to our knowledge, offer business liability insurance. While business interruption insurance is available to a limited extent in China, we have determined that the risks of disruption, cost of such insurance and the difficulties associated with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to subscribe for such insurance. As a result, except for all-risks insurance on finished goods inventory stored in our central warehouses, we do not have any business liability, disruption or litigation insurance coverage for our operations in China. Any business disruption or litigation may result in our incurring substantial costs and the diversion of resources.

We do not carry product liability insurance coverage, and our sale of our and other parties’ products could subject us to product liability claims and potential safety-related regulatory actions. These events could damage our brand and reputation and the marketability of the products that we sell, divert our management’s attention and result in lower net revenues and increased costs.

The manufacture and sale of our products, in particular, our posture correction and neck massager product lines in our health product category, and our sale of other parties’ products could each expose us to product liability claims for personal injuries. Also, if these products are deemed by the PRC authorities to fail to conform to product quality and personal safety requirements in China, we could be subject to PRC regulatory action. Violation of PRC product quality and safety requirements by our or others’ products sold by us may subject us to confiscation of the products, the imposition of penalties or an order to cease sales of the violating products or to cease operations pending rectification. If the offense is determined to be serious, our business license could be suspended and criminal liabilities could be imposed. We currently do not carry any product liability insurance coverage. Any product liability claim or governmental regulatory action could be costly and time-consuming to defend. If successful, product liability claims may require us to pay substantial damages. Also, a material design, manufacturing or quality failure in our and other parties’ products sold by us, other safety issues or heightened regulatory scrutiny could each warrant a product recall by us and result in increased product liability claims. Furthermore, customers may not use the products sold by us in accordance with our product usage instructions, possibly resulting in customer injury. All of these events could materially harm our brand and reputation and marketability of our products, divert our management’s attention and result in lower net revenues and increased costs.

Any disruption of our or our manufacturing service providers’ manufacturing operations could negatively affect the availability of our products and our net revenues derived therefrom.

We manufactured almost 20.9% of the products we sell in terms of revenues in 2011, with the balance provided by third-party suppliers and manufacturers in China. We purchase the materials we need to manufacture our products, including our electronic learning product line, from outside suppliers in China. Our largest supplier in 2011, which supplied cell phones, accounted for approximately 24.4% of our total cost of revenues in 2011 We typically purchase all production materials, including critical components such as flash memory, chipsets and LCD display screens for our electronic learning products, on a purchase order basis and do not have long-term contracts with our suppliers.

If we fail to develop or maintain our relationships with our suppliers, we may be unable to manufacture our products, and we could be prevented from supplying our products to our customers in the required quantities. Problems of this kind could cause us to experience loss of market share and result in decreased net revenues. In addition, the failure of a supplier to supply materials and components that meet our quality, quantity and cost

 

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requirements in a timely manner could impair our ability to manufacture our products or increase our costs, particularly if we are unable to obtain these materials and components from alternative sources on a timely basis or on commercially reasonable terms.

Other risks for the products manufactured by us, include, among others:

 

   

having too much or too little production capacity;

 

   

being unable to obtain raw materials on a timely basis or at commercially reasonable prices, which could adversely affect the pricing and availability of our products;

 

   

experiencing quality control problems;

 

   

accumulating obsolete inventory;

 

   

failing to timely meet demand for our products; and

 

   

experiencing delays in manufacturing operations due to understaffing during the peak seasons and holidays.

Currently, products manufactured and supplied by third parties for us primarily include our cell phones, cosmetics and collectibles. We typically purchase these products on a purchase order basis and do not have long-term contracts with these suppliers. Some of our products are supplied by third-party manufacturers based on designs or technical requirements provided by us. These manufacturers may fail to produce products that conform to our requirements. In addition, for products manufactured or supplied by third-party manufacturers, we indirectly face many of the risks described above and other risks. For example, our third-party manufacturers may not continue to supply products to us of the quality and/or in the quantities we require. It may also be difficult or expensive for us to replace a third-party manufacturer.

Our leases of land and manufacturing facilities in Beijing may not be in full compliance with PRC laws and regulations and we may be required to relocate our facilities, which may disrupt our manufacturing operations and result in decreased net revenues.

Our manufacturing facilities for our oxygen generating products and a warehouse are built on a plot of land we leased from Beijing Tongzhou District Lucheng Town Chadao Village for a term of 30 years. The Beijing land is collectively owned land and is not technically permitted to be leased to others for non-agricultural purposes such as commercial enterprises like ours under relevant PRC laws. The PRC land authority also has the power to order the lessor to terminate the lease with us, to confiscate any illegal gains or order the payment of fines. If our lease is terminated, we would be required to relocate our facilities. Although we believe that the relocation cost, if any, would not be significant, such relocation could disrupt our manufacturing operations and result in lower net revenues.

We may require additional capital, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Capital raised through the sale or issuance of equity securities may result in dilution to our shareholders. Failure to obtain such additional capital could have an adverse impact on our business strategies and growth prospects.

We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents and cash flow from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for the next 12 months. We may, however, require additional cash resources due to changed business conditions or other future developments, including any investments, joint ventures or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If these resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain a credit facility. The sale of additional equity securities could result in additional dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations. Financing may be unavailable in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, or at all, which could have an adverse impact on our business strategies and growth prospects.

 

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We may incur impairment losses on our investments in equity securities.

We have made non-controlling investments in the equity securities of a number of companies. Under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles that we are subject to, if there is a decline in the fair value of the shares we hold in these companies, or any other company we invest in, over a period of time, and we determine that the decline is other-than-temporary, we will need to record an impairment loss for the applicable fiscal period. We may incur expenses related to the impairment of existing or future equity investments. Any such impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our asset impairment reviews may result in future write-downs.

We are required, among other things, to test intangible assets and other long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. In connection with our business acquisitions, we make assumptions regarding estimated future cash flows and other factors to determine the fair value of goodwill and intangible assets. In assessing the useful lives of the intangible assets, we must make assumptions regarding their fair value, the recoverability of those assets and our ability to successfully develop and ultimately commercialize acquired technology. If those assumptions change in the future when we conduct our periodic reviews in accordance with applicable accounting standards, we may be required to record impairment charges. For example, we recorded a non-cash impairment charges of $15.2 million in 2009 as a result of our valuation of distribution network from the acquisition of Yiyang Yukang, which was primarily caused by (i) overall under-performance in the mobile handsets business of Yiyang Yukang and (ii) Yiyang Yukang’s change in business strategy to launch its proprietary “Uking” brand and changes incurred in the acquired distribution network. It is possible that future reviews will result in further write-downs of intangible assets and other long-lived assets.

We have determined that our internal controls over financial reporting are currently not effective. The lack of effective internal controls could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

As discussed in Item 15T, “Controls and Procedures,” our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and financial controller, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our internal controls. As of December 31, 2011, we concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures and our internal control over financial reporting were not effective. Until we are successful in our effort to remediate the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, it may materially adversely affect our ability to report accurately our financial condition and results of operations in the future in a timely and reliable manner. In addition, although we continually review and evaluate our internal control systems to allow management to report on the sufficiency of our internal controls, we cannot assure you that we will not discover additional weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting. Any such additional weakness or failure to remediate existing weakness could adversely affect our financial condition.

Risks Related to Our Industry

Our businesses and growth prospects are dependent upon the expected growth in China’s consumer retail markets. Any future slowdown or decline in China’s consumer retail markets could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

All of our net revenues are generated by sales of consumer products in China. The success of our business depends on the continued growth of China’s consumer retail markets. The consumer retail markets in China are characterized by rapidly changing trends and continually evolving consumer preferences and purchasing patterns and power. China’s TV direct sales market is expected to grow in line with expected growth in consumer disposable income and the economy in China generally. However, projected growth rates for the Chinese economy and China’s consumer retail markets may not be realized, particularly in light of the current European economic and sovereign debt crisis. Any slowdown or decline in China’s consumer retail markets would have a direct adverse impact on us and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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If infomercials and the products promoted on infomercials are not accepted by TV viewers in China, our ability to generate revenues and sustain profitability could be materially and adversely affected.

In 2009, 2010 and 2011, we derived 55.8%, 66.8% and 80.5%, respectively, of our total net revenues from our direct sales platforms. We expect that in the future a substantial portion of our future revenues and profits will continue to be dependent upon the receptivity of Chinese TV viewers to infomercials such as our TV direct sales programs and the products showcased therein. Many Chinese TV viewers are not accustomed to purchasing products directly from TV. As a result, TV viewers in China may be both more likely to mistrust infomercials as a commercial medium and less likely to purchase products from TV direct marketers such as us. If we are unable in the future to increase receptivity for our TV direct sales programs and the products showcased therein, our ability to generate revenue and sustain profitability could be materially and adversely affected.

Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business

PRC regulations relating to our industry are evolving. Any adverse or unanticipated regulatory changes, particularly those regarding the regulation of our direct sales business, could significantly harm our business or limit our ability to operate.

We and our distributors are subject to various laws regulating our advertising, including the content of our TV direct sales programs, and any violation of these laws by us or our distributors could result in fines and penalties, harm our product brands and result in reduced net revenues.

PRC advertising laws and regulations require advertisers and advertising operators to ensure that the content of the advertising they prepare, publish or broadcast is fair and accurate, is not misleading and is in full compliance with applicable laws. Specifically, we, as an advertiser or advertising operator, and our distributors, as advertisers, are each required to independently review and verify the content of our respective advertising for content compliance before displaying the advertising through TV sales programs, print media, radio or Internet portals. Moreover, the PRC unfair competition law prohibits us and our distributors from conveying misleading, false or inaccurate information with respect to quality, function, use, or other features of products, through advertising. Violation of these laws or regulations may result in penalties, including fines, confiscation of advertising income, orders to cease dissemination of the advertising, orders to publish an advertisement correcting the misleading information and criminal liabilities. In circumstances involving serious violations, the PRC government may suspend or revoke a violator’s business license.

For advertising related to certain types of our products, such as those products constituting medical devices and health related products, we and our distributors must also file the advertising content with the provincial counterpart of the China’s State Administration for Food and Drug, or SAFD, or other competent authorities, and obtain required permits and approvals for the advertising content from the SAFD or other competent authorities, in each case, before publication or broadcasting of the advertising. In addition, pursuant to the new Food Safety Law of the PRC effective from June 1, 2009, the contents of food advertisements should be true and no disease- prevention or remedial function should be mentioned. We endeavor to comply, and encourage our distributors to comply, with such requirements. However, we and our distributors may fail to comply with these and other laws. Commencing on January 1, 2008, advertisings related to medical devices and health related foods are subject to the credit rating administration. The provincial counterpart of SAFD is responsible for collecting, recording, identifying and publishing the credit rating information of the advertiser. The credit rating of every advertiser will fall into good credit, dishonor credit or material dishonor credit and this rating is reviewed each year. An advertiser who receives a rating of dishonor credit or material dishonor credit may be ordered to improve its rating within a specified time limit and its business activities may be subject to special scrutiny if necessary. Therefore, any violations by us or our distributors relating to our oxygen generating devices and neck massaging products may result in SAFD imposing on us or our distributors a dishonor credit or material dishonor credit rating. Our and our distributors’ past and future violations and a dishonor credit or material dishonor credit rating imposed upon us, if any, could seriously harm our corporate image, product brands and operating results.

 

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Moreover, government actions and civil claims may be filed against us for misleading or inaccurate advertising, fraud, defamation, subversion, negligence, copyright or trademark infringement or other violations due to the nature and content of our TV direct sales programs or other advertising produced by us or our distributors. We have been fined by the relevant authorities for certain advertising that was considered misleading or false by the authorities, including our advertising for our electronic learning products. For example, on April 12, 2010 Shanghai Acorn Network Technology Development Co., Ltd was imposed a fine of RMB 215,700 by Shanghai Administration of Industry and Commerce Qingpu Branch for its misleading advertising in its printed advertisement. Historically, such fines have not been significant and related investigations into our advertising practices did not consume significant amounts of our management resources. In some cases, we were required to accept product returns. We may have to expend significant resources in the future in defending against such actions and these actions may damage our reputation, result in reduced net revenues, negatively affect our results of operations, and even result in our business licenses being suspended or revoked and in criminal liability for us and our officers and directors.

Governmental actions to regulate TV and radio-based direct sales programs of medical devices and diet and slimming products will adversely impact sales of our branded neck massager product line and some of our other products and may adversely impact our future overall operating results.

In July 2006, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or SARFT, and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, or SAIC, issued a circular temporarily prohibiting the broadcast of TV-and radio-based direct sales programs regarding pharmaceutical products, diet and slimming products, medical devices, breast enhancement products and height increasing products on and after August 1, 2006, pending adoption of new rules governing those direct sales activities. The Circular on Strengthening the Administration of TV Direct Sales Advertising and Home Shopping Programs, issued by the SARFT on September 10, 2009, prohibited the TV direct sales and home shopping programs advertising the pharmaceuticals, breast-enhancement products, diet and slimming products, and the medical devices which are implantable or need instruction by experts. Meanwhile, the Administrative Measures on Advertising on Television or Radio, issued by the SARFT on September 8, 2009 and effective as of January 1, 2010 which was amended on November 15, 2011, prohibited the pharmaceutical and medical device or health related advertising programs to contain the recovery rate or efficiency rate or certification by the doctors, experts, patients or public figures. Furthermore, Criteria for the Examination and Publication of Medical Device Advertisements were issued by the Ministry of Health, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and the SFDA and became effective on May 20, 2009, which provided strict regulation on medical device advertisements publication. According to the Circular Concerning Further Severely Punishing Illegal Advertisements of Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices and Health Food effective in February 2010, enterprises which publish the illegal advertisements will be severely punished. Consequently, we will not be able to broadcast TV-and radio-based direct sales programs for some of our products, including our oxygen generating product and neck massager product. For the near-term, our direct and distribution sales of these restricted products will be adversely impacted. The overall impact on our future operating results depends on, among other things, our success in promoting the products covered by the circular through other media channels; the degree to which distribution sales of our restricted products are impacted by the ban on TV direct sales programs; our ability to offset these decreased sales with sales of non-restricted products using our committed TV advertising time and the related sales price and margins of those non-restricted products; and the nature of, and restrictions imposed by, the future rules when adopted.

If the PRC government takes the view that we did not obtain the necessary approval for our acquisition of Shanghai Advertising under Guideline Catalog of Foreign Investment Industries (2004 Revision), we could be subject to penalties.

On September 24, 2007, we acquired 100% of the legal ownership of Shanghai Advertising, which had been one of our affiliated entities, through Shanghai Acorn Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd., or Acorn Consulting. At the time of our acquisition, the advertising industry was a restricted industry for foreign investment

 

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under the Guideline Catalog of Foreign Investment Industries (2004 Revision). Strictly speaking, Acorn Consulting, as a domestic subsidiary of foreign invested enterprises, might have been required under PRC law to obtain the approval of the Ministry of Commerce, or MOFCOM, or its local counterpart to invest in restricted industries, such as the advertising industry. However, on October 31, 2007, the National Development and Reform Commission and MOFCOM jointly issued the Guideline Catalog of Foreign Investment Industries (2007 Revision) which identified the advertising industry as permitted industry for foreign investment. On December 24, 2011 the National Development and Reform Commission and MOFCOM jointly issued the Guideline Catalog of Foreign Investment Industries (2011 Revision), under which the advertising industry continues to remain as permitted industry. As a permitted industry, approval of MOFCOM or its local counterpart is no longer required for a foreign invested enterprise or its domestic subsidiary to invest in advertising unless required by other specific PRC laws and regulations. Based upon the published interpretation on the website of Shanghai Foreign Investment Commission, or SFIC, MOFCOM’s local counterpart in Shanghai, and oral advice we received from SFIC prior to the acquisition, we believe that it was not necessary for us to seek such approval at the time when we made the acquisition. However, because our acquisition occurred prior to, yet approaching, the removal of the advertising industry from the restricted list for foreign investment, and we did not receive the approval of SFIC, we may be deemed not in strict compliance with the then effective rules and could be subject to penalties. We were advised by SFIC in an anonymous consultation prior to the acquisition that this acquisition was a purely domestic acquisition without any foreign-related issues. Based on the advice of SFIC, Pudong Administration of Industry and Commerce in Shanghai accepted the registration of such acquisition and issued a new business license to Shanghai Advertising on September 24, 2007. In addition, our PRC legal counsel, Commerce & Finance, has advised us that it is unlikely that we would be required by the PRC regulatory authorities, in particular SAIC and MOFCOM or their local counterparts, to seek such approval to make up for our deficiency, or that any penalties would be imposed upon us for failure to obtain such approval.

However, we cannot assure you that SAIC or MOFCOM will not take a different view from ours and we would not be subject to penalties that, if imposed, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operation.

If the PRC government takes the view that our acquisition of Shanghai Advertising does not comply with PRC governmental restrictions on foreign investment in advertising under Administrative Regulation on Foreign-Invested Advertising Enterprises, we could be subject to severe penalties.

Direct investment by foreign investors in the advertising industry in China is subject to the Administrative Regulation on Foreign-Invested Advertising Enterprises jointly promulgated by MOFCOM and SAIC on March 2, 2004 and further revised on October 1, 2008. Under this advertising regulation, foreign investors are required to have had at least three years experience in directly operating an advertising business outside of China before they may receive approval to own 100% of an advertising business in China. Foreign investors that do not have three years experience are permitted to invest in advertising businesses, provided that such foreign investors have at least two years of direct operations in the advertising business outside of China and that such foreign investors may not own 100% of advertising businesses in China. Furthermore, all foreign invested advertising companies must obtain approval from SAIC or MOFCOM or their local counterparts.

On September 24, 2007, we acquired 100% of the legal ownership of Shanghai Advertising, which had been one of our affiliated entities, through Acorn Consulting. Pudong Administration of Industry and Commerce in Shanghai did not require us to show that Acorn Consulting had the requisite years of operating experience in an advertising business outside of China either before or after it accepted the registration of the acquisition and issued a new business license to Shanghai Advertising. Furthermore, we have been advised by our PRC legal counsel, Commerce & Finance, that, according to an anonymous consultation with SFIC, because our acquisition of Shanghai Advertising was completed through Acorn Consulting, a domestic subsidiary of foreign invested enterprises, the acquisition was not subject to the requirement that foreign investors have the requisite years of operating experience in an advertising business outside of China.

 

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However, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not take a different view from ours. If the PRC government determines that our acquisition of Shanghai Advertising violated the requirements on foreign investment or re-investment in advertising businesses in China, as neither Acorn Consulting nor its shareholders have the requisite years of experience in the advertising industry required of foreign investors, we could be subject to severe penalties including among others, the revocation of the business licenses of our related subsidiaries, discontinuance of our advertising operations, the imposition of conditions with which we or our PRC subsidiaries may be unable to comply, or the restructuring of Shanghai Advertising. The imposition of any of these penalties could result in a material adverse effect on our ability to do business.

If the PRC government takes the view that the agreements that establish the structure for operating our TV and other direct sales business in China does not comply with PRC governmental restrictions on foreign investment in these areas, we could be subject to severe penalties

Our direct sales business is regulated by MOFCOM and SAIC. Foreign investment in direct sales business is highly restricted and must be approved by MOFCOM. To address these restrictions, two affiliated Chinese entities, Shanghai Acorn Network Technology Development Co., Ltd., or Shanghai Network, and Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd., or Beijing Acorn, hold the licenses required to operate our direct sales business. Until we obtain MOFCOM’s approval to operate our direct sales business, we must continue to rely on these affiliated entities to sell our products to the customers. Our two affiliated Chinese entities are currently owned by two PRC citizens, Don Dongjie Yang, our co-founder, chief executive officer and director, and Weiguo Ge, one of the assistant general managers of our finance department. We have entered into contractual arrangements with these affiliated entities pursuant to which our wholly owned subsidiary, Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., or Acorn Information, provides technical support and operation and management services to these affiliated entities. In addition, we have entered into agreements with these affiliated entities and Don Yang and Weiguo Ge as their shareholders, providing us substantial ability to control each of these affiliated entities. For detailed descriptions of these contractual arrangements, see Item 4.C, “Information on the Company—Organizational Structure”.

If we, Acorn Information, or any of our affiliated entities are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required licenses, permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with these violations, including, among others:

 

   

revoking the business and operating licenses of Acorn Information and our affiliated entities;

 

   

discontinuing or restricting the operations of Acorn Information and our affiliated entities;

 

   

imposing conditions or requirements with which we, Acorn Information or our affiliated entities may be unable to comply; or

 

   

requiring us or Acorn Information or our affiliated entities to restructure the relevant ownership structure or operations.

The contractual arrangements with our two affiliated Chinese entities and their shareholders, Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge, which relate to critical aspects of our operations, may not be as effective in providing operational control as direct ownership. In addition, these arrangements may be difficult and costly to enforce under PRC law.

We rely on contractual arrangements with our two affiliated entities in China, collectively owned 100% by Don Dongjie Yang, our co-founder, chief executive officer and director, and Mr. Weiguo Ge, one of the Assistant General Managers of our finance department, to operate our business. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see Item 4.C, “Information on the Company—Organizational Structure”. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us control over our affiliated entities. Direct ownership would allow us, for example, to directly exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect

 

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changes in the board of each affiliated entity, which, in turn, could effect changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management level. However, under the current contractual arrangements, as a legal matter, if any affiliated entity or Don Dongjie Yang or Weiguo Ge fails to perform its or his respective obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend significant resources to enforce those arrangements, and rely on legal remedies under PRC law. These remedies may include seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, any of which may not be effective. For example, if either Don Dongjie Yang or Weiguo Ge refuses to transfer his equity interest in any affiliated entity to us or our designee when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if either Don Dongjie Yang or Weiguo Ge otherwise acts in bad faith toward us, we may have to take legal action to compel him to fulfill his contractual obligations. In addition, as each of our two affiliated entities is jointly owned and effectively managed by Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge, it may be difficult for us to change our corporate structure or to bring claims against any affiliated entity or Don Dongjie Yang or Weiguo Ge if any of them fails to perform its or his obligations under the related contracts or does not cooperate with any such actions by us.

All of these contractual arrangements are governed by PRC laws and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal environment in the PRC is not as developed as in other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. In the event we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, which relate to critical aspects of our operations, we may be unable to exert effective control over our operating entities, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected.

Our corporate structure may limit our ability to receive dividends from, and transfer funds to, our PRC subsidiaries, which could restrict our ability to act in response to changing market conditions and reallocate funds from one affiliated PRC entity to another in a timely manner.

We are a Cayman Islands holding company and substantially all of our operations are conducted through our 14 PRC subsidiaries and two Chinese affiliated entities. We may rely on dividends and other distributions from our PRC subsidiaries to provide us with our cash flow and allow us to pay dividends on the shares underlying our ADSs and meet our other obligations. Current regulations in China permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to us only out of their accumulated distributable profits, if any, determined in accordance with their articles of association and PRC accounting standards and regulations. The ability of these subsidiaries to make dividends and other payments to us may be restricted by factors that include changes in applicable foreign exchange and other laws and regulations. In particular, under PRC law, these operating subsidiaries may only pay dividends after 10% of their net profit has been set aside as reserve funds, unless such reserves have reached at least 50% of their respective registered capital. Such reserve may not be distributed as cash dividends. In addition, if any of our 14 PRC operating subsidiaries incur debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us. Moreover, the profit available for distribution from our Chinese operating subsidiaries is determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in China. This calculation may differ from that performed in accordance with U.S. GAAP. As a result, we may not have sufficient distributions from our PRC subsidiaries to enable necessary profit distributions to us or any distributions to our shareholders in the future, which calculation would be based upon our financial statements prepared under U.S. GAAP.

Distributions by our PRC subsidiaries to us other than as dividends may be subject to governmental approval and taxation. Any transfer of funds from our company to our PRC subsidiaries, either as a shareholder loan or as an increase in registered capital, is subject to registration or approval of Chinese governmental authorities, including the relevant administration of foreign exchange and/or the relevant examining and approval authority. In addition, it is not permitted under Chinese law for our PRC subsidiaries to directly loan funds to each other. Therefore, it is difficult to change our capital expenditure plans once the relevant funds have been remitted from our company to our PRC subsidiaries. These limitations on the free flow of funds between us and

 

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our PRC subsidiaries could restrict our ability to act in response to changing market conditions and reallocate funds from one Chinese subsidiary to another in a timely manner.

Risks Relating to China

Our operations may be adversely affected by changes in China’s economic, political and social conditions.

All of our business operations are conducted in China and all of our revenues are derived from our marketing and sales of consumer products in China. Accordingly, our results of operations, financial condition, and future prospects are subject to a significant degree to economic, political and social conditions in China. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth in the past three decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage foreign investment and sustainable economic growth and to guide the allocation of financial and other resources, which have for the most part had a positive effect on our business and growth. However, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not repeal or alter these measures or introduce new measures that will not have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operation may be adversely affected by changes in tax regulations applicable to us. In addition, since early 2004, the PRC government has implemented certain measures to control the pace of economic growth. Such measures may cause a decrease in the level of economic activity in China, including a decline in individual spending activities, which in turn could adversely affect our results of operational and financial condition.

Although the Chinese economy has been transitioning from a planned economy to a more market-oriented economy since the late 1970s, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through the allocation of resources, controlling the incurrence and payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. Changes in any of these policies, laws and regulations could adversely affect the overall economy in China, which could harm our business.

In particular, our business is primarily dependent upon the economy and the business environment in China. Our growth strategy is based upon the assumption that demand in China for our products will continue to grow with the Chinese economy. However, the growth of the Chinese economy has been uneven across geographic regions and economic sectors, and experienced an economic slowdown in 2009 as a result of the global economic crisis. Several years ago the Chinese economy also experienced deflation, which may reoccur in the foreseeable future. Given the current European economic and sovereign debt crisis, we cannot assure you that the Chinese economy will continue to grow, that if there is growth, such growth will be steady and uniform, or that if there is a slowdown, such slowdown will not have a negative effect on our business.

China’s social and political conditions are also not as stable as those of the United States and other developed countries. Any sudden changes to China’s political system or the occurrence of widespread social unrest could have negative effects on our business and results of operations. In addition, China has contentious relations with some of its neighbors, most notably Taiwan. A significant further deterioration in such relations could have negative effects on Chinese economy and lead to changes in governmental policies that would be adverse to our business interests.

The discontinuation of any of the preferential tax treatments and government subsidies available to us in China could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Under PRC laws and regulations effective until December 31, 2007, our operating subsidiaries, Acorn International Electronic Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai HJX, Zhuhai Acorn Electronic Technology

 

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Co., Ltd, Yiyang Yukang and Beijing Acorn Youngleda Oxygen Generating Co., Ltd. enjoyed preferential tax benefits afforded to foreign-invested manufacturing enterprises and had been granted a two-year exemption from enterprise income tax beginning from their first profitable year and a 50% reduction of enterprise income tax rate for three years thereafter. The definition of a manufacturing enterprise under PRC law was vague and was subject to discretionary interpretation by the PRC authorities. If we were to be deemed not qualified in the past or if the tax preferential treatments enjoyed by us in accordance with local government rules or policies were deemed in violation of national laws and regulations and were abolished or altered, we would be subject to the standard statutory tax rate, which was 33% for calendar years ended on or before December 31, 2007 and is 25% for calendar years starting on or after January 1, 2008, and we could be required to repay the income tax for the previous three years at the applicable non-preferential tax rate. Additionally, our subsidiaries also received tax holidays and subsidies for certain taxes paid by us. These incentives were granted by local government agencies and may be deemed inappropriate by the central government. In addition, China passed a new Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the New EIT Law, and its implementing rules, both of which became effective on January 1, 2008. Some of our preferential tax treatments could be discontinued or phased out under the New EIT Law. Loss of any preferential tax treatments and subsidies could have material and adverse effects on our results of operations and financial condition. See Item 5.A, “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—Taxation”.

Under China’s New EIT Law, we may be classified as a “resident enterprise” of China. Such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders.

The New EIT Law provides that enterprises established outside China whose “de facto management bodies” are located in China are considered “resident enterprises” and will generally be subject to the uniform 25% enterprise income tax rate as to their global income. Under the implementation rules, “de facto management” is defined substantial and overall management and control over such aspects as the production and business, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In addition, two tax circulars issued by the State Administration of Taxation on April 22, 2009 and July 27, 2011 respectively regarding the standards used to classify certain Chinese-controlled enterprises established outside of China as “resident enterprises” clarified that dividends and other income paid by such “resident enterprises” will be considered to be PRC source income, subject to PRC withholding tax, currently at a rate of 10%, when recognized by non-PRC enterprise shareholders. These two circulars also subject such “resident enterprises” to various reporting requirements with the PRC tax authorities. Under the implementation rules to the New EIT Law, a “de facto management body” is defined as a body that has material and overall management and control over the manufacturing and business operations, personnel and human resources, finances and other assets of an enterprise. In addition, the tax circulars mentioned above detail that certain Chinese-controlled enterprises will be classified as “resident enterprises” if the following are located or resident in China: senior management personnel and departments that are responsible for daily production, operation and management; financial and personnel decision making bodies; key properties, accounting books, company seal, and minutes of board meetings and shareholders’ meetings; and half or more of the senior management or directors having voting rights.

Currently, there are no detailed rules or precedents governing the procedures and specific criteria for determining “de facto management bodies” which are applicable to our company or our overseas subsidiary. The above two circulars only apply to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreign corporations like us. In the absence of detailed implementing regulations or other guidance determining that offshore companies controlled by PRC individuals or foreign corporations like us are PRC resident enterprises, we do not currently consider our company or any of our overseas subsidiaries to be a PRC resident enterprise.

However, if the PRC tax authorities determine that our Cayman Islands holding company is a “resident enterprise” for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. First, we may be subject to enterprise income tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide taxable income as well as PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. In our case, this would mean that income such as

 

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interest on offering proceeds and other non-China source income would be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%, in comparison to no taxation in the Cayman Islands. Second, although under the New EIT Law and its implementation rules dividends paid to us from our PRC subsidiaries would qualify as “tax-exempt income”, we cannot guarantee that such dividends will not be subject to a 10% withholding tax, as the PRC foreign exchange control authorities, which enforce the withholding tax, have not yet issued guidance with respect to the processing of outbound remittances to entities that are treated as resident enterprises for PRC enterprise income tax purposes. Finally, if our Cayman Islands holding company is deemed to be a PRC tax resident enterprise, a 10% withholding tax shall be imposed on dividends we pay to our non-PRC shareholders and with respect to gains derived from our non-PRC shareholders transferring our shares or ADSs. Similar results would follow if our BVI holding company is considered a PRC “resident enterprise”.

The contractual arrangements entered into among Acorn Information, each of our consolidated affiliated entities and their shareholders and those arrangements entered into between us or one of our Chinese subsidiaries and an entity affiliated with us may be subject to audit or challenge by the Chinese tax authorities. A finding that we, Acorn Information, our consolidated affiliated entities or any of our Chinese subsidiaries owe additional taxes could substantially reduce our net earnings and the value of your investment.

Under PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities. The new EIT Law became effective on January 1, 2008 and provides authority for the PRC tax authority to make special adjustments to taxable income as well as new reporting requirements. In particular, an enterprise must submit its annual tax return together with information on related party transactions to the tax authorities. The tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s-length principles. In addition, the PRC tax authorities issued Implementation Measures for Special Tax Adjustments (Trial) on January 8, 2009 which set forth tax-filing disclosure and contemporaneous documentation requirements, clarify the definition of “related party”, guide the selection and application of transfer pricing methods, and outline the due process procedures for transfer pricing investigation and assessment. We could face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements entered into among Acorn Information, each of our consolidated affiliated entities and their shareholders or those arrangements entered into between us or one of our PRC subsidiaries and an entity affiliated with us do not represent arm’s-length prices and as a result, adjust any of the income in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions for PRC tax purposes recorded by us, our consolidated affiliated entities, or our PRC subsidiaries or an increase in taxable income, all of which could increase our tax liabilities. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on us, our consolidated affiliated entities or our PRC subsidiaries for under-paid taxes.

The PRC legal system embodies uncertainties which could limit the available legal protections.

The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike common law systems, it is a system in which decided legal cases have little precedential value. In 1979, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past three decades has significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investment in China. 12 of our 14 PRC operating subsidiaries are foreign invested enterprises incorporated in China. They are subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investment in China in general and laws and regulations applicable to foreign-invested enterprises in particular. However, these laws, regulations and legal requirements change frequently, and their interpretation and enforcement involve uncertainties. For example, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce the legal protection that we enjoy either by law or contract. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. In addition, such uncertainties, including the inability to enforce our contracts,

 

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could materially and adversely affect our business and operations. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all) that may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until some time after the violation. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Furthermore, intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections in China may not be as effective as in the United States or other countries. Accordingly, we cannot predict the effect of future developments in the PRC legal system, particularly with regard to the media, advertising and retail industries, including the promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, or the preemption of local regulations by national laws. These uncertainties could limit the legal protections available to us, and our foreign investors, including you.

Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in RMB. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior SAFE approval by complying with certain procedural requirements. Therefore, after complying with certain procedural requirements, Acorn International's PRC subsidiaries are able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to us without prior approval from SAFE. However, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions in the future. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our ADSs.

Because our revenues are generated in Renminbi and our results are reported in U.S. dollars, devaluation of the Renminbi could negatively impact our results of operations.

Because all of our net revenues are generated in Renminbi, appreciation or depreciation in the value of the Renminbi relative to the U.S. dollar will affect our financial results reported in U.S. dollar terms without giving effect to any underlying change in our business or results of operations. Fluctuations in the exchange rate will also affect the relative value of any dividend we issue that will be exchanged into U.S. dollars and earnings from and the value of any U.S. dollar-denominated investments we make in the future. Since we rely entirely on dividends paid to us by our PRC operating subsidiaries, and since our net revenues are generated in Renminbi while our results are reported in U.S. dollars, any significant devaluation of Renminbi would have a material adverse effect on our net revenues and financial condition, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ADSs in foreign currency terms.

Since July 2005, the Renminbi has no longer been pegged to the U.S. dollar. Although currently the Renminbi exchange rate versus the U.S. dollar is restricted to a rise or fall of no more than 0.5% per day and the People’s Bank of China, or PBOC, regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to prevent significant short-term fluctuations in the exchange rate, the Renminbi may appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the medium to long term. Moreover, it is possible that in the future Chinese authorities may lift restrictions on fluctuations in the Renminbi exchange rate and lessen intervention in the foreign exchange market.

Very limited hedging transactions are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the

 

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availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to successfully hedge our exposure at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert Renminbi into foreign currency.

You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing original actions in China based on United States or other foreign laws against us, our management or the experts named in the annual report.

We conduct all of our operations in China and substantially all of our assets are located in China. In addition, almost all of our directors and executive officers reside within China. As a result, it may not be possible to effect service of process within the United States or elsewhere outside China upon some of our directors and senior executive officers, including with respect to matters arising under U.S. federal securities laws or applicable state securities laws. Moreover, our PRC legal counsel, Commerce & Finance, has advised us that the PRC currently does not have treaties with the United States or many other countries providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgment of courts.

Regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may increase the administrative burden we face and create regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our overseas and cross-border investment activity, and a failure by our shareholders who are PRC residents to make any required applications and filings pursuant to such regulations may prevent us from being able to distribute profits and could expose our PRC resident shareholders to liability under PRC law.

A regulation known as Notice 75 was promulgated by the SAFE in October 2005 and requires registration with the local SAFE in connection with direct or indirect offshore investment by PRC residents. Notice 75 applies not only to our shareholders who are PRC residents but also to our prior and future offshore acquisitions.

Notice 75 retroactively requires registration by March 31, 2006 of direct or indirect investments previously made by PRC residents in offshore companies. If a PRC shareholder with a direct or indirect stake in an offshore parent company fails to make the required SAFE registration, the PRC subsidiaries of such offshore parent company may be prohibited from making distributions of profit to the offshore parent and from paying the offshore parent proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation in respect of the PRC subsidiaries. Further, failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for violation of the relevant rules relating to transfers of foreign exchange.

We have already notified our shareholders, and the shareholders of the offshore entities in our corporate group, who are PRC residents to urge them to make the necessary applications and filings, as required under Notice 75. However, as a result of the newness of the notices and uncertainty concerning the reconciliation of the notices with other approval requirements, it remains unclear how the two notices, and any future legislation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities. We understand that the relevant shareholders have registered their offshore investments in us with Shanghai SAFE, where most of our PRC subsidiaries are located. We are committed to complying, and to ensuring that our shareholders who are subject to the regulation comply, with the relevant rules. However, we cannot assure you that all of our shareholders who are PRC residents will comply with our request to make or obtain any applicable registrations or approvals required by the regulation or other related legislation. The failure or inability of our PRC resident shareholders to receive any required approvals or make any required registrations may limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay dividends or affect our ownership structure, as a result of which our acquisition strategy and business operations and our ability to distribute profits to you could be materially and adversely affected.

Upon the completion of our acquisition of Yiyang Yukang in December 2008, shareholders of Yiyang Yukang became our shareholders. To our knowledge, some of the prior shareholders of Yiyang Yukang did not

 

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file applications for SAFE registration, which may adversely affect our ability to distribute dividends to our shareholders as stated above. As advised by our PRC legal counsel, Commerce & Finance, a separate registration in respect of Notice 75 is not applicable to our acquisition of Yiyang Yukang, and our obligation under Notice 75 after the acquisition would be to update our original registration to include Yiyang Yukang as one of our PRC subsidiaries.

A failure by us and PRC individuals who hold shares or share options granted pursuant to an employee share option or share incentive plan to comply with relevant PRC laws and regulations related to share option could expose us and our PRC individual option holders to liability under PRC law.

On January 5, 2007, SAFE issued the Implementation Rules of the Administrative Measures for Individual Foreign Exchange, or the Individual Foreign Exchange Rules. This regulation requires PRC individuals who are granted shares or share options pursuant to an employee share option or share incentive plan by an overseas listed company to register with SAFE and complete certain other procedures related to the share option or share incentive plan through relevant PRC subsidiary or a qualified agent. On February 20, 2012 the State Administration of Foreign Exchange issued the Circular on Relevant Issues concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for Individuals in PRC Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas-Listed Companies (“Circular 7”) which provides detailed procedures for conducting foreign exchange matters related to domestic individuals’ participation in the employee share option plans of overseas listed companies. Furthermore, pursuant to the Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Collection of Individual Income Tax Related to Income from Share Option issued by the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation on March 28, 2005 and the Notice on Issues of Individual Income Tax Concerning Share Option Incentive Plan issued by the State Administration of Taxation on August 24, 2009, as to an overseas listed company’s share option plan, the difference obtained by a PRC individual who has been granted share options between the exercise price below the fair market price of such share on the day when such individual excises his option shall be imposed individual income tax which shall be withheld by domestic entities of such overseas listed company. If we or our PRC employees fail to comply with the above regulations, we or our PRC option holders may be subject to failure of share option plan or/and a fine, and, in the serious case, may constitute a crime.

The enforcement of new labor contract law and increase in labor costs in the PRC may adversely affect our business and our profitability.

China adopted a new labor contract law and its implementation rules effective on January 1, 2008 and September 18, 2008, respectively. The new labor contract law and its implementation rules impose more stringent requirements on employers with regard to, among others, minimum wages, severance payment and non-fixed term employment contracts, time limits for probation period as well as the duration and the times that an employee can be placed on a fixed term employment contract. Due to the limited period of effectiveness of the new labor contract law and its implementation rules and the lack of clarity with respect to their implementation and potential penalties and fines, it is uncertain how they will impact our current employment policies and practices. We cannot assure you that our employment policies and practices do not, or will not, violate the new labor contract law or its implementation rules and that we will not be subject to related penalties, fines or legal fees. Compliance with the new labor contract law and its implementation rules may increase our operating expenses, in particular our personnel expenses, as the continued success of our business depends significantly on our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel. In the event that we decide to terminate some of our employees or otherwise change our employment or labor practices, the new labor contract law and its implementation rules may also limit our ability to effect those changes in a manner that we believe to be cost-effective or desirable, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The audit report included in this annual report are prepared by auditors who are not inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as such, you are deprived of the benefits of such inspection

Our independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit reports included in our annual reports filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, as auditors of companies that are traded publicly

 

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in the United States and a firm registered with the US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“the “PCAOB”), is required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess its compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards. Because our auditors are located in the Peoples’ Republic of China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities, our auditors are not currently inspected by the PCAOB.

Inspections of other firms that the PCAOB has conducted outside China have identified deficiencies in those firms’ audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. This lack of PCAOB inspections in China prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditor's audits and its quality control procedures. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of PCAOB inspections.

The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to PCAOB inspections. Investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information and procedures and the quality of our financial statements.

Natural disasters could disrupt the Chinese economy and our business.

In early 2008, a series of severe snow storms swept through most provinces in China, among which Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui and Shanghai were hardest hit. Disruption of transportation as a result of the snow storm adversely affected our ability to successfully deliver our products to our customers and the customers’ willingness to accept our products.

In addition, in May 2008, a major earthquake struck Wenchuan in the Sichuan province in southwestern China, causing significant damage to the area, including Chengdu. The earthquake and its aftershocks caused great loss of life, injuries, property loss and disruption to the local economy. As a result of the earthquake, we experienced disruptions in our order fulfillment and deliveries to Sichuan and the western China region. In addition, our advertising time was suspended for three days during the memorial period following the earthquake. Since the date of the earthquake, our advertising time has been further disrupted and we have experienced a decline in the viewership and response rate of our infomercials. This earthquake or future geological occurrences could impact our business and the Chinese economy. A significant earthquake or other geological disturbance in any of China’s other more populated cities and financial centers could severely disrupt the Chinese economy, undermine investor confidence and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Furthermore, any outbreak of H1N1, avian flu, or severe acute respiratory syndrome in China, or similar adverse public health developments, may, among other things, significantly disrupt our ability to adequately staff our business, restrict the level of economic activity in affected areas and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Risks Relating to Our ADSs

We may be classified as a passive foreign investment company or “PFIC” for U.S. federal income tax purposes for a given taxable year pursuant to an annual factual determination made after the close of that year; pursuant to a determination made in 2012 we believe we were classified as a PFIC for the 2011 taxable year.

Depending upon the value of our ADSs or ordinary shares and the nature of our assets and income over time, we could be classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We will be classified as a PFIC in any taxable year if either: (a) the average quarterly value of our gross assets that produce passive income or are

 

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held for the production of passive income is at least 50% of the average quarterly value of our total gross assets or (b) 75% or more of our gross income for the taxable year is passive income. According to these technical rules, we would likely become a PFIC for a given taxable year if our market capitalization were to decrease significantly while we hold substantial cash and cash equivalents in that year.

If we are classified as a PFIC in any taxable year in which you hold our ADSs or ordinary shares and you are a U.S. investor, subject to certain exceptions described in Item 10.E, “Additional Information—Taxation— U.S. Federal Income Taxation—Passive Foreign Investment Company,” you would generally be taxed at higher ordinary income rates, rather than lower capital gain rates, if you dispose of ADSs or ordinary shares for a gain in a later year, even if we are no longer a PFIC in that year. In addition, a portion of the tax imposed on your gain would be increased by an interest charge. Moreover, if we were classified as a PFIC in any taxable year, you would not be able to benefit from any preferential tax rate with respect to any dividend distribution that you may receive from us in that year or in the following year. Finally, you would also be subject to special U.S. tax reporting requirements.

Our PFIC status for the current taxable year 2012 will not be determinable until after the close of the taxable year ending December 31, 2012. Because we currently hold, and expect to continue to hold, a substantial amount of cash and other passive assets and, because the value of our assets is likely to be determined in large part by reference to the market prices of our ADSs or ordinary shares, which are likely to fluctuate, there can be no assurance that we will not be classified as a PFIC in 2012 and any future taxable year. Based on a determination made in 2012 with respect to the 2011 taxable year, we believe we were classified as a PFIC for the 2011 taxable year. U.S. investors are urged to consult their independent tax advisors about the application of the PFIC rules and certain elections that may help them relieve any adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences for their particular circumstances for the 2011 taxable year. For more information regarding such elections, please consult Item 10.E, “Additional Information—Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Taxation—Passive Foreign Investment Company” and your independent tax advisor.

The sale, deposit, cancellation and transfer of the ADSs issued after an exercise of rights may be restricted under applicable U.S. securities laws.

If we offer holders of our ordinary shares any rights to subscribe for additional shares or any other rights, the depositary may make these rights available to holders of our ADSs if it is lawful and reasonably practicable to do so. However, the depositary may allow rights that are not distributed or sold to lapse. In that case, holders of our ADSs will receive no value for them. In addition, U.S. securities laws may restrict the sale, deposit, cancellation and transfer of the ADSs issued after exercise of rights. Under the deposit agreement, the depositary will not distribute rights to holders of ADSs unless the distribution and sale of rights and the securities to which these rights relate are either exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to holders of ADSs, or are registered under the provisions of the Securities Act. We can give no assurance that we can establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, and we are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to these rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to have a registration statement declared effective. Accordingly, holders of our ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution of their holdings as a result.

The trading prices of our ADSs may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.

The trading prices of our ADSs may be volatile and could fluctuate widely in response to factors such as variations in our financial results, announcements of new business initiatives by us or by our competitors, recruitment or departure of key personnel, distributors and suppliers, changes in the estimates of our financial results or changes in the recommendations of any securities analysts electing to follow our securities or the securities of our competitors. In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume of our ADSs may be highly volatile for specific business reasons. Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the trading volume and price for our ADSs.

 

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Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents may discourage a third party from acquiring us, which could limit our shareholders’ opportunities to sell their shares at a premium.

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association include provisions that could limit the ability of others to acquire control of us, modify our structure or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of us in a tender offer or similar transaction.

For example, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our shareholders, to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to fix the powers and rights of these shares, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated with our ordinary shares. Preferred shares could thus be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control or make removal of management more difficult. In addition, if our board of directors issues preferred shares, the market price of our ordinary shares may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our ordinary shares may be adversely affected.

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide for a staggered board, which means that our directors, excluding our chief executive officer, are divided into three classes, with one-third of our board, excluding our chief executive officer, standing for election every year. Our chief executive officer at all times serves as a director, and has the right to remain a director, so long as he remains our chief executive officer. This means that, with our staggered board, at least two annual shareholders’ meetings, instead of one, are generally required in order to effect a change in a majority of our directors. Our staggered board can discourage proxy contests for the election of our directors and purchases of substantial blocks of our shares by making it more difficult for a potential acquirer to take control of our board in a relatively short period of time.

We are a Cayman Islands company and, because judicial precedent regarding the rights of shareholders is more limited under Cayman Islands law than under U.S. law, our shareholders may have less protection of their shareholder rights than they would under U.S. law.

Our corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Cayman Islands Companies Law and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands, as well as from English common law, which has persuasive, but not binding, authority on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the United States. In addition, some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands.

The Cayman Islands courts are unlikely:

 

   

to recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; or

 

   

to entertain original actions brought against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.

There is no statutory recognition in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the Cayman Islands will generally recognize as a valid judgment, a final and conclusive judgment in personam

 

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obtained in the federal or state courts in the United States under which a sum of money is payable (other than a sum of money payable in respect of multiple damages, taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty) and would give a judgment based thereon, provided that (i) such courts had proper jurisdiction over the parties subject to such judgment, (ii) such courts did not contravene the rules of natural justice of the Cayman Islands, (iii) such judgment was not obtained by fraud, (iv) the enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to the public policy of the Cayman Islands, (v) no new admissible evidence relevant to the action is submitted prior to the rendering of the judgment by the courts of the Cayman Islands, and (vi) there is due compliance with the correct procedures under the laws of the Cayman Islands.

Our shareholders have limited ability to bring an action against us or against our directors and officers, or to enforce a judgment against us or them, because we are incorporated in the Cayman Islands, because we conduct a majority of our operations in China and because the majority of our directors and officers reside outside the U.S.

We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and conduct substantially all of our operations in China through our subsidiaries established in China. Most of our directors and officers reside outside the United States and substantially all of the assets of those persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for our shareholders to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the Cayman Islands or in China in the event that our shareholders believe that their rights have been infringed under the applicable securities laws or otherwise. Even if our shareholders are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render them unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.

Unlike many jurisdictions in the United States, Cayman Islands law does not specifically provide for shareholder appraisal rights on a merger or consolidation of a company. This may make it more difficult to assess the value of any consideration shareholders may receive in a merger or consolidation or to require that the offeror give additional consideration if the shareholders believe the consideration offered is insufficient.

Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like ours have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records and accounts or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for our shareholders to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.

As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a U.S. company.

The ability for shareholders to protect their rights as shareholders through the U.S. federal courts may be limited because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.

Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a derivative action in a federal court of the United States. As a result, our shareholders’ ability to protect their interests if they are harmed in a manner that would otherwise enable them to sue in a U.S. federal court may be limited.

The voting rights of holders of ADSs are limited in several significant ways by the terms of the deposit agreement.

