the iPod is performed by third-party vendors in Taiwan and China. If for any reason manufacturing or logistics in any of these locations is disrupted by events such as regional economic, business, environmental, medical, political, information technology system failures, or military actions, the Company's results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

The Company's future operating performance is dependent on the performance of distributors and other resellers of the Company's products.

The Company distributes its products through wholesalers, resellers, national and regional retailers and cataloguers, many of whom distribute products from competing manufacturers. In addition, the Company also sells many of its products and resells certain third-party products in most of its major markets directly to end users, certain education customers, and certain resellers through its online stores around the world and its retail stores. Many of the Company's significant resellers operate on narrow product margins and have been negatively affected by recent economic conditions. Considerable trade receivables that are not covered by collateral or credit insurance are outstanding with the Company's distribution and retail channel partners. The Company's business and financial results could be adversely affected if the financial condition of these resellers weaken, if resellers within consumer channels were to cease distribution of the Company's products, or if uncertainty regarding demand for the Company's products caused resellers to reduce their ordering and marketing of the Company's products. The Company has invested and will continue to invest in various programs to enhance reseller sales, including staffing selected resellers' stores with Company employees. These programs could require a substantial investment from the Company, while providing no assurance of return or incremental revenue to offset this investment.

Over the past several years, an increasing proportion of the Company's net sales have been made by the Company directly to end-users through its online stores around the world and through its retail stores in the U.S. and Japan. Some of the Company's resellers have perceived this expansion of the Company's direct sales as conflicting with their own business and economic interests as distributors and resellers of the Company's products. Perception of such a conflict could discourage the Company's resellers from investing additional resources in the distribution and sale of the Company's products or lead them to limit or cease distribution of the Company's products. The Company's business and financial results could be adversely affected if expansion of its direct sales to end-users causes some or all of its resellers to cease or limit distribution of the Company's products.

Further information regarding risks associated with Marketing and Distribution may be found in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-K under the heading "Markets and Distribution."

The Company relies on third-party music content, which may not be available to the Company on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

The Company contracts with