Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | (1) Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Description of Business Digimarc Corporation (“Digimarc” or the “Company”), an Oregon corporation, enables governments and enterprises around the world to give digital identities to media and objects that computers can sense and recognize, and to which they can react. The Company has developed the Digimarc Discover ® Principles of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Digimarc and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Use of Estimates The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Certain of the Company’s accounting policies require higher degrees of judgment than others in their application. These include revenue recognition, goodwill, impairment of long-lived assets, contingencies and income taxes. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable in the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Reclassifications Certain prior period amounts in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. These reclassifications had no material effect on the results of operations or financial position for any period presented. Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid marketable securities with original maturities of 90 days or less at the date of acquisition to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents include primarily money market securities, corporate notes and certificates of deposits totaling $10,881 and $2,401 at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Cash equivalents are carried at cost or amortized cost, which approximates market. Marketable Securities The Company considers all investments with original maturities over 90 days that mature in less than one-year from the balance sheet date to be short-term marketable securities. Short- and long-term marketable securities primarily include federal agency notes, commercial paper, corporate notes, pre-refunded municipal bonds and U.S. treasuries. The Company’s marketable securities are classified as held-to-maturity and are reported at amortized cost, which approximates market. A decline in the market value of any security below amortized cost that is deemed to be other-than-temporary results in a reduction in the carrying amount. The impairment is charged to earnings and a new cost basis for the security is established. To determine whether an impairment is other-than-temporary, the Company considers whether it has the ability and intent to hold the investment until a market price recovery and considers whether evidence indicating that the cost of the investment is recoverable outweighs evidence to the contrary. There have been no other-than-temporary impairments identified or recorded by the Company. Premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted over the life of the related security as an adjustment to yield using a method that approximates the effective interest method. Under this method, dividend and interest income are recognized when earned. Fair Value of Financial Instruments Accounting Standards Certification (“ASC”) 820 “ Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures • Level 1—Pricing inputs are quoted prices available in active markets for identical investments as of the reporting date. • Level 2—Pricing inputs are quoted for similar investments, or inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term through corroboration with observable market data. Level 2 includes investments valued at quoted prices adjusted for legal or contractual restrictions specific to these investments. • Level 3—Pricing inputs are unobservable for the investment; that is, the inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. The estimated fair values of the Company’s financial instruments, which include cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other accrued liabilities approximate their carrying values due to the short-term nature of these instruments. The Company records marketable securities at amortized cost, which approximates fair value. The Company’s fair value hierarchy for its cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, was as follows: December 31, 2016 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Money market securities $ 1,218 $ — $ — $ 1,218 Federal agency notes — 16,810 — 16,810 Commercial paper — 16,757 — 16,757 Corporate notes — 15,753 — 15,753 Pre-refunded municipal bonds (1) — 6,716 — 6,716 U.S. treasuries — 2,515 — 2,515 Total $ 1,218 $ 58,551 $ — $ 59,769 December 31, 2015 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Money market securities $ 2,001 $ — $ — $ 2,001 Federal agency notes — 11,722 — 11,722 U.S. treasuries — 7,059 — 7,059 Corporate notes — 6,884 — 6,884 Pre-refunded municipal bonds (1) — 4,747 — 4,747 Commercial paper — 3,794 — 3,794 Certificates of deposits — 2,220 — 2,220 Total $ 2,001 $ 36,426 $ — $ 38,427 (1) Pre-refunded municipal bonds are collateralized by U.S. treasuries. The fair value maturities of the Company’s cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2016 are as follows: Maturities by Period Total Less 1 year 1-5 years 5 - 10 years More than 10 years Cash equivalents and marketable securities $ 59,769 $ 55,377 $ 4,392 $ — $ — Concentrations of Business and Credit Risk A significant portion of the Company’s business depends on a limited number of large contracts. The loss of any large contract may result in loss of revenue and margin on a prospective basis. Financial instruments that potentially subject Digimarc to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, and accounts receivable. Digimarc places its cash and cash equivalents with major banks and financial institutions and at times deposits may exceed insured limits. Other than cash used for operating needs, which may include short-term marketable securities with the Company’s principal banks, Digimarc’s investment policy limits its credit exposure to any one financial institution or type of financial instrument by limiting the maximum of 5% of its cash equivalents and marketable securities