Holders of our ADSs may only exercise their voting rights with respect to the underlying ordinary shares in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Upon receipt of voting instructions from a holder of

 

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ADSs in the manner set forth in the deposit agreement, the depositary will endeavor to vote the underlying ordinary shares in accordance with these instructions. Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and Cayman Islands law, the minimum notice period required for convening a general meeting is ten days. When a general meeting is convened, holders of our ADSs may not receive sufficient notice of a shareholders’ meeting to permit the holders to withdraw their ordinary shares to allow them to cast their vote with respect to any specific matter at the meeting. In addition, the depositary and its agents may not be able to send voting instructions to holders of our ADSs or carry out the holders’ voting instructions in a timely manner. We make all reasonable efforts to cause the depositary to extend voting rights to holders of our ADSs in a timely manner, but we cannot assure holders of our ADSs that they will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that they can instruct the depositary to vote their shares. Furthermore, the depositary and its agents will not be responsible for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote, for the manner in which any vote is cast or for the effect of any such vote. As a result, holders of our ADSs may not be able to exercise their right to vote and may lack recourse if their ordinary shares are not voted as requested.

The depositary of our ADSs, except in limited circumstances, grants to us a discretionary proxy to vote the ordinary shares underlying the ADSs if holders of our ADSs do not vote at shareholders’ meetings, which could adversely affect the interests and the ability of our shareholders as a group to influence the management of our company.

Under the deposit agreement for the ADSs, the depositary gives us a discretionary proxy to vote our ordinary shares underlying the ADSs at shareholders’ meetings if holders of our ADSs do not vote, unless:

 

   

we have failed to timely provide the depositary with our notice of meeting and related voting materials;

 

   

we have instructed the depositary that\we do not wish a discretionary proxy to be given;

 

   

we have informed the depositary that there is substantial opposition as to a matter to be voted on at the meeting;

 

   

a matter to be voted on at the meeting would have a material adverse impact on shareholders; or

 

   

voting at the meeting is made on a show of hands.

The effect of this discretionary proxy is that holders of our ADSs cannot prevent our ordinary shares underlying ADSs from being voted, absent the situations described above, and it may make it more difficult for shareholders to influence the management of our company. Holders of our ordinary shares are not subject to this discretionary proxy.

Holders of ADSs may not receive distributions on our ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available.

The depositary of our ADSs pays holders of our ADSs the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian for our ADSs receives on our ordinary shares or other deposited securities after deducting its fees and expenses. Holders of our ADSs receive these distributions in proportion to the number of our ordinary shares their ADSs represent. However, the depositary is not responsible if it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, it would be unlawful to make a distribution to a holder of ADSs if it consists of securities that require registration under the Securities Act but that are not properly registered or distributed pursuant to an applicable exemption from registration. The depositary is not responsible for making a distribution available to any holders of ADSs if any government approval or registration is required for such distribution. We have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of our ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of our ADSs. This means that holders of our ADSs may not receive the distributions we make on our ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available. These restrictions may have a material and adverse effect on the value of the holders’ ADSs.

 

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Holders of our ADSs may be subject to limitations on transfer of their ADSs.

ADSs, represented by American depositary receipts, are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. The depositary may close its books for a number of reasons, including in connection with corporate events such as a rights offering, during which time the depositary needs to maintain an exact number of ADS holders on its books for a specified period. The depositary may also close its books in emergencies, and on weekends and public holidays. The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of our ADSs generally when our books or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary thinks it is necessary or advisable to do so in connection with the performance of its duty under the deposit agreement, including due to any requirement of law or any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement.

ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

A. History and Development of the Company

We commenced operations in 1998 through Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd., or Beijing Acorn, and in 2000, two other operating companies, Shanghai Acorn Network Co., Ltd., or Shanghai Acorn, and Shanghai Acorn Trade and Development Co., Ltd., or Shanghai Trade, were established and commenced business operations. Prior to January 1, 2005, our business was operated through Beijing Acorn, Shanghai Acorn and Shanghai Trade, including their subsidiaries. To enable us to raise equity capital from investors outside of China, we established a holding company structure by incorporating China DRTV Inc., or China DRTV, in the British Virgin Islands on March 4, 2004. Commencing on January 1, 2005, our business was conducted through China DRTV and its subsidiaries and affiliated entities. In connection with our initial public offering, we incorporated Acorn International in the Cayman Islands on December 20, 2005 as our listing vehicle. On March 31, 2006, Acorn International became our ultimate holding company when it issued shares to the existing shareholders of China DRTV in exchange for all of the shares that these shareholders held in China DRTV. For additional information on our organizational structure, see Item 4.C, “Information on the Company—Organizational Structure”.

Our principal executive offices are located at 18/F, 20th Building, 487 Tianlin Road, Shanghai 200233, People’s Republic of China, and our telephone number is (86 21) 5151-8888. Our website address is http://ir.chinadrtv.com. The information on our website does not form a part of this annual report. In May 2007, we completed our initial public offering, which involved the sale by us and certain of our shareholders of 8,855,000 ADSs, representing 26,565,000 ordinary shares. Our agent for service of process in the United States is CT Corporation System, located at 111 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10011.

B. Business Overview

Overview

We are a media and branding company in China, operating one of China’s largest TV direct sales businesses in terms of revenues and TV airtime. We have strong media resources, and have built a proven track record of developing, promoting and selling a diverse portfolio of proprietary-branded products, as well as products from established third parties. Our longer term goal is to become the leading media and branding company in China and to capitalize on our integrated multi-media platform with an aim to become partners of choice for both well-established and promising new businesses to market and distribute their products in China. To achieve this goal, our management adopted a new performance review system since 2010 which focuses on the optimization of our media return, shifted our core strategy to generate sales by building proprietary brands via buying and utilizing all forms of media, and expected to further increase our media purchases.

Our media resources consist primarily of airtime purchased from both national and local TV channels. In 2011, our TV direct sales programs, which are typically five to ten minutes in length, were broadcasted on 24

 

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CCTV and national satellite TV channels, and four local TV channels. Our programs were broadcasted to over 90% of TV households in China, reaching 330 million households or 500 million people. We have been increasing our spending on media resources in order to support our proprietary brands and win new and repeat customers. At the same time, we seek to increase the effectiveness of our advertising expenses by focusing on our best-selling products while gradually eliminating products that are not conforming to our overall strategies. TV direct sales, being our primary sales channel, accounted for approximately 37.9%, 34.8% and 36.2% of our net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Taking advantage of the exposure of our TV advertising programs, we have established our other direct sales platform consisting of Internet sales, outbound calls, catalog sales and third-party bank channel sales, with an aim to further strengthen our brand promotion efforts and to generate additional revenue opportunities from our growing customer base. We also maintain a nationwide distribution network across all provinces in China, which allows us to reach approximately 9,400 retail outlets covering nearly all of the cities and counties in China. We typically grant our distributors the exclusive right to distribute selected products in their respective territories. We work closely with our distributors to expand their retail outlet reach, extend our product lifecycles and maximize our sales by promoting our brands through our TV direct sales platform, advertising in local print media and other joint promotional efforts. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, sales generated through our nationwide distribution network accounted for 44.2%, 33.2% and 19.5% of our total net revenues, respectively.

With our strong media resources, we have developed several leading proprietary-branded product lines, including Aoya cosmetic products, Yierjian fitness products, Ozing electronic learning products and Babaka posture-correction products. Our significant TV airtime presence allows us to test-market, promote and sell products in China’s geographically dispersed and fragmented consumer market. We seek to maximize sales penetration of our products that have strong sales and brand development potential by selling them through our comprehensive media formats. In 2006, we also began using our TV direct sales platform to promote and sell third-party branded products pursuant to joint sales arrangements. In 2011, we primarily focused on growing sales of our proprietary branded products, such as Ozing electronic learning products, Aoya cosmetic products and Yierjian fitness products.

We currently operate call centers in Shanghai, Beijing and Wuxi which process telephone orders generated by our TV direct sales programs and gather real-time data to help analyze the effectiveness of our advertising spending and to adjust our product offerings. Our call centers operate 24 hours per day. Each of our call centers also places outbound calls to selected customers to market our products. In addition, our call center sales representatives are trained to identify and act upon cross-selling opportunities while processing customer orders. As of December 31, 2011, we had an aggregate of 1,191 sales representatives and 13 customer service representatives.

In selecting new products to be offered via our diversified sales channels, we seek to identify offerings in underserved market segments with potential national appeal for which we believe our sales channels and marketing and branding expertise can create value. We identify new products that we believe we can successfully market through our TV direct sales platform through a standardized selection process. We typically focus on the marketing and sales of a limited number of featured product lines at any given time, and our TV direct sales programs allow us to promote our specific products by highlighting their unique value to consumers as well as creating brand awareness. Featured products offered in 2011 included cell phones, electronic learning devices, cosmetics products, collectibles products, fitness products, and consumer electronic products. To better help us identify potential new products, we entered into an exclusive partnership agreement on July 21, 2011 with Global Infomercial Services, Inc., or GIS, a full-service international direct-response television distributor. Pursuant to the exclusive partnership agreement, GIS will search for and identify products of interest that have been or are being sold in North America, South America, or Europe and help us obtain the rights to such products. As of the date of this Form 20-F, we have not identified any new product through GIS.

In 2008, we acquired Yiyang Yukang, a cell phone producer and distributor in China and former third-party supplier of our cell phone products. Due to Yiyang Yukang’s underperformance, we incurred impairment charges

 

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of $15.2 million in 2009 and adjusted our business strategy of Yiyang Yukang in 2011. In addition, we disposed of a 33% equity interest in Shanghai Yimeng Software Technology Co., Ltd., or Shanghai Yimeng, our subsidiary engaged in the development and marketing of CPS stock tracking software in June 2009. Upon completion of the disposal, Shanghai Yimeng was 18% owned by us and ceased to be a subsidiary of our company. As of the date of this Form 20-F, our equity interest in Shanghai Yimeng further decreased to 12.9% as a result of our disposal of 1.8% equity interest in 2010 and the dilution due to issuance of additional shares by Shanghai Yimeng to a new investor in January 2011.

During the first quarter of 2009, we obtained a fifty-year land use right of a parcel of land in Qingpu district of Shanghai for an aggregate consideration of approximately RMB 51.2 million (approximately $7.5 million). We have completed the construction of a warehouse and a factory for keeping our inventories and manufacturing our proprietary branded products on such land parcel and have conducted various completion inspections. We expect relevant building ownership certificates to be obtained in the near future.

Our Media Resources and Sales Platforms

We have strong media resources through which we sell and market our proprietary products as well as certain third-party products, primarily across our direct sales platforms. Our media resources include our TV airtime purchased from TV stations and our Internet website, supplemented by other print media and radio. We believe our nationally televised TV direct sales programs help build strong brand awareness among China’s consumers and generate significant demand for the products featured in those programs, which stimulates our sales generated from other media simultaneously. Takign advantage of the exposure of our TV advertising programs, we have established our other direct sales platform consisting of Internet sales, outbound calls, catalog sales and third-party bank channel sales, with an aim to further strengthen our brand promotion efforts and to generate additional revenue opportunities from our growing customer base. In addition, our nationwide distribution network, coupled with local marketing and promotional efforts, helps us to further enhance the awareness of and demand for our products, thereby broadening our customer reach and enhancing the penetration of those products on a nationwide basis within a short period of time.

TV Direct Sales Platform

Our TV direct sales platform is one of our primary sales platforms and accounted for a significant portion of our net revenues, approximately 37.9%, 34.8% and 36.2% of net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. We generally focus our TV direct sales marketing efforts on approximately four to six featured product lines to maximize awareness of these featured offerings and to generate strong consumer demand. Our TV direct sales programs, which are generally five to ten minutes in length, consist of in-depth demonstrations and explanations of the product in an entertaining and informative manner, and provide phone numbers for customers to call to make further inquiries or to purchase the product. In addition to explaining the functionality of a product in the programs, we also highlight the value proposition of that product. Our TV direct sales programs typically feature one or more spokespersons or celebrity personalities and employ a variety of formats, including studio programs and “reality shows”, which we believe help to demonstrate the features and functions of the products that we are marketing. Our TV direct sales programs for new products are broadcast on national and/or local TV channels depending on the features of the products during selected time slots to ensure sufficiently broad and targeted viewer coverage.

A critical component to the success of our TV direct sales platform is our ability to efficiently access media channels and manage our media airtime. In 2011, our TV direct sales programs were broadcasted on 24 national satellite TV channels and four local TV channels in China. Since commencing our operations in 1998, we have formed close and strong relationships with various CCTV and national satellite channels, as well as several TV advertising agencies that have exclusive rights to sell certain advertising time slots for certain CCTV and national satellite channels, and we have been purchasing advertising time on several CCTV channels and national satellite channels for over ten years. We purchase advertising time mainly through their advertising agencies. As required

 

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under current PRC law, we primarily purchase non-primetime broadcast time slots for our TV direct sales programs. We believe our relationships with various CCTV and satellite channels, coupled with the scale of our operations and sales track record, help us to secure desired broadcast airtime slots on the channels we target. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, we produced and broadcasted over 410,000, 290,000 and 186,000 minutes of TV programs, respectively, corresponding to over 132, 99 and 60 hours per week, respectively. The decrease in the TV airtime primarily reflected our more focused media purchase to enhance our media efficiency.

If a TV direct sales program for a specific product achieves satisfactory results during the initial test-marketing phase, we may elect to include that product in our TV direct sales platform for full-scale marketing and selling. If selected for full-scale marketing, a TV direct sales program for a product will then be frequently broadcast on several TV channels in various time slots. We then track the success of a TV direct sales program in various time slots on various TV channels with data on our profitability relative to our marketing expenses, on a weekly basis, and we adjust the frequency of the broadcast of the TV direct sales program and the content of the program, its broadcast time slots and the TV channels on which the program airs to create a broadcasting schedule that maximizes the overall profitability of the TV direct sales program.

In 2006, we began entering into joint sales arrangements to leverage our TV direct sales platform. Under a joint sales arrangement, we make TV direct sales of third-party branded products. During 2011, our cell phone products were the only product category subject to joint sales arrangements. We had a total consideration (recorded as a reduction to our cost of revenues or our advertising expenses) of approximately RMB2.8 million ($0.4 million) for our joint sales arrangements in 2011.

Other Direct Sales Platform

Our other direct sales platform, which consists of Internet sales, outbound calls, catalog sales and third-party bank channel sales, accounted for a significant portion of our net revenues. Approximately 17.9%, 32.0% and 44.3% of our net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were generated from our other direct sales platform, respectively.

Outbound Calls. As of December 31, 2011, our database contained approximately 14.9 million names of individual customers, the majority of whom have placed orders to us or made calls to our call centers in the past 14 years. We began our outbound telemarketing sales in 2004. As of December 31, 2011, our 679 specialized outbound call center sales representatives utilize our customer database to target calls at customer subgroups identified as likely purchasers of particular products. Our outbound telemarketing sales accounted for approximately 26.1% of our net revenues in 2011. We expect that the number of customers in our database will continue to grow and sales from outbound telemarketing will be of higher growth potential and growing importance to our business in the future.

Third Party Banks Channels. In 2007, we began relationships with four established domestic banks in the PRC through which we directly market products through specialized catalogs to credit card holders of these banks. As of December 31, 2011, we had established relationships with 33 domestic banks. As part of these arrangements, customers can use their credit cards from these banks to purchase our products and to make payments on a zero-interest and zero-fee installment basis. Revenue generated by our third-party bank channel sales in 2011 accounted for approximately 17.2% of our net revenues.

Catalogs. We began marketing our products through print catalogs in 2005. We sold over 3,400 kinds of products via our catalogs in 2011, of which approximately 209 were our proprietary-branded products and the remainder were third-party products. Our catalogs are currently distributed together with the products purchased and shipped to our new customers. In addition, we also track customers who have previously purchased products from us and distribute our catalog to them after their initial purchase. We issued twelve catalogs in 2011. Our catalog sales are increasingly important, and revenue contributed by our catalog sales in 2011 accounted for approximately 4.1% of our net revenues.

 

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Internet Website. We began marketing our products through our Internet website in 2006. We sold over 3,700 kinds of products via our website in 2011, of which approximately 220 are our proprietary-branded products while the remainder are third-party products.

Nationwide Distribution Network

We use our nationwide distribution network to distribute a select number of our products promoted through our TV direct sales programs which we believe offer sufficient profit potential and may be developed as a national product brand. Our distribution network broadens our customer reach and enhances the penetration of those products on a nationwide basis within a short period of time. Our network covers all provinces in China through approximately 150 distributors, which allows us to reach approximately 9,400 retail outlets across China. These retail outlets include bookstores, pharmacies, specialty retail chains and department stores. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, sales generated through our nationwide distribution network accounted for 44.2%, 33.2% and 19.5% of our net revenues, respectively, which reflected our strategy to focus on direct sales of our proprietary products since 2010. We typically provide our distributors with the exclusive right to distribute selected products in their respective territories. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, sales generated by our top five distributors accounted for 9.8%, 6.1% and 4.8% of our net revenues, respectively.

Our distribution agreements are typically negotiated and entered into on an annual basis and are designed to provide incentives for our distributors to improve their sales performance, encourage them to promote our brands, and protect the value of those brands. For example, our distributors are required to meet the monthly and annual sales volume target for our selected featured products and, in the case of electronic learning products and electronic dictionary products distribution, we provide sales incentives in the form of cash rebates to the distributors that meet or exceed our sales targets. We also require our distributors to ensure that the retail prices of our products sold through their retail outlets are not lower than the retail prices for the same products sold through our TV direct sales platform, or the minimum retail prices set by us. In addition, we typically require our distributors of electronic learning products and electronic dictionary products to fully settle their payment obligations before we deliver new products to them. Our distributors may not sell competing products in their respective territories. Furthermore, distributors of our electronic learning products and electronic dictionary products must also incur minimum marketing expenditures provided in our distribution agreements. We regularly monitor and review our distributors’ sales performance and their compliance with the terms of our agreements.

Some of our distributors are owned in part, or in some cases in whole, by certain of our employees or their family members. These employees, none of whom are executive officers, are currently responsible for various functions or operations relating to our nationwide distribution business. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the aggregate sales generated by distributors owned in whole or in part by our employees accounted for approximately 12.7%, 10.9% and 16.9% of our distribution net revenues, respectively, or 5.6%, 3.6% and 3.3% of our total net revenues, respectively. Certain of these distributors have been among our top distributors in 2009, 2010 and 2011. We entered into the distribution agreements with these related distributors on an arm’s-length basis and the terms in the distribution agreements with these distributors are the same as those with our independent distributors. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—Certain of our distributors are beneficially owned by our employees. It may be difficult for us to effectively evaluate the performance of these distributors or to replace any of them if they are non-performing, under-performing or non-compliant with our distribution agreements”.

Several of our distributors, including one of which were among our top five distributors in 2009, 2010 and 2011, market and sell other companies’ products through their own TV direct sales platforms. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—Some of our distributors may compete with us in certain TV direct sales markets, possibly negatively affecting our direct sales in those markets”.

 

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Our Products

We currently offer over 4,800 products through our multiple sales platforms, among which six featured products are sold primarily through our TV direct sales platform, nationwide distribution network or both, with the remaining products sold through our third-party bank channel sales, outbound calls, catalogs or the Internet. Our recently featured product categories include cell phones, electronic learning devices, cosmetics products, collectibles products, fitness products and consumer electronics products, all of which are primarily sold through our TV direct sales platform, nationwide distribution network, or both. We periodically develop and introduce new and upgraded products under the same product brand to develop such brand into a product line. For a variety of reasons, including margin constraints, we do not actively market all of our featured product lines through our nationwide distribution network. In addition to the six product lines we presently feature, we also sell other products including consumer electronics products and collectible products primarily through our third-party bank channels, outbound calls, catalogs and the Internet.

Recent Featured Product Categories

We generally focus on marketing and selling four to six featured product lines at any one time through our TV and other direct sales platforms and a limited number of products through our nationwide distribution network. In 2011, we featured products in the following categories and under the following proprietary and third-party brands:

 

   

Cell Phone Products featuring Gionee branded cell phones. Cell phone products accounted for 21.3%, 42.6% and 45.7% of our net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The retail prices for the cell phone products that we market ranged from RMB499 to RMB5,340 per unit in 2009, RMB412 to RMB6,090 per unit in 2010 and RMB299 to RMB6,799 (or approximately $46 to $1,052) per unit in 2011.

 

   

Electronic Learning Products featuring the Ozing branded electronic learning device. Electronic learning products accounted for 36.5%, 23.8% and 17.2% of our net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Our primary Ozing branded product is a multi-functional handheld electronic device with a screen display that provides lessons for independent English learning. The retail prices for our electronic learning products ranged from RMB268 to RMB1,580 per unit in 2009, RMB498 to RMB1,998 per unit in 2010, and RMB258 to RMB1,998 (or approximately $39.9 to $309) per unit in 2011.

 

   

Collectible Products accounted for 3.3%, 6.1% and 9.1% of our total net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The retail prices for our collectible products ranged from RMB29 to RMB381,600 per unit in 2009, RMB35 to RMB984,600 per unit in 2010 and RMB32 to RMB16,800 (or approximately $5 to $2,600) per unit in 2011.

 

   

Cosmetics Products featuring Aoya branded cosmetics. Cosmetic products accounted for 15.7%, 9.0% and 6.8% of our net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The retail prices for our cosmetics products ranged from RMB39 to RMB2,016 per unit in 2009, RMB38 to RMB1,480 per unit in 2010 and RMB30 to RMB1,980 (or approximately $5 to $306) per unit in 2011.

 

   

Consumer Electronic Products accounted for 3.4%, 4.8% and 6.7% of our total net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The retail prices for our consumer electronic products ranged from RMB69 to RMB12,492 per unit in 2009, RMB89 to RMB35,400 per unit in 2010 and RMB39 to RMB9,499 (or approximately $6 to $1,470) per unit in 2011.

 

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Our five best-selling products and product lines in 2009, 2010 and 2011 are set forth below:

 

Product

 

Brand

  Revenues     2009
% of net
revenues
    Rank     Revenues     2010
% of net
revenues
    Rank     Revenues     2011
% of net
revenues
    Rank  
    (in thousands, except percentages and ranks)  

Cell phone

 

Gionee,

K-touch, U-king,

Lenovo, Nokia

and Konka

  $ 61,277        21.3 %     2      $ 125,074        42.6 %     1      $ 165,958        45.7 %     1   

Electronic leaning device and dictionary

  Ozing, Meijin   $ 105,223        36.6 %     1      $ 69,535        23.7 %     2      $ 62,539        17.2 %     2   

Collectibles

      —          —          —        $ 18,040        6.1 %     4      $ 33,194        9.1 %     3   

Cosmetic products

 

Aoya, Cobor,

Dr Cell, Softto

and CMM

  $ 45,149        15.7 %     3      $ 26,233        8.9 %     3      $ 24,857        6.8 %     4   

Consumer electronic

  Eroda   $ 9,666        3.4 %     5      $ 14,035        4.8 %     5      $ 24,249        6.7 %     5   

Posture correction product

  Babaka   $ 23,821        8.3 %     4        —          —          —          —          —          —     

Total top five

    $ 245,136        85.3 %     $ 252,917        86.1 %     $ 310,797        85.5 %  

Other products revenues

    $ 42,646        14.7 %     $ 40,609        13.9 %     $ 52,202        14.5 %  

Total gross revenues

    $ 287,782        100.0 %     $ 293,526        100.0 %     $ 362,999        100.0 %  

Total sales tax

    $ (196 )       $ (285 )       $ (941 )    

Total revenues, net

    $ 287,586          $ 293,241          $ 362,058       

New Products

We seek to identify new products that offer sufficient profit opportunities and address consumers’ changing needs. In 2011, we introduced five new products for full-scale sales and marketing. In the future, we will continue to seek to diversify our product offerings and our customer base, encourage repeat purchases by our existing customers, and create recurring revenue opportunities. Examples of our successful product launches include Austin and Quixx-branded auto care products, which were very successful product launched in 2009. In 2010, we launched the A320 cell phones under the Gionee brand, which turned out to be very successful products. In 2011, we launched the Gionee A350 cell phones and the Yierjian fitness product successfully. We also plan to introduce new products that we believe will offer longer product lifecycles and enjoy broad consumer appeal.

Product Development

We employ a rigorous and systematic approach to identifying and developing products. Our product development process comprises product identification, pre-testing preparation and test-marketing for marketing through our TV direct sales channels. We generally test the market potential and customer appeal of our products by broadcasting our TV direct sales programs on specific channels for a designated period of time. During the test marketing period, we closely evaluate customer feedback and sales of the relevant product through our call centers. Products that meet certain pre-defined standards are launched on a national scale. Products that do not meet our pre-defined standards may undergo a change in marketing strategy and be retested, or may be removed from our product portfolio. In 2011, we test-marketed 22 new or upgraded products over our TV direct sales platform, of which five progressed from the test marketing stage to full-scale sales and marketing.

Product Identification

We typically seek to identify consumer products that we believe offer good value and quality, are not widely available and can generate sufficient profit potential. Our success in developing leading product brands has provided us with access to a large pool of potential products from various suppliers and manufacturers in China. In addition to identifying new products through external sources, we also focus on our internal product development efforts relating to our existing product portfolio. These products, with their existing brand awareness and consumer acceptance, provide significant opportunities to introduce upgraded products and related new products under the same brand.

 

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Pre-testing Preparation

During our pre-testing preparation phase, our product development team analyzes and identifies a product’s unique features and value proposition to formulate a marketing and distribution strategy, including setting a selling price for the test-marketing phase, a sales target and a weekly marketing plan. Our in-house product development team works with independent production companies to produce TV direct sales programs tailored for each product. To ensure service quality and assist in gathering consumer feedback, our product development team concurrently provides our call center employees with training and sales scripts to assist them in receiving purchase order calls in response to our TV test-marketing activities.

Test Marketing

The test-marketing phase usually lasts from one week to three weeks, during which time our test TV direct sales programs are aired during targeted broadcast airtime slots on selected TV channels. During the test-marketing phase, we gather and analyze real-time data and consumer feedback collected by our call centers through designated test numbers. Using this data and feedback, we attempt to predict the demand, growth potential and anticipated selling prices of the products. In analyzing the data to determine whether we should move a product into full-scale marketing on our TV direct sales platform, we focus on key benchmarks, including, most importantly, estimated profitability relative to our media expenses. We then determine whether the product has the potential to be developed into a proprietary branded product line so that its lifecycle can be prolonged by introducing it into our nationwide distribution network.

Call Center Operations

Our sales operations and media purchase activities are supported by our call centers located in Beijing, Shanghai and Wuxi. Our call center in Wuxi began operation in 2009 and we plan to shift more outbound calls and after-sales services to our Wuxi call center going forward to capitalize on its lower labor costs than in Beijing and Shanghai. Our call centers process telephone orders generated by our TV direct sales programs and gather real-time data to help us analyze the effectiveness of our advertising spending and adjust our offerings. Sales representatives in each of our call centers also place outbound calls to selected customers to market our products. As of December 31, 2011, we had 1,191 dedicated sales representatives. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, our call centers processed an average of approximately 20,400, 17,800 and 16,700 incoming calls per day, respectively, for products marketed through TV direct sales platform. The decrease in the numbers of incoming calls in 2009, 2010 and 2011 primarily reflected the continued growth in the sales generated by our other direct sales platform. To effectively convert inbound calls to customer orders, our sales representatives follow a prepared script that covers frequently asked questions to guide the sales call. Our call center supervisors closely monitor calls received and revise and update the scripts based on their assessment of the scripts’ effectiveness during the customer calls and in response to customer feedback. Our sales representatives are also trained to promote, cross-sell or upsell complementary and/or additional products.

We constantly and systematically seek to evaluate and improve the cost-effectiveness of our inbound and outbound call operations. The primary performance metric we track and analyze on a daily basis is the conversion rate of our inbound calls. We seek to increase the rate of successfully completed orders per call connected by directing customer calls to our call center sales representatives with specialized product training and knowledge about the specific product.

Our call centers also collect real-time data to help us to continually analyze the effectiveness of our advertising spending and product offerings. We regularly track and analyze real-time data generated through our call center operations to ensure the cost-effectiveness of our media purchases. We use call center- generated real time data to adjust our TV sales program product mix, broadcast time slots and channels to maximize the profitability of our TV direct sales operations.

 

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Customer Loyalty Initiatives

We also market the products through our customer loyalty program. Our current customer loyalty program includes coupon discounts and membership points. Coupon discounts are given to customers whose purchases meet or exceed a certain transaction value. These coupons, which can be applied to future purchases of products marketed in our catalogs, range from approximately RMB300 to RMB600 (or approximately $46 to $93). Membership points are awarded to customers when they make purchases from us (other than purchasing through our distribution network). Customers are awarded membership points based on the type of product purchased with point values around 10% of retail price, with every ten points equaling RMB1 (approximately $0.15). Customers can use these membership points to partially or fully offset the cost of future product purchases.

Order Fulfillment

The majority of products sold through our various sales centers are delivered to our customers throughout China by EMS, the largest national express mail service operated by the China Post Office, and local delivery companies. We generally guarantee our products will be delivered to our customers within seven days of the date of receiving the order. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, of the total attempted product deliveries by EMS and local delivery companies on a cash-on-delivery, or COD, basis, approximately 73%, 68% and 70% were successful, respectively. Reasons for delivery failure primarily include customers’ refusal to accept a product upon delivery, which tend to occur more frequently with products that have higher average selling prices, or failure to successfully locate the delivery address. We are responsible for delivery and handling fees regardless of whether the delivery is successful. We have found that, in general, the shorter the delivery time, the lower the likelihood that the customer will refuse to accept the product upon delivery. As a result, local delivery companies enjoy higher delivery success rate than EMS due to a faster delivery time. EMS and local delivery companies are responsible for returning to us any undelivered products. It generally takes EMS two to three weeks, and local delivery companies seven days, to return undelivered products to us.

In 2009, 2010 and 2011, approximately 89.6%, 83.7% and 77.3% of our sales were settled on a COD basis by our customers. We recognize non-COD sales revenues when products are delivered to and accepted by our customer (e.g. FOB destination). Our non-COD customers typically pay by credit cards. For customers settling through COD, either EMS or the local delivery company is responsible for collecting and wiring to us these cash amounts on a periodic basis once collected. EMS and local delivery companies generally charge us delivery fees based upon weight of the products and distance of delivery. Additionally, EMS charges a processing fee based upon the sales price. Four of our local delivery companies charge a lower processing fee based upon the sales price, while the other companies do not charge us such fee. It typically takes an average of over 30 days for us to receive payments from EMS compared to an average of seven days from local delivery companies. Of our total accounts receivable balance as of December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, $2.2 million, or 12.8%, $0.2 million, or 1.6%, and $1.8 million, or 11%, respectively, was due from EMS.

In 2009, 2010 and 2011, approximately 47.4%, 32.5% and 37.3% of our net revenues resulted from products delivered by EMS, respectively, and approximately 38.0%, 49.5% and 45.2% of our net revenues resulted from products delivered by local delivery companies, respectively.

Customer Service, Product Warranties and Return Policies

We believe emphasizing customer service will enhance our products brand image, facilitate cross-selling opportunities and generate customer loyalty and repeat purchasing behavior. Our customer service centers within our Beijing, Shanghai and Wuxi call centers are currently staffed with approximately 13 customer service representatives working ten hours a day to provide quality customer service. In addition, most of our distributors generally provide their own customer service in their respective territories.

 

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Our customer service representatives are primarily responsible for answering our customers’ product-related inquiries, providing product information and handling product returns and customer complaints. To ensure superior customer service, we place significant emphasis on personnel selection and training. Our customer service representatives undergo product-specific training to allow them to answer product-related questions, proactively educate potential customers about the benefits of our products and promptly resolve customer problems. We also provide customer service training to some of our distributors for products sold through our nationwide distribution network.

Under our policies, our customers generally may return products to us within seven days after delivery if there is a quality defect or if a product fails to meet its specifications. For our TV direct sales products, our customers enjoy an unconditional product return within 30 days of their respective purchases. In most cases, product exchanges are allowed within a month of delivery. Our warranties generally provide for repair of product defects within one year at no cost to the customers. Product returns from our multiple sales platforms were insignificant in 2009, 2010 and 2011. To the extent that the manufacturer of the defective product is a third party, the manufacturer is obligated to either repair the defective product or reimburse us for any related expenses. Our distributors are allowed to exchange any defective products they receive from us. The number of products exchanged by our distributors due to defects was insignificant in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Supply and Inventory

Supply

We manufacture a substantial portion of the proprietary products we currently offer in terms of net revenues. The remaining products, including third-party products promoted by us pursuant to joint sales arrangements, are primarily sourced through third-party suppliers. Our manufacturing operations involve mainly assembly processes and generally only require us to deploy a limited amount of capital. Most of the components we use in our products are readily available in the market.

We began our manufacturing operations in 2000 with the production of our oxygen generating devices. Beginning in 2005, we expanded our manufacturing operations to include all of our electronic learning products and posture-correction product lines. For some of our products, we provide designs or technical requirements to our third-party suppliers.

We believe that if we decide to discontinue our manufacturing operations for any of our products for any reason, we would be able to subcontract the manufacturing of these products on commercially reasonable terms within a reasonable period of time.

Inventory Control

We closely monitor our inventory and sales levels at all of our sales and marketing platforms. In general, before or during our test-marketing stage, we do not acquire any sizable inventory position in a product. Our product and media departments adjust our inventory levels based on the weekly sales forecasts they jointly develop. When a product is no longer sold through our TV direct sales programs and/or our nationwide distribution network, our inventory of that product is generally limited.

Majority-Owned Subsidiaries

To acquire managerial expertise and additional complementary distribution network infrastructure or secure exclusive product distribution rights, we have formed certain majority-owned subsidiaries. We currently have two majority-owned PRC operating subsidiaries, one of which is primarily engaged in developing electronic dictionaries. We may form other majority-owned subsidiaries in the future.

 

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Acquisition of Yiyang Yukang

In 2008, we acquired 100% of the equity interests of Yiyang Yukang, a cell phone producer and distributor in China and former third-party supplier of our cell phone products. We acquired Yiyang Yukang for a total consideration of $19.9 million (inclusive of earn-out payment made subsequent to the closing of the transaction). Our total expenses related to the acquisition were $0.7 million. Yiyang Yukang produces, processes and markets communication equipment, targeting mid-to-high end business users in China. Approximately 20% of our cell phone products sold through our media resources were sourced from Yiyang Yukang in 2008. We acquired Yiyang Yukang with an aim to build and develop our own cell phone brands, as well as to take advantage of Yiyang Yukang’s nationwide distribution network to facilitate sales of our featured cell phone products. Due to Yiyang Yukang’s underperformance, we incurred impairment charges of $15.2 million in 2009 and adjusted our business strategy of Yiyang Yukang in 2011.

Divestment in Shanghai Yimeng

In June 2009, we disposed of a 33% equity interest in Shanghai Yimeng Software Technology Co., Ltd., or Shanghai Yimeng, a company engaged in the development and marketing of CPS stock tracking software, to focus on our core competency and enhance operating efficiency. Consideration for the disposal was $10.5 million in cash. As a result, Shanghai Yimeng was 18% owned by us and ceased to be a subsidiary of our company. As of December 31, 2011, our equity interest in Shanghai Yimeng further decreased to 12.9% as a result of our disposal of 1.8% equity interest in 2010 and the dilution due to issuance of additional shares by Shanghai Yimeng to a new investor in January 2011.

Competition

Because of our integrated vertical business model, we face competition from the following companies operating in our value chain:

 

   

other TV direct sales companies operating in China with generally similar business models to ours, including Moneng TV, Pacific Media and China SevenStar;

 

   

TV home shopping companies that operate across China or in large parts of China, such as CCTV Home Shopping and Hunan TV Happigo, and companies that operate on multiple channels in multiple provinces, such as Oriental CJ Home Shopping, U-you Home Shopping and TVSN;

 

   

domestic and international sellers of consumer branded products that sell their products in China and which compete with our products, such as our Ozing electronic learning products which compete with electronic learning products under the BBK, Zhongshan Subor Digital Sound Co., Ltd., Group Sense, and other brands, and our cell phone products which compete with similar products sold by local and international cell phone manufacturers; and

 

   

traditional retailers and distributors, as well as direct marketers, such as Avon, operating in China which currently or in the future may offer competing products, including products under their own brand, or may otherwise offer or seek to offer small and medium manufacturers and suppliers distribution capabilities throughout China.

Particularly, we are facing more intense competition from TV home shopping companies in China, the number of which has increased significantly since 2009. Many of them are supported by, or affiliated with, TV or radio stations and therefore, may have access to cheaper TV airtime than we do.

In addition, large multi-national home shopping companies, such as QVC, may enter the China market directly or indirectly. Entry by these players becomes more likely if existing PRC restrictions on content, number of advertising hours per day and foreign ownership of TV stations are relaxed.

 

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We also compete with companies that make imitations of our products at substantially lower prices, such as our Babaka branded posture-correction products, which are often sold in department stores, pharmacies and general merchandise stores. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business— We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our product brand, reputation and competitive position. In addition, we may have to enforce our intellectual property rights through litigation. Such litigation may result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.”

We believe that we compete primarily on the basis of the ability to secure significant TV and other media access on a nationwide basis and to effectively manage the TV advertising time and other media resources, such as newspaper and radio advertising, that we secure. In particular, we believe our TV media access and management experience helps us to be one of the largest TV direct sales operators in China in terms of revenues, and to maximize the effectiveness of our TV direct sales programs, reduce our risk of product failure and minimize associated costs. We believe we compete primarily on the basis of the effectiveness of our sales and distribution channels in reaching customers and generating customer appeal for our products. In addition, we believe we also compete primarily on the basis of our ability to identify and develop product brands, which helps to attract new product proposals from independent third parties and product suppliers who otherwise often lack the marketing or distribution capabilities and/or resources required to effectively market and sell their products or develop their own product brands. We also compete on the basis of product quality, price, and quality of our customer service, retail outlet coverage of our nationwide distribution network and speed of delivery. We believe we compete favorably on the basis of each of these factors. However, many of our current or future competitors may have longer operating histories, better brand recognition, greater levels of consumer trust, stronger media management capabilities, better media and supplier relationships, a larger technical staff and sales force and/or greater financial, technical or marketing resources than we do.

Seasonality

Certain of our products are subject to seasonality, such as our electronic learning products, our posture-correction product lines, and to a lesser extent, our electronic dictionary products. Sales for these products are typically higher around our first and third fiscal quarters which correspond to the end and beginning of school semesters in China, respectively. Other than seasonality related to these and certain of our other products, our business generally has not been seasonal.

Intellectual Property

We rely on a combination of copyright, trademark, patent, unfair competition laws, as well as nondisclosure agreements and other methods to protect our intellectual property rights. We currently maintain approximately 269 trademark registrations and are in the process of applying for registrations or transfer for approximately 143 trademarks in China. We own 19 invention, utilities and packaging design patents in China pertaining to our sleeping aid products, neck protected pillow, body relaxing chairs, posture-correction products and engine lubricant products.

The legal regime in China for the protection of intellectual property rights is still at a relatively early stage of development. Despite many laws and regulations promulgated and other efforts made by China over the years to enhance its regulation and protection of intellectual property rights, private parties may not enjoy intellectual property rights in China to the same extent as they would in many western countries, including the United States, and enforcement of such laws and regulations in China have not achieved the levels reached in those countries. Therefore, it is difficult and expensive to police and enforce against infringement of intellectual property rights in China. Imitation or counterfeiting of our products or other infringement of our intellectual property rights, including our trademarks, could diminish the value of our various brands or otherwise adversely affect our net revenues. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our product brand,

 

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reputation and competitive position. In addition, we may have to enforce our intellectual property rights through litigation. Such litigation may result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.”

We have in the past been, currently are, and in the future may again be, the subject of claims for infringement, invalidity, or indemnification relating to other parties’ proprietary rights. For example, in August 2009, Beijing Ren’ai filed a suit in the People’s Court of Beijing Haidian District against Shanghai HJX, Beijing Sancai and Beijing Zhidahengtong, alleging that the English programs we provide to the users of our electronic learning products infringe upon the copyright of Beijing Ren’ai. Beijing Ren’ai claimed damages of RMB2,000,000 (approximately $293,000). The court ruled in favor of Ren’ai in the suits and awarded Ren’ai total compensation of RMB500,000 (approximately $73,000). The defendants appealed the court’s decisions and Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court affirmed the decision of the People’s Court of Beijing Haidian District on September 15, 2010.

In April 2011, Xinjiang Yujinsheng Advertising Marketing Co., Ltd., or Xinjiang Yujinsheng, filed a suit in the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court against Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Jinyifang Culture Communication Co., Ltd. and Xinjiang Guoyu Hetianyu Co., Ltd., alleging that the cicada-shaped jade pendants sold on our website, which were produced and supplied by the other two defendants, infringe upon the patent right for design of Xinjiang Yujinsheng. Xinjiang Yujinsheng claimed damages of RMB1,019,646 (approximately $161,825 ). A court decision was delivered on July 25, 2011 dismissing all the claims of Xinjiang Yujinsheng. Xinjiang Yujinsheng appealed the court decision and the Shanghai Higher People’s Court affirmed the decision of the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court on October 17, 2011.

In May 2011, Yangya Zidian Co., Ltd., or Yangya Zidian, filed a suit in the Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court against Zhongshan Meijin Digital Technology Co., Ltd., alleging that the video “Let’s Talk in English” we provide on our website to the users of our electronic learning products infringe upon the copyright of Yangya Zidian. Yangya Zidian claimed damages of RMB1.4 million (approximately $216,203). After negotiation, Zhongshan Meijin and Yangya Zidian reached an agreement on November 18, 2011, pursuant to which Zhongshan Meijin paid RMB 200,000 (approximately $31,741) to Yangya Zidian and Yangya Zidian withdrew the suit.

We believe that the above legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our financial conditions. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—We have in the past been, currently are, and in the future may again be, subject to intellectual property rights infringement claims and other litigations by third parties, which could be time-consuming and costly to defend or litigate, divert our attention and resources, or require us to enter into licensing agreements. These licenses may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.”

Management Information System

Our management information system and technology infrastructure is designed to support our key operations. Full redundancy design and data backup are built into our systems. We also have an uninterruptible power supply that can provide up to four hours of power in case of power outage to allow full functioning of our call center and customer services operations during that period.

Our major system modules and functions, which facilitate various aspects of our business, include the following:

 

   

call center business management system, which facilitates automatic incoming call connection to available sales representatives or customer service representatives, data collection and organization of information received through call center representatives’ caller interactions, processing of after-sales service issues and monitoring of call center representatives for training and quality assurance purposes;

 

   

outbound call management system, which facilitates automatic outgoing dialing processes from a predetermined subgroup derived from our database and matches calls with available representatives;

 

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database management system, which facilitates the collection and updating of customer information;

 

   

warehouse management system, or WMS, which aims to control the movement and storage of materials within our warehouse;

 

   

supply chain management system, or SCM, which aims to manage complex and dynamic supply and demand networks including our various suppliers and merchandise;

 

   

short message service, or SMS, system, which supports SMS product order confirmation and advertising;

 

   

TV direct sales monitoring system, which facilitates monitoring and analysis of TV direct sales programs, including timing, quality and effectiveness; and

 

   

database backup.

In addition, our four warehouses are connected to a central inventory management system through virtual private network connections. Reports are generated and reconciled daily to provide management with up-to-date inventory information.

We believe our information technology system is one of the key tools with which we are able to identify market trends and demands early.

Chinese Government Regulations

The PRC government extensively regulates the industries in which we operate our business. We operate our direct sales and advertising businesses in China under a legal regime consisting of the State Council, which is the highest authority of the executive branch of the PRC central government, and several ministries and agencies under its authority including, among others, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, or SAIC, the Ministry of Commerce, or MOFCOM, the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television, or SARFT, the State Administration for Food and Drug, or SAFD and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or MIIT.

In the opinion of our PRC legal counsel, Commerce & Finance, except as disclosed in Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business—If the PRC government takes the view that we did not obtain the necessary approval for our acquisition of Shanghai Advertising, we could be subject to penalties”, and as disclosed in Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business—If the PRC government takes the view that our acquisition of Shanghai Advertising does not comply with PRC governmental restrictions on foreign investment in advertising, we could be subject to severe penalties”, (1) the ownership structures of our directly owned PRC subsidiaries comply with existing PRC laws and regulations; and (2) the ownership structure of our affiliated entities and our contractual arrangements with our affiliated entities and their shareholders are valid, binding and enforceable, and do not and will not result in a violation of existing PRC laws and regulations.

The TV direct sales industry and other direct sales industries in China are still in their infancy and the competitive landscape and range of products being offered continue to evolve rapidly. There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of existing or proposed PRC laws and regulations. We cannot assure you that the PRC regulatory authorities would find that our corporate structure and our business operations comply with PRC laws and regulations. If the PRC government finds us to be in violation of PRC laws and regulations, we may be required to pay fines and penalties, obtain certain licenses, approvals, or permits and change, suspend or discontinue our business operations until we comply with applicable laws.

The following discussion sets forth a summary of what we believe are the most significant regulations or requirements that affect our business activities in China and our shareholders’ right to receive dividends and other distributions from us.

 

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Regulatory Requirements for Foreign Participation

Direct Sales and Wholesale Distribution Businesses

Foreign investments in direct sales and wholesale businesses are both principally governed by the Administrative Measures on Foreign Investment in Commercial Sector promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce, or the Commercial Sector Measures on April 16, 2004 as supplemented. The Commercial Sector Measures lowered the previous thresholds for foreign investors to enter the commercial sector in China and completely removed the previous restrictions on the location of and maximum foreign shareholding percentage in foreign-invested commercial enterprises as of December 11, 2004. Under the Commercial Sector Measures, the establishment of a foreign-invested direct sales (including direct sales via TV, telephones, mail and Internet) or wholesale distribution enterprise must obtain approval from MOFCOM or its authorized local counterparts. On September 12, 2008, MOFCOM authorized its Provincial counterparts to approve the establishment or modification of a foreign-invested commercial enterprise except the one engaged in direct sale via TV, phones, mail, Internet, vender and other non-store methods or distribution of audio-visual products, books, newspapers and magazines which still should be approved by MOFCOM.

Under the PRC Law on Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprises (revised in 2001), the PRC Law on Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprises (revised in 2000), and the PRC Law on Wholly Foreign- owned Enterprises (revised in 2000), a foreign-invested enterprise is allowed to sell its self-produced products. Our distribution of our proprietary branded products is primarily conducted by our indirect subsidiaries which manufacture these proprietary branded products and sell such products as their self-produced products. Under the PRC laws, sellers of special products, such as medicine, medical devices and health protection products, are required to review the necessary manufacturing permits provided by the manufacturers.

Advertising Services

The advertising industry used to be a restricted industry for foreign investment under the Guideline Catalog of Foreign Investment Industries (2004 Revision). However, on October 31, 2007, the National Development and Reform Commission and MOFCOM jointly issued the Guideline Catalog of Foreign Investment Industries (2007 Revision) that identified the advertising industry as permitted industry for foreign investment. On December 24, 2011 the National Development and Reform Commission and MOFCOM jointly issued the Guideline Catalog of Foreign Investment Industries (2011 Revision), under which the advertising industry continues to remain as permitted industry. As a permitted industry, approval of MOFCOM or its local counterpart is no longer required for a foreign invested enterprise or its domestic subsidiary to invest in advertising unless required by other specific PRC laws and regulations.

Direct investment by foreign investors in the advertising industry in China is further subject to the Administrative Regulation on Foreign-Invested Advertising Enterprises jointly promulgated by MOFCOM and SAIC on March 2, 2004 and further revised on October 1, 2008. Under this advertising regulation, foreign investors are required to have had at least three years experience in directly operating an advertising business outside of China before they may receive approval to own 100% of an advertising business in China. Foreign investors that do not have three years experience are permitted to invest in advertising businesses, provided that such foreign investors have at least two years of direct operations in the advertising business outside of China and that such foreign investors may not own 100% of advertising businesses in China. Furthermore, all foreign invested advertising companies must obtain approval from SAIC or MOFCOM or their local counterparts.

On April 11, 2006, SAIC and MOFCOM also issued a Notice on the Issues Concerning Foreign Investors’ Establishing Foreign-Invested Advertising Enterprises through Equity Merger and Acquisition requiring that foreign-invested advertising enterprises that are established by foreign investors through equity mergers or acquisitions also satisfy the conditions of the Administrative Regulation on Foreign-Invested Advertising Enterprises.

 

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Our Direct Sales Operations

Due to the complicated and lengthy approval process and MOFCOM’s uncertain position towards approving investment in direct sale business by foreign investors under the Commercial Sector Measures, our direct sales business is currently conducted by our consolidated affiliated enterprises owned by Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge—Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn. As domestic companies, these companies are not subject to the Commercial Sector Measures, but they are controlled by us through a set of contractual arrangements. See Item 4.C, “Information on the Company—Organizational Structure”. In the opinion of our PRC legal counsel, Commerce & Finance:

 

   

The ownership structures of Acorn Information, Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn are in compliance with existing PRC laws and regulations; and

 

   

Our contractual arrangements among Acorn Information, Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn and their shareholders are valid, binding and enforceable, and do not and will not result in a violation of existing PRC laws and regulations.

