Comment from Eaton 2017 Anl Rpt9 Jan 2019 12:04
'Protecting Eaton's intellectual property rights is critical to its ability to compete and succeed. The Company owns a large
number of patents and patent applications worldwide, as well as trademark and copyright registrations that are necessary, and
contribute significantly, to the preservation of Eaton's competitive position in various markets. Although management believes
that the loss or expiration of any single intellectual property right would not have a material effect on the results of operations
or financial position of Eaton or its business segments, there can be no assurance that any one, or more, of these patents and
other intellectual property will not be challenged, invalidated, or circumvented by third parties. Eaton enters into confidentiality
and invention assignment agreements with the Company's employees, and into non-disclosure agreements with suppliers and
appropriate customers, so as to limit access to and disclosure of proprietary information. These measures may not suffice to
deter misappropriation or independent third party development of similar technologies'