Note 9—Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

Licensing Agreements with the Rich Dad Parties

Our primary business relies on our license of the Rich Dad brand and related marks and intellectual property. The following transactions summarize our license to use the Rich Dad trademarks, trade names and other business information in seminars in the US, Canada and the United Kingdom (the “Rich Dad Intellectual Property Rights”): 

Effective September 1, 2013, we entered into new licensing and related agreements with RDOC (collectively, the “2013 License Agreement”) that replaced the 2010 Rich Dad License Agreement. The initial term of the 2013 License Agreement expires August 31, 2018, but continues thereafter on a yearly basis unless one of the parties provides timely notice of termination. The 2013 License Agreement broadened the field of use to include real estate investing, business strategies, stock market investment techniques, stock/paper assets, cash management, asset protection, entrepreneurship and other financially-oriented subjects. The 2013 License Agreement also (i) reduces the royalty rate payable to RDOC compared to the 2010 Rich Dad License Agreement; (ii) broadens the Company’s exclusivity rights to include education seminars delivered in any medium; (iii) eliminates the cash collateral requirements and related financial covenants contained in the 2010 Rich Dad License Agreement; (iv) continues our right to pay royalties via a promissory note that is convertible to preferred shares upon the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined in the 2013 License Agreement); (v) eliminated approximately $1.6 million in debt from our consolidated balance sheet as a result of debt forgiveness provided for in the agreement terminating the 2010 Rich Dad License Agreement; and (vi) converted another approximately $4.6 million in debt to 1,549,882 shares of our common stock.   

On April 22, 2014, we entered into an agreement with RDOC to settle certain claims we had against RDOC, Robert Kiyosaki, and Darren Weeks arising out of RDOC’s, Kiyosaki’s, and Weeks’s promotion of a series of live seminars and related products known as Rich Dad:GEOthat we alleged infringed on our exclusive rights under the 2013 License Agreement between the Company and RDOC (the “GEO Settlement Agreement”). In the GEO Settlement Agreement, RDOC, Kiyosaki, and Weeks agreed to terminate any further activity in furtherance of the Rich Dad:GEO program. In addition, RDOC agreed, among other things, to (i) amend the 2013 License Agreement to halve the royalty payable by us to RDOC to 2.5% for the whole of 2014, (ii) cancelled approximately $1.3 million in debt owed by us to RDOC, and (iii) reimburse us for the legal fees we incurred in the matter. In addition, RDOC’s right to appoint one member of our Board of Directors previously continued under the 2013 License Agreement was cancelled.

The 2013 License Agreement and the GEO Settlement Agreement were assigned to our wholly owned subsidiary, Legacy Education Alliance Holdings, Inc. on September 10, 2014.

License Agreement with Robbie Fowler

We entered into a Talent Endorsement Agreement with an effective date of January 1, 2013 with Robbie Fowler that supplements and earlier November 2, 2012 Agreement with Mr. Fowler (collectively, the “Fowler License Agreement”). The Fowler License Agreement grants us the exclusive right to use Robbie Fowler’s name, image, and likeness in connection with the advertisement, promotion, and sale in the United Kingdom of a property training course developed by us. The term of the license is scheduled to expire on January 1, 2015, but may be extended upon the mutual consent of the parties. Under the Fowler License Agreement, we pay Mr. Fowler a royalty on revenues realized from the sale of Robbie Fowler-branded property courses and affiliated products, after deductions for value added taxes, returns and refunds.

License Agreement with Martin Roberts

In 2009, we entered into a Talent Endorsement Agreement with Martin Roberts that grants us the exclusive right to use Martin Robert’s, name, image, and likeness, as well as well as the rights to use the name of Mr. Roberts’s published book entitled “Making Money From Property”, in connection with the advertisement, promotion, and sale in the United Kingdom of a property training course developed by us. The term of the license will continue unless (i) terminated by one party upon the event of a default of the party, or (ii) by either party without cause upon thirty (30) days prior written notice to the other party. Under the License Agreement with Mr. Roberts, we pay Mr. Roberts a royalty on revenues realized from the sale of Robbie Fowler-branded property courses and affiliated products that are collected within thirty (30) days after a Company-sponsored Martin Roberts-branded event, after deductions for value added taxes, banking charges, returns, refunds, and third party commissions. For sales to clients introduced to us directly by Mr. Roberts and his associated websites as well as other marketing and promotional activities Mr. Roberts or his associated companies may wish to undertake from time to time that are not part of a Company sponsored event and which result in the sale of ours basic training her marketing and promotional activities, Mr. Roberts is entitled to 50% of gross revenue from such sales of directly introduced clients.

See Note 15— Commitments and Contingencies for additional discussion.