1
EXHIBIT 4.8
SECURITY AGREEMENT dated as of
May 7, 1999, among AMERICAN MEDIA
OPERATIONS, INC., a Delaware corporation
(the "BORROWER"), AMERICAN MEDIA, INC., a
Delaware corporation ("HOLDINGS"), each
subsidiary of Holdings listed on Schedule I
hereto (each such subsidiary individually a
"SUBSIDIARY" or a "GUARANTOR" and,
collectively, the "SUBSIDIARIES" or, with
Holdings, the "GUARANTORS"; the Guarantors
and the Borrower are referred to
collectively herein as the "GRANTORS") and
THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, a New York banking
corporation ("CHASE"), as collateral agent
(in such capacity, the "COLLATERAL AGENT")
for the Secured Parties (as defined herein).
Reference is made to (a) the Credit Agreement dated as of May 7, 1999
(as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the "CREDIT
AGREEMENT"), among the Borrower, Holdings, the lenders from time to time party
thereto (the "LENDERS") and Chase, as administrative agent for the Lenders (in
such capacity, the "ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT") and (b) the Guarantee Agreement
dated as of May 7, 1999 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from
time to time, the "GUARANTEE AGREEMENT"), among the Guarantors and the
Collateral Agent.
The Lenders have agreed to make Loans to the Borrower, and the Issuing
Bank has agreed to issue Letters of Credit for the account of the Borrower,
pursuant to, and upon the terms and subject to the conditions specified in, the
Credit Agreement. Each of the Guarantors has agreed to guarantee, among other
things, all the obligations of the Borrower under the Credit Agreement. The
obligations of the Lenders to make Loans and of the Issuing Bank to issue
Letters of Credit are conditioned upon, among other things, the execution and
delivery by the Grantors of an agreement in the form hereof to secure (a) the
due and punctual payment by the Borrower of (i) the principal of and premium,
if any, and interest (including interest accruing during the pendency of any
bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of
whether allowed or allowable in such proceeding) on the Loans, when and as due,
whether at maturity, by acceleration, upon one or more dates set for prepayment
or otherwise, (ii) each payment required to be made by the Borrower under the
Credit Agreement in respect of any Letter of Credit, when and as due, including
payments in respect of reimbursement of disbursements, interest thereon and
obligations to provide cash collateral and (iii) all other monetary
obligations, including fees, costs, expenses and indemnities, whether primary,
secondary, direct, contingent, fixed or otherwise (including monetary
obligations incurred during the pendency of any bankruptcy, insolvency,
receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or
allowable in such proceeding), of the Loan Parties to the Secured Parties under
the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (b) the due and punctual
performance of all covenants, agreements, obligations and liabilities of the
Loan Parties under or pursuant to the Credit Agreement and the other Loan
Documents, (c) the due and punctual payment and performance of all obligations
of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, monetary or otherwise, under each
Hedging Agreement entered into with a counterparty that was a Lender (or an
Affiliate of a Lender) at the time such Hedging Agreement was entered into and
(d) the due and punctual payment and performance of all obligations in respect
of overdrafts and related liabilities owed to the Administrative Agent or any
of its Affiliates and arising from treasury, depositary and cash management
services in connection with any automated clearing house transfers of funds
(all the monetary and other obligations described in the preceding clauses (a)
through (d) being collectively called the "OBLIGATIONS").
Accordingly, the Grantors and the Collateral Agent, on behalf of
itself and each Secured Party (and each of their respective successors or
assigns), hereby agree as follows:
2
2
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.01. DEFINITION OF TERMS USED HEREIN. Unless the context
otherwise requires, all capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall
have the meanings set forth in the Credit Agreement.
SECTION 1.02. DEFINITION OF CERTAIN TERMS USED HEREIN. As used herein,
the following terms shall have the following meanings:
"ACCOUNT DEBTOR" shall mean any Person who is or who may become
obligated to any Grantor under, with respect to or on account of an Account.
"ACCOUNTS" shall mean any and all right, title and interest of any
Grantor to payment for goods and services sold or leased, including any such
right evidenced by chattel paper, whether due or to become due, whether or not
it has been earned by performance, and whether now or hereafter acquired or
arising in the future, including accounts receivable from Affiliates of the
Grantors.
"ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE" shall mean all Accounts and all right, title and
interest in any returned goods, together with all rights, titles, securities
and guarantees with respect thereto, including any rights to stoppage in
transit, replevin, reclamation and resales, and all related security interests,
liens and pledges, whether voluntary or involuntary, in each case whether now
existing or owned or hereafter arising or acquired.
"COLLATERAL" shall mean all (a) Accounts Receivable, (b) Documents,
(c) Equipment, (d) General Intangibles, (e) Inventory, (f) cash and cash
accounts, (g) Investment Property and (h) Proceeds.
"COMMODITY ACCOUNT" shall mean an account maintained by a Commodity
Intermediary in which a Commodity Contract is carried out for a Commodity
Customer.
"COMMODITY CONTRACT" shall mean a commodity futures contract, an
option on a commodity futures contract, a commodity option or any other
contract that, in each case, is (a) traded on or subject to the rules of a
board of trade that has been designated as a contract market for such a
contract pursuant to the federal commodities laws or (b) traded on a foreign
commodity board of trade, exchange or market, and is carried on the books of a
Commodity Intermediary for a Commodity Customer.
"COMMODITY CUSTOMER" shall mean a Person for whom a Commodity
Intermediary carries a Commodity Contract on its books.
"COMMODITY INTERMEDIARY" shall mean (a) a Person who is registered as
a futures commission merchant under the federal commodities laws or (b) a
Person who in the ordinary course of its business provides clearance or
settlement services for a board of trade that has been designated as a contract
market pursuant to federal commodities laws.
"COPYRIGHT LICENSE" shall mean any written agreement, now or hereafter
in effect, granting any right to any third party under any Copyright now or
hereafter owned by any Grantor or which such Grantor otherwise has the right to
license, or granting any right to such Grantor under any Copyright now or
hereafter owned by any third party, and all rights of such Grantor under any
such agreement.
"COPYRIGHTS" shall mean all of the following: (a) all copyright rights
in any work subject to the copyright laws of the United States or any other
country, whether as author, assignee, transferee or otherwise, and (b) all
registrations and applications for registration of any such copyright in the
United States or any other country, including registrations, recordings,
supplemental registrations and pending applications for registration in the
United States Copyright Office, including those listed on Schedule II.
3
3
"CREDIT AGREEMENT" shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the
preliminary statement of this Agreement.
"DOCUMENTS" shall mean all instruments, files, records, ledger sheets
and documents covering or relating to any of the Collateral.
