EXHIBIT 10.1
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
AGREEMENT
This Product
Development Agreement (the “Agreement” ) is
entered into as of March 9, 2009 (the “Effective
Date” ) between CPC of America, Inc., a Nevada
corporation ( “Company” ), and Olex Hnojewyj, an
individual ( “Contractor” ) (each, a
“Party” ).
1.
DEFINITIONS. As
used in this Agreement:
1.1
“Affiliate” of any particular Party means
any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with
such Party, including subsidiaries, and parent companies of such
Party. For purposes of this definition,
“control” (including the terms
“controlling,” “controlled by” and
“under common control with”) means the possession,
direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction
of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the
ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise, and such
“control” will be presumed if any Person owns 50% or
more of the voting capital stock, assets or other ownership
interests, directly or indirectly, of any other Person.
1.2
“Common Stock” means
Company’s $.005 par value common stock, and any other class
of securities into which such securities may hereafter be
reclassified or changed into
1.3
“Confidential Information” means any and all
information related to Company’s business (including trade
secrets, technical information, business forecasts and strategies,
marketing plans, customer and supplier lists, personnel
information, financial data, and proprietary information of third
parties provided to Company in confidence) that is labeled or
identified as “confidential” or
“proprietary” or that Contractor otherwise knows, or
would reasonably be expected to know, Company considers to be
confidential or proprietary or Company has a duty to treat as
confidential.
1.4
“Deliverables” means the items to be provided or
actually provided by Contractor to Company under this Agreement,
including items specifically designated or characterized as
deliverables in this Agreement or in a Statement of
Work.
1.5
“Intellectual Property” means all algorithms,
application programming interfaces (APIs), apparatus, assay
components, biological materials, cell lines, chemical compositions
and structures, circuit designs and assemblies, concepts,
Confidential Information, data (including clinical data), databases
and data collections, designs, diagrams, documentation, drawings,
flow charts, formulae, gate arrays, ideas and inventions (whether
or not patentable or reduced to practice), IP cores, know-how,
materials, marketing and development plans, marks (including brand
names, product names, logos, and slogans), methods, models, net
lists, network configurations and architectures, photomasks,
procedures, processes, protocols, schematics, semiconductor
devices, software code (in any form including source code and
executable or object code), specifications, subroutines,
techniques, test vectors, tools, uniform resource identifiers
including uniform resource locators (URLs), user interfaces, web
sites, works of authorship, and other forms of
technology.
1.6
“Intellectual Property Rights” means all past,
present, and future rights of the following types, which may exist
or be created under the laws of any jurisdiction in the world: (a)
rights associated with works of authorship, including exclusive
exploitation rights, copyrights, moral rights, and mask work
rights; (b) trademark and trade name rights and similar rights; (c)
trade secret rights; (d) patent and industrial property rights; (e)
other proprietary rights in Intellectual Property of every kind and
nature; and (f) rights in or relating to registrations, renewals,
extensions, combinations, divisions, and reissues of, and
applications for, any of the rights referred to in clauses (a)
through (e) of this sentence.
1.7
“Market Price” means, for any date, the
price determined by the first of the following clauses that
applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a
U.S. trading market other than the OTC Bulletin Board,
the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock over
the 20 trading days preceding such date on the principal U.S.
trading market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted
for trading as reported by Bloomberg Financial L.P. (based on a
trading day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New
York City time); (b) if the OTC Bulletin Board is the
principal U.S. trading market, the volume weighted average price of
the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on
the OTC Bulletin Board; (c) if the Common Stock is not then quoted
for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board and if prices for the Common
Stock are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published
by Pink Sheets, LLC (or a similar organization or agency succeeding
to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price
per share of the Common Stock so reported; or (d) in all other
cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as
determined by the Board of Directors of Company in good
faith.
1.8
“Services” means the following services to be
performed or actually performed by Contractor under this
Agreement: (A) the development of novel, unique and
proprietary hydrogel-type compositions comprising
solely synthetic pegalyted technologies for use in
connection with the (i) arterial and venous closure; (ii) biopsy
closures, including without limitation closures for breast, liver
and lung; (iii) spinal repair, vertebral body replacement and
augmentation procedures involving bone graft; and (iv) adhesion
barrier and prevention in all surgeries; (B) the proper
documentation of the matters set forth in subpart (A) suitable for
purposes of obtaining U.S. and foreign certifications and
regulatory approvals; and (C) assistance in the preparation of U.S.
and foreign patent applications relating to the matters set forth
in subpart (A).
