Quote:
Originally Posted by boris bubbanov
What Gibson has (allegedly) done is one matter, involving USA interpretation of USA law.
What is going on with anyone else involves interpretation of, what, German laws, other countries laws? Could be anything. This FMIC matter sounds like what we worry about taking an existing guitar from, say, Belgium to Norway on tour, I mean an existing guitar.
These can be roughly grouped together, I suppose, but what is your motivation in doing so? That's what occurs to me.
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I am not grouping them together, FMIC is. Here is the statement on this matter from Fender's IPO filing:
"We may be subject to the enforcement of regulations and laws relating to the importation and use of certain raw materials, which could adversely affect our ability to use certain raw materials and harm our business.
We are subject to a variety of customs and import regulations that, if not properly followed could delay or impact our importation of raw materials, which could adversely affect our business.
For example, in June 2011, German officials began a criminal investigation pertaining to less than 500 Fender guitars containing Brazilian rosewood fingerboards to determine if they were improperly imported into Germany between approximately March 2010 and January 2011. We are investigating whether the necks of the subject products may be replaced with materials that are not subject to the import restriction at issue.
One of our competitors, Gibson Guitar Corp., is in litigation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, or Fish & Wildlife, for alleged violations of the Lacey Act, which regulates trade in wood and other plant products. Most recently in August 2011, Fish & Wildlife raided Gibson’s headquarters and seized rosewood from India, alleging that it was exported under an incorrect tariff code and that Gibson was not identified in importation paperwork.
Although we believe our sourcing and importation practices are in compliance with the Lacey Act and other applicable regulations, Fish & Wildlife or other applicable regulators could take a different view, which could restrict or prevent our use of specific types of woods from specific countries/regions of the world, and/or subject us to fines and other penalties.
In the case of certain raw materials that we use in our products, including certain types of woods, we may be subject to pressure from environmental groups to use alternative types of materials. These alternative materials could reduce the quality of our products or could be more expensive, either of which could harm our business and results of operations. In addition, negative publicity regarding environmental matters also could harm our brands.
We may also be subject to the enforcement of other new or existing regulations and laws relating to the sourcing, transportation, distribution and use of raw materials and components, including wood, electrical components and adhesives, which could impact our ability to use certain raw materials or components and harm our business."
http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/7...htm#tx293340_2