Company: DHR
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000313616-25-000043
Chunk: 136

Company: DANAHER CORP /DE/
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 136
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 from selling products or services.

From time to time, we receive notices from third parties alleging intellectual property infringement or misappropriation of third parties’ intellectual property and we cannot be certain that the conduct of our business does not and will not infringe or misappropriate the intellectual property rights of others.  Disputes or litigations regarding intellectual property can be costly and time-consuming to defend due to the complexity of many of our technologies and the uncertainty of intellectual property litigation.  Our intellectual property portfolio may not be useful in asserting a counterclaim, or negotiating a license, in response to a claim of infringement or misappropriation.  In addition, as a result of such claims of infringement or misappropriation, we could lose our rights to critical technology, be unable to license critical technology or sell critical products and services, be required to pay substantial damages or license fees with respect to the infringed rights, be required to license technology or other intellectual property rights from others, be required to cease marketing, manufacturing or using certain products or be required to redesign, re-engineer or re-brand our products at substantial cost, any of which could adversely impact our business and financial statements.  Third-party intellectual property rights may also make it more difficult or expensive for us to meet market demand for particular product or design innovations.  When we are required to seek licenses under patents or other intellectual property rights of others, we are not always able to acquire these licenses on acceptable terms, if at all.  Even if we successfully defend against claims of infringement or misappropriation, we may incur significant costs and diversion of management attention and resources, which could adversely affect our business and financial statements.

The U.S. government has certain rights with respect to incremental production capacity attributable to, and/or the intellectual property we have developed, using government financing.  In addition, in times of national emergency the U.S. government could control our allocation of manufacturing capacity.  

Certain agencies of the U.S. government, such as the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (“BARDA”) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have agreed to finance an expansion of production capacity and/or the development of technology at certain of our businesses, and our businesses may enter into similar agreements in the future.  In consideration of this financing the U.S. government has certain rights, including rights with respect to the allocation of certain of the incremental production capacity associated with such expansion and/or rights in intellectual property produced with its financial assistance.  If the U.S. government exercises its