BlackBerry - 40-F annual report 2016

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

__________________________________________________________

FORM 40-F



¨	REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



x	ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13(a) OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



For the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016	Commission File Number 0-29898

__________________________________________________________

BlackBerry Limited

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)



Ontario	3661	Not Applicable
(Province or other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)	(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No)

2200 University Ave East

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada,

N2K 0A7

(519) 888-7465

(Address and telephone number of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

BlackBerry Corporation

6700 Koll Center Parkway, 2nd Floor

Pleasanton, California, USA 94566

(925) 931-6060

(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service in the United States)

__________________________________________________________

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class Name of each exchange where registered

Common Shares, without par value Toronto Stock Exchange

Common Shares, without par value NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:

None

For annual reports, indicate by check mark the information filed with this Form:



x Annual information form	x Audited annual financial statements

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the Registrant’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by this annual report.

The Registrant had 521,172,271 Common Shares outstanding as at February 29, 2016.

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes x No ¨



A.	Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Disclosure controls and procedures are defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) as those controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Registrant in reports filed or submitted by it under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms.

The Registrant’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have evaluated the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report and have determined that such disclosure controls and procedures were effective. A discussion of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures can be found in its Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, included in Exhibit 1.3 to this Annual Report, under the heading “Disclosure Controls and Procedures and Internal Controls - Disclosure Controls and Procedures”.



B.	Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

On October 30, 2015 and September 22, 2015, the Registrant completed the acquisition of Good Technology Corporation and AtHoc, Inc., respectively, which are included in the fiscal 2016 consolidated financial statements of the Registrant and constituted 19% and 23% of total and net assets, respectively, as of February 29, 2016, and 3% and 13% of revenues and net income before tax, respectively, for the year then ended. In conducting their evaluation of the effectiveness of the Registrant's internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act), management has excluded Good Technology Corporation and AtHoc, Inc. from its assessment of internal controls over financial reporting as of February 29, 2016 because they were acquired by the Registrant during fiscal 2016.

See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, included in Exhibit 1.3 to this Annual Report, under the heading “Disclosure Controls and Procedures and Internal Controls - Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting”.



C.	Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm

The attestation report of Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”) is included in EY’s report, dated April 1, 2016, to the shareholders of the Registrant, which accompanies the Registrant’s audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, filed as Exhibit 1.2 to this Annual Report. EY’s audit of internal control over financial reporting of the Registrant also did not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of Good Technology Corporation and AtHoc, Inc.



D.	Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, included in Exhibit 1.3 to this Annual Report, under the heading “Disclosure Controls and Procedures and Internal Controls – Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting”.



E.	Notice of Pension Fund Blackout Period

The Registrant was not required by Rule 104 of Regulation BTR to send any notice to any of its directors or executive officers during the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016.



F.	Audit Committee Financial Expert

The Registrant’s Board of Directors has determined that Barbara Stymiest, an individual serving on the Audit and Risk Management Committee of the Registrant’s Board of Directors, is an audit committee financial expert, within the meaning of General Instruction B(8)(b) of Form 40-F.

The Commission has indicated that the designation of a person as an audit committee financial expert does not make such person an “expert” for any purpose, impose any duties, obligations or liability on such person that are greater than those imposed on members of the Audit and Risk Management Committee and the Board of Directors who do not carry this

designation or affect the duties, obligations or liability of any other member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee or Board of Directors.



G.	Code of Ethics

The Registrant’s Board of Directors has adopted a code of ethics (the “Code”) that applies to all directors, officers and employees. A copy of the Code may be obtained at www.blackberry.com. The Registrant will provide a copy of the Code without charge to any person that requests a copy by contacting the Corporate Secretary at the address that appears on the cover of this Annual Report on Form 40-F.



H.	Principal Accountant Fees and Services

Audit Fees

The aggregate fees billed by EY, the Company’s independent auditor, for the fiscal years ended February 29, 2016 and February 28, 2015, respectively, for professional services rendered by EY for the audit of the Company’s annual financial statements or services that are normally provided by EY in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for such fiscal years were $2,567,933 and $3,458,051, respectively.

