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In light of the total magnitude of these revenue adjustments, we present below an overview of the principal revenue adjustments required in the
Second Restatement to correct accounting errors related to revenue recognition and the general circumstances that gave rise to them. In
addition, as described under “Revenue Independent Review”, the Audit Committee has determined to review the facts and circumstances
leading to the restatement of these revenues for specific transactions identified in the Second Restatement. The Revenue Independent Review
will have a particular emphasis on the underlying conduct that led to the initial recognition of these revenues, and will consider any appropriate
additional remedial measures, including those involving internal controls and processes.
Of this amount, we made adjustments of approximately $870 million in 2001 and $200 million in 2002 to correct errors relating to passage of
product title or risk of loss. Both employee input and our review of the broader original accounting treatment of certain individual contracts
identified a specific customer contract as warranting re-examination of the timing of revenue recognition relative to the timing of passage of
product title. Following a detailed review, we determined that revenues had been recorded erroneously before title had passed. We also
reviewed other similar contracts and determined that corrections were also required where title or risk of loss had not passed. These corrections
principally impacted North American contracts in our Optical and Wireline businesses.
Some of the adjustments related to title and risk of loss issues described above resulted in a permanent reversal of revenues, rather than a
deferral of revenues to later periods. In certain cases, revenues were recognized in error in a particular period (before title had passed and the
criteria for revenue recognition had been met) and a bad debt expense was subsequently recorded due to collectibility issues. In such cases,
both entries were reversed. Following those corrections, if title in fact never passed or the other criteria were never met, and the customer failed
to pay, the revenues were not recognized in subsequent periods but instead permanently reversed. We permanently reversed a total of
approximately $150 million of revenues in 2000 and $25 million in 2001 as a result of title and risk of loss adjustments.
We also identified errors related to title and delivery issues in connection with arrangements known as “bill and hold” transactions, in which
revenue is recognized before actual delivery of the product. Corrections of these errors resulted in the deferral of revenue into later periods,
which had the effect of a net increase to revenues of approximately $760 million in 2001 and $10 million in 2002. Our scrutiny of this issue
was similarly prompted by employee input. In this situation, we determined that the relevant accounting policy had been incorrectly applied to
a number of contracts, and revenues were recognized where the relevant criteria had not been fully met. In reviewing individual contracts, we
examined, among other things: whether significant product returns had occurred in later periods, the accounts receivable history, whether better
pricing was provided for the particular purchase order to incent a customer to enter into a bill and hold arrangement, whether purchase orders
were eventually placed by the customer and whether third-party corroboration was available as to whether the arrangement was at the request
of the customer or Nortel Networks. As a result of our consideration of these factors, we deferred all revenues associated with bill and hold
arrangements to subsequent periods. We no longer recognize revenue on bill and hold arrangements before delivery occurs and all other criteria
of revenue recognition are fully met.
Another area of review prompted by our review of the broader original accounting treatment of certain individual contracts was related to
certain optical product transactions where revenues related to undelivered product elements were erroneously recognized. In these cases,
revenues for customer orders
129
•
Title and deliver
y
— An increase of $1,624 million in 2001 and $211 million in 2002.
•
Undelivered elements and liquidated damages
— A decrease of $190 million in 2001 and an increase of $45 million in 2002 and
$204 million in 2003.