Exhibit 10.17
SERVICES AND DISTRIBUTION
AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is entered into by
and between American Telecom Services, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, with offices located at 1191 Huntington Drive, Suite
311, Duarte, CA 91010-2400 (“Supplier”), and Databyte
Technology, Inc., a
corporation, with offices located at 11836 Clark Street, Arcadia,
CA 91006 (“Vendor”).
WHEREAS, Supplier is engaged in the
business of producing certain products (“Product(s)”)
and offers such Product to third parties; and
WHEREAS, Vendor is engaged in the
business of receiving, warehousing and distributing merchandise and
also renders customer services and billing services in connection
with such merchandise and desires to render each of the foregoing
services to Supplier in connection with the Products;
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereby
enter into this Agreement and agree to all of the terms and
conditions as follows:
1. Services .
A. Vendor shall provide facilities
in Arcadia, California, or such other location approved by
Supplier, to receive, warehouse and distribute the Products and,
Vendor also will render customer and billing services in connection
with all sales distributed by Vendor, including but not limited to
maintaining complete records with respect to importation and
related costs, to sales, accounts receivable, receipts, shipping
and returns. The manner and method of the customer and billing
services to be rendered by Vendor will be subject to
Supplier’s direction and approval.
i. Vendor shall provide written
monthly reports to Supplier’s designee, presently
Mr. Corey Fischer, with a copy to Mr. Bruce Hahn, which
reports shall include detailed information with respect to
importation and related costs, to sales, accounts receivable,
receipts, shipping, returns, and inventory. Vendor agrees to
implement a reporting system such that Supplier will have
twenty-four hour access via the Internet to examine the up to the
minute current status of the information to be included in the
reports to be provided by Supplier.
B. Vendor is prohibited from making
any copies, archival or otherwise, of the Products or any component
thereof. Vendor is further prohibited from using the Products in
any manner other than as specifically authorized herein. Any
unauthorized use shall be deemed a material breach of this
Agreement by Vendor and shall entitle Supplier to immediately
terminate this Agreement for cause pursuant to Section 8.B.
below.
2. TERM .
Subject to earlier termination pursuant to the terms hereof, the
term of this Agreement shall be as follows (with the Initial Term
and all Extended Terms, if any, referred to hereinafter
collectively as the “Term”):
A. Initial Term . This
Agreement shall be effective as of the date of execution by both
parties (“Effective Date”) and shall extend for the
period of one year thereafter (“Initial
Term”).
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B. Extended Term . This
Agreement shall be automatically renewed and shall continue for
additional successive periods of two years each (each an
“Extended Term”), on an ongoing basis, unless and until
either party gives the other party written notice of its intention
not to renew the Agreement, said notice to be provided at least 90
days prior to the expiration of the then current Term.
3. FEES .
A. Services Fee. In consideration
for the services rendered by Vendor hereunder and during the
Initial Term of the Agreement and each Extended Term, and provided
Vendor is not in breach of this Agreement, Vendor agrees to pay to
Supplier a Services Fee equal to three percent (3%) of
“Net Sales” actually collected. For the purposes of
this Agreement, Net Sales is defined as gross sales shipped less
returns and allowances, cooperative advertising, promotional
allowances, sales commissions and cash discounts.
i. The Services Fee shall be payable
on the 15 th of each month for the prior
month’s collections on shipments. An allowance of 10% of each
month’s collectibles may be held back for returns, and after
the deduction of any such month’s returns, the balance
remaining, if any, from the 10% will be paid to Vendor not later
than ninety days after the original monthly payment from which the
funds were held back.
4. COSTS AND EXPENSES . Vendor shall be
reimbursed for pre-approved actual and direct costs and expenses
expressly related to return packaging and case packaging, customs,
freight, outbound shipping costs, and toll free telephone line.
Supplier shall invoice Vendor for such costs and expenses and
Vendor agrees to pay said invoices within thirty days of receipt of
such invoices.
5. CONFIDENTIALITY;
NON-CIRCUMVENTION
A. Vendor acknowledges and agrees
that this Agreement and all elements in connection with the
Products including but not limited to and any and all other
materials, software, hardware, manuals, documentation, marketing
and promotional materials relating to this Agreement and the
Products and each of the components and elements thereof
(hereinafter referred to collectively as the
“Materials”), whether or not actually created by
Supplier, are all the proprietary and confidential property of
Supplier. Furthermore, the parties recognize that during the course
of their relationship, Vendor may have occasion to receive
additional Materials or information that is considered to be
confidential or proprietary to Supplier, including information
relating to inventions, patents, trademarks, copyrights, ideas,
know-how, specifications, drawings, software, programming, business
practices or policies, cost or pricing Product, customer or vendor
lists and/or any other material referring to same (collectively,
“Confidential Information”). Confidential Information
shall include, without limitation, any information or material that
Supplier designates as such or which under the circumstances of
disclosure to Vendor reasonably ought to be treated as such. For
instance, the terms of this Agreement shall be considered
confidential.
