Company: AIZ
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001267238-25-000008
Chunk: 26

Company: ASSURANT, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 26
---
 Report available at https://www.assurant.com/our-story/sustainability and our most recent Proxy Statement available at ir.assurant.com. The information found on our website and in such reports is not incorporated by reference into and does not constitute a part of this Report.

Intellectual Property

We rely on a combination of contractual rights and patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets to establish and protect our intellectual property. We regularly file patent and trademark applications to protect innovations arising from our research, development, design and marketing. We own a number of patents and pending applications relating to technical innovations. In addition, we have a trademark portfolio that we consider important in the marketing of our products and services, including the “Assurant” brand name.

12

Over time, we have accumulated a sizeable portfolio of issued and registered intellectual property rights around the world, and we seek to protect it against infringement. No single intellectual property right is solely responsible for protecting our products and services. We have also entered into agreements that permit other companies to use certain of our patents and trademarks.

We believe the duration of our intellectual property rights is adequate relative to the expected lives of our products and services. Patents are of varying duration depending on the filing date, and they will typically expire at the end of their natural term. The trademark registrations may be renewed indefinitely, subject to country-specific use and registration requirements. For risks relating to our intellectual property, see “Item 1A – Risk Factors – Legal and Regulatory Risks – Our business is subject to risks related to litigation and regulatory actions.”

Ratings 

Independent rating organizations periodically review the financial strength of insurers, including many of our insurance subsidiaries. Financial strength ratings represent the opinions of rating agencies regarding the ability of an insurance company to meet its financial obligations to policyholders and contract holders. These ratings are not applicable to our common stock or debt securities. Ratings are an important factor in establishing the competitive position of insurance companies.

Rating agencies also use an “outlook statement” of “positive,” “stable,” “negative” or “developing” to indicate a medium- or long-term trend in credit fundamentals which, if continued, may lead to a rating change. A rating may have a stable outlook to indicate that the rating is not expected to change; however, a stable outlook does not preclude a rating agency from changing a rating at any time, without notice.

Most of our domestic operating insurance subsidiaries are rated by A.M. Best Company (“A.M. Best”). In addition, three of