ASSET PURCHASE
AGREEMENT
THIS ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT (“
Agreement ”) is made as of the Effective Date
provided for below between CLEARONE COMMUNICATIONS,
INC. , a Utah corporation (the “ Company
”), and KEN-A-VISION MFG. CO., INC. , a
Missouri corporation (the “ Buyer ”), who
agree as follows:
1. Sale of Assets .
a. Subject to the representations, warranties and
agreements of the parties hereto and the terms and conditions
herein set forth, the Company agrees that, at the Closing (as
herein defined), the Company shall sell, transfer and deliver to
the Buyer, for the consideration hereinafter provided, the
following assets and property owned by Company and used by it in
the conduct, as presently operated, of its Camera Business (as
defined in Section 15 below) (excluding, however, the
“Excluded Assets” described below) (collectively, the
“ Assets ”):
1. All of the Company’s machinery,
equipment, tools and other tangible personal property
described on Schedule 1.a.1 attached hereto (“
Equipment ”);
2. All of the Company’s rights,
benefit, interest and obligations (collectively, the “
Warranty Obligations ”) with respect to the
warranties (“ Warranties ”) issued by the
Company with respect to the Products (as such term is defined
immediately below). The obligations of the Buyer with respect
to the Warranties are subject to the terms of Section 2.b.
below.
3. All of the Company’s (i)
customer lists, records and files, (ii) production records,
(iii) technical drawings, specifications and manuals and other
information related to the production of the products (“
Product ” or “ Products ”)
produced and sold as a part of the Camera Business, (iv)
marketing plans and reports, (v) supplier and vendor lists,
contacts and information (vi) sales records, (vii) pricing
sheets, (viii) customer proposals and bids, (ix) records
pertaining to product warranty inquiries concerning Warrantied
Products (as defined in Section 2.b.i. below) and (x) other
pertinent and material sales information and records, insofar
as the items referenced in clauses (i) - (x) relate
solely to the Camera Business (such items referenced in
clauses (i) - (x) being hereinafter collectively referred to
as the “ Camera Business Records ”);
4. Subject to Section 1.d below, all of
the Company’s inventories (raw and finished), work in
process and sub-assemblies held for sale, consumption or
otherwise used in the operation of the Camera Business, as
selected by the Buyer in its sole discretion, provided that
there shall be no adjustment to the Purchase Price hereunder
in respect of any available inventories not so selected by the
Buyer; and
5. All of the Company’s computer
software utilized solely in the Camera Business (“
Software ”), including but not limited to,
drivers for the Products, and the Intellectual Property, all
as listed on Schedule 1.a.5 , but subject to the
provisions of Section 1.e. below (as so qualified and together
with the Software, the “ Conveyed Intellectual
Property ”).
b. To avoid doubt, the following assets of the Company
(collectively, the “ Excluded Assets ”), among
others, shall be retained by the Company, and are not being sold or
assigned to the Buyer hereunder:
1. All corporate names and trade names,
trademarks or service marks that are used in connection with
any of the Company’s businesses other than the Camera
Business;
2. All taxpayer and other identification
numbers and minute books, stock transfer books, tax returns,
corporate seals and all other documents relating to the
organization, maintenance and existence of the Company as a
corporation;
3. The Company’s rights under this
Agreement, the agreements to be executed by the Company in
connection herewith and any agreements relating to the Camera
Business, including any rights with respect to rebates and
market development funds under certain agreements between the
Company and its customers;
4. All cash and cash equivalents of the
Company;
5. The name and mark
“ClearOne” and all combinations or derivations
thereof;
6. The Company’s accounts
receivable as of the Closing Date, but including in all events
any amount owing on account of Products shipped by the Company
prior to Closing or in connection with Open Purchase Orders
(as defined in Section 1.d.);
7. Copies of such Camera Business related
records as it deems appropriate;
8. Any telephone numbers; and
9. Any websites.
c. The sale of the Assets shall be made free and clear
of all liabilities, obligations, security interests, and other
encumbrances or liens of any and every kind and nature whatsoever
except (i) the Security Interest referenced in Section 2.a.2.
below, (ii) the Assumed Liability referenced in Section 2.b. below,
(iii) the Permitted Encumbrances, and (iv) Buyer’s Assumed
Tax Liability (as referenced below).
