high match confidence
Sentence-level differences:
- Reworded sentence: "In addition, we may be the target of competitor or other third-party patent enforcement actions (for example, brought by owners of Standard Essential Patents or other relevant patents) seeking substantial monetary damages or seeking to prevent the sale and marketing of certain of our products."
- Reworded sentence: "17 17 17 17 17 17 Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of Contents We use a variety of raw materials, supplier-provided parts, finished goods, and third-party service providers in our business."
Current (2026):
Our intellectual property rights are important to our business and include numerous patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, proprietary technology, technical data, business processes and other confidential information. Although we consider our intellectual property…
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Our intellectual property rights are important to our business and include numerous patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, proprietary technology, technical data, business processes and other confidential information. Although we consider our intellectual property rights in the aggregate to be valuable, we do not believe that our business is materially dependent on a single intellectual property right or any group of them. We nonetheless rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, nondisclosure agreements, customer and supplier agreements, license agreements, Technology security systems, internal controls and compliance systems and other measures to protect our intellectual property. We also rely on nondisclosure agreements, Technology security systems and other measures to protect certain customer and supplier information and intellectual property that we have in our possession or to which we have access. Our efforts to protect such intellectual property and proprietary information may not be sufficient, however. We cannot be sure that our pending patent applications will result in the issuance of patents, that patents issued to or licensed by us in the past or in the future will not be challenged or circumvented by competitors, or that these patents will be found to be valid or sufficiently broad to preclude our competitors from introducing technologies similar to those covered by our patents and patent applications. In addition, we may be the target of competitor or other third-party patent enforcement actions (for example, brought by owners of Standard Essential Patents or other relevant patents) seeking substantial monetary damages or seeking to prevent the sale and marketing of certain of our products. Our competitive position also may be adversely impacted by limitations on our ability to obtain possession, ownership or necessary licenses concerning data important to the development or sale of our products or service offerings, or by limitations on our ability to restrict the use by others of data related to our products or services. Any of these events or factors could subject us to judgments, penalties and significant litigation costs or temporarily or permanently disrupt our sales and marketing of the affected products or services and could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. 17 17 17 17 17 17 Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of Contents We use a variety of raw materials, supplier-provided parts, finished goods, and third-party service providers in our business. The ability of suppliers to deliver materials, parts, components, finished goods, and manufacturing equipment to our manufacturing facilities, and our ability to manufacture and distribute without disruption, could affect our business performance. Significant shortages, supplier capacity constraints, supplier disputes, supplier quality issues, or production disruptions, price increases, duties, tariffs or other government actions could increase our operating costs, disrupt our operations and adversely impact the competitive positions of our products. Our reliance on suppliers and commodity markets to secure components (such as motors and valves), finished goods (including products purchased directly from suppliers for resale), and raw materials (such as copper, aluminum and steel), as well as on service providers to deliver our products, exposes us to volatility in the prices and availability of these materials, products, and services. We use a wide range of materials, finished goods, and components in the global production and distribution of our products, which come from numerous suppliers around the world. Because some key parts and finished goods may be available only from a single supplier or a limited group of suppliers, we are subject to supply and pricing risk. In addition, certain proprietary component parts used in some of our products are provided by single-source unaffiliated third-party suppliers. We would be unable to obtain these proprietary components for an indeterminate period of time if these single-source suppliers were to cease or interrupt production or otherwise fail to supply these components to us, which could adversely affect our product sales and operating results. Our supply chain could be impacted by climate events through extreme weather, resulting in delivery or production disruptions and increased material costs. In addition, other issues with suppliers (such as capacity constraints, quality issues, consolidations, closings or bankruptcies), price increases, raw material/component/finished good shortages, regulatory limitations, government actions, or the decreased availability of trucks and other delivery services could also have a material adverse effect on our ability to meet our commitments to customers or increase our operating costs. Periodic disruptions in our supply chains have resulted, and may continue to result, in sufficient inventory not being available in a timely manner or during the appropriate season as well as higher freight and other logistic costs, including increased carrier rates, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. We use various tactical and strategic actions to mitigate our raw material, finished good, and supply chain risks and challenges, including consolidating commodity purchases, locking in prices of expected purchases of certain raw materials, finished goods and components, dual sourcing, increasing regionalization, requirements as to safety stock, proactive engagement with suppliers and our workforce and dynamic management of freight costs and availability. However, these efforts may be unsuccessful or could cause us to pay higher prices for a commodity when compared with the market price at the time the commodity is actually purchased or delivered. For example, the availability and prices of raw materials and supplies may be impacted as a result of, among other things, the imposition of tariffs, duties and other potential changes in trade policies. Our suppliers could also be subject to regulations including climate related regulations, compliance with which would increase our costs and the impacts of which are difficult to predict. We believe that our supply management and production practices appropriately balance the foreseeable risks and the costs of alternative practices or other mitigation. Nonetheless, these risks may have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. Our operations and those of our suppliers are subject to disruption for a variety of reasons, including epidemics, pandemics, supplier plant shutdowns or slowdowns, transportation delays, work stoppages, utility outages, labor relations, changes in laws or regulations, governmental regulatory and enforcement actions, intellectual property claims against suppliers, financial issues such as a supplier bankruptcy, Technology failures and hazards such as fire, earthquakes, flooding or other natural disasters. Insurance for certain disruptions may not be available, affordable or adequate. The effects of climate-related matters, including extreme weather events, long-term changes in temperature levels and water availability may exacerbate these risks. Such disruption has in the past and could in the future interrupt our ability to manufacture certain products. Any significant disruption could have a material adverse impact on our competitive position. 18 18 18 18 18 18 Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of Contents
View prior text (2025)
Our intellectual property rights are important to our business and include numerous patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, proprietary technology, technical data, business processes and other confidential information. Although we consider our intellectual property rights in the aggregate to be valuable, we do not believe that our business is materially dependent on a single intellectual property right or any group of them. We nonetheless rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, nondisclosure agreements, customer and supplier agreements, license agreements, Technology security systems, internal controls and compliance systems and other measures to protect our intellectual property. We also rely on nondisclosure agreements, Technology security systems and other measures to protect certain customer and supplier information and intellectual property that we have in our possession or to which we have access. Our efforts to protect such intellectual property and proprietary information may not be sufficient, however. We cannot be sure that our pending patent applications will result in the issuance of patents, that patents issued to or licensed by us in the past or in the future will not be challenged or circumvented by competitors, or that these patents will be found to be valid or sufficiently broad to preclude our competitors from introducing technologies similar to those covered by our patents and patent applications. In addition, we may be the target of competitor or other third-party patent enforcement actions seeking substantial monetary damages or seeking to prevent the sale and marketing of certain of our products. Our competitive position also may be adversely impacted by limitations on our ability to obtain possession, ownership or necessary licenses concerning data important to the development or sale of our products or service offerings, or by limitations on our ability to restrict the use by others of data related to our products or services. Any of these events or factors could subject us to judgments, penalties and significant litigation costs or temporarily or permanently disrupt our sales and marketing of the affected products or services and could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. 17 17 17 17 17 17 Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of Contents