Company: HCWB
Filing Date: 2025-04-16
Form Type: 424B3
Source: 0001193125-25-082835
Chunk: 68

Company: HCW Biologics Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-04-16
Form: 424B3
Chunk 68
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 be necessary to resolve these and other claims challenging inventorship and/or ownership. Alternatively, or

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additionally, we may enter into agreements to clarify the scope of our rights in such intellectual property. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we
may lose valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, valuable intellectual property. Such an outcome could have a material adverse effect on our business. Even if we are successful in defending against
such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees.

We may rely on trade secret and proprietary know-how,which can be difficult to trace and enforce and, if we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.

In addition to seeking patents for some of our technology and product candidates, we may rely on trade secrets and/or confidential know-how to protect our technology, especially where patent protection is believed to be of limited value, to maintain our competitive position with respect to our research programs and product candidates. Elements
of our product candidates, including processes for their preparation and manufacture, may involve proprietary know-how, information, or technology that is not covered by patents, and thus for these aspects we
may consider trade secrets and know-how to be our primary intellectual property. Any disclosure, either intentional or unintentional, by our employees or by other third parties of our trade secrets or
proprietary information could enable competitors to duplicate or surpass our technological achievements, thus adversely eroding our competitive position in our market. Further, monitoring unauthorized uses and disclosures is difficult, and we do not
know whether the steps we have taken to protect our internally developed technology will be effective. Enforcing a claim that a third party illegally obtained and is using trade secrets and/or confidential
know-how is also expensive, time-consuming, and unpredictable.

The enforceability of
confidentiality agreements may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent or in the same manner as the laws of the United States. As a result, we may encounter
significant problems in protecting and defending our intellectual property both in the United States and abroad. Furthermore, if a competitor lawfully obtained or independently developed any of our trade secrets, we would have no right to prevent
such competitor from using that technology or information to compete with us, which could harm our competitive position. Additionally, if the steps taken to maintain our trade secrets are