Note 3 - Summary of significant accounting policies
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]
3.  
Summary of significant accounting policies

a)  
Basis of presentation

The interim consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”).

The interim consolidated financial information as of March 31, 2012 and for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 have been prepared without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).  Certain information and footnote disclosures, which are normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, have been omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations. The interim consolidated financial information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, previously filed with the SEC.

In the opinion of management, all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present a fair statement of the Company’s consolidated financial position as of March 31, 2012, its consolidated results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, and its consolidated cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, as applicable, have been made. The interim results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full fiscal year or any future periods.

b)  
Principles of consolidation

The interim consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of all the subsidiaries and VIEs of the Company. All transactions and balances between the Company and its subsidiaries and VIEs have been eliminated upon consolidation. According to the agreements between Beijing CNET Online and Shanghai Borongdingsi, although Beijing CNET Online legally owns 51% of Shanghai Borongdingsi’s interests, Beijing CNET Online only controls the assets and liabilities related to the bank kiosks business, which has been included in the financial statements of Beijing CNET Online, but does not control other assets of Shanghai Borongdingsi, thus, Shanghai Borongdingsi’s financial statements were not consolidated by the Company.

c)  
Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of these consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. The Company continually evaluates these estimates and assumptions based on the most recently available information, historical experience and various other assumptions that the Company believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Since the use of estimates is an integral component of the financial reporting process, actual results could differ from those estimates.

d)  
Foreign currency translation and transactions

The functional currency of the Company is United States dollars (“US$”), and the functional currency of China Net HK is Hong Kong dollars (“HK$”).  The functional currency of the Company’s PRC operating subsidiary and VIEs is Renminbi (“RMB”), and PRC is the primary economic environment in which the Company operates.

For financial reporting purposes, the financial statements of the Company’s PRC operating subsidiary and VIEs, which are prepared using the RMB, are translated into the Company’s reporting currency, the United States Dollar (“U.S. dollar”). Assets and liabilities are translated using the exchange rate at each balance sheet date.  Revenue and expenses are translated using average rates prevailing during each reporting period, and stockholders’ equity is translated at historical exchange rates. Adjustments resulting from the translation are recorded as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income in stockholders’ equity.

Transactions denominated in currencies other than the functional currency are translated into the functional currency at the exchange rates prevailing at the dates of the transactions.  The resulting exchange differences are included in the determination of net income of the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income for the respective periods.

The exchange rates used to translate amounts in RMB into US$ for the purposes of preparing the consolidated financial statements are as follows:

   
March 31,
2012
   
December 31,
2011
 
             
Balance sheet items, except for equity accounts
    6.3247       6.3647  

   
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
   
2012
   
2011
 
Items in the statements of income and comprehensive income, and statements cash flows
    6.3201       6.5894  

No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be converted into US$ at the above rates.

e)  
Advertising costs

Advertising costs for the Company’s own brand building are not includable in cost of sales, they are expensed when incurred or amortized over the estimated beneficial period and are included in “selling expenses” in the statement of income and comprehensive income. For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, advertising expenses for the Company’s own brand building were approximately US$74,000 and US$465,000, respectively.

f)  
Research and development expenses

The Company accounts for the cost of developing and upgrading technologies and platforms and intellectual property that are used in its daily operations in research and development cost. Research and development costs are charged to expense when incurred. Expenses for research and development for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 were approximately US$331,000 and US$353,000, respectively.

g)  
Income taxes

The Company adopts ASC Topic 740 “Income taxes” and uses liability method to account for income taxes.  Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates that will be in effect in the period in which the differences are expected to reverse. The Company records a valuation allowance to offset deferred tax assets, if based on the weight of available evidence, it is more-likely-than-not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized in statement of income and comprehensive income in the period that includes the enactment date.

h)  
Uncertain tax positions

The Company follows the guidance of ASC Topic 740-10-25-5 through 740-10-25-7 and 740-10-25-13, which prescribes a more likely than not threshold for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. This Interpretation also provides guidance on recognition of income tax assets and liabilities, classification of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities, accounting for interest and penalties associated with tax positions, accounting for income taxes in interim periods, and income tax disclosures.  For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company did not have any interest and penalties associated with tax positions and did not have any significant unrecognized uncertain tax positions.

i)  
Recent accounting pronouncements

For the three months ended March 31, 2012, there were no new Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs) issued by the FASB to amend the FASB Accounting Standards Codification® (ASC).