"ENTITLEMENT HOLDER" shall mean a Person identified in the records of
a Securities Intermediary as the Person having a Security Entitlement against
the Securities Intermediary. If a Person acquires a Security Entitlement by
virtue of Section 8-501(b)(2) or (3) of the Uniform Commercial Code, such
Person is the Entitlement Holder.
"EQUIPMENT" shall mean all equipment, furniture and furnishings, and
all tangible personal property similar to any of the foregoing, including
tools, parts and supplies of every kind and description, and all improvements,
accessions or appurtenances thereto, that are now or hereafter owned by any
Grantor. The term Equipment shall include Fixtures.
"FINANCIAL ASSET" shall mean (a) a Security, (b) an obligation of a
Person or a share, participation or other interest in a Person or in property
or an enterprise of a Person, which is, or is of a type, dealt with in or
traded on financial markets, or which is recognized in any area in which it is
issued or dealt in as a medium for investment or (c) any property that is held
by a Securities Intermediary for another Person in a Securities Account if the
Securities Intermediary has expressly agreed with the other Person that the
property is to be treated as a Financial Asset under Article 8 of the Uniform
Commercial Code. As the context requires, the term Financial Asset shall mean
either the interest itself or the means by which a Person's claim to it is
evidenced, including a certificated or uncertificated Security, a certificate
representing a Security or a Security Entitlement.
"FIXTURES" shall mean all items of Equipment, whether now owned or
hereafter acquired, of any Grantor that become so related to particular real
estate that an interest in them arises under any real estate law applicable
thereto.
"GENERAL INTANGIBLES" shall mean all choses in action and causes of
action and all other assignable intangible personal property of any Grantor of
every kind and nature (other than Accounts Receivable) now owned or hereafter
acquired by any Grantor, including corporate or other business records,
indemnification claims, contract rights (including rights under leases, whether
entered into as lessor or lessee, Hedging Agreements and other agreements),
Intellectual Property, goodwill, registrations, franchises, tax refund claims
and any letter of credit, guarantee, claim, security interest or other security
held by or granted to any Grantor to secure payment by an Account Debtor of any
of the Accounts Receivable.
"INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY" shall mean all intellectual and similar
property of any Grantor of every kind and nature now owned or hereafter
acquired by any Grantor, including inventions, designs, Patents, Copyrights,
Licenses, Trademarks, trade secrets, confidential or proprietary technical and
business information, know-how, show-how or other data or information, software
and databases and all embodiments or fixations thereof and related
documentation, registrations and franchises, and all additions, improvements
and accessions to, and books and records describing or used in connection with,
any of the foregoing.
"INVENTORY" shall mean all goods of any Grantor, whether now owned or
hereafter acquired, held for sale or lease, or furnished or to be furnished by
any Grantor under contracts of service, or consumed in any Grantor's business,
including raw materials, intermediates, work in process, packaging materials,
finished goods, semi-finished inventory, scrap inventory, manufacturing
supplies and spare parts, and all such goods that have been returned to or
repossessed by or on behalf of any Grantor.
4
4
"INVESTMENT PROPERTY" shall mean all Securities (whether certificated
or uncertificated), Security Entitlements, Securities Accounts, Commodity
Contracts and Commodity Accounts of any Grantor, whether now owned or hereafter
acquired by any Grantor.
"LICENSE" shall mean any Patent License, Trademark License, Copyright
License or other license or sublicense to which any Grantor is a party,
including those listed on Schedule III (other than those license agreements in
existence on the date hereof or entered into after the date hereof, which by
their terms prohibit assignment or a grant of a security interest by such
Grantor as licensee thereunder).
"OBLIGATIONS" shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the
preliminary statement of this Agreement.
"PATENT LICENSE" shall mean any written agreement, now or hereafter in
effect, granting to any third party any right to make, use or sell any
invention on which a Patent, now or hereafter owned by any Grantor or which any
Grantor otherwise has the right to license, is in existence, or granting to any
Grantor any right to make, use or sell any invention on which a Patent, now or
hereafter owned by any third party, is in existence, and all rights of any
Grantor under any such agreement.
"PATENTS" shall mean all of the following: (a) all letters patent of
the United States or any other country, all registrations and recordings
thereof, and all applications for letters patent of the United States or any
other country, including registrations, recordings and pending applications in
the United States Patent and Trademark Office or any similar offices in any
other country, including those listed on Schedule IV, and (b) all reissues,
continuations, divisions, continuations-in-part, renewals or extensions
thereof, and the inventions disclosed or claimed therein, including the right
to make, use and/or sell the inventions disclosed or claimed therein.
"PERFECTION CERTIFICATE" shall mean a certificate substantially in the
form of Annex 2 hereto, completed and supplemented with the schedules and
attachments contemplated thereby, and duly executed by a Financial Officer and
the chief legal officer of the Borrower.
"PROCEEDS" shall mean any consideration received from the sale,
exchange, license, lease or other disposition of any asset or property that
constitutes Collateral, any value received as a consequence of the possession
of any Collateral and any payment received from any insurer or other Person or
entity as a result of the destruction, loss, theft, damage or other involuntary
conversion of whatever nature of any asset or property which constitutes
Collateral, and shall include, (a) any claim of any Grantor against any third
party for (and the right to xxx and recover for and the rights to damages or
profits due or accrued arising out of or in connection with) (i) past, present
or future infringement of any Patent now or hereafter owned by any Grantor, or
licensed under a Patent License, (ii) past, present or future infringement or
dilution of any Trademark now or hereafter owned by any Grantor or licensed
under a Trademark License or injury to the goodwill associated with or
symbolized by any Trademark now or hereafter owned by any Grantor, (iii) past,
present or future breach of any License and (iv) past, present or future
infringement of any Copyright now or hereafter owned by any Grantor or licensed
under a Copyright License and (b) any and all other amounts from time to time
paid or payable under or in connection with any of the Collateral.
"SECURED PARTIES" shall mean (a) the Lenders, (b) the Issuing Bank,
(c) the Administrative Agent, (d) the Collateral Agent, (e) each counterparty
to a Hedging Agreement entered into with the Borrower or any Loan Party if such
counterparty was a Lender (or an Affiliate of a Lender) at the time the Hedging
Agreement was entered into, (f) the beneficiaries of each indemnification
obligation undertaken by any Grantor under any Loan Document and (g) the
successors and assigns of each of the foregoing.
"SECURITIES" shall mean any obligations of an issuer or any shares,
participations or other interests in an issuer or in property or an enterprise
of an issuer which (a) are represented by a certificate representing a security
5
5
in bearer or registered form, or the transfer of which may be registered upon
books maintained for that purpose by or on behalf of the issuer, (b) are one of
a class or series or by its terms is divisible into a class or series of
shares, participations, interests or obligations and (c)(i) are, or are of a
type, dealt with or traded on securities exchanges or securities markets or
(ii) are a medium for investment and by their terms expressly provide that they
are a security governed by Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code.