or $1,000, whichever is greater, to be invested in any one issuer except for the U.S. government, U.S. federal agencies and U.S. backed securities, which have no limits, at the time of purchase. The Company’s investment policy also limits its credit exposure by limiting the maximum of 40% of its cash equivalents and marketable securities, or $15,000, whichever is greater, to be invested in any one industry category, (e.g., financial or energy industries), at the time of purchase. As a result, Digimarc’s credit risk associated with cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities is believed to be minimal. Contingencies The Company evaluates all pending or threatened contingencies or commitments, if any, that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations or financial position. The Company assesses the probability of an adverse outcome and determines if it is remote, reasonably possible or probable as defined in accordance with the provisions of ASC 450 “ Contingencies Equity Method Investments The Company accounts for its joint ventures under the equity method of accounting pursuant to ASC 323 “ Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures a b c Goodwill The Company accounts for business combinations under the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC 805, “ Business Combinations Contingent consideration, if any, is recorded at the acquisition date based upon the estimated fair value of the contingent payments. The fair value of the contingent consideration is re-measured each reporting period with any adjustments in fair value being recognized in earnings from operations. The purchase price in excess of the fair value of the tangible and identified intangible assets acquired less liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually in June and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Such reviews assess the fair value of the Company’s assets compared to their carrying value. The Company operates as a single reporting unit. The Company estimates the fair value of its single reporting unit using a market approach, which takes into account the Company’s market capitalization plus an estimated control premium. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets The Company assesses long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable, in accordance with the provisions of ASC 360 “ Property, Plant and Equipment Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the assets to future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the assets over their remaining useful life. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment would be recognized in operating results at the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Fair value is determined based on discounted cash flows or appraised values, depending on the nature of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. Research and Development Research and development costs are expensed as incurred in accordance with ASC 730 “ Research and Development Software Development Costs Under ASC 985 “ Software Patent Costs Costs associated with the application and award of patents in the U.S. and various other countries are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the patents as determined at award date, which varies depending on the pendency period of the application, generally approximating seventeen years. Capitalized patent costs, also referred to as patent prosecution costs, include internal legal labor, professional legal fees, government filing fees and translation fees related to expanding the Company’s patent portfolio. Costs associated with the maintenance and annuity fees of patents are accounted for as prepaid assets at the time of payment and amortized over the shorter of the maintenance period or remaining life of the related patent. Revenue Recognition See Note 2 for detailed disclosures of the Company’s revenue recognition policy. Stock-Based Compensation The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718 “ Compensation—Stock Compensation For stock option awards, the Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model as its method of valuation. The Company’s determination of the fair value on the date of grant is affected by its stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of subjective variables. These variables include, but are not limited to, the expected life of the award, the Company’s expected stock price volatility over the term of the award, the risk-free interest rate and the expected dividend yield. Although the fair value of stock-based awards is determined in accordance with ASC 718 and SAB No. 107 “ Shared-Based Payment ” The fair value of restricted stock awards is based on the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of the grant (measurement date), and is recognized over the vesting period of the award using the straight-line method. Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740 “ Income Taxes The Company records valuation allowances on deferred tax assets if, based on available evidence, it is more-likely-than-not that all or some portion of the assets will not be realized. The Company is subject to federal and state income taxes within the U.S., and, in the ordinary course of business, there are transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. The Company reports a liability (or contra asset) for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken (or expected to be taken) on a tax return. The Company recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to the unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. Accounting Pronouncements Issued But Not Yet Adopted In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “ Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “ Leases (Topic 842) In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “ Compensation – Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (Topic 718). In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, “ Statement of Cash Flows – Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (Topic 230). |