Item 1. Business.

The Cooper Companies, Inc. (Cooper, we or the Company), a Delaware corporation organized in 1980, is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE Euronext (NYSE: COO). Cooper is dedicated to being A Quality of Life CompanyTM with a focus on shareholder value. Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision, Inc. and CooperSurgical, Inc.

CooperVision is a global manufacturer providing products for contact lens wearers. CooperVision develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of single-use, two-week and monthly contact lenses, featuring advanced materials and optics. CooperVision's products are designed to solve vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia and ocular dryness; with a broad collection of spherical, toric and multifocal contact lenses. CooperVision's products are primarily manufactured at its facilities located in Hampshire, United Kingdom, Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, Budapest, Hungary and Scottsville, New York. CooperVision distributes products from West Henrietta, New York, Fareham, United Kingdom, Liege, Belgium, and various smaller international distribution facilities.

CooperSurgical focuses on supplying women's health clinicians with products and treatment options to improve the delivery of healthcare to women. CooperSurgical's primary objectives include internal growth and growth through acquisitions to expand its core businesses and the introduction of advanced technology-based products to aid clinicians in the management and treatment of commonly seen conditions. CooperSurgical customers are healthcare professionals and institutions providing care to and for women. CooperSurgical products support the point of healthcare delivery in the hospital, clinician's office and fertility clinics. CooperSurgical's major manufacturing and distribution facilities are located in Trumbull, Connecticut, Malov, Denmark, Pasadena, California, Stafford, Texas, and Berlin, Germany.

CooperVision and CooperSurgical each operate in highly competitive environments. Competition in the medical device industry involves the search for technological and therapeutic innovations. Both of Cooper's businesses compete primarily on the basis of product quality and differentiation, technological benefit, service and reliability.

COOPERVISION

CooperVision competes in the worldwide soft contact lens market and services three primary regions: the Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and Asia Pacific. The contact lens market has two major product categories:

•	Spherical lenses including lenses that correct near- and farsightedness uncomplicated by more complex visual defects.

•	Toric and multifocal lenses including lenses that, in addition to correcting near- and farsightedness, address more complex visual defects such as astigmatism and presbyopia by adding optical properties of cylinder and axis, which correct for irregularities in the shape of the cornea.

In order to achieve comfortable and healthy contact lens wear, products are sold with recommended replacement schedules, often defined as modalities, with the primary modalities being single-use, two-week and monthly.

CooperVision offers spherical, aspherical, toric, multifocal and toric multifocal lens products in most modalities. We believe that in order to compete successfully in the numerous niches of the contact lens market, companies must offer differentiated products that are priced competitively and manufactured

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efficiently. CooperVision believes that it is the only contact lens manufacturer to use three different manufacturing processes to produce its lenses: lathing, cast molding and FIPS™, a cost-effective combination of lathing and molding. We also believe that the manufacturing processes acquired in connection with the Sauflon acquisition will be of value to us as these new platforms and processes may add greater flexibility and reduce time to market of our combined product offerings. This increased manufacturing flexibility should allow CooperVision to compete in its markets by:

•	Producing high, medium and low volumes of lenses made with a variety of materials for a broader range of market niches: single-use, two-week, monthly and quarterly disposable sphere, toric and multifocal lenses and custom toric lenses for patients with a high degree of astigmatism.

•	Offering a wide range of lens parameters, leading to a higher rate of successful fitting for practitioners and better visual acuity for patients.

Sales of contact lenses utilizing silicone hydrogel materials, a major product material in the industry, have grown significantly. Silicone hydrogel materials supply a higher level of oxygen to the cornea, as measured by the transmissibility of oxygen through a given thickness of material, or “dk/t,” than traditional hydrogel lenses. We believe our ability to compete successfully with a full range of silicone hydrogel products is an important factor to achieving our desired future levels of sales growth and profitability. Silicone hydrogel lenses now represent a significant portion of CooperVision's contact lens sales and our Biofinity® brand is CooperVision's leading product line. Under the Biofinity brand, CooperVision markets monthly silicone hydrogel spherical, toric and multifocal lens products. CooperVision has also launched two-week silicone hydrogel spherical and toric lens products under our Avaira® brand. In fiscal 2013, we launched MyDayTM, our single-use spherical silicone hydrogel lens, in Europe.