"SECURITIES ACCOUNT" shall mean an account to which a Financial Asset
is or may be credited in accordance with an agreement under which the Person
maintaining the account undertakes to treat the Person for whom the account is
maintained as entitled to exercise rights that comprise the Financial Asset.
"SECURITY ENTITLEMENTS" shall mean the rights and property interests
of an Entitlement Holder with respect to a Financial Asset.
"SECURITY INTEREST" shall have the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 2.01.
"SECURITY INTERMEDIARY" shall mean (a) a clearing corporation or (b) a
Person, including a bank or broker, that in the ordinary course of its business
maintains securities accounts for others and is acting in that capacity.
"TRADEMARK LICENSE" shall mean any written agreement, now or hereafter
in effect, granting to any third party any right to use any Trademark now or
hereafter owned by any Grantor or which any Grantor otherwise has the right to
license, or granting to any Grantor any right to use any Trademark now or
hereafter owned by any third party, and all rights of any Grantor under any
such agreement.
"TRADEMARKS" shall mean all of the following: (a) all trademarks,
service marks, trade names, corporate names, company names, business names,
fictitious business names, trade styles, trade dress, logos, other source or
business identifiers, designs and general intangibles of like nature, now
existing or hereafter adopted or acquired, all registrations and recordings
thereof, and all registration and recording applications filed in connection
therewith, including registrations and registration applications in the United
States Patent and Trademark Office, any State of the United States or any
similar offices in any other country or any political subdivision thereof, and
all extensions or renewals thereof, including those listed on Schedule V, (b)
all goodwill associated therewith or symbolized thereby and (c) all other
assets, rights and interests that uniquely reflect or embody such goodwill.
SECTION 1.03. RULES OF INTERPRETATION. The rules of interpretation
specified in Section 1.03 of the Credit Agreement shall be applicable to this
Agreement.
ARTICLE II
SECURITY INTEREST
SECTION 2.01. SECURITY INTEREST. As security for the payment or
performance, as the case may be, in full of the Obligations, each Grantor
hereby bargains, sells, conveys, assigns, sets over, mortgages, pledges,
hypothecates and transfers to the Collateral Agent, its successors and assigns,
for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, and hereby grants to the
Collateral Agent, its successors and assigns, for the ratable benefit of the
Secured Parties, a security interest in, all of such Grantor's right, title and
interest in, to and under the Collateral (the "SECURITY INTEREST"). Without
limiting the foregoing, the Collateral Agent is hereby authorized to file one
or more financing statements (including fixture filings), continuation
statements, filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or
United States Copyright Office (or any successor office or any similar office
in any other country) or other documents for the purpose of perfecting,
confirming, continuing, enforcing or protecting the Security Interest granted
by each Grantor, without the signature of any Grantors, and naming any Grantor
or the Grantors as debtors and the Collateral Agent as secured party.
6
6
SECTION 2.02. NO ASSUMPTION OF LIABILITY. The Security Interest is
granted as security only and shall not subject the Collateral Agent or any
other Secured Party to, or in any way alter or modify, any obligation or
liability of any Grantor with respect to or arising out of the Collateral.
ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
The Grantors jointly and severally represent and warrant to the
Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties that:
SECTION 3.01. TITLE AND AUTHORITY. Each Grantor has good and valid
rights in and title to the Collateral with respect to which it has purported to
grant a Security Interest hereunder and has full power and authority to grant
to the Collateral Agent the Security Interest in such Collateral pursuant
hereto and to execute, deliver and perform its obligations in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement, without the consent or approval of any other
Person other than any consent or approval which has been obtained.
SECTION 3.02. FILINGS. (a) The Perfection Certificate has been duly
prepared, completed and executed and the information set forth therein is
correct and complete. Fully executed Uniform Commercial Code financing
statements (including fixture filings, as applicable) or other appropriate
filings, recordings or registrations containing a description of the Collateral
have been delivered to the Collateral Agent for filing in each governmental,
municipal or other office specified in Schedule 6 to the Perfection
Certificate, which are all the filings, recordings and registrations (other
than filings required to be made in the United States Patent and Trademark
Office and the United States Copyright Office in order to perfect the Security
Interest in Collateral consisting of United States Patents, Trademarks and
Copyrights) that are necessary to publish notice of and protect the validity of
and to establish a legal, valid and perfected security interest in favor of the
Collateral Agent (for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties) in respect of
all Collateral in which the Security Interest may be perfected by filing,
recording or registration in the United States (or any political subdivision
thereof) and its territories and possessions, and no further or subsequent
filing, refiling, recording, rerecording, registration or reregistration is
necessary in any such jurisdiction, except as provided under applicable law
with respect to the filing of continuation statements.
(b) Each Grantor represents and warrants that fully executed security
agreements in the form hereof and containing a description of all Collateral
consisting of Intellectual Property with respect to United States Patents and
United States registered Trademarks (and Trademarks for which United States
registration applications are pending) and United States registered Copyrights
have been delivered to the Collateral Agent for recording by the United States
Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office pursuant to
35 U.S.C. Section 261, 15 U.S.C. Section 1060 or 17 U.S.C. Section 205 and the
regulations thereunder, as applicable, and otherwise as may be required pursuant
to the laws of any other necessary jurisdiction, to protect the validity of and
to establish a legal, valid and perfected security interest in favor of the
Collateral Agent (for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties) in respect of
all Collateral consisting of Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights in which a
security interest may be perfected by filing, recording or registration in the
United States (or any political subdivision thereof) and its territories and
possessions, or in any other necessary jurisdiction, and no further or
subsequent filing, refiling, recording, rerecording, registration or
reregistration is necessary in any such jurisdiction (other than such actions as
are necessary to perfect the Security Interest with respect to any Collateral
consisting of Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights (or registration or application
for registration thereof) acquired or developed after the date hereof).
7
7
SECTION 3.03. VALIDITY OF SECURITY INTEREST. The Security Interest
constitutes (a) a legal and valid security interest in all the Collateral
securing the payment and performance of the Obligations, (b) subject to the
filings described in Section 3.02 above, a perfected security interest in all
Collateral in which a security interest may be perfected by filing, recording
or registering a financing statement or analogous document in the United States
(or any political subdivision thereof) and its territories and possessions
pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code or other applicable law in such
jurisdictions and (c) a security interest that shall be perfected in all
Collateral in which a security interest may be perfected upon the receipt and
recording of this Agreement with the United States Patent and Trademark Office
and the United States Copyright Office, as applicable. The Security Interest is
and shall be prior to any other Lien on any of the Collateral, other than
Permitted Encumbrances that have priority over the Security Interest by
operation of law.
