Product Safety

The safety of products bearing Disney characters and other intellectual property is of crucial concern to us. Our dedicated corporate Product Integrity group, staffed with experienced engineers and safety professionals, oversees product safety in the manner described below. In 2008, this team of engineers and technical staff was located in Burbank, California; Orlando, Florida; London, U.K.; and Hong Kong.

Contractually, Disney requires that licensees and manufactures comply with all applicable legal and regulatory safety requirements, including restrictions on phthalates and lead applicable to a given product, and that they have procedures in place to verify such compliance. Our Product Integrity professionals monitor and confirm that manufacturers and licensees are conducting safety tests by independent, certified third-party testing laboratories or equivalent procedures. They also seek to verify that product manufacturers are complying with, and keep abreast of, current and changing product safety standards.

Products Sourced by Disney

Products sold, distributed or given away by a Disney business unit(i.e. Disney Stores, Disney Parks and Resorts, Disneyshopping.com, ABC, etc.) are subjected to a product safety review. Product Integrity engineers review, document and manage third-party testing to verify that these products meet all applicable regulatory Disney requirements. In 2008, Product Integrity reviewed approximately 60,000 such products worldwide.

Disney products are built for a wide range of age groups, each of which has different safety requirements.

Products Sold by Disney Licensees

We have a program to monitor Disney's licensees who are contractually obligated to test their products and ensure that the products comply with applicable regulatory requirements.

Disney licensees are classified by risk level based on the category of products they manufacture. Focusing on highly regulated products helps optimize and leverage the team's time and expertise to better protect consumers and our brands.

Disney requires that selected licensees submit test reports to the Product Integrity group from an accredited testing laboratory indicating that their products meet or exceed applicable product safety regulations. Product integrity engineers then review the reports to verify that the testing by the licensee was appropriate, that the proper testing procedures were performed and that applicable regulations were fully satisfied.

In addition to these measures, we operate a testing program in which products made by licensees are randomly purchased directly from retail stores and submitted to an independent, third-party testing laboratory to verify continued compliance with applicable product safety regulations.

Product Incidents

Disney's Product Integrity team monitors all product-related safety incidents. In the event of a product-related injury to a consumer, the product integrity group will get involved to encourage the proper handling of the issue. In addition, the subject product is immediately reviewed and tested to determine whether it continues to meet applicable safety requirements; if necessary, the product may be modified, withdrawn or recalled. Where appropriate, we incorporate the data into the company's product development process to promote continuous product improvement.

Product Recalls

When a product distributed or sold by Disney is the subject of a recall, Disney's Product Integrity team works closely with the product manufacturer and the appropriate regulatory agencies to make sure the product is removed from the market as quickly as possible. Consumers are alerted of product recalls through various means of communication, such as press releases, recall notices, website postings and/or store signage. If the product that is the subject of a recall is manufactured and sold by a Disney licensee, the Disney Product Integrity team works with the licensee to handle the recall with the same level of urgency and completeness as Disney provides for products it distributes or sells.