DIRECTV 2011 Annual Report Download - page 41

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DIRECTV
exchange laws in some countries can have a material impact on our ability to water discharge, employee safety, and universal and hazardous waste management
repatriate funds to the United States. Also, several countries such as Venezuela, activities. We have an environmental management function designed to track,
Argentina and Brazil have passed or proposed laws imposing certain ‘‘national’’ facilitate and support our compliance with these requirements and attempt to
content requirements, advertising limitations and other requirements on the content maintain compliance with all such requirements. We have made and will continue
we distribute. Such laws can have an adverse impact on our subisidiaries. to make, as necessary, capital and other expenditures to comply with environmental
requirements. We do not, however, expect capital or other expenditures for
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY environmental compliance to be material in 2012. In addition, we periodically
review environmental stewardship concepts (such as green initiatives and energy
All DIRECTV companies maintain active programs for identifying and conservation strategies) and implement these whenever feasible. We have been
protecting our important intellectual property. We believe that our growing selected by the Environmental Protection Agency as a 2010 and 2011 Energy Star
portfolio of pending and issued patents are important assets. We presently hold over award winner for excellence in energy efficient product design and recognized for
2,000 issued patents worldwide relating to our past and present businesses, our ‘‘leadership in advancing technology’’ to reduce energy while continuing to
including over 500 patents developed by, or otherwise relating to, the businesses of deliver our service. Environmental requirements are complex, change frequently and
DIRECTV U.S. We hold a worldwide portfolio of over 900 trademarks related to have become increasingly more stringent over time. Accordingly, we cannot provide
the DIRECTV brand, the Cyclone Design and DIRECTV products and services. assurance that these requirements will not change or become more stringent in the
In particular, DIRECTV U.S. holds trademark registrations relating to its business, future in a manner that could have a material adverse effect on our business.
including registrations of the primary ‘‘DIRECTV’’ and the DIRECTV Cyclone
Design trademarks. In many instances, these trademarks are licensed royalty-free to We are also subject to environmental laws requiring the investigation and
third parties for use in support of the DIRECTV U.S. business. We actively protect cleanup of environmental contamination at facilities we formerly owned or operated
our important patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights against or currently own or operate or to which we sent hazardous wastes, including
unauthorized or improper use by third parties. specified universal wastes, for treatment, service, disposal or recycling. We are aware
of contamination at one of our former sites. We are in the process of complying
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION with the requirements stipulated by the government agency overseeing the site
cleanup and have allocated the funds to achieve the decontamination goals.
We are subject to requirements of federal, state, local and foreign
environmental laws and regulations. These include laws regulating air emissions,
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