SECTION 3.04. ABSENCE OF OTHER LIENS. The Collateral is owned by the
Grantors free and clear of any Lien, except for Liens expressly permitted
pursuant to Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement. The Grantor has not filed or
consented to the filing of (a) any financing statement or analogous document
under the Uniform Commercial Code or any other applicable laws covering any
Collateral, (b) any assignment in which any Grantor assigns any Collateral or
any security agreement or similar instrument covering any Collateral with the
United States Patent and Trademark Office or the United States Copyright Office
or (c) any assignment in which any Grantor assigns any Collateral or any
security agreement or similar instrument covering any Collateral with any
foreign governmental, municipal or other office, which financing statement or
analogous document, assignment, security agreement or similar instrument is
still in effect, except, in each case, for Liens expressly permitted pursuant
to Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement.
ARTICLE IV
COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01. CHANGE OF NAME; LOCATION OF COLLATERAL; RECORDS; PLACE
OF BUSINESS. (a) Each Grantor agrees promptly to notify the Collateral Agent in
writing of any change (i) in its corporate name or in any trade name used to
identify it in the conduct of its business or in the ownership of its
properties, (ii) in the location of its chief executive office, its principal
place of business, any office in which it maintains books or records relating
to Collateral owned by it or any office or facility at which Collateral owned
by it is located (including the establishment of any such new office or
facility), (iii) in its identity or corporate structure or (iv) in its Federal
Taxpayer Identification Number. Each Grantor agrees not to effect or permit any
change referred to in the preceding sentence unless all filings have been made
under the Uniform Commercial Code or otherwise that are required in order for
the Collateral Agent to continue at all times following such change to have a
valid, legal and perfected first priority security interest in all the
Collateral. Each Grantor agrees promptly to notify the Collateral Agent if any
material portion of the Collateral owned or held by such Grantor is damaged or
destroyed.
(b) Each Grantor agrees to maintain, at its own cost and expense, such
complete and accurate records with respect to the Collateral owned by it as is
consistent with its current practices and in accordance with such prudent and
standard practices used in industries that are the same as or similar to those
in which such Grantor is engaged, but in any event to include complete
accounting records indicating all payments and proceeds received with respect
to any part of the Collateral, and, at such time or times as the Collateral
Agent may reasonably request, promptly to prepare and deliver to the Collateral
Agent a duly certified schedule or schedules in form and detail satisfactory to
the Collateral Agent showing the identity, amount and location of any and all
Collateral.
SECTION 4.02. PROTECTION OF SECURITY. Each Grantor shall, at its own
cost and expense, take any and all actions necessary to defend title to the
Collateral against all Persons and to defend the Security Interest of the
Collateral Agent in the Collateral and the priority thereof against any Lien
not expressly permitted pursuant to Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement.
8
8
SECTION 4.03. FURTHER ASSURANCES. Each Grantor agrees, at its own
expense, to execute, acknowledge, deliver and cause to be duly filed all such
further instruments and documents and take all such actions as the Collateral
Agent may from time to time request to better assure, preserve, protect and
perfect the Security Interest and the rights and remedies created hereby,
including the payment of any fees and taxes required in connection with the
execution and delivery of this Agreement, the granting of the Security Interest
and the filing of any financing statements (including fixture filings) or other
documents in connection herewith or therewith. If any amount payable under or
in connection with any of the Collateral shall be or become evidenced by any
promissory note or other instrument, such note or instrument shall be
immediately pledged and delivered to the Collateral Agent, duly endorsed in a
manner satisfactory to the Collateral Agent.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Grantor hereby
authorizes the Collateral Agent, with prompt notice thereof to the Grantors, to
supplement this Agreement by supplementing Schedule II, III, IV or V hereto or
adding additional schedules hereto to specifically identify any asset or item
that may constitute Copyrights, Licenses, Patents or Trademarks; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that any Grantor shall have the right, exercisable within 10 days
after it has been notified by the Collateral Agent of the specific
identification of such Collateral, to advise the Collateral Agent in writing of
any inaccuracy of the representations and warranties made by such Grantor
hereunder with respect to such Collateral. Each Grantor agrees that it will use
its best efforts to take such action as shall be necessary in order that all
representations and warranties hereunder shall be true and correct with respect
to such Collateral within 30 days after the date it has been notified by the
Collateral Agent of the specific identification of such Collateral.
SECTION 4.04. INSPECTION AND VERIFICATION. The Collateral Agent and
such Persons as the Collateral Agent may reasonably designate shall have the
right, at the Grantors' own cost and expense, to inspect the Collateral, all
records related thereto (and to make extracts and copies from such records) and
the premises upon which any of the Collateral is located, to discuss the
Grantors' affairs with the officers of the Grantors and to verify under
reasonable procedures the validity, amount, quality, quantity, value, condition
and status of, or any other matter relating to, the Collateral, including, in
the case of Accounts or Collateral in the possession of any third person, by
contacting Account Debtors or the third person possessing such Collateral for
the purpose of making such a verification. The Collateral Agent shall have the
absolute right to share any information it gains from such inspection or
verification with any Secured Party.
SECTION 4.05. TAXES; ENCUMBRANCES. At its option, the Collateral Agent
may discharge past due taxes, assessments, charges, fees, Liens, security
interests or other encumbrances at any time levied or placed on the Collateral
and not permitted pursuant to Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement, and may pay
for the maintenance and preservation of the Collateral, in each case to the
extent any Grantor fails to do so as required by the Credit Agreement or this
Agreement, and each Grantor jointly and severally agrees to reimburse the
Collateral Agent on demand for any payment made or any expense incurred by the
Collateral Agent pursuant to the foregoing authorization; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that nothing in this Section 4.06 shall be interpreted as excusing any Grantor
from the performance of, or imposing any obligation on the Collateral Agent or
any Secured Party to cure or perform, any covenants or other promises of any
Grantor with respect to taxes, assessments, charges, fees, liens, security
interests or other encumbrances and maintenance as set forth herein or in the
other Loan Documents.
SECTION 4.06. ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST. If at any time any
Grantor shall take a security interest in any property of an Account Debtor or
any other Person to secure payment and performance of an Account, such Grantor
shall promptly assign such security interest to the Collateral Agent. Such
assignment need not be filed of public record unless necessary to continue the
perfected status of the security interest against creditors of and transferees
from the Account Debtor or other Person granting the security interest.
9
9
SECTION 4.07. CONTINUING OBLIGATIONS OF THE GRANTORS. Each Grantor
shall remain liable to observe and perform all the conditions and obligations
to be observed and performed by it under each contract, agreement or instrument
relating to the Collateral, all in accordance with the terms and conditions
thereof, and each Grantor jointly and severally agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties from and against any and
all liability for such performance.
