Commitments And Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Jul. 03, 2011

Commitments And Contingencies

Commitments And Contingencies

Note 11: Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

In the first quarter of fiscal 2011, Starbucks notified Kraft Foods Global, Inc. ("Kraft") that we were discontinuing our distribution arrangement with Kraft on March 1, 2011 due to material breaches by Kraft of its obligations under the Supply and License Agreement between the Company and Kraft, dated March 29, 2004 (the "Agreement"), which defined the main distribution arrangement between the parties. Through our arrangement with Kraft, Starbucks sold a selection of Starbucks and Seattle's Best Coffee^® branded packaged coffees in grocery and warehouse club stores throughout the US, and to grocery stores in Canada, the UK and other European countries. Kraft managed the distribution, marketing, advertising and promotion of these products.

On November 29, 2010, Starbucks received a notice of arbitration from Kraft putting the commercial dispute between the parties into binding arbitration pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. Kraft denies it has materially breached the Agreement. Kraft further alleges that if Starbucks wished to terminate the Agreement it must compensate Kraft as provided in the Agreement in an amount equal to the fair value of the Agreement, with an additional premium of up to 35% under certain circumstances. The parties are now engaged in extensive discovery with an arbitration trial expected in mid- 2012.

On December 6, 2010, Kraft commenced a federal court action against Starbucks, entitled Kraft Foods Global, Inc. v. Starbucks Corporation, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (the "District Court") seeking injunctive relief to prevent Starbucks from terminating the distribution arrangement until the parties' dispute is resolved through the arbitration proceeding. On January 28, 2011, the District Court denied Kraft's request for injunctive relief. Kraft appealed the District Court's decision to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. On February 25, 2011, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court's decision. As a result, Starbucks is in full control of our packaged coffee business as of March 1, 2011.

While Starbucks believes we have valid claims of material breach by Kraft under the Agreement that allowed us to terminate the Agreement and certain other relationships with Kraft without compensation to Kraft, there exists the possibility of material adverse outcomes to Starbucks under the arbitration. At this time, the Company is unable to estimate the range of possible outcomes with respect to this matter.

Starbucks is party to various other legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business, including certain employment litigation cases that have been certified as class or collective actions, but, except as noted above, is not currently a party to any legal proceeding that management believes could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.