We have been advised by our PRC legal counsel, Commerce & Finance, however, that there are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws and regulations. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the PRC regulatory authorities, in particular SAIC and MOFCOM, which regulate foreign investment in direct sales companies, will not in the future take a view that is contrary to the above opinions of our PRC legal counsel. If the current agreements that establish the structure for conducting our PRC direct sales business were found to be in violation of existing or future PRC laws or regulations, we may be required to restructure our ownership structure and operations in China to comply with PRC laws and regulations, or we could be subject to severe penalties. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business—If the PRC government takes the view that the agreements that establish the structure for operating our TV and direct sales business in China do not comply with PRC governmental restrictions on foreign investment in these areas, we could be subject to severe penalties”.

Our Advertising Operations

On September 24, 2007, we acquired 100% of the legal ownership of Shanghai Advertising, which had been one of our affiliated entities, through Shanghai Acorn Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd., or Acorn Consulting. At the time of our acquisition, the advertising industry was still a restricted industry for foreign investment under the Guideline Catalog of Foreign Investment Industries (2004 Revision, and required the approval of Shanghai Foreign Investment Commission, or SAIC, MOFCOM’s local counterpart in Shanghai. However, we completed the registration of such acquisition with Pudong Administration of Industry and Commerce in Shanghai on September 24, 2007 without SAIC’s approval based on SAIC’s advice that this acquisition was a purely domestic acquisition without any foreign related issues. Our PRC legal counsel, Commerce & Finance, has advised us that it is unlikely that we would be required by the PRC regulatory authorities, in particular SAIC and MOFCOM, both as regulators of foreign investment, to seek such approval to make up for our deficiency or any penalties would be imposed upon us for failure to obtain such approval. However, we cannot assure you that SAIC or MOFCOM will not take a different view from ours. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business—If the PRC government takes the view that we did not obtain the necessary approval for our acquisition of Shanghai Advertising, we could be subject to penalties.”

We have been further advised by Commerce & Finance that, according to an anonymous consultation with SFIC, because our acquisition of Shanghai Advertising was completed through Acorn Consulting, a domestic subsidiary of foreign invested enterprises, the acquisition was not subject to the requirement that foreign investors have the requisite years of operating experience in an advertising business outside of China. Similarly, Pudong Administration of Industry and Commerce in Shanghai did not require us to show that Acorn Consulting had the requisite years of operating experience either before or after it accepted the registration of the acquisition and issued a new business license to Shanghai Advertising on September 24, 2007. However, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not take a different view from ours. If the PRC government determines that we

 

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did not obtain the requisite approval or that this acquisition violated the requirements on foreign investment or re-investment in advertising businesses in China, we may be subject to severe penalties including, among others, the revocation of the business licenses of our related subsidiaries, discontinuation of our advertising operations, the imposition of conditions with which we or our PRC subsidiaries may be unable to comply, and the restructuring of Shanghai Advertising. The imposition of any of these penalties could result in a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business—If the PRC government takes the view that our acquisition of Shanghai Advertising does not comply with PRC governmental restrictions on foreign investment in advertising, we could be subject to severe penalties.”

Our Wholesale Distribution Operations

Historically, our wholesale distribution business was conducted through our two affiliated entities, Shanghai Acorn Network Technology Development Co., Ltd. and Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd. due to the complicated approval process and MOFCOM’s uncertain position toward approving investment in wholesale distribution business by foreign investors. On December 5, 2007, we received approval from Shanghai Qingpu People’s government approving our setup of Acorn Trade (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., or Acorn Trade, a PRC subsidiary wholly-owned by China DRTV, to conduct our wholesale distribution business. A valid business license was issued by Shanghai Administration of Industry and Commerce on December 13, 2007.

Regulation of Manufacturing and Sale of Special Consumer Products

Some of the products we offer through our direct sales platforms and some of the proprietary branded products we manufacture and sell are categorized as medical devices. Therefore, we are required to comply with relevant PRC laws and regulations regarding the manufacture and sale of medical devices.

In the PRC, medical devices are classified into three different categories for regulation and supervision by SAFD, depending on the degree of risk associated with each medical device and the extent of regulation needed to ensure safety and proper operation of the product. Class I includes medical devices posing a low risk to the human body, whose operation and safety can be assured through routine inspection. Class II includes those with medium risk to the human body, which warrant a greater degree of regulation. Class III includes those devices that pose a potential high risk to the human body, are implanted in the human body, or are used to support or sustain life, and therefore are subject to tight regulation. All the medical devices that we manufacture belong to Class II above. Under PRC laws and regulations, manufacturers of Class II medical devices must apply to the provincial-level SAFD for a valid Medical Device Manufacturing Enterprise License and Class II medical device operators must hold a valid Medical Device Operation Enterprise License, with limited exceptions. In addition, manufacturers of Class II medical devices must register their manufactured Class II medical devices with SAFD at the provincial level and obtain a Medical Device Registration Certificate. Violation of these provisions may result in fines, termination of operations, confiscation of illegal income, or in the most serious cases, criminal prosecution.

One of our subsidiaries, Acorn International Electronic Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. holds a valid Medical Device Operation Enterprise License that will expire on November 13, 2012 and a Medical Device Registration Certificate for a neck massager with a valid term of four years from July 21, 2009. Another of our subsidiaries, Shanghai HJX Digital Technology Co., Ltd, holds a valid Medical Device Operation Enterprise License that will expire on March 14, 2015. Another of our subsidiaries, Acorn Trade (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., holds a valid Medical Device Operation Enterprise License that will expire on March 20, 2013. Separately, our two direct sale affiliated entities Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn, hold valid Medical Device Operation Enterprise Licenses, which expire on March 14, 2015 and June 22, 2015, respectively. In addition, Zhuhai Acorn Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. holds a Medical Device Manufacturing Enterprise License expiring on October 25, 2016 and a Medical Device Registration Certificate for an oxygen generating device that expired on May 17, 2015. We are also in the process of renewing other expired licenses and certificates that are required for our operation and products.

 

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For the purposes of strengthening the supervision and management of medical devices and protecting human health and life safety, on May 20, 2011 the Ministry of Health promulgated the Administrative Measures for the Recall of Medical Devices (Trial), or Recall Measures which provides that medical device manufacturing enterprises shall eliminate defects of products of certain types, models or batches that have already been launched into the market for sale by way of warning, examination, repair, re-labelling, revision and amendment of the instruction manual, software upgrade, exchange, withdrawal or destruction according to the prescribed procedures. The recall is classified into two categories, that is, voluntary recall and compelled recall. If a medical device manufacturing enterprise discovers that a medical device is defective after conducting investigation and evaluation, it shall immediately decide to recall such device. If, upon investigation and evaluation, the drug regulatory department finds any defect in medical device that manufacturing enterprise should have voluntarily recalled, the drug regulatory department shall compel the concerned enterprise to recall the concerned medical devices. If medical device manufactured by us is found any defects prescribed in Recall Measures, we shall be subject to recall of the defective medical device.

Regulation of Internet Content Providers

We currently operate http://ir.chinadrtv.com through which our customers can familiarize themselves with our products. We are required to comply with the Administrative Measures on Internet Content Services issued by the State Council on September 25, 2000, Measures for the Archival Administration of Non-operational Internet Content Services issued by the Ministry of Information Industry on February 8, 2005 and the Administrative Measures on Internet Pharmaceuticals Information Services issued by SAFD on July 8, 2004 in our operation of the website.

Under the above regulations internet content providers must apply for a Telecommunications and Information Services Operating License, or ICP License, or a Value-added Telecommunications Business Permit for Internet Information Service if they are deemed to be an “operating business”. Internet content providers not deemed to be operating businesses are only required to file a registration with the relevant information industry authorities. The online dissemination of information regarding medical devices must also be approved by SAFD at the provincial level and validated by an Internet Pharmaceuticals Information Service Qualification Certificate issued by SAFD. Violation of these provisions will result in a warning, an order to rectify within a certain period, a fine, or the closing of the website.

As internet information service in the website of http://ir.chinadrtv.com is not deeded as an operating business, we only need to file with the relevant information industry authorities for record, which we have finished yet. In addition, we hold an Internet Pharmaceuticals Information Service Qualification Certificate, which will expire on May 3, 2016.

Regulation of Internet Shopping

On May 31, 2010 the State Administration of Industry and Commerce promulgated Provisional Measures on Internet Commodity Trade and Relevant Service which provide rules for internet commodity operators to comply with. Pursuant to these provisional measures, internet commodity operators shall inform consumers of the name, variety, quantity, quality, price, transportation fee, delivery method, payment method, exchange and return of commodity and other main information of the commodity before consumers purchase the same.

On June 24, 2010 MOFCOM promulgated the Outline of Promoting Healthy Development of Internet Shopping which requires relevant authorities to encourage enterprises to develop internet sales, expand internet shopping field, attach importance to rural internet shopping market, improve support service, protect legal interests of consumers and standardize internet market order.

On December 28, 2010 MOFCOM, MITT and other departments jointly issued the Notice on Implementing Scheme of Cracking Down Infringement on Intellectual Properties and Manufacture and Sale of Fake

 

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Commodity in Internet Shopping which, among other things, requires to strengthen supervision and control over internet shopping platform and transaction parties, set up access system for tradable commodity and intensify the fight against infringement on intellectual properties and manufacture and sale of fake commodity in internet shopping.

On January 5, 2011 the MOFCOM issued the Notice on Regulation of Promotion Activities in Internet Shopping, pursuant to which, among other things, (1) internet shopping enterprises shall ensure the quality of promotional commodity; (2) price fraud and false promotion is strictly forbidden; and (3) infringement on intellectual properties and manufacture and sale of fake commodity in promotion will be severely cracked down.

Regulation of Advertising Activities

The principal regulations governing advertising businesses in China include the Advertising Law (1994) and the Advertising Administrative Regulations (1987) and Implementing Rules on the Advertising Administrative Regulations (2004 Revision). SARFT and SAIC are the main responsible regulatory authorities in China overseeing the entire advertising industry. SAIC has the authority to make administrative rules to regulate advertising activities, register or approve the establishment of advertising companies, and examine and oversee daily advertising activities to ensure relevant regulations are not violated. In addition to supervision by SAIC, SARFT sets technical standards for broadcasting, regulates signal landings among different broadcasting networks and monitors the operations of all TV and radio stations. Due to the politically sensitive nature of China’s media industry, the contents of TV and radio programs must go through a lengthy approval process prior to broadcasting. Contents of advertisements, which are regulated to a lesser extent, must be approved by the TV or radio stations carrying the advertisements and proper advertising committee(s), effectively eliminating the possibility of broadcasting real-time, live advertising programs. The current regulations also prohibit private enterprises from owning or operating a TV or radio station.

Business License for Advertising Companies

Companies that engage in advertising activities must obtain from the SAIC or its local branches a business license with advertising business specifically included in the business scope. A company conducting advertising activities without such a license may be subject to penalties, including fines, confiscation of advertising income and an order to cease advertising operations. Our subsidiary Shanghai Advertising has obtained a business license with advertising specifically included in the business scope from the local branch of SAIC.

Advertising Airtime

Since the Chinese government imposes strict regulations on TV station/channel ownership and operations, TV home shopping companies can only purchase blocks of airtime for product advertising as opposed to engaging in long-term channel leasing agreements as in some other countries. In addition to regulating TV station ownership, SARFT also sets regulatory standards on the amount of advertising time allowed on TV broadcasting.

Airtime used to broadcast TV direct sales programs and TV home shopping programs is typically considered to be advertising time. On September 10, 2009, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or SARFT, issued the Circular on Strengthening the Administration of TV Direct Sales Advertising and Home Shopping Programs, which requires that TV direct sales advertising programs not be broadcasted on some specialized TV channels, including news channels and international channels, and TV home shopping channels and not be broadcasted on satellite TV channels during the period from 6:00pm to 12:00pm every day. The Administrative Measures on Advertising on Television or Radio issued by the SARFT on September 8, 2009 and effective as of January 1, 2010 which was amended on November 15, 2011 further requires that the total airtime allocated to commercial advertising on each TV channel not exceed 12 minutes per hour and not exceed 18 minutes in total during the period from 7:00pm to 9:00pm; no commercial advertising shall be inserted in

 

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whatever form during broadcasting of an episode (calculated as 45 minutes) of a television drama. Violation of these time restrictions may result in a warning, an order to correct the violation, a fine of up to RMB20,000, the suspension of broadcasting relevant to advertising, the suspension of the operation of the TV channel where the relevant advertising is broadcast, or even the withdrawal of the TV station’s operating license.

Under current PRC law, advertising operators can only sell advertising airtime to advertisers and are not allowed to sell to other advertising operators.

Advertising Content

PRC advertising laws and regulations set forth certain content requirements for advertisements in China, which include prohibition on, among other things, misleading content, superlative wording, socially destabilizing content, or content involving obscenities, superstition, violence, discrimination, or infringement of the public interest. Advertising for medical devices, fitness and other special products are subject to stricter regulation which prohibits any unscientific assertions or assurances in terms of effectiveness or usage, comparison with other similar products in terms of effectiveness or safety, and reference to medical research institutes, academic institutions, medical organizations, experts, doctors, or patients regarding the effectiveness or safety of the products advertised. In addition, all advertising relating to medical devices, fitness agrochemicals, as well as other advertisements that are subject to censorship by administrative authorities pursuant to relevant laws and regulations, must be submitted to the relevant administrative authorities for content review and approval prior to dissemination. Furthermore, SARFT and SAIC have issued a circular temporarily prohibiting, after August 1, 2006, the advertising of pharmaceutical products, diet and slimming products, medical devices, breast enhancement products and height increasing products in the form of TV- and radio-based direct sales programs pending adoption of new government rules. On September 10, 2009, the Circular on Strengthening the Administration of TV Direct Sales Advertising and Home Shopping Programs was issued by the SARFT, prohibiting the TV direct sales and home shopping programs to advertise pharmaceuticals, breast-enhancement products, diet and slimming products, and medical devices which are implantable or need instruction by experts. Meanwhile, the Administrative Measures on Advertising on Television or Radio, issued by the SARFT on September 8, 2009 and effective as of January 1, 2010 which was amended on November 15, 2011, prohibited the pharmaceutical and medical device or health related advertising program to contain the recovery rate or efficiency rate or certification by the doctors, experts, patients or public figures. Furthermore, Criteria for the Examination and Publication of Medical Device Advertisements were issued by the Ministry of Health, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the SFDA and became effective on May 20, 2009, which provided strict regulation on medical device advertisements publication. According to the Circular Concerning Further Severely Punishing Illegal Advertisements of Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices and Health Food effective in February 2010, enterprises which published the illegal advertisements will be severely punished. On February 12, 2010 SARFT promulgated the Notice on Further Strengthening Examination and Supervision on Advertising on Television and Radio, which requires that, among other things, in TV shopping advertisement: (1) no host is allowed to participate in advertisement; (2) exaggerative voice, intonation and gestures are prohibited; and (3) no form such as news report, interview and news materials and information is allowed to be used. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business—Governmental actions to regulate TV- and radio-based direct sales programs of medical devices and diet and slimming products will adversely impact sales of our branded neck massager product line and some of our other products and may adversely impact our future overall operating results”.

Entities whose products are to be advertised, or advertisers, entities offering advertising services such as linking advertisers with TV stations or newspapers, or advertising operators, and disseminators are all required by PRC laws and regulations to ensure that the content of advertising they produce or disseminate is true and in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In providing advertising services, advertising operators and disseminators must review the prescribed supporting documents provided by advertisers and verify that the content of advertising complies with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, prior to disseminating advertisements for certain commodities which are subject to government censorship and approval, advertising

 

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disseminators are obligated to check the relevant approval documents for those advertisements. Violation of these regulations may result in penalties, including fines, confiscation of advertising income, orders to cease dissemination of the advertising, orders to publish a correction of the misleading information and criminal punishment. In circumstances involving serious violations, SAIC or its local counterparts may revoke the violator’s licenses or permits for advertising business operations. Furthermore, advertisers, advertising operators, and disseminators may be subject to civil liability if they infringe on the legal rights and interests of third parties in the course of their advertising business.

Beginning on January 1, 2008, advertisers dealing with advertisements that relate to pharmaceuticals, medical devices and health related foods are subject to a credit rating. SAFD and its local branches will annually collect information relating to the advertiser’s record of compliance with the relevant advertising regulations in respect of the above products, and grade the credit of distributors based on the collected information. The credit rating of each advertiser will be either good credit, dishonor credit, or material dishonor credit. Any violations of related laws and regulations within one year by the advertising operator may result in a rating of dishonor credit or material dishonor credit for that year. Distributors with dishonor credit or material dishonor credit may be ordered to take corrective measures and may be subject to special supervision and/or public disclosure of their credit ratings.

In addition, PRC unfair competition law prohibits us and our distributors from conveying misleading, false or inaccurate information with respect to product quality, production, functionality, or other features, through advertising.

We have employed advertising industry professionals who will examine the content of our advertising and who will apply for the necessary approvals and permits for advertising certain special consumer products. In addition, our advertising channels, such as TV stations, newspapers, and radio stations, employ advertising inspectors who are trained to review advertising content for compliance with relevant laws and regulations. However, we cannot assure you that all of our advertising is in compliance with relevant PRC laws and regulations, nor can we assure you that the advertising our distributors place on local media networks complies with relevant PRC laws and regulations. In the past, we have been fined for certain advertising that is considered misleading or false by authorities. In some cases, we were required to accept product returns. Moreover, the SAFD issued a circular on October 31, 2005 announcing that advertising placed in several local newspapers by us and one of our distributors for our sleeping aid products and oxygen generating devices violated the relevant laws by including unapproved content. These violations for the sleeping aid products advertising were considered by SAFD to be a serious violation. The local SAFDs have ordered such advertising to be discontinued for use. As of January 1, 2008, any violation of advertising regulations relating to our sleeping aid product and oxygen generating devices by us or our distributors may result in SAFD issuing a rating to us or our distributors of dishonor credit or material dishonor credit. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business—We and our distributors are subject to various laws regulating our advertising, including the content of our TV direct sales programs, and any violation of these laws by us or our distributors could result in fines and penalties, harm our product brands and result in reduced net revenues”.

Foreign Exchange Control and Administration

Foreign exchange in China is primarily regulated by:

 

   

The Foreign Currency Administration Rules (1996), as amended; and

 

   

The Administration Rules of the Settlement, Sale and Payment of Foreign Exchange (1996), or the Administration Rules. Under the Foreign Currency Administration Rules, Renminbi is convertible for current account items, including the distribution of dividends, interest payments, and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions. Conversion of Renminbi into foreign currency for capital account items, such as direct investment, loans, investment in securities, and repatriation of funds, however, is still subject to the approval of SAFE.

 

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Under the Administration Rules, foreign-invested enterprises may only buy, sell, and remit foreign currencies at banks authorized to conduct foreign exchange transactions after providing valid commercial documents and, in the case of capital account item transactions, only after obtaining approval from SAFE. Capital investments directed outside of China by foreign-invested enterprises are also subject to restrictions, which include approvals by SAFE, and the State Reform and Development Commission.

We receive substantially all of our revenue in Renminbi, which is currently not a freely convertible currency. Under our current structure, our income will be primarily derived from dividend payments from our subsidiaries in China.

The value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions. The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including U.S. dollars, has been based on rates set by the People’s Bank of China. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its policy of pegging the value of the Renminbi to the U.S. dollar. Under the new policy, the Renminbi will be permitted to fluctuate within a band against a basket of certain foreign currencies. This change in policy resulted initially in an approximately 2.0% appreciation in the value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar. There remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt a substantial liberalization of its currency policy, which could result in a further and more significant appreciation in the value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar.

Regulation of Foreign Exchange in Certain Onshore and Offshore Transactions

In January and April 2005, the PRC State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, issued two rules that require PRC residents to register with and receive approvals from SAFE in connection with their offshore investment activities. SAFE has announced that the purpose of these regulations is to achieve the proper balance of foreign exchange and the standardization of the cross-border flow of funds.

On October 21, 2005, SAFE issued the Notice on Issues Relating to the Administration of Foreign Exchange in Fund-raising and Reverse Investment Activities of Domestic Residents Conducted via Offshore Special Purpose Companies, or Notice 75, which became effective as of November 1, 2005. Notice 75 replaced the two rules issued by SAFE in January and April 2005 mentioned above. According to Notice 75:

 

   

prior to establishing or assuming control of an offshore company for the purpose of financing that offshore company with assets or equity interests in an onshore enterprise in the PRC, each PRC resident, whether a natural or legal person, must complete the overseas investment foreign exchange registration procedures with the relevant local SAFE branch;

 

   

an amendment to the registration with the local SAFE branch is required to be filed by any PRC resident that directly or indirectly holds interests in that offshore company upon either (1) the injection of equity interests or assets of an onshore enterprise to the offshore company, or (2) the completion of any overseas fund raising by such offshore company; and

 

   

an amendment to the registration with the local SAFE branch is also required to be filed by such PRC resident when there is any material change involving a change in the capital of the offshore company, such as (1) an increase or decrease in its capital, (2) a transfer or swap of shares, (3) a merger or division, (4) a long-term equity or debt investment, or (5) the creation of any security interests over the relevant assets located in China.

Moreover, Notice 75 applies retroactively. As a result, PRC residents who have established or acquired control of offshore companies that have made onshore investments in the PRC in the past are required to complete the relevant overseas investment foreign exchange registration procedures by March 31, 2006. Under the relevant rules, failure to comply with the registration procedures set forth in Notice 75 may result in restrictions being imposed on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant onshore company, including the

 

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payment of dividends and other distributions to its offshore parent or affiliate and the capital inflow from the offshore entity, and may also subject relevant PRC residents to penalties under PRC foreign exchange administration regulations.

As a Cayman Islands company, and therefore a foreign entity, if Acorn International purchases the assets or an equity interest of a PRC company owned by PRC residents in exchange for our equity interests, such PRC residents will be subject to the registration procedures described in Notice 75. Moreover, PRC residents who are beneficial holders of our shares are required to register with SAFE in connection with their investment in us.

As a result of the uncertainties relating to the interpretation and implementation of Notice 75, we cannot predict how these regulations will affect our business operations or strategies. For example, our present or future PRC subsidiaries’ ability to conduct foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, may be subject to compliance with such SAFE registration requirements by relevant PRC residents, over whom we have no control. In addition, we cannot assure you that any such PRC residents will be able to complete the necessary approval and registration procedures required by the SAFE regulations. We require all shareholders in Acorn International who are PRC residents to comply with any SAFE registration requirements and we understand that the relevant shareholders have registered their offshore investment in us with Shanghai SAFE, but we have no control over either our shareholders or the outcome of such registration procedures. Such uncertainties may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and adversely affect our business and prospects. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to China—Regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may increase the administrative burden we face and create regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our overseas and cross-border investment activity, and a failure by our shareholders who are PRC residents to make any required applications and filings pursuant to such regulations may prevent us from being able to distribute profits and could expose our PRC resident shareholders to liability under PRC law”.

Regulation of Overseas Listings

On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, including MOFCOM, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, or SASAC, the State Administration for Taxation, SAIC, the CSRC, and SAFE, jointly adopted the Regulation on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the New M&A Rule, which became effective on September 8, 2006. This New M&A Rule, among other things, purports to require offshore SPVs formed for listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC companies or individuals, such as our company, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to publicly listing their securities on an overseas stock exchange.

Dividend Distributions

Pursuant to the Foreign Currency Administration Rules promulgated in 1996 and amended in 1997 and 2008, and various regulations issued by SAFE and other relevant PRC government authorities, the PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China.

The principal regulations governing the distribution of dividends paid by wholly foreign-owned enterprises and Sino-foreign joint equity enterprise enterprises include:

 

   

The Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise Law (1986), as amended in 2000;

 

   

The Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise Law Implementing Rules (1990), as amended in 2001;

 

   

The Sino-foreign Joint Equity Enterprise Law (1979), as amended in 2001;

 

   

The Sino-foreign Joint Equity Enterprise Law Implementing Rules (1983), as amended in 2001; and

 

   

Company Law of the PRC (2005).

 

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Under these regulations, foreign-invested enterprises in China may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a foreign-invested enterprise in China is required to set aside at least a certain percentage of its after-tax profit based on PRC accounting standards each year to its general reserves. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. The board of directors of a foreign-invested enterprise has the discretion to allocate a portion of its after-tax profits to employee welfare and bonus funds. These funds, however, may not be distributed to equity owners except in the event of liquidation.

C. Organizational Structure

We commenced operations in 1998 through Beijing Acorn, and in 2000, we established and commenced business operations for two other operating companies, Shanghai Acorn Network Co., Ltd., or Shanghai Acorn, and Shanghai Acorn Trade and Development Co., Ltd., or Shanghai Trade.

Prior to January 1, 2005, our business was operated through Beijing Acorn, Shanghai Acorn and Shanghai Trade, including their subsidiaries. Each of these three operating companies, referred to as the “combined entities”, was under common management, was operated on an integrated basis and was beneficially owned by the same shareholders and, with limited exception, in the same shareholding percentages. To enable us to raise equity capital from investors outside of China, we established a holding company structure by incorporating China DRTV in the British Virgin Islands on March 4, 2004. In 2004, China DRTV formed four PRC subsidiaries and two consolidated PRC affiliated entities. As part of a restructuring to implement an offshore holding company structure to comply with PRC laws imposing restrictions on foreign ownership in direct sales, wholesale distributor and advertising businesses, each of the combined entities, including their subsidiaries, transferred to China DRTV’s newly created consolidated subsidiaries and affiliated entities, by means of an asset transfer and liability assumption, substantially all their assets and liabilities at their net book values, except that (a) the assets and liabilities of one of the combined entities’ subsidiaries were transferred through the transfer to China DRTV of all of that subsidiary’s capital stock, and (b) after one of the three pre-restructuring operating companies, Beijing Acorn, transferred certain of its assets to two of China DRTV’s subsidiaries, its shareholders transferred their equity interests in Beijing Acorn to two PRC individuals, with Beijing Acorn becoming an additional China DRTV affiliated entity. Commencing on January 1, 2005 our business was conducted through China DRTV and its subsidiaries and, until recently, our three affiliated entities. Other than Beijing Acorn and the other transferred subsidiary, each of the pre-restructuring companies previously engaged in the business was liquidated. We have determined that no change in basis in the assets transferred in connection with the restructuring is appropriate as the transfers constituted a transfer of net assets by entities under common control.

In connection with our initial public offering, we incorporated Acorn International, Inc. in the Cayman Islands on December 20, 2005 as our listing vehicle. Acorn International Inc. became our ultimate holding company when it issued shares to the existing shareholders of China DRTV on March 31, 2006 in exchange for all of the shares that these shareholders held in China DRTV. In September 2007, we entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire MK AND T Communications Limited. The acquisition was completed in November 2008. In October 2007, we formed two Hong Kong subsidiaries wholly-owned by China DRTV, Bright Rainbow Investments Limited and Emoney Investments Limited. On December 13, 2007, we formed Acorn Trade (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a PRC subsidiary wholly-owned by China DRTV, through which we conduct our wholesale distribution business. Prior to this, our wholesale distribution business was conducted through our two affiliated entities, Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn. In April, 2008, we transferred 100% of the ownership interest in Shanghai HJX to Bright Rainbow Investments Limited. In December 2008, we acquired 100% of the equity interests of Yiyang Yukang, a cell phone producer and distributor in China and former third-party supplier of our cell phone products, which is now a subsidiary of the Company. Please refer to Item 4.B., “Information on the Company—Acquisition of Yiyang Yukang” for further details. In February 2010, Emoney Investments Limited was deregistered.

Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn, our two affiliated entities, are currently owned by two PRC citizens, Don Dongjie Yang, our co-founder, chief executive officer and director, and Weiguo Ge, an assistant general

 

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managers of our finance department. Shanghai Network is primarily engaged in our TV direct sales business throughout China except for Beijing. Beijing Acorn is primarily engaged in our TV direct sales business in Beijing. We have entered into contractual arrangements with these two affiliated entities pursuant to which our wholly owned subsidiary, Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., provides technical support and management services to these affiliated entities. In addition, we have entered into agreements with these two affiliated entities and their shareholders, Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge, providing us with the ability to effectively control each of these affiliated entities. Accordingly, we have consolidated historical financial results of these two affiliated entities in our financial statements as variable interest entities pursuant to U.S. GAAP. In September 2007, we acquired the legal ownership of Shanghai Acorn Advertising Broadcasting Co., Ltd, or Shanghai Advertising, which was previously one of our affiliated entities owned by Don Dongjie Yang and David Chenghong He. As James Yujun Hu and Guoying Du who used to be the designees under the contractual arrangements resigned from the Company in 2010, we released the above persons from rights and obligations under the contractual arrangements and new Powers of Attorney were entered into, pursuant to which, Irene Lin Bian and Lifu Chen have been appointed by Don Dongjie Yang and David Chenghong He who were shareholders of two affiliated entities at that time as new designees to exercise their shareholders rights in Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn, respectively, including their voting rights in the shareholders meeting. David Chenghong He resigned from the Company in February 2011, and the contractual arrangements previously entered into by David Chenghong He were all terminated and Irene Lin Bian became the 25% shareholder in our two affiliated entities and entered into a new set of contractual arrangements. Under the new set of contractual arrangements, Lifu Chen and Weiguo Ge were appointed by Don Dongjie Yang and Irene Lin Bian as new designees to exercise their shareholders rights in Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn, respectively, including their voting rights in the shareholders meeting. On November 29, 2011, shortly before Irene Lin Bian left the Company, the contractual arrangements previously entered into by Irene Lin Bian were all terminated and Weiguo Ge became the 25% shareholder of our two affiliated entities and entered into a new set of contractual arrangements. Pursuant to the new powers of attorney under the new set of contractual arrangements, Lifu Chen and Yongqiang Zhu was appointed by Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge as new designees to exercise their shareholders rights in Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn, respectively, including their voting rights in the shareholders meeting.

In the opinion of our PRC legal counsel, Commerce & Finance, except as disclosed in Item 3.D., “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business—If the PRC government takes the view that we did not obtain the necessary approval for our acquisition of Shanghai Advertising, we could be subject to penalties” and as disclosed in Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business—If the PRC government takes the view that our acquisition of Shanghai Advertising does not comply with PRC governmental restrictions on foreign investment in advertising, we could be subject to severe penalties”, (1) the ownership structures of our directly owned PRC subsidiaries comply with existing PRC laws and regulations and (2) the ownership structures of our two affiliated entities and our contractual arrangements with these affiliated entities and their shareholders are valid, binding and enforceable, and do not and will not result in a violation of existing PRC laws and regulations.

We have been advised by our PRC legal counsel, Commerce & Finance, however, that there are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws and regulations with respect to these matters. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that the PRC regulatory authorities, in particular SAIC and MOFCOM, which regulate foreign investment in direct sales, wholesale distribution and advertising companies, will not in the future take views that are contrary to the above opinions of our PRC legal counsel. If the current agreements that establish the structure for conducting our PRC direct sales business were found to be in violation of existing or future PRC laws or regulations, we may be required to restructure our ownership structure and operations in China to comply with PRC laws and regulations, or we could be subject to severe penalties. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business—If the PRC government takes the view that the agreements that establish the structure for operating our TV and other direct sales business in China do not comply with PRC governmental restrictions on foreign investment in these areas, we could be subject to severe penalties”.

 

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In June 2009, we disposed of 33% equity interest in Shanghai Yimeng for a consideration of $10.5 million in cash. After the divestment, we owned 18% of Shanghai Yimeng and it is no longer our subsidiary. See Item 4.B, “Business Overview—Divestment in Shanghai Yimeng” for further details.

As part of our reorganization, we deregistered U King Communications Equipment (Hong Kong) Limited in May 2011, transferred 100% of the ownership interest in Shanghai Advertising to MK AND T Communications Limited in October 2011 and disposed of our shareholding in Acorn Hong Kong Holdings Limited in December 2011.

 

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The following diagram illustrates our current corporate structure and the place of formation, ownership interest and affiliation of each of our subsidiaries and the two affiliated entities as of the date of this 20-F(1):

 

LOGO

 

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(1)

For risks related to our current corporate structure, see Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business”.

(2)

Agreements that provide us with effective control over Shanghai Acorn Network Technology Development Co., Ltd. and Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd. include equity pledge agreements, irrevocable powers of attorney, a loan agreement, operation and management agreements, exclusive purchase agreements and spouse consent letters. We may modify our contractual arrangements from time to time to facilitate our operations. For previous changes in our contractual arrangements, please see Item 3 C. “Organizational Structure” for further information.

(3)

The economic benefits of Shanghai Acorn Network Technology Development Co., Ltd. and Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd. accrue to Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

(4)

The Zhuhai Sunrana Bio-Tech Co., Ltd. is currently under the liquidation process.

Material Operating Entities

MOFCOM, or its local counterpart, reviews the application and issues the requisite approval for business operations by foreign entities. Our direct sales business is considered commercial trading and, until 2004, foreign investment in commercial trading was highly restricted by PRC regulations. By December 2004, MOFCOM had significantly reduced these restrictions. Nevertheless, to directly operate our direct sales business, we still need to obtain MOFCOM’s approval. Therefore, our direct sales business is currently conducted by our consolidated affiliated entities, Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn, which hold the necessary licenses to conduct our direct sales business, through contractual arrangements between Acorn Information, our wholly owned subsidiary in China, and these two consolidated affiliated entities. Our wholesale business is currently conducted by Acorn Trade (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Our direct sales business, and our advertising operations in support of our direct sales business, are regulated by SAIC. All of our advertising business operations, which include design, production and publication of TV and other advertising, are conducted by Shanghai Advertising, which used to be one of our affiliated entities. We acquired 100% of the legal ownership of Shanghai Advertising through Shanghai Acorn Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd. in September 2007, and subsequently transferred the entire equity interest in Shanghai Advertising to MK AND T Communications Limited as part of our reorganization. The Pudong Administration of Industry and Commerce in Shanghai issued a new business license for Shanghai Advertising to conduct our advertising operations following the acquisition.

In addition, Shanghai HJX, Acorn International Electronic Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Beijing Acorn Youngleda Oxygen Generating Co., Ltd., or Beijing Youngleda and Zhuhai Acorn Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. manufacture and distribute through our nationwide distribution network most of our electronic learning products, electronic dictionary products, posture correction products and oxygen generating devices, and each provides technical support and after-sales services for such products. The direct sales of our consumer electronics products and other fitness products are primarily conducted through Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn.

Contractual Arrangements with the Consolidated Affiliated Entities and their Shareholders

Our relationships with the two affiliated entities and their shareholders are governed by a series of contractual arrangements. Under PRC law, each of the affiliated entities is an independent legal person and none of them is exposed to liabilities incurred by the other party. Other than pursuant to the contractual arrangements between our wholly owned subsidiary, Acorn Information, and these two affiliated entities, these affiliated entities do not transfer any other funds generated from their operations to us. These contractual arrangements are as set forth below.

Each of our contractual arrangements with these two affiliated entities and their shareholders can only be amended with the approval of our audit committee or another independent body of our board of directors. See Item 7.B, “Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—Related Party Transactions” for further information on our contractual arrangements with these parties.

 

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Agreements that Provide Effective Control and an Option to Acquire Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn

These agreements provide us with effective control over these two affiliated entities and their shareholders, Don Dongjie Yang, our co-founder, chief executive officer and director, and Weiguo Ge, one of the Assistant General Managers of our finance department. They include irrevocable powers of attorney, a loan agreement, equity pledge agreements, operation and management agreements and spouse consent letters. Under the exclusive purchase agreements, we also have exclusive options to purchase the equity interests of the affiliated entities.

 

   

Irrevocable Powers of Attorney. Under irrevocable powers of attorney, each of the two shareholders of Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn, Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge, has granted to designees of Acorn Information, Lifu Chen, one of our vice presidents, and Yongqiang Zhu, one of our vice presidents, the power to exercise all voting rights of such shareholder in the shareholders’ meetings, including but not limited to the power to determine the sale or transfer of all or part of such shareholder’s equity interest in, and appoint the directors of, Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn. These irrevocable powers of attorney have terms of ten years and will automatically renew for another ten years unless terminated by the above-mentioned designees of Acorn Information in writing three months prior to their expiry.

 

   

Loan Agreement. Under the loan agreement among Acorn Information and the shareholders of these two affiliated entities, Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge, Acorn Information made an interest-free loan to Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge in an aggregate amount of $16.2 million and agreed to make additional interest-free loans not exceeding approximately $4.2 million to Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge. The loan is to be used primarily for capital investments by the shareholders in Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn. The loan can only be repaid by the shareholders’ transfer of their interests in Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn to Acorn Information or its designee when permissible under PRC law. The initial term of the loan is ten years and will automatically be renewed for another ten years absent a written termination notice from Acorn Information.

 

   

Operation and Management Agreements. Under the operation and management agreements among Acorn Information, the two shareholders and each of the affiliated entities, the parties have agreed that Acorn Information will provide guidance and instructions on daily operations and financial affairs of each of these two affiliated entities. The agreements also state that each of the directors, general managers and other senior management personnel of these affiliated entities will be appointed as nominated by Acorn Information. Acorn Information has the authority to exercise the voting rights on behalf of the two shareholders at the shareholder meetings of the two affiliated entities. Acorn Information has agreed to provide security for contracts, agreements or other transactions entered into by these two affiliated entities with third parties, provided that these affiliated entities shall provide counter- security for Acorn Information using their accounts receivable or assets. In addition, each of these affiliated entities agreed not to enter into any transaction that could materially affect its respective assets, obligations, rights or operations without prior written consent from Acorn Information. The terms of these agreements are ten years and will automatically renew for another ten years absent a written termination notice by Acorn Information.

 

   

Equity Pledge Agreements. Under the equity pledge agreements among Acorn Information and the two shareholders of the affiliated entities, each of Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge has pledged all of his equity interests in Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn to Acorn Information to guarantee the performance of the two affiliated entities under the operation and management agreements and the exclusive technical services agreements as described below, as well as their personal obligations under the loan agreements. Each of the shareholders also agrees not to transfer, assign or, pledge his interests in any of these affiliated entities without the prior written consent of Acorn Information. If any of these affiliated entities or either of the two shareholders breaches its respective contractual obligations thereunder, Acorn Information, as pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights, including but not limited to the right to sell the pledged equity interests. The terms of these agreements are ten years and will

 

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automatically renew for another ten years absent written termination notice by Acorn Information three months prior to their expiry.

 

   

Exclusive Purchase Agreements. Pursuant to the exclusive purchase agreements among Acorn Information and each of Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn and their shareholders, Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge, each of the two shareholders has irrevocably granted Acorn Information or its designee an exclusive option to purchase at any time if and when permitted under PRC law, all or any portion of their equity interests in Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn for a price that is the minimum amount permitted by PRC law. The terms of these agreements are ten years and will automatically renew for another ten years absent a written termination notice by Acorn Information three months prior to their expiry.

 

   

Spouse Consent Letters. Pursuant to the spouse consent letters, the spouse of each of the shareholders of these two affiliated entities acknowledges that she is aware of, and consents to, the execution by her spouse of irrevocable powers of attorney, equity pledge agreements and the exclusive purchase agreements described above. With respect to establishment, grant and performance of the above irrevocable powers of attorney, equity pledge and the exclusive purchase, each spouse further agrees that, whether at present or in the future, she will not take any actions or raise any claims or objection.

Technical Services Agreements that Transfer Economic Benefits from Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn to Us

Acorn Information has entered into a technical service agreement with each of the affiliated entities to transfer economic interests in these entities to us. Pursuant to the technical service agreements, Acorn Information is the exclusive provider of technical support and consulting services to the two affiliated entities in exchange for service fees. Under these agreements, each of the affiliated entities may not, among other things, dispose of its assets, dissolve, liquidate, merge with any third parties, provide security to any third parties, distribute dividends, engage in transactions with any of its affiliates, make external investment or conduct any business outside of the ordinary course of their respective businesses without the prior consent of Acorn Information. The term of these agreements is ten years and will automatically renew for another ten years unless terminated by Acorn Information.

D. Property, Plant and Equipment

We are headquartered in Shanghai and have leased an aggregate of approximately 19,453 square meters of office and call center spaces in Beijing, Shanghai and Wuxi. Our leases are typically for a term from one to five years. We acquired office space of an aggregate of approximately 3,852 square meters on Tianlin Road, Shanghai in 2007, in order to accommodate our growing number of employees and expanding operations. The relocation to the new facility completed in January 2009. Our four central warehousing hubs cover approximately 50,493 square meters, among which 14,683 square meters are subject to varying lease terms. We typically enjoy a priority right to renew our leases for our warehouses.

Our manufacturing facilities in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Zhuhai occupy an aggregate of approximately 7,200 square meters. Our manufacturing facilities in Beijing and Zhuhai are used for the production of our oxygen generating device product line, our manufacturing facilities in Shanghai are used for the production of our posture correction product lines, and our manufacturing facility in Shenzhen is used for the production of our electronic learning product line.

Uncertainty exists as to our right to use the land on which our manufacturing facilities are built in Beijing. For additional information regarding this uncertainty, see Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—Our leases of land and manufacturing facilities in Beijing may not be in full compliance with PRC laws and regulations and we may be required to relocate our facilities, which may disrupt our manufacturing operations and result in decreased net revenues”.

 

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During the first quarter of 2009, we obtained a fifty-year land use right of a piece of land in Qingpu district of Shanghai for aggregate consideration of approximately RMB51.2 million (approximately $7.5 million). We have completed the construction of a warehouse and a factory for keeping our inventories and manufacturing our proprietary branded products on such land parcel and have conducted various completion inspections. We expect relevant building ownership certificates to be obtained in the near future.

ITEM 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

Not applicable.

ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon and should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and their related notes included in this annual report on Form 20-F. This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. For more information regarding forward-looking statements, see “Forward-Looking Statements.” In evaluating our business, you should carefully consider the information provided under Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors.” We caution you that our businesses and financial performance are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties.

A. Operating Results

Overview

We are a media and branding company in China, operating one of China’s largest TV direct sales businesses in terms of revenues and TV airtime. We have strong media resources, through which we offer and market a diverse portfolio of proprietary products. We have built a proven track record of developing, promoting and selling proprietary-branded products, as well as products from established third parties. We sell our products primarily through our TV direct sales platform, other direct sales platform which include outbound calls, catalog sales, third-party bank channel sales and Internet sales, as well as our nationwide distribution network. Our core strategy is to generate sales by building proprietary brands via buying and utilizing all forms of media.

We believe our nationally televised TV direct sales programs allow us to build strong product brand awareness among China’s consumers and to generate significant demand for the products that we market within a short period of time. Our other forms of media resources enable us to reach out to a larger customer base and to lessen our reliance on advertising expenditures for TV time purchases. Our nationwide distribution network, coupled with local marketing efforts, helps further enhance the awareness of, and demand for, marketed products, thereby broadening our customer reach and enhancing our product penetration on a nationwide basis.

Our net revenues and operating income in any period are largely driven by our direct sales and distribution platforms and our product mix, advertising expenses, and promotional events occurring in the period. Our net revenues, which include direct sales net revenues and distribution net revenues, were $287.6 million, $293.2 million and $362.1 million, in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Direct sales net revenues, which include both net proceeds from products sold through our TV direct sales programs and net proceeds from products sold through our other direct sales platforms, increased from $160.4 million in 2009 to $195.8 million in 2010, and further to $291.5 million in 2011. The continued development of our other direct sales channels resulted in gross revenues generated from our other direct platform to increase from approximately $60.3 million in 2009 to approximately $108.9 million in 2010, and further to $162.0 million in 2011. which was driven primarily by increased sales through internet and outbound calls. Distribution net revenues, which are derived from sales of products to our distributors, decreased from $127.2 million in 2009 to $97.4 million in 2010, and to $70.5 million in 2011. In addition, we recorded operating income of $1.1 million in 2011 compared to operating losses of $12.8 million in 2010 and $7.5 million in 2009, respectively.

 

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Our longer term goal is to become the leading media and branding company in China and to capitalize on our integrated multi-media platform with an aim to become partners of choice for both well-established and promising new businesses to market and distribute their products in China. To achieve this goal, our management has adopted a new performance review system since 2010 which focuses on the optimization of our media return and spending. In addition, we will continue to grow our business across product lines and platforms, including Aoya cosmetic products, Yierjian abdominal trainer and Ozing electronic learning products, as well as our TV and other direct sales platforms. We also plan to further enhance our customers’ brand loyalty through a more effective business strategy, higher product quality, and better customer service, thereby achieving higher productivity and profitability.

Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations

We have benefited from a number of trends that are currently accelerating the growth of the direct sales industry in China, including, among other things, overall economic growth that has resulted in increased disposable income and discretionary consumer spending. Company-specific factors that may affect our future financial condition and results of operations include, among other things, the following:

 

   

the mix of products selected by us for marketing through our sales platforms and distribution network:

Although we maintain and offer a diverse product portfolio, we generally focus on marketing and selling four to six featured product lines at any one time through our TV and other direct sales platform, and a limited number of products through our nationwide distribution network. Consequently, we have been, and expect to continue to be, dependent on a limited number of featured product lines to generate a large percentage of our net revenues. For example, sales of our cell phone products, our top selling product line in 2011, increased from $125.1 million in 2010 to $166.0 million in 2011, representing 45.7% of our net revenues in 2011. Among these featured product lines, some of which generally enjoys higher profit margin, such as our cosmetics product line, while some of which generally have lower profit margin, such as our mobile handset product line. Currently, our featured product lines mainly include cell phone products, electronic learning products, cosmetics products, collectible products, fitness products and consumer electronic products. We expect that our fitness product line featuring our Yierjian abdominal trainer to become one of the main drivers of our revenue growth in 2012.

 

   

the mix of our TV versus other direct sales platforms:

We sell our products through our TV direct sales platform, other direct sales platform and our nationwide distribution network. Our direct sales (including both TV and other direct sales) accounted for 55.8%, 62.8% and 80.5%, respectively, of our net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively, while our distribution sales accounted for 44.2%, 33.2% and 19.5%, respectively, of our net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. We expect to continue to focus on our TV and other direct sales platforms, which we believe to be our core competency, and expect our revenues generated from our distribution network will continue to decrease in 2012.

 

   

new product introductions by us or our competitors and our ability to identify new products:

Our ability to maintain or grow our revenue depends on our ability to successfully identify, develop, introduce and distribute in a timely and cost-effective manner new and appealing product offerings, including new and upgraded products. We employ a systematic identification and development process. After a potential featured product has been identified and tested, we evaluate a number of key benchmarks, particularly estimated profitability relative to our media expenses, in determining whether to conduct full-scale sales and marketing. We also seek to diversify our product offerings by adding products that offer recurring revenue opportunities. To help us identify suitable new products, we entered into an exclusive partnership agreement on July 21, 2011 with GIS, a full-service international direct-response television distributor, pursuant to which GIS will search for and identify products of interest for us and obtain rights to such products on our behalf.

 

   

the amount and timing of operating expenses incurred by us, in particular our media procurement expenses:

Our product revenues are driven significantly by our spending on advertising, particularly our TV direct sales programs. Our total advertising expenses decreased from $61.0 million in 2009 to $58.5 million in 2010

 

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and then increased to $68.6 million in 2011. The largest component of our total advertising expenses, constituting over 80% of total advertising expenses in each of 2009, 2010 and 2011, is purchased TV advertising time, which correlates to the conversion rate of our inbound calls. The primary performance metric we track and analyze on a daily basis is the conversion rate of our inbound calls. The conversion rate for inbound calls, which is the percentage of inbound calls that result in product purchase orders, was 30.1%, 25.4% and 31.4%, in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The increase in conversion rate in 2011 was primarily due to increased sales of certain product categories that generally have higher conversion rates, as well as the lower average selling prices of certain products. We believe that with our more focused and targeted media spending, we could further improve the conversion rate of our inbound calls, thereby increase our net revenues.

Our advertising cost per minute varies depending on the channels. Certain CCTV channels, which generally have a broader reach, are more expensive. Our average per minute advertising cost for TV direct sales programs in 2009, 2010 and 2011 was approximately $165, $215 and $342, respectively. Some TV channels increase their rates annually. In addition, we have experienced more significant rate increases on some of our national satellite TV channels, compared to our other TV channels, as their reach and ratings have increased. In 2011, our top five TV channels in terms of amount of our advertising expenditures accounted for approximately 56.1% of our total advertising expenditures of TV direct sales programs and constituted approximately 39.8% of the total TV airtime of our TV direct sales programs.

In addition to the avobe factors, recent competition in the direct sales industry in China presents new challenges to our business. Related challenges include the evolving nature of the TV direct sales industry and our business model and a continuously evolving competitive landscape. To address these challenges, among other things, we regularly evaluate developments and the competitive landscape in the consumer retail market in China (including the TV direct sales market in China). In turn, as appropriate, we adjust our product offerings, sales and marketing efforts and business strategy. We undertake these adjustments in connection with constant evaluation of our media allocation for each product to maximize return on our media expenditures. For example, we track and analyze data generated through our call center operations. Using this data, we adjust the products we promote on TV, the frequency and time slots of our TV direct sales programs, as well as the TV channels on which we broadcast our programs on a weekly basis.

For a detailed discussion of other factors that may cause our results of operations to fluctuate, see Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business.”