d. The Buyer acknowledges that the Company, to the
extent possible, is depleting raw inventory and finished goods
relating to the Camera Business. Accordingly, the Company has been
and will be seeking to obtain purchase orders from its customers
for the Products up to the date of Closing. In regard to all such
purchase orders that are obtained prior to the Closing and not
filled as of the Closing (“ Open Purchase Orders
”), the Buyer agrees that (i) inventory required to fill such
purchase orders (but only so much inventory as is so required) will
comprise part of the Excluded Assets and will be retained by the
Company and not sold to the Buyer, and (ii) inventory on order and
in process required to fill such purchase orders will be completed
and delivered to the Company. The Company agrees to fill such
purchase orders and deliver the Products required thereunder within
a commercially reasonable time. If the Company receives a
cancellation of an Open Purchase Order subsequent to Closing, the
Company shall promptly deliver the Products subject to such Open
Purchase Orders to the Buyer F.O.B. Buyer’s facility in
Raytown, Missouri.
e. The Company shall continue to use its best efforts to
obtain the consent of ArcSoft, Inc. (“ ArcSoft
”) to the assignment to the Buyer of the License Agreement
(the “ ArcSoft Agreement ”) between the Company
and ArcSoft pertaining to the ArcSoft Software (as defined in
Schedule 1.a.5. hereto). The Company maintains the position that
the ArcSoft Agreement is valid and in force, but has been notified
by ArcSoft that ArcSoft considers the agreement to be expired.
Buyer acknowledges that the Company may be unable to obtain
ArcSoft’s consent to the assignment of the ArcSoft Agreement
and that ArcSoft may insist that the Buyer enter into a new license
agreement with respect to the ArcSoft Software and that, in either
case, any rights of the Company to the ArcSoft Software will not
comprise part of the Assets being sold and conveyed
hereunder.
2. Purchase Price .
a. Payment of Purchase Price . The purchase
price which the Buyer shall pay to the Company for the assets to be
sold and transferred to the Buyer hereunder (“ Purchase
Price ”) shall be Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand
Dollars ($750,000.00), subject to being adjusted as provided in
Schedule 2.a attached hereto (the “ Price Adjustment
”), to be paid as follows, plus the assumption of the Assumed
Liability and Buyer’s Assumed Tax Liability:
1. Delivery at the Closing of the sum of
Three Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($375,000.00),
subject to the Price Adjustment, by immediately available
funds payable to the Company (the “Down Payment”);
and
2. Delivery at the Closing of the
Buyer’s promissory note (the “ Note
”) in the form attached as Exhibit
“A” , in the principal amount of Thousand
Dollars ($375,000.00), subject to the Price Adjustment,
bearing interest at the rate of eight percent (8%) per annum
and, subject to the Price Adjustment, payable in twenty-four
(24) monthly installments of $16,960.23 to be secured by a
first lien security interest in all of the Assets (the “
Security Interest ”), as provided in that certain
Security Agreement in the form attached as Exhibit
“B ,” to also be delivered to the Company at
Closing.
b. Assumed Liability .
i. At the Closing, the Buyer will assume and perform the
Company’s Warranty Obligations under the Warranties issued by
the Company with respect to Products sold within two (2) years
prior to the Closing Date, along with any Products sold pursuant to
Open Purchase Orders (all of which Products are collectively
referred to hereinafter as “ Warrantied Products
”), provided that the cost of such performance (as the term
“cost” is referenced below) shall not exceed $100,000
in the 730-day period following the Closing Date, the Company
hereby agreeing to be responsible, to pay or reimburse the Buyer
and to indemnify and hold the Buyer harmless to the extent that all
costs of performing the Company’s obligations under the
Warranties with respect to the Warrantied Products exceed $100,000
in the 730-day period following the Closing Date (the obligation of
the Buyer under this Section 2.b being referred to herein as the
“ Assumed Liability ”). For the absence of
doubt, the Company will only reimburse for costs that exceed One
Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) during the 730-day period,
which costs shall be strictly limited to the sum of a) repair costs
at the Buyer’s normal and customary labor charges and b)
reasonable cost of material that need to be purchased subsequent to
the Closing Date in order to permit the Buyer to perform the
referenced Warranty obligations hereunder. A description of the
Company’s standard warranty terms is set forth in Schedule
2.b . From the date hereof until Closing, the Company will
continue to process warranty claims and inquiries in accordance
with its historical practice and in the normal course of its
business. At the Closing, the Company will deliver, as part of the
Camera Business Records, records pertaining to inquiries received
by the Company pertaining to Warrantied Products. Within ten (10)
days of the Closing Date, the Company will deliver to the Buyer a
list of Warrantied Products sold within the two years prior to and
including the Closing Date to which the Warranty provisions of this
paragraph shall apply; and so long as any Open Purchase Orders
remain to be filled, the Company will update the Buyer on a weekly
basis with information pertaining to Products shipped pursuant to
such Open Purchase Orders.
