1326583--3/2/2010--WebMD_Health

related topics

{system, service, information}

{regulation, government, change}

{property, intellectual, protect}

{tax, income, asset}

{capital, credit, financial}

{product, market, service}

{acquisition, growth, future}

{provision, law, control}

{cost, contract, operation}

{personnel, key, retain}

{customer, product, revenue}

{operation, international, foreign}

{control, financial, internal}

{interest, director, officer}

{stock, price, share}

Failure to maintain and enhance the WebMD brand could have a material adverse effect on our business Our online businesses have a limited operating history Our failure to attract and retain qualified executives and employees may have a material adverse effect on our business The timing of our advertising and sponsorship revenue may vary significantly from quarter to quarter and is subject to factors beyond our control, including regulatory changes affecting advertising and promotion of drugs and medical devices and general economic conditions We may be unsuccessful in our efforts to increase advertising and sponsorship revenue from consumer products companies Lengthy sales and implementation cycles for our private online portals make it difficult to forecast our revenues from these applications and may have an adverse impact on our business Our ability to provide comparative information on hospital cost and quality depends on our ability to obtain the required data on a timely basis and, if we are unable to do so, our private portal services would be less attractive to clients Our ability to renew existing agreements with employers and health plans will depend, in part, on our ability to continue to increase usage of our private portal services by their employees and plan members We may be subject to claims brought against us as a result of content we provide Expansion to markets outside the United States will subject us to additional risks Risks Related to the Internet and Our Technological Infrastructure Any service interruption or failure in the systems that we use to provide online services could harm our business Implementation of additions to or changes in hardware and software platforms used to deliver our online services may result in performance problems and may not provide the additional functionality that was expected If the systems we use to provide online portals experience security breaches or are otherwise perceived to be insecure, our business could suffer Our online services are dependent on the development and maintenance of the Internet infrastructure Third parties may challenge the enforceability of our online agreements We could be subject to breach of warranty or other claims by clients of our online portals if the software and systems we use to provide them contain errors or experience failures Risks Related to the Healthcare Industry, Healthcare Regulation and Internet Regulation Developments in the healthcare industry could adversely affect our business Government regulation of healthcare creates risks and challenges with respect to our compliance efforts and our business strategies Government regulation of the Internet could adversely affect our business Failure to comply with laws relating to privacy and security of personal information, including personal health information, could result in liability to us and concerns about privacy-related issues could damage our reputation and our business Failure to maintain CME accreditation could adversely affect Medscape, LLC s ability to provide online CME offerings Government regulation and industry initiatives could adversely affect the volume of sponsored online CME programs implemented through our Web sites or require changes to how Medscape, LLC offers CME Other Risks Applicable to Our Company and to Ownership of Our Securities Negative conditions in the market for certain auction rate securities may result in WebMD incurring a loss on such investments Provisions in our organizational documents and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover, which could adversely affect the value of our Common Stock If certain transactions occur with respect to our capital stock, limitations may be imposed on our ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits to reduce our income taxes We may not be successful in protecting our intellectual property and proprietary rights Third parties may claim that we are infringing their intellectual property, and we could suffer significant litigation or licensing expenses or be prevented from providing certain services, which may harm our business Acquisitions, business combinations and other transactions may be difficult to complete and, if completed, may have negative consequences for our business and our security holders Our business will suffer if we fail to successfully integrate acquired businesses and technologies or to assess the risks in particular transactions

Full 10-K form ▸

1326583--3/2/2010--WebMD_Health_Corp.