A: The contract between Starbucks and Kraft Foods, as I understand it, is automatically renewable for ten year periods unless one of the parties elects not to renew it. There appears to be no restriction on a party's right to give notice of non-renewal toward the end of the term. Consequently, this is not a "perpetual" contract, as Kraft has tried to characterize it. Starbucks has said not only that it does not wish to renew the contract when it expires in 2014, but also that because Kraft has breached the contract, Starbucks has the right to terminate it now, for cause. For its part, Kraft is asserting that Starbucks has no valid basis to terminate the contract prior to the 2014 expiration date. The automatic renewal provision is really not an issue at this time.