We believe that the global market for single-use contact lenses will continue to grow, that competitive silicone hydrogel single-use lens products are gaining market share and that they represent a risk to our business. To meet this anticipated demand, we plan to launch MyDay in more geographical regions, such as the United States during fiscal 2015, and to continue the implementation of capital projects to invest in increased single-use manufacturing capacity.

Consistent with this strategy, on August 6, 2014, we completed the acquisition of Sauflon Pharmaceuticals Limited (Sauflon), a privately-held European manufacturer and distributor of soft contact lenses and aftercare solutions. The acquisition of Sauflon expands our contact lens product portfolio particularly with Sauflon's clariti® 1day brand of single-use sphere, toric and multifocal silicone hydrogel lenses. Clariti lenses received United States FDA clearance in August 2013. Sauflon is headquartered in the United Kingdom and has a global presence with manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom and Hungary. The Sauflon acquisition is intended to accelerate the growth of sales of our single-use products by enabling a multi-tier, single-use strategy with a full suite of hydrogel and silicone hydrogel product offerings in the major product categories of sphere, toric and multifocal lenses. This acquisition is also intended to provide for an enhanced relationship with key European retailers and opportunities for operational synergies.

In addition, CooperVision lenses compete based on providing superior comfort through the use of lens edge technology. CooperVision lenses have a round to partial round edge which we believe increases comfort. CooperVision's Proclear® line of spherical, toric and multifocal lenses are manufactured with omafilcon, a material that incorporates Phosphorylcholine (PC) Technology™ that helps enhance tissue-device compatibility. Proclear lenses are the only lenses with FDA clearance for the claim "… may provide improved comfort for contact lens wearers who experience mild discomfort or symptoms relating to dryness during lens wear." Mild discomfort relating to dryness during lens wear is a condition that often causes patients to discontinue contact lens wear.

THE COOPER COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

In addition to its PC Technology™ and silicone hydrogel product offerings, CooperVision competes in the contact lens market with our traditional hydrogel products.

Contact Lens Product Sales

Spheres: Net sales of CooperVision's spherical lenses represented 56 percent of CooperVision's net sales in fiscal 2014 including net sales of single-use spherical lens that represented 22 percent of net sales in the fiscal year.

Toric and Multifocal: Net sales of CooperVision's toric lenses represented 31 percent of CooperVision's net sales in fiscal 2014. Net sales of multifocal lenses represented 11 percent of net sales in the fiscal year.

Proclear: Net sales of CooperVision's PC Technology products - which consist of spherical, toric and multifocal products, including Biomedics® XC and Proclear® 1 Day - represented 24 percent of CooperVision's net sales in fiscal 2014.

Silicone Hydrogel: CooperVision's silicone hydrogel spherical, toric and multifocal lens products, including Sauflon's clariti lenses in the fiscal fourth quarter of 2014 and not in fiscal 2013, represented 49 percent of CooperVision's net sales as compared to 43 percent in fiscal 2013.

CooperVision Competition

The contact lens market is highly competitive. CooperVision's three largest competitors in the worldwide market and its primary competitors in the spherical, toric and multifocal lens categories of that market are Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., CIBA Vision owned by Novartis AG and Bausch & Lomb Incorporated owned by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.

Over the past decade, the contact lens industry has experienced a global shift toward silicone hydrogel lenses that now represent approximately 50% of the global contact lens market. CooperVision's primary competitors control the majority of the silicone hydrogel segment of the market. CooperVision competes in the silicone hydrogel segment of the market with our Biofinity monthly spherical, toric and multifocal lenses, Avaira two-week spherical and toric lenses and MyDay single-use spherical lenses. We believe that the addition of Sauflon's clariti 1day brand of single-use sphere, toric and multifocal lenses provides CooperVision with the broadest product portfolio in the single-use silicone hydrogel market.

In the toric lens market, a similar shift toward silicone hydrogel lenses has occurred, but we believe that lens manufacturers also continue to compete to provide the highest possible level of visual acuity and patient satisfaction by offering a wide range of lens parameters, superior wearing comfort and a high level of customer service, both for patients and contact lens practitioners. CooperVision competes based on its three manufacturing processes, including manufacturing processes recently acquired with Sauflon, yielding wider ranges of toric lens parameters, providing wide choices for patient and practitioner and superior visual acuity, as well as by offering excellent customer service, including high standards of on-time product delivery.

CooperVision's primary competitors have greater financial resources and larger research and development budgets and sales forces. CooperVision seeks to offer a high level of customer service through its direct sales organizations around the world and through telephone sales and technical service representatives who consult with eye care professionals about the use of the Company's lens products.

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CooperVision also competes with manufacturers of eyeglasses and with refractive surgical procedures that correct visual defects. CooperVision believes that its contact lenses will continue to compete favorably against eyeglasses and there are opportunities for contact lenses to gain market share, particularly in markets where the penetration of contact lenses in the vision correction market is low. CooperVision also believes that laser vision correction is not a significant threat to its sales of contact lenses.

COOPERSURGICAL

CooperSurgical offers a broad array of products used in the care and treatment of women. The Company participates in the women's healthcare market through offering quality products, innovative technologies and superior service to clinicians worldwide. CooperSurgical collaborates with clinicians to identify products and new technologies from disposable products to sophisticated instruments and equipment. The result is a broad portfolio of products that aid in the delivery of improved clinical outcomes that healthcare professionals use routinely in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide spectrum of women's health issues.

Since its inception in 1990, CooperSurgical has steadily grown its market presence and distribution system by developing products and acquiring products and companies that complement its business model.

CooperSurgical competes in the global in-vitro fertilization (IVF) market with a product portfolio of IVF media and assisted reproductive technology (ART) solutions that enhance the work of fertility professionals to the benefit of families. In July 2012, CooperSurgical acquired Origio to form a combined medical device company that develops, manufactures and distributes highly specialized products that target IVF treatment with a goal to make fertility treatment safer, more efficient and convenient.

Market for Women's Healthcare

CooperSurgical participates in the market for women's healthcare with its diversified product lines in three major categories based on the point of healthcare delivery: hospitals and surgical centers, obstetricians and gynecologists (ob/gyns) medical offices and fertility clinics.

CooperSurgical expects patient visits to ob/gyns in the United States to increase over the next decade. Driving this growth is a steady number of reproductive age women with increasing fertility issues, a large and stable middle-aged population and a growing population of women over the age of 65 according the United States Census estimates. CooperSurgical expects growth in fertility treatments as more women choose to delay childbearing to the mid-thirties and beyond. Office visit activity related to menopausal problems, including abnormal bleeding, incontinence and osteoporosis, are also expected to increase slightly over the next decade. CooperSurgical believes that in the past clinicians primarily saw women only during their reproductive years. Now, with new treatment options available and a more educated population, CooperSurgical expects the relationship between the patient and clinician will continue into the middle years and later.

Another trend in the market for women's healthcare includes the migration of ob/gyn clinicians away from private practice ownership and toward aligning with group practices or employment with hospitals and healthcare systems. This trend includes the increasing influence of supply chain controls, such as value analysis committees, on product evaluation and procurement. CooperSurgical believes that the market factors that are driving this trend will continue in the near term.

The response in the United States market to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes the development of new models of healthcare delivery. One goal of these new models is to deliver more cost-effective healthcare including a trend to move treatment out of hospitals and surgery centers and into the office setting without compromising care. We expect this trend to continue in the near term.

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While general medical practitioners play an important role in women's primary care, the ob/gyn specialist is the primary market for CooperSugical's medical devices.

Some significant features of this market are:

•	Patient visits are for annual checkups, cancer screening, menstrual disorders, vaginitis (inflammation of vaginal tissue), treatment of abnormal Pap smears, osteoporosis (reduction in bone mass) and the management of menopause, pregnancy and reproductive management.

•	We estimate that approximately one-third of the office visits to ob/gyns are patients seeking diagnosis and treatment for the symptoms of abnormal uterine bleeding.

•	Ob/gyns traditionally provide the initial evaluation for women and their partners who seek infertility assistance. Ovulatory drugs and intrauterine insemination (IUI) are common treatments in these cases along with embryo transfer procedures.

•	IVF is performed by reproductive endocrinologists, a subgroup of ob/gyns, along with partner embryologists.

•	Osteoporosis and incontinence have become frequent diagnoses as the female population ages. Early identification and treatment of these conditions will both improve women's health and help reduce overall costs of treatment.

•	Sterilization is a frequently performed surgical procedure.

•	Hysterectomy, one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures, is increasingly performed using a laparoscopic approach.

•	The trend to move hospital-based procedures to an office or clinical setting is continuing as a method to reduce cost to the healthcare system while maintaining positive clinical outcomes.

