5.	Intangible Assets and Other Long-lived Assets

Impairment Reviews and Charges

Intangible assets represent the values assigned to trade names, customer lists and relationships, noncompete agreements and exclusive distribution rights of businesses acquired. Trade name assets have an indefinite life and are not amortized. All other intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their expected useful lives, which range from three to 20 years. Intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized but are tested for impairment at least annually, or more frequently if events and circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset might be impaired, using a fair-value-based approach. An impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying amount exceeds the asset's fair value. No impairment was recorded related to intangible assets in 2011, 2010, or 2009.

In 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company also performed impairment testing for the assets of individual retail stores ("store assets" or "stores"), which consist primarily of leasehold improvements and fixtures, due to the existence of indicators of potential impairment of these other long-lived assets. We performed the first step of impairment testing for other long-lived assets on the store assets and determined that for some stores the estimated future undiscounted cash flows derived from the assets was less than those assets' carrying amount and therefore impairment existed for those store assets. The second step of impairment testing was performed to calculate the amount of the impairment loss. The loss was measured as the excess of the carrying value over the fair value of the assets, with the fair value determined based on estimated future discounted cash flows. As a result, we wrote off $11.2 million, $11.0 million and $17.6 million of store assets in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Acquired Intangible Assets

Intangible assets represent the values assigned to trade names, customer lists and relationships, noncompete agreements and exclusive distribution rights of businesses acquired. The trade name assets have an indefinite life and are not amortized. All other intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their expected useful lives. Customer lists and relationships are amortized over three to 20 years, noncompete agreements over their terms, which are generally three to five years, and exclusive distribution rights over ten years. Intangible assets consisted of the following at year-end:


	2011
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount
	(thousands)
Trade names	$	66,000	$	—		$	66,000
Customer lists and relationships		27,676		(15,327	)		12,349
Exclusive distribution rights		7,287		(4,116	)		3,171

Total	$	100,963	$	(19,443	)	$	81,520


	2010
	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount
	(thousands)
Trade names	$	66,000	$	—		$	66,000
Customer lists and relationships		27,807		(13,789	)		14,018
Exclusive distribution rights		7,302		(4,089	)		3,213

Total	$	101,109	$	(17,878	)	$	83,231

Intangible amortization expense totaled $1.7 million, $2.0 million and $1.6 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009 respectively. The estimated amortization expense is approximately $1.4 to $1.7 million in each of the next five years.

The changes in the intangible carrying amounts were as follows:


	Trade names		Customer lists and relationships			Exclusive distribution rights			Total
	(thousands)
Net carrying amount, December 27, 2008	$	66,000	$	12,919		$	2,874		$	81,793
Amortization		—		(1,271	)		(363	)		(1,634	)
Effect of foreign currency translation		—		2,897			750			3,647

Net carrying amount, December 26, 2009	$	66,000	$	14,545		$	3,261		$	83,806
Amortization		—		(1,542	)		(413	)		(1,955	)
Effect of foreign currency translation		—		1,015			365			1,380

Net carrying amount, December 25, 2010	$	66,000	$	14,018		$	3,213		$	83,231
Amortization		—		(1,649	)		(37	)		(1,686	)
Effect of foreign currency translation		—		(20	)		(5	)		(25	)

Net carrying amount, December 31, 2011	$	66,000	$	12,349		$	3,171		$	81,520