Company: PLPC
Filing Date: 2025-03-13
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001628280-25-012640
Chunk: 3

Company: PREFORMED LINE PRODUCTS CO
Filing Date: 2025-03-13
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 3
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 many key international technical organizations which are charged with the responsibility of establishing industry-wide specifications and performance criteria, including IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), CIGRE (Counsiel Internationale des Grands Reseaux Electriques a Haute Tension), and IEC (International Electromechanical Commission). Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. 

Patents and Trademarks 

The Company applies for patents in the U.S. and other countries, as appropriate, to protect its significant patentable developments. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had in force 68 U.S. patents and 116 international patents in 21 countries and had 41 pending U.S. patent applications and 114 pending international applications. While such domestic and international patents expire from time to time, the Company continues to apply for and obtain patent protection on a regular basis. Patents held by the Company in the aggregate are of material importance in the operation of the Company’s business. The Company, however, does not believe that any single patent, or group of related patents, is essential to the Company’s business as a whole or to any of its businesses. Additionally, the Company owns and uses a substantial body of proprietary information and numerous trademarks. The Company relies on nondisclosure agreements to protect trade secrets and other proprietary data and technology. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had obtained U.S. registration on 31 trademarks, and 5 trademark applications remained pending. International registrations amounted to 278 registrations in 47 countries, with 5 pending international registrations.

U.S. patents are issued for terms of 20 years beginning with the date of filing of the patent application. Patents issued by international countries generally expire 20 years after filing. U.S. and international patents are not renewable after expiration of their initial term. U.S. and international trademarks are generally perpetual, renewable in 10-year increments upon a showing of continued 

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use. To the knowledge of management, the Company is not subject to any significant allegation or charges of infringement of intellectual property rights by any organization.

In the normal course of business, the Company occasionally makes and receives inquiries with regard to possible patent and trademark infringement. The extent of such inquiries from third parties has been limited generally to verbal remarks or letters to Company representatives. The Company believes that it is unlikely that the outcome of these inquiries will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position.

Competition

All of the markets that the