Revenues

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011  
     Amount      % of total
revenue,
net
    Amount      % of total
revenue,
net
    Amount      % of total
revenue,
net
 
     (in U.S. dollars, except percentage)  

Revenues:

               

Direct sales, net

   $ 160,357,948         55.8 %   $ 195,821,308         66.8 %   $ 291,524,509         80.5

Distribution sales, net

     127,227,672         44.2 %     97,419,877         33.2 %     70,533,404         19.5
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total revenues, net

   $ 287,585,620         100.0 %   $ 293,241,185         100.0 %   $ 362,057,913         100.0
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Our net revenues consist of direct sales net revenues generated from our TV and other direct sales platforms and distribution sales net revenues. The percentage of our total net revenues attributable to direct sales and distribution sales revenues varies from period to period based on, among other things, our TV airtime dedicated to our proprietary or third-party products in any given period, as well as our joint sales arrangements with third parties. The decrease in distribution sales net revenues as a percentage of our net revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011 primarily reflected our strategy to focus on direct sales of our proprietary products since 2010.

 

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Direct sales net revenues represent product sales through our TV direct sales programs and our other direct sales platforms, including third-party bank channel sales, sales realized through our outbound calls, catalog sales and Internet sales. To date, a significant portion of our direct sales net revenues have been generated from our TV direct sales platform. We plan to continue to develop other direct sales platform to increase the absolute numbers of our revenues in 2012.

Distribution net revenues represent product sales to the distributors that constitute our nationwide distribution network. We sell products to our distributors at a discount to the retail price for the same product.

Our total net revenues are presented net of certain adjustments, including sales and business taxes, cash rebates on distribution sales, costs of cash coupon discounts and membership points on direct sales. We net the cash rebates used in connection with promotional distribution sales activities and the cash coupon discounts and membership points used in connection with our customer loyalty program for direct sales against revenue at the time revenue is recorded.

Direct sales net revenues for 2009, 2010 and 2011 have been adjusted in the current accounting period based on our actual unsuccessful product deliveries experience.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues represents our direct costs to manufacture, purchase or develop products sold by us to consumers or our distributors. For a particular product, the related cost of revenues is the same regardless of whether sold by us directly to consumers or to our distributors. The most significant factor in determining cost of revenues as a percentage of revenue in any period is our product mix for the period. For example, our cell phone or electronic learning product products currently have a higher per unit cost of revenues than our other products, such as our cosmetic products, which typically results in a lower gross margin for such products.

Cost of revenues does not include advertising or other selling and marketing expenditures. These expenditures are incurred for the benefit of each of our sales and distribution platforms and, as such, are treated as operating expenses and not as a cost of revenues. As described below under “Critical Accounting Policies”, however, certain payments received under our joint sales arrangements may reduce our cost of revenues or advertising expenses. In evaluating the performance of our sales and distribution platforms, you should consider our advertising and other selling and marketing expenses and income from operations.

Operating (Expenses) Income

Our operating (expenses) income consist of advertising expenses, other selling and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses, impairment of goodwill and intangible assets and other operating income, net.

Advertising Expenses

Advertising expenses consist primarily of the expenses of purchasing our advertising media, mostly the expense of TV advertising time and, to a significantly lesser extent, other media, primarily newspaper advertising space and the Internet. Advertising expenses also include payments to reimburse certain of our distributors for a portion of their local TV airtime, print media and other advertising-related expenses in support of our products distributed by them. To date, we have not deferred any advertising expenses, and all such advertising expenses have been recognized as incurred.

We use our purchased TV advertising time to broadcast our TV direct sales programs and our product-oriented promotional advertising. Our advertising expenses primarily include the cost of the TV advertising time used to broadcast our TV direct sales programs. Payments received from our joint sales partners to share a

 

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portion of the related TV advertising cost are recorded as a reduction to our TV advertising expense. We also promote brands through print and other media, primarily Internet, newspaper and radio advertising. We enter into our advertising agreements near the end of each year and consequently the balance of our prepayment for advertising is usually at its highest level at the year-end. In 2012, we generally entered into advertising agreements with a term of one year.

Other Selling and Marketing Expenses

Other selling and marketing expenses consist primarily of costs related to product delivery, salary and benefits for our call center sales and marketing personnel, and the production of our TV direct sales programs and other advertising. Amortization charges related to intangible assets acquired in our December 2008 acquisition of Yiyang Yukang were included in other selling and marketing expenses in 2009. We rely significantly on EMS and local delivery companies to deliver our products and to collect payments in connection with our products delivered on a cash on delivery, or COD, payment method. We are responsible for the delivery and handling fee regardless whether the delivery is successful.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and benefits for general management, finance and administrative personnel costs, depreciation and amortization with respect to equipment used for general corporate purposes, professional fees, leases, allowances for doubtful accounts and other expenses for general corporate purposes.

Other Operating Income, Net

Other operating income, net consists primarily of government subsidies. We receive government subsidies from local government agencies for certain taxes paid by us, including value-added, business and income taxes.

Taxation

We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands and are not subject to tax in this jurisdiction. Our subsidiaries China DRTV and Smooth Profit are incorporated in BVI and are not subject to tax in this jurisdiction. Our subsidiaries Bright Rainbow Investments Limited, MK AND T Communications Limited, Acorn Hong Kong Holdings Limited and U King Communication Equipment (Hong Kong) Limited are incorporated in Hong Kong and are subject to statutory income tax on their Hong Kong sourced income. Our other subsidiaries and affiliated companies are PRC companies. In addition to enterprise income tax, our PRC subsidiaries and affiliated companies are subject to a 17% value added tax, or VAT, on sales in accordance with relevant PRC tax laws. VAT taxes payable are accounted for through the balance sheet and do not have an income statement effect. The statutory income tax rate applicable to PRC companies is 25% for calendar years starting on or after January 1, 2008.

On March 16, 2007, the PRC government promulgated Law of the People’s Republic of China on Enterprise Income Tax (“New EIT Law”), which is effective from January 1, 2008. Under the New EIT Law, domestically owned enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises are subject to a uniform tax rate of 25%. While the New EIT Law equalizes the tax rates for domestically-owned and foreign-invested companies, preferential tax treatment would continue to be given to companies in certain encouraged sectors and to enterprises classified as high and new technology companies, whether domestically-owned or foreign-invested enterprises. The New EIT Law also provides a five-year transition period starting from its effective date for those enterprises which were established before the promulgation date of the New EIT Tax Law and which were entitled to a preferential tax treatment such as a reduced tax rate or a tax holiday. The tax rate of such enterprises will transition to the uniform tax rate of 25% within a five-year transition period and the tax holiday, which has been enjoyed by such enterprises before the effective date of the New EIT Law, may continue to be enjoyed until the end of the holiday.

 

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For 2009, 2010 and 2011, several of our PRC subsidiaries and affiliated companies benefited from the following special tax rates or incentives:

Shanghai Advertising registered in Pudong New District, Shanghai of the PRC, is subject to 20% Enterprise Income Tax, or EIT, in 2009, 22% EIT in 2010 and 24% EIT in 2011 pursuant to the phase-out rule of the New EIT Law.

Shanghai HJX, Acorn Electronic, Beijing Youngleda, Yiyang Yukang and Zhuhai Acorn, as foreign-invested manufacturing enterprises which are scheduled to operate for at least ten years, are entitled to a two-year exemption and three-year 50% reduction starting from the first profit making year after absorbing all prior years’ tax losses, which can be carried forward for five years (the “Tax Holiday”). Under the New EIT Law, enterprises not generating profits before 2008 are required to commence the Tax Holiday beginning January 1, 2008.

Acorn Information, as a recognized software company, has been eligible for the Tax Holiday since 2005.

HZX Software, as a recognized software company, has been eligible for the Tax Holiday since 2009.

We adopted the provisions of ASC740-10, “Income Taxes—Overall” (previously FASB Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting For Uncertainty in Income Taxes—an Interpretation of SFAS No. 109”). Based on our analyses under ASC740-10, we have made our assessment of the level of authority for each tax position (including the potential application of interest and penalties) based on the technical merits, and have measured the unrecognized benefits associated with the tax positions. As of December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, we had unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $3.1 million, $3.1 million and $2.5 million, respectively.

 

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Results of Operations

The following table sets forth our consolidated statements of operations by amount and as a percentage of our total net revenues for 2009, 2010 and 2011:

 

    For the years ended December 31  
    2009     2010     2011  
    Amount     % of total
revenues,
net
    Amount     % of total
revenues,
net
    Amount     % of total
revenues,
net
 
    (in thousands, except for percentages)  

Condensed Consolidated

           

Statements of Operations Data

           

Revenues:

           

Direct sales, net

  $ 160,358        55.8 %   $ 195,821        66.8 %   $ 291,525        80.5

Distribution sales, net

    127,228        44.2 %     97,420        33.2 %     70,533        19.5
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenues, net

    287,586        100.0 %     293,241        100.0 %     362,058        100.0
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cost of revenues:

           

Direct sales

    67,531        23.5 %     106,990        36.5 %     160,360        44.3

Distribution sales

    83,097        28.9 %     74,732        25.5 %     45,584        12.6
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total cost of revenues

    150,628        52.4 %     181,722        62.0 %     205,944        56.9
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross profit

    136,958        47.6 %     111,519        38.0 %     156,114        43.1
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating (expenses) income

           

Advertising expenses

    (61,048 )     (21.2 )%     (58,470 )     19.9 %     (68,563     18.9

Other selling and marketing expenses

    (42,956 )     (14.9 )%     (43,377 )     14.8 %     (59,854     16.5

General and administrative expenses

    (31,196 )     (10.8 )%     (25,434 )     8.7 %     (31,681     8.8

Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets

    (15,248 )     (5.3 )%     —          —          —          —     

Other operating income, net

    6,004        2.1 %     2,977        1.0 %     5,084        1.4
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating (expenses) income

    144,444        50.2 %     (124,304 )     42.4 %     (155,014     42.8
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) from operations

    (7,486 )     (2.6 )%     (12,785 )     4.4 %     1,100        0.3
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other (expense) income

    2,068        0.7 %     4,826        1.6 %     7,822        2.2

Total income tax (expense) benefit

    2,539        0.9 %     1,539        0.5 %     (3,111     0.9
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Equity in losses of affiliates

    (417     (0.1 )%     (797     (0.2 )%     (772     (0.3 )% 

Loss from continuing operations

    (3,296 )     (1.1 )%     (7,217 )     2.5 %     5,039        1.4

Income from discontinued operations, net of tax

    15,363        5.3 %     —          —          —          —     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from extraordinary items, net of tax

    —          —          828        0.3 %     —          —     

Net income (loss)(1)

    12,067        4.2 %     (6,390     2.2 %     5,039        1.4

Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest

    (184 )     (0.1 )%     (19 )     (0.0 )%     84        0.0
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income (loss) attributable to Acorn International, Inc

    11,883        4.1 %     (6,409 )     (2.2 )%     5,123        1.4
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

    For the years ended December 31  
    2009    

 

    2010    

 

    2011    

 

 
    Amount     % of total
revenues, net
    Amount     % of total
revenues, net
    Amount     % of total
revenues, net
 
    (in thousands, except for percentages)  

(1)    Includes share-based compensation of:

           

Other selling and marketing expenses

  $ (94 )     (0.0 )%   $ —          —        $ —          —     

General and administrative expenses

    (1,751 )     (0.6 )%     (215 )     0.0 %     (130     0.0

 

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The table below summarizes our gross revenues for 2009, 2010 and 2011, broken down by product categories:

 

     2009
$‘000
     Sales
%
     2010
$‘000
     Sales
%
     2011
$‘000
     Sales
%
 

Cell phones

     61,277         21.29         125,074         42.61         165,958         45.72   

Electronic learning products

     105,223         36.56         69,535         23.69         62,539         17.23   

Collectible products

     9,516         3.31         18,040         6.15         33,194         9.14   

Cosmetics

     45,149         15.69         26,233         8.94         24,857         6.85   

Consumer electronics

     9,666         3.36         14,035         4.78         24,249         6.68   

Health products

     29,825         10.36         12,950         4.41         13,348         3.68   

Fitness products

     —           —           403         0.14         12,064         3.32   

Auto products

     7,053         2.45         9,753         3.32         1,189         0.33   

Other products

     20,073         6.98         17,503         5.96         25,601         7.05   
  

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

    

Total net revenues

     287,782            293,526            362,999      
  

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

    

Comparison of Years Ended December 31, 2009, December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2011

Revenues

Our total net revenues, which include direct sales net revenues and distribution net revenues, increased 2.0% from $287.6 million in 2009 to $293.2 million in 2010 and further increased 23.5% to $362.1 million in 2011. The net increase of $68.8 million in total net revenues in 2011 primarily reflected increased sales of Gionee branded cell phones and our collectables products through our direct sales platforms, partially offset by decreased distribution sales net revenues as a result of decreased sales of Yukang branded cell phones, as well as the decreased sales in Ozing electronic learning products due to a slowdown in the electronic learning products market.

In 2009, 2010 and 2011, approximately 55.8%, 66.8% and 80.5% of our total net revenues, respectively, were generated through our direct sales platforms. Direct sales net revenues, which include both net proceeds from products sold through our TV direct sales platform and net proceeds from products sold through our other direct sales platforms, increased from $160.4 million in 2009 to $195.8 million in 2010, and further to $291.5 million in 2011. With the continued development of our other direct sales channels, our net revenues from non-TV direct sales channels increased from approximately $60.3 million in 2009 to approximately $108.9 million in 2010, and further to $162.0 million in 2011, driven primarily by increased sales through outbound calls and the Internet. We expect the relative contribution of other direct sales to continue to increase over time.

Distribution net revenues, which are derived from sales of products to our distributors, decreased from $127.2 million in 2009 to $97.4 million in 2010, and further decreased to $70.6 million in 2011. The percentage of our total net revenues generated through our nationwide distribution network was 44.2% in 2009, 33.2% in 2010 and 19.5% in 2011. The decrease of distribution net revenues in 2011 was primarily due to the decreased sales of Yukang branded cell phones, decreased sales of Ozing products due to less market demand and decreased sales of auto products through our distribution channels. The decrease of distribution net revenues in 2010 was primarily due to the decreased sales of Ozing products as a result of an overall slowdown in the electronic learning products market in that year.

 

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The following table sets forth our three best-selling product lines for our direct sales platforms by net revenues and as a percentage of applicable total direct net revenues for the periods indicated, together with a reconciliation to net direct sales revenues:

 

         2009     2010     2011  

Product

  

Brand

  Revenues     percentage     Rank     Revenues     percentage     Rank     Revenues     percentage     Rank  
         (in thousands, except percentages and ranks)  

Direct Sales:

                    

Cell phone

  

Gionee,

K-touch,

U-king,

Lenovo,

Nokia &

Konka

  $ 33,179        20.7 %     2      $ 101,907        52.0 %     1      $ 164,519        56.3     1   

Posture correction product

   Babaka   $ —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —     

Electronic learning product

   Ozing     21,862        13.6 %     3      $ —          —          —          —          —          —     

Cosmetics products

   Aoya, Cobor, Dr Cell, Softto and CMM   $ 44,182        27.5 %     1      $ 26,110        13.3 %     2      $ 24,857        8.5     3   

Collectibles

       —          —          —          18,040        9.2        3      $ 33,194        11.4     2   

Direct Sales-total top three

     $ 99,223        61.8 %     $ 146,057        74.5 %     $ 222,570        76.1  

Other products revenues

     $ 61,331        38.2 %     $ 50,041        25.5 %     $ 69,720        23.9  

Total gross revenues

     $ 160,554        100 %     $ 196,098        100 %     $ 292,290        100  

Total sales tax

     $ (196 )       $ (277 )       $ (765    

Total revenues, net

     $ 160,358          $ 195,821          $ 291,525       

Direct sales net revenues increased from $160.4 million in 2009 to $195.8 million in 2010 and increased to $291.5 million in 2011, or 22.1% in 2010 and 48.9% in 2011. The net increase of $95.7 million in direct sales net revenues in 2011 primarily reflected our 61.4% increase in sales of cell phones, which was mainly attributable to sales of Gionee A320 and A350 models. Sales of cell phone products accounted for 56.3% of our direct sales net revenues in 2011. Our top three products sold through our direct sales platforms in 2011 were cell phones, collectibles and cosmetics products, which collectively accounted for $222.6 million, or 76.1%, of our direct sales net revenues in 2011. The net increase of $35.4 million in direct sales net revenues in 2010 primarily reflects our 207.1% increase in sales of cell phones, led by sales of the Gionee A320 mode, which accounted for 52.0% of direct sales net revenues in 2010, offset by the decline in electronic learning products. Our top three direct sales products in 2010 were cell phone, cosmetics and collectibles, which accounted for $146.1 million, or 74.5% of our direct sales net revenues in that year.

 

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The following table sets forth our three best-selling product lines for our distribution network by net revenues and as a percentage of applicable total distribution net revenues for the periods indicated, together with a reconciliation to net distribution sales revenues:

 

        2009     2010     2011  

Product

 

Brand

  Revenues     percentage     Rank     Revenues     percentage     Rank     Revenues     percentage     Rank  
        (in thousands, except percentages and ranks)  

Distribution Sales:

                   

Electronic learning product

  Ozing & Meijin   $ 83,326        65.5 %     1      $ 63,529        65.2 %     1      $ 58,875        83.3     1   

Posture correction product

  Babaka   $ 8,129       6.39 %     3       —          —          —          3,967        5.61     3   

Cell phone

 

Gionee, K-touch,

U-king, Lenovo,

Nokia & Konka

    28,098        22.1 %     2      $ 23,168        23.8 %     2      $            

Health products

          $ 4,412        4.53 %     3      $ 5.847        8.27     2   

Distribution sales-total top three

    $ 119,553        94.0 %     $ 91,109        93.5 %     $ 68,689        97.1  

Other products revenues

    $ 7,675        6 %     $ 6,319        6.5 %     $ 2.019        2.9  

Total gross revenues

    $ 127,228        100 %     $ 97,428        100 %     $ 70,708        100  

Total sales tax

    $ (0 )       $ (8 )       $ (175    

Total revenues, net

    $ 127,228          $ 97,420          $ 70,533       

Distribution sales net revenues decreased 23.4% from $127.2 million in 2009 to $97.4 million in 2010 and further decreased 27.6% to $70.5 million in 2011. Our top three distribution sales products in 2011 were our electronic learning products, health products and posture correction products, which accounted for $68.7 million. The net decrease of $26.9 million in distribution sales net revenues in 2011 was primarily due to the decreased sales of Yukang branded cell phones in distribution channels. The net decrease of $29.8 million in distribution sales net revenues in 2010 was primarily due to decreased sales of our electronic learning products as a result of a slowdown in the electronic learning products market.

Cost of Revenues

Our cost of revenues is primarily dependent upon the mix of products and units sold during the relevant period.

Our total cost of revenues increased from $150.6 million in 2009 to $181.7 million in 2010 and further increased to $205.9 million in 2011 in line with the increase of sales scale. As a percentage of total net revenues, total cost of revenues was 52.4%, 62.0% and 56.9% in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The overall increase in cost of revenues in 2011 was primarily driven by increase in sales and a shift in the product mix. The overall increase in cost of revenues in 2010 was primarily driven by a 104.1% increase in the sales of our cell phone products, which generally have higher costs, as well as the write down in inventory as we adjusted our inventory estimate based on our current requirement.

Direct sales cost of revenues increased 58.4% from $67.5 million in 2009 to $107.0 million in 2010, and further increased 49.9% to $160.4 million in 2011. The fluctuations in 2010 and 2011 primarily reflect the increased sales volumes of our cell phone products in those periods, which generally have higher per-unit costs.

Distribution cost of revenues decreased from $83.1 million in 2009 to $74.7 million in 2010, representing a 10.1% decrease in 2010, and further decreased to $45.6 million in 2011, representing a 39.0% decrease in 2011. The decrease in 2011 primarily reflected the decreased sales of our cell phone products. The decrease in 2010 primarily reflected the decreased sales of our Ozing products, partially offset by the increased sales of our cell phones.

 

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Gross Profit and Gross Margin

The following table sets forth gross profits and gross margins (being gross profit divided by the related net revenues) for our direct sales and distribution sales platforms:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011  
     Gross
profit
     Gross
margin
    Gross
profit
     Gross
margin
    Gross
profit
     Gross
margin
 
     (in U.S. dollars)  

Direct sales, net

   $ 92,826,982         57.9 %   $ 88,830,925         45.4 %   $ 131,164,842         45.0

Distribution sales, net

     44,130,740         34.7 %     22,687,761         23.3 %     24,949,263         35.4
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

    

Total

   $ 136,957,722         47.6 %   $ 111,518,686         38.0 %   $ 156,114,105         43.1
  

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

    

Our total gross profits decreased from $137.0 million in 2009 to $111.5 million in 2010 and then increased to $156.1 million in 2011. Our overall gross margin decreased from 47.6% in 2009 to 38.0% in 2010 and then increased to 43.1% in 2011. Changes in our gross margins from period to period are driven by changes in our product mix and the platforms through which we sell them. The increase in gross margin in 2011 was largely due to a shift in product mix to include less sales of cell phone products in distribution, which generally have lower margins. The gross margin decreased in 2010 was mainly due to the increased sales of our cell phone products, which generally have lower profit margins.

We are generally able to maintain stable margins for our individual product lines. Although we discount the prices of individual products as competition enters the market over time, this discounting is typically done in conjunction with our introduction of an upgraded or replacement product with improved features and functions and similar or better pricing. If we are unable to maintain satisfactory gross profits relative to our expenses, we replace or cease marketing such product.

In addition to product mix-related variations, the difference between the sales price charged by us to our TV direct sales customers and what we charge our distributors for the same product accounts for a large portion of the difference in gross margins on direct sales and on distribution sales.

Gross margin on direct sales decreased from 57.9% in 2009 to 45.4% in 2010 and remained stable at 45.0% in 2011. The decrease in gross margin on direct sales in 2010 was primarily due to a shift in product mix to include more cell phone sales and a decrease in gross margin for cosmetics due to the discontinuation of Softto hair treatment products.

Gross margin on distribution sales decreased from 34.7% in 2009, 23.3% in 2010 and increased to 35.4% in 2011 due primarily to the decrease in mobile handset sales in distribution, which generally have lower margins. The decreased gross margin on distribution sales in 2010 was primarily due to a lower gross margin for Ozing products as a result of increased discounts to distributors, as well as certain write-downs of Ozing and cell phone inventories that we recorded in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Operating (Expense) Income

Our total operating (expense) income decreased from $144.4 million in 2009 to $124.3 million in 2010 and increased to $155.0 million in 2011. Of the total increase in 2011, $10.1 million was attributable to the increase in advertising expenses; $16.5 million reflected the increase in other selling and marketing expenses; and $6.2 million reflected the increase in general and administrative expenses. Of the total decrease in 2010, $2.6 million was contributable to the decrease in advertising expenses; $5.8 million reflected the decrease in general and administrative expenses; and $15.2 million reflected the decrease in impairment charges of goodwill and intangible assets. These decreases were partially offset by a $0.4 million increase in other selling and marketing expenses and $3.0 million decrease in other operating income, net. Total operating expense, as a percentage of total net revenue, decreased from 50.2% in 2009, to 42.4% in 2010 and to 42.8% in 2011.

 

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Advertising Expenses

Our advertising expenses decreased from $61.0 million in 2009 to $58.5 million in 2010 and then increased to $68.6 million in 2011. As a percentage of total net revenues, advertising expenses decreased from 21.2% in 2009 to 19.9% in 2010 and 17.3% in 2011. The overall increase in advertising expenses in 2011 primarily reflects our increased media procurement in accordance with our new media strategy. The overall decrease in advertising expenses in 2010 primarily reflects our more targeted media spending as part of our cost control measures with an aim to achieve higher media efficiency.

Advertising expenses related to purchased TV advertising time decreased by 4.5% from $57.3 million in 2009 to $54.7 million in 2010 and increased by 16.3% to $63.6 million in 2011. The increase of purchased TV advertising expenses in 2011 was mainly due to the sharply increase of average per minute advertising cost from $215 in 2010 to $342 in 2011. The decrease in purchased TV advertising expenses in 2010 reflects our reduced amount of TV advertising time and the increasing percentages of sales generated from and advertising expenditure in our other direct sales platform, including third-party bank channel, catalogs and Internet sales.

Other Selling and Marketing Expenses

Our other selling and marketing expenses increased 1.0% from $43.0 million in 2009 to $43.4 million in 2010 and further increased 38.0% to $59.9 million in 2011. Our other selling and marketing expenses as a percentage of total net revenues were 14.9%, 14.8% and 16.5% in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The increased in 2011 is related to the delivery cost, and salaries and commissions for our call center personnel and expenses of short message which is in accordance with sales in 2011. The increase in 2010 primarily relates to increased expenses for printing catalogs and delivery costs for our catalog sales.

General and Administrative Expenses

Our general and administrative expenses decreased 18.5% from $31.2 million in 2009 to $25.4 million in 2010, and then increased 24.6% to $31.7 million in 2011. Our general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total net revenues was 10.8%, 8.7% and 8.8% in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Of the total $6.2 million increase in general and administrative expenses in 2011, $1.6 million was attributable to a increase in consulting service expenses, $4.2 million was attributable to a increase in bad debt charges. The increase in bad debt provision was primarily related to the receivable from one local delivery company. Of the total $5.8 million decrease general and administrative expenses in 2010, $1.8 million was attributable to a decrease in litigation expenses, $1.5 million was attributable to a decrease in share based compensation expenses, and $1.2 million was attributable to a decrease in consulting service expenses.

Impairment of Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Impairment losses of goodwill and intangible assets were $15.2 million in 2009. We did not record any impairment losses of intangible assets for the full years 2010 and 2011.

Impairment losses of intangible assets for the full year 2009 totaled $15.2 million, which consisted of an impairment loss for intangible assets from the acquisition of Yiyang Yukang, which was primarily caused by (i) overall under-performance in the mobile handsets business of Yiyang Yukang and (ii) Yiyang Yukang’s change in business strategy to launching its proprietary “Uking” brand and changes incurred in the acquired distribution network. In addition, as result of the Yiyang Yukang intangible assets impairment charge, we reversed a $3.3 million deferred tax liability in 2009. Due to Yiyang Yukang’s underperformance, we incurred impairment charges of $15.2 million in 2009 and adjusted our business strategy of Yiyang Yukang in 2011.

 

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Other Operating Income, Net

Other operating income, net, consisting of government subsidy and miscellaneous commission income, was $6.0 million, $3.0 million and $5.1 million, in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. A majority of other operating income net in those periods related to our receipt of subsidies from local government agencies for certain taxes paid, including value-added, business and income taxes. The subsidy income in 2009, 2010 and 2011 amounted to $5.1 million, $2.6 million and $3.0 million, respectively. We may not be able to enjoy such government subsidies in the future. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—The discontinuation of any of the preferential tax treatments and government subsidies available to us in the PRC could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition”. In addition, we recorded $2.1 million from the royalty fee of our eroda trademark as our other operating income in 2011.

Income (Loss) from Operations

Our loss from operations increased from $7.5 million in 2009 to $12.8 million in 2010, and we recorded an income from operations of $1.1 million in 2011. As a percentage of total net revenues, our loss from operations increased from 2.6% in 2009 to 4.4% in 2010 and our income from operations amounted to 0.3% of our total net revenues in 2011.

Other Income

Our other income was $2.1 million, $4.8 million and $7.8 million, in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, our other income included $1.5 million, $1.3 million and $2.1 million, in interest income, and $1.2 million, $3.4 million and $5.9 million in investment gain respectively.

We recorded a $1.3 million investment loss in 2009, $0.2 million investment gain in 2010 and $0.3 million investment loss in 2011, respectively, due to the change in fair value of the embedded derivative in our investment in an index-linked structured note. See “Item 5.B. Critical Accounting Policies—Derivative Instruments” for details. As of December 31, 2011, we have disposed the index-linked structure note held by us.

Income Tax Benefit (Expenses)

We had a net tax benefit of $2.5 million in 2009, a net tax benefit of $1.5 million in 2010 and a net tax expense of $3.1 million in 2011. Our effective income tax rate for 2009, 2010 and 2011 was 47%, 19% and 35%, respectively.

Equity in losses of affiliates

In July 2008, the Group invested 30.0% equity interests in Kela (Hong Kong) Jewelry Investment Limited (“Kela”) for cash of $1.2 million. In October 2009, the Group increased its investment in Kela from 30.0% to 35.0%. In July 2010, the Group’s investment in Kela decreased from 35.0% to 22.1% as a result of dilution due to issuance of additional shares by Kela to new investors. As the Group has the ability to exercise significant influence over Kela, the Group accounts for this investment using the equity method of accounting. In May 2011, the Group sold all its equity interests in Kela to another shareholder of Kela for cash of RMB39.6 million ($6.1 million USD equivalent). The gain on the disposition of the investment in Kela in 2011 was $5,421,753 and was recognized in other income in the consolidated statement of operations. The Group’s equity in losses of Kela in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were $12,351, $443,123 and $28,567, respectively, and were recognized in equity in losses of affiliartes in the consolidated statements of operations.

In June 2009, the Group invested 26.0% equity interests in KYOBI Cosmetics (Hong Kong) Co., Limited (“KYOBI”) for cash of RMB8.0 million ($1.2 million USD equivalent). As the Group has the ability to exercise significant influence over KYOBI, the Group accounts for this investment using the equity method of accounting. The Group’s equity in losses of KYOBI in 2009 was $403,986 and was recognized in other expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. In April 2010, the Group sold all its equity interests in KYOBI to another shareholder of KYOBI, a third party of the Group, for cash of RMB8.0 million ($1.2 million USD equivalent).

 

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In January 2010, Shanghai An-Nai-Chi, a company which previously was a 51.0% equity-owned consolidated subsidiary of the Group, received a cash injection of $1.5 million from a third party of the Group. After the cash injection, the Group retained 33.2% equity interests in Shanghai An-Nai-Chi and no longer had control in Shanghai An-Nai-Chi. As the Group holds one out of five board seats on the Board of Shanghai An-Nai-Chi and has significant influence over financial and operating decision-making after deconsolidation, the Group accounts for the retained 33.2% equity interests using the equity method of accounting. The retained investment was re-measured at fair value of $1.1 million on the date the Group deconsolidated Shanghai An-Nai-Chi (refer to Note 7 for fair value measurements relating to the retained investment). The Group’s equity in losses of Shanghai An-Nai-Chi in 2010 and 2011 was $353,598 and $743,153, respectively and was recognized in equity in losses of affiliartes in the consolidated statement of operations.

Income from Discontinued Operations, Net of Taxes

In June 2009, in order to focus on our core competency and enhance operating efficiency, we sold 33% of our equity interests in Shanghai Yimeng, our former subsidiary engaged in development and marketing CPS stock tracking software. Shanghai Yimeng was established in December 2005 with 51% of its equity interests held by us and 49% by Shanghai Yimeng Digital Technology Co., Ltd., a third party. We sold the 33% equity interest to a shareholder of Shanghai Yimeng Digital Technology Co., Ltd. for a total cash consideration of $10.5 million. The resulting gain on disposition of $16.4 million was included in income from discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2009. The income tax expenses on the gain of disposition was $2.0 million. There were no remaining assets or liabilities associated with discontinued operations in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2009.

The following shows summarized operating results reported as discontinued operations for the years ended December 31, 2009:

 

     2009  

Net revenues

   $ 7,447,940   
  

 

 

 

Income from discontinued operations before income taxes

   $ 841,559   

Gain on disposition of discontinued operations

     16,366,355   

Income tax expenses

     (1,845,225 )
  

 

 

 

Income from discontinued operations

   $ 15,362,689   
  

 

 

 

Income from discontinued operations in 2009, which represents income generated from Shanghai Yimeng, net of tax, in the six months ended June 30, 2009 before our deconsolidation, was $15.4 million and excluding gain on deconsolidation, was $1.0 million. We did not record any income from discontinued operations in 2010 and 2011.

Income from extraordinary items, net of tax

We recorded an income from extraordinary items of $0.8 million in 2010, which reflects an extraordinary gain in 2010 as a result of a reversal of the business combination liability as no earn-out payment in relation to the acquisition of Yiyang Yukang was made in 2010.

Net Income Attributable to Non-controlling Interests

Net income attributable to non-controlling interests consist of the 49% or less outside ownership interests in our majority-owned subsidiaries. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the non-controlling interests totaled $0.2 million, $19,589 and $(83,943), respectively.

 

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Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Acorn International, Inc

As a result of the foregoing, net income decreased from a $11.9 million net income in 2009 to a net loss of $6.4 million in 2010 and a net income of $5.1 million was recorded in 2011. As a percentage of total net revenues, net income (loss) was 4.1%, (2.2)% and 1.4% in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

B. Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

      For the years ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011  
     (in thousands)  

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 142,952.9      $ 91,667.4      $ 111,180.1   

Net cash provided by operating activities

     27,804.6        1,981.7        10,871.8   

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

     (24,297.0 )     (7,489.3 )     2,033.4   

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

     (8,227.4 )     (49,243.7 )     864.7   

Operating Activities

As of December 31, 2011, we had $111.2 million in cash and cash equivalents. Net cash provided by operating activities decreased from $27.8 million in 2009 to $2.0 million in 2010 and increased to 10.9 million in 2011 primarily reflecting our income/loss from operations recorded in such periods as compared to prior periods. These amounts were adjusted for non-cash items such as share-based compensation, goodwill and intangible assets impairment losses, gain or loss on change in fair value of derivative assets, depreciation and amortization and changes in various assets and liabilities such as accounts receivables, inventories, prepaid advertising and other expenses and other current assets and accounts payable.

Investing Activities

Investing activities include purchases of property and equipment, purchases of equity investments in connection with establishment of joint ventures, acquisition of equity interest in a subsidiary, purchases of intangible assets and purchase and disposal of investments in structured notes. Net cash used in investing activities was $24.3 million, $7.5 million in 2009 and 2010, and net cash provided by $2.0 million in 2011. Net cash provided by investing activities in 2011 reflects the cash provided by sales of affiliate at $6.1 million, sales of structure notes at $8.6 million and cash used in the purchase of property and equipment at $12.5 million, which mainly consisted with our addition factory and warehouse in Qingpu amounted to $8 million and office equipment addition amounted to $4 million. Net cash used in investing activities in 2010 reflected our construction of our factory and warehouse in Qingpu and purchase of long term assets, property and equipment, partially offset by sale of investment in Shanghai Yimeng. Net cash used in investing activities in 2009 reflected the deconsolidation of Shanghai Yimeng at $23.6 million in cash, our purchase of property and equipment for $3.1 million and $3.9 million investment in affiliates, partially offset by our redemption of one structure note for $10.0 million.

Financing Activities

In 2011, our net cash provided by financing activities mainly reflected proceeds from the exercise of stock options in the amount of 0.9 million. In 2010, our net cash used in financing activities was primarily due to our dividend payment in the amount of $49.8 million. In 2009, we used $2.3 million to repurchase 639,266 of our outstanding ADSs and paid out $6.7 million as first earn-out payment in connection with our acquisition of Yiyang Yukang.

We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents and cash flows from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for the next 12 months. We may, however, require additional cash resources due

 

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to changed business conditions or other future developments, including any investments, joint ventures or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If these resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain a credit facility. If we are not able to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our obligations, we may need to restructure, sell assets, reduce or delay capital investments, or seek additional equity or debt financing. The sale of additional equity securities could result in additional dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations. A shortage of such funds could in turn impose limitations on our ability to plan for, or react effectively to, changing market conditions or to expand through organic and acquisitive growth, thereby reducing our competitiveness. We cannot assure you that future financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

Capital Expenditures

Our capital expenditures totaled $3.1 million, $6.3 million and $12.5 million, in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Our capital expenditures consisted principally of the purchases and construction of property and equipment, investments in buildings related to expansions and upgrades to our call centers and offices and purchases of management information systems. In 2009, we obtained a fifty-year land use right of a piece of land in Qingpu district of Shanghai for aggregate consideration of RMB51.2 million (approximately $7.5 million). We use the land to establish a warehouse and a factory for manufacturing our proprietary branded products. In 2010 and 2011, our capital expenditure primarily reflected the construction of the above-mentioned new warehouse and factory in Shanghai, which amounted to $5.4 million and $7.8 million, respectively. We expect relevant building ownership certificates to be obtained in the near future. In addition, $3.7 million was used in acquiring our office equipment in 2011.

Critical Accounting Policies

We prepare our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP, which requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities on the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of net revenues and expenses during the financial reporting period. We continually evaluate these estimates and assumptions based on the most recently available information, our own historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Since the use of estimates is an integral component of the financial reporting process, actual results could differ from those estimates. Some of our accounting policies require higher degrees of judgment than others in their application. We consider the policies discussed below to be critical to an understanding of our financial statements as their application places the most significant demands on our management’s judgment.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize net revenue for sales through our direct sales platforms upon delivery of the products to, and acceptance by, our customers (“F.O.B Destination”). These revenues are recognized net of sales tax incurred. We rely significantly on China Express Mail Service Corporation (“EMS”) and local delivery companies to deliver products sold through our direct sales platforms. It generally takes one to seven days for a product to be delivered by EMS and local delivery companies, with these companies regularly reporting to us product delivery status. For unsuccessful deliveries, EMS and local delivery companies are required to return the undelivered products to us. It generally takes EMS two to three weeks, and local delivery companies seven days, to return the undelivered products to us. Direct sales revenues are adjusted in the current accounting period based on actual unsuccessful product deliveries experience reported by EMS and local delivery companies.

Our customer loyalty program for direct sales includes coupon discounts and membership points. We net the cost of these promotional activities against revenue at the time revenue is recorded. We use historical trend experience to accrue costs associated with cash coupon discounts and membership points. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the costs associated with cash coupon discounts and membership points were insignificant.

 

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Pursuant to joint sales arrangements, we generate direct sales revenues from the sale of a featured product through our TV direct sales programs. Our joint sales partner also sells the featured product through its own distribution channels. In exchange for the sales support provided by our TV direct sales programs, we also receive additional payments based on sales through our sales partners’ own distribution channels. These payments are recorded as a reduction to cost of direct sales revenues via a reduction in the purchase price of the products purchased by us from our sales partners, similar to a vendor rebate. Payments received from our joint sales partners to share a portion of the related TV advertising expense under certain joint sales arrangements are recorded as a reduction to our TV advertising expense.

We recognize net revenues for products sold through our nationwide distribution network when products are delivered to and accepted by our distributors (“F.O.B. Destination”). In most cases, the distributors are required to pay in advance for our products. Some distributors are given customary credit terms within the industry based on their creditworthiness. The distributor agreements do not provide discounts, chargebacks, price protection and stock rotation rights. However, certain distributor agreements provided performance-based cash rebates which were net against revenue at the time revenue was recorded. Accordingly, we record the revenues when products are delivered to and accepted by the distributors as there are no future remaining obligations. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the costs associated with cash rebates were insignificant.

In June 2009, we discontinued our stock tracking software business (Shanghai Yimeng) and included its results prior to the disposition and a gain from disposition in income from discontinued operations in our consolidated statements of operations. Prior to the disposal, we generated revenue from annual subscription fees from subscribers for our stock tracking software, which included access to our initial software CD containing data analysis tools and services. Upon receipt by us or one of our distributors of the upfront cash payments from the subscriber, we provided an access code to the subscriber and activated the subscriber’s account when the subscriber first logs on. This commenced the one-year subscription period and the full payment was deferred and recognized ratably over the one-year subscription period. After the initial subscription period, users could subscribe for additional one-year renewal periods. The pricing of the initial subscription fee and renewal fee was the same regardless of whether it was sold by us or through our distribution network. Because the data services were essential to the functionality of the software analysis tools, we recognized revenue ratably over the one-year subscription period.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

We evaluate our long-lived assets and finite-lived intangibles for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. When these events occur, we measure impairment by comparing the carrying amount of the assets to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to result from the use of the assets and their eventual disposition. If the sum of the expected undiscounted cash flow is less than the carrying amount of the assets, we recognize an impairment loss based on the fair value of the assets. The determination of fair value of the intangible and long lived assets acquired involves certain judgments and estimates. These judgments can include, but are not limited to, the cash flows that an asset is expected to generate in the future. This analysis also relies on a number of factors, including changes in strategic direction, business plans, regulatory developments, economic and budget projections, technological improvements, and operating results. Any write-downs would be treated as permanent reductions in the carrying amounts of the assets and an operating loss would be recognized.

In 2009, as a result of reduced expectations of future cash flows from Yiyang Yukang distribution network, we determined that the carrying amount of the distribution network was not recoverable and recorded an impairment charge of $15.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2009. We applied the income approach multi-period excess earning method to estimate the fair value of the distribution network. Calculating the fair value of the distribution network requires the input of significant estimates and assumptions, some of which are unobservable. The significant estimates and assumptions include business assumption, weighted average cost of capital, terminal growth rate, discount rate, return on contributory asset, attrition rate and tax amortization benefit.

The Group did not record any impairment charges of long-lived assets for the year 2010 and 2011.

 

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Fair Value of Derivative Instruments

Our investment policy and strategy is aimed primarily at preserving capital and meeting our liquidity requirements. Historically, we held investments in securities that meet the definition of a derivative instrument, including investments in share options of a Japanese public company and an index-linked structured note that contains an embedded derivative. Derivative instruments were recognized as assets or liabilities and measured at fair value initially and at the end of each reporting period. Changes in fair value of the derivatives were recorded in our consolidated statements of operations. Our derivative instruments did not qualify for hedge accounting.

In 2007, we purchased two index-linked structured notes from two banks for a principal of $10 million each. We redeemed one structured note in 2009. The remaining note (the “structured note”) matures in August 2019 and has a variable interest rate that is computed based on the number of days in which both the 3-month USD-LIBOR-BBA and the Nikkei 225 indices are above or within the respective stated ranges. The structured note contains an available-for-sale debt host security and an embedded derivative instrument that are reported within the same line on our consolidated balance sheets at the estimated fair value of the note. The embedded derivative is bifurcated from the host contract for separate accounting and is measured at fair value initially and at the end of each reporting period. The debt host is accounted for as an available-for-sale security. The discount arising from bifurcation of the embedded derivative is amortized through interest income over the term of the structured note using effective interest method. The net unrealized losses of the available-for-sale debt host security are recognized as accumulated other comprehensive income in equity unless there is a decline in fair value below cost that we consider as other-than-temporary, in which case the amount of the decline would be recognized as a loss and reflected in our statements of operations. The changes in fair value of the embedded derivative is recognized in earnings in the period such changes occur.

For initial recognition of the structured note, the allocation of the estimates of the fair value of the note to the embedded derivative and the debt host is based on the “with and without” method. Subsequent to the initial recognition, the embedded derivative and the debt host are each measured at fair value using appropriate valuation methodology, with any changes in the fair value of the embedded derivative and the debt host recorded in earnings and accumulated other comprehensive income or loss, respectively. We determined the fair value of the structured note using a discounted cash flow projection on principal and interest based on assumptions supported by, derived or implied from quoted market prices or rates, adjusted for the specific features of this instrument. The fair value of the structured note including the embedded derivative was measured using estimates and assumptions including comparable bonds issued by the same issuer, risk-free interest rates, global banking industry bond yield curve, data on the indices, volatilities and dividend yield. Some of the inputs of significant estimates and assumptions are unobservable. Changes in management estimates to the unobservable inputs in our valuation models would change the valuation of the investment.

We disposed the structured note and all our investments in a Japanese public company in July and November 2011, respectively.

Impairment of Available-for-Sale Securities

Available-for-sale securities were presented at fair value on our balance sheet, with gains and losses recorded to accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) until realized. We determined the realized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale securities using the specific identification cost method. Available-for-sale securities are subject to a periodic impairment review to determine if the investment is other-than-temporarily impaired, in which case we would write down the investment to its fair value and establish that amount as its new cost basis. The new cost basis will not be changed for subsequent recoveries in fair value. We review several factors to determine whether a loss is other-than-temporary. These factors include, but are not limited to, the: (1) nature of the investment; (2) cause and duration of the impairment; (3) extent to which fair value is less than cost; (4) financial conditions and near term prospects of the issuers; and (5) our ability to hold the security for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery of its amortized cost or fair value.

 

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On April 1, 2009, we adopted an amendment to ASC 320-10, “Investments in Debt and Equity Securities—Overall” (previously FASB Staff Position FAS 115-2 and 124-2), regarding the other-than-temporary impairment model for debt securities. The amended guidance requires that we recognize other-than-temporary impairment in earnings if we have the intent to sell the debt security or if it is more-likely-than-not that we will be required to sell the debt security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. Additionally, we are required to evaluate expected cash flows to be received and determine if credit-related losses on debt securities exist, which are considered to be other-than-temporary impairment recognized in earnings. We determined that credit-related losses with respect to the structured note debt host were insignificant and did not recognize credit-related losses in earnings or make any adjustments to the cumulative net unrealized loss of $80,058 included in accumulated other comprehensive income in the consolidated balance sheet on the date of the adoption.

We measured the fair value of our available-for-sale securities using quoted prices for securities with similar characteristics and other observable inputs (such as interest rates that are observable at commonly quoted intervals) and we considered the effect of our counterparties credit standings in these fair value measurements. Determining the observable market values most relevant to the measurement of the fair value of marketable securities and the further counterparty credit risk adjustment to those values, if needed, requires significant judgment. Changes in market conditions can also significantly affect the fair value measurements from period to period and can cause realized values to vary significantly from previous estimates.

Share-based Compensation

The costs of share-based payments are recognized in our consolidated financial statements based on their grant-date fair value over the requisite service period. Except for the options granted in May 2009 for which the binomial option pricing model is used, we determine fair value of our share options and share appreciation rights as of the grant date using the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model. We make a number of assumptions in determining the grant-date fair value including the maturity of the options, the expected volatility of our future ordinary share price, the risk free interest rate and the expected dividend rate. The fair value of our restricted share units is based on the quoted market price of our ADS on the grant date. Determining the value of our share-based compensation expense in future periods also requires the input of highly subjective assumptions around estimated forfeitures. We estimate our forfeitures based on past employee retention rates, our expectations of future retention rates, and we will prospectively revise our forfeiture rates based on actual history.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts primarily based on the age of receivables and factors surrounding the credit risk of specific customers. If there is a deterioration of a major customer’s creditworthiness or actual defaults are higher than our historical experience, we may need to maintain additional allowances.

Income taxes

Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the assessment of management, it is more-likely-than-not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Current income taxes are provided for in accordance with the laws of the relevant taxing authorities. The components of the deferred tax assets and liabilities are individually classified as current and non-current based on the characteristics of the underlying assets and liabilities, or the expected timing of their use when they do not relate to a specific asset or liability.

We periodically evaluate the likelihood of the realization of deferred tax assets, and reduce the carrying amount of these deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance to the extent we believe a portion will not be realized. We consider many factors when assessing the likelihood of future realization of our deferred tax assets, including our recent cumulative earnings experience by taxing jurisdiction, expectations of future taxable income, the carry-forward periods available to us for tax reporting purposes, and other relevant factors.

 

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We recognize the impact of an uncertain income tax position at the largest amount that is more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon audit by the relevant tax authority. We classify interests and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

Fair Value Measurements

In determining fair value, we use various valuation approaches. A hierarchy for inputs is used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable prices and inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable prices and inputs by requiring that the observable inputs be used when available. The hierarchy is broken down into three levels, wherein Level 1 uses observable prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, and Level 3 consists of valuation techniques that incorporate significant unobservable inputs and therefore require the greatest use of judgment. In periods of market dislocation, such as those experienced in fiscal 2008, the observability of prices and inputs may be reduced for many instruments. This condition could cause an instrument to be reclassified from Level 1 to Level 2 or Level 2 to Level 3. In addition, a continued downturn in market conditions could lead to further declines in the valuation of many instruments. For further information on the fair value definition, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 hierarchy, and related valuation techniques, see Notes 2(d) and 7 to the consolidated financial statements.

C. Research and Development

We spent $2.2 million, $1.9 million and $2.6 million, on research and development in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The research and development expenses in 2011 was primarily due to our investment in research and development of our electronic learning product and electronic dictionary product lines, and our research on our supply chain management system.

D. Trend Information

Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we are not aware of any trends, uncertainties, demands, commitments or events for the period from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011 that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our revenues, income, profitability, liquidity or capital resources, or that caused the disclosed financial information to be not necessarily indicative of future operating results or financial conditions.

E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have not entered into any financial guarantees or other commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of third parties. Furthermore, we do not have any retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do not have any variable interest in any unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit support to us or that engages in leasing, hedging or research and development services with us.

F. Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations

A summary of our contractual obligations at December 31, 2011 is as follows:

 

     Payments due by period  

Contractual obligations

   Total      Less than
1 year
     1-3 years      More than
3 years
 

Operating leases*

     9,259,171         2,181,667         3,960,499         3,117,005   

Advertising commitments**

     72,561,087         72,561,087        —           —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 81,820,258       $ 74,742,754       $ 3,960,499       $ 3,117,005   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

*

Operating leases are for office premises and buildings.

**

Contractual advertising commitments, of which $11,559,722 were prepaid as of December 31, 2011.