SECTION 4.08. USE AND DISPOSITION OF COLLATERAL. None of the Grantors
shall make or permit to be made an assignment, pledge or hypothecation of the
Collateral or shall grant any other Lien in respect of the Collateral, except
as expressly permitted by Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement. None of the
Grantors shall make or permit to be made any transfer of the Collateral and
each Grantor shall remain at all times in possession of the Collateral owned by
it, except that (a) Inventory may be sold in the ordinary course of business
and (b) unless and until the Collateral Agent shall notify the Grantors that an
Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and that during the
continuance thereof the Grantors shall not sell, convey, lease, assign,
transfer or otherwise dispose of any Collateral (which notice may be given by
telephone if promptly confirmed in writing), the Grantors may use and dispose
of the Collateral in any lawful manner not inconsistent with the provisions of
this Agreement, the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Grantor agrees that it shall not
permit any Inventory to be in the possession or control of any warehouseman,
bailee, agent or processor at any time unless such warehouseman, bailee, agent
or processor shall have been notified of the Security Interest and shall have
agreed in writing to hold the Inventory subject to the Security Interest and
the instructions of the Collateral Agent and to waive and release any Lien held
by it with respect to such Inventory, whether arising by operation of law or
otherwise.
SECTION 4.09. LIMITATION ON MODIFICATION OF ACCOUNTS. None of the
Grantors will, without the Collateral Agent's prior written consent, grant any
extension of the time of payment of any of the Accounts Receivable, compromise,
compound or settle the same for less than the full amount thereof, release,
wholly or partly, any Person liable for the payment thereof or allow any credit
or discount whatsoever thereon, other than extensions, credits, discounts,
compromises or settlements granted or made in the ordinary course of business
and consistent with its current practices and in accordance with such prudent
and standard practices used in industries that are the same as or similar to
those in which such Grantor is engaged.
SECTION 4.10. INSURANCE. The Grantors, at their own expense, shall
maintain or cause to be maintained insurance covering physical loss or damage
to the Inventory and Equipment in accordance with Section 5.07 of the Credit
Agreement. Each Grantor irrevocably makes, constitutes and appoints the
Collateral Agent (and all officers, employees or agents designated by the
Collateral Agent) as such Grantor's true and lawful agent (and
attorney-in-fact) for the purpose, during the continuance of an Event of
Default, of making, settling and adjusting claims in respect of Collateral
under policies of insurance, endorsing the name of such Grantor on any check,
draft, instrument or other item of payment for the proceeds of such policies of
insurance and for making all determinations and decisions with respect thereto.
In the event that any Grantor at any time or times shall fail to obtain or
maintain any of the policies of insurance required hereby or to pay any premium
in whole or part relating thereto, the Collateral Agent may, without waiving or
releasing any obligation or liability of the Grantors hereunder or any Event of
Default, in its sole discretion, obtain and maintain such policies of insurance
and pay such premium and take any other actions with respect thereto as the
Collateral Agent deems advisable. All sums disbursed by the Collateral Agent in
connection with this Section 4.11, including reasonable attorneys' fees, court
costs, expenses and other charges relating thereto, shall be payable, upon
demand, by the Grantors to the Collateral Agent and shall be additional
Obligations secured hereby.
10
10
SECTION 4.11. LEGEND. Upon the request of the Collateral Agent, each
Grantor shall legend, in form and manner satisfactory to the Collateral Agent,
its Accounts Receivable and its books, records and documents evidencing or
pertaining thereto with an appropriate reference to the fact that such Accounts
Receivable have been assigned to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the
Secured Parties and that the Collateral Agent has a security interest therein.
SECTION 4.12. COVENANTS REGARDING PATENT, TRADEMARK AND COPYRIGHT
COLLATERAL. (a) Each Grantor agrees that it will not, nor will it permit any of
its licensees to, do any act, or omit to do any act, whereby any Patent which
is material to the conduct of such Grantor's business may become invalidated or
dedicated to the public, and agrees that it shall continue to xxxx any products
covered by a Patent with the relevant patent number as necessary and sufficient
to establish and preserve its maximum rights under applicable patent laws.
(b) Each Grantor (either itself or through its licensees or its
sublicensees) will, for each Trademark material to the conduct of such
Grantor's business, (i) maintain such Trademark in full force free from any
claim of abandonment or invalidity for non-use, (ii) maintain the quality of
products and services offered under such Trademark, (iii) display such
Trademark with notice of Federal or foreign registration to the extent
necessary and sufficient to establish and preserve its maximum rights under
applicable law and (iv) not knowingly use or knowingly permit the use of such
Trademark in violation of any third party rights.
(c) Each Grantor (either itself or through licensees) will, for each
work covered by a material Copyright, continue to publish, reproduce, display,
adopt and distribute the work with appropriate copyright notice as necessary
and sufficient to establish and preserve its maximum rights under applicable
copyright laws.
(d) Each Grantor shall notify the Collateral Agent immediately if it
knows or has reason to know that any Patent, Trademark or Copyright material to
the conduct of its business may become abandoned, lost or dedicated to the
public, or of any adverse determination or development (including the
institution of, or any such determination or development in, any proceeding in
the United States Patent and Trademark Office, United States Copyright Office
or any court or similar office of any country) regarding such Grantor's
ownership of any Patent, Trademark or Copyright, its right to register the
same, or to keep and maintain the same.
(e) In no event shall any Grantor, either itself or through any agent,
employee, licensee or designee, file an application for any Patent, Trademark
or Copyright (or for the registration of any Trademark or Copyright) with the
United States Patent and Trademark Office, United States Copyright Office or
any office or agency in any political subdivision of the United States or in
any other country or any political subdivision thereof, unless it promptly
informs the Collateral Agent, and, upon request of the Collateral Agent,
executes and delivers any and all agreements, instruments, documents and papers
as the Collateral Agent may request to evidence and perfect the Collateral
Agent's security interest in such Patent, Trademark or Copyright, and each
Grantor hereby appoints the Collateral Agent as its attorney-in-fact to execute
and file such writings for the foregoing purposes, all acts of such attorney
being hereby ratified and confirmed; such power, being coupled with an
interest, is irrevocable.
(f) Each Grantor will take all necessary steps that are consistent
with the practice in any proceeding before the United States Patent and
Trademark Office, United States Copyright Office or any office or agency in any
political subdivision of the United States or in any other country or any
political subdivision thereof, to maintain and pursue each material application
relating to the Patents, Trademarks and/or Copyrights (and to obtain the
relevant grant or registration) and to maintain each issued Patent and each
registration of the Trademarks and Copyrights that is material to the conduct
of any Grantor's business, including timely filings of applications for
renewal, affidavits of use, affidavits of incontestability and payment of
maintenance fees, and, if consistent with good business judgment, to initiate
opposition, interference and cancelation proceedings against third parties.
