EXCLUSIVE LICENSE AGREEMENT
Exhibit
10.1
This
Exclusive License Agreement (the "Agreement") is made by and between Sequiam
Biometrics Inc. with offices at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, 00000,
hereinafter referred to as "Sequiam"), and Tacoma Technology Inc. from
Address:
1F Xx 00 Xxxx 00, Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx 104, web site: (xxx.xxxxxx.xxx.xx)
(hereinafter
referred to as “Tacoma").
Whereas,
the parties hereto enter into an agreement on an exclusive basis to govern
the
manufacturing and distribution of Tacoma’s products listed in Exhibit
A attached
to and made a part of this Agreement (hereinafter called
"Products”).
Now
therefore, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained
herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency
of which hereby acknowledged, the parties and assigns hereto agree to be legally
bound, as follows:
Article
1 - LICENSE GRANT
1.1
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Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Tacoma hereby grants
to
Sequiam an exclusive, nontransferable, revocable, world-wide,
royalty-bearing license to manufacture, use, sell or offer for sale
Licensed
Tacoma Products.
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1.2
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Tacoma
hereby agrees not to grant to any other party a license to Tacoma
Products
in accordance with the grant hereinabove as long as Sequiam abides
by the
terms and conditions of this
Agreement.
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Article
2 - Appointment
A)
Manufacturer Appointment: Tacoma
hereby appoints Sequiam for the term of this Agreement, as its exclusive
manufacturer for all of its Products (hereinafter referred to as “Tacoma
Products”) in the "Territory". Sequiam hereby accepts such appointment and
agrees to manufacture Tacoma Products for sale in the territory within the
terms
of this Agreement. The Territory is defined to include the following regions:
World
Wide.
B)
Distributor Appointment: Tacoma
hereby appoints Sequiam for the term of this Agreement, as its exclusive
biometric distributor and to sell and distribute Tacoma Products. Sequiam hereby
accepts such appointment and agrees to distribute Tacoma Products for Tacoma
beginning with Tacoma Products listed in Exhibit A. The Territory for
distribution is defined to include the following regions: North
America, South America, Europe, Africa
2.1
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The
terms of this Agreement shall be from April 10th,
2006 until April 10th,
2012. Thereafter,
this agreement shall be automatically renewed for additional terms
of
twenty-four (24) consecutive months unless either party notifies
the other
of non-renewal with at least 30 days notice. Any expiration shall
not
modify or alter any of the rights or obligations of the parties,
which
arose prior to such
expiration.
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2.2
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In
exchange for considerations within this agreement Sequiam shall lend
to
Tacoma $20,000 per month for the first 24 months of this agreement.
Terms
of the loan will be covered in a separate agreement. Tacoma shall
make
payments against the loan on a monthly basis as described in section
4.31
of this agreement.
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2.3
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Existing
inventory. Under the terms of this agreement Tacoma may sell inventory
that existed in their warehouse before April 10th,
2006.
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2.4
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Consignment.
Sequiam shall consign products from it’s own product line (hereinafter
“Sequiam Products”) for sale with Tacoma under a separate consignment
agreement.
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2.5
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Tacoma
Royalties. Tacoma shall receive a royalty on Tacoma Products on a
per unit
basis equal to the sum of 7% of monies received. This payment shall
be
calculated and paid by wire transfer to Tacoma every 30 days.
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2.6
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License
Granted. Tacoma shall grant Sequiam an exclusive license to manufacture
and sell Tacoma Products.
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2.7
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Option
to Purchase Tacoma. Sequiam shall have the option at any time during
the
duration of this agreement to purchase Tacoma for the sum of $2,000,000
US
Dollars or cash equivalent.
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Article
3 Termination
3.1
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Events
of Default. Either party may terminate this Agreement
if:
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3.1.1
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The
other party breaches any material term or condition of this Agreement
and
fails to cure such breach within sixty (60) days after the due date
(with
respect to any payment default) or within ninety (90) days after
receipt
of written notice for any other
breach;
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3.1.2
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The
other party files a voluntary or is subject to an involuntary petition
in
bankruptcy, commences a liquidation and dissolution or voluntarily
assigns
its assets for the benefit of creditors. In the event Tacoma becomes
insolvent all terms of technology licensing to Sequiam for Tacoma
Products
remain in effect as long as Sequiam offers equal royalty payments
for
sales of Tacoma Products to any successor in interest to Tacoma’s assets.
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3.2
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Neither
Party shall be relieved of any obligation or liability under this
Agreement arising from any act or omission committed prior to the
effective date of such termination.
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3.3
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From
and after any termination of this Agreement, Sequiam shall have the
right
to sell any Licensed Products that Sequiam had already manufactured
prior
to termination, provided that all royalties and reports required
hereinabove shall be timely submitted to
Tacoma.
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3.4
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The
rights and remedies granted herein, and any other rights or remedies
which
the Parties may have, either at law or in equity, are cumulative
and not
exclusive of others. On any termination, Sequiam shall duly account
to
Tacoma and transfer to it all rights to which Tacoma may be entitled
under
this Agreement.
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Article
4 - Sequiam’s
Duties
4.1
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Delivery.
Sequiam will use all commercially reasonable efforts to deliver Tacoma
Products in accordance with any purchase order. Risk of loss or damage
to
Tacoma Products delivered by Sequiam passes to Tacoma on delivery
by
Sequiam to the common courier.
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4.2
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Price.
The price to be paid by Tacoma for any Product purchased from Sequiam
will
be governed by section 4.31 of this agreement. Unless otherwise stated,
prices are listed and are payable in United States Dollars. Prices
are
inclusive of those items specifically identified within Section
4.3.1 and Exhibit A of this agreement and
exclusive of any item not so specified or described. In addition
to the
purchase price, Tacoma and Sequiam will each pay half (50%) of any
costs
which either party may incur including export duties, shipping handling
and other costs related to preparing the merchandise for
sale.
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4.3
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Price
Changes. Cost to manufacture products may change from time to time.
Sequiam agrees to use its reasonable effort to inform Tacoma of any
anticipated price changes in advance. Any price change will be effective
(5) days after written notice from Sequiam and will apply to all
the
Products ordered by Tacoma after the effective date of the change.
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4.3.1
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Pricing.
Pricing for Tacoma Products shall be based upon the following formula:
cost of manufacture + 15% burden rate + $.50 per unit debt service
of
Sequiam and other parties loans to
Tacoma.
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This
provision may be amended only through written consent of both parties.
4.4
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Payment.
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4.4.1
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Tacoma
must pay for and must accept all Tacoma Products shipped by Sequiam
pursuant to Tacoma’s purchase orders.
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4.4.2
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Payment
of any sums due to Sequiam hereunder must be made by wire transfer
or
cleared check in United States Dollars. Unless otherwise agreed in
writing, Tacoma must pay in full to Sequiam the applicable purchase
price
plus 50% of all additional costs (including such items as duties,
tax,
freight, etc.). As specified in 4.31, Tacoma must also pay to Sequiam
50%
of the debt service payment in 4.31 per unit of item sold as repayment
of
Sequiam loans to Tacoma for so long as any principal or interest
balance
remains outstanding.
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4.5
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Promotion.
Tacoma and Sequiam will actively promote the sale of Tacoma Products
in
the Territory to the best of its ability. Both parties will provide
necessary information and advice to promote the sale of Tacoma Products
in
the Territory. Both parties shall provide a schedule of planned events
(for the duration of this Agreement) to the other party within sixty
(60)
days of the date hereof.
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4.6
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Reporting.
Tacoma shall inform Sequiam of Tacoma’s activities and of market
conditions within the Territory through monthly sales reports that
provide
Customer identity and location.
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4.7
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Support
Services. Tacoma shall provide and maintain, adequate customer service
facilities and properly trained staff to carry out first line support
of
Tacoma Products within Territories not covered in agreement section
1.1B
(distributor appointment) and to Sequiam, including but not limited
to,
reasonable telephone support of Customers, diagnosis of reported
problems
with Tacoma Products purchased by the Customer. Tacoma will also
implement
all support programs and upgrade procedures for Tacoma Products as
required by Sequiam from time to time. Sequiam will provide hardware
support as described in the warranty section of this agreement.
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Article
5 - Sequiam's
Rights
5.1
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Right
of Inspection. Sequiam shall have the right, at reasonable times
during
business hours, to inspect the sales and customer records of Tacoma
with 2
working days prior written notice.
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5.2
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Change
of Design. Sequiam may, at any time and without liability to Tacoma,
improve or modify any Product or feature of any Product. Sequiam
will not
be obliged to make any change or upgrade in any Product shipped to
Tacoma
prior to the official introduction of any change to the same. Sequiam
may,
without liability to distribute, fill any order placed by Tacoma
for any
given Product by substituting therefore a modified or changed version
of
the same, so long as there is no significant loss of performance
and/or
functionality by reason of the substitution. Each change to Tacoma
Products and the resultant new modified products are the property
of
Sequiam.
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5.3
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All
customer lists related to the Tacoma Products will be shared by Sequiam
and Tacoma. Both parties will be granted reasonable access to this
information.
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Article
6 -Returns
6.1
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Defective
Product. Tacoma Products may be returned by Tacoma to Sequiam that
Tacoma
or its customer finds defective. If Sequiam has insufficient inventory
to
replace the customer’s defective merchandise Tacoma shall immediately
place a purchase order for replacement goods in a quantity greater
than or
equal to the return amount.
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Article
7 -Trademarks,
Copyrights And Trade Secrets
7.1
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Use.
All of the Tacoma Products and Sequiam Products which are sold by
Tacoma
directly or indirectly must bear the authorized trademark of Sequiam.
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7.2
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Tacoma’s
obligations under this license shall survive the termination of this
Agreement, regardless of the cause of termination.
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7.4
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Confidentiality.
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Each
party shall keep all proprietary and confidential information of the delivering
party,
including,
without limitation, its business, prospects, technical know-how, methods,
procedures, data, specifications, designs, software code, and formulas not
previously disclosed (the "Information") received by it or its agents,
affiliates, representatives or employees confidential and shall not, without
the
delivering party's prior written consent, disclose or use, or permit the
disclosure or use by its agents, affiliates, representatives or employees of,
any such Information, other than in connection with its duties under this
Agreement. Moreover, each party agrees to reveal the Information to its agents,
affiliates, representatives and employees more solely for the purpose of
performing this Agreement, to inform such persons of the confidential nature
of
the Information and obtain the agreement of such persons to act in accordance
with the terms and conditions of this Section.
Article
8 - Intellectual
Property Infringement
8.1
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Notice.
Each party will promptly notify the other in writing if the party
has
notice of:
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8.1.1
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any
infringement of any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or
other
intellectual property rights vested in Tacoma(the "Intellectual Property
Rights") related to Tacoma Products;
and/or
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8.1.2
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any
actual or potential claim in which the use of Tacoma Products may
infringe
on the actual or alleged Intellectual Property Rights of any other
person
or entity.
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8.2
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Indemnity.
Sequiam shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any alleged
infringement where Tacoma Products sold by Tacoma (within territory
not
covered by Sequiam) that have been used in a manner for which it
was not
intended by Sequiam or where any alleged infringement results from
a
modification of any of such Products, or parts thereof, after its
sale by
Sequiam to Tacoma.
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Article
9 - Sequiam's Warranties to Tacoma
9.1
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Sequiam’s
Warranties to Tacoma. Sequiam warrants to Tacoma, and not its customers,
end users, agents or representatives, that Tacoma Products will perform
in
accordance with Sequiam’s Warranty Policy as in effect from time to time.
The current version of such Warranty Policy is shown in Exhibit
B hereto
and shall be the only warranty under this Agreement until a new warranty
is provided to Tacoma in writing signed by an authorized officer
of
Sequiam. Any replacement warranty will be provided in advance to
Tacoma
for approval who will not unreasonably withhold a response. Tacoma
will
provide a response within 3 business days.
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Article
10- Sequiam’s
Liability
10.1
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Sequiam
shall not have any liability to Tacoma or any Customer, in tort,
contract
or otherwise, for claims, losses, damages or injuries arising out
of the
design, manufacture, sale, use, licensing or performance of any of
the
Products or in connection with any matter of any nature arising out
of or
in connection with this Agreement.
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NOTWITHSTANDING
THE FOREGOING, SEQUIAM SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO TACOMA OR CUSTOMERS, FOR ANY
INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES WHATSOEVER WHICH ARISE OUT OF OR
IN
CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, THE DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, SALE, USE, LICENSING
OR
PERFORMANCE OF ANY OF TACOMA PRODUCTS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES
ARISING FROM DELAY OF DELIVERY OR FROM LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, BUSINESS OR
GOODWILL, EVEN IF SEQUIAM IS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES.
Article
11 - Tacoma's
Warranties
11.1
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Warranties
to Sequiam. Tacoma represents and warrants to Sequiam that Tacoma
is a
company duly incorporated, existing in good standing under the laws
of
Taiwan with all requisite power, authority and license to own, operate,
license and lease its properties and to carry on its business as
now being
and is contemplated to be conducted under this Agreement and is qualified
to do business in every jurisdiction where such qualification is
required.
Tacoma is not in default in the performance, observance or fulfillment
of
its articles of incorporation or
bylaws.
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11.2
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Indemnity.
Tacoma shall, at its sole expense, indemnify, defend and hold Sequiam
harmless against any and all claims, losses or damages (including
without
limitation, penalties, punitive damages and lost profits), together
with
all costs and expenses related thereto (including without limitation,
attorneys' fees and costs and business interruption expenses), arising
from, related to or in connection with: (a) the inaccuracy or breach
of
any representation or warranty of Tacoma contained in this Agreement;
(b)
any representations or warranties made by Tacoma or any of its employees
or agents to Customers as to the performance of Tacoma Products,
which
representations or warranties were not expressly made under Sequiam
then
current Warranty Policy; and (c) the activities of Tacoma or its
employees
in the distribution of Tacoma Products. Such indemnification shall
extend
to any and all actions, suits or proceedings incidental to any such
claims, losses or damages.
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11.3
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Remedies.
The rights and remedies provided to the parties in this Agreement
shall be
each party's exclusive rights and remedies for breach of
contract.
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Article
12 - Import/Export
Restrictions
12.1
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Compliance.
Tacoma shall comply, at its sole cost, with the terms of its import
license or import documentation and Sequiam’s corresponding export license
and with all countries within the defined Territory, foreign and
local
laws and regulations, and International Agreements and Treaties
(including, without limitation, laws regarding or limiting export
of
strategic and/or high technology products to certain countries) in
performing its obligations and duties hereunder and in any of its
dealings
with or relating to Sequiam and/or any
Product.
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Tacoma
and Sequiam will use their best efforts to ensure that Customers will similarly
comply with said laws and export licenses.
Article
13 - Taxes
and Other Deductions
13.1
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Withholding.
Sequiam reserves the right to withhold payment of monies to Tacoma
by
Sequiam under this Agreement due to non-payment of monies owed to
Sequiam
by Tacoma.
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13.2
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Taxes.
Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, Tacoma
shall pay
directly, and indemnify Sequiam against and repay Sequiam on demand
for,
any and all income, franchise, sales, use, personal property, ad
valorem,
value-added, stamp or other taxes, levies, customs, duties or other
imposts or fees, together with any loss, liability, claim, costs
or
expenses, interest and penalties incurred by Sequiam as a result
of
Tacoma’s failure to pay any such taxes when
due.
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Article
14 - Mediation
14.
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Mediation.
The parties shall endeavor to resolve any dispute arising out of
or
relating to this Agreement by mediation. Unless otherwise agreed,
the
parties will each select a mediator and the two mediators will select
a
third.
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Article
15 - Entire
Agreement
15.
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Entire
Agreement. This Agreement, together with its attached Exhibits (all
of
which are incorporated herein by this reference and made a part hereof),
contains the entire agreement between the parties hereto, and supersedes
all other oral or written representations, statements, promises,
agreements and letters or other expressions of intent of any kind
with
respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be modified
or amended without the prior written consent of the parties and any
subsequent purchase orders or standard business forms or agreements
of
either Sequiam or Tacoma shall not be an amendment hereto or revision
hereof, whether or not received, accepted, approved or signed by
Sequiam
and/or Tacoma. However, the foregoing shall not limit the right of
Sequiam
to amend, from time to time in its sole discretion, the Prices or
the
Warranty Policy.
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Article
16 - Force
Majeure
16.
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Force
Majeure. Neither party hereto shall have any liability for delay
or
non-fulfillment of any terms of this Agreement caused by any cause
not
within such party's direct control (but excluding financial inability)
such as act of God, force Majeure, war, riots or civil disturbance,
strikes, accident, fire, transportation conditions, labor and/or
material
shortages, governmental controls, regulations and permits and/or
embargoes.
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly
executed in their respective names by their duly authorized
representatives.
Sequiam
Biometrics, Inc.
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Tacoma
Technology, Inc.
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By:
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By:
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Name:
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Name:
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Title:
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Title:
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Date:
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Date:
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Product
Description & Product Pricing
EXHIBIT
A (Part 1)
Tacoma
Products
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All
Tacoma products listed below including all future product derivatives
yet
to be manufactured and any other products they have developed.
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Name:
CMOS I
Description:
Biometric sensor module
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Name:
CMOS II
Description:
Biometric sensor module
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ACCEPTANCE
OF EXHIBIT A:
Sequiam
Biometrics, Inc.
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Tacoma
Technology, Inc.
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By:
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By:
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Date:
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Date:
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EXHIBIT
B
Sequiam's
Warranty
I.
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Limited
Warranty.
