2.0.0.10falseWarranty, Guarantees and Contingencies0612 - Disclosure - Warranty, Guarantees and Contingenciestruefalsefalsefalse1usd$falsefalseSharesStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDEPSDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli020amat_WarrantyGuaranteesAndContingenciesAbstractamatfalsenadurationstringWarranty Guarantees And Contingencies .falsefalsefalsefalsefalsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalseWarranty Guarantees And Contingencies .false31amat_WarrantyGuaranteesAndContingenciesTextblockamatfalsenadurationstringWarranty Guarantees And Contingencies.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabelfalse1falsefalsefalsefalse00<!--DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd" -->
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<b><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times">Note 12  </font></b>
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<b><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times">Warranty,
Guarantees and Contingencies</font></b>
</td>
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<b><i><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times">Warranty</font></i></b>
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<div style="margin-top: 6pt; font-size: 1pt"> 
</div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: #ffffff">
Changes in the warranty reserves during the three months ended
January 31, 2010 and January 25, 2009 were as follows:
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<b>Three Months Ended</b>
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</td>
<td colspan="2" nowrap="nowrap" align="center" valign="bottom">
<b>January 31,<br />
</b>
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td colspan="2" nowrap="nowrap" align="center" valign="bottom">
<b>January 25,<br />
</b>
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<td>
 
</td>
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</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td colspan="2" nowrap="nowrap" align="center" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000">
<b>2010</b>
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td colspan="2" nowrap="nowrap" align="center" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000">
<b>2009</b>
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
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<td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" valign="bottom">
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td colspan="6" align="center" valign="bottom">
<b>(In thousands)</b>
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
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Beginning balance
</div>
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</td>
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$
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="right" valign="bottom">
117,537
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
$
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="right" valign="bottom">
142,846
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
 
</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="bottom">
<td align="left" valign="bottom">
<div style="text-indent: -10pt; margin-left: 10pt">
Provisions for warranty
</div>
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
 
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="right" valign="bottom">
34,476
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
 
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="right" valign="bottom">
23,546
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
 
</td>
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Consumption of reserves
</div>
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</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
 
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="right" valign="bottom">
(14,583
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
)
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
 
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="right" valign="bottom">
(22,669
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
)
</td>
</tr>
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<td>
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td style="border-top: 1px solid #000000">
 
</td>
<td style="border-top: 1px solid #000000">
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td style="border-top: 1px solid #000000">
 
</td>
<td style="border-top: 1px solid #000000">
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
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<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
<div style="text-indent: -10pt; margin-left: 10pt">
Ending balance
</div>
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
$
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="right" valign="bottom">
137,430
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
$
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="right" valign="bottom">
143,723
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" valign="bottom">
 
</td>
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<td>
 
</td>
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</td>
<td style="border-top: 3px double #000000">
 
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<td style="border-top: 3px double #000000">
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td>
 
</td>
<td style="border-top: 3px double #000000">
 
</td>
<td style="border-top: 3px double #000000">
 
</td>
<td>
 
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Applied products are generally sold with a
<font style="white-space: nowrap">12-month</font>
warranty period following installation. The provision for the
estimated cost of warranty is recorded when revenue is
recognized. Parts and labor are covered under the terms of the
warranty agreement. The warranty provision is based on
historical experience by product, configuration and geographic
region. Quarterly warranty consumption is generally associated
with sales that occurred during the preceding four quarters, and
quarterly warranty provisions are generally related to the
current quarter’s sales.
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<b><i><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times">Guarantees</font></i></b>
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During the ordinary course of business, Applied provides standby
letters of credit or other guarantee instruments to certain
parties as required for certain transactions initiated by either
Applied or its subsidiaries. As of January 31, 2010, the
maximum potential amount of future payments that Applied could
be required to make under these guarantee arrangements was
$54 million. Applied has not recorded any liability in
connection with these guarantee arrangements beyond that
required to account for the underlying transaction being
guaranteed. Applied does not believe, based on historical
experience and information currently available, that it is
probable that any amounts will be required to be paid under
these guarantee arrangements.
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<div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: #ffffff">
Applied also has agreements with various global banks to
facilitate subsidiary banking operations world-wide, including
overdraft arrangements, bank guarantees and letters of credit.
As of January 31, 2010, Applied Materials, Inc. has
provided parent guarantees to banks for approximately
$176 million to cover these arrangements.
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<b><i><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times">Legal
matters</font></i></b>
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<div style="margin-top: 6pt; font-size: 1pt"> 
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<i><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times">Semitool
Shareholder Litigation</font></i>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: #ffffff">
On November 17, 2009, Applied announced that it was making
a tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of
Semitool in accordance with an Agreement and Plan of Merger
entered into with Semitool. Following this announcement, three
lawsuits were filed by Semitool shareholders in the District
Court of the Eleventh Judicial District Court for the State of
Montana, County of Flathead, against Semitool, Semitool’s
directors, Applied and Applied’s acquisition subsidiary.
The actions seek certification of a class of all holders of
Semitool common stock, except the defendants and their
affiliates. The complaints allege that Semitool’s directors
breached their fiduciary duties by, among other things, failing
to maximize shareholder value and failing to disclose material
information, and that Applied aided and abetted such alleged
breaches. The actions sought injunctive relief enjoining the
defendants from consummating the transaction, as well as damages
and attorneys’ fees.
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On December 14, 2009, all parties in these cases reached an
agreement in principle to settle the matters and the plaintiffs
withdrew their motion to enjoin consummation of the transaction.
Without admitting any wrongdoing or fault, Semitool disclosed
certain additional information in its
<font style="white-space: nowrap">Schedule 14D-9</font>
filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on December 14, 2009. Following the
tender of shares representing over 95% of the outstanding shares
of Semitool common stock, the merger of Semitool into
Applied’s acquisition subsidiary was completed on
December 21, 2009. Pursuant to a memorandum of
understanding between the parties, plaintiffs may conduct
reasonable discovery to confirm the fairness and reasonableness
of the settlement and defendants will not object to an
application by plaintiffs’ counsel for an award of
attorneys’ fees and expenses up to $200,000. A class of
Semitool’s public shareholders will be certified solely for
purposes of settlement, which, if approved by the Court, will
result in a complete and final discharge of all claims on behalf
of the class.
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<i><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times">Jusung</font></i>
</div>
<div style="margin-top: 6pt; font-size: 1pt"> 
</div>
<div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: #ffffff">
Applied has been engaged in a number of lawsuits and patent and
administrative proceedings in Taiwan and South Korea since 2003
with Jusung Engineering Co., Ltd. (Jusung Engineering)
<font style="white-space: nowrap">and/or</font>
Jusung Pacific Co., Ltd. (Jusung Pacific, referred to together
with Jusung Engineering as Jusung) involving technology used in
manufacturing LCDs. Applied believes that it has meritorious
claims and defenses against Jusung that it intends to pursue
vigorously.
</div>
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In 2004, Applied filed a complaint for patent infringement
against Jusung in the Hsinchu District Court in Taiwan seeking
damages and a permanent injunction for infringement of a patent
related to chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment, and
this case remains pending. Jusung Pacific unsuccessfully sought
invalidation of Applied’s CVD patent in the Taiwanese
Intellectual Property Office (TIPO). Jusung Pacific’s
initial appeal of the TIPO’s decision was denied, and it
has filed a further appeal to the Taipei High Supreme
Administrative Court.
</div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: #ffffff">
In 2006, Applied filed an action in the TIPO challenging the
validity of a patent owned by Jusung Engineering related to
severability of the transfer chamber on a CVD tool. Jusung
Engineering filed a lawsuit against Applied and AKT America in
Hsinchu District Court in Taiwan alleging infringement of the
same patent. The TIPO granted Applied’s request for
invalidation and revoked Jusung Engineering’s patent. In
March 2009, the Hsinchu District Court dismissed Jusung
Engineering’s lawsuit, and in April 2009, the Ministry of
Economic Affairs overruled Jusung Engineering’s
administrative appeal of the decision revoking its patent.
Jusung appealed both decisions. On January 7, 2010, the
Taiwan Intellectual Property Court granted Jusung’s appeal
of the decision revoking its patent and remanded the matter to
the TIPO for reconsideration of validity. In November 2009,
Applied filed an action in China with the Patent Reexamination
Board of the State Intellectual Property Office seeking to
invalidate this patent.
</div>
<div style="margin-top: 6pt; font-size: 1pt"> 
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<div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: #ffffff">
In 2006, Jusung Engineering filed a complaint of private
prosecution in the Taipei District Court of Taiwan alleging that
Applied’s outside counsel received from the Court and used
a copy of an expert report that Jusung had filed in the ongoing
patent infringement lawsuits that Jusung had intended to remain
confidential. The complaint names as defendants Applied’s
outside counsel in Taiwan, as well as Michael R. Splinter,
Applied’s President and Chief Executive Officer, as the
statutory representative of Applied. The Taipei District Court
dismissed the private prosecution complaint, and the matter was
transferred to the Taipei District Attorney’s Office. The
Taipei District Attorney’s Office has issued three
successive rulings not to prosecute, each of which Jusung
Engineering has appealed to the Taiwan High Court District
Attorney. In each instance, the Taiwan High Court District
Attorney has returned the matter to the Taipei District
Attorney’s Office for further consideration, where it
remains pending.
</div>
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<div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: #ffffff">
From time to time, Applied receives notification from third
parties, including customers and suppliers, seeking
indemnification, litigation support, payment of money or other
actions by Applied in connection with claims made against them.
In addition, from time to time, Applied receives notification
from third parties claiming that Applied may be or is infringing
or misusing their intellectual property or other rights. Applied
also is subject to various other legal proceedings and claims,
both asserted and unasserted, that arise in the ordinary course
of business.
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<div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: #ffffff">
Although the outcome of the above-described matters or these
claims and proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty,
Applied does not believe that any of these proceedings or other
claims will have a material adverse effect on its consolidated
financial condition or results of operations.
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