Subcustodians and Securities Depositories Subject to the provisions hereinafter set forth in this Section 8, the Fund hereby authorizes the Custodian to utilize Securities Depositories to act on behalf of the Fund and to appoint from time to time and to utilize Subcustodians. With respect to securities and funds held by a Subcustodian, either directly or indirectly (including by a Securities Depository or Clearing Corporation), notwithstanding any provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, payment for securities purchased and delivery of securities sold may be made prior to receipt of securities or payment, respectively, and securities or payment may be received in a form, in accordance with (a) governmental regulations, (b) rules of Securities Depositories and clearing agencies, (c) generally accepted trade practice in the applicable local market, (d) the terms and characteristics of the particular Investment, or (e) the terms of Instructions.
Obligations of the Depositary and the Company The Company assumes no obligation nor shall it be subject to any liability under this Deposit Agreement to any Owner or Holder, except that the Company agrees to perform its obligations specifically set forth in this Deposit Agreement without negligence or bad faith. The Depositary assumes no obligation nor shall it be subject to any liability under this Deposit Agreement to any Owner or Holder (including, without limitation, liability with respect to the validity or worth of the Deposited Securities), except that the Depositary agrees to perform its obligations specifically set forth in this Deposit Agreement without negligence or bad faith, and the Depositary shall not be a fiduciary or have any fiduciary duty to Owners or Holders. Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be under any obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any Deposited Securities or in respect of the American Depositary Shares on behalf of any Owner or Holder or any other person. Each of the Depositary and the Company may rely, and shall be protected in relying upon, any written notice, request, direction or other document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties. Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be liable for any action or non-action by it in reliance upon the advice of or information from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting Shares for deposit, any Owner or any other person believed by it in good faith to be competent to give such advice or information. The Depositary shall not be liable for any acts or omissions made by a successor depositary whether in connection with a previous act or omission of the Depositary or in connection with any matter arising wholly after the removal or resignation of the Depositary, provided that in connection with the issue out of which such potential liability arises the Depositary performed its obligations without negligence or bad faith while it acted as Depositary. The Depositary shall not be liable for the acts or omissions of any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system in connection with or arising out of book-entry settlement of American Depositary Shares or Deposited Securities or otherwise. In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Depositary shall not be responsible for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote any of the Deposited Securities, or for the manner in which any such vote is cast or the effect of any such vote. The Depositary shall have no duty to make any determination or provide any information as to the tax status of the Company or any liability for any tax consequences that may be incurred by Owners or Holders as a result of owning or holding American Depositary Shares. The Depositary shall not be liable for the inability or failure of an Owner or Holder to obtain the benefit of a foreign tax credit, reduced rate of withholding or refund of amounts withheld in respect of tax or any other tax benefit. No disclaimer of liability under the United States federal securities laws is intended by any provision of this Deposit Agreement.
LIABILITY OF THE COMPANY AND DEPOSITARY Neither the Depositary nor the Company nor any of their respective directors, employees, agents or affiliates shall incur any liability to any Owner or Holder, (i) if by reason of any provision of any present or future law or regulation of the United States or any other country, or of any governmental or regulatory authority, or by reason of any provision, present or future, of the articles of association or any similar document of the Company, or by reason of any provision of any securities issued or distributed by the Company, or any offering or distribution thereof, or by reason of any act of God or war or terrorism or other circumstances beyond its control, the Depositary or the Company shall be prevented, delayed or forbidden from or be subject to any civil or criminal penalty on account of doing or performing any act or thing which by the terms of the Deposit Agreement or Deposited Securities it is provided shall be done or performed, (ii) by reason of any non-performance or delay, caused as aforesaid, in the performance of any act or thing which by the terms of the Deposit Agreement it is provided shall or may be done or performed, (iii) by reason of any exercise of, or failure to exercise, any discretion provided for in the Deposit Agreement, (iv) for the inability of any Owner or Holder to benefit from any distribution, offering, right or other benefit which is made available to holders of Deposited Securities but is not, under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, made available to Owners or Holders, or (v) for any special, consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of the Deposit Agreement. Where, by the terms of a distribution pursuant to Section 4.01, 4.02 or 4.03 of the Deposit Agreement, or an offering or distribution pursuant to Section 4.04 of the Deposit Agreement, or for any other reason, such distribution or offering may not be made available to Owners of Receipts, and the Depositary may not dispose of such distribution or offering on behalf of such Owners and make the net proceeds available to such Owners, then the Depositary shall not make such distribution or offering, and shall allow any rights, if applicable, to lapse. Neither the Company nor the Depositary assumes any obligation or shall be subject to any liability under the Deposit Agreement to Owners or Holders, except that they agree to perform their obligations specifically set forth in the Deposit Agreement without negligence or bad faith. The Depositary shall not be subject to any liability with respect to the validity or worth of the Deposited Securities. Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be under any obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit, or other proceeding in respect of any Deposited Securities or in respect of the American Depositary Shares, on behalf of any Owner or Holder or other person. Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be liable for any action or nonaction by it in reliance upon the advice of or information from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting Shares for deposit, any Owner or Holder, or any other person believed by it in good faith to be competent to give such advice or information. The Depositary shall not be liable for any acts or omissions made by a successor depositary whether in connection with a previous act or omission of the Depositary or in connection with a matter arising wholly after the removal or resignation of the Depositary, provided that in connection with the issue out of which such potential liability arises, the Depositary performed its obligations without negligence or bad faith while it acted as Depositary. The Depositary shall not be liable for the acts or omissions of any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system in connection with or arising out of book-entry settlement of Deposited Securities or otherwise. The Depositary shall not be responsible for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote any of the Deposited Securities or for the manner in which any such vote is cast or the effect of any such vote, provided that any such action or nonaction is in good faith. No disclaimer of liability under the Securities Act of 1933 is intended by any provision of the Deposit Agreement.
