Reference no: EM131716055

Problem - Fields Laboratories holds a valuable patent (No. 758-6002-1A) on a precipitator that prevents certain types of air pollution. Fields does not manufacture or sell the products and processes it develops. Instead, it conducts research and develops products and processes which it patents, and then assigns the patents to manufacturers on a royalty basis. Occasionally it sells a patent. The history of Fields patent number 758-6002-1A is as follows.

Date	Activity	Cost
2008-2009	Research conducted to develop precipitator	$368,000
Jan. 2010	Design and construction of a prototype	86,200
March 2010	Testing of models	23,800
Jan. 2011	Fees paid engineers and lawyers to prepare patent application;
patent granted June 30, 2011	73,100
Nov. 2012	Engineering activity necessary to advance the design of the
precipitator to the manufacturing stage	81,500
Dec. 2013	Legal fees paid to successfully defend precipitator patent	23,800
April 2014	Research aimed at modifying the design of the patented precipitator	24,800
July 2018	Legal fees paid in unsuccessful patent infringement suit against a
competitor	36,000

Fields assumed a useful life of 17 years when it received the initial precipitator patent. On January 1, 2016, it revised its useful life estimate downward to 5 remaining years. Amortization is computed for a full year if the cost is incurred prior to July 1, and no amortization for the year if the cost is incurred after June 30. The company's year ends December 31.

Compute the carrying value of patent No. 758-6002-1A on each of the following dates:

(a) December 31, 2011

(b) December 31, 2015

(c) December 31, 2018