Woman's Healthcare Product Sales

Net sales of CooperSurgical products used in office and surgical procedures, representing 65% of CooperSurgical's net sales, decreased 1% in fiscal 2014 as compared to fiscal 2013. Net sales of fertility products, representing 35% of CooperSurgical's net sales, grew 7% in fiscal 2014 as compared to fiscal 2013.

CooperSurgical Competition

CooperSurgical focuses on selected segments of the women's healthcare market, supplying diagnostic products and surgical instruments and accessories. In some instances, CooperSurgical offers all of the items needed for a complete procedure. CooperSurgical believes that opportunities exist for continued market consolidation of smaller technology-driven firms that generally offer only one or two product lines. Most are privately owned or divisions of public companies including some owned by companies with greater financial resources than Cooper.

Competitive factors in these segments include technological and scientific advances, product quality, price, customer service and effective communication of product information to physicians, fertility clinics and hospitals. CooperSurgical competes based on our sales and marketing expertise and the technological

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advantages of our products. CooperSurgical's strategy includes developing and acquiring new products, including those used in new medical procedures. As CooperSurgical expands our product line, we also offer educational programs for medical professionals in the appropriate use of our products.

CooperSurgical is seeking to expand our presence in the significantly larger hospital and outpatient surgical procedure segment of the market that is at present dominated by bigger competitors such as Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Boston Scientific, Gyrus ACMI and Covidien. These competitors have well-established positions within the operating room environment. CooperSurgical intends to leverage our relationship with gynecologic surgeons and focus on devices specific to gynecologic surgery to facilitate our expansion within the surgical segment of the market.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Cooper employs about 250 people in our research and development and manufacturing engineering departments. Most of these employees are in CooperVision. CooperVision product development and clinical research is supported by internal and external specialists in lens design, formulation science, polymer chemistry, clinical trials, microbiology and biochemistry. CooperVision's research and development activities primarily include programs to develop new contact lens designs along with improving formulations and manufacturing processes.

CooperSurgical conducts research and development in-house and also has consulting agreements with external specialists. CooperSurgical's research and development activities include the design and improvement of surgical procedure devices, the advancement and expansion of CooperSurgical's portfolio of assisted reproductive technology products, as well as products within the general obstetrics and gynecology offerings.

Cooper-sponsored research and development expenditures during fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $66.3 million, $58.8 million and $51.7 million, respectively. Research and development expenditures represented 4 percent of net sales in fiscal 2012 - 2014. During fiscal 2014, CooperVision represented 79 percent and CooperSurgical represented 21 percent of the total research and development expenses, the same as fiscal 2013. We did not participate in any customer-sponsored research and development programs during fiscal 2012 - 2014.

GOVERNMENT REGULATION

Medical Device Regulation

Our products are medical devices subject to extensive regulation by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States and other regulatory bodies abroad. FDA regulations govern, among other things, medical device design and development, testing, manufacturing, labeling, storage, recordkeeping, premarket clearance or approval, advertising and promotion, and sales and distribution. Unless an exemption applies, each medical device we wish to distribute commercially in the United States will require either prior 510(k) clearance or prior premarket approval (PMA) from the FDA. A majority of the medical devices we currently market have received FDA clearance through the 510(k) process or approval through the PMA process. Because we cannot be assured that any new products we develop, or any product enhancements, will be subject to the shorter 510(k) clearance process, significant delays in the introduction of any new products or product enhancements may occur.

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Device Classification

The FDA classifies medical devices into one of three classes - Class I, II or III - depending on the degree of risk associated with each medical device and the extent of control needed to ensure its safety and effectiveness. Both CooperVision and CooperSurgical develop and market medical devices under different levels of FDA regulation depending on the classification of the device. Class III devices, such as flexible and extended wear contact lenses, require extensive premarket testing and approval, while Class I and II devices require lower levels of regulation. The majority of CooperSurgical's products are Class II devices.

Class I devices are those for which safety and effectiveness can be assured by adherence to the FDA's general regulatory controls for medical devices, which include compliance with the applicable portions of the FDA's Quality System Regulation, facility registration and product listing, reporting of adverse medical events, and appropriate, truthful and non-misleading labeling, advertising, and promotional materials (General Controls). Some Class I devices also require premarket clearance by the FDA through the 510(k) premarket notification process described below.