ii. The foregoing notwithstanding, to the extent that
the cost of the Buyer’s performance pursuant to this Section
2.b. in the 365-day period following the Closing Date (see "First
Year") exceeds $50,000, the Buyer shall be entitled to set-off such
excess against the monthly payments next due to the Company under
the Note until the full amount of such excess has been set-off or
the First Year shall have elapsed, whichever is the first to occur,
and interest shall cease to accrue under the Note with respect to
all such amounts so offset onto the end of the First Year. In the
event of any such set-off, the unpaid balance of the Note shall be
reamortized effective with the thirteenth (13 th)
monthly payment due thereunder so as to be repaid in full in twelve
(12) monthly installments with interest thereon at the rate of
eight percent (8%) per annum from and after the first to day the
following the end of the First Year.
iii. The Company agrees to use its reasonable best
efforts, without spending money or making any binding agreements or
commitments, to forward all customer contacts concerning Warranty
Obligations to the Buyer. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to
cause all telephone contacts received by it concerning the
Warrantied Products to be forwarded and referred to the Buyer at
(800) 627-1953 and shall, within ten (10) business days of Closing,
alter its website to include hot links from the sale and warranty
sections of the website to the Buyer’s website with respect
to such Warrantied Products.
c. Assumed Tax Liability . The Company will pay
all personal property taxes due and payable with respect to the
Assets as of the Closing. At the Closing, the Buyer shall assume
and be liable to timely pay the pro-rated portion of personal
property taxes not yet due and payable with respect to Assets
acquired by it hereunder. All personal property taxes with respect
to Assets acquired hereunder shall be pro-rated as of the Closing
Date between the Company and the Buyer (“ Buyer’s
Assumed Tax Liability ”).
d. Allocation of Purchase Price . One Hundred
Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) of the purchase price for the
Assets shall be allocated to the non-compete agreement set forth
below and the balance of the purchase price shall be allocated
among the Assets in accordance with the Form 8594 attached hereto
as Exhibit “C ”, and the parties will report the
same accordingly for tax purposes.
e. Escrow Agreement . Following Closing, if the
Buyer reasonably believes in good faith that there has been a
misrepresentation or breach of a warranty, agreement or covenant
under this Agreement, other than with respect to the warranties
(“ Product Warranties ”) set forth in the first
sentence of Section 3.e. (a “ Breach ”), having
a Material Adverse Effect (as defined in Section 15.e.), then in
addition to all other rights and remedies of the Buyer hereunder,
but subject to the terms of Section 12, (i) if the amount of all
losses, damages, costs and expenses reasonably anticipated to be
incurred by the Buyer as a result of the Breach (“ Loss
Estimate Amount ”) is $5000.00 or less, the Buyer shall
be entitled, upon written notice to the Company of such Breach (a
“Set-Off Notice”) to retain and set-off such Loss
Estimate Amount (the “ Set-Off Remedy ”) against
any of the amounts owed by the Buyer under the Note, provided,
however, that if the Breach resulting in a Set-Off Remedy is
subsequently cured by the Company, then the Buyer shall promptly
pay to the Company any amount by which a Set-Off Remedy amount
exceeds any loss, damages, costs or expenses actually incurred by
the Buyer with respect to the Breach; and provided further that,
upon receipt of a Set-Off Notice, the Company may give written
notice that it disputes such Set-Off Remedy (“Dispute
Notice”), in which case the Buyer shall pay the relevant Loss
Estimate Amount in respect of such Set-Off Remedy into the Escrow
Account under the Escrow Agreement; and (ii) if the Loss Estimate
Amount is more than $5000.00 (alone or in the aggregate with all
prior Loss Estimate Amounts not previously claimed in a Set-Off
Remedy under this section), the Buyer may elect to (a) give written
notice (an “ Escrow Notice ”) to Company of such
Breach and of the amount of the Loss Estimate Amount reasonably
anticipated to be incurred by the Buyer as a result of such Breach
and (b) thereafter pay into the Escrow Account referenced in the
Escrow Agreement attached as Exhibit “D ” and to
be executed simultaneously herewith, amounts otherwise falling due
under the Note, but in no event to exceed the Loss Estimate Amount.
Thereafter, any dispute between the parties with respect to any
Loss Estimate Amount paid into the Escrow Account shall be resolved
as provided in the Escrow Agreement and Section 13 below
(collectively, the “ Escrow Agreement Remedy ”).
As to Product Warranties, the Buyer shall be liable,
notwithstanding any breach by Company of the first sentence of
Section 3.e., or anything herein to the contrary, to honor the
Warranties as set forth in Section 2.b., and the Company shall have
no further liability in connection therewith except as provided in
Section 2.b.
f. The Company shall
indemnify and save and hold the Buyer harmless from and
against, and shall pay upon demand, any damage, liability,
loss, deficiency, settlement, fees, penalties, or expenses
(including without limitation, reasonable attorneys’
fees and other reasonable costs and expenses incident to any
suit, action, proceeding, demand, assessment, judgment,
penalty or investigation or defense of any claim) arising out
of or resulting from any sales, use, withholding or other
taxes other than the Assumed Tax Liability for which the Buyer
may have successor liability based on the transaction.
3. Representations and Warranties . The Company
represents and warrants as follows:
a. The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly
existing and legally operating in the State of Utah and has all
requisite power and authority to (1) own its properties, including
the Assets; (2) make, execute and perform this Agreement and all
documents to be executed in connection herewith; and (3) conduct
the Camera Business as and where now being conducted; however,
without limiting any other representation or warranty made by the
Company in this Agreement, the Company does not hereby make any
representation or warranty that it is not in violation of any
third-party patents, trade secret or know-how in the production or
manufacture of the Products.
b. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the
sale contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by the
Company.
c. Except as otherwise described in Section 1.e. and
Schedule 3.f, the Company has, and as of the Closing Date will
have, good and marketable title to all of its properties and assets
which are being sold, transferred, and conveyed hereunder, subject
to no mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest,
agreement, claim, covenant, easement, restriction, reservation,
exceptions or charge, other than with respect to the Assumed
Liability, the Security Interest, the Permitted Encumbrances and
the Buyer’s Assumed Tax Liability.
d. There has been no person employed or retained by the
Company, or who is entitled to be paid under any agreement, express
or implied, with it, as a finder or broker in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereunder, and the Company will indemnify
and hold harmless the Buyer from and against any liability for any
claim, demand, or payment of any broker’s or finder’s
commission, fee, or expenses in connection with this Agreement
claimed under alleged agreement with the Company.
e. Other than with respect to repair or other work the
Company is performing arising out of its obligations with respect
to Product Warranties, each of the Products has been manufactured,
sold or delivered by the Company in conformity with all applicable
contractual commitments, all express and implied representations
and warranties, all Product literature, all applicable laws,
regulations and other governmental requirements, excluding any of
the same governing patents, copyrights or trade secrets, and to the
Company’s Knowledge, all applicable laws, regulations and
other governmental requirements governing patents, copyrights or
trade secrets. With respect to contractual restrictions, the
Products are subject only to the Warranties and the Company’s
standard terms and conditions of sale. The
Company’s standard terms and conditions of sale for each of
the Products are as set forth in the attached Schedule 3.e
.
