Company: CNTB
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001835268-25-000014
Chunk: 168

Company: Connect Biopharma Holdings Ltd
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 168
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, interference or other proceedings provoked by third parties or brought by us or declared by the USPTO or similar proceedings in foreign patent offices may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our current or future patents or patent applications or those of our future licensors. An unfavorable outcome could require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights to it from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Our defense of such proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees. In addition, the uncertainties associated with such proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our clinical trials, continue our research programs, license necessary technology from third parties or enter into development or manufacturing partnerships that would help us bring our current and any future Product Candidates to market.

Because of the expense and uncertainty of litigation, we may not be in a position to enforce our intellectual property rights against third parties.

Because of the expense and uncertainty of litigation, we may conclude that even if a third party is infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating our patents or other intellectual property rights, the risk-adjusted cost of bringing and enforcing a claim or action against such third party may be too high or not in the best interest of our shareholders. In such cases, we may decide that the more prudent course of action is to simply monitor the situation or initiate or seek some other non-litigious action or solution.

Patent reform legislation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our current and future patent applications or those of our future licensors and the enforcement or defense of our current and future issued patents or those of our future licensors.

Obtaining and enforcing patents in the biopharmaceutical industry involve both technological and legal complexity and are therefore costly, time-consuming and inherently uncertain. Recent patent reform legislation in the U.S. and other countries could increase those uncertainties and costs.

On September 16, 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (the “Leahy-Smith Act”) was signed into law. The Leahy-Smith Act made a number of significant changes to U.S. patent laws. These include provisions that affect the way patent applications are prosecuted and challenged at the USPTO and may also affect patent litigation. The USPTO has developed and continues to develop new regulations and procedures to govern administration of the Leahy-Smith Act.

The Leahy