Lockheed Martin 2011 Annual Report Download - page 15

Patents
We routinely apply for and own a substantial number of U.S. and foreign patents related to the products and services we
provide. In addition to owning a large portfolio of intellectual property, we also license intellectual property to and from third
parties. The U.S. Government has licenses in our patents that are developed in performance of government contracts, and it
may use or authorize others to use the inventions covered by our patents for government purposes. Unpatented research,
development, and engineering skills also make an important contribution to our business. Although our intellectual property
rights in the aggregate are important to the operation of our business, we do not believe that any existing patent, license, or
other intellectual property right is of such importance that its loss or termination would have a material adverse effect on our
business taken as a whole.
Raw Materials and Seasonality
Aspects of our business require relatively scarce raw materials. Historically, we have been successful in obtaining the
raw materials and other supplies needed in our manufacturing processes. We seek to manage raw materials supply risk
through long-term contracts and by maintaining a stock of key materials in inventory.
Aluminum and titanium are important raw materials used in certain of our Aeronautics and Space Systems programs.
Long-term agreements have helped enable a continued supply of aluminum and titanium. Carbon fiber is an important
ingredient in the composite material that is used in our Aeronautics programs, such as the F-35 aircraft. Aluminum lithium,
which we use for F-16 aircraft structural components, is currently only available from limited sources. We have been advised
by some suppliers that pricing and the timing of availability of materials in some commodities markets can fluctuate widely.
These fluctuations may negatively affect price and the availability of certain materials. While we do not anticipate material
problems regarding the supply of our raw materials and believe that we have taken appropriate measures to mitigate these
variations, if key materials become unavailable or if pricing fluctuates widely in the future, it could result in delay of one or
more of our programs, increased costs, or reduced profits.
No material portion of our business is considered to be seasonal. Various factors can affect the distribution of our sales
between accounting periods, including the timing of government awards, the availability of government funding, product
deliveries, and customer acceptance.
Government Contracts and Regulation
Our business is heavily regulated. We deal with numerous U.S. Government agencies and entities, including all
branches of the U.S. military, the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, Commerce, Health and Human
Services, Transportation, and Energy, the U.S. Postal Service, the Social Security Administration, the Federal Aviation
Administration, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Similar government authorities exist in other
countries and regulate our international efforts.
We must comply with and are affected by laws and regulations relating to the formation, administration, and
performance of U.S. Government and other contracts. These laws and regulations, among other things:
• require certification and disclosure of all cost or pricing data in connection with certain contract negotiations;
• impose specific and unique cost accounting practices that may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP) and therefore require reconciliation;
• impose acquisition regulations that define allowable and unallowable costs and otherwise govern our right to
reimbursement under certain cost-based U.S. Government contracts;
• restrict the use and dissemination of information classified for national security purposes and the export of certain
products and technical data; and
• require the use of earned valued management systems (EVMS) for managing cost and schedule performance on
certain complex programs.
For additional discussion of government contracting laws and regulations, see “Risk Factors” and “Industry
Considerations” and “Critical Accounting Policies” regarding contract types in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
A portion of our business is classified by the U.S. Government and cannot be specifically described. The operating
results of these classified programs are included in our consolidated financial statements. The business risks associated with
classified programs historically have not differed materially from those of our other government programs. The internal
controls addressing the financial reporting of classified programs are consistent with the internal control practices for
non-classified contracts.
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