EXHIBIT 10.31
LICENSE AGREEMENT
Between
PROF. XX. XXXXX XXXXXXXXXX
Xxxxxxxxxxx. 0, 00000 Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx
hereinafter the "Inventor"
And
SEQUENOM, INC.
00000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxxx, XX 00000, XXX
Represented by SEQUENOM GmbH, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx. 00X,
0000 Xxxxxxx, XXX
hereinafter "SEQUENOM"
PREAMBLE
(1) Collaboration
The Inventor has been acting as a consultant for SEQUENOM for several
years. In respect of the main area of activity of SEQUENOM, the *** , the
consulting on the part of the Inventor is *** (Annex 1, Consulting Agreement).
The parties collaborate closely in the area of *** in the framework of
projects, which may be supported in part by third parties, among others BNBF.
These projects are or will be at least proportionately financed by SEQUENOM.
(2) Inventions and Proprietary Rights
The Inventor has made the inventions listed in Annex 2 in the area of
MALDI (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization) (Annex 2 makes no claim to
being complete). Further inventions in the area of *** are
expected.
The inventions are grouped into:
a) ***
***
***
***
*** Portions of this page have been omitted pursuant to a request for
Confidential Treatment and filed separately with the Commission.
The granting of licenses for the above-described existing and future patent
rights from the Inventor to SEQUENOM in the area of the above-described
collaboration is governed by the following Agreement.
(S) 1
CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS
(1) Area of work
The Inventor in his capacity as a consultant to SEQUENOM collaborates
with SEQUENOM both (a) in the area of *** as well as (b) in the
performance of joint research and developmental work in the area of ***
*** The term *** may be described in this context among other
things by the following parameters:
- ***
and
- ***
In respect of the areas of work named under (a) and (b), the Inventor
collaborates with SEQUENOM as the *** commercial partner, i.e., licensee,
or together with SEQUENOM and additional partners, on condition that SEQUENOM
agrees to it.
(2) Contractual Rights
Contractual Rights as defined by this agreement are present and future
patents applied for and/or granted and patentable results according to items a)-
c) of the preamble. The Inventor shall use best efforts to solely own the
intellectual property which was produced on his part under the terms of the
collaboration. In the event of joint inventions of co-workers of the Inventor
which are subject to the Law governing inventions of employees, the Inventor
shall within his sphere of influence see to it that the inventions are claimed
without restrictions and are transferred to SEQUENOM in accordance with the
conditions stipulated herein.
Patents already applied for or granted under the terms of the collaboration
are listed in Annex 2 (Annex 2 makes no claim to being complete).
(S) 2
CONTRACTUAL KNOW-HOW
The Inventor has extensive know-how in the technical field of the
Contractual Rights transferred hereby, and the collaboration agreed upon herein,
in particular in the preparation of samples and in the configuration and
operation of instrumentation and the interpretation of mass spectra. This know-
how is of essential importance for the practical implementation of the
Contractual Rights.
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Confidential Treatment and filed separately with the Commission.
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(S) 3
GRANTING OF RIGHTS
1. The Inventor gives SEQUENOM a worldwide *** for the unlimited use of the
Contractual Rights and the Contractual Know-how. The license is limited to the
area of work as defined in (S) 1 (1).
If it is not possible to grant an *** for the area of work because of the
general conditions (limitations) for the public promotion of research, or
because of other prior written agreements, if applicable, including third party
participants in the project, then the Contractual Rights transferred shall at
least cover the *** rights of use for SEQUENOM's essential area of *** (as
defined above).
(S) 4
CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS
1. The Inventor shall use best efforts within the scope of his research to
promote the future development of the Contractual Rights and to maintain the
technical lead over alternative developments. The Inventor does not hereby
assume an obligation to undertake specific research measures (directions) or to
guarantee success.
2. The Inventor shall include into the contractual relationships all new
developments resulting from his efforts in respect of the Contractual Rights,
the Contractual Know-how and the area of collaboration. In particular, he shall
maintain the know-how at the latest state of development by regularly updating
the records with research and test results. SEQUENOM shall have regular access
to the updated records.