11
11
(g) In the event that any Grantor has reason to believe that any
Collateral consisting of a Patent, Trademark or Copyright material to the
conduct of any Grantor's business has been or is about to be infringed,
misappropriated or diluted by a third party, such Grantor promptly shall notify
the Collateral Agent and shall, if consistent with good business judgment,
promptly xxx for infringement, misappropriation or dilution and to recover any
and all damages for such infringement, misappropriation or dilution, and take
such other actions as are appropriate under the circumstances to protect such
Collateral.
(h) Upon and during the continuance of an Event of Default, each
Grantor shall use its best efforts to obtain all requisite consents or
approvals from the licensor of each Copyright License, Patent License or
Trademark License to effect the assignment of all of such Grantor's right,
title and interest thereunder to the Collateral Agent or its designee.
ARTICLE V
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each Grantor irrevocably makes, constitutes and appoints the
Collateral Agent (and all officers, employees or agents designated by the
Collateral Agent) as such Grantor's true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact,
and in such capacity the Collateral Agent shall have the right, with power of
substitution for each Grantor and in each Grantor's name or otherwise, for the
use and benefit of the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties, upon the
occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default (a) to receive,
endorse, assign and/or deliver any and all notes, acceptances, checks, drafts,
money orders or other evidences of payment relating to the Collateral or any
part thereof; (b) to demand, collect, receive payment of, give receipt for and
give discharges and releases of all or any of the Collateral; (c) to sign the
name of any Grantor on any invoice or xxxx of lading relating to any of the
Collateral; (d) to send verifications of Accounts Receivable to any Account
Debtor; (e) to commence and prosecute any and all suits, actions or proceedings
at law or in equity in any court of competent jurisdiction to collect or
otherwise realize on all or any of the Collateral or to enforce any rights in
respect of any Collateral; (f) to settle, compromise, compound, adjust or
defend any actions, suits or proceedings relating to all or any of the
Collateral; (g) to notify, or to require any Grantor to notify, Account Debtors
to make payment directly to the Collateral Agent; and (h) to use, sell, assign,
transfer, pledge, make any agreement with respect to or otherwise deal with all
or any of the Collateral, and to do all other acts and things necessary to
carry out the purposes of this Agreement, as fully and completely as though the
Collateral Agent were the absolute owner of the Collateral for all purposes;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that nothing herein contained shall be construed as
requiring or obligating the Collateral Agent or any Secured Party to make any
commitment or to make any inquiry as to the nature or sufficiency of any
payment received by the Collateral Agent or any Secured Party, or to present or
file any claim or notice, or to take any action with respect to the Collateral
or any part thereof or the moneys due or to become due in respect thereof or
any property covered thereby, and no action taken or omitted to be taken by the
Collateral Agent or any Secured Party with respect to the Collateral or any
part thereof shall give rise to any defense, counterclaim or offset in favor of
any Grantor or to any claim or action against the Collateral Agent or any
Secured Party. It is understood and agreed that the appointment of the
Collateral Agent as the agent and attorney-in-fact of the Grantors for the
purposes set forth above is coupled with an interest and is irrevocable. The
provisions of this Section shall in no event relieve any Grantor of any of its
obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document with respect to the
Collateral or any part thereof or impose any obligation on the Collateral Agent
or any Secured Party to proceed in any particular manner with respect to the
Collateral or any part thereof, or in any way limit the exercise by the
Collateral Agent or any Secured Party of any other or further right which it
may have on the date of this Agreement or hereafter, whether hereunder, under
any other Loan Document, by law or otherwise.
12
12
ARTICLE VI
REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01. REMEDIES UPON DEFAULT. Upon the occurrence and during
the continuance of an Event of Default, each Grantor agrees to deliver each
item of Collateral to the Collateral Agent on demand, and it is agreed that the
Collateral Agent shall have the right to take any of or all the following
actions at the same or different times: (a) with respect to any Collateral
consisting of Intellectual Property, on demand, to cause the Security Interest
to become an assignment, transfer and conveyance of any of or all such
Collateral by the applicable Grantors to the Collateral Agent, or to license or
sublicense, whether general, special or otherwise, and whether on an exclusive
or non-exclusive basis, any such Collateral throughout the world on such terms
and conditions and in such manner as the Collateral Agent shall determine
(other than in violation of any then-existing licensing arrangements to the
extent that waivers cannot be obtained), and (b) with or without legal process
and with or without prior notice or demand for performance, to take possession
of the Collateral and without liability for trespass to enter any premises
where the Collateral may be located for the purpose of taking possession of or
removing the Collateral and, generally, to exercise any and all rights afforded
to a secured party under the Uniform Commercial Code or other applicable law.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Grantor agrees that the
Collateral Agent shall have the right, subject to the mandatory requirements of
applicable law, to sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the
Collateral, at public or private sale or at any broker's board or on any
securities exchange, for cash, upon credit or for future delivery as the
Collateral Agent shall deem appropriate. The Collateral Agent shall be
authorized at any such sale (if it deems it advisable to do so) to restrict the
prospective bidders or purchasers to Persons who will represent and agree that
they are purchasing the Collateral for their own account for investment and not
with a view to the distribution or sale thereof, and upon consummation of any
such sale the Collateral Agent shall have the right to assign, transfer and
deliver to the purchaser or purchasers thereof the Collateral so sold. Each
such purchaser at any such sale shall hold the property sold absolutely, free
from any claim or right on the part of any Grantor, and each Grantor hereby
waives (to the extent permitted by law) all rights of redemption, stay and
appraisal which such Grantor now has or may at any time in the future have
under any rule of law or statute now existing or hereafter enacted.