 

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G. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued guidance on how to measure fair value and on what disclosures to provide about fair value measurements. The FASB also clarified existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements, amended certain fair value principles, and expanded disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. These amended standards and the adoption of this disclosure-only guidance is effective for our first fiscal quarter of 2012 and is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to revise the manner in which entities present comprehensive income in their financial statements. This guidance amends existing presentation and disclosure requirements concerning comprehensive income, most significantly by requiring that comprehensive income be presented with net income in a continuous financial statement, or in a separate but consecutive financial statement. Furthermore, the accounting standards update prohibits an entity from presenting other comprehensive income and losses in a statement of equity. In December 2011, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to defer the requirement for an entity to present reclassifications between other comprehensive income or loss and net income or loss. This supersedes the requirement that was originally included in the June 2011 accounting standard update. This accounting standards update (as modified) is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011, and will result in changes to the presentation of comprehensive net income in our consolidated financial statements, but will have no effect on the calculation of net income, comprehensive net income or earnings per share.

In September 2011, the FASB issued amended accounting guidance related to goodwill impairment testing. The new guidance permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors before calculating the fair value of a reporting unit in the annual two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test required under current accounting standards. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is not less than its carrying value, further testing is not needed. The amended guidance is effective for us commencing in the first fiscal quarter of 2012 and is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In December 2011, the FASB issued an accounting standard update related to disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities. The amendments require that a company disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of financial statements to understand the effect of those arrangements on its financial position. The amendments enhance current disclosures by requiring improved information about financial instruments and derivative instruments that are either (i) offset in accordance with current accounting guidance or (ii) subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement, irrespective of whether they are offset in accordance with current accounting guidance. We does not expect the provisions of this guidance, which are effective for us beginning with the first quarter of 2013, to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements, as its requirements are disclosure-only in nature.

 

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ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES

A. Directors and Senior Management

The following table sets forth certain information relating to our directors and executive officers as of the date of this annual report. The business address of each of our directors and executive officers is 18/F, 20th Building, 487 Tianlin Road, Shanghai 200233, People’s Republic of China.

 

Name

   Age   

Position/Title

Robert W. Roche

   49   

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Don Dongjie Yang

   44   

Director, Chief Executive Officer

Andrew Y. Yan

   54   

Director

Gordon Xiaogang Wang

   48   

Director

Jun Ye

   36   

Independent Director

Jing Wang

   47   

Independent Director

William Liang

   54   

Independent Director

Eric Zhenyu He

   52   

Independent Director

Peng Lu

   56   

President

Lifu Chen

   49   

Vice President

Rong Wang

   42   

Vice President

Yongqiang Zhu

   39   

Vice President

David Wei Meng

   34   

Vice President

Mr. Robert W. Roche is a co-founder and the chairman of the board of directors of our company. He also serves as the chairman of Oak Lawn Marketing, a company incorporated in Japan. In addition, Mr. Roche conducts numerous business operations throughout Asia and the United States. President Obama named Mr. Roche to the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. He is also on the President’s 100,000 Strong Federal Advisory Committee. Mr. Roche’s other civic contributions include serving as prior Chairman of the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, member of the American Chamber of Commerce Japan Board of Governors, and a Board Member at the USA Pavilion, Expo 2010 Shanghai. In addition to funding his own foundation, Mr. Roche’s philanthropic work includes endowing a chair at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan, and establishing a Masters of Laws (LLM) in International Business Transactions program at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. Mr. Roche received his bachelor’s degree in Economics and Japanese Studies from Illinois State University in 1985 and a J.D. degree from the University of Denver in 1988.

Mr. Don Dongjie Yang is a co-founder and a director of our company, and was reappointed the chief executive officer of our company in 2010. Mr. Yang previously served as our chief executive officer before 1999. Prior to co-founding our company in 1998, Mr. Yang was a partner of J&J Partners from 1996 to 1997. He also acted as general manager of Bei Shang Printing Co., Ltd. from 1993 to 1995. Mr. Yang studied Law at Peking University from 1986 to 1989.

Mr. Andrew Y Yan is a director of our company. He is also the managing partner of SAIF Partners III & IV, SB Asia Investment Fund II L.P., and president & executive managing director of Softbank Asia Infrastructure Fund. Before Joining SAIF in 2001, Mr. Yan was a managing director and the head of the Hong Kong office of Emerging Markets Partnership from 1994 to 2001. From 1993 to 1994, he was the director responsible for strategic planning and business development for the Asia Pacific region at Sprint International Corporation. From 1991 to 1993, he worked in the Hudson Institute as a research fellow. From 1989 to 1990, he was an economist in the World Bank. . From 1982 to 1984, he was the chief engineer at the Jianghuai Airplane Corp. Mr. Yan was voted by the China Venture Capital Association as “The Venture Investor of the Year” in both 2004 and 2007. He was also selected as one of the “Fifty Finest Private Equity Investors in the World” by the Private Equity International in 2007; “No. 1 Venture Capitalist of the Year” by Forbes (China) in 2008 and 2009. He was the “Venture Capital Professional of the Year” by Asia Venture Capital Journal in 2009. Mr. Yan is an independent

 

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non-executive director of China Resources Land Ltd. and Fosun International Ltd; non-executive director of Digital China Holdings Ltd., MOBI Development Co., Ltd, NVC Lighting Holding Limited, eSun Holdings Limited and Huiyuan Juice Group Limited. He is also an independent director of Giant Interactive Group Inc.; and a director of ATA Inc. and Eternal Asia Supply Chain Co. Ltd. (all ten companies are listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, NYSE, NASDAQ or Shenzhen Stock Exchange). He also holds directorship in several SAIF portfolio companies. Mr. Yan received a master of art degree from Princeton University as well as a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the Nanjing Aeronautic Institute in the PRC.

Mr. Gordon Xiaogang Wang is a director of our company. He has over 15 years of experience in corporate finance and strategic business development. From April 2010 to present, Mr. Wang has worked as a partner with Boardroom Advisors Co., Limited, focusing on investments and advisories for China based companies on financing and strategic matters. Mr. Wang previously served as chief financial officer of our company from September 2005 to March 2010. Mr. Wang has also been an independent director for LeGaga Holding Limited, an agriculture company listed in Nasdaq since November, 2010. Mr. Wang served as chief financial officer and executive vice president in Chaoda Modern Agriculture Limited from 2003 to 2005. Mr. Wang also served as the director of investor relations at Legend Group Limited from 2002 to 2003. Prior to that, Mr. Wang held positions in various organizations, including JingTai Securities (Hong Kong), MeetChina.com, Schroders Asia Limited and Morgan Stanley Asia Limited. Mr. Wang received a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tianjin University in 1985, a master's degree in Computer Aided Engineering from Rutgers University in 1989 and an MBA degree from the University of Chicago in 1994.

Mr. Jun Ye is an independent director of our company. Mr. Ye is the founder and executive director of Yi Star Investment Ltd since 2009, and chairman of Jiangsu Wing Star Investment and Development Co. Ltd from 2004 to 2009. In the past 6 years, his investment companies have been actively participating in the growth capital investment, pre-IPO investment, and reverse merger operation with many successful investments including Ambow Education, Accord Pharma, GCL-Poly Energy, China Energy Development and Inbank Media. Before founding of Wing Star, Mr. Ye was the sales director of Sanum—Kehlbeck Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd from 1999 until 2004, in charge of China mainland sales operation. Prior to that, Mr. Ye worked in Jiangsu Branch of China Construction Bank from 1995 to 1999. Mr. Ye holds a B.A. of Economics from School of Business Nanjing University and an MBA degree from Columbia Business School.

Mr. Jing Wang is an independent director of our company. Mr. Wang currently serves as the vice president of engineering at Baidu Inc., a leading Chinese language internet search provider, where he is responsible for engineering strategies in the areas of infrastructure, mobile and monetization. From 2006 to 2010, Mr. Wang served as site director of Google China in Shanghai where he was a key member of the cross-functional senior management team responsible for setting monetization strategies and priorities in China. Mr. Wang was general manager of eBay China Development Center from July 2004 until August 2006. Mr. Wang holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Science and Technology of China and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Florida.

Mr. William Liang is an independent director of our company. Mr. Liang is currently chief representative of Reuters Transaction Services Ltd. in Beijing. Since 2008, Mr. Liang has been serving as a director of the Board of J.P. Morgan Futures Co. Ltd. in China. Prior to that, Mr. Liang worked in the Foreign Commercial Service and several multi-national corporations such as Alcoa and United Technologies. Holder of a B.A. degree and MBA degree from University of Massachusetts, Mr. Liang has over ten years of financial services industry and extensive China experience in business development, strategic and business planning, management and corporate governance.

Mr. Eric Zhenyu He is an independent director of our company. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant in the United States, and currently serves as chief financial officer at YY Inc. From March 2007 to August 2011, Mr. He served as chief financial officer of Giant Interactive Group, a China based company listed in New York Stock Exchanges (NYSE:GA). From 2004 to 2007, Mr. He served as chief strategy

 

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officer of Ninetowns Internet Technology Group, a China based company listed in NASDAQ (NASDAQ:NINE). Mr. He also served as a director of AIG Global Investment Corporation (Asia) Ltd from 2002 to 2004, the managing director of Softchina Venture Group from 1999 to 2002 and senior vice president of Capital Securities Corporation from 1996 to 1999. Prior to that, Mr. He held positions in various companies in the US. Mr. He received a bachelor's degree in Accounting from National Taipei University in 1983 and an MBA degree from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 1986.

Mr. Peng Lu joined our company as our president in March 2012. From June 2007 to February 2012. Mr. Lu served as group vice president of Alibaba Group and general manager of Wasu Taobao, Inc., vice president of Strategic BD and vice president of Engineering for Taobao.com. Mr. Lu is also a co-founder and served as the chief executive officer of Entena, Inc. from 2002 to 2006 and senior vice president of product and technology of Tonbu, Inc. from 2000 to 2002. Prior to that, Mr. Lu held the technical and management positions in various companies such as IBM and Oracle in the U.S. and Canada. Mr. Lu received his Ph.D. degree in engineering from McMaster University, Ontario, Canada.

Mr. Lifu Chen is a vice president of our company. Mr. Chen has served as our general counsel and corporate secretary since joining the company in 2006. Prior to joining our company, Mr. Chen was a senior attorney from 2004 to 2006 at Lee and Li. Mr. Chen has extensive experience in the Asian marketplace. Before Lee and Li, he served as senior legal counsel at Hon-Hai Precision Industry Co. Limited from 2000 to 2003. Prior to that, Mr. Chen was legal manager at Singapore Telecommunications Limited from 1999 to 2000. From 1995 to 1998, he also worked for Sullivan & Cromwell in both the Hong Kong and Washington, D.C. offices. Mr. Chen received his J.D. degree from Boston University as well as a bachelor’s degree in law from National Taiwan University.

Mr. Rong Wang is a vice president of our company. Mr. Wang has extensive experience in product development, marketing planning and branding in IT products, consumer electronics and cultural collectables. Mr. Wang joined our company in October 2005. Prior to joining our company, Mr. Wang served in Founder Group (established by Peking University,) Beijing Huizheng Technology and Beijing Changhong IT. Mr. Wang received his bachelor’s degree in Wireless Electronics from Peking University.

Mr. Yongqiang Zhu is a vice president of our company. Mr. Zhu has extensive experience in call centers and e-commerce management. He has been with our company since 1999 and has great contribution in data utilization and creating sales via all kinds of sales channels. Prior to joining our company, Mr. Zhu served in a branded clothing agent and MeetingChina. Mr. Zhu received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Statistics from Shanxi University of Finance & Economics.

Mr. David Wei Meng is a vice president of our company. Mr. Meng is a certified Project Management Professional. Mr. Meng has extensive experience in planning and designing POS/ERP/WMS for retailing. He also specializes in PMI project management, ERP planning and software design. Mr. Meng joined our company in November 2010. Mr Meng previously worked at Shanghai Aiwu Food Company and Shanghai Rezin SoftWare Co., Ltd. Mr. Meng received his bachelor’s degree in Logistic Engineering Technology from Zhengzhou Institute of Aeronautical Industry Management College.

B. Compensation

Compensation of Directors and Executive Officers

In 2011, the aggregate cash compensation earned by our executive officers and all of our directors was approximately $1.1 million. For information regarding options granted to officers and directors, see “—Equity Incentive Plans”. We do not pay or set aside any amounts for pensions, retirement or other benefits for our officers and directors.

 

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Equity Incentive Plans

The board of directors of China DRTV adopted a 2005 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2005 Plan, on March 18, 2005. On June 30, 2005, the board of China DRTV approved a 2005 Equity Incentive Plan B, or the 2005 Plan B, in connection with China DRTV’s acquisition of the 49% non-controlling interest of Shanghai HJX not already owned by China DRTV at that time. On March 31, 2006, Acorn International assumed all of the options that had been granted under the 2005 Plan and the 2005 Plan B in connection with its acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of China DRTV in exchange for the issuance of shares by Acorn International to the shareholders of China DRTV. The board of directors of China DRTV terminated the 2005 Plan and the 2005 Plan B after the assumption by Acorn International of all of the options that had been granted under the 2005 Plan and the 2005 Plan B. Our 2006 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2006 Plan, was adopted by the board of directors of Acorn International on May 1, 2006.

All of our incentive plans are intended to promote our success and to increase shareholder value by providing an additional means to attract, motivate, retain and reward selected directors, officers, employees and other eligible persons.

Each of our incentive plans permits us to issue options to purchase our ordinary shares and to issue stock appreciation rights, or SARs, which entitle the SAR holder to acquire the benefit of any appreciation in the value of the underlying ordinary shares. Options and SARs granted under our incentive plans generally do not vest unless the grantee remains employed by us or in service with us on the given vesting date. However, in circumstances where there is a death or disability of the grantee, or a change in the control of our company, the vesting will be accelerated to permit immediate exercise of all options and SARs granted to a grantee. In addition, the vesting of options and SARs held by a director who is appointed by the holders of our preferred shares who terminates his service will be accelerated to permit immediate exercise of all options and SARs granted to such director upon termination of that director’s service with us.

Generally, to the extent that an outstanding option or SAR initially granted under the 2005 Plan, the 2005 Plan B or the 2006 Plan has not vested by the date when the grantee’s employment or service with us terminates, the option or SAR will terminate and become unexercisable, except as described above.

Initially, the number of ordinary shares reserved under the 2005 Plan was 7,250,000. Upon attainment of certain financial benchmarks meant to measure business performance, which were set forth in our share subscription agreement with SB Asia Investment Fund II L.P. and other parties thereto, we approved an amendment to the 2005 Plan on November 4, 2005 to increase the number of ordinary shares reserved under the 2005 Plan by 1,350,000. As a result, an aggregate of 8,600,000 ordinary shares were reserved under the 2005 Plan. Under the 2005 Plan, we granted:

 

   

options to purchase 6,663,964 ordinary shares to certain of our directors, officers and employees on March 18, 2005. Each of these options has an exercise price of $1.58 per share and vest as to 25% of the options on the grant date and, except as described below, the remaining 75% of these options vest in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter.

 

   

options to purchase 371,945 ordinary shares to one of our officers and one of our employees on September 1, 2005. Each of these options has an exercise price of $1.66 per share and vest as to 25% of the options on the grant date and the remaining 75% of these options vest in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter.

 

   

options to purchase 1,350,000 ordinary shares to our directors, officers and employees on November 4, 2005. At the time of the grant, each of these options had an exercise price of $5.00 per share and was fully vested.

An aggregate of 815,366 ordinary shares were reserved under the 2005 Plan B. On August 20, 2005, we granted options to purchase a total of 667,117 ordinary shares under the 2005 Plan B to certain officers and

 

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employees. Each of these options has an exercise price of $1.66 per share and vest as to 25% of these options became vested on the grant date and the remaining 75% of these options vest in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter.

An aggregate of 24,133,000 ordinary shares were reserved under the 2006 Plan, of which 9,053,026 are subject to issuance upon exercise of options originally granted under the 2005 Plan and the 2005 Plan B, which were assumed by Acorn International.

On May 1, 2006 we granted under the 2006 Plan:

 

   

SARs with respect to 3,260,000 of our ordinary shares to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants, or A-type SARs. At the time of grant, each of these A-type SARs had an exercise price of $7.00 per ordinary share and vest as to 25% of these grants of A-type SARs on the grant date and the remaining 75% of the A-type SARs vest in 36 equal monthly installments from May 2006 thereafter.

 

   

SARs with respect to 1,580,000 ordinary shares to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants, or B-type SARs, subject to certain performance vesting requirements. Each of these B-type SARs had an exercise price of $7.00 per ordinary share. In addition to the requirement that the grantee remains under our employment or in service with us on the given vesting date, the vesting of each B-type SARs was subject to our satisfaction of a certain performance target. Because we did not meet the agreed performance target for the vesting of B-type SARs, the B-type SARs that we issued were forfeited.

 

   

SARs with respect to 1,580,000 ordinary shares to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants, or C-type SARs, subject to vesting requirements. Each of these C-type SARs had an exercise price of $7.00 per ordinary share. In addition to the requirement that the grantee remains under our employment or in service with us on the given vesting date, the vesting of each C-type SARs was subject to our satisfaction of a certain performance target. Because we did not meet the agreed performance target for the vesting of C-type SARs, the C-type SARs that we issued were forfeited.

On July 6, 2006, we granted SARs with respect to 370,000 of our ordinary shares under the 2006 Plan to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants. At the time of grant, each of these SARs had an exercise price of $7.00 per ordinary share. SARs with respect to 257,500 shares were fully vested at the time of grant with the remaining SARs to be vested in 36 equal monthly installments beginning in July 2006.

On September 27, 2006, we modified the exercise price of options granted on November 4, 2005 from $5.00 per ordinary share to $3.00 per ordinary share, and A-type SARs granted on May 1, 2006 and SARs granted on July 6, 2006 from $7.00 per ordinary share to $3.50 per ordinary share. On the same date, we granted additional A-type SARs with respect to 2,076,100 of our ordinary shares under the 2006 Plan to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants. Each of these A-type SARs has an exercise price of $3.50 per ordinary share and vested as to 25% of these A-type SARs on the grant date and the remaining 75% of the A-type SARs vest in 36 equal monthly installments beginning in September 2006 thereafter.

On April 3, 2007, we granted Plan A-type SARs with respect to 1,030,000 of our ordinary shares under the 2006 Plan and D-type SARS with respect to 750,000 of our ordinary shares to certain directors, officers and employees. The vesting of our D-type SARs was subject to our satisfaction of a certain performance target. We subsequently met the target and all of the D-type SARs have vested. Of the 1,030,000 A-type SARs, 25% of these grants were fully vested at the time of grant and the remaining 75% to be vested in 36 equal monthly installments beginning in April 2007. Each of these A-type SARs and D-type SARs has an exercise price of $4.50 per share.

On April 16, 2007, we granted A-type SARs with respect to 85,000 of our ordinary shares under the 2006 Plan to certain employees. Each of these SARs has an exercise price of $4.50 per share and vest as to 25% of these A-type SARs on the grant date and the remaining 75% of these A-type SARs vest in 36 equal monthly installments beginning in April 2007.

 

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On May 1, 2009, we granted stock options with respect to 900,000 of our ordinary shares under the 2006 Plan to the management of Yiyang Yukang. Each of these options has an exercise price of $2 per share and vest as to approximately 33% of these options on the grant date and the remaining approximately 67% of these options vest in two years depending on the performance of Yiyang Yukang in 2009 and 2010. As Yiyang Yukang’s performance in 2009 and 2010 fell short, approximately 67% of these options have been forfeited.

On May 11, 2010, we granted Restricted Share Units, or RSUs, with respect to 360,000 of our ordinary shares under the 2006 Plan to ten employees. Award shall vest with respect to one-twelfth of the total number of RSUs on the last day of each three-month period during the three years following the grant date.

On March 1, 2012, we granted RSUs with respect to 1,800,000 of our ordinary shares under the 2006 Plan to an officer of our company. The RSUs grant include time-based shares of 900,000 shares, which shall vest over a three year period starting from the first anniversary of the grant date, and performance-based shares of 900,000 shares which shall vest upon certain performance targets being met.

Each of the above SARs will be settled upon exercise solely in ordinary shares. Upon exercise, a holder of an SAR will receive ordinary shares having a market price, on the date of exercise, equal to the excess of the fair market value of our ordinary shares on the date of exercise over the exercise price of the applicable SAR.

Our board of directors may amend, alter, suspend, or terminate the 2006 Plan at any time, provided, however, that our board of directors must first seek the approval of the participants in the 2006 Plan if such amendment, alteration, suspension or termination would adversely affect the rights of participants under any option granted prior to that date. The 2006 Plan will terminate on April 30, 2016 without further action by our board of directors.

 

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The table below sets forth, as of the date of this annual report, the option, SAR and RSU grants made to our directors and executive officers, under the 2006 Plan (including prior year grants of options covered under this plan) that are currently outstanding:

 

Name

   Ordinary Shares
Underlying Outstanding
Option/SARs/RSUs
    Exercise
Price
($/Share)
     Grant Date    Expiration Date

Robert W. Roche

     50,000        3.50      

July 6, 2006

  

July 6, 2012

     18,000        3.50      

September 27, 2006

  

September 27, 2012

Don Dongjie Yang

     1,320,000        1.58      

March 18, 2005

  

March 18, 2015

     180,000        3.00      

November 4, 2005

  

November 4, 2015

     280,000        3.50      

May 1, 2006

  

May 1, 2012

     146,000        3.50      

September 27, 2006

  

September 27, 2012

     285,000 (1)      4.50      

April 3, 2007

  

April 3, 2013

Andrew Y. Yan

     329,482        1.58      

March 18, 2005

  

March 18, 2015

Gordon Xiaogang Wang

     360,000        1.66      

September 1, 2005

  

September 1, 2015

     82,000        3.00      

November 4, 2005

  

November 4, 2015

     460,000        3.50      

May 1, 2006

  

May 1, 2012

     136,000        3.50      

September 27, 2006

  

September 27, 2012

     210,000 (2)      4.50      

April 3, 2007

  

April 3, 2013

Jun Ye

     —          —        

—  

  

—  

Jing Wang

     —          —        

—  

  

—  

William Liang

     —          —        

—  

  

—  

Eric Zhenyu He

     —          —        

—  

  

—  

Peng Lu

     1,800,000        —        

March 1, 2012

  

March 1, 2015

Lifu Chen

     180,000        3.50      

May 1, 2006

  

May 1, 2012

     20,000        3.50      

September 27, 2006

  

September 27, 2012

     74,625 (3)      —        

May 11, 2010

  

May 11, 2013

Rong Wang

     10,000        3.00      

November 4, 2005

  

November 4, 2015

     23,000        3.50      

May 1, 2006

  

May 1, 2012

     12,000        3.50      

September 27, 2006

  

September 27, 2012

Yongqiang Zhu

     48,000        1.58      

March 18, 2005

  

March 18, 2015

     20,000        3.00      

November 4, 2005

  

November 4, 2015

     25,000        3.50      

May 1, 2006

  

May 1, 2012

     16,000        3.50      

September 27, 2006

  

September 27, 2012

David Wei Meng

     —          —        

—  

  

—  

 

(1)

Includes 165,000 ordinary shares underlying A-type SARs and 120,000 ordinary shares underlying D-type SARs.

(2)

Includes 120,000 ordinary shares underlying A-type SARs and 90,000 ordinary shares underlying D-type SARs.

(3)

Among the 74,625 underlying Ordinary Shares in connection with RSU grants to Lifu Chen, 66,000 were granted on May 11, 2010 and 8,625 were credited as dividend equivalent rights distributions.

For risks related to registrations required of our PRC option holders, see Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to China—A failure by PRC individuals who hold shares or share options granted pursuant to an employee share option or share incentive plan to make any required applications and filings could expose our PRC individual option holders to liability under PRC law”.

 

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Employment Agreements

We have entered into, and will enter into, employment agreements with each of our executive officers. Pursuant to these employment agreements, we and our executive officers each may terminate their employment with or without cause at any time. In addition, each executive officer has agreed to hold, both during and after his or her employment agreement expires or is terminated, in strict confidence and not to use, except for our benefit (including our affiliated entities and our subsidiaries), any proprietary or confidential information, including technical data and trade secrets of our company or the confidential information of any third party, including our affiliated entities and our subsidiaries, that we receive.

C. Board Practices

Duties of Directors

Under Cayman Islands law, our directors have a duty of loyalty to act honestly and in good faith with a view to our best interests. Our directors also have a duty to exercise the care, diligence and skills that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances. In fulfilling their duty of care to us, our directors must ensure compliance with our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. We have the right to seek damages if a duty owed to us by our directors is breached.

The functions and powers of our board of directors include, among others:

 

   

convening shareholders’ meetings and reporting its work to shareholders at such meetings;

 

   

implementing shareholders’ resolutions;

 

   

determining our business plans and investment proposals;

 

   

formulating our profit distribution plans and loss recovery plans;

 

   

determining our debt and finance policies and proposals for the increase or decrease in our registered capital and the issuance of debentures;

 

   

formulating our major acquisition and disposition plans, and plans for merger, division or dissolution;

 

   

proposing amendments to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association; and

 

   

exercising any other powers conferred by the shareholders’ meetings or under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

Terms of Directors and Executive Officers

We currently have eight directors on our board of directors. We have a staggered board of directors, which means our directors, excluding our chief executive officer, are subject to retirement by rotation, with a portion of our board of directors standing for election every year. At the 2012 annual general meeting, under our articles of association, the number of Directors to retire shall be the number nearest to but not greater than one-third excluding our chief executive officer. Accordingly, Robert Roche and either William Liang or Jun Ye will be subject to retirement at the 2012 annual general meeting. On the basis that the number of our Directors does not change between the 2012 annual general meeting and the 2013 annual general meeting, whichever of William Liang and Jun Ye who did not retire at the 2012 annual general meeting will retire and one of Jing Wang, Adrew Yan, Gordon Wang and Eric He shall retire. On the basis that the number of our Directors does not change between the 2013 annual general meeting and the 2014 annual general meeting, the remaining three Directors who have not retired at the 2012 annual general meeting or the 2013 annual general meeting shall retire. Our chief executive officer will have the right to remain a director so long as he continues to serve as our chief executive officer.

All of our officers are appointed by and serve at the discretion of our board of directors and are elected by, and may be removed by, a majority vote of our board of directors.

 

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Board Committees

Our board of directors has established an audit committee, a compensation committee and a corporate governance and nominating committee.

Audit Committee

Our audit committee consists of Eric Zhenyu He, William Liang and Jun Ye. Eric Zhenyu He is the chairman of our audit committee. Each member of our audit committee satisfies the “independence” requirements of the NYSE Rules and meets the criteria for independence set forth in Section 10A(m)(3) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act.

The audit committee oversees our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of the financial statements of our company. Our audit committee is responsible for, among other things:

 

   

selecting the independent auditor and pre-approving auditing and non-auditing services permitted to be performed by the independent auditor;

 

   

at least annually, obtaining and reviewing the independent auditor’s report describing its internal quality-control procedures, any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control review, or peer review, of the independent auditors and all relationships between the independent auditors and our company;

 

   

setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent auditors;

 

   

reviewing with the independent auditors any audit problems or difficulties the independent auditor may have encountered in the course of its work, and management’s response;

 

   

reviewing and approving all proposed related party transactions, as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the U.S. securities laws;

 

   

reviewing and discussing the annual audited financial statements with management and the independent auditors;

 

   

reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditors major issues regarding accounting principles and financial statement presentations;

 

   

reviewing reports prepared by management or the independent auditors relating to significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of our financial statements;

 

   

reviewing with management and the independent auditors the effect of regulatory and accounting initiatives, as well as off-balance sheet structures, on our financial statements;

 

   

discussing policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management;

 

   

reviewing major issues as to the adequacy of our internal controls and any special audit steps adopted in light of material control deficiencies;

 

   

obtaining and timely reviewing reports from the independent auditor regarding all critical accounting policies and practices to be used by our company, all alternative treatments of financial information within U.S. GAAP that have been discussed with management, and all other material written communications between the independent auditor and management;

 

   

establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received from our employees regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters and the confidential, anonymous submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters;

 

   

reviewing and reassessing the adequacy of our audit committee charter at least annually and recommending any changes to our board of directors;

 

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meeting separately and periodically with management, the internal auditors and the independent auditors;

 

   

reporting regularly to the full board of directors; and

 

   

exercising such other powers and performing such other duties as may from time to time be delegated to the audit committee by our board of directors.

Compensation Committee

Our current compensation committee consists of William Liang, Jing Wang and Andrew Y. Yan. Andrew Y. Yan is the chairman of our compensation committee. Two of the three members of our compensation committee (except for Andrew Y. Yan) satisfy the “independence” requirements of the NYSE Rules.

Our compensation committee is responsible for, among other things:

 

   

reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of our chief executive officer, evaluating the performance of our chief executive officer in light of those goals and objectives, reporting the results of such evaluation to our board of directors, and determining (either as a committee or with our board of directors) our chief executive officer’s compensation level based on this evaluation;

 

   

at least annually, reviewing and approving all compensation arrangements with our chief executive officer and our other senior executive officers;

 

   

reviewing and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to our compensation for executive officers other than our chief executive officer, incentive-compensation plans and equity- based plans, and overseeing the administration of these plans; and

 

   

periodically reviewing the compensation of our directors and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect thereto.

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

Our corporate governance and nominating committee consists of Don Dongjie Yang, Robert W. Roche and Andrew Y. Yan. Robert W. Roche is the chairman of this committee. All of the three members of our corporate governance and nominating committee do not satisfy the “independence” requirements of the NYSE Rules.

Our corporate governance and nominating committee is responsible for, among other things:

 

   

identifying and recommending to our board of directors candidates for election or re-election to the board of directors, or for appointment to fill any vacancy;

 

   

identifying and recommending directors to fill vacancies on any committee of the board of directors; and

 

   

overseeing our system of corporate governance, including developing and recommending to our board of directors a set of corporate governance guidelines, reviewing and reassessing the adequacy of the guidelines at least annually, and recommending to our board of directors for approval any such changes to the guidelines as the committee believes are appropriate.

Corporate Governance

Our board of directors has adopted a code of ethics, which is applicable to our senior executive and financial officers. In addition, our board of directors has adopted a code of conduct, which is applicable to all of our directors, officers and employees. Our code of ethics and our code of conduct are publicly available on our website at http://ir.chinadrtv.com.

 

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In addition, our board of directors has adopted a set of corporate governance guidelines. The guidelines reflect certain guiding principles with respect to our board of directors’ structure, procedures and committees.

The guidelines are not intended to change or interpret any law or our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. As a foreign private issuer with shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, we are subject to corporate governance requirements imposed by the NYSE. Please refer to Item 16.G., “Corporate Governance” for further details.

Remuneration and Borrowing

The directors may determine remuneration to be paid to the directors. The compensation committee will assist the directors in reviewing and approving the compensation structure for the directors. The directors can exercise all the powers of the company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital, and to issue debentures or other securities whether outright or as security for any debt obligations of our company or of any third party.

Qualification

There is no shareholding qualification for directors.

Summary of Corporate Governance Differences

As a foreign private issuer with shares listed on the NYSE, we are required by Section 303A.11 of the NYSE’s Listed Company Manual to disclose any significant ways in which our corporate governance practices differ from those followed by U.S. domestic companies under NYSE listing standards. A summary of the differences between our current corporate governance practices and the NYSE corporate governance requirements applicable to domestic U.S. companies can be found on our website at http://ir.chinadrtv.com. Please refer to Item 16.G., “Corporate Governance” for further details.

D. Employees

As of December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, we had 2,087, 2,301 and 1,899 employees, respectively. The most labor intensive area of operation is our call center operations, which employed approximately 62.7% of our total employees in 2011. The salary for call center employees includes a base salary plus a variable amount based on an incentive bonus structure. The following table sets forth the number of our employees categorized by our areas of operation and as a percentage of our total workforce as of December 31, 2011:

 

Operations

   Number of
employees
   Percentage
of total
 

Call center

   1,191      62.7 %

Inbound call center

   512      27.0 %

Outbound call center

   679      35.7 %

Distribution management

   217      11.4 %

Manufacturing

   11      0.6 %

Management and administration

   116      6.1 %

Product development

   65      3.4 %

Customer service

   13      0.7 %

Order fulfillment

   141      7.4   

Sales and marketing (including media planning)

   140      7.4 %

Yiyang Yukang

   5      0.3 %
  

 

  

 

 

 

Total:

   1,899      100.0 %
  

 

  

 

 

 

From time to time, we also employ part-time employees and independent contractors to support the monitoring and analysis of our TV direct sales program broadcasting timing and quality.

 

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Although we undertake a rigorous selection process for our call center employees, the turnover rate for our three call centers was approximately 68% in 2009, 49% in 2010 and 46% in 2011 reflecting both voluntary terminations and termination of employees failing to meet our performance standards.

E. Share Ownership

The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of March 31, 2012:

 

   

each of our directors and executive officers;

 

   

each person known to us to own beneficially more than 5% of our ordinary shares; and

Beneficial ownership includes voting or investment power with respect to the securities. Except as indicated below, and subject to applicable community property laws, the persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all ordinary shares shown as beneficially owned by them. The percentage of beneficial ownership is based on 89,952,659 ordinary shares outstanding as of March 31, 2012, taking into consideration options, SARs and restricted stock units exercisable by such person within 60 days of March 31, 2012.

 

     Shares beneficially owned as
of March 31, 2012
 

Name

   Number      Percent  

Directors and Executive Officers

     

Robert W. Roche(1)

     38,327,726         42.58   

Don Dongjie Yang(2)

     11,189,655         12.14   

Andrew Y. Yan

     *         *   

Gordon Xiaogang Wang

     *         *   

Jun Ye

     —           —     

Jing Wang

     —           —     

William Liang

     —           —     

Eric Zhenyu He

     —           —     

Peng Lu

     —           —     

Lifu Chen

     *         *   

Rong Wang

     *         *   

Yongqiang Zhu

     *         *   

David Wei Meng

     —           —     

Principal Shareholders

     

SB Asia Investment Fund II L.P.(3)

     22,097,088         24.57   

Acorn Composite Corporation(4)

     13,054,421         14.51   

D.Y. Capital, Inc.(5)

     6,518,656         7.25   

Bireme Limited(6)

     20,000,000         22.23   

 

*

Upon exercise of options and SARs currently exercisable or vested within 60 days after March 31, 2011, would beneficially own less than 1% of our ordinary shares.

(1)

Includes (i) 1,846,291 ordinary shares held by The Grand Crossing Trust, which is an irrevocable trust for the benefit of Mr. Roche’s children, (ii) 12,052,976 ordinary shares and 333,815 ADSs held by Acorn Composite Corporation, which is a company owned by Mr. Roche, (iii) 282,140ADSs held by Robert Roche Trust, which is a trust for the benefit of Mr. Robert W. Roche, (iv) 583,920 ADSs held by Moore Bay Trust, which is a charitable trust with Robert Roche’s children being the beneficiaries of the remainder (v) 558,611

 

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ADSs held by the Felicitas Trust, which is an irrevocable trust for the benefit of Mr. Roche’s children (vi) 87.7% of 129,770 Ordinary Shares and 6,623,410 ADSs held by Bireme Limited, i.e., 113,808 ordinary shares and 5,808,731 ADSs, (vii) 515,000 ADS held by Catalonia Holdings Ltd, and (viii) 68,000 ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of options and SARs held by Mr. Roche. The voting agreement among James Yujun Hu, The Grand Crossing Trust and Acorn Composite Corporation dated July 6, 2006 has been revoked by Mr. Roche in November 2008.

(2)

Includes 6,518,656 ordinary shares held by D.Y. Capital, Inc, a company owned by Mr. Yang, (ii) 12.3% of 129,770 Ordinary Shares and 6,623,410 ADSs held by Bireme Limited, i.e., 15,962 Ordinary Shares and 814,679 ADSs, and (iii) 2,211,000 Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of options and sars held by Mr. Yang.

(3)

Includes 20,591,970 ordinary shares and 501,706 ADSs. Mr. Yan is the sole shareholder of SAIF II GP Capital Ltd., the sole general partner of SAIF Partners II L.P., which is the sole general partner of SAIF II GP L.P., which is in turn the sole general partner of SB Asia Investment Fund II L.P., our shareholder. The voting agreement among James Yujun Hu and SB Asia Investment Fund II L.P. dated March 30, 2007 has been revoked by SB Asia Investment Fund II L.P. in November 2008.

(4)

Includes 12,052,976 ordinary shares and 333,815 ADSs. Acorn Composite Corporation is a U.S. company owned by Mr. Roche. Its address is 5190, Neil Road Suite 430, Reno, NV 89502, USA.

(5)

D.Y. Capital, Inc., a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, is wholly owned by Mr. Yang.

(6)

Includes 129,770 Ordinary Shares and 6,623,410 ADSs. Bireme Limited, a company incorporated in Cayman Islands, is owned by Ms. Hattori-Roche, the wife of Mr. Robert Roche, as to 87.7% of the company’s outstanding shares and by Mr. Don Dongjie Yang as to 12.3% of the company’s outstanding shares.

None of our existing shareholders has voting rights that differ from the voting rights of other shareholders. According to our register of members for our ordinary shares, there are 43record holders among our ordinary shareholders in the United States. Citibank, N.A. has advised us that, as of April 4, 2012, 15,864,027 ADSs, representing 47,592,081 underlying ordinary shares, were held of record by Cede & Co. and two other registered shareholders domiciled in the United States. We have no further information as to ADSs held, or beneficially owned, by U.S. persons. To our knowledge, we are not owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by another corporation, by any foreign government or by any other natural or legal persons, severally or jointly. We are not aware of any arrangement which may at a later date result in a change of control of our company.

ITEM 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

A. Major Shareholders

Please refer to Item 6.E, “Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Share Ownership”.

B. Related Party Transactions

Contractual Agreements with Affiliated Entities and their Shareholders

Historically, PRC law has restricted, and continues to restrict to a certain extent, foreign equity ownership of companies that are engaged in direct sales businesses. To comply with these restrictions, we operate our direct sales business in China through a series of contractual arrangements with Shanghai Network and Beijing Acorn and their shareholders, Don Dongjie Yang, our co-founder, chief executive officer and director, and Weiguo Ge, one of the Assistant General Managers of our finance department. See Item 4.C, “Information on the Company—Organizational Structure”.

Private Placement

Pursuant to the terms of the Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated March 31, 2006, among our Company, all of our then existing shareholders and SB Asia Investment Fund II L.P., or SAIF, holders representing at least 25% of our registrable securities outstanding, and certain holders of ordinary shares under certain circumstances

 

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are entitled to demand registration on a form other than Form F-3, of registrable securities then outstanding, or registration on a Form F-3, Form S-3, or any successor or comparable forms for a registration in a jurisdiction other than the United States, under certain circumstances. Registrable securities are ordinary shares not previously sold to the public and issued or issuable to holders of our preferred shares, including (i) ordinary shares issued upon conversion of our preferred shares, and (ii) ordinary shares issued as share dividends and similar distributions to holders of our preferred shares. These holders are also entitled to “piggyback” registration rights, whereby they may require us to register all or any part of the registrable securities they hold at the time we register any of our ordinary shares.

We are generally required to bear all of the registration expenses incurred in connection with one demand registration on a form other than Form F-3 or Form S-3, and unlimited Form F-3, Form S-3 and piggyback registrations.

The foregoing demand, Form F-3, Form S-3 and piggyback registration rights will terminate on the fourth anniversary of our initial public offering.

Exclusive Partnership Agreement with Global Infomercial Services, Inc.

We entered into an exclusive partnership agreement on July 21, 2011 with Global Infomercial Services, Inc., or GIS, a full-service international direct-response television distributor which is currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oak Lawn Marketing, Inc. Mr. Robert W. Roche, our Chairman and the single largest shareholder is the Chairman and one of the largest shareholders of Oak Lawn Marketing, Inc. The agreement has an initial term of two years with the option for successive one year term renewals thereafter. Pursuant to the exclusive partnership agreement, GIS will:

 

   

be appointed as our exclusive agent with respect to all infomercial products (defined as all products sold with a short or long form infomercial) that have been or are being sold in North America, South America, or Europe;

 

   

provide certain services to our Company, which services include, among others, searching for and identifying products of interest for us, obtaining rights to such products, providing product marketing analysis, assisting in vendor relationship management and arranging certain marketing activities; and

 

   

receive a fee paid by us based on a percentage of the cost of all products introduced to us by GIS, which percentage will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis but in no event shall exceed 10% of the cost of the applicable product.

The exclusive partnership agreement was approved by our audit committee. As of the date of this Form 20-F, we have not identified any new product through GIS.

Relationships with our Distributors

Certain of our Employees Holding Equity Interests in our Distributors

We have approximately 150 distributors constituting our nationwide distribution network that distribute our products across China. Some of our distributors are owned in part, by certain of our employees or their family members. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the aggregate sales generated by distributors owned in whole or in part by our employees accounted for 12.7%, 10.9% and 16.9% of our distribution gross revenues, or 5.6%, 3.6% and 3.3% of our total gross revenues, respectively. Certain of these distributors have been among our top distributors in 2009, 2010 and 2011. We entered into the distribution agreements with these related distributors on an arm’s-length basis and the terms in the distribution agreements with these distributors are the same as those with our independent distributors. However, the economic interests held by our employees in our distributors may make it difficult for us to effectively evaluate the performance of such distributors or fine, suspend or terminate a non-performing, under-performing or non-compliant distributor without harming our relationship with those employees.

 

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Employment Agreements

See Item 6.B, “Directors, Senior Management and Employee—Compensation—Employment Agreements”.

Share Options

See Item 6.B, “Directors, Senior Management and Employee—Compensation—Equity Incentive Plans”.

C. Interests of Experts and Counsel

Not applicable.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

A. Consolidated statements and other financial information.

We have appended consolidated financial statements filed as part of this annual report. See Item 18, “Financial Statements”.

Legal Proceedings

We may from time to time become a party to various legal or administrative proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business. For example, in December 2008, we filed a suit against Amoi Electronics Co., Ltd., or Amoi, in Shanghai Pudong New District People’s Court for breach of contract by Amoi. Our suit claimed unpaid TV advertisement fees in the amount of approximately RMB7.0 million (approximately $1.0 million). The court ruled in favor of us and awarded us RMB7.0 million. In addition, in January 2009, we filed a separate suit against Amoi in Xiamen Haicang People’s Court for breach of contract by Amoi. Our suit claimed unpaid TV advertisement fees in the amount of approximately RMB1.5 million (approximately $0.2 million), for which Amoi was responsible under the contract. The court ruled in favor of us and awarded us RMB1.5 million. On Sep 15, 2009, Xiamen intermediate people’s court decided to accept the application for reorganization of Amoi. On Nov 23, 2009, Xiamen intermediate people’s court approved the reorganization plan of Amoi. According to the reorganization plan, approximately 20% of the litigation awards can be realized. In February 2010, we received such awards both in the form of cash and shares.

In March 2009, we received a complaint from Advertising Broadcasting Center of Liaoning TV Station, or Liaoning TV, which filed a suit against Shanghai Acorn Advertising Broadcasting Co., Ltd., or Shanghai Advertising, claiming that Shanghai Advertising breached its advertisement broadcasting contract with Liaoning TV by not fully performing its payment obligation under the contract and asserted damages of approximately RMB19 million (approximately $2.8 million). Liaoning TV further applied for provisional seizure of Shanghai Advertising’s bank account in the same amount of its claim. In June 2009, the people’s court ruled in favor of Liaoning TV and awarded Liaoning TV an aggregate payment of RMB10.9 million (approximately $1.6 million). In July 2009, we appealed to the people’s court at higher level, which affirmed the judgment in September 2009. On November 19, 2009 we paid Liaoning TV RMB10.9 million (approximately $1.6 million).

In July 2011, Shanghai HJX Digital Technology Co., Ltd. filed a suit in the People’s Court of Guangzhou Baiyun District against Guangzhou Yangyikang Electric Device Co., Ltd. claiming that Yangyikang breached the research and development contract with Shanghai HJX by not performing its research and develop obligation under the contract and asserted returning of the RMB2 million (approximately $317,415) R&D fees. On September 30, 2011, we received the verdict from the People’s Court of Guangzhou Baiyun District on the jurisdiction of the suit. Shanghai HJX was ordered to file the suit in the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court. On January 29, Shanghai HJX paid the litigation fee to the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court as required.

 

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In October 2011, Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd. filed a suit in the People’s Court of Beijing Haidian District against Beijing Jin’anda Delivery Co., Ltd. and Wang Juntang claiming that Jin’anda breached the Agency Contract with Beijing Acorn by not paying Beijing Acorn the money collected from our customers after the delivery of the goods. Beijing Acorn asserted Beijing Jin’anda returning of the RMB1,703,090.92 (approximately $270,293) payment of the goods and Wang Juntang paying RMB340,618 (approximately $54,059) for breach of the contract as the joint guarantor. Since the two defendants could not be contacted any more, the People’s Court of Beijing Haidian District has summoned the defendants by announcement. Currently, we have no definite idea when the court will be in session.

We have in the past been, currently are, and in the future may again be, the subject of claims for infringement, invalidity, or indemnification relating to other parties’ proprietary rights. For example, in August 2008, Beijing Ren’ai filed a suit in the People’s Court of Beijing Haidian District against Shanghai HJX, Beijing Sancai Digital Technology Co., Ltd., or Beijing Sancai, and Beijing Zhidahengtong Technology Development Co., Ltd., or Beijing Zhidahengtong ((2008) HaiMinChuZi No. 22768), alleging that the English programs we provide to the users of our electronic learning products infringe upon the copyright of Beijing Ren’ai. Beijing Ren’ai claimed damages of RMB2,000,000 (approximately $293,000). The court ruled in favor of Ren’ai in the suits and awarded Ren’ai total compensation of RMB500,000 (approximately $73,000). The defendants, including us, appealed to the Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court in May 2009, which affirmed the ruling of the People’s Court of Beijing Haidian District in December 2009.

In August 2009, Beijing Ren’ai filed a suit in the People’s Court of Beijing Haidian District against Shanghai HJX, Beijing Sancai Digital Technology Co., Ltd., or Beijing Sancai, and Beijing Zhidahengtong Technology Development Co., Ltd., or Beijing Zhidahengtong ((2009) HaiMinChuZi No. 21798), alleging that the English programs we provide to the users of our electronic learning products infringe upon the copyright of Beijing Ren’ai. Beijing Ren’ai claimed damages of RMB 2,000,000 (approximately $293,000). The court ruled in favor of Ren’ai in the suits and awarded Ren’ai total compensation of RMB 500,000 (approximately $73,000). The defendants, including us, appealed the court’s decisions and Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court affirmed the decision of the People’s Court of Beijing Haidian District on September 15, 2010.

In April 2011, Xinjiang Yujinsheng Advertising Marketing Co., Ltd. filed a suit in the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court against Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Jinyifang Culture Communication Co., Ltd. and Xinjiang Guoyu Hetianyu Co., Ltd., alleging that the cicada-shaped jade pendants sold on our website, which were produced and supplied by the other two defendants, infringe upon the patent right for design of Xinjiang Yujingsheng. Xingjiang Yujinsheng claimed damages of approximately RMB1.0 million (approximately $161,825). The judgment was delivered on July 25, 2011 dismissing all the claims of Xingjiang Yujinsheng. Xingjiang Yujinsheng appealed the court’s decisions and the Shanghai Higher People’s Court affirmed the decision of the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court on October 17, 2011.

In May 2011, Yangya Zidian Co., Ltd filed a suit in the Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court against Zhongshan Meijin Digital Technology Co., Ltd., alleging that the video “Let’s Talk in English” we provide on our website to the users of our electronic learning products infringe upon the copyright of Yangya Zidian. Yangya Zidian claimed damages of approximately RMB1.4 million (approximately $216,203). After negotiation, Zhongshan Meijin and Yangya Zidian reached a settlement on November 18, 2011 pursuant to which Zhongshan Meijin has paid RMB200,000 (approximately $31,741) to Yangya Zidian and Yangya Zidian has withdrawn the suit.

In June 2011, Bubugao education and electronic Co., Ltd (“Bubugao”) filed a suit in Wuhan Intermediate People’s Court against Shanghai HJX Digital technology Co., Ltd (“HJX”), alleging that video of courseware by HuangGang middle school we provide in our electronic learning products infringed upon the copyright of Bubugao. Bubugao claimed damages of RMB 522,598 (approximately $82,940). After negotiation, HJX and Bubugao reached an agreement on October, 2011. HJX has paid RMB 100,000 to Bubugao and Bubugao has withdrawn the suit.

 

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In March 2012, Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., or Acorn Information, received a compliant filed by Hong Kong Hua Feng Shi Ye Co., Ltd., or Hua Feng, in the People’s Court of Nanshan District, Shenzhen against Acorn Information. Hua Feng requested in the complaint that Acorn Information shall continue to perform the business and brand cooperative agreement, or the eroda agreement, in connection with the “eroda” trademarks entered into between Acorn Information and Hua Feng in 2011. We believe that there are no grounds for this claim and are actively defending the case.

In March 2012, Mr. Chengzhi Li filed a labor arbritration against Yiyang Yukang Communication Equipment Co. Ltd., or Yiyang Yukang, with the Arbitration Committee in Baoan District, Shenzhen. Mr. Li alleged his labor contract was illegally terminated and requested for salary and damages in a total amount of RMB1,652,912.85. We believe that there are no grounds for Mr. Li to bring up such claim and are actively defending the case.

We believe that the above legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our financial conditions. See Item 3.D, “Key Information—Risk Factors—We have in the past been, currently are, and in the future may again be, subject to intellectual property rights infringement claims and other litigations by third parties, which could be time-consuming and costly to defend or litigate, divert our attention and resources, or require us to enter into licensing agreements. These licenses may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.”

Dividend Policy

We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to operate and expand our business. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, we did not declare any dividends. On December 18, 2009, we declared special dividends to our shareholders in the amount of $29.3 million directly from share premium account of Acorn International, Inc., which was paid on January 20, 2010. In October 2010, we declared special dividends to our shareholders in the amount of $20.5 million directly from share premium account of Acorn International, Inc., which was paid on December 15, 2010.

Our board of directors has complete discretion on whether to pay dividends, subject to the approval of our shareholders. Even if our board of directors decides to pay dividends, the form, frequency and amount will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that the board of directors may deem relevant. If we pay any dividends, we will pay our ADS holders to the same extent as holders of our ordinary shares, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, including the fees and expenses payable thereunder. Cash dividends on our ordinary shares, if any, will be paid in U.S. dollars.

Current regulations in China permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to us only out of their respective accumulated distributable profits, if any, determined in accordance with their articles of association and PRC accounting standards and regulations. The ability of these subsidiaries to make dividends and other payments to us may be restricted by factors that include changes in applicable foreign exchange laws and other laws and regulations. In particular, under Chinese law, these operating subsidiaries may only pay dividends after 10% of their net profit has been set aside as reserve funds, unless such reserves have reached at least 50% of their respective registered capital. Such reserve may not be distributed as cash dividends. In addition, if any of our 14 PRC operating subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us.

B. Significant Changes

Except as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we have not experienced any significant changes since the date of our audited consolidated financial statements included in this annual report.

 

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ITEM 9. THE OFFER AND LISTING

A. Offering and listing details.

Price Range of Our ADSs

Our ADSs are listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ATV”, and have been listed since May 3, 2007. The following table sets forth the high and low daily closing trading prices of our ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange for the periods indicated:

 

     Price per ADS (US$)  
         High              Low      

Annual:

     

2008

     9.47         3.90   

2009

     5.98         2.97   

2010

     7.30         3.04   

2011

     5.85         3.52   

Quarterly:

     

First Quarter, 2009

     4.49         2.71   

Second Quarter, 2009

     4.77         3.08   

Third Quarter, 2009

     4.79         3.46   

Fourth Quarter, 2009

     6.63         4.58   

First Quarter, 2010

     7.30         4.83   

Second Quarter, 2010

     5.07         3.04   

Third Quarter, 2010

     4.68         3.16   

Fourth Quarter, 2010

     5.89         4.08   

First Quarter, 2011

     5.00         4.01   

Second Quarter, 2011

     5.85         4.14   

Third Quarter, 2011

     5.80         3.52   

Fourth Quarter, 2011

     5.10         3.83   

First Quarter, 2012

     

Monthly

     

November 2011

     5.10         4.18   

December 2011

     5.03         3.83   

January 2012

     4.54         4.10   

February 2012

     4.40         4.05   

March 2012

     4.44         4.16   

April 2012 (through April 20, 2012)

     4.56         4.25   

B. Plan of Distribution

Not applicable.

C. Markets

See Item 9.A above.

D. Selling Shareholders

Not applicable.

 

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E. Dilution

Not applicable.

F. Expenses of the Issue

Not applicable.

ITEM 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A. Share Capital

Not applicable.

B. Memorandum and Articles of Association

We incorporate by reference into this annual report the description of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contained in our registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-141860), as amended, originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 3, 2007.

C. Material Contracts

We have not entered into any material contracts other than in the ordinary course of business and other than those described in Item 4, “Information on the Company” or elsewhere in this annual report on Form 20-F.

D. Exchange Controls

Foreign exchange in China is primarily regulated by:

 

   

the Foreign Currency Administration Rules (1996), as amended; and

 

   

the Administration Rules of the Settlement, Sale and Payment of Foreign Exchange (1996), or the Administration Rules.

Under the Foreign Currency Administration Rules, Renminbi is convertible for current account items, including the distribution of dividends, interest payments, and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions. Conversion of Renminbi into foreign currency for capital account items, such as direct investment, loans, investment in securities, and repatriation of funds, however, is still subject to the approval of SAFE.

Under the Administration Rules, foreign-invested enterprises may only buy, sell, and remit foreign currencies at banks authorized to conduct foreign exchange transactions after providing valid commercial documents and, in the case of capital account item transactions, only after obtaining approval from SAFE.

Capital investments directed outside of China by foreign-invested enterprises are also subject to restrictions, which include approvals by SAFE, and the State Reform and Development Commission.

We receive our revenue in Renminbi, which is currently not a freely convertible currency. Under our current structure, our income will be primarily derived from dividend payments from our subsidiaries in China.

The value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions. The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including U.S. dollars, has been based on rates set by the People’s Bank of China. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its policy of pegging the value of the Renminbi to the U.S. dollar. Under the new policy, the Renminbi will be permitted to fluctuate within a band against a basket of certain foreign

 

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currencies. This change in policy resulted initially in an approximately 2.0% appreciation in the value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar. There remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt a substantial liberalization of its currency policy, which could result in a further and more significant appreciation in the value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar.

Regulation of Foreign Exchange in Certain Onshore and Offshore Transactions

In January and April 2005, the PRC State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, issued two rules that require PRC residents to register with, and receive approvals from, SAFE in connection with their offshore investment activities. SAFE has announced that the purpose of these regulations is to achieve the proper balance of foreign exchange and the standardization of the cross-border flow of funds.

On October 21, 2005, SAFE issued the Notice on Issues Relating to the Administration of Foreign Exchange in Fund-raising and Reverse Investment Activities of Domestic Residents Conducted via Offshore Special Purpose Companies, or Notice 75, which became effective as of November 1, 2005. Notice 75 replaced the two rules issued by SAFE in January and April 2005 mentioned above. According to Notice 75:

 

   

prior to establishing or assuming control of an offshore company for the purpose of financing that offshore company with assets or equity interests in an onshore enterprise in the PRC, each PRC resident, whether a natural or legal person, must complete the overseas investment foreign exchange registration procedures with the relevant local SAFE branch;

 

   

an amendment to the registration with the local SAFE branch is required to be filed by any PRC resident that directly or indirectly holds interests in that offshore company upon either (1) the injection of equity interests or assets of an onshore enterprise to the offshore company, or (2) the completion of any overseas fund raising by such offshore company; and

 

   

an amendment to the registration with the local SAFE branch is also required to be filed by such PRC resident when there is any material change involving a change in the capital of the offshore company, such as (1) an increase or decrease in its capital, (2) a transfer or swap of shares, (3) a merger or division, (4) a long-term equity or debt investment, or (5) the creation of any security interests over the relevant assets located in China.

Moreover, Notice 75 applies retroactively. As a result, PRC residents who have established or acquired control of offshore companies that have made onshore investments in the PRC in the past are required to complete the relevant overseas investment foreign exchange registration procedures by March 31, 2006. Under the relevant rules, failure to comply with the registration procedures set forth in Notice 75 may result in restrictions being imposed on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant onshore company, including the payment of dividends and other distributions to its offshore parent or affiliate and the capital inflow from the offshore entity, and may also subject relevant PRC residents to penalties under PRC foreign exchange administration regulations. Moreover, PRC residents who are beneficial holders of our shares are required to register with SAFE in connection with their investment in us.

As a result of the uncertainties relating to Notice 75, we cannot predict how these regulations will affect our business operations or strategies. For example, our present or future PRC subsidiaries’ ability to conduct foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, may be subject to compliance with such SAFE registration requirements by relevant PRC residents, over whom we have no control. In addition, we cannot assure you that any such PRC residents will be able to complete the necessary approval and registration procedures required by the SAFE regulations. We require all shareholders in Acorn International who are PRC residents to comply with any SAFE registration requirements and we understand that the relevant shareholders have registered their offshore investment in us with Shanghai SAFE, but we have no control over either our shareholders or the outcome of such registration procedures. Such uncertainties may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and adversely affect our business and prospects.

 

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Dividend Distributions

Pursuant to the Foreign Currency Administration Rules promulgated in 1996 and amended in 1997, and various regulations issued by SAFE and other relevant PRC government authorities, the PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China.

The principal regulations governing the distribution of dividends paid by wholly foreign-owned enterprises and Sino-foreign joint equity enterprise enterprises include:

 

   

the Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise Law (1986), as amended in 2000;

 

   

the Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise Law Implementing Rules (1990), as amended in 2001;

 

   

the Sino-foreign Joint Equity Enterprise Law (1979), as amended in 2001;

 

   

the Sino-foreign Joint Equity Enterprise Law Implementing Rules (1983), as amended in 2001; and

 

   

Company Law of the PRC (2005).

Under these regulations, foreign-invested enterprises in China may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a foreign-invested enterprise in China is required to set aside at least a certain percentage of its after-tax profit based on PRC accounting standards each year to its general reserves. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. The board of directors of a foreign-invested enterprise has the discretion to allocate a portion of its after-tax profits to employee welfare and bonus funds. These funds, however, may not be distributed to equity owners except in the event of liquidation.

E. Taxation

The following is a summary of the material Cayman Islands, People’s Republic of China and U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to an investment in our ADSs and ordinary shares. The summary is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, legal or tax advice to any particular prospective purchaser. The summary is based on laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this annual report, all of which are subject to change or different interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect. The summary does not address United States state or local tax laws, or tax laws of jurisdictions other than the Cayman Islands, People’s Republic of China and the United States. To the extent that the discussion relates to matters of Cayman Islands tax law, it represents the opinion of Conyers, Dill and Pearman, special Cayman Islands counsel to us. You should consult your own tax advisors with respect to the consequences of acquisition, ownership and disposition of our ADSs and ordinary shares.

Cayman Islands Taxation

The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty or withholding tax applicable to us or to any holder of our ADSs and ordinary shares. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the Government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties, which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or after execution brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. No stamp duty is payable in the Cayman Islands on transfers of shares of Cayman Islands companies, except those which hold interests in land in the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands is not party to any double tax treaties. There are no exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman Islands.

Pursuant to Section 6 of the Tax Concessions Law (1999 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, we have obtained an undertaking from the Governor-in-Council:

 

  (1)

that no law which is enacted in the Cayman Islands imposing any tax to be levied on profits or income or gains or appreciation shall apply to us or our operations; and

 

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  (2)

that the aforesaid tax or any tax in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax shall not be payable on our shares, debentures or other obligations.

The undertaking for us is for a period of twenty years from January 10, 2006.

People’s Republic of China Taxation

Under the New EIT Law, enterprises organized under the laws of jurisdictions outside China with “de facto management bodies” located within China may be considered PRC tax resident enterprises and therefore subject to PRC enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on their worldwide income. The implementation regulations of the New EIT Law define the term “de facto management body” as a management body that exercises full or substantial control and management authority over the production, operation, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. While we do not currently consider our company or any of our overseas subsidiaries to be a PRC resident enterprise, there is a risk that the PRC tax authorities may deem our company or any of our overseas subsidiaries as a PRC resident enterprise, in which case we would be subject to the PRC enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on our worldwide income. If we are deemed to be a PRC tax resident enterprise, any dividends that we pay to our non-PRC enterprise shareholders or ADS holders, as well as gains realized by such shareholders or ADS holders from the transfer of our shares or ADSs, may be regarded as PRC-sourced income and as a result become subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of 10%. See “Risk Factors—Risks relating to Doing Business in China—Under China’s New EIT Law, we may be classified as a “resident enterprise” of China. Such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders.

U.S. Federal Income Taxation

This discussion describes certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders (as defined below) relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of our ADSs and ordinary shares. This discussion does not address any aspect of U.S. federal gift or estate tax, or the state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences of an investment in our ADSs and ordinary shares. This discussion does not apply to U.S. Holders who are a member of a class of holders subject to special rules, such as:

 

   

dealers in securities or currencies;

 

   

traders in securities who elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for securities holdings;

 

   

banks or other financial institutions;

 

   

insurance companies;

 

   

tax-exempt organizations;

 

   

partnerships and other entities treated as partnerships or other pass through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes or persons holding ADSs and ordinary shares through any such entities;

 

   

regulated investments companies or real estate investment trusts;

 

   

persons that hold ADSs and ordinary shares as part of a hedge, straddle, constructive sale, conversion transaction or other integrated investment;

 

   

persons whose functional currency for tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar;

 

   

persons liable for alternative minimum tax; or

 

   

persons who actually or constructively own 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of our shares (including ADSs and ordinary shares) entitled to vote.

This discussion is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which we refer to in this discussion as the Code, its legislative history, existing and proposed regulations promulgated thereunder, published rulings and court decisions, all as of the date hereof. These laws are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis. In addition, this discussion relies on our assumptions regarding the value of our ADSs and ordinary shares and the nature of our business over time.

 

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Prospective purchasers and U.S. Holders of our ADSs and ordinary shares are urged to consult their own tax advisor concerning the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences to them relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of our ADSs and ordinary shares, as well as the consequences to them arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.

For purposes of the U.S. federal income tax discussion below, you are a “U.S. Holder” if you beneficially own our ADSs or ordinary shares as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes and are:

 

   

an individual citizen or resident of the United States for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

 

   

a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation, that was created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

 

   

an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or

 

   

a trust if (a) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (b) the trust has a valid election in effect to be treated as a U.S. person.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, income earned through a non-U.S. or U.S. partnership or other flow- through entity is attributed to its owners. Accordingly, if a partnership or other flow-through entity holds ADSs or ordinary shares, the tax treatment of the holder will generally depend on the status of the partner or other owner and the activities of the partnership or other flow-through entity.

The discussion below assumes that the representations contained in the deposit agreement are true and that the obligations in the deposit agreement and any related agreement will be complied with in accordance with their terms. If you hold ADSs, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, you generally will be treated as the owner of the underlying common shares represented by such ADSs. Accordingly, the conversion of ADSs into common shares will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax.

Dividends on ADSs and Ordinary Shares

We do not anticipate paying dividends on our ADSs and ordinary shares in the foreseeable future. See Item 8.A, “Financial Information—Consolidated statements and other financial information—Dividend policy”.

Subject to the “Passive Foreign Investment Company” discussion below, if we do make distributions and you are a U.S. Holder, the gross amount of any distributions with respect to your ADSs and ordinary shares (including the amount of any taxes withheld therefrom) will generally be includible in your gross income on the day you actually or constructively receive such income as dividend income if the distributions are made from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, calculated according to U.S. federal income tax principles. However, if you are a non-corporate U.S. Holder, including an individual, and have held your ADSs and ordinary shares for a sufficient period of time, certain dividend distributions on our ADSs and ordinary shares received in a taxable year beginning before January 1, 2013 will generally constitute qualified dividend income taxed at a preferential rate as long as our ADSs continue to be readily tradable on the New York Stock Exchange. However, based on existing guidance, it is not entirely clear whether dividends you receive with respect to the ordinary shares will be taxed as qualified dividend income, because the ordinary shares are not themselves listed on a U.S. exchange. You should consult your own tax advisor as to the rate of tax that will apply to you with respect to dividend distributions, if any, you receive from us.

Subject to the “Passive Foreign Investment Company” discussion below, to the extent, if any, that the amount of any distribution by us on ADSs and ordinary shares exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles, it will be treated first as a tax-free return of the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the ADSs and ordinary shares and thereafter as capital gain. However, we do not intend to calculate our earnings and profits according to U.S. federal income tax principles. Accordingly, distributions on our ADSs and ordinary shares, if any, will generally be reported to you as dividend distributions for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Corporations will not be entitled to claim a dividends-received deduction

 

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with respect to distributions made by us. Dividends generally will constitute foreign source passive income for purposes of the U.S. foreign tax credit rules. You should consult your own advisor as to your ability, and the various limitations on your ability, to claim foreign tax credits in connection with the receipt of dividends.

Sales and Other Dispositions of ADSs or Ordinary Shares

Subject to the “Passive Foreign Investment Company” discussion below, when you sell or otherwise dispose of ADSs or ordinary shares, you will generally recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale or other disposition and your adjusted tax basis in the ADSs or ordinary shares. Your adjusted tax basis will generally equal the amount you paid for the ADSs or ordinary shares. Any gain or loss you recognize will be long-term capital gain or loss if your holding period in our ADSs or ordinary shares is more than one year at the time of disposition. If you are a non-corporate U.S. Holder, including an individual, any such long-term capital gain will be taxed at preferential rates. Your ability to deduct capital losses will be subject to various limitations. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences if a foreign withholding tax is imposed on a disposition of our ADSs or ordinary shares, including the availability of the foreign tax credit under their particular circumstances.

Passive Foreign Investment Company

In general, we will be classified as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) in any taxable year if either: (a) the average quarterly value of our gross assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income is at least 50% of the average quarterly value of our total gross assets or (b) 75% or more of our gross income for the taxable year is passive income (such as certain dividends, interest or royalties). For purposes of the above tests, we will be treated as owning our proportionate share of the assets and earning our proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in which we own, directly or indirectly, at least 25% (by value) of the stock. For purposes of the first test: (a) any cash and cash invested in short-term, interest bearing, debt instruments, or bank deposits that are readily convertible into cash will generally count as producing passive income or held for the production of passive income, and (b) the total value of our assets is calculated based on our market capitalization.

We believe we were classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the taxable year ended December 31, 2011. Although we intend to conduct our business activities in a manner to reduce the risk of our classification as a PFIC in the future, we currently hold, and expect to continue to hold, a substantial amount of cash and other passive assets, and, because the value of our assets is likely to be determined in large part by reference to the market prices of our ADSs and ordinary shares, which are likely to fluctuate, there can no assurance that we will not continue to be classified as a PFIC for 2012 or any future taxable year.

If we were a PFIC for any taxable year during which you held our ADSs or ordinary shares, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax rules would apply. You would generally be subject to additional taxes and interest charges on certain “excess distributions” we make and on any gain realized on the disposition or deemed disposition of your ADSs or ordinary shares, regardless of whether we continue to be a PFIC in the year in which you receive an “excess distribution” or dispose of or are deemed to dispose of your ADSs or ordinary shares. Distributions in respect of your ADSs or ordinary shares during a taxable year would generally constitute “excess distributions” if, in the aggregate, they exceed 125% of the average amount of distributions with respect to your ADSs or ordinary shares over the three preceding taxable years or, if shorter, the portion of your holding period before such taxable year.

To compute the tax on “excess distributions” or any gain, (a) the “excess distribution” or the gain would be allocated ratably to each day in your holding period, (b) the amount allocated to the current taxable year and any taxable year prior to the first taxable year in which we were a PFIC would be taxed as ordinary income in the current year, (c) the amount allocated to other taxable years would be taxable at the highest applicable marginal

 

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rate in effect for that year, and (d) an interest charge at the rate for underpayment of taxes for any period described under (c) above would be imposed on the resulting taxability on the portion of the “excess distribution” or gain that is allocated to such period.

If we were a PFIC in any taxable year during which your held our ADSs or ordinary shares, under certain attribution rules, you will be deemed to own your proportionate share of lower-tier PFICs, and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on (a) a distribution on the shares of a lower-tier PFIC and (b) a disposition of shares of a lower-tier PFIC, both as if you directly held the shares of such lower-tier PFIC. In addition, no distribution that you receive from us would qualify for taxation at the preferential rate discussed in the “—Dividends on ADSs and Ordinary Shares” section above.

You would generally be able to avoid the “excess distribution” rules described above by making a timely so-called “mark-to-market” election with respect to your ADSs provided our ADSs are “marketable”. Our ADSs will be “marketable” as long as they remain regularly traded on a national securities exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange. If you made a mark-to-market election in a timely fashion, you would generally recognize as ordinary income or ordinary loss the difference between the fair market value of your ADSs on the first day of any taxable year and their value on the last day of that taxable year. Any ordinary income resulting from this election would generally be taxed at ordinary income rates and would not be eligible for the reduced rate of tax applicable to qualified dividend income. Any ordinary losses would be limited to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election, if any. Your basis in the ADSs would be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss. You should consult your own tax advisor regarding potential advantages and disadvantages to you of making a “mark-to-market” election with respect to your ADSs. The mark-to-market election will not be available for any lower tier PFIC that is deemed owned pursuant to the attribution rules discussed above.

Alternatively, you can make a qualified electing fund or QEF election to include annually your pro rata share of our earnings and net capital gains currently in income each year, regardless of whether or not dividend distributions are actually distributed. This means you could have a tax liability for the earnings or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash. Your basis in your ADSs or ordinary shares will be increased to reflect the amount of the taxed but undistributed income. Distributions of income that had previously been taxed will result in a corresponding reduction of basis in the ADSs or ordinary shares and will not be taxed again as a distribution to you. To make a QEF election you will need to have an annual information statement from the PFIC setting forth the earnings and capital gains for the taxable year.

Since we believe we were classified as a PFIC for the 2011 taxable year, we may arrange to provide a PFIC annual information statement (including information for lower tier PFICs) to U.S. Holders upon their request. We may post this 2011 statement on our corporate website in the “Investor Relations” section. Information contained on our website does not constitute a part of this annual report. If not posted on our corporate website, you would have to contact the Company to make a request. If you decide to make a QEF election, it must be made on or before the due date for filing your U.S. federal income tax return (including extensions) for the 2011 taxable year or the first year to which the QEF election will apply.

You are urged to consult your own tax advisor concerning the making of such a QEF election and in particular with regard to the application of the “excess distribution” rules to you on any gain realized on the disposition or deemed disposition of your ADSs or ordinary shares, regardless of whether we continue to be a PFIC in the year in which you receive an “excess distribution” or dispose of or are deemed to dispose of your ADSs or ordinary shares should you not make the QEF election with respect to the 2010 taxable year.

If we were a PFIC for any taxable year during which you held our ADSs or ordinary shares, you must file IRS Form 8621 for each taxable year in which you recognize any gain on the sale or other disposition of your ADS or ordinary shares, receive deemed or actual distributions from us, or make certain elections (including a

 

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QEF and mark-to-market election) with respect to your ADSs or ordinary shares. In addition, unless otherwise provided by the U.S. Treasury, each U.S. Holder of a PFIC is required to file an annual report containing such information as the U.S. Treasury may require. You should consult your own tax advisor as to the application of any information reporting requirements to you resulting from our status as a PFIC.

U.S. Information Reporting and Backup Withholding Rules

In general, dividend payments with respect to the ADSs and ordinary shares and the proceeds received on the sale or other disposition of ADSs and ordinary shares may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and to backup withholding (currently imposed at a rate of 28%). Backup withholding will not apply, however, if you provide a taxpayer identification number, certify as to no loss of exemption from backup withholding and otherwise comply with the applicable backup withholding rules. To establish your status as an exempt person, you will generally be required to provide certification on IRS Form W-9. Any amounts withheld from payments to you under the backup withholding rules that exceed your U.S. federal income tax liability will be allowed as a refund or a credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability, provided that you timely furnish the required information to the IRS. Certain individuals holding ordinary shares or ADSs other than in an account at a U.S. financial institution may be subject to additional information reporting requirements.

PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS OF OUR ADSS AND ORDINARY SHARES SHOULD CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AS WELL AS ANY OTHER TAX CONSEQUENCES RESULTING FROM PURCHASING, HOLDING OR DISPOSING OF OUR ADSS AND ORDINARY SHARES, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF THE TAX LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-US JURISDICTION AND INCLUDING ESTATE, GIFT AND INHERITANCE LAWS.

F. Dividends and Paying Agents

Not applicable.

G. Statement by Experts

Not applicable.

H. Documents on Display

We previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission our registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-141860), as amended.

We have filed this annual report on Form 20-F with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act. Statements made in this annual report as to the contents of any document referred to are not necessarily complete. With respect to each such document filed as an exhibit to this annual report, reference is made to the exhibit for a more complete description of the matter involved, and each such statement shall be deemed qualified in its entirety by such reference.

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and file reports and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Reports and other information which the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including this annual report on Form 20-F, may be inspected and copied at the public reference room of the Securities and Exchange Commission at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington D.C., 20549.

You can also obtain copies of this annual report on Form 20-F by mail from the Public Reference Section of the Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. Additionally, copies of this material may be obtained from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. The Commission’s telephone number is 1-800-SEC-0330.

 

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I. Subsidiaries Information

Not applicable.

ITEM 11. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Foreign Exchange Risk

The conversion of Renminbi is highly regulated. In addition, the value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions. The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including U.S. dollars, has been based on rates set by the PBOC. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its policy of pegging the value of the Renminbi to the U.S. dollar. Under the new policy, the Renminbi will be permitted to fluctuate within a band against a basket of certain foreign currencies. There remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt a substantial liberalization of its currency policy, which could result in a further and more significant appreciation in the value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar.

We use the U.S. dollar as the reporting and functional currency for our financial statements. Since we conduct our operations through our PRC subsidiaries and affiliated companies, the functional currency of our PRC subsidiaries and affiliated entities is Renminbi. Substantially all our revenue and related expenses, including cost of revenues and advertising expenses, are denominated and paid in Renminbi. Transactions in other currencies are recorded in Renminbi at the rates of exchange prevailing when the transactions occur. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in other currencies are remeasured into Renminbi at rates of exchange in effect at the balance sheet dates. Exchange gains and losses are recorded in our statements of operations as a component of current period earnings.

Fluctuations in exchange rates, primarily those involving the U.S. dollar, may affect our costs and operating margins, as well as our net income reported in U.S. dollars. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs, or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amounts available to us. We have not used any forward contracts or currency borrowings to hedge our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk.

Interest Rate Risk

As of December 31, 2011, we had no outstanding borrowings. If we borrow money in future periods, we may be exposed to interest rate risk. We believe our exposure to interest rate risk and other relevant market risks is not material.

Inflation

Inflation in China has not materially impacted our results of operations in recent years. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the change of consumer price index in China was -0.7%, 3.3% and 5.5% in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

 

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ITEM 12. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES

D. American Depositary Shares

Fees Payable by ADS Holders

Citibank, N.A., the depositary of our ADS program, collects its fees for delivery and surrender of ADSs directly from investors depositing shares or surrendering ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal or from intermediaries acting for them. Depositary fees payable in connection with distributions of cash or securities to ADS holders and the depositary service fee are charged by the depositary to the holders of record of ADSs as of the applicable ADS record date. In the case of cash distributions, the depositary fees are generally deducted from the cash being distributed. In the case of distributions other than cash (e.g., stock dividends, rights, etc.), the depositary charges the applicable fee to the ADS record date holders concurrent with the distribution. In the case of ADSs registered in the name of the investor (whether certificated or in DRS), the depositary sends invoices to the applicable record date ADS holders. In the case of ADSs held in brokerage and custodian accounts (via DTC), the depositary generally collects its fees through the settlement systems provided by DTC (whose nominee is the registered holder of the ADSs held in DTC) from the brokers and custodians holding ADSs in their DTC accounts.

In the event of refusal to pay the depositary fees the depositary may, under the terms of the deposit agreement, refuse the requested service until payment is received or may set off the amount of the depositary fees from any distribution to be made to the ADS holder.

 

Persons depositing or withdrawing shares must pay:

   For:

Up to $5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof).

   Issuance of ADSs.
   Cancellation of ADSs.
  

Distribution of cash dividends or other cash distributions.

  

Distribution of ADSs pursuant to share dividends or other free share distributions or exercise of rights.

   Depositary Service Fee
  

Distribution of securities other than ADSs or rights to purchase additional ADSs.

$1.50 per certificate presented for transfer.    Transfer of ADRs.
Taxes and other governmental charges the depositary or the custodian has to pay on any ADS or ordinary share.    As necessary.
Registration or transfer fees.   

Transfer and registration of ordinary shares on the share register to or from the name of the custodian or depositary in connection with the deposit or withdraw of ordinary shares.

Expenses of the depositary.    Cable, telex, fax transmissions and delivery expenses.
   Converting foreign currency to U.S. dollars

Any charges incurred by the depositary in connection with compliance with exchange control regulations and other regulatory requirements applicable to the shares, deposited securities, ADSs and ADRs.

  

As necessary.

Any charges incurred by the depositary for servicing or delivering the ordinary shares on deposit.

  

As necessary.

 

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Fees Payable by the Depositary to Us

From January 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012, we received from the depositary a reimbursement of $159,492.72, after deduction of applicable US taxes for certain expenses related to the maintenance of the ADR program, including annual stock exchange listing fees, legal service fee, and our expenses incurred in connection with investor relations programs, as well as expenses of $14,778.62, after deduction of applicable US taxes for settlement infrastructure fees and proxy process fees.

 

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PART II

ITEM 13. DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES

None.

ITEM 14. MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS

Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders

The rights of securities holders have not been materially modified.

ITEM 15T. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the specified time periods and accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and our financial controller, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act) at December 31, 2011. Based on that evaluation, our CEO and financial controller concluded that, as of that date, our disclosure controls and procedures required by paragraph (b) of Rules 13a-15 or 15d-15 were not effective due to the material weaknesses described in the “Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.”

Management’s Report on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of a company’s assets, (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that a company’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of a company’s management and directors and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of a company’s assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth in “Internal Control—Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Management’s assessment identified the following control deficiencies that constitute material weaknesses, as described below. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

 

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We lack accounting personnel with an appropriate level of U.S. GAAP technical accounting knowledge and experience. In addition, we lack sufficient written policies and procedures related to U.S. GAAP accounting, financial reporting requirements and SEC disclosure requirements.

 

   

The company has insufficient monitoring of the implementation of its policies and procedures in relation to internal control over financial reporting:

 

  ¡    

our internal audit department was not able to function as intended as a result of our audit committee lacking independent directors during a portion of the reporting period,

 

  ¡    

compliance with procedures related to contract approvals was not monitored.

Based on our assessment, and because of the material weakness described above, we have concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective at December 31, 2011.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting has been audited by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd., an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included herein.

Changes and proposed changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Our 2010 Annual Report on Form 20-F identified a material weakness because we did not maintain sufficient controls necessary to ensure accounting for share-based compensation was in compliance with U.S. GAAP. This material weakness resulted in a restatement of our 2008 and 2009 consolidated financial statements to correct an accounting error relating to erroneous reversal of previously recognized share-based compensation in 2008 for vested awards that were not exercised. Since December 31, 2010, we have completed the following actions:

 

   

designed, implemented and used a standardized checklist incorporating relevant items and considerations to be used in determining our share-based compensation;

 

   

improved our independent review of our share-based compensation analysis and disclosure;

 

   

provided additional training and guidance related to account for share-based compensation to our accounting personnel responsible for the analysis and disclosure.

We have or are in the process of taking a number of actions intended to address the matters described above: (1) we have hired an experienced financial controller in February 2012 and we intend to continue to provide further training to our finance staff to enhance their understanding of our policies and procedures, including participating in training programs relating to U.S. GAAP accounting, (2) we intend to develop proper financial reporting policies and procedures for U.S.GAAP financial reporting, (3) we have rectified the lack of independent directors on the audit committee as of December 31, 2011 and our internal audit department will report to the Audit Committee in future, and (4) we intend to monitor our contract review and approval process to ensure compliance with our policies and procedures.

The Company is committed to monitoring the effectiveness of these measures and making any changes that are necessary and appropriate.

Other than as described above, there have not been any other changes in our internal control over financial reporting in the year ended December 31, 2011, which have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. As noted above, we plan to implement changes in 2012 to our internal controls over financial reporting.

ITEM 16A. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT

Mr. Daniel Wu resigned from the board of directors of our Company in April 2011 due to personal reasons. William Liang joined our audit committee in August 2011 and Eric Zhenyu He became our audit committee chair in October 2011. Our audit committee consists of Eric Zhenyu He, William Liang and Jun Ye and is chaired by Eric Zhenyu He. Mr. He who has accounting and financial management expertise, is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in Item 401(h) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act. Each of these directors satisfies the “independence” requirements of Section 303A of the Corporate Governance Rules of the NYSE and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act.

 

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ITEM 16B. CODE OF ETHICS

Our board of directors has adopted a code of ethics, which is applicable to our senior executive and financial officers. In addition, our board of directors has adopted a code of conduct, which is applicable to all of our directors, officers and employees. Our code of ethics and our code of conduct are publicly available on our website at http://ir.chinadrtv.com, and each is filed as an exhibit to our registration statement on Form F-1 (No. 333-141860). We also will post any amendments to or waivers from a provision of our code of ethics for our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions on our website.

ITEM 16C. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The following table sets forth the aggregate fees by specified category in connection with certain professional services rendered by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd., our principal external auditors, for the periods indicated. We did not pay any other fees to our auditors during the periods indicated below.

 

     2010      2011  

Audit fees(1)

   $ 700,000       $ 950,000   

Audit-related fees(2)

     —           —     

Tax fees(3)

     76,000         87,000   

All other fees

     —           —     

 

(1)

“Audit fees” means the aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by our principal auditors for the assurance and related services. The audit fee for 2010 and 2011 mainly represents audit and review of financial statements.

(2)

Audit-related fees represent aggregate of fees billed for professional services rendered for the assurance and related services that are not reported under audit fees.

(3)

“Tax fees” includes fees billed for tax consultations.

The policy of our audit committee or our board of directors is to pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services to be performed for us by our independent auditor, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the de minimums exceptions for non-audit services described in Section 10A(i)(l)(B) of the Exchange Act which are approved by the audit committee or our board of directors prior to the completion of the audit).

ITEM 16D. EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES

None.

ITEM 16E. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS

The table below details our purchases of our own equity securities pursuant to our share repurchase program, previously adopted and announced publicly. Our repurchase program lapsed on May 31, 2009. As of December 31, 2011, we had repurchased an aggregate of 3,272,013 ADSs, representing 9,816,039 ordinary shares, on the open market for total cash consideration of $25.5 million.

 

Period

   Total number of
ADSs purchased
     Average share price
paid per ADS
     Total purchase
price paid
 

12/06/2007 – 12/31/2007

     683,000 ADSs       $ 9.97       $ 6,833,124   

01/01/2008 – 12/31/2008

     1,949,747 ADSs       $ 8.37         16,378,724   

01/01/2009 – 12/31/2009

     639,266 ADSs       $ 3.55         2,288,136   
  

 

 

       

 

 

 
     3,272,013 ADSs          $ 25,499,984   
  

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

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ITEM 16F. CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT

Not applicable.

ITEM 16G. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

As a foreign private issuer with shares listed on the NYSE, we are subject to corporate governance requirements imposed by the NYSE. Under Section 303A of the NYSE’s Listed Company Manual, NYSE listed non-US companies may, in general, follow their home country corporate governance practices in lieu of some of the NYSE corporate governance requirements. We are committed to a high standard of corporate governance. As such, we endeavor to comply with most of the NYSE corporate governance practices. However, the following are the ways in which our current corporate governance practices differ from NYSE corporate governance requirements since the laws of Cayman Islands do not require such compliance:

 

   

Our corporate governance and nominating committee of our board of directors is not comprised entirely of independent directors.

 

   

Our compensation committee of our board of directors is not comprised entirely of independent directors.

We may in the future determine to voluntarily comply with one or more of the foregoing provisions as required by NYSE’s Listed Company Manual.

ITEM 16H. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

Not applicable.

 

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PART III

ITEM 17. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

We have elected to provide financial statements pursuant to Item 18.

ITEM 18. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Our consolidated financial statements are included at the end of this annual report.

ITEM 19. EXHIBITS

EXHIBITS INDEX

 

Exhibit
Number

 

Description

1.1*  

Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of Acorn International, Inc.

2.1*  

Specimen American Depositary Receipt

2.2*  

Specimen Certificate for Ordinary Shares

2.3**  

Form of Deposit Agreement among Acorn International, Inc., Citibank, N.A., and holders and beneficial owners of American Depositary Shares issued thereunder

4.1*  

2006 Equity Incentive Plan

4.2*  

Forms of option grant agreements and form of SARs Award Agreement

4.3*  

Form of Indemnification Agreement with the directors of Acorn International, Inc.

4.4*  

Form of Employment Agreement of Acorn International, Inc. and Employment Agreement of James Yujun Hu

4.5*  

Investors’ Rights Agreement among Acorn International, Inc., SB Asia Investment Fund II L.P., and the several ordinary shareholders therein as of March 31, 2006

4.6*  

Asset Purchase Agreement between Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Tianjin BABAKA Technology Development Co., Ltd. dated June 1, 2005

4.7*  

Equity Transfer Agreement between Shanghai Acorn HJX Digital Technology Co., Ltd. and Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. dated June 30, 2005

4.8*  

Equity Transfer Agreement between Shanghai Acorn HJX Digital Technology Co., Ltd. and Acorn International Electronic Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. dated June 30, 2005

4.9*  

Patent Application Right Transfer Agreement between Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Tianjin BABAKA Technology Development Co., Ltd. dated August 1, 2005

4.10*  

Joint Venture Contract between Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Yimeng Digital Technology Co., Ltd. dated December 9, 2005

4.11*  

2005 Service Fee Pricing Agreement under the Exclusive Technical Service Agreement between Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Acorn Network Technology Development Co., Ltd. dated December 31, 2005

4.12*  

2005 Service Fee Pricing Agreement under the Exclusive Technical Service Agreement between Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd. dated December 31, 2005

 

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Exhibit
Number

 

Description

  4.13*  

2005 Service Fee Pricing Agreement under the Exclusive Technical Service Agreement between Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Acorn Advertising Broadcasting Co., Ltd. dated December 31, 2005

  4.14*  

Joint Venture Contract between China DRTV, Inc. and Shanghai Jia Guan Hang Automobile Maintenance Products Co., Ltd. dated February 28, 2006

  4.15*  

Loan Agreement by and among Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Don Dongjie Yang and David Chenghong He dated March 20, 2006

  4.16*  

Form of Operation and Management by and among Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Acorn Advertising Broadcasting Co. Ltd./Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd./Shanghai Acorn Network Development Technology Co., Ltd., Don Dongjie Yang and David Chenghong He

  4.17*  

Form of Equity Pledge Agreement among Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Don Dongjie Yang and David Chenghong He

  4.18*  

Form of Exclusive Technical Service Agreement between Shanghai Acorn Advertising Broadcasting Co., Ltd./Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd./Shanghai Acorn Network Development Technology Co., Ltd. and Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

  4.19*  

Form of Exclusive Purchase Agreement among Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Don Dongjie Yang, David Chenghong He and Shanghai Acorn Advertising Broadcasting Co., Ltd./Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd./Shanghai Acorn Network Development Technology Co., Ltd.

  4.20*  

Form of Power of Attorney issued by Don Dongjie Yang and David Chenghong He in favor of designees of Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

  4.21*  

Agreement among Don Dongjie Yang, David Chenghong He, Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Acorn International Electronic Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. dated March 20, 2006

  4.22*  

Agreement among Don Dongjie Yang, David Chenghong He, Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai HJX Digital Technology Co., Ltd. dated March 20, 2006

  4.23*  

Agreement between China Express Mail Service Corporation and Shanghai Acorn Network Technology Development Co., Ltd. dated March 24, 2006

  4.24*  

Joint Venture Contract between China DRTV, Inc. and Zhuhai Sunrana Cosmetics Products Co., Ltd. dated May 10, 2006

  4.25*  

Voting Agreement among James Yujun Hu, The 2004 Trust for Robert W. Roche’s Descendants and Acorn Composite Corporation dated July 6, 2006

  4.26*  

Voting Agreement between SB Asia Investment Fund II L.P. and James Yujun Hu dated March 30, 2007

  4.27*†  

Strategic Cooperation Agreement dated January 24, 2007 between Unicom Huasheng Telecommunication Technology Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Acorn Advertising Broadcasting Co., Ltd. and the Supplementary Agreement dated March 12, 2007

  4.28*  

Subscription Agreement dated April 17, 2007 by and among Acorn International, Inc., Alibaba.com Corporation, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

  4.29  

Exclusive Partnership Agreement between Global Infomercial Services, Inc. and Acorn International, Inc.

 

122


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Exhibit
Number

 

Description

  4.30  

Loan Agreement dated November 29, 2011 by and among Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge

  4.31  

Operation and Management dated November 29, 2011 by and among Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd., Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge

  4.32  

Operation and Management dated November 29, 2011 by and among Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Acorn Network Technology Development Co., Ltd., Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge

  4.33  

Equity Pledge Agreement dated November 29, 2011 among Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge in connection with shares of Shanghai Acorn Network Technology Development Co., Ltd.

  4.34  

Equity Pledge Agreement dated November 29, 2011 among Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge in connection with shares of Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd.

  4.35  

Exclusive Purchase Agreement dated November 29, 2011 among Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Don Dongjie Yang, Weiguo Ge and Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd.

  4.36  

Exclusive Purchase Agreement dated November 29, 2011 among Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Don Dongjie Yang, Weiguo Ge and Shanghai Acorn Network Development Technology Co., Ltd.

  4.37  

Power of Attorney dated November 29, 2011 issued by Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge in favor of designees of Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in connection with Shanghai Acorn Network Technology Development Co., Ltd.

  4.38  

Power of Attorney dated November 29, 2011 issued by Don Dongjie Yang and Weiguo Ge in favor of designees of Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in connection with Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd.

  4.39  

Letter of Consent dated November 29, 2011 issued by Wenjun Hu

  4.40  

Letter of Consent dated November 29, 2011 issued by Zhongqiu Cui

  8.1  

List of subsidiaries

11.1*  

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of Acorn International, Inc.

12.1  

CEO Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

12.2  

CFO Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

13.1  

CEO Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

13.2  

CFO Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

23.1  

Consent of Commerce & Finance

23.2  

Consent of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd.

101.INS***  

XBRL Instance Document

101.SCH***  

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

101.CAL***  

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.DEF***  

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

 

123


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Exhibit
Number

 

Description

101.LAB***  

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

101.PRE***  

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

 

*

Previously filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on F-1 registration (File No. 333-141860), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 3, 2007.

**

Incorporated by reference to the Registration Statement on Form F-6 (File No. 333-142177), which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to American depositary shares representing ordinary shares on April 17, 2007.

***

XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language) information is furnished and not filed or a part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933, is deemed not filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and otherwise is not subject to liability under these sections.

Confidential treatment has been granted with respect to certain portions of this exhibit. A complete copy of the agreement, including the redacted portions, has been filed separately with the Commission.

 

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SIGNATURE

The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on its behalf.

 

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
     /s/    Geoffrey Weiji Gao

Name:

     Geoffrey Weiji Gao

Title:

     Principal Financial and Accounting Officer

Date: April 23, 2012


Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-2   

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2010 and 2011

     F-5   

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011

     F-7   
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity and Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the Years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011      F-9   

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011

     F-11   

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

     F-13   

Additional Information—Financial Statement Schedule I

     F-49   

 

F-1


Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Acorn International, Inc. and its subsidiaries and variable interest entities (collectively, the “Group”) as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in equity and comprehensive income (loss) and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2011 and related financial statement schedule. These financial statements and related financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Group’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and related financial statement schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, such consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Acorn International, Inc. and its subsidiaries and variable interest entities as of December 31, 2010 and 2011 and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2011 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects, the information set forth therein.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the Group’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011, based on the criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated April 23, 2012 expressed an adverse opinion on the Group’s internal control over financial reporting.

/s/    Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd.

Shanghai, China

April 23, 2012

 

F-2


Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

We have audited Acorn International, Inc. and its subsidiaries and variable interest entities (collectively, the “Group”) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011, based on the criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting in Item 15T. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on that risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by the company’s board of directors, management, and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of the inherent limitations of internal control over financial reporting, including the possibility of collusion or improper management override of controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The following material weaknesses have been identified and included in management’s assessment: “a lack of accounting personnel with an appropriate level of U.S. GAAP technical accounting knowledge and experience, insufficient written policies and procedures related to U.S. GAAP accounting, financial reporting requirements and SEC disclosure requirements, and insufficient monitoring of the implementation of its policies and procedures in relation to internal control over financial reporting.” These material weaknesses were considered in determining the nature, timing, and extent of audit tests applied in our audit of the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2011, of the Company and this report does not affect our report on such financial statements and financial statement schedule.

 

F-3


Table of Contents

In our opinion, because of the effect of the material weaknesses identified above on the achievement of the objectives of the control criteria, the Company has not maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011, based on the criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule as of and for the year ended December 31, 2011, of the Group and our report dated April 23, 2011 expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements and financial statement schedule.

/s/    Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd.

Shanghai, China

April 23, 2012

 

F-4


Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In US dollars, except share data)

 

    December 31,  
    2010     2011  

Assets

   

Current assets:

   

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 91,667,392      $ 111,180,139   

Restricted cash

    2,225,882        1,556,852   

Short-term investments

    10,267,178        9,993,720   

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $673,242 and $4,157,614 as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively

    15,299,525        16,693,959   

Notes receivable

    1,645,263        —     

Inventory

    22,671,041        32,888,645   

Prepaid advertising expenses

    8,433,014        11,654,922   

Other prepaid expenses and current assets, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $48,067 and $144,903 as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively

    9,599,082        9,928,245   

Deferred tax assets, net

    4,188,288        3,465,795   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current assets

    165,996,665        197,362,277   

Prepaid land use right

    7,423,358        8,105,061   

Property and equipment, net

    19,307,886        29,803,901   

Acquired intangible assets, net

    2,560,753        2,126,596   

Long-term investments

    8,681,902        —     

Investments in affiliates

    7,911,525        6,794,955   

Other long-term assets

    2,749,568        1,482,881   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

  $ 214,631,657      $ 245,675,671   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Liabilities and equity

   

Current liabilities:

   

Accounts payable

  $ 12,854,188      $ 21,023,807   

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

    11,261,381        18,910,178   

Notes payable

    2,212,292        4,411,840   

Income taxes payable

    3,678,693        3,603,813   

Dividend payable

    15,177        467   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

    30,021,731        47,950,105   

Deferred tax liability

    790,627        831,006   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

    30,812,358        48,781,111   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Commitments and contingencies (Note 21)

   

Equity:

   

Acorn International, Inc. shareholders’ equity:

   

Ordinary shares ($0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized 93,904,748 and 94,566,617 shares issued and 89,276,915 and 89,938,784 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively)

    939,047        945,666   

Additional paid-in capital

    159,630,208        160,632,659   

Retained earnings

    10,837,013        15,960,272   

Accumulated other comprehensive income

    22,480,106        30,320,856   

Treasury stock, at cost (4,627,833 and 4,627,833 shares as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively)

    (11,463,946     (11,463,946
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Acorn International, Inc. shareholders’ equity

    182,422,428        196,395,507   

Noncontrolling interests

    1,396,871        499,053   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total equity

    183,819,299        196,894,560   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity

  $ 214,631,657      $ 245,675,671   
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-5


Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS — (Continued)

(In US dollars, except share data)

 

The following table presents the carrying amounts and classification of the assets of the consolidated variable interest entities (“VIEs”), which are included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets above. The assets in the table below exclude intercompany balances that eliminate in consolidation. The assets of the consolidated VIEs as presented in the following table can be used to settle obligations of those VIEs.

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2011  

Assets of consolidated VIEs:

     

Current assets:

     

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 22,398,507       $ 9,656,526   

Restricted cash

     300,482         185,688   

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $313,213 and $3,035,891 as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively

     9,889,702         11,774,304   

Inventory

     3,359,935         4,121,860   

Prepaid advertising expenses

     —           5,237   

Other prepaid expenses and current assets

     2,541,394         2,313,715   

Deferred tax assets, net

     993,896         1,974,147   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total current assets

     39,483,916         30,031,477   

Property and equipment, net

     3,274,242         6,221,060   

Other long-term assets

     339,741         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets of consolidated VIEs

   $ 43,097,899       $ 36,252,537   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

The following table presents the carrying amounts and classification of the liabilities of the consolidated VIEs, which are included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets above. The liabilities in the table below include third party liabilities of the consolidated VIEs only, and exclude intercompany balances that eliminate in consolidation. All the liabilities of the consolidated VIEs as presented in the following table are without recourse to the general credit of Acorn International, Inc.

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2011  

Liabilities of consolidated VIEs:

     

Current liabilities:

     

Accounts payable

   $ 810,444       $ 3,248,635   

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

     4,093,751         8,023,493   

Income taxes payable

     74,170         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total liabilities of consolidated VIEs

   $ 4,978,365       $ 11,272,128   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

F-6


Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In US dollars, except share data)

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011  

Revenues:

      

Direct sales, net

   $ 160,357,948      $ 195,821,308      $ 291,524,509   

Distribution sales, net

     127,227,672        97,419,877        70,533,404   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenues, net

     287,585,620        293,241,185        362,057,913   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cost of revenues:

      

Direct sales

     67,530,966        106,990,383        160,359,667   

Distribution sales

     83,096,932        74,732,116        45,584,141   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total cost of revenues

     150,627,898        181,722,499        205,943,808   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross profit

     136,957,722        111,518,686        156,114,105   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating (expenses) income

      

Advertising expenses

     (61,048,515     (58,469,862     (68,562,714

Other selling and marketing expenses

     (42,955,923     (43,376,505     (59,854,030

General and administrative expenses

     (31,195,949     (25,434,172     (31,680,711

Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets

     (15,247,873     —          —     

Other operating income, net

     6,004,481        2,976,811        5,083,568   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating (expenses) income

     (144,443,779     (124,303,728     (155,013,887
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) from operations

     (7,486,057     (12,785,042     1,100,218   

Other income

     2,067,723        4,825,700        7,821,914   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income taxes, equity in losses of affiliates, discontinued operations and extraordinary items

     (5,418,334     (7,959,342     8,922,132   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income tax (expenses) benefits:

      

Current

     (1,280,089     (334,277     (2,178,034

Deferred

     3,819,354        1,873,217        (932,962
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total income tax (expenses) benefits

     2,539,265        1,538,940        (3,110,996
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Equity in losses of affiliates

     (416,337     (796,721     (771,720

Income (loss) from continuing operations

     (3,295,406     (7,217,123     5,039,416   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Discontinued operations (Note 4):

      

Income from discontinued operations

     841,559        —          —     

Gain on disposition of discontinued operations

     16,366,355        —          —     

Income tax expenses

     (1,845,225     —          —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total income from discontinued operations

     15,362,689        —          —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income from extraordinary items, net of tax (Note 3)

     —          827,531        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

     12,067,283        (6,389,592     5,039,416   

Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests

     (184,019     (19,589     83,843   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income (loss) attributable to Acorn International, Inc. shareholders

   $ 11,883,264      $ (6,409,181   $ 5,123,259   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-7


Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS — (Continued)

(In US dollars, except share data)

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011  

Income (loss) per ordinary share:

      

—Continuing operations

   $ (0.04   $ (0.08   $ 0.06   

—Discontinued operations

     0.17        —          —     

—Extraordinary items

     —          0.01        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic

   $ 0.13      $ (0.07   $ 0.06   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

—Continuing operations

   $ (0.04   $ (0.08   $ 0.06   

—Discontinued operations

     0.17        —          —     

—Extraordinary items

     —          0.01        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted

   $ 0.13      $ (0.07   $ 0.06   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted average number of shares used in calculating income (loss) per ordinary share:

      

Basic

     88,174,675        88,923,162        89,629,395   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted

     88,174,675        88,923,162        89,796,835   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income (loss) attributable to Acorn International, Inc. shareholders:

      

Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax

   $ (2,999,844   $ (7,236,712   $ 5,123,259   

Income from discontinued operations, net of tax

     14,883,108        —          —     

Income from extraordinary items, net of tax

     —          827,531        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 11,883,264      $ (6,409,181   $ 5,123,259   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Includes share-based compensation related to:

      

Other selling and marketing expenses

   $ 94,453      $ —        $ —     

General and administrative expenses

     1,751,432        215,171        129,673   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 1,845,885      $ 215,171      $ 129,673   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

F-8


Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

(In US dollars, except share data)

 

    Acorn International, Inc. shareholders’ equity     Noncontrolling
interests
    Total equity  
    Ordinary shares     Additional
paid-in
capital
    Retained
earnings
    Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income
    Treasury stock, at cost     Total      
    Shares     Amount           Shares     Amount        

Balance at January 1, 2009

    93,543,506      $ 935,435      $ 206,829,574      $ 8,558,966      $ 15,113,507        (5,334,138   $ (15,676,206   $ 215,761,276      $ 13,564,340      $ 229,325,616   

Net income

    —          —          —          11,883,264        —          —          —          11,883,264        184,019        12,067,283   

Unrealized gains on available-for-sale securities

    —          —          —          —          2,312,564        —          —          2,312,564        19,965        2,332,529   

Foreign currency translation adjustments

    —          —          —          —          136,490        —          —          136,490        3,700        140,190   
               

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income

                  14,332,318        207,684        14,540,002   
               

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Exercise of stock options

    1,242        12        2,050        —          —          —          —          2,062        —          2,062   

Repurchase of ordinary shares

    —          —          —          —          —          (1,917,798     (2,288,136     (2,288,136     —          (2,288,136

Issuance of repurchased shares in connection with the acquisition of Yiyang Yukang

    —          —          —          (3,047,436     —          2,564,103        6,351,796        3,304,360        —          3,304,360   

Share-based compensation

    —          —          1,845,885        —          —          —          —          1,845,885        —          1,845,885   

Appropriated special dividend

    —          —          (29,322,782     —          —          —          —          (29,322,782     —          (29,322,782

Noncontrolling interests upon formation of a subsidiary

    —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —          758,720        758,720   

Noncontrolling interests derecognized upon deconsolidation of Shanghai Yimeng

    —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —          (13,139,887     (13,139,887
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2009

    93,544,748      $ 935,447      $ 179,354,727      $ 17,394,794      $ 17,562,561        (4,687,833   $ (11,612,546   $ 203,634,983      $ 1,390,857      $ 205,025,840   

Net income (loss)

    —          —          —          (6,409,181     —          —          —          (6,409,181     19,589        (6,389,592

Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities

    —          —          —          —          (7,345     —          —          (7,345     115,558        108,213   

Foreign currency translation adjustments

    —          —          —          —          4,924,890        —          —          4,924,890        13,826        4,938,716   
               

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income (loss)

                  (1,491,636     148,973        (1,342,663
               

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Exercise of stock options

    360,000        3,600        594,000        —          —          —          —          597,600        —          597,600   

Issuance of repurchased shares upon vesting of restricted share units

    —          —          —          (148,600     —          60,000        148,600        —          —          —     

Share-based compensation

    —          —          215,171        —          —          —          —          215,171        —          215,171   

Appropriated special dividend

    —          —          (20,533,690     —          —          —          —          (20,533,690     —          (20,533,690

Noncontrolling interests derecognized upon deconsolidation of Shanghai An-Nai-Chi

    —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —          (142,959     (142,959
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2010

    93,904,748      $ 939,047      $ 159,630,208      $ 10,837,013      $ 22,480,106        (4,627,833   $ (11,463,946   $ 182,422,428      $ 1,396,871      $ 183,819,299   

 

F-9


Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) — (Continued)

(In US dollars, except share data)

 

    Acorn International, Inc. shareholders’ equity     Noncontrolling
interests
    Total equity  
    Ordinary shares     Additional
paid-in
capital
    Retained
earnings
    Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income
    Treasury stock, at cost     Total      
    Shares     Amount           Shares     Amount        

Exercise of stock options

    556,581        5,566        873,831        —          —          —          —          879,397        —          879,397   

Net income (loss)

    —          —          —          5,123,259       —          —          —          5,123,259        (83,843     5,039,416   

Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities

    —          —          —          —          21,965        —          —          21,965        (87,900     (65,935

Gains on disposition of available-for-sale securities

    —          —          —          —          (499,019     —          —          (499,019     (47,623     (546,642

Foreign currency translation adjustments

    —          —          —          —          8,317,804        —          —          8,317,804        21,078        8,338,882   
               

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income (loss)

                  12,964,009        (198,288     12,765,721   
               

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Exercise of restricted share units

    105,288        1,053        (1,053     —          —          —          —          —          —          —     

Share-based compensation

    —          —          129,673        —          —          —          —          129,673        —          129,673   

Noncontrolling interests derecognized upon deconsolidation of Acorn Hong Kong

    —          —          —          —          —          —          —          —          (699,530     (699,530
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2011

    94,566,617      $ 945,666      $ 160,632,659      $ 15,960,272      $ 30,320,856        (4,627,833   $ (11,463,946   $ 196,395,507      $ 499,053      $ 196,894,560   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

F-10


Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In US dollars, except share data)

 

    For the years ended December 31,  
    2009     2010     2011  

Operating activities:

     

Net income (loss)

  $ 12,067,283      $ (6,389,592   $ 5,039,416   

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:

     

Gain on disposition of discontinued operations, net of taxes

    (14,386,301     —          —     

Gain on deconsolidation of Shanghai An-Nai-Chi

    —          (1,038,542     —     

Loss on deregistration of Zhuhai Sunrana

    —          63,859        —     

Extraordinary gain on reversal of business combination liability upon contingency resolved, net of tax

    —          (827,531     —     

Goodwill and intangible assets impairment loss

    15,247,873        —          —     

Share-based compensation

    1,845,885        215,171        129,673   

Equity in losses of affiliates

    416,337        796,721        771,720   

Gains from sale of investment in affiliate

    —          (404,750     (5,421,753

Gains from sale of long-term investment

    —          —          (546,642

Gain from sale of Acorn Hong Kong

    —          —          (55,379

Loss (gain) on change in fair value of derivative assets

    1,306,256        (199,412     306,483   

Allowance for doubtful receivables

    (3,024,575     (859,055     3,581,208   

Depreciation and amortization

    5,561,533        4,154,383        5,149,627   

Gains from disposal of equipment and other long-term assets

    64,463        54,993        154,602   

Deferred income tax expenses (benefits)

    (4,625,879     (1,873,217     932,962   

Gain on trading securities

    (1,577,648     (1,781,345     (417,547

Accrued interest on available-for-sale securities

    (735,455     (382,930     (212,000

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

     

Purchase of trading securities

    (45,906,632     (10,652,665     (9,795,547

Proceeds from sales of trading securities

    36,112,589        20,920,360        11,002,424   

Accounts receivable

    11,785,575        2,336,902        (4,878,806

Notes receivable

    (2,092,034     597,378        1,645,263   

Inventory

    3,118,315        3,158,960        (10,217,604

Prepaid advertising expenses

    6,449,501        1,535,479        (3,221,908

Other prepaid expenses and current assets

    18,469,172        (2,011,215     (526,185

Purchase of prepaid land use right

    (7,489,280     —          (491,281

Accounts payable

    (6,178,250     (1,945,902     8,169,619   

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

    (3,442,827     (2,702,046     7,648,797   

Notes payable

    (404,854     (1,040,713     2,199,548   

Income taxes payable

    (806,305     256,432        (74,880

Deferred revenue

    6,029,869        —          —     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $ 27,804,611      $ 1,981,723      $ 10,871,810   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Investing activities:

     

Purchase of available-for-sale securities

    (1,355,325     —          —     

Redemption of available-for-sale securities by the issuer

    10,000,000        —          —     

Purchase of property and equipment

    (3,079,508     (6,301,037     (12,490,728

Proceeds from disposal of equipment

    24,773        33,628        128,575   

Purchase of acquired intangible assets

    (514,814     —          —     

Purchase of other long-term assets

    (891,379     (2,568,234     (715,377

Proceeds from disposal of other long-term assets

    —          200,827        416,345   

Disposal of Shanghai Yimeng, net of cash disposed

    (23,571,819     —          —     

Cash disposed of upon deconsolidation of Shanghai An-Nai-Chi

    —          (905,689     —     

Investments in affiliates

    (3,939,801     —          —     

 

F-11


Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS — (Continued)

(In US dollars, except share data)

 

    For the years ended December 31,  
    2009     2010     2011  

Sale of investments in affiliates

    —          1,882,862        6,106,399   

Sale of long-term investment

    —          —          8,572,520   

Disposal of Acorn Hong Kong

    —          —          (653,353

Decrease (Increase) in restricted cash

    (969,111     168,331        669,030   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

  $ (24,296,984   $ (7,489,312   $ 2,033,411   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Financing activities:

     

Capital contribution from noncontrolling interests

    758,720        —          —     

Dividends paid

    —          (49,841,295     (14,710

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

    2,062        597,600        879,397   

Repurchase of ordinary shares

    (2,288,136     —          —     

Yiyang Yukang first earn-out payment

    (6,700,000     —          —     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in financing activities

  $ (8,227,354   $ (49,243,695   $ 864,687   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Effect of exchange rate changes

  $ 23,897      $ 3,465,732      $ 5,742,839   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

  $ (4,695,830   $ (51,285,552   $ 19,512,747   

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

    147,648,774        142,952,944        91,667,392   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

  $ 142,952,944      $ 91,667,392      $ 111,180,139   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

     

Income taxes paid

  $ 2,567,446      $ 842,366      $ 3,302,300   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities:

     

Business combination liability reversal upon resolution of contingency, net of tax

  $ —        $ (827,531  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

Issuance of ordinary shares as purchase price in Yiyang Yukang acquisition

  $ 3,304,360      $ —       
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

Reversal of business combination liability in Yiyang Yukang acquisition

  $ (10,004,360   $ —       
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

Additional information regarding acquisitions and dispositions:

     

Acquisition of Yiyang Yukang:

     

Cash consideration

  $ 6,700,000       

Fair value of ordinary shares issued

    3,304,360       

Direct expenses related to the acquisition

    —         

Business combination liability

    (10,004,360    
 

 

 

     

Assets acquired (including intangible asset of $17,632,341)

  $ —         
 

 

 

     

Purchase consideration settled in cash

  $ (6,700,000    

Add: cash and cash equivalents acquired

    —         
 

 

 

     

Cash outflow on the acquisition

  $ (6,700,000    
 

 

 

     

Disposition of Shanghai Yimeng:

     

Total cash received

  $ 10,477,081       

Less: cash and cash equivalents disposed

    (34,048,900    
 

 

 

     

Cash outflow on the disposition

  $ (23,571,819    
 

 

 

     

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

F-12


Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

1. Organization and principal activities

Acorn International, Inc. (“Acorn International”) was incorporated in Cayman Islands on December 20, 2005. China DRTV, Inc. (“China DRTV”) was incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”) on March 4, 2004.

Acorn International and its subsidiaries and variable interest entities (“VIEs”) (collectively, the “Group”) is an integrated multi-platform marketing company in China which develops, promotes and sells products. The Group’s two primary sales platforms are integrated direct sales and a nationwide distribution network. Direct sales platforms include TV direct sales, third-party bank channel sales, catalogs sales, internet sales and direct sales through print media and radio. Direct sales are not only combined with the nationwide distribution network to market and sell the Group’s products to consumers, but also used to promote and sell third-party branded products to consumers pursuant to joint sales arrangements.

As of December 31, 2011, the subsidiaries and VIEs of Acorn International were as follows:

 

Name of subsidiaries a and variable interest entities

  Percentage of
ownership
    Date of incorporation   Place of incorporation

China DRTV, Inc. (“China DRTV”)

    100   March 4, 2004   BVI

Smooth Profit Limited (“Smooth Profit”)

    100   September 18, 2007   BVI

MK AND T Communications Limited (“MK AND T”)

    100   October 27, 1998   Hong Kong

Bright Rainbow Investments Limited (“Bright Rainbow”)

    100   October 29, 2007   Hong Kong

Shanghai Acorn Advertising Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Advertising”)

    100   August 19, 2004   PRC

Shanghai HJX Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai HJX”)

    100   August 23, 2004   PRC

Acorn International Electronic Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Acorn Electronic”)

    100   August 23, 2004   PRC

Acorn Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Acorn Information”)

    100   August 27, 2004   PRC

Beijing Acorn Youngleda Oxygen Generating Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Youngleda”)

    100   October 20, 2004   PRC

Yiyang Yukang Communication Equipment Co., Ltd. (“Yiyang Yukang”)

    100   November 29, 2005   PRC

Zhuhai Sunrana Bio-tech Co., Ltd. (“Zhuhai Sunrana”)

    51   June 16, 2006   PRC

Shanghai Acorn Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd. (“Acorn Consulting”)

    100   September 26, 2006   PRC

Zhuhai Acorn Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. (“Zhuhai Acorn”)

    100   November 8, 2006   PRC

Beijing HJZX Software Technology Development Co., Ltd. (“Beijing HJZX”)

    100   January 22, 2007   PRC

Zhongshan Meijin Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (“Zhongshan Meijin”)

    75   February 13, 2007   PRC

Acorn Trade (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Acorn Trade”)

    100   December 14, 2007   PRC

Shanghai Acorn HJX Software Technology Development Co., Ltd. (“HJX Software”)

    100   May 12, 2009   PRC

Wuxi Acorn Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd. (“Wuxi Acorn”)

    100   January 29, 2010   PRC

Beijing Acorn Trade Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Acorn”)

    100   March 19, 1998   PRC

Shanghai Acorn Network Technology Development Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Network”)

    100   November 2, 2004   PRC

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

1. Organization and principal activities—(Continued)

 

People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) laws and regulations restrict foreign ownership of entities engaged in direct sales in China. To comply with PRC laws and regulations, Acorn International conducts its direct sales through two VIEs (Beijing Acorn and Shanghai Network) which hold direct sales licenses. The two VIEs are owned 100% by two PRC nationals: Yang Dongjie (or Don Dongjie Yang), Acorn International’s president, Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and director, and Mr. Weiguo Ge, one of the Assistant General Managers of our finance department. Each of the two VIEs was established by the two shareholders on behalf, and for the exclusive benefits of Acorn International. Acorn Information, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Acorn International, entered into various agreements with each of the two VIEs and their shareholders, including (i) Irrevocable Powers of Attorney, under which each of the two shareholders of the VIEs granted to Acorn Information the power to exercise all voting rights as a shareholder of the VIEs, (ii) Loan Agreements, under which Acorn Information made interest-free loans to the shareholders of the VIEs in an aggregate amount of approximately $14.6 million and agreed to make additional interest-free loans not exceeding approximately $3.8 million for capital contributions by the shareholders in the VIEs, (iii) Operation and Management Agreements, under which the shareholders of the VIEs agreed that Acorn Information directs the day-to-day operational and financial activities of the VIEs including appointing directors and senior management, and that the VIEs do not conduct any transactions which might substantially affect their assets, obligations, rights and business operations without the prior written consent of Acorn Information, (iv) Equity Pledge Agreements, under which the shareholders of the VIEs pledged all of their equity interests in the VIEs to Acorn Information as collateral to guarantee the performance of the VIEs under the Operation and Management Agreements and the Exclusive Technical Services Agreements as described below, as well as their personal obligations under the Loan Agreements, (v) Exclusive Purchase Agreements, under which the shareholders of the VIEs irrevocably granted Acorn Information an exclusive option to purchase at any time if and when permitted under PRC law, all or any portion of their equity interests in the VIEs for a price that is the minimum amount permitted by PRC law, and (vi) Technical Service Agreements, under which Acorn Information became the exclusive provider of technical support and consulting services to the VIEs in exchange for service fees.

Through the above arrangements, Acorn Information holds all the variable interests of the two VIEs and has power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic success of the VIEs and absorbs the majority of the economic risks and rewards of the VIEs through service fees. The nominal shareholders lack the ability to make decisions that have a significant effect on the VIEs’ operations and do not absorb the expected losses because the capital of the VIEs were funded using loans borrowed from Acorn Information. Therefore, Acorn International is the primary beneficiary of the two VIEs and accordingly, the financial statements of Beijing Acorn and Shanghai Network have been consolidated with Acorn International as its subsidiaries since they were established.

The ownership structures of Acorn Information and each of the two VIEs are in compliance with existing PRC laws and regulations according to the opinions of the Group’s PRC legal counsel. The contractual arrangements among Acorn Information and the two VIEs and their shareholders are valid, binding and enforceable. However, there are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws and regulations. The PRC regulatory authorities that regulate foreign investment in direct sales companies may take a view in the future that is contrary to the above opinions of the Group’s PRC legal counsel. If the current agreements that establish the structure for conducting the Group’s PRC direct sales business were found to be in violation of existing or future PRC laws or regulations, the Group may be required to restructure its ownership structure and direct sales operations in the PRC to comply with PRC laws and regulations, which may affect the Group’s financial position and cash flows related to these VIE structures. In addition, there are

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

1. Organization and principal activities—(Continued)

 

uncertainties in the PRC legal system that could limit the Group’s ability to enforce these contractual agreements in the event that the consolidated VIEs or their shareholders fail to meet their contractual obligations.

The Group believes that its ability to direct the activities of the two VIEs that most significantly impact the VIEs’ economic performance is not affected by the above uncertainties in the PRC legal system. Accordingly, the two VIEs continue to be consolidated VIEs of the Group.

Summary financial information of the Group’s two VIEs included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements is as follows:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
   2009      2010      2011  

Net revenues

   $ 158,081,331       $ 195,749,845       $ 290,145,402   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net income

   $ 13,664,768       $ 5,243,804       $ 6,876,485   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

In June 2009, the Group sold 33.0% equity interests in Shanghai Yimeng Software Technology Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Yimeng”), a previously consolidated subsidiary engaged in development and marketing of CPS stock tracking software. Upon completion of the disposal, the Group’s equity interests in Shanghai Yimeng decreased from 51.0% to 18.0% and the Group ceased to consolidate Shanghai Yimeng as a subsidiary (refer to Note 4 for details of the discontinuance of the stock tracking software business). The Group accounts for the retained investment in Shanghai Yimeng using the cost method of accounting. In 2010, the Group’s investment in Shanghai Yimeng decreased from 18.0% to 16.2% as a result of the Group’s disposal of 1.8% equity interests. In 2011, the Group’s interests in Shanghai Yimeng further decreased to 12.9% as a result of the dilution due to Shanghai Yimeng’s issuance of additional shares to a new investor.

In January 2010, Shanghai An-Nai-Chi Automobile Maintenance Products Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai An-Nai-Chi”), a previously consolidated subsidiary engaged in manufacturing and selling autocare products, received a cash injection of $1.5 million from a third party investor. Upon the completion of the capital injection, the Group’s equity interests in Shanghai An-Nai-Chi decreased from 51.0% to 33.2% and the Group lost control and ceased to consolidate Shanghai An-Nai-Chi as a subsidiary. The Group accounts for the retained investment in Shanghai An-Nai-Chi using the equity method of accounting.

In May 2011, U King Communication Equipment (Hong Kong) Limited (“U King Hong Kong”), a previously consolidated subsidiary of the Group, was deregistered and the Group ceased to consolidate U King Hong Kong upon the completion of this deregistration.

In December 2011, the Group sold all of its 51% equity interest in Acorn Hong Kong Holdings Limited. (“Acorn Hong Kong”), a previously consolidated subsidiary of the Group for cash consideration of HK$6.1 million ($0.8 million USD equivalent). Upon the completion of the disposal, the Group ceased to consolidate Acorn Hong Kong as a subsidiary. The gain on the disposition of the investment in Acorn Hong Kong in 2011 was $55,379 and was recognized in other income in the consolidated statement of operations.

2. Summary of principal accounting policies

(a) Basis of presentation

The consolidated financial statements of the Group have been prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”).

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

2. Summary of principal accounting policies—(Continued)

 

(b) Basis of consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of Acorn International, its majority-owned subsidiaries and consolidated VIEs. All intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated upon consolidation.

Net income or loss of a subsidiary is attributed to the Company and to the noncontrolling interests even if this results in the noncontrolling interests having a deficit balance. Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries are presented separately from the Group’s equity therein.

(c) Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires the Group to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant accounting estimates reflected in the Group’s financial statements include allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory valuation, assumptions related to the valuation of available-for-sale debt securities and embedded derivative, useful lives and impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill, assumptions used in purchase price allocation, assumptions related to the valuation of share-based compensation and related forfeiture rates, assumptions used in determining the fair value of retained noncontrolling investment upon deconsolidation of former subsidiaries, and valuation allowance on deferred tax assets and provision for uncertain tax positions.

(d) Fair value of financial instruments

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (also referred to as an exit price) and expands disclosure requirements about assets and liabilities measured at fair value. The guidance establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that gives the highest priority to observable inputs and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs as follows:

 

   

Level 1 — Observable unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

   

Level 2 — Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities, for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

 

   

Level 3 — Unobservable inputs to the valuation methodology that are significant to the measurement of fair value of assets or liabilities.

When available, the Group measures the fair value of financial instruments based on quoted market prices in active markets, valuation techniques that use observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data. The Group uses valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are classified in the categories of Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Pricing information the Group obtains from third parties is internally validated for reasonableness prior to use in the consolidated financial statements. When observable market prices are not readily available, the Group generally estimates the fair value using valuation techniques that rely on alternate

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

2. Summary of principal accounting policies—(Continued)

 

(d) Fair value of financial instruments—(Continued)

 

market data or inputs that are generally less readily observable from objective sources and are estimated based on pertinent information available at the time of the applicable reporting periods. In certain cases, fair values are not subject to precise quantification or verification and may fluctuate as economic and market factors vary and the Group’s evaluation of those factors changes. Although the Group uses its best judgment in estimating the fair value of these financial instruments, there are inherent limitations in any estimation technique. In these cases, a minor change in an assumption could result in a significant change in its estimate of fair value, thereby increasing or decreasing the amounts of the Group’s consolidated assets, liabilities, equity and net income or loss.

The Group’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments, accounts receivable, notes receivable, long-term investments, accounts payable and notes payable. For cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, notes receivable, accounts payable and notes payable, the carrying amounts of these financial instruments as of December 31, 2010 and 2011 were considered representative of their fair values due to their short terms to maturity.

(e) Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and highly liquid investments which are unrestricted as to withdrawal or use, and which have original maturities of three months or less when purchased.

Cash balances of the Group that are included in the cash and cash equivalents of the consolidated balance sheets, including those denominated in RMB, may be withdrawn and used for the Group’s general operations without prior notice or penalty. The PRC government imposes certain controls on the convertibility of the RMB into foreign currencies, and in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. However, the Group does not consider the process for converting RMB into foreign currency in compliance with these controls to be a usage restriction and such process is not expected to result in any penalties provided that the Group complies with all above-mentioned processes as required.

The RMB is not a freely convertible currency. The PRC State Administration for Foreign Exchange, under the authority of the People’s Bank of China, controls the conversion of RMB into foreign currencies. The value of the RMB is subject to changes in central government policies and to international economic and political developments affecting supply and demand in China’s foreign exchange trading system market. The Group’s aggregate amount of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash denominated in RMB amounted to RMB589,520,324 and RMB622,530,680 as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

(f) Restricted cash

Under the notes payable and third-party bank channel sales arrangements with the banks, the Group is required to maintain certain cash balances in the banks based on the amounts of notes payable granted or certain fixed amounts. These balances related to the notes payable and third-party bank channel sales arrangements were reflected as restricted cash in the balance sheet and amounted to $2,225,882 and $1,556,852 as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

2. Summary of principal accounting policies—(Continued)

 

(g) Short-term and long-term investments

The Group’s short-term investments consist of trading securities.

The Group’s long-term investments consist of available-for-sale securities and an embedded derivative instrument.

Securities that the Group buys and holds principally for the purpose of selling them in the near term are classified as trading securities. Trading securities are recorded at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses recognized in other income (expense) in the consolidated statements of operations.

Securities that the Group has the positive intention and ability to hold to maturity are classified as held-to-maturity securities and reported at amortized cost.

Securities not classified as either trading securities or held-to-maturity securities are classified as available-for-sale securities and reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss in equity. Realized gains or losses are recognized in the consolidated statements of operations during the period in which the gains or losses are realized. If the Group determines that a decline in the fair value of the individual available-for-sale security is other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the security is written down to the fair value as a new cost basis and the amount of the write-down is accounted for as a realized loss. The new cost basis will not be changed for subsequent recoveries in fair value. The Group reviews several factors to determine whether a loss is other-than-temporary. These factors include, but are not limited to: (1) the nature of the investment; (2) the cause and duration of the impairment; (3) the extent to which fair value is less than cost; (4) financial conditions and near term prospects of the issuers; and (5) the Group’s ability to hold the security for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery of its amortized cost or fair value.

The Group recognizes other-than-temporary impairment of debt securities in earnings if the Group has the intent to sell the debt security or if it is more-likely-than-not that the Group will be required to sell the debt security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. The Group evaluates expected cash flows to be received and determines if credit-related losses on debt securities exist, which are considered to be other-than-temporary impairment recognized in earnings.

Available-for-sale securities not expected to be realized in cash or sold in the next normal operating cycle of the business are classified as long-term investments. The Group does not hold any available-for-sale securities as of December 31, 2011.

(h) Derivative instruments

Derivative instruments are recognized as assets or liabilities and measured at fair value initially and at the end of each reporting period. Changes in fair value of the derivatives are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. The Group’s derivative instruments do not qualify for hedge accounting.

The Group holds an investment in share options of a Japanese public company that meet the definition of a derivative instrument. In addition, one of the Group’s long-term investments contains an embedded derivative instrument that is linked to an equity index and an interest rate index. The embedded derivative is bifurcated from the host contract and accounted for separately.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

2. Summary of principal accounting policies—(Continued)

 

(h) Derivative instruments—(Continued)

 

The balances of the share options of the Japanese public company are presented in other long-term assets in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31 2010. The balances of the embedded derivative and the host security are combined in one line and presented in long-term investments in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2010. The Group does not hold any derivative instruments as of December 31, 2011.

(i) Inventory

The cost of inventory comprises all costs of purchase, costs of conversion, and other costs incurred to bring inventory to its present location and condition. The cost of inventory is calculated using the weighted-average method.

The inventory is stated at the lower of cost or market value. Adjustments are recorded to write down the cost of obsolete and excess inventory to the estimated market value. The Group estimates excess and slow-moving inventory based upon assumptions of future demands and market conditions. If actual market conditions are less favorable than projected by management, additional inventory write-downs may be required.

(j) Prepaid land use right

Prepaid land use right is valued at the cost to obtain the right less accumulated amortization. Amortization is computed on a straight-line basis over the useful life of the right.

In January 2009, the Group obtained a 50-year land use right for a piece of land in Qingpu district of Shanghai for an aggregate cash consideration of $7,489,280.

In 2011, the cost of the prepaid land use right increased to $8.6 million mainly due to the land occupation tax paid in accordance with the relevant statutory laws and regulations.

(k) Property and equipment, net

Property and equipment are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are calculated on a straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

 

    

Estimated useful lives

Buildings

   20 years

Leasehold improvements

  

Lesser of the term of the lease or the

estimated useful lives of the assets

Machinery

   10 years

Information Technology equipment

   5 years

Computers and office equipment

   3-5 years

Vehicles

   4 years

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

2. Summary of principal accounting policies—(Continued)

 

(l) Acquired intangible assets, net

Acquired intangible assets, which consist primarily of distribution networks and trademarks, are valued at cost less accumulated amortization. Amortization is computed using the straight-line method over their expected useful lives of 5 to 15 years.

(m) Impairment of long-lived assets

The Group evaluates its long-lived assets and finite-lived intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. When these events occur, the Group measures impairment by comparing the carrying amount of the assets to the future undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use of the assets and their eventual disposition. If the sum of the future undiscounted cash flow is less than the carrying amount of the assets, the Group would recognize an impairment loss equal to the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets.

(n) Investment in affiliates

The affiliated companies, in which the Group does not have significant influence, are accounted for using cost method of accounting. Dividends received that are distributed from the net accumulated earnings of the investee are recognized in the Group’s consolidated statements of operations. Dividends received in excess of earnings are recorded as reductions of cost of the investment. A series of operating losses of the investee or other factors may indicate that a decrease in value of the investment has occurred which is other-than-temporary and should accordingly be recognized.

The affiliated companies in which the Group has significant influence are accounted for using equity method of accounting. The share of earnings or losses of the investee are recognized in the Group’s consolidated statements of operations and adjusts the carrying amount of the investment. Dividends received reduce the carrying amount of the investment. A series of operating losses of the investee or other factors may indicate that a decrease in value of the investment has occurred which is other-than-temporary and should accordingly be recognized even though the decrease in value is in excess of what would otherwise be recognized by application of the equity method of accounting.

(o) Revenue recognition

Direct sales, net

The Group’s direct sales net revenues primarily represent product sales through the Group’s TV direct sales and other direct sales platforms, such as third-party bank channel sales, outbound calls, catalog sales, internet sales, and direct sales through print media and radio. The Group recognizes net revenues for products sold through its direct sales platforms once the products are delivered to and accepted by the customers (“F.O.B. Destination”).

Under joint sales arrangements, the Group generates direct sales net revenues from the sales of products and also receives payments from the joint sales partners based on sales of the featured products through the joint sales partners’ own distribution channels. These payments are classified as a reduction to cost of direct sales net revenues via a reduction in the purchase price of the products purchased by the Group from the joint sales partners.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

2. Summary of principal accounting policies—(Continued)

 

(o) Revenue recognition—(Continued)

 

The Group conducted promotional activities of direct sales primarily through the use of cash coupon discounts and the membership based loyalty program which includes membership points. There is no membership fee associated with the loyalty program and all points expire one year after the points are issued. All such costs netted against revenues at the time the revenue is recorded. The Group uses historical trend experience to accrue for cash coupon discounts and membership points. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the costs associated with cash coupon discounts and membership points were insignificant.

The Group relies on China Express Mail Service Corporation (“EMS”) and local delivery companies to provide the Group data as to their successful deliveries for the Group’s direct sales products. EMS and local delivery companies regularly report product delivery information. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, direct sales net revenues were adjusted in the current accounting period based on actual unsuccessful product deliveries experience reported by EMS and local delivery companies. For unsuccessful deliveries, EMS and local delivery companies are required to return the undelivered products to the Group. It generally takes two to three weeks for EMS to return the undelivered products to the Group whereas it generally takes seven days for local delivery companies to do so.

Distribution sales, net

The Group’s distribution sales net revenues represent product sales to the distributors comprising the Group’s nationwide distribution networks. The distributor agreements do not provide discounts, chargeback, price protection or stock rotation rights. However, there were certain distributor agreements that provided performance-based cash rebates which were netted against revenues at the time the revenue was recorded. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the costs associated with cash rebates were insignificant. The Group recognizes net revenues for products sold through its nationwide distribution networks when the products are delivered to and accepted by the distributors (e.g. “F.O.B. Destination”). In most cases, the distributors are required to pay in advance for the Group’s products. Some distributors are given customary credit terms within the industry based on their creditworthiness.

Software revenue recognition

The Group generated revenues from annual subscription fees from subscribers for the Group’s stock tracking software which includes access to the Group’s initial software CD containing data analysis tools and services. Upon receipt of the upfront cash payments from the subscriber, the Group provides an access code to the subscriber and activates the subscriber’s account when the subscriber first logs on. This commences the one-year subscription period and the full payment is deferred and recognized ratably over the one-year subscription period. After the initial subscription period, the subscribers can register for an additional one year renewal. The pricing of the initial subscription fee and renewal fee is same regardless of whether it is sold by the Group directly or through the Group’s distribution network. Because the data services are essential to the functionality of the software analysis tools, the Group recognizes revenue ratably over the one-year subscription period. In June 2009, the Group discontinued its stock tracking software business and included a gain from disposition and its results prior to the disposition in income from discontinued operations in the consolidated statements of operations (refer to Note 4 for details of the discontinuance of the stock tracking software business).

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

2. Summary of principal accounting policies—(Continued)

 

(o) Revenue recognition—(Continued)

 

Sales returns and product warranty

The Group estimates the amount of sales returns and cost of product warranty replacements based on the products’ historical trend of sales returns and current economic trends including market acceptance of new and existing products. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the sales returns and warranty replacements were insignificant.

Sales taxes

The Group presents revenues net of sales taxes incurred. The sales taxes amounted to $195,923, $285,092 and $940,745 for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Before subtracting sales taxes, gross direct sales revenues were $160,553,758, $196,098,603 and $292,290,123 and gross distribution sales revenues were $127,227,785, $97,427,674 and $70,708,535 for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

(p) Advertising expenses

The Group records cash advances paid to advertising companies as prepaid advertising expenses in the consolidated balance sheets. The Group then expenses the prepaid advertising expenses as the advertisement is shown.

(q) Shipping and handling costs

The Group records costs incurred for shipping and handling as part of other selling and marketing expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Shipping and handling costs were $12,431,793, $8,945,554 and $13,653,621 for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

(r) Operating leases

Leases where substantially all the rewards and risks of ownership of assets remain with the leasing company are accounted for as operating leases. Payments made under operating leases are charged to the consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the lease periods.

(s) Government subsidies

The Group receives unrestricted government subsidies from local government agencies. The government agencies use their discretion to determine the amount of the subsidies with reference to certain taxes paid by the Group, including value-added, business and income taxes. The Group records unrestricted government subsidies as other operating income in the consolidated statements of operations.

The government subsidies in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were $5,094,301, $2,591,538 and $3,037,026, respectively.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

2. Summary of principal accounting policies—(Continued)

 

(t) Income taxes

Current income taxes are provided for in accordance with the relevant statutory tax laws and regulations.

Deferred income taxes are recognized for temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements. Net operating losses are carried forward and credited by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to future years. A valuation allowance is provided to reduce the amount of deferred tax assets if it is considered more-likely-than-not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The components of the deferred tax assets and liabilities are individually classified as current and non-current based on the characteristics of the underlying assets and liabilities, or the expected timing of their use when they do not relate to a specific asset or liability.

The Group recognizes the impact of an uncertain income tax position at the largest amount that is more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon audit by the relevant tax authority. The Group classifies interests and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

(u) Foreign currency translation

The functional currency and reporting currency of Acorn International, China DRTV, Smooth Profit, MK AND T, Bright Rainbow, Acorn Hong Kong and U King Hong Kong are the United States dollar (“US dollar”). Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the US dollar are translated into the US dollar at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in currencies other than the US dollar during the year are converted into US dollar at the applicable rates of exchange prevailing on the first day of the month in which the transactions occurred. Transaction gains and losses are recognized in the consolidated statements of operations as general and administrative expenses.

The financial records of the Group’s PRC subsidiaries and VIEs are denominated in its local currency, the Renminbi (“RMB”), which is the functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at the exchange rates at the balance sheet date. Equity accounts are translated at historical exchange rates. Revenues, expenses, gains and losses are translated using the average rate for the period. Translation adjustments are reported as cumulative translation adjustments and are shown as a separated component of accumulated other comprehensive income in the consolidated statements of changes in equity and comprehensive income (loss).

The aggregated losses through foreign currency transactions in 2009 were $1,925 and the aggregated gains through foreign currency transactions in 2010 and 2011 were $243,752 and $376,167.

(v) Comprehensive income (loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) includes all changes in equity except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners and is comprised of net income (loss), unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities and foreign currency translation adjustments. Comprehensive income (loss) is reported in the consolidated statements of changes in equity and comprehensive income (loss).

(w) Concentration of credit risk

Financial instruments that potentially expose the Group to concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, available-for-sale securities, derivative instruments, accounts

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

2. Summary of principal accounting policies—(Continued)

 

(w) Concentration of credit risk—(Continued)

 

receivable and notes receivable. All of the Group’s cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are held with financial institutions that the Group believes to be high credit quality. The Group’s available-for-sale securities and derivative instruments are issued by financial institutions with high credit ratings and a Japanese public company listed on the JASDAQ. The Group engages delivery companies, mainly EMS, to deliver products to customers and to collect cash from the customers for direct sales gross revenues through direct sales platforms. The Group conducts credit evaluations of delivery companies and generally does not require collateral or other security from its delivery companies. The Group establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts primarily based on the age of the receivables and factors surrounding the credit risk of specific customers.

As of December 31, 2010 and 2011, accounts receivables from EMS were $249,541 and $1,787,055, respectively. These amounts represented 1.6% and 10.7% of the total accounts receivables as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

(x) Share-based compensation

Share-based compensation cost is measured at grant date, based on the fair value of the award, and recognized in expense over the requisite service period. The Group has made an estimate of expected forfeitures and is recognizing compensation costs only for those equity awards expected to vest.

(y) Income (loss) per share

Basic income (loss) per share is computed by dividing income attributable to the Group’s shareholders by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year. Diluted income (loss) per ordinary share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue ordinary shares were exercised or converted into ordinary shares and is calculated using the treasury stock method for stock options and unvested shares. Common equivalent shares for which the exercise price exceeds the average market price over the period have an anti-dilutive effect on income per share and, accordingly, are excluded from the calculation. Common equivalent shares are also excluded from the calculation in loss periods as their effects would be anti-dilutive.

(z) Noncontrolling interest

A noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary of the Group represents the portion of the equity (net assets) in the subsidiary not directly or indirectly attributable to the Group. Noncontrolling interests are presented as a separate component of equity in the consolidated balance sheet and earnings and other comprehensive income are attributed to controlling and noncontrolling interests.

(aa) Recently issued accounting pronouncements

In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued guidance on how to measure fair value and on what disclosures to provide about fair value measurements. The FASB also clarified existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements, amended certain fair value principles, and expanded disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. These amended standards and the adoption of this disclosure-only guidance is effective for the Group’s first fiscal quarter of 2012 and is not expected to have a material impact on the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

2. Summary of principal accounting policies—(Continued)

 

(aa) Recently issued accounting pronouncements—(Continued)

 

In June 2011, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to revise the manner in which entities present comprehensive income in their financial statements. This guidance amends existing presentation and disclosure requirements concerning comprehensive income, most significantly by requiring that comprehensive income be presented with net income in a continuous financial statement, or in a separate but consecutive financial statement. Furthermore, the accounting standards update prohibits an entity from presenting other comprehensive income and losses in a statement of equity. In December 2011, the FASB issued an accounting standards update to defer the requirement for an entity to present reclassifications between other comprehensive income or loss and net income or loss. This supersedes the requirement that was originally included in the June 2011 accounting standard update. This accounting standards update (as modified) is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011, and will result in changes to the presentation of comprehensive net income in the Group’s consolidated financial statements, but will have no effect on the calculation of net income, comprehensive net income or earnings per share.

In September 2011, the FASB issued amended accounting guidance related to goodwill impairment testing. The new guidance permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors before calculating the fair value of a reporting unit in the annual two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test required under current accounting standards. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is not less than its carrying value, further testing is not needed. The amended guidance is effective for the Company commencing in the first fiscal quarter of 2012 and is not expected to have a material impact on the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

In December 2011, the FASB issued an accounting standard update related to disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities. The amendments require that a company disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of financial statements to understand the effect of those arrangements on its financial position. The amendments enhance current disclosures by requiring improved information about financial instruments and derivative instruments that are either (i) offset in accordance with current accounting guidance or (ii) subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement, irrespective of whether they are offset in accordance with current accounting guidance. The Group does not expect the provisions of this guidance, which are effective for the Group beginning with the first quarter of 2013, to have a material impact on the Group’s consolidated financial statements, as its requirements are disclosure-only in nature.

(ab) Reclassifications

The consolidated financial statements for prior years reflect certain reclassifications to conform with current year presentation.

3. Acquisition

On December 24, 2008, the Group completed its acquisition of 100% equity interests of Yiyang Yukang, a cell phone producer and distributor in the PRC, pursuant to the terms of the definitive agreement entered into on December 18, 2008.

Under the agreement, the Group acquired Yiyang Yukang for an initial purchase price of $6,700,000 in cash and 2,564,103 of its ordinary shares at a fair value of $3,181,780 in aggregate, based on average market price of

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

3. Acquisition—(Continued)

 

the Group’s ordinary shares for a reasonable period before and after the date of the agreement. The ordinary shares repurchased through the Group’s share repurchase program were used for the acquisition. The Group’s total expenses related to the acquisition were $657,757. A business combination liability resulted from the acquisition and amounted to $11,107,375 as of the acquisition date, which represents the excess of the fair value of the acquired net assets over cost.

The Group shall additionally pay up to three earn-out payments equivalent to the maximum amount of $37.1 million in a combination of cash and ordinary shares, contingent on Yiyang Yukang meeting the following earnings targets for the respective periods:

 

Tranche    Earning targets of Yiyang Yukang for the earn-out contingent payments

First

   Net profit for 2008 reaches RMB60,000,000 and net profit for the first quarter of 2009 reaches RMB40,000,000

Second

   Net profit for 2009 reaches RMB120,000,000

Third

   Net profit for 2010 reaches RMB120,000,000

In 2009, Yiyang Yukang met the first earn-out payment earnings target for 2008 and the first quarter of 2009. The Group paid out $6,700,000 in cash and 2,564,103 of its ordinary shares at a fair value of $3,304,360 in aggregate, based on average market price of the Group’s ordinary shares for a reasonable period before and after the date of the agreement. In addition, Yiyang Yukang did not meet the second earn-out payment earnings target for 2009 and the Group did not need to pay the second earn-out payment. The business combination liability after the first earn-out payment amounted to $1,103,015 as of December 31, 2009.

The following table represented the purchase price payments as of December 31, 2009:

 

Initial cash consideration

   $ 6,700,000   

Cash consideration as a result of first contingent consideration resolved

     6,700,000   

Fair value of initial ordinary shares issued

     3,181,780   

Fair value of ordinary shares issued as a result of first contingent consideration resolved

     3,304,360   

Direct expenses related to the acquisition

     657,757   

Business combination liability

     1,103,015   
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 21,646,912   
  

 

 

 

In 2010, Yiyang Yukang did not meet the third earn-out payment earnings target for 2010 and the Group did not need to pay the third earn-out payment. The business combination liability of $1,103,015, as excess of fair value of the acquired net assets over cost, was allocated as a pro rata reduction to the carrying amounts of certain acquired assets, and the remaining excess of $827,531 after reducing the assets value to zero was recognized as an extraordinary gain, net of tax in the consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2010.

The transaction was accounted using the purchase method of accounting, and accordingly, the acquired assets were recorded at their estimated fair values on the acquisition date. The valuation of the distribution network was based on the excess earnings method, a method within the income approach whereby the value of an intangible asset was captured by discounting to present value the earnings generated by the asset that remains after a deduction for a return on other contributory assets. These assets normally include working capital, fixed

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

3. Acquisition—(Continued)

 

assets and other intangible assets. After a fair return on tangible and other intangible assets is subtracted, the remaining “excess” cash flow (or net cash flow) is attributed to the intangible asset being valued. The excess-earnings approach explicitly recognizes that the current value of an investment is premised upon the expected receipt of future economic benefits. In the valuation of an intangible asset, an indication of value is developed by discounting excess cash flows attributed to the asset to present value at a rate that reflects the current return requirements of the market.

4. Disposal of stock tracking software business

In June 2009, in order to focus on the Group’s core competency and enhance operating efficiency, the Group sold 33.0% of its equity interests in Shanghai Yimeng, a company engaged in the development and marketing of CPS stock tracking software. Shanghai Yimeng was established in December 2005 with 51.0% of its equity interests held by the Group and 49.0% by Shanghai Yimeng Digital Technology Co., Ltd., a third party. The Group sold the 33.0% equity interests to a shareholder of Shanghai Yimeng Digital Technology Co., Ltd. for a total cash consideration of $10.5 million. The gain on deconsolidation of $16.4 million was calculated as the difference between: a) the aggregate of (1) the cash consideration received of $10.5 million, (2) the fair value of the retained 18.0% equity interests of $4.2 million, (3) the 49.0% noncontrolling interests with a negative carrying amount of $1.6 million, and b) Shanghai Yimeng’s net assets with a negative carrying amount of $3.3 million. The resulting gain on disposition of $16.4 million was included in income from discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2009. The income tax expense on the gain of disposition was $2.0 million. There were no remaining assets or liabilities associated with discontinued operations in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2009.

For the year ended December 31, 2009, the Group derecognized $13.1 million noncontrolling interests in Shanghai Yimeng in its consolidated statement of changes in equity and comprehensive income (loss). Prior to the deconsolidation of Shanghai Yimeng in June 2009, Shanghai Yimeng declared cash dividends of $30.0 million pro rata to its existing shareholders, of which the noncontrolling interest holders were entitled to receive $14.7 million. The cash dividends were recorded to reduce the balance of noncontrolling interests when the dividends were declared. The negative carrying amount of the noncontrolling interests in Shanghai Yimeng of $1.6 million was derecognized upon deconsolidation.

The discontinued operations were retrospectively reflected for all the prior years presented in the consolidated statements of operations. The following shows summarized operating results reported as discontinued operations for the years ended December 31, 2009:

 

     For the years ended
December 31, 2009
 

Net revenues

   $ 7,447,940   
  

 

 

 

Income from discontinued operations before income taxes

   $ 17,207,914   

Income tax expenses

     (1,845,225
  

 

 

 

Income from discontinued operations

   $ 15,362,689   
  

 

 

 

In 2010, the Group decreased its investment in Shanghai Yimeng from 18.0% to 16.2% as a result of the Group’s disposal of 1.8% equity interests. In 2011, the Group’s interests in Shanghai Yimeng further decreased to 12.9% as a result of the dilution due to issuance of additional shares to a new investor.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

5. Short-term and long-term investments

Trading securities

The Group’s trading securities were marketable equity shares and bond funds. The cost and fair value of the trading securities as of December 31, 2010 and 2011 were as follows:

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2011  
     Cost      Fair value      Cost      Fair value  

Trading securities

   $ 8,464,468       $ 10,267,178       $ 9,942,304       $ 9,993,720   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Investment gain (loss) of trading securities for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011 consisted of the following and was included in the other income (expenses) in the consolidated statements of operations:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009      2010      2011  

Realized gains from sales of trading securities

   $ 1,210,816       $ 1,323,079       $ 366,131   

Unrealized holding gains

     333,137         458,266         51,416   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 1,543,953       $ 1,781,345       $ 417,547   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Available-for-sale securities

The Group’s available-for-sale securities represent investments in 950,000 shares of the ordinary shares of a Japanese company listed on JASDAQ securities exchange, which was acquired in November 2009 (refer to Note 6 for the terms of the investment in equity shares of the Japanese company), and two index-linked notes (“Note A” and “Note B”), each with a principal amount of USD10,000,000.

