NOTE 19 - JOINT VENTURE, TECHNOLOGY LICENSE AND OTHER AGREEMENTS WITH MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.

In May 2006, Photronics and Micron Technology, Inc. ("Micron") entered into the MP Mask joint venture (“MP Mask”), which developed and produced photomasks for leading-edge and advanced next generation semiconductors. At the time of the formation of the joint venture, we also entered into an agreement to license photomask technology developed by Micron and certain supply agreements. In May 2016, we sold our investment in MP Mask to Micron for $93.1 million and recorded a gain on the sale of $0.1 million, which is included in interest income and other income (expense) in our 2016 consolidated statement of income. On that same date, a supply agreement commenced between Photronics and Micron, which provided that we would be the majority outsourced supplier of Micron’s photomasks and related services. The supply agreement had a one year term and expired in May 2017. However, we have the unlimited rights to use technology under the prior technology license agreement.

This joint venture was a variable interest entity ("VIE") (as that term is defined in ASC 810), because all costs of the joint venture were passed on to Photronics and Micron through purchase agreements they had entered into with the joint venture, and it was dependent upon Photronics and Micron for any additional cash requirements. On a quarterly basis, we reassessed whether our interest in MP Mask gave us a controlling financial interest in this VIE. The purpose of this quarterly reassessment was to identify the primary beneficiary (which is defined in ASC 810 as the entity that consolidates a VIE) of the VIE. As a result of the reassessments in fiscal year 2016, we determined that Micron remained the primary beneficiary of the VIE, by virtue of its tie-breaking voting rights within MP Mask’s Board of Managers, thereby having given it the power to direct the activities of MP Mask that most significantly impacted its economic performance, including its decision making authority in the ordinary course of business and its purchase of the majority of products produced by the VIE.

We utilized MP Mask for both high-end IC photomask production and research and development purposes. MP Mask charged its variable interest holders based on their actual usage of its facility and charged separately for any research and development activities it engaged in at the requests of its owners.

MP Mask was governed by a Board of Managers appointed by Micron and Photronics. Throughout MP Mask's existence, Micron, as a result of its majority ownership, held majority voting power on the Board of Managers. Under the MP Mask joint venture operating agreement, we may have been required to make additional capital contributions to MP Mask. MP Mask did not request, and we did not make, any contributions to MP Mask in fiscal year 2016, and we did not receive any distributions (other than upon the sale of our investment to Micron in fiscal year 2016) from MP Mask during 2016.

We recorded a loss from operations from our investment in MP Mask of $0.1 million in fiscal year 2016, which is included in Interest income and other income (expense) in our consolidated statements of income.

In fiscal 2016, we recorded $0.4 million of commission revenue earned under the supply agreements with Micron and MP Mask, and amortization of $0.1 million of the related supply agreement intangible asset. In 2016, we also recorded cost of goods sold in the amount of $5.7 million for photomasks produced by MP Mask for Photronics customers, and incurred expenses of $0.5 million for research and development activities and other goods and services purchased from MP Mask by Photronics.

Summarized financial information of MP Mask is presented below. The financial results of 2016 represent activities through May 5, 2016, the date of the sale of the joint venture.

	Fiscal Year 2016


Revenue	$	49,626
Gross profit		2,736
Net income		-