Background
Many of our products, like virtually all consumer electronics, contain various metals, including tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold (commonly referred to as “3TG”), which originate in mines around the world. The 3TG metals have become known as “conflict minerals”; much of which is sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”) and adjoining countries (the “Covered Countries”) where a decades-long civil war is being waged. This conflict has been exacerbated by various groups fighting to control mines and transit routes used in the trade of these minerals. In the U.S., the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) requires public companies to file annual reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) beginning in May 2014, disclosing whether or not they are using 3TG originating from the Covered Countries. A potential, but unintended, consequence of the Dodd-Frank Act is a widespread withdrawal from trade with the Covered Countries by U.S. companies. These requirements can also be viewed online.