f. Schedule 1.a.5. sets forth a complete and
correct list of the Intellectual Property used or held for use in
the Camera Business. Except as set forth in Section 1.e. and in
Schedule 3.f. attached hereto, the Company owns and
possesses all right, title and interest in and to, or has a valid,
enforceable and transferable license to use the Intellectual
Property. Except as set forth in Schedule 3.f. attached
hereto, no claim by any third party contesting the validity,
enforceability, use or ownership of any of the Intellectual
Property has been made or is currently outstanding or, to
Company’s Knowledge, is threatened. Except as set forth in
Schedule 3.f. attached hereto, the Company has not received
any notices of and is not aware of any facts that indicate a
likelihood of any infringement or misappropriation by, or conflict
with, any Person with respect to the Intellectual Property,
including any demand or request that Company license rights from,
or make royalty payments to, any Person. Except as set forth in
Schedule 3.f. attached hereto, to the Company’s
Knowledge, the Company has not infringed, misappropriated or
otherwise conflicted with any proprietary rights of any third
parties and the Company is not aware of any infringement,
misappropriation or conflict that will occur as a result of the
continued operation of the Camera Business or the Assets.
g. The Company is in compliance where it engages in the
Camera Business, to the extent a failure to comply would have a
Material Adverse Effect, with all applicable federal, state, local
and international laws, ordinances and regulations relating to the
Camera Business and the Assets, including, without limitation all
environmental, labor, employment, health and safety and other laws,
statutes and regulations, but excluding (i) Intellectual Property
laws, rules and regulations which matters are the subject of a
separate warranty hereunder, (ii) tax laws, rules and regulations,
which matters are the subject of a separate warranty hereunder,
(iii) the matters which are the subject of subsection 3.a., and
(iv) current or planned ROHS environmental requirements imposed by
the European Union. The Company will complete the process of
updating existing compliance reports for FlexCam iCam and the
DocCam Pro to the following reports: FCC Part 15, Subpart B;
ICES-003; EN55022:1998; EN55024:1998; EN61000-3-2; EN61000-3-3; and
IEC/EN 60950-1:2001 1st Edition.
h. To the Company’s Knowledge and based on its
understanding and interpretations of relevant law (the “
Tax Qualification ”), the Company has filed all tax
returns, including, without limitation, estimated tax returns,
withholding and quarterly sales/use tax returns required to be
filed by it under the laws of the United States, the State of Utah
and each other state or jurisdiction in which the Company is
required to file tax returns. Subject to the Tax Qualification, the
Company has paid and/or deposited all taxes for the periods covered
by such returns and all taxes for which the laws of any state or
other taxing jurisdiction impose successor liability. The Company's
federal and state tax returns have not been audited by the Internal
Revenue or any state department of revenue, no agreements are
currently in effect by or on behalf of the Company for the
extension of time for the assessment of any tax. There are no tax
liens, whether imposed by any federal, state or local taxing
authority, outstanding against any of the Assets.
4. Representations and Warranties of the Buyer .
The Buyer represents and warrants as follows:
a. The Buyer is a corporation duly organized, validly
existing and legally operating in the State of Missouri and has all
requisite power and authority to make, execute and perform this
Agreement and all documents to be executed in connection herewith;
furthermore, neither the Buyer nor the Buyer’s principals are
party to or subject to any non-competition agreement that would
preclude or prohibit the Buyer’s operation of the Camera
Business following Closing.
b. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the
sale contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by the
Buyer.
c. There has been no person employed or retained by the
Buyer or who is entitled to be paid under any agreement, express or
implied, with it, as a finder or broker in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereunder, and the Buyer will indemnify
and hold harmless the Company from and against any liability for
any claim, demand or payment of any broker’s or
finder’s commission, fee or expenses in connection with this
Agreement claimed under alleged agreement with the Buyer.
5. Responsibility for Other Party’s
Liabilities .
a. Except for the Assumed Liability, the Security
Interest, the Permitted Encumbrances, the Buyer’s Assumed Tax
Liability and the Buyer’s indemnification obligations
hereunder, the Buyer does not have, and will not have after the
Closing Date, any liability or responsibility whatsoever for any
liability or obligation of any nature, whether accrued, absolute,
contingent, or otherwise, including, without limitation, tax
deficiencies or other tax liabilities of the Company existing or
accrued as of the Closing Date or thereafter arising from any
transactions or events which shall have occurred prior to Cl