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Increasing regulation of certain of the Group’s products<br />

Group products are subject to varying degrees of regulation depending on the country in<br />

which they are sold. The shift from paper‐based to electronic product formats (which the Company<br />

expects will represent the majority of its products in the long‐term) could increase the number of<br />

Group products that are subject to these regulations.<br />

The regulatory framework is evolving in certain countries, towards increased protection of<br />

the beneficiaries of these products. Regulations governing gift cards and other payment cards, for<br />

example, are becoming broader, in particular with respect to (i) information required to be given to<br />

customers at the time of sale, (ii) commissions and contributions billed to customers and (iii) the<br />

treatment of partially‐used cards on expiration. In certain countries, the issuer has to reimburse the<br />

customer for all or part of amounts outstanding at expiration. The Group’s activities are also subject<br />

to personal data protection regulations as well as computer and data security regulations.<br />

Increased regulation could have a negative impact on the Group’s ability to develop its<br />

business. Regulatory changes are difficult to predict and responding to such changes could require<br />

considerable resources and investment that could negatively impact the Group’s results of operations<br />

and financial position.<br />

Protection of the Group’s trademarks<br />

The Group’s success has been based in part on its portfolio of well‐known trade names such<br />

as Ticket Restaurant ® and Ticket Alimentación ® . The Group’s trade names are registered trademarks<br />

in some, but not all, of the countries where it currently operates or intends to do business. If<br />

companies in other countries already use trade names similar to the Group’s, they could oppose the<br />

Group’s registration of its trademarks. If another company with a legally protected right to one of the<br />

Group’s trade names succeeded in preventing the Group from using that trade name in certain<br />

markets, the Group’s ability to distribute its products in new markets could be negatively affected.<br />

The Group could be forced to spend considerable sums to establish new or alternative trade names.<br />

The Group’s actions to protect its trademarks and other intellectual property rights in the countries<br />

where it operates may not be sufficient to provide full protection. Moreover, in certain countries<br />

trademark protection laws are not as strong as in Europe and North America.<br />

3.2 Operating risks<br />

3.2.1 Risks specific to the Group’s business<br />

Economic conditions<br />

The Group’s results of operations depend, partly, on the economic environment in the main<br />

countries in which it operates. Although the Group’s business is less exposed to economic cycles than<br />

some other industries, a worsening economy would, nevertheless, have a negative impact on issue<br />

volumes and results of operations. An economic recession causing businesses to file for bankruptcy<br />

or otherwise shut down operations would reduce the Group’s customer base. Higher unemployment<br />

rates would reduce, for each customer, the number of employees receiving the Group’s products. In<br />

addition, increases in the face value of the Group’s vouchers are influenced by the rate of inflation.<br />

Finally, the Group’s financial revenue (interest received on cash invested during the period between<br />

the voucher purchase and voucher redemption) depends on both issue volumes, which are sensitive<br />

to economic factors, and market interest rates (see section 3.3.2. of this prospectus, “Interest rate<br />

risk”).<br />

The prospect of economic recovery from the recent global recession offers an opportunity<br />

for the Group. However this recovery may be a lengthy process and levels of economic growth could<br />

prove lower than in the past. If the economic crisis persists, the Group could fail to meet its growth<br />

targets, which would negatively impact its results of operations and financial position.<br />

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