Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies

Employment Agreements

We have employment agreements with our executive officers and some consultants, the terms of which expire at various times. Such agreements provide for minimum compensation levels, as well as incentive bonuses that are payable if specified management goals are attained. Under each of the agreements, in the event the officer's employment is terminated (other than voluntarily by the officer or by us for cause, or upon the death of the officer), if all provisions of the employment agreements are met, we are committed to pay certain benefits, including specified monthly severance.

Operating Leases

We entered into an agreement to lease office space under the terms of a sublease with a term of 65 months commencing August 1, 2008. Under the terms of the sublease, the lease payments are inclusive of pass-through costs. We are not charged additional amounts for real estate taxes and standard operating expenses. We paid an initial monthly rental fee in the amount of approximately $43,000 in accordance with the sublease agreement. Parking fees, and rent payments increase by a factor of 4% each year thereafter. The monthly straight-line rental expense from August 1, 2008 to December 1, 2013, is approximately $45,000. As a result of the straight-line rent calculation generated by the one free rent period and rent escalation, we have recorded in accrued liabilities a deferred rent credit of approximately $44,000 at December 31, 2012. We pay rent for our Moscow office of approximately $12,000 per month, on a month to month basis. Rent expense was approximately $0.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.

On October 16, 2013 we entered into a new 1 year sub-lease agreement with our current landlord for our current office space starting January 1, 2014. The monthly rent payment will be approximately $32,000 plus additional charges.

Estimated total annual rental payments (in millions) under our operating leases are as follows: