Exhibit d(18)
RESEARCH AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
FIDELITY MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH (FAR EAST), INC.
AND
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS JAPAN LIMITED
AGREEMENT made this 1st day of January, 2000, by and between Fidelity
Management & Research (Far East), Inc., a Massachusetts corporation
(the "Sub-Advisor"); and Fidelity Investments Japan Limited, a
Japanese corporation (the "Japan Sub-Advisor").
WHEREAS, Fidelity Management & Research Company, a Massachusetts
corporation (the "Advisor"), has entered into a Management Contract
(the "Management Contract") with Variable Insurance Products Fund, a
Massachusetts business trust which may issue one or more series of
shares of beneficial interest (the "Trust"), on behalf of Overseas
Portfolio (the "Portfolio"), pursuant to which the Advisor acts as
investment advisor to the Portfolio; and
WHEREAS, the Sub-Advisor has entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement
(the "Sub-Advisory Agreement") with the Advisor, pursuant to which the
Sub-Advisor, directly or through certain of its subsidiaries or other
affiliated persons, may provide, at the Advisor's discretion,
investment advice or investment management and order execution
services to the Portfolio; and
WHEREAS, the Japan Sub-Advisor has personnel in Japan, and has been
formed for the purpose, among others, of researching and compiling
information and recommendations with respect to the economies of Japan
and other Asian countries and the securities of issuers located in
Japan and other Asian countries;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
promises hereinafter set forth, the Sub-Advisor and the Japan
Sub-Advisor hereby agree as follows:
1. Delegation of Duties: Pursuant to paragraph 1(c) of the
Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Sub-Advisor hereby delegates to the Japan
Sub-Advisor, and the Japan Sub-Advisor hereby accepts, responsibility
for performing such non-discretionary investment advisory and research
services relating to the Japanese economy and the securities of
Japanese issuers (and such other Asian economies and issuers as the
Sub-Advisor may request from time to time) as may be requested of the
Sub-Advisor by the Advisor pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement.
The Japan Sub-Advisor shall pay the salaries and fees of all personnel
of the Japan Sub-Advisor performing such services on behalf of the
Portfolio.
(a) INVESTMENT ADVICE: In connection with the performance of such
services, the Japan Sub-Advisor shall furnish to the Advisor and the
Sub-Advisor such factual information, research reports and investment
recommendations as Advisor or the Sub-Advisor may reasonably require.
Such information may include written and oral reports and analyses.
All such reports, recommendations, analyses and other information may
be used, transferred, assigned or sold by the Sub-Advisor, in its sole
discretion, without the consent of the Japan Sub-Advisor.
(b) SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES: The Japan Sub-Advisor may perform
any or all of the services contemplated by this Agreement directly or
through such of its subsidiaries or other affiliated persons as the
Japan Sub-Advisor shall determine; provided, however, that performance
of such services through such subsidiaries or other affiliated persons
shall have been approved by the Trust to the extent required pursuant
to the 1940 Act and rules thereunder.
2. Information to be Provided to the Trust, the Advisor and the
Sub-Advisor: The Japan Sub-Advisor shall furnish such reports,
evaluations, information or analyses to the Trust, the Advisor, and
the Sub-Advisor, as the Trust's Board of Trustees, the Advisor or the
Sub-Advisor may reasonably request from time to time, or as the Japan
Sub-Advisor may deem to be desirable.
3. Compensation: For the services provided under this Agreement, the
Sub-Advisor agrees to pay the Japan Sub-Advisor a monthly fee equal to
100% of the Japan Sub-Advisor's costs incurred in connection with
rendering the services provided hereunder. The Japan Sub-Advisor's
fee shall not be reduced to reflect expense reimbursements or fee
waivers by the Sub-Advisor or the Advisor, if any, in effect from time
to time.
4. Expenses: It is understood that the Portfolio will pay all of its
expenses other than those expressly stated to be payable by the Japan
Sub-Advisor hereunder, by the Sub-Advisor under the Sub-Advisory
Agreement or by the Advisor under the Management Contract.