1.9
“Work Product” means (a) all Deliverables, (b)
all Intellectual Property, in any stage of development, that
Contractor conceives, creates, develops, or reduces to practice in
connection with performing the Services, and (c) all tangible
embodiments (including models, presentations, prototypes, reports,
samples, and summaries) of each item of such Intellectual
Property.
2.1
Statements of Work. From time to time, Company
may submit to Contractor written work orders substantially in the
form of Exhibit A that contain the terms (including
specifications, delivery and performance schedules) for Services
and Deliverables that Company desires Contractor to provide, along
with the fees in the form of shares of Common Stock to be issued by
the Company in consideration for such Services and
Deliverables. If Contractor begins to perform services
under a work order, Contractor will be deemed to have accepted such
work order. Upon acceptance of a work order by
Contractor (in writing, by performance, or otherwise), such work
order will be a “Statement of Work.”
A Statement of Work may include a limited license to
Contractor to use certain Intellectual Property of Company or its
licensors, such as software, tools, or know-how, as necessary to
complete that Statement of Work. Any such license
automatically terminates upon the completion of the applicable
Statement of Work and is limited by the terms of this Agreement,
including Section 5.3.
2.2
Performance of Services. Contractor will perform
the Services in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the
applicable Statement of Work. Except as otherwise
provided in this Agreement or an applicable Statement of Work,
Contractor will have exclusive control over the manner and means of
performing the Services and will use Contractor’s expertise
and creative talents in performing the Services. Company
will provide, at Company’s own expense, a place of work and
all equipment, tools, and other materials necessary to complete the
Statement of Work. Contractor will be solely responsible
for any injury or death suffered by any person (including
Contractor’s employees and agents) and any damage to any
property (including Company’s property) arising from such
use, regardless of whether such injury, death, or damage is claimed
to be based upon the condition of such equipment or facilities or
upon Company’s negligence in permitting such
use. Contractor shall comply with all reasonable rules,
policies and guidelines issued by Company from time to time with
regard to the issuance, maintenance, control, and archiving of
laboratory notebooks, and such notebooks shall be regarded as the
sole property of the Company.
2.3
Change Proposals. Upon the receipt of a proposal
from Company to change the terms of a Statement of Work (a
“Change Proposal” ), Contractor will promptly
provide (a) any information requested in such proposal, and (b)
Contractor’s written acceptance or rejection of the
proposal. Contractor may not reject any Change Proposal
that does not materially shorten the delivery or performance
schedule or materially alter the Deliverables or Services, and may
not unreasonably reject any other Change Proposal. If
Contractor begins to adhere to a Change Proposal or does not reject
the Change Proposal in writing within five (5) days after
Contractor’s receipt thereof, Contractor will be deemed to
have accepted such Change Proposal. The submission or
reasonable rejection of a Change Proposal will not constitute a
breach of this Agreement.
2.4
Acceptance Procedures. Company will have at
least thirty (30) days to evaluate any interim and final
Deliverables (the “Acceptance Period” ) to
reasonably ensure that they meet the specifications, requirements,
and terms of this Agreement and are of professional, technical, and
general quality consistent with industry standards. If
Company reasonably rejects any Deliverable during the Acceptance
Period, Company shall notify the Contractor specifying the reasons
for rejection and provide the Contractor a period of (30) days (the
“Correction Period”) to correct the Deliverables
subject to evaluation and acceptance in accordance with this
Section 2.4. If, after the Correction Period, the Company still
reasonably rejects the Deliverable, the Company may elect any of
the following remedies (without limiting any other rights or
remedies Company may have): (a) Company may grant additional time
to Contractor to provide (at no additional charge to Company)
corrected Deliverables subject to evaluation and acceptance in
accordance with this Section 2.4; (b) Company may itself
correct the Deliverables (or engage a third party to do so) and may
deduct the costs and reasonable expenses associated with such
correction from the fees owed to Contractor under the Statement of
Work; or (c) Company may terminate the Statement of Work and return
all Deliverables (but not Confidential Information therein) to
Contractor, in which case Contractor shall not be entitled to any
fees related to the Statement of Work.
2.5
Monitoring. Contractor will cooperate with any
requests by Company to monitor the Services in order to verify that
such Services are being performed in accordance with this Agreement
and in a timely and satisfactory manner. Contractor will
use Contractor’s best efforts to facilitate any such
monitoring, including providing access to Contractor’s
equipment and facilities. All documents and materials
stored at Company’s facilities will be subject to inspection
by Company at any time without notice.
2.6
Subcontracting. Contractor will not subcontract
or otherwise delegate any of Contractor’s obligations under
this Agreement without Company’s express prior written
consent on a case-by-case basis. Upon receipt of such
consent, before allowing any subcontractor to begin performing
services, Contractor will enter into a binding written agreement
with such subcontractor that protects Company’s rights and
interests to at least the same degree as this Agreement, including
Sections 5 through 8. Contractor will be
responsible for the direction and coordination of the services of
each subcontractor. Company will have no obligation to
pay any subcontractor except as agreed to by the Company in writing
from time to time.
2.7
Access Rules and Procedures. While on
Company’s premises, Contractor agrees to comply with
Company’s then-current access rules and procedures, including
those procedures pertaining to safety, security, and
confidentiality. Contractor agrees and acknowledges that
Contractor has no expectation of privacy with respect to
Company’s telecommunications, networking, or information
processing systems (including stored computer files, email
messages, and voice messages) and that Contractor’s
activities, including the sending or receiving of any files or
messages, on or using any of those systems may be monitored, and
the contents of such files and messages may be reviewed and
disclosed, at any time without notice.
2.8
Competitive Engagements. Contractor agrees that
during the term of this Agreement, Contractor will not perform, or
agree to perform, any services for any third party that engages, or
plans to engage, in any business or activity that directly or
indirectly competes with any current or planned business or
activity of Company relating to the Services.
3.
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR
RELATIONSHIP. Contractor’s relation to
Company under this Agreement is that of an independent
contractor. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or
should be construed to create a partnership, joint venture, or
employer-employee relationship between Company and
Contractor. Contractor will take no position with
respect to or on any tax return or application for benefits, or in
any proceeding directly or indirectly involving Company, that is
inconsistent with Contractor being an independent contractor (and
not an employee) of Company. Contractor is not the agent
of Company and is not authorized, and must not represent to any
third party that Contractor is authorized, to make any commitment
or otherwise act on behalf of Company. Without limiting
the generality of the foregoing:
3.1
Benefits and Contributions . Contractor is not
entitled to or eligible for any benefits that Company may make
available to its employees, such as group insurance,
profit-sharing, or retirement benefits. Because
Contractor is an independent contractor, Company will not withhold
or make payments for social security, make unemployment insurance
or disability insurance contributions, or obtain workers’
compensation insurance on behalf of Contractor. If,
notwithstanding the foregoing, Contractor is reclassified as an
employee of Company, or any affiliate of Company, by the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, or any
other federal or state or foreign agency as the result of any
administrative or judicial proceeding, Contractor agrees that
Contractor will not, as the result of such reclassification, be
entitled to or eligible for, on either a prospective or a
retrospective basis, any employee benefits under any plans or
programs established or maintained by Company.
3.2
Taxes .
Contractor is solely responsible for filing all tax
returns and submitting all payments as required by any federal,
state, local, or foreign tax authority arising from the payment of
fees to Contractor under this Agreement, and agrees to do so in a
timely manner. If applicable, Company will report the
fees paid to Contractor under this Agreement by filing Form
1099-MISC with the Internal Revenue Service as required by
law.
3.3
Compliance with Law . Contractor will
comply with all applicable federal, state, local, and foreign laws
governing self-employed individuals, including laws requiring the
payment of taxes, such as income and employment taxes, and social
security, disability, and other contributions.
3.4
Certification. Contractor will provide Company with
certifications and records (including, as appropriate, copies of
Contractor’s tax returns) as Company may request from time to
time, during or after the term of this Agreement, to verify that
Contractor has complied with this Section 3.
4.
COMPENSATION . Subject to the
terms and conditions of this Agreement, Company shall issue to
Contractor shares the compensation set forth below as
Contractor’s sole and complete compensation for all Services,
Deliverables, and Intellectual Property Rights provided by
Contractor under this Agreement:
4.1
Equity Fee . Company shall issue to Contractor
shares (“ Shares ”) of Common Stock as
follows:
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Upon and
subject to the filing of the first patent application with the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office (“ USPTO ”) with
respect to novel, unique and proprietary hydrogel-type compositions
comprising solely synthetic pegalyted technologies or delivery
systems for use in connection with arterial and venous closure,
such patent application to be acceptable to Company in its
reasonable discretion, Company shall issue to Contractor a number
of shares of Common Stock equal to the quotient obtained by
dividing $225,000 by the Market Price on the filing
date.
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Upon and
subject to the filing of each subsequent
patent application with the USPTO with respect to novel, unique and
proprietary hydrogel-type compositions comprising solely synthetic
pegalyted technologies or delivery systems for use in connection
with arterial and venous closure, such patent application(s) to be
acceptable to Company in its reasonable discretion, Company shall
issue to Contractor a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the
quotient obtained by dividing $125,000 by the Market Price on the
filing date.
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Upon and
subject to the filing of each patent application with the USPTO, in
each case such patent application to be acceptable to Company in
its reasonable discretion, with respect to novel, unique and
proprietary hydrogel-type compositions comprising solely synthetic
pegalyted technologies or delivery systems for use in connection
with (i) biopsy closures, including without limitation closures for
breast, liver and lung; (ii) spinal repair, vertebral body
replacement and augmentation procedures involving bone graft; or
(iii) adhesion barrier and prevention in all surgeries, Company
shall issue to Contractor a number of shares of Common Stock equal
to the quotient obtained by dividing $125,000 by the Market Price
on the filing date.
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Upon and
subject to the USPTO issuance of each patent (“ PEG
Patent ”) with respect to a patent application referred
to in subparts (a), (b), or (c) above, Company shall issue to
Contractor a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the quotient
obtained by dividing $125,000 by the Market Price on the date of
the issuance of each Peg Patent.
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Upon and
subject to the receipt of revenue by Company or an Affiliate from
the sale or licensing of products or technology underlying each PEG
Patent in each country, Company shall issue to
Contractor a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the quotient
obtained by dividing $25,000 by the Market Price on the date of the
initial receipt of revenue in such country.
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The number of
Shares to be issued to Contractor, and the specific Services,
Deliverables, and Intellectual Property Rights to be provided by
Contractor in consideration of such Share amount, shall be set
forth in each Statement of Work, except in the case of Shares
issuable pursuant to subparts (d) and (e) above.
4.2
Cash Fee . Company shall pay Contractor a cash
fee for the services rendered by Contractor hereunder at the rate
of $300 per hour, provided that the Company shall not be obligated
to pay Contractor for more than 120 hours in any calendar month
under this Section 4.2 without the written authorization of the
Company. Contractor will submit monthly invoices to
Company no later than the 10 calendar following each month
end. All invoiced amounts shall be due and payable
twenty (20) days following Company’s receipt of the invoice
for such fees. Contractor will maintain, in accordance
with generally-accepted accounting principals, complete and
accurate records of the work performed sufficient to document the
cash fee payable hereunder invoiced to Company for at least two (2)
years following the date of the invoice, and will provide Company
with such records at Company’s request.
No other fees
or consideration will be owed by Company under this Agreement
except as set forth above or in a Statement of Work.
4.3
Expenses. Unless expressly provided otherwise in the
applicable Statement of Work and except as expressly provided in
Section 8.1, Contractor will be solely responsible for all
expenses incurred by Contractor in connection with performing the
Services or otherwise performing Contractor’s obligations
under this Agreement.
5.1
Use and Disclosure . During the term
of this Agreement and at all times thereafter, Contractor will
(a) hold all Confidential Information in strict trust and
confidence, (b) refrain from using or permitting others to use
Confidential Information in any manner or for any purpose not
expressly permitted or required by this Agreement, and
(c) refrain from disclosing or permitting others to disclose
any Confidential Information to any third party without obtaining
Company’s express prior written consent on a case-by-case
basis.
5.2
Standard of Care. Contractor will protect the
Confidential Information from unauthorized use, access, or
disclosure in the same manner as Contractor protects
Contractor’s own confidential or proprietary information of a
similar nature, and with no less than the greater of reasonable
care and industry-standard care.
5.3
Reverse Engineering. Unless and except to the
extent expressly authorized by Company to do so in writing,
Contractor will not attempt to reverse engineer, de-encrypt, or
otherwise derive the design, internal logic, structure or inner
workings (including algorithms and source code) of any software,
products, models, prototypes, or other items provided by Company
that use, embody, or contain Confidential Information.
5.4
Exceptions. Contractor’s obligations under
Sections 5.1 and 5.2 will terminate with respect to any
particular information that Contractor can prove, by clear and
convincing evidence, (a) Contractor lawfully knew prior to
Company’s first disclosure to Contractor, (b) a third party
rightfully disclosed to Contractor free of any confidentiality
duties or obligations, or (c) is, or through no fault of Contractor
has become, generally available to the
public. Additionally, Contractor will be permitted to
disclose Confidential Information to the extent that such
disclosure is expressly approved in writing by Company, or is
required by law or court order, provided that Contractor
immediately notifies Company in writing of such required disclosure
and cooperates with Company, at Company’s reasonable
request and expense, in any lawful action to contest
or limit the scope of such required disclosure, including filing
motions and otherwise making appearances before a court.
5.5
Removal; Return. Contractor will not remove any
tangible embodiment of any Confidential Information from
Company’s facilities or premises without Company’s
express prior written consent. Upon Company’s
request and upon any termination or expiration of this Agreement,
Contractor will promptly (a) return to Company or, if so directed
by Company, destroy all ta
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