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(A)
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Sequiam
warrants to Tacoma that it has right, title, and interest in Product(s)
to
rightfully transfer to Tacoma free of any liens and that Product(s)
furnished will be new, merchantable, free from defects in material
and
workmanship, and will conform to and perform in accordance with respective
Product specifications for one (1) year from the date of delivery.
Should
Tacoma Products not perform according to applicable Product specifications
Sequiam shall repair replace the Product, at Sequiam's sole cost
and
expense.
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(B)
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Disclaimer
of Warranties. EXCEPT FOR THE LIMITED WARRANTIES SET FORTH IN SECTION
10.1
AND IN THIS EXHIBIT B, SEQUIAM MAKES NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS
TO
TACOMA OR TO ITS END-USER CUSTOMERS WITH RESPECT TO TACOMA PRODUCTS,
THE
PERFORMANCE OF TACOMA PRODUCTS, THE DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED WITH RESPECT
TO
TACOMA PRODUCTS, OR ANY SERVICES PROVIDED HEREUNDER. SEQUIAM EXPRESSLY
DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, CONCERNING TACOMA
PRODUCTS, DOCUMENTATION AND SERVICES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR ANY OTHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY,
WHETHER
ARISING IN LAW, CUSTOM, CONDUCT OR
OTHERWISE.
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(C)
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Neither
Tacoma nor its sales representatives, agents or third party Tacoma’s or
marketers has the authority to make or bind Sequiam to any affirmation,
warranty, guarantee,,
or representation, whether written or oral, concerning Tacoma
Products.
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(D)
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Defective
Product(s) in warranty will be returned to Sequiam for repair or
replacement at no charge to Tacoma. Tacoma shall notify the Sequiam's
Customer Service Organization to describe the nature of the defective
product. The Sequiam will assess the problem and provide shipping
instructions including assigning an return goods authorization number
(RGA) to facilitate the shipment of the defective Product back to
the
Sequiam. Unless otherwise agreed by the Sequiam and Tacoma, Sequiam
shall
complete repairs and ship repaired Product(s), or replace Product(s),
within fifteen (15) business days of receipt of defective Product(s)
at
Sequiam factory location in the Continental United States. Tacoma
shall
bear the risk of in-transit loss or damage up to the point the Product(s)
is placed in the possession of the carrier and Sequiam shall bear
the cost
of transportation charges for shipment to Sequiam of the Product(s)
to be
repaired or replaced. For return shipments from Sequiam to Tacoma,
Sequiam
shall bear the risk of in-transit loss or damage and shall prepay
and bear
the cost of transportation charges for shipment of the Product(s)
which
has been repaired or replaced. If the Product(s) returned is not
defective
or is not in warranty, Sequiam shall promptly advise Tacoma in writing
of
this. In such cases, Sequiam shall either (1) return the Product(s)
to
Tacoma at Tacoma's expense and risk in its "as-received" condition
or (2)
repair the Product(s) if so instructed by Tacoma in writing and charge
Tacoma for labor, parts, and shipping in accordance with Article
II
"Repairs Not Covered under
Warranty."
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(E)
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Any
replacement, repair, modification, installation, or other service
performed by Sequiam shall be warranted, commencing with the date
upon
which repaired Product(s) is returned to Tacoma for the remainder
of the
unexpired period of the warranty or ninety (90) days, whichever is
greater.
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(F)
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The
warranties herein do not extend to Product(s) to the extent that
such
Product(s) have
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(1)
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been
subject to misuse, neglect, accident, or abuse not caused by
Sequiam;
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(2)
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been
wired, repaired, or altered by anyone other than Sequiam without
Sequiam's
approval;
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(3)
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been
improperly used by any personnel, including Tacoma and
Customer;
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(4)
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been
used in violation of the appropriate written instructions furnished
to
Tacoma; or
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(5)
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been
subjected to improper temperature, humidity, or other environmental
conditions, and such action is the cause of the damage or
malfunction.
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II.
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Repairs
Not Covered under Warranty
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(A)
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In
addition to repairs provided for under the "Warranty" section of
this
policy, Sequiam agrees to provide repair services on all Product(s)
ordered hereunder during the respective periods during which Product(s)
is
manufactured by Sequiam, and for a period of one (1) year after Product(s)
has been Sequiam discontinued.
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(B)
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Repair
pursuant to this Article II shall be performed and billed at Sequiam's
prevailing repair charge rates.
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ACCEPTANCE
OF EXHIBIT B:
Sequiam
Biometrics, Inc.
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Tacoma
Technology, Inc.
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By:
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By:
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Date:
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Date:
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