Class II devices are subject to the FDA's General Controls, and any other special controls as deemed necessary by the FDA to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device. Premarket review and clearance by the FDA for Class II devices is accomplished through the 510(k) premarket notification procedure. Pursuant to the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act of 2002 (MDUFMA), unless a specific exemption applies, 510(k) premarket notification submissions are subject to user fees. Certain Class II devices are exempt from this premarket review process.

Class III devices are those devices which have a new intended use, or use advanced technology that is not substantially equivalent to that of a legally marketed device. The safety and effectiveness of Class III devices cannot be assured solely by the General Controls and the other requirements described above. These devices almost always require formal clinical studies to demonstrate safety and effectiveness and must be approved through the premarket approval process described below. Premarket approval applications (and supplemental premarket approval applications) are subject to significantly higher user fees under MDUFMA than are 510(k) premarket notifications.

510(k) Clearance Pathway

When we are required to obtain a 510(k) clearance for a device that we wish to market, we must submit a premarket notification to the FDA demonstrating that the device is substantially equivalent to a previously cleared 510(k) device or a device that was in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976, for which the FDA has not yet called for the submission of premarket approval applications. By regulation, the FDA is required to respond to a 510(k) premarket notification within 90 days of submission of the notification. As a practical matter, clearance can take significantly longer. If the FDA determines that the device, or its intended use, is not substantially equivalent to a previously-cleared device or use, the FDA will place the device, or the particular use of the device, into Class III.

After a device receives 510(k) clearance, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that changes its intended use, will require a new 510(k) clearance or could require premarket approval. The FDA requires each manufacturer to make this determination initially, but the FDA can review any such decision and can disagree with a manufacturer's determination. If the FDA disagrees with a manufacturer's determination that a new clearance or approval is not required for a particular modification, the FDA can require the manufacturer to cease marketing and/or recall the modified device until 510(k) clearance or premarket approval is obtained. In these circumstances, a manufacturer also may be subject to

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significant regulatory fines or penalties. We have made and plan to continue to make additional product enhancements and modifications to our devices that we believe do not require new 510(k) clearances.

Premarket Approval Pathway

A PMA application must be submitted if the device cannot be cleared through the 510(k) premarket notification procedures. The PMA process is much more demanding than the 510(k) premarket notification process. A PMA application must be supported by extensive data including, but not limited to, technical, preclinical, clinical trials, manufacturing and labeling to demonstrate to the FDA's satisfaction the safety and effectiveness of the device for its intended use.

After a PMA application is complete, the FDA begins an in-depth review of the submitted information. The FDA, by statute and regulation, has 180 days to review an accepted PMA application, although the review generally occurs over a significantly longer period of time, and can take up to several years. During this review period, the FDA may request additional information, including clinical data, or clarification of information already provided. Also during the review period, an advisory panel of experts from outside the FDA may be convened to review and evaluate the application and provide recommendations to the FDA as to the approvability of the device. In addition, the FDA will conduct a preapproval inspection of the manufacturing facility to ensure compliance with the Quality System Regulation (QSR). New PMA applications or PMA application supplements are required for significant modifications to the manufacturing process, labeling and design of a device that is approved through the premarket approval process. Premarket approval supplements often require submission of the same type of information as a premarket approval application, except that the supplement is limited to information needed to support any changes from the device covered by the original premarket approval application, and may not require as extensive clinical data or the convening of an advisory panel.

Clinical Trials

A clinical trial is almost always required to support a PMA application and is sometimes required for a 510(k) premarket notification. These trials generally require submission of an application for an investigational device exemption (IDE) to the FDA. The IDE application must be supported by appropriate data, such as animal and laboratory testing results, showing that the potential benefits of testing the device in humans outweighs the risks and that the testing protocol is scientifically sound. The IDE application must be approved in advance by the FDA for a specified number of patients, unless the product is deemed a non-significant risk device and eligible for more abbreviated investigational device exemption requirements. Clinical trials for a significant risk device may begin once the IDE application is approved by both the FDA and the appropriate institutional review boards at the clinical trial sites. All of Cooper's currently marketed products have been cleared by all appropriate regulatory agencies, and Cooper has no product currently being marketed under an IDE.