In June 2007, the Group purchased Note A from a bank. Note A had a contractual variable interest rate ranging from 0%-8% (increased to 9% and 10% in years 6-10 and 11-15, respectively), computed based on the number of days in which the 6-month USD-LIBOR rate is within a stated range. Interest is paid at fixed intervals on a quarterly basis. Interest received on Note A for the years ended December 31, 2009 was $164,445, which was included in the other income in the consolidated statements of operations. The issuer had an option to call the note before or at maturity for an amount equal to principal plus any unpaid interest. The maturity date of Note A was June 14, 2022. On March 14, 2009, Note A was called by the issuer for an amount equal to principal plus all unpaid interest. The Group received the total redemption value on March 16, 2009 with no realized gain or loss recognized in 2009.

In August 2007, the Group purchased Note B from a bank. Note B has a contractual variable interest rate ranging from 0%-12%, computed based on the number of days in which both the Nikkei 225 index and the 3-month USD-LIBOR-BBA are above or within the stated ranges, respectively. Interest is paid at fixed intervals on a quarterly basis. The issuer has an option to call the note before or at maturity for an amount equal to principal plus any unpaid interest. The maturity date of Note B was August 3, 2019.

Note B contained an embedded derivative instrument that was linked to an equity index and an interest rate index. The embedded derivative was bifurcated from the debt host and accounted for separately, and was

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

5. Short-term and long-term investments—(Continued)

 

Available-for-sale securities—(Continued)

 

measured at fair value initially and at the end of each reporting period (refer to Note 6). The debt host is accounted for as an available-for-sale security. The discount arising from bifurcation of the embedded derivative is amortized through interest income over the term of the note using effective interest method. The initial fair values of the embedded derivative and the debt host were $5,287,940 and $4,712,060, respectively.

On July 28, 2011, Note B was disposed by the Group with cash consideration to US$7,120,000. The Group received the total redemption value on August 3, 2011. The gain on the disposition of Note B in 2011 was $449,453 and was recognized in other income in the consolidated statement of operations.

On November 16, 2011, the Group disposed all its investments in 950,000 shares of the ordinary shares of the Japanese company listed on JASDAQ securities exchange, for cash of JPY111.8 million ($1.5 million USD equivalent). The gain on the disposition of the investments in 950,000 shares in 2011 was $97,189 and was recognized in other income in the consolidated statement of operations.

The Group has no available-for-sale securities balances as of December 31, 2011.

The cost and fair value of the available-for-sale securities as of December 31, 2010 were as follows:

 

     Cost      Unrealized
gain
     Accrued
interest
     Estimated
fair value
 

Note B — debt host

   $ 4,712,060       $ 336,000       $ 1,153,940       $ 6,202,000   

Equity shares of the Japanese company

     1,355,325         276,577         —           1,631,902   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 6,067,385       $ 612,577       $ 1,153,940       $ 7,833,902   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The cost and fair value of the available-for-sale securities as of December 31, 2009 were as follows:

 

     Cost      Unrealized
gain
     Accrued
interest
     Estimated
fair value
 

Note B — debt host

   $ 4,712,060       $ 463,620       $     771,010       $ 5,946,690   

Equity shares of the Japanese company

     1,355,325         40,744         —           1,396,069   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 6,067,385       $ 504,364       $ 771,010       $ 7,342,759   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The short-term investments as of December 31, 2010 and 2011 were as follows:

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2011  

Trading securities

   $ 10,267,178       $ 9,993,720   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 10,267,178       $ 9,993,720   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

5. Short-term and long-term investments—(Continued)

 

Available-for-sale securities—(Continued)

 

The long-term investments as of December 31, 2010 and 2011 were as follows:

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2011  

Note B — debt host

   $ 6,202,000       $ —     

Note B — embedded derivative

     848,000         —     

Equity shares of the Japanese company

     1,631,902         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 8,681,902       $ —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

6. Derivative instruments

In September 2009, the Group and two third parties formed Acorn Hong Kong for the purpose of establishing business alliance relationship with and invest in a Japanese company listed on JASDAQ securities exchange. The Group and the other two parties each held 51.0%, 19.5% and 29.5% equity interests in Acorn Hong Kong, respectively. As the Group held controlling interests in Acorn Hong Kong, the Group consolidated Acorn Hong Kong since its inception. In November 2009, Acorn Hong Kong purchased 950,000 ordinary shares and 450 share options each to subscribe for 1,000 ordinary shares of the Japanese company for cash consideration of $1,541,142. Acorn Hong Kong held less than 20% of the equity interests of the Japanese company and does not have the ability to exercise significant influence in the operations of the Japanese company. The Group recorded the investment in 950,000 ordinary shares as an available-for-sale security (refer to Note 5). The 450 share options are fully vested, non-forfeitable, and exercisable in three years. The Group recorded $185,818 for the original estimated fair value of the share options in other long-term assets. The share options are considered a derivative instrument and are therefore marked to market at the end of each reporting period based on the market price of the underlying ordinary shares. The share options were valued at $215,192 and $243,914 as of December 31, 2009 and 2010. Accordingly, the Group recorded a gain of $29,374 and $28,722 due to changes in the fair value of the derivative as an increase in other long-term assets and other income in 2009 and 2010, respectively (refer to Note 7 for disclosure of the method and assumptions used in determining the fair value of the share options).

On November 16, 2011, the Group disposed all its investments in 450 share options of the Japanese company listed on JASDAQ securities exchange, for cash of JPY450 ($6 USD equivalent). The loss on the disposal of the investments of 450 share options in 2011 was $243,908. This represented the difference between the price sold and the fair value of December 31, 2010 and was recorded in other expenses in the consolidated statement of operations.

The Group’s investment in Note B contained an embedded derivative instrument that is linked to an equity index and an interest rate index. The embedded derivative has been bifurcated and accounted for at fair value with changes in the fair value recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. On the date when Note B was issued, the Group recorded $5,287,940 initial estimated fair value of the embedded derivative in long-term investments on the consolidated balance sheet. The embedded derivative was valued at $677,310 and $848,000 as of December 31, 2009 and 2010, respectively. In 2009, the Group recorded losses due to changes in the fair value of the embedded derivative of $1,335,630, which were included in the other expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. In 2010, the Group recorded gains due to changes in the fair value of the embedded

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

6. Derivative instruments—(Continued)

 

derivative of $170,690, which were included in the other income in the consolidated statement of operations (refer to Note 7 for disclosure of the method and assumptions used in determining the fair value of the embedded derivative).

On July 28, 2011, Note B was disposed by the Group with cash consideration of US$7,120,000 which was received on August 3, 2011. The loss on the disposal of the embedded derivative instrument contained in Note B in 2011 was $255,453. This represented the difference between the price sold and the fair value of December 31, 2010 and was recorded in other expenses in the consolidated statement of operations.

7. Fair value measurement

The Group did not have any liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring or non-recurring basis for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2011.

Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis

As of December 31, 2011, the Group’s assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis subsequent to initial recognition were as follows:

 

     Fair value measurements using  
     Quoted prices
in active
markets for
identical assets
(Level 1)
     Significant
other
observable
inputs
(Level 2)
     Significant
unobservable
inputs
(Level 3)
     Total  

Trading securities

   $ 9,993,720       $ —         $ —         $ 9,993,720   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 9,993,720       $ —         $ —         $ 9,993,720   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2010, the Group’s assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis subsequent to initial recognition were as follows:

 

     Fair value measurements using  
     Quoted prices
in active
markets for
identical assets
(Level 1)
     Significant
other
observable
inputs
(Level 2)
     Significant
unobservable
inputs
(Level 3)
     Total  

Trading securities

   $ 10,267,178       $ —         $ —         $ 10,267,178   

Note B

     —           —           7,050,000         7,050,000   

Equity shares of the Japanese company

     1,631,902         —           —           1,631,902   

Share options of the Japanese company

     —           243,914         —           243,914   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 11,899,080       $ 243,914       $ 7,050,000       $ 19,192,994   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

7. Fair value measurement—(Continued)

 

Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis—(Continued)

 

Investments in trading securities consist of marketable equity shares and bond funds which measured using the closing prices from the exchange market as of the measurement date; as such, they are classified as Level 1 instruments.

The equity shares of the Japanese company measured using the closing stock prices from the exchange market as of the measurement date; as such, they are classified as Level 1 instruments.

The fair value of the share options of the Japanese company requires the observable inputs directly or indirectly obtained from active markets, including the Japanese company’s stock price, volatility, interest rate, dividends, marketability and expected return requirements. The Group used the Black-Scholes-Merton option-pricing model to determine the fair value of the share options. As such, the derivative asset is classified as a Level 2 instrument.

Note A and Note B (including the embedded derivative) are index-linked notes measured using a discounted cash flow projection on principal and interest based on assumptions supported by, derived or implied from quoted market prices or rates, adjusted for the specific features of the instruments. They are classified as Level 3 instruments. Determining the appropriate fair value model and calculating the fair value of the instruments require the input of significant estimates and assumptions, some of which are unobservable. The significant estimates and assumptions include comparable bonds issued by the same issuer, risk-free interest rates, global banking industry bond yield curve, data on the indices, volatilities and dividend yield. For initial recognition of Note B, the allocation of the estimates of the fair value of the Note B to the embedded derivative and the debt host is based on the “with and without” method. Subsequent to the initial recognition, the embedded derivative and the debt host are each measured at fair value using appropriate valuation methodology, with any changes in the fair value of the embedded derivative and the debt host recorded in earnings and accumulated other comprehensive income or loss, respectively.

The fair value estimates presented above were based on pertinent information available to the Group as of December 31, 2010 and 2011. Although the Group is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect its fair value estimates, such amounts have not been comprehensively revalued for purposes of financial statements since December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively, and current estimates of fair value may differ significantly from the amounts presented.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

7. Fair value measurement—(Continued)

 

Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3 inputs)

A summary of changes in Level 3 instruments for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2011 was as follows:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
             2010                     2011          

Balance at beginning of the year

   $ 6,624,000      $ 7,050,000   

Redemption of Note B

     —          (7,120,000

Gain (loss) on change in fair value of embedded derivative

     170,690        (255,453

Realized gain transferred from accumulated other comprehensive income

     —          449,453   

Unrealized losses included in accumulated other comprehensive income

     (127,620     (336,000

Accrued interest

     382,930        212,000   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at end of the year

   $ 7,050,000      $ —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The gain for the year ended December 31, 2010 included in net loss that is attributable to the change in unrealized gains or losses relating to the assets and liabilities still held as of December 31, 2010 consisted of a gain on change in fair value of embedded derivative of $170,690. On July 28, 2011, Note B was disposed of by the Group and cash consideration of $7,120,000 was received. The total gain on the disposition of Note B in 2011 was $70,000 and was recognized in other income in the consolidated statements of operations. Included in the gain is the loss on the disposal of the embedded derivative instrument of $255,453, the realized gain from accumulated other comprehensive income of $113,453, and the accrued interest of $212,000. The Group has no other assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs as of December 31, 2011.

Assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis

The following table presents the Group’s assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis for the year ended December 31, 2010:

 

            Fair value measurements using  
     Year ended
December 31,
2010
     Quoted prices
in active
markets for
identical assets
(Level 1)
     Significant
other
observable
inputs
(Level 2)
     Significant
unobservable
inputs
(Level 3)
     Total gains  

Investment in an affiliate

   $ 1,096,751       $ —         $ —         $ 1,096,751       $ 1,038,542   
              

 

 

 

Upon deconsolidation of Shanghai An-Nai-Chi in January 2010, the Group retained 33.2% equity interests in Shanghai An-Nai-Chi with a carrying amount of $58,209 and accounted for the retained investment using the equity method of accounting. The 33.2% retained investment was recorded at the fair value of $1,096,751 on the date the Group deconsolidated Shanghai An-Nai-Chi. The gain on deconsolidation of $1,038,542 was recognized

 

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Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

7. Fair value measurement—(Continued)

 

Assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis—(Continued)

 

in other income in the statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2010. For the year ended December 31, 2010, the Group derecognized $0.1 million noncontrolling interests in Shanghai An-Nai-Chi in its consolidated statement of changes in equity and comprehensive income (loss) upon deconsolidation. The Group applied the income approach in measuring the equity value of Shanghai An-Nai-Chi using significant estimates and assumptions, some of which are unobservable. The significant estimates and assumptions include business assumptions, weighted average cost of capital and terminal growth rate.

The following table presents the Group’s assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis for the year ended December 31, 2009:

 

     Year ended
December 31,
2009
     Fair value measurements using  
      Quoted prices
in active
markets for
identical assets
(Level 1)
     Significant
other
observable
inputs
(Level 2)
     Significant
unobservable
inputs
(Level 3)
     Total gains
(losses)
 

Acquired intangibles — distribution network

   $ 180,428       $ —         $ —         $ 180,428       $ (15,247,873

Investment in an affiliate

     4,196,707         —           —           4,196,707         4,794,083   
              

 

 

 
               $ (10,453,790
              

 

 

 

In 2009, as a result of reduced expectations of future cash flows from certain identified intangible assets, the Group determined that the Yiyang Yukang distribution network with a carrying amount of $15,428,301 was not recoverable and consequently recorded an impairment charge of $15,247,873 for the year ended December 31, 2009. The Group applied the income approach multi-period excess earning method to estimate the fair value of the distribution network. Calculating the fair value of the distribution network requires the input of significant estimates and assumptions, some of which are unobservable. The significant estimates and assumptions include business assumptions, weighted average cost of capital, terminal growth rate, discount rate, return on contributory asset, attrition rate and tax amortization benefit.

Upon deconsolidation of Shanghai Yimeng in June 2009, the Group retained 18.0% equity interests in Shanghai Yimeng with a negative carrying amount of $597,376 and accounted for the retained investment using the cost method of accounting. The 18.0% retained investment was recorded at the fair value of $4,196,707 on the date the Group deconsolidated Shanghai Yimeng. The Group applied the income approach in measuring the equity value of Shanghai Yimeng using significant estimates and assumptions, some of which are unobservable. The significant estimates and assumptions include business assumptions, weighted average cost of capital and terminal growth rate.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

8. Accounts receivable

An analysis of allowance for doubtful accounts for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011 was as follows:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011  

Balance at beginning of the year

   $ 3,524,673      $ 1,597,556      $ 673,242   

Charged to expenses

     121,960        58,517        3,705,557   

Charges taken against allowance

     (2,049,077     (982,831     (221,185
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at end of the year

   $ 1,597,556      $ 673,242      $ 4,157,614   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

In 2011, the Group made additional bad debt provision related to the transition of certain local delivery companies used to fulfill the direct sales orders to improve the successful goods delivery rate.

9. Inventory

Inventory consisted of the following:

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2011  

Raw materials and work in progress

   $ 4,327,077       $ 7,052,333   

Finished goods and merchandise goods

     18,343,964         25,836,312   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 22,671,041       $ 32,888,645   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2010 and 2011, a portion of finished goods and merchandise goods and certain raw materials and work in process inventory were in excess of the Group’s current requirements based on the recent level of sales. The Group recorded inventory write-downs of $13,016,799 and $6,706,376 as of December 31, 2010 and 2011 primarily for obsolete and slow-moving finished goods and merchandise inventory.

10. Other prepaid expenses and current assets

Other prepaid expenses and current assets consisted of the following:

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2011  

Advances to suppliers

   $ 3,561,467       $ 4,808,927   

Prepaid income tax

     426,755         1,200,120   

Other prepaid expenses

     5,610,860         3,919,198   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 9,599,082       $ 9,928,245   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

The Group reversed the allowance for doubtful accounts in the aggregate amount of $1,097,904 in 2009. The Group made allowance for doubtful accounts in the aggregate amount of $36,424 and $96,836 in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

11. Property and equipment, net

Property and equipment, net consisted of the following:

 

     December 31,  
     2010     2011  

Buildings

   $ 10,722,664      $ 26,232,621   

Leasehold improvements

     1,169,206        1,376,044   

Machinery

     430,827        628,868   

Information Technology equipment

     —          497,965   

Computers and office equipment

     7,209,272        10,813,480   

Vehicles

     1,205,722        946,304   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 20,737,691      $ 40,495,282   

Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization

     (8,408,993     (11,137,862
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 12,328,698      $ 29,357,420   

Construction in progress

     6,979,188        446,481   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 19,307,886      $ 29,803,901   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

For the year ended December 31, 2010, the construction in progress is a new factory building on the land in Qingpu district of Shanghai and was completed in January 2011.

Depreciation and amortization expenses for property and equipment were $2,092,583, $2,200,616 and $3,071,191 for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

12. Acquired intangible assets, net

Acquired intangible assets, net consisted of the following:

 

     December 31,  
     2010     2011  

Distribution networks

   $ 2,329,849      $ 2,329,849   

Trademarks

     2,864,348        2,902,259   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 5,194,197      $ 5,232,108   

Less: accumulated amortization

     (2,633,444     (3,105,512
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 2,560,753      $ 2,126,596   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The Group recorded amortization expenses of $2,992,679, $477,082 and $439,965 for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The amortization expenses of the above intangible assets will be approximately $330,266, $315,971, $301,699, $301,699 and $301,699 for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

13. Investments in affiliates

Investments accounted for under the equity method of accounting

In July 2008, the Group invested 30.0% equity interests in Kela (Hong Kong) Jewelry Investment Limited (“Kela”) for cash of $1.2 million. In October 2009, the Group increased its investment in Kela from 30.0% to 35.0%. In July 2010, the Group’s investment in Kela decreased from 35.0% to 22.1% as a result of dilution due to issuance of additional shares by Kela to new investors. As the Group has the ability to exercise significant influence over Kela, the Group accounts for this investment using the equity method of accounting. In May 2011, the Group sold all its equity interests in Kela to another shareholder of Kela, a third party of the Group, for cash of RMB39.6 million ($6.1 million USD equivalent). The gain on the disposition of the investment in Kela in 2011 was $5,421,753 and was recognized in other income in the consolidated statement of operations. The Group’s equity in losses of Kela in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were $12,351, $443,123 and $28,567, respectively, and were recognized in equity in losses of affiliates in the consolidated statements of operations.

In June 2009, the Group invested 26.0% equity interests in KYOBI Cosmetics (Hong Kong) Co., Limited (“KYOBI”) for cash of RMB8.0 million ($1.2 million USD equivalent). As the Group has the ability to exercise significant influence over KYOBI, the Group accounts for this investment using the equity method of accounting. The Group’s equity in losses of KYOBI in 2009 was $403,986 and was recognized in other expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. In April 2010, the Group sold all its equity interests in KYOBI to another shareholder of KYOBI, a third party of the Group, for cash of RMB8.0 million ($1.2 million USD equivalent). The gain on the disposition of the investment in KYOBI in 2010 was $404,750 and was recognized in other income in the consolidated statement of operations.

In January 2010, Shanghai An-Nai-Chi, a company which previously was a 51.0% equity-owned consolidated subsidiary of the Group, received a cash injection of $1.5 million from a third party of the Group. After the cash injection, the Group retained 33.2% equity interests in Shanghai An-Nai-Chi and no longer had control in Shanghai An-Nai-Chi. As the Group holds one out of five board seats on the Board of Shanghai An-Nai-Chi and has significant influence over financial and operating decision-making after deconsolidation, the Group accounts for the retained 33.2% equity interests using the equity method of accounting. The retained investment was re-measured at fair value of $1.1 million on the date the Group deconsolidated Shanghai An-Nai-Chi (refer to Note 7 for fair value measurements relating to the retained investment). The Group’s equity in losses of Shanghai An-Nai-Chi in 2010 and 2011 was $353,598 and $743,153, respectively and was recognized in equity in losses of affiliates in the consolidated statement of operations.

Investment accounted for under the cost method of accounting

In June 2009, the Group sold 33.0% equity interests in Shanghai Yimeng, a company which previously was a 51.0% equity-owned consolidated subsidiary of the Group. After the sale, the Group retained an 18.0% equity interest in Shanghai Yimeng and did not have the ability to exercise significant influence over Shanghai Yimeng’s operational and financial policies and activities. The Group accounts for the retained 18.0% equity interests using the cost method of accounting. The retained investment was recorded at fair value of $4.2 million on the date the Group deconsolidated Shanghai Yimeng (refer to Note 4 for details of deconsolidation of Shanghai Yimeng and Note 7 for fair value measurements relating to the retained investment). In 2010, the Group’s investment in Shanghai Yimeng decreased from 18.0% to 16.2% as a result of the Group’s disposal of 1.8% equity interests. In 2011, the Group’s interests in Shanghai Yimeng further decreased to 12.9% as a result of the dilution due to issuance of additional shares to a new investor.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

14. Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following:

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2011  

Other taxes payable

   $ 3,835,875       $ 3,817,175   

Accrued employee payroll and welfare

     1,183,013         3,800,748   

Other payable

     3,376,522         7,365,382   

Accrued expenses

     2,160,322         1,385,094   

Advances from customers

     705,649         2,541,779   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 11,261,381       $ 18,910,178   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Other taxes payable mainly consist of value-added tax payable and sales taxes payable. The Group’s PRC subsidiaries are subject to value-added tax at a rate of 17% on product purchases and sales amount. Value-added tax payable on sales is computed net of value-added tax paid on purchases. The Group’s PRC subsidiaries are also subject to business tax at a rate of 5% on sales related to service rendered.

15. Dividend payable

On October 18, 2010, the board of directors of Acorn International approved and declared a special cash dividend of $0.23 per ordinary share on its outstanding shares to shareholders of record as of the close of trading on November 15, 2010 directly from the share premium account of Acorn International. The dividend payable as of December 31, 2010 was $15,177. The balance of additional paid-in capital was reduced for the full amount of this special dividend of $20,533,690 as of December 31, 2010. As of December 31, 2011, the Group has remaining dividend payable amounted to $467 which is expected to be paid in 2012.

16. Share-based compensation

In May 2006, the Group adopted the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2006 Option Plan”) which allows the Group to offer a variety of incentive awards to employees, officers, directors or individual consultants or advisors who render services to the Group and authorized the issuance of 24,133,000 ordinary shares. Under the 2006 Option Plan, the share options and SARs are generally granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the underlying shares, as determined by the Group’s board of directors at the date of grant and expire after ten years and six years, respectively, with vesting occurring 25% upon grant and the remaining 75% vesting ratably over three years. Certain share options and SARs granted vest immediately upon grant, and certain share options and SARs granted vest upon the satisfaction of certain performance targets. The proceeds from the exercise of the SARs by the grantee will be equity settled by delivery of equivalent fair value of ordinary shares of the Group.

In 2010, the Group granted RSUs to its employees that require no exercise price with one-twelfth to vest on the last day of each three-month period during the three years following the grant date. The holders of the RSUs are not entitled to voting but have the right to receive dividend equivalents with respect to any unpaid RSUs they hold as of the applicable record date for any dividend payment if Acorn International declares a cash dividend on its outstanding ordinary shares. The dividend equivalents are subject to the same vesting and other terms as the original RSUs to which they relate.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

16. Share-based compensation—(Continued)

 

The Group recorded compensation expense of $1,845,885, $215,171 and $129,673 for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. In connection with the acquisition of Yiyang Yukang, the Group granted 900,000 performance-based share options in 2009 under the 2006 Option Plan. These share options were to vest in three equal tranches of 300,000 share options each upon Yiyang Yukang meeting certain earnings targets in 2008 to 2010 (refer to Note 3). As the earnings targets for 2009 and 2010 were not met, the Group did not record any compensation expenses for the second and third tranches of share options.

The fair value of each share option granted in 2009 was estimated on the date of grant using the binomial option-pricing formula. The risk-free interest rate for periods within the contractual life of the share option is based on the yield of ten-year USD Chinese International Government Bond with similar time maturity of the share option valued as of grant date. The Group uses historical data to estimate share option exercise and employee termination within the pricing formula. The contractual life of the share option is ten years. Expected volatilities are based on the weighted average historical volatility of the Group and the comparable companies with the time period commensurate with the expected time period.

 

     2009  

Average risk-free interest rate

     4.48%   

Contractual life of the share option

     10 years   

Average expected volatility rate

     72.98%   

Average dividend yield

     0%   

The fair value of each RSU granted in 2010 was based on quoted market price of the Group’s ordinary share on the grant date.

A summary of the share options and SARs activities for the year ended December 31, 2011 and the information regarding the share options and SARs outstanding as of December 31, 2011 were as follows:

 

     Number of
share
options/
SARs
    Weighted average
exercise price
     Weighted
average
remaining
contract
terms
     Aggregate
intrinsic
value
 

Share options/SARs outstanding at January 1, 2011

     14,635,810      $ 2.71         

Granted

     —        $ —           

Forfeited

     (4,457,263   $ 2.39         

Exercised

     (556,581   $ 1.58         
  

 

 

         

Share options/SARs outstanding at December 31, 2011

     9,621,966      $ 2.93         1.89 years       $ —     
  

 

 

         

 

 

 

Share options/SARs vested or expected to vest at December 31, 2011

     9,621,966      $ 2.93         1.89 years       $ —     
  

 

 

         

 

 

 

Share options/SAR exercisable at December 31, 2011

     9,621,966      $ 2.93         1.89 years       $ —     
  

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

16. Share-based compensation—(Continued)

 

The weighted-average fair value of share options and SARs granted in 2009, 2010 and 2011 was $1.05, nil and nil, respectively. The total fair value of options and SARs vested in 2009, 2010 and 2011 was $1,873,984, $101,859 and nil, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of options and SARs exercised in 2009, 2010 and 2011 was $298, $18,000 and $155,202, respectively.

A summary of the RSUs activities for the year ended December 31, 2011 was as follows:

 

     Number of RSUs     Weighted average
grant date fair value
 

Nonvested at January 1, 2011

     347,044      $ 1.40   

Granted

     —        $ —     

Forfeited

     (158,474   $ 1.40   

Vested

     (105,288   $ 1.40   
  

 

 

   

Nonvested at December 31, 2011

     83,282      $ 1.40   
  

 

 

   

As of December 31, 2011, there was $103,974 in total unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the 2006 Option Plan, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.33 years.

17. Taxation

Acorn International is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and is not subject to tax in this jurisdiction.

China DRTV and Smooth Profit are incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and are not subject to tax in this jurisdiction.

The Group’s Hong Kong subsidiaries, MK AND T, Bright Rainbow, Acorn Hong Kong and U King Hong Kong, are subject to Hong Kong statutory income tax on their Hong Kong sourced income.

On March 16, 2007, the PRC government promulgated Law of the People’s Republic of China on Enterprise Income Tax (“New EIT Law”), which was effective from January 1, 2008. Under the New EIT Law, domestically-owned enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises are subject to a uniform tax rate of 25%. While the New EIT Law equalizes the tax rates for domestically-owned and foreign-invested companies, preferential tax treatment would continue to be given to companies in certain encouraged sectors and to enterprises classified as high and new technology companies, whether domestically-owned or foreign-invested enterprises. The New EIT Law also provides a five-year transition period starting from its effective date for those enterprises which were established before the promulgation date of the New EIT Tax Law and which were entitled to a preferential tax treatment such as a reduced tax rate or a tax holiday. The tax rate of such enterprises will transition to the uniform tax rate of 25% within a five-year transition period and the tax holiday, which has been enjoyed by such enterprises before the effective date of the New EIT Law, may continue to be enjoyed until the end of the holiday.

Shanghai Advertising registered in Pudong New District, Shanghai of the PRC, is subject to 20% Corporate Income Tax (“CIT”) in 2009, 22% CIT in 2010 and 24% CIT in 2011 pursuant to the local tax preferential arrangement. Acorn Information registered in Pudong New District, Shanghai of the PRC, is subject to 22% CIT

 

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Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

17. Taxation—(Continued)

 

in 2010 and 24% CIT in 2011 pursuant to the local tax preferential arrangement. The Group’s remaining PRC subsidiaries are subject to the statutory rate of 25% in 2009, 2010 and 2011 in accordance with the New EIT Law.

Shanghai HJX, Acorn Electronic, Beijing Youngleda, Yiyang Yukang and Zhuhai Acorn, as foreign-invested manufacturing enterprises which are scheduled to operate for at least ten years, are entitled to a two-year exemption and three-year 50% reduction starting from the first profit making year after absorbing all prior years’ tax losses, which can be carried forward for five years (the “Tax Holiday”). Under the New EIT Law, enterprises not generating profits before 2008 are required to commence the Tax Holiday beginning January 1, 2008. Acorn Information, as a recognized software company, is eligible for the Tax Holiday from 2005. HJX Software, as a recognized software company, is eligible for the Tax Holiday from 2009.

Tax that would otherwise have been payable without tax holidays amounted to $992,459, $424,875 and $461,396 in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively (representing an increase in basic and diluted loss per ordinary share from continuing operations of $0.01, $0.01 and $0.01 in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively).

Under the New EIT Law and implementation regulations issued by the PRC State Council, income tax at the rate of 10% is applicable to interest and dividends payable to investors that are “non-resident enterprises”, which do not have an establishment or place of business in the PRC, or which have such establishment or place of business but the relevant income is not effectively connected with the establishment or place of business, to the extent such interest or dividends have their sources within the PRC. Undistributed earnings of the Group’s PRC subsidiaries of $105,084,071, $83,162,516 and $86,897,451 as of December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively, are considered to be indefinitely reinvested and, accordingly, no provision for PRC dividend withholding tax has been provided thereon. Upon distribution of these earnings in the form of dividends or otherwise in the future, the Group would be subject to PRC withholding tax at 10% or a lower treaty rate.

Under applicable accounting principles, a deferred tax liability should be recorded for taxable temporary differences attributable to the excess of financial reporting basis over tax basis in a domestic subsidiary. However, recognition is not required in situations where the tax law provides a means by which the reported amount of that investment can be recovered tax-free and the enterprise expects that it will ultimately use that means. The Group has not recorded any such deferred tax liability attributable to the undistributed earnings of its financial interests in VIEs because these entities do not have any unremitted earnings to be distributed.

The Group has made its assessment of the level of authority for each tax position (including the potential application of interests and penalties) based on the technical merits, and has measured the unrecognized benefits associated with the tax positions. As of December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, the Group had unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $3.1 million, $3.1 million and $2.5 million, respectively. The unrecognized tax benefits would impact the effective income tax if recognized. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011 was as follows:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009      2010      2011  
     (in million)      (in million)      (in million)  

Unrecognized tax benefits at beginning of the year

   $ 3.1       $ 3.1       $ 3.1   

Lapse of statute of limitation

     —           —           (0.6
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Unrecognized tax benefits at end of the year

   $ 3.1       $ 3.1       $ 2.5   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

17. Taxation—(Continued)

 

As of December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, the amount of interests and penalties related to uncertain tax positions was immaterial. The Group does not anticipate any significant increases or decreases to its liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits within the next twelve months.

According to the PRC Tax Administration and Collection Law, the statute of limitations is three years if the underpayment of income taxes is due to computational errors made by the taxpayer. The statute of limitations will be extended to five years under special circumstances, which are not clearly defined, but an underpayment of income tax liability exceeding RMB100,000 (approximately $15,000) is specifically listed as a special circumstance. In the case of a transfer pricing related adjustment, the statute of limitations is ten years. There is no statute of limitations in the case of tax evasion. The Group’s PRC subsidiaries are therefore subject to examination by the PRC tax authorities from 2007 through 2011 on non-transfer pricing matters, and from 2002 through 2011 on transfer pricing matters.

Reconciliation between the effective income tax rate and the PRC statutory income tax rate was as follows:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009      2010      2011  

PRC statutory tax rate

     25%         25%         25%   

Expenses not deductible for tax purposes

     6%         (3)%         (2)%   

Effect of tax preference granted to PRC subsidiaries

     18%         (3)%         (1)%   

Effect of different tax rate of subsidiary operations in other jurisdiction

     (23)%         1%         4%   

Change in valuation allowance

     40%         (4)%         25%   

Effect of change in tax rate on deferred tax assets/liabilities

     (12)%         4%         (7)%   

Prior year provision to return adjustment

     (7)%         (1)%         —     

Recognition of the unrecognized tax benefit

     —           —           (9)%   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Effective tax rate

     47%         19%         35%   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

17. Taxation—(Continued)

 

The principal components of the Group’s deferred income tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2010 and 2011 were as follows:

 

     December 31,  
     2010     2011  

Deferred tax assets:

    

Allowance and reserves

   $ 3,062,507      $ 2,829,016   

Accrued expenses

     519,384        1,162,885   

Revenue recognition difference

     722,491        792,960   

Advertising expenses

     387,084        341,742   

Yiyang Yukang long-term assets reduction

     19,992        6,229   

Net operating losses

     1,065,595        1,769,401   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 5,777,053      $ 6,902,233   

Less: valuation allowance

     (1,138,088     (3,423,584
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 4,638,965      $ 3,478,649   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax liabilities:

    

Unrealized gains on trading securities

   $ (450,677   $ (12,854

Fair value step up of retained investment in Shanghai Yimeng

     (790,627     (831,006
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ (1,241,304   $ (843,860
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 3,397,661      $ 2,634,789   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

     December 31,  
     2010     2011  

Deferred tax assets were analyzed as:

    

Current

   $ 4,638,965      $ 3,478,649   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax liabilities were analyzed as:

    

Current

   $ (450,677   $ (12,854

Non-current

     (790,627     (831,006
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ (1,241,304   $ (843,860
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 3,397,661      $ 2,634,789   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2011, the Group had tax losses carrying forward of $7,077,604. The tax losses will expire in 2013-2016 if they are not used.

The Group considers positive and negative evidence to determine whether some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Based upon the level of historical taxable income and projections for future taxable income over the periods in which the deferred tax assets are deductible, the Group believes it is more-likely-than-not that the Group will realize the benefits of these deductible differences, net of the existing valuation allowances as of December 31, 2011. The amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable, however, could be reduced in the near term if estimates of future taxable income during the carry forward periods are reduced.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

18. Other income (expenses)

Other income (expenses) consisted of the following:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009      2010      2011  

Investment gain (loss)

   $ 402,142       $ 3,360,190       $ 5,941,960   

Interest income

     1,506,751         1,256,036         2,051,101   

Others

     158,830         209,474         (171,147
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 2,067,723       $ 4,825,700       $ 7,821,914   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

19. Income (loss) per share

The computation of basic and diluted income (loss) per ordinary share from continuing operations, discontinued operations and extraordinary items for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011 was as follows:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011  

Numerator:

      

Net income (loss) attributable to Acorn International, Inc. shareholders from continuing operations — basic and diluted

   $ (2,999,844   $ (7,236,712   $ 5,123,259   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income attributable to Acorn International, Inc. shareholders from discontinued operations — basic and diluted

   $ 14,883,108      $ —        $ —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income attributable to Acorn International, Inc. shareholders from extraordinary items — basic and diluted

   $ —        $ 827,531      $ —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Denominator:

      

Weighted average ordinary shares outstanding — basic

     88,174,675        88,923,162        89,629,395   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted average ordinary shares outstanding — diluted

     88,174,675        88,923,162        89,796,835   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) per ordinary share:

      

—continuing operations

   $ (0.04   $ (0.08   $ 0.06   

—discontinued operations

     0.17        —          —     

—extraordinary items

     —          0.01        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic

   $ 0.13      $ (0.07   $ 0.06   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

—continuing operations

   $ (0.04   $ (0.08   $ 0.06   

—discontinued operations

     0.17        —          —     

—extraordinary items

     —          0.01        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted

   $ 0.13      $ (0.07   $ 0.06   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The Group had 15,825,781 and 14,982,854 outstanding stock options, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) and restricted share units (“RSUs”) outstanding in 2009 and 2010, respectively, which could have potentially diluted income per share in the future, but were excluded in the computation of diluted income (loss) per share in 2009 and 2010, as the Group had net loss attributable to shareholders from continuing operations in those periods. For the year ended December 31, 2011, the Group had total 9,621,966 outstanding stock options and

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

19. Income (loss) per share—(Continued)

 

SARs which could potentially dilute basic earnings per share in the future, but was excluded in the computation of diluted income (loss) per share as their exercise prices were above the average market share prices in 2011.

20. Mainland China contribution plan and profit appropriation

Employees of the Group in the PRC are entitled to retirement benefits calculated with reference to their salaries basis upon retirement and their length of service in accordance with a PRC government-managed retirement plan. The PRC government is directly responsible for the payments of the benefits to these retired employees. The Group is required to make contributions to the government-managed retirement plan based on certain percentages of the employees’ monthly salaries. The amounts contributed by the Group were $1,237,011, $1,427,666 and $1,752,623 for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

In addition, the Group is required by law to contribute medical, unemployment, housing and other statutory benefits based on certain percentages of the employees’ monthly salaries. The PRC government is directly responsible for the payments of the benefits to these employees. The amounts contributed by the Group were $1,225,763, $1,361,564 and $1,819,388 for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

In accordance with relevant PRC Company Law and regulations and the Group’s Articles of Association, the Group’s PRC subsidiaries were required to appropriate 10% of their respective profit after taxation reported in their statutory financial statements prepared under the PRC GAAP to the statutory surplus reserve. The Group has statutory reserve balance of $5,195,416 and $5,442,682 as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The appropriation of statutory surplus reserve will cease upon the balance of the statutory surplus reserve reaching 50% of the companies’ registered capital. The statutory surplus reserves may be used to make up losses or for conversion into the shareholders’ equity.

21. Commitments and contingencies

(A) Leases commitments

The Group leases certain office premises and buildings under non-cancelable leases. Rental expenses under operating leases for 2009, 2010 and 2011 were $3,260,183, $2,930,529 and $2,801,647, respectively.

As of December 31, 2011, future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases agreements were as follows:

 

2012

   $ 2,181,667   

2013

     2,289,999   

2014

     1,670,500   

2015

     1,445,805   

2016 and thereafter

     1,671,200   
  

 

 

 
   $ 9,259,171   
  

 

 

 

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

21. Commitments and contingencies—(Continued)

 

(B) Advertising commitments

As of December 31, 2011, the commitments for the advertising contracts signed by the Group were as follows:

 

2012

   $ 72,561,087   
  

 

 

 

Of the total commitments, $11,559,722 was prepaid as of December 31, 2011.

(C) Legal matters

The Group is a party to legal matters and claims that are normal in the course of its operations. While the Group believes that the ultimate outcome of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations and cash flows, the outcome of these matters is not determinable with certainty and negative outcomes may adversely affect the Group.

22. Segment and geographic information

The Group engages primarily in direct sales, including TV direct sales, third-party bank channel sales, catalogs sales, internet sales and direct sales through print media and radio, and distribution sales through its nationwide distribution network in the PRC.

The Group’s chief operating decision maker has been identified as the CEO. The Group uses the management approach to determine operating segments. The management approach considers the internal organization and reporting used by the Group’s chief operating decision makers for making decisions, allocating resources and assessing performance. Based on this assessment, the Group has determined that it has two operating and reporting segments, which are direct sales, net and distribution sales, net.

The Group’s chief operating decision maker evaluates segment performance based on revenues, cost of revenues and gross profit. Accordingly, all expenses are considered corporate level activities and are not allocated to segments. Therefore, it is not practical to show profit or loss by reportable segments. Also, the Group’s chief decision maker does not assign assets to these segments.

 

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ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

22. Segment and geographic information—(Continued)

 

The Group’s revenues are all generated from direct sales platform and nationwide distribution networks in the PRC. The revenues by each group of similar products are as follows:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  

Product

   2009     2010     2011  

Cell phones

   $ 61,276,510      $ 125,074,305      $ 165,957,852   

Electronic learning device and dictionary

     105,223,419        69,534,653        62,539,448   

Collectible products

     9,515,504        18,039,843        33,193,655   

Cosmetics products

     45,149,282        26,233,187        24,857,370   

Consumer electronics

     9,666,139        14,034,617        24,248,963   

Health products

     29,825,076        12,949,887        13,347,757   

Fitness and wellness products

     347,194        402,523        12,064,447   

Autocare products

     7,053,383        9,753,122        1,188,928   

Other products

     19,725,036        17,504,140        25,600,238   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total gross revenues

   $ 287,781,543      $ 293,526,277      $ 362,998,658   

Less: sales taxes

     (195,923     (285,092     (940,745
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenues, net

   $ 287,585,620      $ 293,241,185      $ 362,057,913   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The gross profit by segments is as follows:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009      2010      2011  

Direct sales

   $ 92,826,982       $ 88,830,925       $ 131,164,842   

Distribution sales

     44,130,740         22,687,761         24,949,263   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 136,957,722       $ 111,518,686       $ 156,114,105   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Geographic information

The Group operates in the PRC and all of the Group’s long-lived assets are located in the PRC.

In 2009, 2010 and 2011, no customer accounted for 10% or more of the Group’s net revenues.

23. Related party transactions

Transactions with employees

The Group’s customers include distributors who are owned by certain employees of the Group. Details of the transactions for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011 were as follows:

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009      2010      2011  

Sales

   $ 16,202,838       $ 10,638,174       $ 11,969,028   

Accounts receivable

     1,011,897         142,238         928,078   

These sales represented 5.6%, 3.6% and 3.3% of the total gross revenues in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

 

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Table of Contents

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010 AND 2011

(In US dollars, except share data, unless otherwise stated)

 

24. Restricted net assets

Relevant PRC laws and regulations permit payments of dividends by the Group’s PRC subsidiaries only out of their retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. As a result of these PRC laws and regulations, the Group’s PRC subsidiaries are restricted in their abilities to transfer a portion of their net assets either in the form of dividends, loans or advances, which restricted portion amounted to $43,697,922 as of December 31, 2011. This amount is made up of the registered equity of the Group’s PRC subsidiaries and the statutory reserves disclosed in Note 20. In addition, as a result of the Group’s restructuring effective January 1, 2005, retained earnings of $20,336,734 related to the pre-restructuring companies was unavailable for distribution as a normal dividend to Acorn International in accordance with relevant PRC laws and regulations.

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION — FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE I

ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

These financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY

BALANCE SHEETS

(In US dollars, except share data)

 

     December 31,  
     2010     2011  

Assets

    

Current assets:

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 3,215,618      $ 4,116,849   

Other current assets

     68,443        98,845   

Amounts due from subsidiaries

     2,522,609        9,469,035   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current assets

     5,806,670        13,684,729   

Investments in subsidiaries

     148,162,084        161,586,393   

Investments in an affiliate

     743,153        —     

Long-term investments

     7,050,000        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 161,761,907      $ 175,271,122   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Liabilities and equity

    

Current liabilities:

    

Other current liabilities

   $ 703,640      $ 254,486   

Dividend payable

     15,177        467   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     718,817        254,953   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Equity:

    

Ordinary shares ($0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized, 93,904,748 and 94,566,617 shares issued and 89,276,915 and 89,938,784 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively)

     939,047        945,666   

Additional paid-in capital

     157,092,684        158,095,135   

Retained earnings (deficits)

     (8,004,801     (2,881,542

Accumulated other comprehensive income

     22,480,106        30,320,856   

Treasury stock, at cost (4,627,833 and 4,627,833 shares as of December 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively)

     (11,463,946     (11,463,946
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total equity

     161,043,090        175,016,169   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity

   $ 161,761,907      $ 175,271,122   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In US dollars)

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011  

Operating expenses:

      

Other selling and marketing expenses

   $ 1,176,988      $ 1,267,745      $ 25,151   

General and administrative expenses

     3,647,183        1,134,131        1,062,981   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     4,824,171        2,401,876        1,088,132   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss from operations

     (4,824,171     (2,401,876     (1,088,132

Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries

     17,051,897        (5,395,226     6,818,439   

Other income (expenses)

     (344,462     1,741,519        136,105   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income taxes

     11,883,264        (6,055,583     5,866,412   

Income taxes

     —          —          —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Equity in losses of affiliates

     —          (353,598     (743,153
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income (loss) attributable to Acorn International, Inc. shareholders

   $ 11,883,264      $ (6,409,181   $ 5,123,259   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

(In US dollars, except share data)

 

     Ordinary shares     Additional
Paid-in
capital
    Retained
earnings
(deficit)
    Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income
    Treasury stock,
at cost
    Total equity  
    Shares     Amount           Shares     Amount    

Balance at January 1, 2009

    93,543,506      $ 935,435      $ 204,292,050      $ (10,282,848   $ 15,113,507        (5,334,138   $ (15,676,206   $ 194,381,938   

Net income

    —          —          —          11,883,264        —          —          —          11,883,264   

Unrealized gains on available-for-sales securities

    —          —          —          —          2,312,564        —          —          2,312,564   

Foreign currency translation adjustments

    —          —          —          —          136,490        —          —          136,490   
               

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income

                  14,332,318   
               

 

 

 

Exercise of stock options

    1,242        12        2,050        —          —          —          —          2,062   

Repurchase of ordinary shares

    —          —          —          —          —          (1,917,798     (2,288,136     (2,288,136

Issuance of repurchased shares in connection with the acquisition of Yiyang Yukang

    —          —          —          (3,047,436     —          2,564,103        6,351,796        3,304,360   

Share-based compensation

    —          —          1,845,885        —          —          —          —          1,845,885   

Appropriated special dividend

    —          —          (29,322,782     —          —          —          —          (29,322,782
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2009

    93,544,748      $ 935,447      $ 176,817,203      $ (1,447,020   $ 17,562,561        (4,687,833   $ (11,612,546   $ 182,255,645   

Net loss

    —          —          —          (6,409,181     —          —          —          (6,409,181

Unrealized losses on available-for-sales securities

    —          —          —          —          (7,345     —          —          (7,345

Foreign currency translation adjustments

    —          —          —          —          4,924,890        —          —          4,924,890   
               

 

 

 

Total comprehensive loss

                  (1,491,636
               

 

 

 

Exercise of stock options

    360,000        3,600        594,000        —          —          —          —          597,600   

Issuance of repurchased shares upon vesting of restricted share units

    —          —          —          (148,600     —          60,000        148,600        —     

Share-based compensation

    —          —          215,171        —          —          —          —          215,171   

Appropriated special dividend

    —          —          (20,533,690     —          —          —          —          (20,533,690
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2010

    93,904,748      $ 939,047      $ 157,092,684      $ (8,004,801   $ 22,480,106        (4,627,833   $ (11,463,946   $ 161,043,090   

Net income

    —          —          —          5,123,259       —          —          —          5,123,259  

Unrealized losses on available-for-sales securities

    —          —          —          —          21,965        —          —          21,965   

Gains on disposition of available-for-sale securities

    —          —          —          —          (499,019     —          —          (499,019

Foreign currency translation adjustments

    —          —          —          —          8,317,804        —          —          8,317,804   
               

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income

                  12,964,009   
               

 

 

 

Exercise of stock options

    556,581        5,566        873,831        —          —          —          —          879,397   

Exercise of restricted share units

    105,288        1,053        (1,053     —          —          —          —          —     

Share-based compensation

    —          —          129,673        —          —          —          —          129,673   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2011

    94,566,617      $ 945,666      $ 158,095,135      $ (2,881,542   $ 30,320,856        (4,627,833   $ (11,463,946   $ 175,016,169   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In US dollars)

 

     For the years ended December 31,  
     2009     2010     2011  

Operating activities:

      

Net income (loss) attributable to Acorn International, Inc. shareholders

   $ 11,883,264      $ (6,409,181   $ 5,123,259   

Share-based compensation

     1,845,885        215,171        129,673   

Equity in (earnings) losses of subsidiaries

     (17,051,897     5,395,226        (6,818,439

Equity in (earnings) losses of an affiliate

     —          (684,944     743,153   

Loss (Gain) on change in fair value of derivative asset

     1,335,630        (170,690     255,453   

Gain on sales of long-term investment

     —          —          (449,453

Accrued interests on available-for-sale securities

     (735,455     (382,930     (212,000

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

      

Other current assets

     53,498        49,769        (30,402

Amounts due from subsidiaries

     (1,044,553     7,440,735        (6,946,426

Other current liabilities

     555,823        (732,653     (449,154
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

   $ (3,157,805   $ 4,720,503      $ (8,654,336
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Investing activities:

      

Redemption of available-for-sale securities by the issuer

     10,000,000        —          —     

Investments in subsidiaries

     (7,905,649     (449,657     1,570,880   

Sale of long-term investment

     —          —          7,120,000   

Amounts due from a subsidiary

     1,200,000        —          —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

   $ 3,294,351      $ (449,657   $ 8,690,880   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Financing activities:

      

Dividends paid

     —          (49,841,295     (14,710

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

     2,062        597,600        879,397   

Repurchase of ordinary shares

     (2,288,136     —          —     

Yiyang Yukang first earn-out payment

     (6,700,000     —          —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

   $ (8,986,074   $ (49,243,695   $ 864,687   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

   $ (8,849,528   $ (44,972,849   $ 901,231   

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

     57,037,995        48,188,467        3,215,618   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

   $ 48,188,467      $ 3,215,618      $ 4,116,849   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009, 2010, AND 2011

Note to Schedule I

Schedule I has been provided pursuant to the requirements of Rule 12-04(a) and 5-04(c) of Regulation S-X, which require condensed financial information as to the financial position, changes in financial position and results of operations of a parent company as of the same dates and for the same periods for which audited consolidated financial statements have been presented when the restricted net assets of consolidated subsidiaries exceed 25 percent of consolidated net assets as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year.

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