(S) 5
GUARANTEE OF THE LICENSOR
The Inventor/Licensor is not aware of any facts, in particular proprietary
rights, which preclude the use of existing Contractual Rights. The Inventor,
however, does not assume liability therefor. The Inventor shall rather
endeavor, together with SEQUENOM, to design around obstacles, if they preclude
the use of the Contractual Rights.
(S) 6
ROYALTIES
1. For the granting of the described license for the Contractual Rights,
SEQUENOM shall pay to the Inventor a royalty in the amount of *** of the
net sales realized by SEQUENOM using the Contractual Rights - independently of
the number of Contractual Rights used. Sales are the proceeds - after receipt of
payment by SEQUENOM - from the sale of
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Confidential Treatment and filed separately with the Commission.
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products, which are based on Contractual Rights and/or the application of which
requires the use of the Contractual Rights, or services which are rendered using
the Contractual Rights.
2. For sales that are realized using exclusively the Contractual Rights, which
result from the collaboration (see (S)1) of SEQUENOM and the Inventor, and in
which the Inventor or one of his co-workers is named as (co-)inventor, the
royalty is *** .
3. In case the sum total of all royalties which SEQUENOM has to pay to third
parties exceeds the value of *** for given proceeds, the royalties payable to
the Inventor shall be *** in order to
reduce it to exactly *** of the given proceeds.
4. SEQUENOM refunds all expenses to the Inventor which he has incurred or
incurs in connection with applying for, maintaining and defending patents for
the Contractual Rights, provided that these Contractual Rights are transferred
*** to SEQUENOM. Included herein is the cost of applying for, maintaining
and defending patents in other countries. The parties to the agreement shall
discuss the procedures concerning patents matters as required. If licenses for a
given patent or a given patent application are granted to third parties for
areas of application which are not exclusive to SEQUENOM, then all expenses as
described above are shared as a rule proportionately by SEQUENOM and this
(these) third party (parties). Expenses already paid by SEQUENOM shall be
reimbursed proportionately by this (these) third party (parties). The Inventor
is thus obliged to transfer this obligation to possible third party licensees.
The Inventor shall also, by prior agreement, be reimbursed for expenses which
arise in connection with obtaining or reinstatement of patent right according to
Annex 2, paragraph 2.
5. Royalties are always due at the end of a calendar year and after receipt of
payment for the underlying sales by SEQUENOM.
(S) 7
CONFIDENTIALITY
1. The parties undertake mutually to keep confidential all information
exchanged or to be exchanged during the duration of this agreement and knowledge
acquired concerning fundamentals, developments, improvements and other details
in respect of the Contractual Rights and the Contractual Know-how as well as
matters regarding the execution of the agreement, even if they have not been
expressly designated as secret or confidential. This does not apply, if the
disclosure is necessary to transfer the know-how to licensees in other areas of
the agreement or other areas of application, in order to obtain official
approvals, or to disclose the results obtained to the public or to professional
circles.
2. Both parties undertake to impose this obligation of confidentiality on their
co-workers or employees, who because of their occupation can acquire useful
knowledge of the Contractual Rights and the Contractual Know-how. This
obligation of confidentiality is to be imposed on the
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Confidential Treatment and filed separately with the Commission.
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staff also after termination of their employment contract or assistance
relationship as postgraduates or doctoral candidates.
3. The Inventor undertakes to impose on other licensees corresponding
obligations for confidentiality in other areas of the agreement or areas of
application.
4. This obligation of confidentiality continues beyond the duration of the
agreement. It remains in effect until the know-how becomes public.
5. The contracting parties shall inform each other in oral or written form
about planned publications which contain information according to (S) 7,
paragraph (1). A time limit of 3 months shall be provided to the respective
party from the time of complete disclosure to publication for raising an
objection or for applying for relevant proprietary rights. In case an objection
is raised, the parties shall try to reach a solution which is acceptable to both
sides. An objection may only be raised or maintained for an important reason.
