Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Guarantees, Commitments and Contingencies

Contingencies

Lease Guarantees

As a result of having assigned our interest in obligations under real estate leases as a condition to the refranchising of certain Company restaurants and guaranteeing certain other leases, we are frequently contingently liable on lease agreements.  These leases have varying terms, the latest of which expires in 2065.  As of June 30, 2018, the potential amount of undiscounted payments we could be required to make in the event of non-payment by the primary lessees was approximately $600 million.  The present value of these potential payments discounted at our pre-tax cost of debt at June 30, 2018, was approximately $500 million.  Our franchisees are the primary lessees under the vast majority of these leases.  We generally have cross-default provisions with these franchisees that would put them in default of their franchise agreements in the event of non-payment under the leases.  We believe these cross-default provisions significantly reduce the risk that we will be required to make payments under these leases.  Accordingly, the liability recorded for our probable exposure under such leases as of June 30, 2018 was not material.

Franchise Loan Pool and Equipment Guarantees

We have agreed to provide financial support, if required, to a variable interest entity that operates a franchisee lending program used primarily to assist franchisees in the development of new restaurants or the upgrade of existing restaurants and, to a lesser extent, in connection with the Company’s refranchising programs in the U.S. We have determined that we are not required to consolidate this entity as we share the power to direct this entity’s lending activity with other parties. We have provided guarantees of 20% of the outstanding loans of the franchisee loan program. As such, at June 30, 2018, our guarantee exposure under this program is approximately $2 million based on total loans outstanding of $11 million.

In addition to the guarantees described above, YUM has agreed to provide guarantees of up to approximately $27 million on behalf of franchisees for several programs related to equipment purchases and refranchising.  At June 30, 2018, our guarantee exposure under these financing programs is approximately $11 million.

Legal Proceedings

We are subject to various claims and contingencies related to lawsuits, real estate, environmental and other matters arising in the normal course of business. An accrual is recorded with respect to claims or contingencies for which a loss is determined to be probable and reasonably estimable.

In August 2011, Ameranth, Inc. (“Ameranth”) filed a patent infringement action against a number of defendants, including Pizza Hut, LLC, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (the “Court”) (“2011 Action”), asserting infringement of a family of three patents. In March 2012, Ameranth initiated additional actions for infringement of a related patent, U.S. Patent No. 8,146,077 (“’077 patent”), in the same forum, including an action against Pizza Hut, LLC and its service provider, QuikOrder, Inc. (“’077 Action”). The Court later consolidated for certain purposes the cases against Pizza Hut, LLC and QuikOrder, Inc. and the approximately 40 other defendants filed by Ameranth in the same district, along with the original 2011 Action. In their answer,

Pizza Hut, LLC and QuikOrder, Inc. denied infringement and asserted various defenses, including non-infringement, invalidity, unenforceability and inequitable conduct. The consolidated district court case was stayed until 2017 while various of the defendants brought Covered Business Method patent review actions before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”). Three of the four patents were invalidated by the PTAB. The PTAB declined to review the ‘077 Patent. In January 2017, the Court granted Ameranth’s motion to lift the stay and set a jury trial date of September 4, 2018 for the claims against Pizza Hut, LLC and QuikOrder, Inc.

Pizza Hut denies liability and intends to defend the suit vigorously. A reasonable estimate of the amount of any possible loss or range of loss cannot be made at this time.

We are currently engaged in various other legal proceedings and have certain unresolved claims pending, the ultimate liability for which, if any, cannot be determined at this time. However, based upon consultation with legal counsel, we are of the opinion that such other proceedings and claims are not expected to have a material adverse effect, individually or in the aggregate, on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.