Company: OCEA
Filing Date: 2025-04-08
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001641172-25-003155
Chunk: 2621

Company: Ocean Biomedical, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-04-08
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 2621
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 manner that could prevent legal recourse by us. For example, the way in which we use our WPDS platform is proprietary
and confidential. If one or more third parties obtain or are otherwise able to replicate these techniques, an important feature and differentiator
of our clinical development strategy will become available to potential competitors. If any of our confidential or proprietary information,
such as our trade secrets, were to be disclosed or misappropriated, or if any such information was independently developed by a competitor,
our competitive position could be harmed.

In
addition, courts outside the United States are sometimes less willing to protect trade secrets. If we choose to go to court to stop a
third-party from using any of our trade secrets, we may incur substantial costs. These lawsuits may consume our time and other resources
even if we are successful. Although we take steps to protect our proprietary information and trade secrets, including through contractual
means with our employees and consultants, third parties may independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information and
techniques or otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or disclose our technology.

Thus,
we may not be able to meaningfully protect our trade secrets. It is our policy to require our employees, consultants, outside scientific
collaborators, sponsored researchers and other advisors to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of employment or
consulting relationships with us. These agreements provide that all confidential information concerning our business or financial affairs
developed or made known to the individual or entity during the course of the party’s relationship with us is to be kept confidential
and not disclosed to third parties except in specific circumstances. In the case of employees, the agreements provide that all inventions
conceived by the individual, and which are related to our current or planned business or research and development or made during normal
working hours, on our premises or using our equipment or proprietary information, are our exclusive property. In addition, we take other
appropriate precautions, such as physical and technological security measures, to guard against misappropriation of our proprietary technology
by third parties. We have also adopted policies and conduct training that provides guidance on our expectations, and our advice for best
practices, in protecting our trade secrets.

Risks
Related to Third Party Intellectual Property

We
have entered into and may enter into license, sublicense or other collaboration agreements in the future that may impose certain obligations
on us. If we fail to comply with our obligations under such agreements with third parties, we could lose license or sublicense rights
that may be important to our future