(S) 8
DURATION OF AGREEMENT
1. The agreement ends at the end of the tenth calendar year after the first
calendar year for which licenses are paid according to its conditions unless it
is renewed at the latest six months before the end.
2. Beyond that, the agreement ends automatically, if the royalties from
SEQUENOM to the Inventor are below the amount of DM 10,000.00 in two successive
calendar years. This provision may be applied by both parties at the earliest
three years after signing of the agreement.
3. In case of termination of the agreement according to paragraph (2), all
rights and obligations concerning the Contractual Rights and the Contractual
Know-how revert back to the Inventor. If the Inventor realizes income from the
continued use of the patents or the know-how of this agreement from other
licensees, SEQUENOM shall receive a *** share but no more than the amount of
patent costs assumed by SEQUENOM.
(S) 9
FINAL PROVISIONS
1. SEQUENOM has the right to grant sublicenses of the Contractual Rights. In
case of the granting of sublicenses, SEQUENOM shall have the obligation to
ensure that all rights of the Inventor resulting from this agreement are also
applicable to the sublicenses.
2. The Inventor undertakes to maintain the Contractual Rights including
additional applications and the applications made in the course of the
agreement, as far as they
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Confidential Treatment and filed separately with the Commission.
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concern the area of the Contractual Rights or to offer them to SEQUENOM, and not
to assign them to third parties without SEQUENOM's consent.
3. The agreement is subject to the written form. Modifications require the
written form. This is also applicable to this written form clause itself.
4. Should individual provisions of this agreement be or become invalid or
unenforceable, the validity of the agreement shall otherwise not be affected;
the parties shall undertake to replace the invalid or unenforceable provision by
an effective amendment which comes closest to the commercial purpose of the
invalid or unenforceable provision.
5. Place of jurisdiction is the residence or principle place of business of the
respective defendant(s) within the Federal Republic of Germany.
Munster, January 20, 1999 San Diego/Hamburg, January 14, 1999
Prof. Xx. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx SEQUENOM, Inc.
Prof. Xx. Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
President & CEO
SEQUENOM, GmbH
Xx. Xxxx Xxxxx
Managing Director
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ANHANG 1: BERATERVERTRAG
Consulting Services Agreement as of October 4, 1996, by and between Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, Sequenom, Inc., San Diego, and Sequenom GmbH, Hamburg.
ANHANG 2
(1) With respect to intellectual property naming Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx as inventor,
Sequenom, Inc. will file and prosecute all US patent applications,
continuations-in-part, continuations, divisionals and their foreign counterparts
including international PCT applications and any other foreign filings outside
the United States for the inventions, improvements and intellectual property
related to:
***
***
***
***
***
(2) Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx ist Erfinder von Schutzrechten auf dem Gebiet der ***
***
***
***
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Confidential Treatment and filed separately with the Commission.
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2. Der Erfinder verpflichtet sich, die Vertragsrechte, einschlieBlich der
Zusatzanmeldungen und der im Laufe des Vertrages vorgenommenen Anmeldungen,
soweit sie den Bereich der Vertragsrechte betreffen, aufrechtzuerhalten bzw.
SEQUENOM anzubieten und sie nicht ohne Zustimmung von SEQUENOM an Dritte zu
ubertragen.
3. Der Vertrag unterliegt der Schriftform. Anderungen bedurfen der Schriftform.
Dies gilt auch fur diese Schriftformklausel selbst.
4. Sollten einzelne Bestimmungen dieses Vertrages unwirksam sein oder werden,
so beruhrt das die Wirksamkeit des Vertrages im ubrigen nicht; die Parteien
verpflichten sich vielmehr, die unwirksame Bestimmung durch eine wirksame
Regelung zu ersetzen, die dem wirtschaftlichen Xxxxx der unwirksamen Bestimmung
am nachsten kommt.
5. Gerichtsstand ist der Wohn- bzw. Firmensitz der/des jeweilig Beklagten
innerhalb der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.
