Note 6 - Share Capital

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]

Note 6.  Share Capital

 The Company has a shareholder’s rights plan (the “Rights Plan”). The Rights Plan provides for a dividend distribution of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of the Company's Common Stock, $.01 par value (the "Common Stock").  The terms of the Rights and the Rights Plan are set forth in a Rights Agreement, dated as of July 10, 2006, as amended, by and between the Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., now known as The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agreement”).

The Company’s Board of Directors adopted the Rights Plan to protect shareholder value by protecting the Company’s ability to realize the benefits of its net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”). In general terms, the Rights Plan imposes a significant penalty upon any person or group that acquires 5% or more of the outstanding Common Stock without the prior approval of the Company’s Board of Directors.  Shareholders that own 5% or more of the outstanding Common Stock as of the close of business on the Record Date (as defined in the Rights Agreement) may acquire up to an additional 1% of the outstanding Common Stock without penalty so long as they maintain their ownership above the 5% level (such increase subject to downward adjustment by the Company’s Board of Directors if it determines that such increase will endanger the availability of the Company’s NOLs).  In addition, the Company’s Board of Directors has exempted Newcastle Partners, L.P. (“Newcastle”), the Company’s largest shareholder, and may exempt any person or group that owns 5% or more if the Board of Directors determines that the person’s or group’s ownership will not endanger the availability of the Company’s NOLs.  A person or group that acquires a percentage of Common Stock in excess of the applicable threshold is called an “Acquiring Person”.  Any Rights held by an Acquiring Person are void and may not be exercised.  The Company’s Board of Directors authorized the issuance of one Right per each share of Common Stock outstanding on the Record Date.  If the Rights become exercisable, each Right would allow its holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a share of the Company’s Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 (the “Preferred Stock”), for a purchase price of $10.00.  Each fractional share of Preferred Stock would give the shareholder approximately the same dividend, voting and liquidation rights as does one share of Common Stock.  Prior to exercise, however, a Right does not give its holder any dividend, voting or liquidation rights.

Standstill Agreement

On April 24, 2013, the Company and Ronald L. Chez (“Chez”), a shareholder of the Company, entered into a letter agreement (the “Standstill Agreement”), pursuant to which Chez and his Affiliates (as defined in the Standstill Agreement) agreed not to, without the prior approval of the Board of Directors of the Company, (a) beneficially own in excess of 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock of the Company nor (b) directly or indirectly, make any proposal or offer to acquire (other than pursuant to a confidential proposal to the Board of Directors of the Company), or agree to acquire or to become the beneficial owner of (i) any shares of Common Stock, (ii) any other securities of the Company convertible, exchangeable or exercisable into shares of Common Stock or (iii) any other voting securities of the Company, which, when added together with any such securities beneficially owned by Chez and his Affiliates immediately prior thereto, would provide Chez and his Affiliates with voting power in the aggregate in excess of 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock.

The Company agreed to, within three (3) business days of the execution of the Standstill Agreement, promptly execute (and submit for signature by the Rights Agent) an amendment to the Rights Agreement, which amendment provides that Chez shall not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” under the Rights Agreement by virtue of (a) the acquisition of shares of Common Stock purchased by Chez and disclosed in the initial Schedule 13D with respect to his ownership of Company Common Stock filed by Chez on March 22, 2013 (the “Initial Chez 13D”) or (b) the acquisition of additional shares of Common Stock in one or more purchases which in the aggregate, when added together with the shares of Common Stock reflected in the Initial Chez 13D, do not exceed 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock.

The restrictions set forth in the Standstill Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of sixty (60) days following the expiration of the Rights Agreement or the earlier termination of the Rights Agreement (including pursuant to a redemption of the outstanding rights in accordance therewith) by the Company.

Amendment to Rights Agreement

On April 25, 2013, the Company entered into a Thirteenth Amendment (the “Thirteenth Amendment”) to the Rights Agreement. The Thirteenth Amendment, among other things, (i) amends the definition of Acquiring Person (as defined in the Rights Agreement) to provide that Chez shall not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person solely by virtue of (a) purchases by Chez, individually and through individual retirement accounts for his benefit, of shares of Common Stock which resulted in his beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% of the Common Stock outstanding, as disclosed in the Initial Chez 13D (the “Reported Chez Purchases”) or (b) purchases by Chez, individually or through individual retirement accounts for his benefit, of a number of shares of Common Stock which in the aggregate, when added together with the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by Chez as reflected in the Initial Chez 13D (i.e., 6,701,857 shares of Common Stock), shall not exceed ten million (10,000,000) shares of Common Stock (the “Permitted Additional Chez Purchases”), (ii) amends the definition of Triggering Event (as defined in the Rights Agreement) to provide that no Triggering Event shall result solely by virtue of any Reported Chez Purchases or Permitted Additional Chez Purchases, (iii) provides that a Distribution Date (as defined in the Rights Agreement) shall not be deemed to have occurred solely by virtue of any Reported Chez Purchases or Permitted Additional Chez Purchases and (iv) provides that no Reported Chez Purchases or Permitted Additional Chez Purchases shall be deemed to be events that cause the Rights to become exercisable. The Thirteenth Amendment also provides for certain other conforming and technical amendments to the terms and provisions of the Rights Agreement.