Company: GE
Filing Date: 2025-02-03
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000040545-25-000015
Chunk: 47

Company: GENERAL ELECTRIC CO
Filing Date: 2025-02-03
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 7
Chunk 47
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 We also face potential competition in countries where we have not invested in a patent portfolio. If we are not able to protect our intellectual property, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished, and our business may be adversely affected. We also face attempts, both internally from insider threats and externally from cyber-attacks, to gain unauthorized access to our IT systems or products for the purpose of improperly acquiring our trade secrets or confidential business information. In addition, we have observed an increase in the use of social engineering tactics by bad actors attempting to access systems storing certain of our trade secrets and other confidential business information. The theft or unauthorized use or publication of our trade secrets or other confidential business information as a result of such incidents could adversely affect our competitive position and the value of certain of our investments in research and development. In addition, we are subject to the enforcement of patents and other apparent intellectual property rights by third parties, including aggressive and opportunistic enforcement claims by non-practicing entities. Regardless of their merit, responding to such claims can be expensive and time-consuming. We also may be found to infringe third-party rights, which could result in us being enjoined from offering some of our products and services or bringing to market new products and services, and require us to pay substantial damages. The value of, or our ability to use, our intellectual property may also be negatively impacted by dependencies on third parties, such as our ability to obtain or renew on reasonable terms, or at all, licenses that we need in the future, or our ability to secure or retain ownership or rights to use data in certain software analytics or services offerings.

OPERATIONAL RISKS. Operational risk relates to risks arising from systems, processes, people and external events that affect the operation of our business. It includes risks related to product safety, quality and performance; supply chain and business disruption; operational execution across product and service life cycles; and information management and data protection and security, including cybersecurity.  

Product safety and quality - Our products and services are highly sophisticated and specialized, and a major failure or quality issue affecting our products or third-party products with which our products are integrated can adversely affect our business, reputation, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We produce highly sophisticated products, including commercial and defense aircraft engines, integrated engine components and electric power and aircraft systems, and we provide specialized services for products that incorporate or use complex or leading-edge technology, including both hardware and software. Accordingly, the adverse impact of product quality issues can be significant.