5. Interested Persons: It is understood (i) that Trustees, officers,
and shareholders of the Trust are or may be or become interested in
the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or the Japan Sub-Advisor as directors,
officers or otherwise, (ii) that directors, officers and stockholders
of the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or the Japan Sub-Advisor are or may be
or become similarly interested in the Trust, and (iii) that the
Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or the Japan Sub-Advisor are or may be or
become interested in the Trust as a shareholder or otherwise.
6. Services to Other Companies or Accounts: The services of the
Japan Sub-Advisor to the Sub-Advisor are not to be deemed to be
exclusive, the Japan Sub-Advisor being free to render services to
others and engage in other activities, provided, however, that such
other services and activities do not, during the term of this
Agreement, interfere in a material manner, with the Japan
Sub-Advisor's ability to meet all of its obligations hereunder. The
Japan Sub-Advisor shall for all purposes be an independent contractor
and not an agent or employee of the Sub-Advisor, the Advisor or the
Trust.
7. Standard of Care: In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of obligations or duties
hereunder on the part of the Japan Sub-Advisor, the Japan Sub-Advisor
shall not be subject to liability to the Sub-Advisor, the Advisor, the
Trust or to any shareholder of the Portfolio for any act or omission
in the course, of or connected with, rendering services hereunder or
for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale
of any security.
8. Liability. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the
contrary, it is understood that the Sub-Advisor shall remain liable to
the Advisor and the Portfolio under the Sub-Advisory Agreement for the
acts and omissions of Japan Sub-Advisor taken in the course of the
performance of the Japan Sub-Advisor's duties hereunder to the same
extent as would be the case had the Sub-Advisor performed such acts or
omissions itself, provided, however, that to the extent the
Sub-Advisor suffers a loss to the Advisor or the Portfolio as a result
of or arising out of such acts or omissions of the Japan Sub-Advisor,
the Sub-Advisor shall be entitled to seek redress against the Japan
Sub-Advisor in accordance with the terms hereof.
9. Duration and Termination of Agreement; Amendments:
(a) Subject to prior termination as provided in subparagraph (d) of
this paragraph 9, this Agreement shall continue in force until July
31, 2000 and indefinitely thereafter, but only so long as the
continuance after such period shall be specifically approved at least
annually by vote of the Trust's Board of Trustees or by vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Portfolio.
(b) This Agreement may be modified by mutual consent of the Advisor,
the Sub-Advisor, the Japan Sub-Advisor and the Portfolio subject to
the provisions of Section 15 of the 1940 Act, as modified by or
interpreted by any applicable order or orders of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") or any rules or regulations
adopted by, or interpretative releases of, the Commission.
(c) In addition to the requirements of subparagraphs (a) and (b) of
this paragraph 9, the terms of any continuance or modification of this
Agreement must have been approved by the vote of a majority of those
Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or
interested persons of any such party, cast in person at a meeting
called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
(d) Either the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, the Japan Sub-Advisor or the
Portfolio may, at any time on sixty (60) days' prior written notice to
the other parties, terminate this Agreement, without payment of any
penalty, by action of its Board of Trustees or Directors, or with
respect to the Portfolio by vote of a majority of its outstanding
voting securities. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in
the event of its assignment.
10. Limitation of Liability: The Japan Sub-Advisor is hereby
expressly put on notice of the limitation of shareholder liability as
set forth in the Declaration of Trust or other organizational document
of the Trust and agrees that any obligations of the Trust or the
Portfolio arising in connection with this Agreement shall be limited
in all cases to the Portfolio and its assets, and the Japan
Sub-Advisor shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from
the shareholders or any shareholder of the Portfolio. Nor shall the
Japan Sub-Advisor seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the
Trustees or any individual Trustee.
11. Governing Law: This Agreement shall be governed by, and
construed in accordance with, the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, without giving effect to the choice of laws provisions
thereof.
The terms "registered investment company," "vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities," "assignment," and "interested person,"
when used herein, shall have the respective meanings specified in the
1940 Act as now in effect or as hereafter amended.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have caused this instrument to
be signed in their behalf by their respective officers thereunto duly
authorized, and their respective seals to be hereunto affixed, all as
of the date written above.
FIDELITY MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH (FAR EAST), INC.
BY: /s/Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Treasurer
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS JAPAN LIMITED
BY: /s/Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
President