Audit-Related Fees

The aggregate fees billed by EY for the fiscal years ended February 29, 2016 and February 28, 2015, respectively, for assurance and related services rendered by EY that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company’s financial statements and are not reported above as audit fees were $13,042 and $33,785, respectively. Professional services provided included procedures related to the audit of new systems implemented.

Tax Fees

The aggregate fees billed by EY for the fiscal years ended February 29, 2016 and February 28, 2015, respectively, for professional services rendered by EY for tax compliance, tax advice, tax planning and other services were $36,180 and $9,432, respectively. Tax services provided included international tax compliance engagements.

All Other Fees

The aggregate fees billed by EY for the fiscal years ended February 29, 2016 and February 28, 2015, respectively, for professional services rendered by EY for acquisition related due diligence were $422,200 and nil, respectively.

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

Since the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 on July 30, 2002, all audit and non-audit services performed by the Registrant’s outside auditors are pre-approved by the Audit and Risk Management Committee of the Registrant.



I.	Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Registrant is not a party to any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on its financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to investors.



J.	Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations

Tabular disclosure of the Registrant’s contractual obligations can be found in its Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, included in Exhibit No. 1.3 to this Annual Report, under the heading “Financial Condition - Aggregate Contractual Obligations”.



K.	Identification of Audit Committee

The Registrant has an Audit and Risk Management Committee comprised of four individuals: Barbara Stymiest (Chair), Timothy Dattels, Dr. Laurie Smaldone Alsup and the Hon. Wayne Wouters. Each of the members of the Audit and Risk Management Committee is independent as that term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. (“Nasdaq”).



L.	Critical Accounting Estimates

A discussion of the Registrant’s critical accounting estimates can be found in its Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, included in Exhibit No. 1.3 to this Annual Report, under the heading “Accounting Policies and Critical Accounting Estimates - Critical Accounting Estimates”.



M.	Nasdaq Exemptions

On November 5, 2002, the Registrant requested an exemption from Nasdaq’s quorum requirements (which provide that a quorum for a shareholder meeting of a Nasdaq-listed company must be at least 33-1/3% of the outstanding common shares of the company) on the basis that such requirements were contrary to generally accepted business practices in Canada. The Registrant’s by-laws provide that the quorum requirements for the transaction of business at any meeting of shareholders shall be two persons present in person, each being a shareholder entitled to vote thereat or a duly appointed proxyholder or representative for a shareholder so entitled, holding or representing not less than 20% of the issued shares of the Registrant, of the class or classes respectively (if there is more than one class of shares outstanding at the time), enjoying voting rights at such meeting. The Registrant’s quorum requirements comply with the requirements of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) and are consistent with the quorum requirements of other Canadian public companies. On November 25, 2002, based on the Registrant’s representations, Nasdaq granted the requested exemption.



N.	Interactive Data File

The Registrant has submitted to the Commission, included in Exhibit 101 to this Annual Report, an Interactive Data File.



O.	Mine Safety

The Registrant is not currently required to disclose the information required by Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

UNDERTAKING AND CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS



A.	Undertaking

The Registrant undertakes to make available, in person or by telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff, and to furnish promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff, information relating to the securities in relation to which the obligation to file an annual report on Form 40-F arises or transactions in said securities.



B.	Consent to Service of Process

The Registrant has previously filed with the Commission a Form F-X in connection with its Common Shares, as amended on Form F-X/A filed with the Commission on June 1, 2015.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 40-F and has duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.



	BLACKBERRY LIMITED

Date: April 1, 2016	By:	/s/ James Yersh
	Name:	James Yersh
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit No.		Document

1.1		Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, dated April 1, 2016.

1.2		Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016, prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

1.3		Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2016.

23.1		Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

31.1		Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32.1		Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

101		Interactive Data File.

BlackBerry - 40-F annual report 2016

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