Company: BCHT
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001477932-25-002237
Chunk: 12

Company: Birchtech Corp.
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 12
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 modify the performance, features, and reliability of our products and services, particularly in response to possible competitive offerings. Unless we are able to enhance, improve, and/or modify existing products in a timely manner or to develop and introduce new products that incorporate new technologies or conform with evolving industry standards and regulations, our products and services may be rendered less marketable.

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Our industry is highly competitive. If we are unable to compete effectively with competitors having greater resources than we do, our financial results could be adversely affected.

We operate in highly competitive industries that are characterized by a diverse range of participants, including companies that operate in both the mercury capture and water treatment industries.  Our major competitors in the mercury capture and water treatment markets includes companies such as Arq, Inc. (formerly Advanced Emissions Solutions, Inc.), Norit Activated Carbon, Calgon Carbon Corporation, and Nalco Company LLC (also known as Nalco Water, an Ecolab company).  Many of our competitors employ larger sales staff and are well established in the market with greater financial and operational resources.  Our ability to compete successfully depends in part upon our ability to offer superior technology, including a superior team of technical personnel.  If we are unable to maintain our competitive position, we could lose market share to our competitors which is likely to adversely impact our financial results.

We may not be able to successfully protect our intellectual property rights.

We have a patent portfolio relating to mercury removal of 35 granted patents worldwide, consisting of 27 U.S. patents and 8 foreign patents (Canada, Germany and China) with expiration dates ranging from August 2025 to September 2034.  While we actively pursue new patents and technological advancements to replace expiring patents, there is no guarantee that future patents will be granted, or that they will be able to provide and/or allow us to maintain the same level of market protection. As a result, we may not be able to successfully protect proprietary aspects of our technology.

With regard to our water treatment technologies, we have to date filed two provisional patent applications in the U.S. relating to water treatment. However, provisional applications do not provide enforceable patent rights unless they are converted into non-provisional applications and successfully granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. There is no assurance that our pending provisional applications will result in issued patents, or that any patents granted will provide meaningful protection against competitors.

We may not be successful in patent litigation.

Patent litigation, like most types of