Munster, den 20.1.99 San Diego/Hamburg, den 14 Januar 1999
/s/ Xxxxx Hillenkemp /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
-------------------------- ---------------------------
Prof. Xx. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx SEQUENOM, Inc.
Prof. Xx. Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
President & CEO
/s/ Xxxx Xxxxx
----------------------------
SEQUENOM, GmbH
Xx. Xxxx Xxxxx
Gechaftsfuhrer
ADDENDUM TO LICENSE AGREEMENT
-----------------------------
AND PATENT ASSIGNMENT
---------------------
THIS ADDENDUM TO LICENSE AGREEMENT AND PATENT ASSIGNMENT (the "Addendum and
Patent Assignment") is made as of this 29st day of September 1999, by Professor
Xx. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx, an individual (the "Inventor"), and SEQUENOM, Inc., a
Delaware corporation ("SEQUENOM").
R E C I T A L S
---------------
A. Xx. Xxxxxxxxxx and SEQUENOM have entered into a License Agreement dates
as of January 14, 1999 (the "License Agreement), pursuant to which SEQUENOM has
licensed from Xx. Xxxxxxxxxx, and Xx. Xxxxxxxxxx has licensed to SEQUENOM,
certain patents and now-how of Xx. Xxxxxxxxxx.
B. Xx. Xxxxxxxxxx and SEQUENOM desire to modify the License Agreement as
set forth in this Addendum and Patent Assignment.
NOW, THEREFORE, for mutual consideration, Inventor and SEQUENOM agree as
follows:
1. Assignment of the Inventions and Patent Rights of the Inventor.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Inventor does hereby assign to SEQUENOM, it successors and assigns, all of
Inventor's right, title and interest in and to the Inventions and Patent Rights
as set forth in the patents and patent applications set forth below (the
"Patents"):
***
***
***
***
*** Portions of this page have been omitted pursuant to a request for
Confidential Treatment and filed separately with the Commission.
2. Execution of Documents. Inventor shall execute formal assignment
-----------------------
documents specific to each patent or patent application which will be recorded
with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and other patent offices as
appropriate.
3. Reversionary Assignments. Upon the occurrence of any of the following
-------------------------
conditions, SEQUENOM hereby agrees to reassign to Inventor, his successors and
assigns, that portion of SEQUENOM's right, title and interest in and to all
subject matter claimed in any patents issuing from *** continuation
and divisional applications thereof, and patents worldwide claiming priority
from *** *** The
conditions of such reassignment are expressly limited to:
***
***
***
***
4. Successors and Assignees. This Addendum and Patent Assignment is
-------------------------
executed pursuant to the License Agreement and is entitled to the benefits
thereof and shall be binding upon and inure to the benefits of the Inventor and
SEQUENOM and their respective successors and assigns.
5. Sublicense. ***
-----------
***
6. Effect of Addendum and Patent Assignment. In the event of a conflict
-----------------------------------------
between the terms of License Agreement and the terms of this Addendum and Patent
Assignment, the terms of the Addendum and Patent Assignment shall prevail.
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Confidential Treatment and filed separately with the Commission.
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7. Definitions. All capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise
-----------
defined in the Addendum and Patent Assignment shall have the meanings attributed
to them in the License Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Inventor and SEQUENOM have executed this Addendum and
Patent Assignment on the date first above written.
INVENTOR:
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------
Professor Xx. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
SEQUENOM:
SEQUENOM, Inc.
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
------------------------------------
Professor Xx. Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
President and Chief Executive Officer
SEQUENOM:
SEQUENOM, GmbH.
/s/ Xxxx Xxxxx
-------------------------------------
Xx. Xxxx Xxxxx
Managing Director
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
)ss.
COUNTY OF )
On this ____ day of June 1999, before me, _______________________, the
undersigned Notary Public, personally appeared _______________ personally known
to me (or proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence) to be the person
who executed the above and foregoing ADDENDUM TO LICENSE AGREEMENT AND PATENT
ASSIGNMENT.
WITNESS my hand and official seal.
____________________________
Notary Public in and for said State
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