The Collateral Agent shall give the Grantors 10 days' written notice
(which each Grantor agrees is reasonable notice within the meaning of Section
9-504(3) of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of New York
or its equivalent in other jurisdictions) of the Collateral Agent's intention
to make any sale of Collateral. Such notice, in the case of a public sale,
shall state the time and place for such sale and, in the case of a sale at a
broker's board or on a securities exchange, shall state the board or exchange
at which such sale is to be made and the day on which the Collateral, or
portion thereof, will first be offered for sale at such board or exchange. Any
such public sale shall be held at such time or times within ordinary business
hours and at such place or places as the Collateral Agent may fix and state in
the notice (if any) of such sale. At any such sale, the Collateral, or portion
thereof, to be sold may be sold in one lot as an entirety or in separate
parcels, as the Collateral Agent may (in its sole and absolute discretion)
determine. The Collateral Agent shall not be obligated to make any sale of any
Collateral if it shall determine not to do so, regardless of the fact that
notice of sale of such Collateral shall have been given. The Collateral Agent
may, without notice or publication, adjourn any public or private sale or cause
the same to be adjourned from time to time by announcement at the time and
place fixed for sale, and such sale may, without further notice, be made at the
time and place to which the same was so adjourned. In case any sale of all or
any part of the Collateral is made on credit or for future delivery, the
Collateral so sold may be retained by the Collateral Agent until the sale price
is paid by the purchaser or purchasers thereof, but the Collateral Agent shall
not incur any liability in case any such purchaser or purchasers shall fail to
take up and pay for the Collateral so sold and, in case of any such failure,
such Collateral may be sold again upon like notice. At any public (or, to the
extent permitted by law, private) sale made pursuant to this Section, any
Secured Party may bid for or purchase, free (to the extent permitted by law)
from any right of redemption, stay, valuation or appraisal on the part of any
13
13
Grantor (all said rights being also hereby waived and released to the extent
permitted by law), the Collateral or any part thereof offered for sale and may
make payment on account thereof by using any Obligation then due and payable to
such Secured Party from any Grantor as a credit against the purchase price, and
such Secured Party may, upon compliance with the terms of sale, hold, retain
and dispose of such property without further accountability to any Grantor
therefor. For purposes hereof a written agreement to purchase the Collateral or
any portion thereof shall be treated as a sale thereof; the Collateral Agent
shall be free to carry out such sale pursuant to such agreement and no Grantor
shall be entitled to the return of the Collateral or any portion thereof
subject thereto, notwithstanding the fact that after the Collateral Agent shall
have entered into such an agreement all Events of Default shall have been
remedied and the Obligations paid in full. As an alternative to exercising the
power of sale herein conferred upon it, the Collateral Agent may proceed by a
suit or suits at law or in equity to foreclose this Agreement and to sell the
Collateral or any portion thereof pursuant to a judgment or decree of a court
or courts having competent jurisdiction or pursuant to a proceeding by a
court-appointed receiver.
SECTION 6.02. APPLICATION OF PROCEEDS. The Collateral Agent shall
apply the proceeds of any collection or sale of the Collateral, as well as any
Collateral consisting of cash, as follows:
FIRST, to the payment of all costs and expenses incurred by
the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent (in its capacity as
such hereunder or under any other Loan Document) in connection with
such collection or sale or otherwise in connection with this Agreement
or any of the Obligations, including all court costs and the fees and
expenses of its agents and legal counsel, the repayment of all
advances made by the Collateral Agent hereunder or under any other
Loan Document on behalf of any Grantor and any other costs or expenses
incurred in connection with the exercise of any right or remedy
hereunder or under any other Loan Document;
SECOND, to the payment in full of the Obligations (the
amounts so applied to be distributed among the Secured Parties pro
rata in accordance with the amounts of the Obligations owed to them on
the date of any such distribution); and
THIRD, to the Grantors, their successors or assigns, or as a
court of competent jurisdiction may otherwise direct.
The Collateral Agent shall have absolute discretion as to the time of
application of any such proceeds, moneys or balances in accordance with this
Agreement. Upon any sale of the Collateral by the Collateral Agent (including
pursuant to a power of sale granted by statute or under a judicial proceeding),
the receipt of the Collateral Agent or of the officer making the sale shall be
a sufficient discharge to the purchaser or purchasers of the Collateral so sold
and such purchaser or purchasers shall not be obligated to see to the
application of any part of the purchase money paid over to the Collateral Agent
or such officer or be answerable in any way for the misapplication thereof.
SECTION 6.03. GRANT OF LICENSE TO USE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. For the
purpose of enabling the Collateral Agent to exercise rights and remedies under
this Article at such time as the Collateral Agent shall be lawfully entitled to
exercise such rights and remedies, each Grantor hereby grants to the Collateral
Agent an irrevocable, non-exclusive license (exercisable without payment of
royalty or other compensation to the Grantors) to use, license or sub-license
any of the Collateral consisting of Intellectual Property now owned or
hereafter acquired by such Grantor, and wherever the same may be located, and
including in such license reasonable access to all media in which any of the
licensed items may be recorded or stored and to all computer software and
programs used for the compilation or printout thereof. The use of such license
by the Collateral Agent shall be exercised, at the option of the Collateral
Agent, upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default;
PROVIDED that any license, sub-license or other transaction entered into by the
Collateral Agent in accordance herewith shall be binding upon the Grantors
notwithstanding any subsequent cure of an Event of Default.
14
14
ARTICLE VII
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 7.01. NOTICES. All communications and notices hereunder shall
(except as otherwise expressly permitted herein) be in writing and given as
provided in Section 9.01 of the Credit Agreement. All communications and
notices hereunder to any Guarantor shall be given to it at its address or
telecopy number set forth on Schedule I, with a copy to the Borrower.
SECTION 7.02. SECURITY INTEREST ABSOLUTE. All rights of the Collateral
Agent hereunder, the Security Interest and all obligations of the Grantors
hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional irrespective of (a) any lack of
validity or enforceability of the Credit Agreement, any other Loan Document,
any agreement with respect to any of the Obligations or any other agreement or
instrument relating to any of the foregoing, (b) any change in the time, manner
or place of payment of, or in any other term of, all or any of the Obligations,
or any other amendment or waiver of or any consent to any departure from the
Credit Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement or instrument,
(c) any exchange, release or non-perfection of any Lien on other collateral, or
any release or amendment or waiver of or consent under or departure from any
guarantee, securing or guaranteeing all or any of the Obligations, or (d) any
other circumstance that might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a
discharge of, any Grantor in respect of the Obligations or this Agreement.
SECTION 7.03. SURVIVAL OF AGREEMENT. All covenants, agreements,
representations and warranties made by any Grantor herein and in the
certificates or other instruments prepared or delivered in connection with or
pursuant to this Agreement shall be considered to have been relied upon by the
Secured Parties and shall survive the making by the Lenders of the Loans and
the issuance of Letters of Credit by the Issuing Bank, and the execution and
delivery to the Lenders of any notes evidencing such Loans, regardless of any
investigation made by the Lenders or on their behalf, and shall continue in
full force and effect until this Agreement shall terminate.
SECTION 7.04. BINDING EFFECT; SEVERAL AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall
become effective as to any Grantor when a counterpart hereof executed on behalf
of such Grantor shall have been delivered to the Collateral Agent and a
counterpart hereof shall have been executed on behalf of the Collateral Agent,
and thereafter shall be binding upon such Grantor and the Collateral Agent and
their respective successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of such
Grantor, the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties and their
respective successors and assigns, except that no Grantor shall have the right
to assign or transfer its rights or obligations hereunder or any interest
herein or in the Collateral (and any such assignment or transfer shall be void)
except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement or the Credit Agreement.