Continuing FDA Regulation

After a device is placed on the market, numerous regulatory requirements apply. These include: the QSR, which requires manufacturers to follow design, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during the manufacturing process; labeling regulations, which prohibit the promotion of products for unapproved or “off-label” uses and impose other restrictions on labeling; new FDA unique device identifier legislation that requires changes to labeling and packaging; the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which requires the reporting of certain payments to health care practitioners; and medical device reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA if their device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or

THE COOPER COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

serious injury if it were to recur. The FDA has broad post-market and regulatory enforcement powers. We are subject to unannounced inspections by the FDA to determine our compliance with the QSR and other regulations.

Failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements can result in enforcement action by the FDA, which may include any of the following sanctions: fines, injunctions and civil penalties; recall, seizure or import holds of our products; operating restrictions, suspension of production; refusing our request for 510(k) clearance or premarket approval of new products; withdrawing 510(k) clearance or premarket approvals that are already granted and criminal prosecution.

Even if regulatory approval or clearance of a medical device is granted, the FDA may impose limitations or restrictions on the uses and indications for which the device may be labeled and promoted. Medical devices may be marketed only for the uses and indications for which they are cleared or approved. FDA regulations prohibit a manufacturer from promoting a device for an unapproved or “off-label” use. Failure to comply with this prohibition on “off-label” promotion can result in enforcement action by the FDA, including, among other things, warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil or criminal penalties.

Foreign Regulation

Health authorities in foreign countries regulate Cooper's clinical trials and medical device sales. The regulations vary widely from country to country. Even if the FDA has approved a product, the regulatory agencies in each country must approve new products before they may be marketed there. The worldwide Medical Device regulations are increasing, with many countries becoming regulated for the first time. For example, Hong Kong and Singapore are now regulated and following the Global Harmonization Task Force model for regulating medical devices. These emerging regulated countries require the same rigorous safety data compiled in pre-clinical and clinical studies for the rest of the world. Japan has one of the most rigorous regulatory systems in the world and requires in-country clinical trials. The Japanese quality and regulatory standards remain stringent even with the more recent harmonization efforts and updated Japanese regulations. China is also updating its regulations and is requiring rigorous in-country product testing.

These regulatory procedures require a considerable investment in time and resources and usually result in a substantial delay between new product development and marketing. If the Company does not maintain compliance with regulatory standards or if problems occur after marketing, product approval may be withdrawn.

In addition to FDA regulatory requirements, Cooper also maintains ISO 13485 certification and CE mark approvals for its products. A CE mark is an international symbol of adherence to certain standards and compliance with applicable European medical device requirements. These quality programs and approvals are required by the European Medical Device Directive and must be maintained for all products intended to be sold in the European market. The ISO 13485 Quality Measurement System registration is now also required for registration of products in Asia Pacific and Latin American countries. In order to maintain these quality benchmarks, the Company is subjected to rigorous biannual reassessment audits of its quality systems and procedures.

Other Health Care Regulation

We may be subject to various federal, state and foreign laws pertaining to healthcare fraud and abuse, including anti-kickback laws and physician self-referral laws, and laws pertaining to healthcare privacy and security. Violations of these laws are punishable by criminal and civil sanctions, including, in some instances, exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans

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Administration health programs and TRICARE. Similarly if the physicians or other providers or entities with whom we do business are found to be noncompliant with applicable laws, they may be subject to sanctions, which could indirectly have a negative impact on our business, financial conditions and results of operations. While we believe that our operations are in material compliance with such laws, as applicable to us, because of the complex and far-reaching nature of these laws, there can be no assurance that we would not be required to alter one or more of our practices to be in compliance with these laws.

The impact to our businesses of the United States’ Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act or ACA) provisions related to coverage expansion, payment reforms and delivery system changes remains uncertain. The ACA imposes a 2.3 percent excise tax, with limited exceptions, on any entity that manufactures or imports Class I, II and III medical devices offered for sale in the United States that began on January 1, 2013. CooperVision's products are not subject to this tax because contact lenses are excluded from the tax. However, United States sales of CooperSurgical's products are subject to this tax which is recorded in selling, general and administrative expense on the Statement of Income.

In addition, the federal government, as part of the ACA, as well as certain state governments have enacted laws aimed at increasing transparency in relationships between medical device companies and healthcare professionals. We are now required by law to report many types of payments made and items of value provided to licensed healthcare professionals. In addition, certain foreign jurisdictions are currently acting to implement similar laws. Failure to adhere to our policies, comply with required laws or implement adequate policies and practices to address changes to legal and regulatory requirements could result in sanctions such as fines, injunctions and civil penalties.