B. Accordingly, both during the Term
of this Agreement and thereafter, Vendor agrees to maintain in
strictest confidence, and will not use, disclose, reveal or make
available to any third party or utilize for its own benefit (other
than as authorized pursuant to this Agreement) any of the Product,
Materials or any Confidential Information, without the prior
express written
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consent of Supplier unless Vendor is obligated
by court order or other valid legal means to divulge the
Confidential Information. Vendor further agrees to take all
reasonable precautions to preserve the confidentiality of
Supplier’s Products and the Materials and Confidential
Information provided in connection therewith and shall assume sole
responsibility that its directors, officers, employees and agents,
the persons and entities to which Vendor makes the Product
available and Vendor’s permitted Vendors and assigns will
similarly preserve the confidential nature of the information
against unauthorized uses and/or unauthorized third parties. Vendor
shall include a confidentiality provision in all of its employment
agreements and agreements relating to the use of the Product. The
provisions of this section shall survive expiration or termination
of this Agreement.
C. Non-Circumvention . Vendor
agrees not to circumvent Supplier and that it shall not enter into
any discussions, negotiations, communications, agreements,
contracts, or any other agreements regarding any type of project
utilizing the ideas, plans and concepts or any elements similar to
that which are encompassed in the Products, Materials and
Confidential Information provided by Supplier. Specifically, Vendor
agrees that: (a) Supplier has a substantial and material
interest in the Products, Materials and Confidential Information;
(b) Supplier may be entitled to equitable and legal remedies
in the event Vendor consummates a transaction or enters into a
business arrangement, utilizing, arising out of or related to any
of the Products, Materials or Confidential Information; and
(c) Supplier may suffer irreparable harm and significant
damages if Vendor communicates, negotiates or enters into any
business arrangement for any project with elements similar to that
which are encompassed in the Products, Materials and Confidential
Information.
6. RIGHTS .
A. Ownership . Nothing in
this Agreement shall act to grant or transfer from Supplier to
Vendor any ownership right, title or interest whatsoever in or to
any of the Products or Materials (specifically including, without
limitation, all of the copyrights, service marks trademarks and all
elements and components thereof). Furthermore, all Products and
Materials shall be and remain the sole property of Supplier, except
with respect to each particular physical Product upon consummation
of a sales transaction.
B. Post-Term . Upon the
expiration or termination of this Agreement, all rights granted or
licensed to Vendor under this Agreement shall forthwith terminate
and immediately and automatically revert solely to Supplier and
Vendor shall immediately discontinue all exploitation of any rights
which are owned by Supplier and all use of the Materials.
Furthermore, upon expiration or termination of this Agreement,
Supplier may require Vendor to send to Supplier, at no cost to
Supplier, any or all of the Products and Materials and/or require
Vendor to destroy any or all of the Products and Materials then in
Vendor’s custody, and provide Supplier with a certificate or
affidavit testifying to said destruction.
7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; REMEDIES
.
A. VENDOR ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES
THAT VENDOR’S SOLE REMEDY AGAINST SUPPLIER ARISING FROM OR IN
CONNECTION WITH ANY BREACH OR FAILURE BY SUPPLIER TO MEET THE TERMS
OF THIS AGREEMENT, SHALL BE THOSE EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THE
DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND TERMINATION
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PROVISIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT. SUPPLIER DISCLAIMS
ANY AND ALL OTHER LIABILITIES OR REMEDIES WHATSOEVER AND VENDOR
HEREBY WAIVES ITS RIGHTS TO ALL OTHER REMEDIES
WHATSOEVER.
B. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE
CONTRARY, ALL LIABILITY ARISING UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER UNDER
THEORY OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, SHALL
BE LIMITED TO DIRECT, OBJECTIVELY MEASURABLE MONETARY DAMAGES.
NEITHER PARTY NOR THEIR SERVICE PROVIDERS OR SUPPLIERS, SHALL HAVE
ANY LIABILITY TO THE OTHER PARTY OR TO ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY
INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING
WITHOUT LIMITATION LOST PROFITS, LOSS OF PRODUCT, LOSS OF BUSINESS,
LOSS OF GOOD WILL OR REPUTATION, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS, OR COSTS
OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER UNDER THEORY OF CONTRACT,
TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY OR
OTHERWISE.
C. THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE
LIMITATIONS REFERENCED IN THIS SECTION ARE MATERIAL TERMS AND OF
THE ESSENCE TO THIS AGREEMENT.
D. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE
CONTRARY IN THIS SECTION 7: (i) THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF
SUPPLIER UNDER THIS AGREEMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED THE LESSER OF
(A) THE TOTAL AMOUNTS PAID BY VENDOR TO SUPPLIER HEREUNDER
DURING THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT THAT
GAVE RISE TO THE CLAIMS OR (B) ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS
($100,000.00); AND (ii) THE REMEDIES LIMITATIONS IN THIS
SECTION 7 SHALL NOT APPLY IN THE EVENT OF A BREACH BY VENDOR OF THE
NON-CIRCUMVENTION PROVISIONS SET FORTH IN SECTION 5.C
ABOVE.
8. TERMINATION . The following
termination rights are in addition to the termination rights that
may be provided elsewhere in the Agreement:
A. Without Cause . After the
Initial Term, either party may terminate this Agreement without
cause by giving the other party at least 90 days prior written
notice of such termination (“Termination Notice”)
before the end of any Extended Term.
B. For Cause . Either party
may terminate this Agreement at any time due to a material breach
by the other party by giving the breaching party a Termination
Notice stating the basis for such termination; provided, however,
Vendor may not so terminate if Supplier cures such breach within 90
days following receipt of Vendor’s Termination Notice.
Subject to said cure provision, the effective date of any such
termination-for-cause shall be the last day of the regular billing
cycle following receipt of the Termination Notice by the breaching
party.
9. INDEMNITIES .
A. Each party hereby agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless the other party and its parent,
subsidiary and affiliated entities, and its and their owners,
directors, officers, employees and representatives (collectively,
“Indemnitees”) from and against any and all claims,
actions,
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proceedings, liabilities, damages, judgments,
costs and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable
outside attorneys fees and legal costs, whether or not in
connection with litigation) (collectively, “Claims”)
arising out of or in connection with a material breach of this
Agreement by such party.
B. Vendor shall separately indemnify
Supplier and its Indemnitees in connection with any Claims relating
to: (i) any aspect of Vendor’s business or financial
dealings which do not directly involve Supplier; (ii) any use
by Vendor or any third party in connection with the services and/or
Products supplied by Supplier; (iii) any decisions made by
Vendor with respect to Vendor’s own computer system,
software, hardware and/or communications services; (iv) any
unauthorized use of or tampering with the Products; and
(v) any other matter whatsoever not otherwise arising in
connection with Supplier’s indemnity under the mutual
indemnity set forth above.
C. Vendor shall notify Supplier
promptly in the event of any Claim or threat thereof: (i) in
which Supplier and/or any of its Indemnitees is/are named;
(ii) involving the use of the Products as authorized in this
Agreement; or (iii) which would otherwise trigger the mutual
indemnification by Supplier hereunder. Supplier shall have the
unrestricted right and option, at any time, to undertake, assume
and conduct the defense, resolution, compromise or settlement of
any such claim, proceeding, action or threat, in which event Vendor
shall fully cooperate with and/or assist Supplier to the extent
Supplier requests such cooperation and/or assistance.
10. NOTICES . Any and all notices,
requests, demands and other communications which are required or
may be given under, or in connection with, this Agreement shall be
in writing and shall be deemed given when delivered in person or
when received if by telegraphic or other electronic means
(including, without limitation, telecopy or telex) or, if mailed,
three business days after being deposited in the United States
mail, certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, or if sent via
Federal Express or similar courier service, two days after being
deposited therewith, addressed to the party to whom it is to be
given at the address hereinafter specified:
If to Company:
American Telecom Service,
Inc.
1191 Huntington Drive, Suite
311
Duarte, CA 91010-24000
Attn: Mr. Corey
Fischer
Telephone:
Facsimile:
With a copy to:
Mr. Bruce Hahn
1425 Market Blvd.
Roswell, GA 30076
Telephone:
Facsimile: 770-518-1236
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If to Vendor:
Databyte Technology, Inc.
11836 Clark Street
Arcadia, CA 91006
Attn:
Telephone:
Facsimile:
Any party hereto may, by notice given as
provided herein, change the address to which, or the person to
whose attention, notices shall be given.
11. COUNTERPARTS . This Agreement may be
executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed
an original as against any party who has signed it and together
shall be deemed a fully executed and original Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties
hereto, intending to be legally bound hereby, have each executed
and entered into this Agreement as of the later of the two dates
written below.
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AMERICAN
TELECOM SERVICES, INC.
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DATABYTE
TECHNOLOGY, INC.
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By:
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By:
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