Company: GLPG
Filing Date: 2025-03-27
Form Type: 20-F
Source: 0001558370-25-003806
Chunk: 52

Company: GALAPAGOS NV
Filing Date: 2025-03-27
Form: 20-F
Item: Item 3
Chunk 52
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 and trade names, then we may not be able to compete effectively, and our business may be adversely affected.
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Our inability to protect our intellectual property or failure to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of data or other sensitive company information, by cyber-attack or other event, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
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Our success and competitive position are dependent in part upon our proprietary intellectual property. We rely on a combination of patents and trade secrets to protect our proprietary intellectual property, and we expect to continue to do so. Although we seek to protect our proprietary rights through a variety of means, we cannot guarantee that the protective steps we have taken are adequate to protect these rights. Patents issued to or licensed by us in the past or in the future may be challenged and held invalid. In addition, as our patents expire, we may be unsuccessful in extending their protection through patent term extensions or supplementary protection certificates. The expiration of, or the failure to maintain or extend our patents, could have a material adverse effect on us.
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We also rely on confidentiality agreements with certain employees, consultants, and other third parties to protect, in part, trade secrets and other proprietary information. These agreements could be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for such a breach. In addition, others could independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information or gain access to our trade secrets or proprietary information.
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Our intellectual property, other proprietary technology, and other sensitive company information is dependent on sophisticated information technology systems and is potentially vulnerable to cyber-attack, loss, damage, destruction from system malfunction, computer viruses, loss of data privacy, or misappropriation or misuse of it by those with permitted access, and other events. While we have invested to protect our intellectual property and other information, and continue to upgrade and enhance our systems to keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology, there can be no assurance that our precautionary measures will prevent breakdowns, breaches, cyber-attacks, or other events. Such events could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, financial condition, or results of operations.
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Risks related to intellectual property litigation
We may be subject to claims by third parties asserting ownership or commercial rights to inventions we develop or obligations to make compensatory payments to employees.
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Third parties may in the future make claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our intellectual property. We have written agreements with collaboration partners that provide for the ownership of intellectual property arising from our collaborations. Some of these agreements provide that