This Agreement shall be construed as a separate agreement with respect to each
Grantor and may be amended, modified, supplemented, waived or released with
respect to any Grantor without the approval of any other Grantor and without
affecting the obligations of any other Grantor hereunder.
SECTION 7.05. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. Whenever in this Agreement any
of the parties hereto is referred to, such reference shall be deemed to include
the successors and assigns of such party; and all covenants, promises and
agreements by or on behalf of any Grantor or the Collateral Agent that are
contained in this Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of their
respective successors and assigns.
SECTION 7.06. COLLATERAL AGENT'S FEES AND EXPENSES; INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) Each Grantor jointly and severally agrees to pay upon demand to the
Collateral Agent the amount of any and all reasonable expenses, including the
reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of its counsel and of any
experts or agents, which the Collateral Agent may incur in connection with (i)
the administration of this Agreement, (ii) the custody or preservation of, or
the sale of, collection from or other realization upon any of the Collateral,
15
15
(iii) the exercise, enforcement or protection of any of the rights of the
Collateral Agent hereunder or (iv) the failure of any Grantor to perform or
observe any of the provisions hereof.
(b) Without limitation of its indemnification obligations under the
other Loan Documents, each Grantor jointly and severally agrees to indemnify
the Collateral Agent and the other Indemnitees against, and hold each of them
harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related
expenses, including reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of
counsel, incurred by or asserted against any of them arising out of, in any way
connected with, or as a result of, the execution, delivery or performance of
this Agreement or any claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating
hereto or to the Collateral, whether or not any Indemnitee is a party thereto;
PROVIDED that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to
the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses
are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable
judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of
such Indemnitee.
(c) Any such amounts payable as provided hereunder shall be additional
Obligations secured hereby and by the other Security Documents. The provisions
of this Section 7.06 shall remain operative and in full force and effect
regardless of the termination of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of any of
the Loans, the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any investigation made by or on behalf
of the Collateral Agent or any Lender. All amounts due under this Section 7.06
shall be payable on written demand therefor.
SECTION 7.07. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH AND GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SECTION 7.08. WAIVERS; AMENDMENT. (a) No failure or delay of the
Collateral Agent in exercising any power or right hereunder shall operate as a
waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or
power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or
power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any
other right or power. The rights and remedies of the Collateral Agent hereunder
and of the Collateral Agent, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders under the
other Loan Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or
remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provisions of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document or consent to any departure by any Grantor
therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by
paragraph (b) below, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in
the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. No notice to or
demand on any Grantor in any case shall entitle such Grantor or any other
Grantor to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other
circumstances.
(b) Neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived,
amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing
entered into by the Collateral Agent and the Grantor or Grantors with respect
to which such waiver, amendment or modification is to apply, subject to any
consent required in accordance with Section 9.02 of the Credit Agreement.
SECTION 7.09. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES,
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A
TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT
OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE OTHER LOAN
DOCUMENTS. EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR
ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH
OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE
FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE
BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS, AS
APPLICABLE, BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN
THIS SECTION 7.09.
16
16
SECTION 7.10. SEVERABILITY. In the event any one or more of the
provisions contained in this Agreement should be held invalid, illegal or
unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the
remaining provisions contained herein shall not in any way be affected or
impaired thereby (it being understood that the invalidity of a particular
provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not in and of itself affect the
validity of such provision in any other jurisdiction). The parties shall
endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or
unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which
comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable
provisions.
SECTION 7.11 COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in two or
more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original but all of which
when taken together shall constitute but one contract (subject to Section
7.04), and shall become effective as provided in Section 7.04. Delivery of an
executed signature page to this Agreement by facsimile transmission shall be
effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart hereof.
SECTION 7.12. HEADINGS. Article and Section headings used herein are
for the purpose of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and are not
to affect the construction of, or to be taken into consideration in
interpreting, this Agreement.
SECTION 7.13. JURISDICTION; CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS. (a) Each
Grantor hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its
property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any New York State court or
Federal court of the United States of America sitting in New York City, and any
appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or
relating to this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, or for recognition or
enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably
and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or
proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York State or, to the extent
permitted by law, in such Federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that
a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may
be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other
manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement shall affect any right that
the Collateral Agent, the Administrative Agent or any Lender may otherwise have
to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the other Loan
Documents against any Grantor or its properties in the courts of any
jurisdiction.
(b) Each Grantor hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the
fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may
now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding
arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the other Loan Documents in any
New York State or Federal court. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably
waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient
forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.
(c) Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of
process in the manner provided for notices in Section 7.01. Nothing in this
Agreement will affected the right of any party to this Agreement to serve
process in any other manner permitted by law.
SECTION 7.14. TERMINATION. This Agreement and the Security Interest
shall terminate when all the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full
and the Lenders have no further commitment to lend under the Credit Agreement,
the L/C Exposure has been reduced to zero and the Issuing Bank has no further
obligation to issue Letters of Credit under the Credit Agreement, at which time
the Collateral Agent shall execute and deliver to the Grantors, at the
Grantors' expense, all Uniform Commercial Code termination statements and
similar documents which the Grantors shall reasonably request to evidence such
termination. Any execution and delivery of termination statements or documents
17
17
pursuant to this Section 7.14 shall be without recourse to or warranty by the
Collateral Agent. A Grantor shall automatically be released from its
obligations hereunder and the Security Interest in the Collateral of such
Grantor shall be automatically released in the event that (a) such Grantor is
designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in accordance with the terms of the
Credit Agreement or (b) such Grantor ceases to be a Subsidiary pursuant to a
transaction permitted under the Loan Documents.
SECTION 7.15. ADDITIONAL GRANTORS. Pursuant to Section 5.12 of the
Security Agreement, each Subsidiary Loan Party that was not in existence or not
a Subsidiary Loan Party on the date of the Credit Agreement and each
Unrestricted Subsidiary that is designated as a Restricted Subsidiary is
required to enter in to this Agreement as a Grantor upon becoming a Subsidiary
Loan Party. Upon execution and delivery by the Collateral Agent and a
Subsidiary of an instrument in the form of Annex 3 hereto, such Subsidiary
shall become a Grantor hereunder with the same force and effect as if
originally named as a Grantor herein. The execution and delivery of any such
instrument shall not require the consent of any Grantor hereunder. The rights
18
18
and obligations of each Grantor hereunder shall remain in full force and effect
notwithstanding the addition of any new Grantor as a party to this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this
Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
AMERICAN MEDIA OPERATIONS, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
AMERICAN MEDIA, INC.,
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
EACH OF THE OTHER GUARANTORS LISTED ON
SCHEDULE I HERETO,
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, as Collateral
Agent,
By: /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President
