CONFLICT MINERALS
On Aug. 22, 2012, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") adopted final rules to implement reporting and disclosure requirements related to "conflict minerals, " as directed by the Dodd - Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. The rules require manufacturers who file certain reports with the SEC to disclose whether the products they manufacture or contract to manufacture contain " conflict minerals" that are "necessary to the functionality or production" of those products.