RAW MATERIALS

CooperVision's raw materials primarily consist of various chemicals and packaging materials and are generally available from more than one source. However, CooperVision relies on sole suppliers for certain raw materials used to make our silicone hydrogel contact lens products. If current raw material suppliers fail to supply sufficient materials on a timely basis or at all for any reason, we may suffer a disruption in the supply of our silicone hydrogel contact lens products.

Raw materials used by CooperSurgical are generally available from more than one source. However, because some products require specialized manufacturing procedures, we could experience inventory shortages if we were required to use an alternative supplier on short notice.

MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION

CooperVision markets our products in the United States through our field sales representatives, who call on optometrists, ophthalmologists, opticians, optical chains and distributors. CooperVision augments our United States sales and marketing efforts with e-commerce, telemarketing, social media and advertising in professional journals. In the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions, CooperVision primarily markets our products through our field sales representatives. In other countries, CooperVision uses distributors and has given some of them the exclusive right to market our products within specific geographic areas.

CooperSurgical's products are marketed by a network of dedicated field sales representatives, independent agents and distributors. In the United States, CooperSurgical augments our sales and marketing activities by participating in national and regional industry tradeshows, professional educational programs and internet promotions including e‑commerce, social media and collaborative efforts with professional organizations, telemarketing, direct mail and advertising in professional journals. Fertility products are marketed globally through our field sales representatives and distributors.

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PATENTS, TRADEMARKS AND LICENSING AGREEMENTS

Cooper owns or licenses a variety of domestic and foreign patents, which, in total, are material to our overall business. The names of certain of Cooper's products are protected by trademark registrations in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and, in some cases, also in foreign trademark offices. Applications are pending for additional trademark and patent registrations. Cooper intends to protect our intellectual property rights aggressively.

No individual patent or license is material to the Company or either of our principal business units other than our license agreement effective as of November 19, 2007, between CooperVision and CIBA Vision AG and CIBA Vision Corporation. This license relates to patents covering CooperVision's silicone hydrogel contact lens products. Our royalty obligations under this license agreement extend until the expiration of the applicable patent rights, which we believe occurred in September 2014 in the United States and, we believe will occur in March 2016 outside of the United States.

In addition to trademarks and patent licenses, we own certain trade secrets, copyrights, know-how and other intellectual property.

DEPENDENCE ON CUSTOMERS

Neither of our business units depends to any material extent on any one customer or any one affiliated group of customers.

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

Neither of our business units is materially subject to profit renegotiation or termination of contracts or subcontracts at the election of the United States government.

BACKLOG

Backlog is not a material factor in either of Cooper's business units.

SEASONALITY

CooperVision's contact lens sales in its fiscal first quarter, which runs from November 1 through January 31, are typically lower than subsequent quarters, as patient traffic to practitioners' offices is relatively light during the holiday season.

COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

Federal, state and local provisions that regulate the discharge of materials into the environment, or relate to the protection of the environment, do not currently materially affect Cooper's capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position.

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FINANCIAL INFORMATION ABOUT BUSINESS SEGMENTS, GEOGRAPHIC AREAS, FOREIGN OPERATIONS AND EXPORT SALES

The information required by this item is included in the "Business Segment Information" of our notes to consolidated financial statements and "Risk Factors" as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2014.

EMPLOYEES

On October 31, 2014, Cooper had about 9,460 employees, including 1,426 employees of Sauflon, acquired in August 2014. We believe that relations with our employees are good.

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE CERTIFICATION

We submitted our 2014 annual Section 12(a) CEO certification with the New York Stock Exchange. The certification was not qualified in any respect. Additionally, we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2014, the CEO and CFO certifications required under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

The Cooper Companies, Inc. Internet address is http://www.coopercos.com. The information on the Company's Web site is not part of this or any other report we file with, or furnish to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, along with all other reports and amendments filed with or furnished to the SEC, are publicly available free of charge on our Web site as soon as reasonably practicable. The public may read and copy these materials at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains a Web site that contains such reports, proxy and information statements and other information whose Internet address is http://www.sec.gov. The Company's Corporate Governance Principles, Ethics and Business Conduct Policy and charters of each standing committee of the Board of Directors are also posted on the Company's Web site.

THE COOPER COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES