ANTIK
DENIM, LLC
LICENSE AGREEMENT
THIS
AGREEMENT entered
into by and between ANTIK DENIM, LLC, a California
limited liability company, having its principal office at
5804 E. Slauson Avenue, Commerce, California 90040
("Licensor") and NORTH STAR, LLC, a
California limited liability company having its principal
office at 433 South Spring Street, Suite 301, Los
Angeles, California 90013 ("Licensee") with reference to
the following recitals:
WHEREAS,
Licensor is the owner of certain
proprietary rights in and to the intellectual property (trademarks,
copyrights and pending patent) identified in Exhibit D (the
"Property"). Licensor desires to license the Property;
and
WHEREAS,
Licensee wishes to use the
"Property" upon and in connection with the manufacture, sale,
marketing and distribution of the products described in the
attached Exhibit A. The products described in the attached Exhibit
A on which or in connection with which Licensee uses the Property
shall hereinafter be referred to as "Licensed
Product(s)".
NOW,
THEREFORE, in
consideration of the mutual promises of this Agreement, the parties
agree as follows:
(a) Licensor grants to Licensee, subject to the
terms and conditions of this Agreement, and subject to Paragraph
1(b) below, the right within the Territory for those Licensed
Products on Exhibit A: (i) to use the Property upon the Licensed
Products described in the attached Exhibit A and in connection with
the Licensed Products' design, development, manufacture, sale,
marketing and distribution to the general wholesale and retail
trade; and (ii) to use the brand names copyrighted and/or
trademarked to Licensor to merchandise the Licensed Products.
Licensor reserves any rights, benefits and opportunities not
expressly granted to Licensee under this Agreement.
(b) Licensee shall have the immediate right to use
the Property in connection with the marketing, sale and
distribution of the Licensed Products within those countries in
which the Trademarks are presently registered or where applications
for registration are pending (as more fully set forth in
Exhibit E) (collectively "Registered Territory"). In the event
Licensee wishes to use the Property in connection with the
marketing, sale and/or distribution of the Licensed Products
outside of the Registered Territory, Licensee shall request
that Licensor register certain Trademarks in such territory.
Licensor, at its sole costs and expense, agrees to file an
application for registration of Trademarks in the requested
territory within thirty (30) days of receipt of Licensee's request,
and to respond to any trademark examiner's inquiries or
request for additional information within a timely
manner.
(c) In the event that Licensor is unable to register
a Trademark in a requested territory because of the prior existence
of a pending application or registration of that Trademark in the
requested territory (or any mark similar thereto or derivative
thereof) which is not owned by Licensor, then Licensor shall
immediately notify Licensee in writing and such inability to
register the Trademark shall not be deemed a breach of this
Agreement by Licensor; provided, however, that Licensor attempted
to file any such application for registration of the Trademark
within thirty (30) days of receipt of Licensee's request
therefore.
2.TERRITORY
(a) The license granted under this Agreement shall
be worldwide (the " Territory " ).
(b) In the event that Licensor fails to distribute
product within a "Key Economic Territory" within twenty-four (24)
months from the inception of this Agreement, Licensor shall
have the option to carve out such Key Economic Territory from
this Agreement, which action shall not be considered a breach
of this Agreement by Licensor and, further, which action shall have
no affect on the Minimum Guaranteed Royalties and Minimum
Guaranteed Net Sales requirements as set forth in this Agreement.
In the event that Licensor carves out any Key Economic Territory
from the Agreement pursuant to this Section 2(b), Licensor shall be
entitled to grant a license to a third party in such Key Economic
Territory under any terms and conditions that Licensor deems
appropriate under the circumstances. "Key Economic Territory" shall
be defined to mean any of the following countries: United States,
Japan, Korea, China, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, France,
Germany, Spain, Australia and Mexico.
(c) In the event that Licensor fails to distribute
product within a "Non-Key Economic Territory" within thirty (30)
months from the inception of this Agreement, Licensor
shall have the option to carve out such Non-Key Economic
Territory from this Agreement, which action shall not be
considered a breach of this Agreement by Licensor and, further,
which action shall have no affect on the Minimum Guaranteed
Royalties and Minimum Guaranteed Net Sales requirements as set
forth in this Agreement. In the event that Licensor carves out any
Non-Key Economic Territory from the Agreement pursuant to this
Section 2(c), Licensor shall be entitled to grant a license to a
third party in such Non-Key Economic Territory under any terms and
conditions that Licensor deems appropriate under the circumstances.
"Non-Key Economic Territory" shall be defined to mean any country
that is not defined as a Key Economic Territory in section 2(b)
above.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 2(b)
and (c) herein, Licensor shall only be entitled to carve out from
this Agreement any Key Economic Territory or Non-Key Economic
Territory if, at the time when such right accrues or at any time
thereafter when Licensor elects to exercise this right, other
products bearing the Property are being sold in such territory,
either by Licensor or under license to a third party.
3.TERM
(a) The parties agree that the term of this
Agreement commenced on October 1, 2006 and will extend for an
initial "First Term" of eighteen (18) months from October
1, 2006 through March 31, 2008 and will include four (4) one
(1)-year "Extended Terms", each of which
is subject to Licensee's achievement of Minimum Net Sales as
described below, unless this Agreement is earlier terminated
pursuant to the provisions hereof.
(b) Further Extensions of Term Beyond the Extended
Terms. Upon expiration of the last Extended Term, this Agreement
shall automatically renew for five (5) one (1) year renewal terms
(the "Renewal Terms"); provided, however, that Licensee shall not
have breached its obligations under Paragraph 4(c) of this
Agreement during the preceding final year of the Extended Term or
the immediately preceding Renewal Term, as the case may be, which
breach has not been cured within thirty (30) days of notice thereof
by Licensor. The Initial Term, Extended Terms and Renewal Terms are
collectively referred to herein as the "Term".
(a) Licensee shall pay to Licensor royalty
("Royalty" or "Royalties") in accordance with the schedule set
forth on Exhibit E hereto. Such Royalty shall be based on Net Sales
of the Licensed Products. Such Royalty shall accrue when the
Licensed Products are sold, distributed, billed and/or paid for,
whichever occurs earlier. "Net Sales" shall mean gross sales
(the gross invoice amount billed customers) of the Licensed
Products, less discounts, freight charges and allowances
actually shown on the invoice and, further, less any bona fide
returns (net of all returns actually made or allowed as supported
by credit memorandum actually issued to the customers) provided
such returns do not exceed ten percent (10%) of gross sales per
Calendar Year (for purposes of this section, a "Calendar Year"
shall mean the twelve month period commencing on April 1 and ending
on March 31 during each year of the Term, except for the First Term
as defined in Section 3(a), which shall commence on October 1, 2006
and shall end on March 31, 2008). Costs incurred in the
manufacturing, selling, advertising and distribution of the
Licensed Products shall not be deducted nor shall any deduction be
allowed for any uncollectible accounts or allowances. No deductions
shall be made for any discounts not reflected on the invoice(s), or
commissions, for taxes, fees, assessments, impositions,
payments or expenses of any kind which may be incurred or paid
by Licensee in connection with the transfer of funds or
royalties or with the conversion of any currency into United States
dollars.
(b) Royalty payments shall be made by Licensee to
Licensor on all Net Sales. With the exception of Licensed Products
sold as close-outs and irregulars as provided in
Paragraph 8(g),in the event that Licensee sells any or all of
the Licensed Products to any affiliate of Licensee, including,
without limitation, any individual(s), entity or entities in whole
or in part controlled by Licensee, or having any relationship,
contract or arrangement with Licensee with respect to any matter
which affects, or is affected by, this Agreement, the invoice price
used to determine Net Sales hereunder shall be the greater of
either (a) the highest wholesale price that Licensee receives for
such styles from independent third parties, or (b) the invoice
price at which the Licensed Products are resold by such individual
or entity to an unrelated customer in an arm's-length
transaction.
(c) Guaranteed Minimum Royalty:
Licensee agrees to pay to Licensor a
non-refundable "Guaranteed Minimum Royalty" listed below under
"Guarantee", payable in quarterly installments on or before thirty
(30) days following the end of each Royalty Period (as
defined below), with the Guaranteed Minimum Royalty for the
Initial Term payable upon execution of this Agreement, and
with the next installment of the Guaranteed Minimum Royalty due for
the quarter ending June 30, 2008. If, for any reason or no reason,
this Agreement is terminated prior to full application of the
payments as set forth below, within thirty (30) days following the
termination of this Agreement, Licensor shall deliver an
amount equal to the unused portion of any the Guaranteed Minimum
Royalty.
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ANNUAL
PERIOD
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GUARANTEE
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MINIMUM
NET
SALES
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10/01/06-
03/31/08
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04/01/08-
03/31/09
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04/01/09-
03/31/10
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04/01/10-
03/31/11
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04/01/11-
03/31/12
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(1)
Minimum Net Sales
- During the First Term and for
each of the Extended Terms, Licensee agrees to achieve "Minimum Net
Sales" which sales shall result in minimum earned royalties as
provided for in Paragraph 4 (c), which minimums shall equate the
Licensee's Guarantee Minimum Royalty for the basis for renewal of
the First Term and each of the Extended Terms. Licensee
acknowledges that failure to pay Guaranteed Minimum Royalties
would be a material breach of this Agreement and that failure
of Licensee to achieve a performance margin within ten percent
(10%) of the Minimum Net Sales is a material breach of this
Agreement.
(2) If pursuant to Paragraph 3(a), this Agreement is
extended beyond the fourth (4 th ) Extended Term, and
Licensee has not breached the terms and conditions of this
Agreement during the preceding term, Licensee agrees that (a) the
Guaranteed Minimum Royalty and Minimum Net Sales for any year
thereafter shall increase by ten percent (10%) over the
immediately preceding year. The Guaranteed Minimum Royalty for
each year following the fourth (4 th ) Extended Term
will be calculated based on the proper ratio of ten percent (10%)
of Minimum Net Sales.
(3) If upon termination or expiration of this
Agreement the Royalties paid and/or payable by Licensee to Licensor
during the Royalty Period is less than the Guaranteed Minimum
Royalty for such Royalty Period, Licensee shall pay such difference
to Licensor; provided, however, if this Agreement is terminated due
to Licensor's default, in addition to any rights and remedies
available to Licensee, Licensee shall only be responsible for
Royalties earned under Paragraph 4 hereof up to the date of
termination of this Agreement. Royalty payments shall be credited
against the Guaranteed Minimum Royalty. In the event that during
any Term, Extended Term or Renewal (if Renewal is
included, the actual payments for Royalties under Paragraph 4
hereof exceed the Guarantee with respect to that Term, no further
Guaranteed Minimum Royalty Payments need be made for such
Term.
(d) Licensor may impose a charge on all overdue
payments at a rate equal to the lesser of one and one-half percent
(1 I /2%) per month or the maximum rate allowed by
law, without prejudice to any other rights of Licensor under this
Agreement.
(e) All of Licensee's obligations under this
Paragraph 4 shall be performed without any right of Licensee to
invoke set-offs, deductions and other similar rights.
5. ROYALTY
PAYMENT AND REPORTING
(a) Licensee shall pay the royalties based upon Net
Sales in quarterly periods ending on the last days of June,
September, December and March. Payments shall be received
by Licensor on or before the thirty (30) day period after the
end of each quarterly period (the "Royalty Period"). The last
Royalty Period shall end on the last day of the Term, and the
Sell-Off Period (as defined below), if any, shall be
considered its own Royalty Period. At the time of payment,
Licensee will also furnish to Licensor by way of electronic
reporting forms, to be furnished by Licensor, all required
information as requested on the electronic reporting forms (whether
or not the sale of Licensed Products are subject to a royalty
during the immediately preceding Royalty Period)
and statements of other information as the electronic forms
may require. Such electronic statements shall be furnished to
the Licensor whether or not any Licensed Products have been
shipped, distributed and/or sold and whether or not actual
royalties have been earned during the preceding Royalty Period.
Royalty statements will be certified true and correct by a duly
authorized officer of Licensee if Licensee is a corporation or by a
principal of Licensee if Licensee is a partnership or sole
proprietor by submitting a hard copy to Licensor or by electronic
signature via the Internet. Licensee shall follow instructions
in Paragraph 25 of this Agreement for proper method of reporting
electronic royalty statements. All payments to Licensor, as
required by this Paragraph will be addressed to Licensor at the
address provided in Paragraph 25. Neither the expiration nor the
termination of this Agreement shall relieve Licensee from its
royalty payment obligations.
(b) All amounts to be paid by Licensee to Licensor
under this Agreement shall be payable in United States currency
according to a method directed by Licensor (including by electronic
transfer) without deduction for taxes (including withholding
taxes), levies, duties, imports, commissions, expenses or charges
of any kind.
(c) Neither the receipt nor acceptance by Licensor
of any royalty payment or royalty statement shall prevent Licensor
from subsequently challenging the accuracy or validity of such
payment or statement.
(d) During the term of this Agreement and for at
least two (2) years following the termination or expiration of this
Agreement, Licensee shall maintain at Licensee's principal office
such books and records including but not limited to production,
inventory and sales records (collectively "Books and Records") as
are necessary to substantiate that (i) all statements submitted to
Licensor hereunder were true, complete and accurate, (ii) all
royalties and other payments due Licensor hereunder shall have been
paid to Licensor in accordance with the provisions of this
Agreement, and (iii) no payments have been made, directly or
indirectly, by or on behalf of Licensee to or for the benefit
of any Licensor employee or agent who may reasonably be expected to
influence Licensor's decision to enter this Agreement or the amount
to be paid by Licensee under this Agreement. (As used in this
Paragraph, "payment" shall include money, property, services, and
all other forms of consideration.) All Books and Records shall be
maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles consistently applied. During the term of, and for two
(2) years after the termination or expiration of this Agreement,
the Books and Records shall be open to inspection, audit and
copy by or on behalf of Licensor during business hours, and upon
reasonable notice which shall not be less than ten (10) business
days. If any such audit reveals a discrepancy between the royalties
owed Licensor and the royalties Licensee paid, Licensee shall pay
such discrepancy, plus interest calculated at the lesser of one and
one-half percent (1 1 /2%) per month or the
maximum rate allowed by law. If such discrepancy is more than
fifteen percent (15%), Licensee shall reimburse Licensor upon
demand for the cost of such audit including any reasonable
attorneys' fees in connection therewith. If any such audit reveals
that Licensee has paid to Licensor an overpayment of royalties,
Licensor shall pay such discrepancy, plus interest calculated at
the lesser of one and one-half percent (1 1 /2%) per
month or the maximum rate allowed by law. If such discrepancy is
more than fifteen percent (15%), Licensor shall reimburse Licensee
for any reasonable attorneys' fees in connection
therewith.
6. MARKETING
AND DISTRIBUTION
(a) Any promotional material proposed to be used in
solicitation or marketing efforts must have the prior approval of
Licensor in accordance with the procedures in Paragraph 8. For
purposes of this Section 6(a), the following items shall not be
deemed promotional materials: (a) items associated with Licensee's
corporate identification, such as business cards, letterhead,
invoices; (b) line sheets used internally by Licensee's sales
force; (c) look books created for use by Licensee's sales and
marketing departments, but not intended for distribution to
retailers or consumers; and (d) press kits consisting of press
clippings, tear sheets, copies of advertisements, etc.
(b) Licensee shall diligently and continuously
market and distribute the Licensed Products in the Territory and
will use its best efforts to make and maintain adequate
arrangements for the marketing and distribution necessary to meet
the demand for the Licensed Products in the Territory.
(c) Licensee agrees to use its best efforts to
produce quantities of the Licensed Products sufficient to supply
promptly the reasonably foreseeable demand for the Licensed
Products.
(d) If after one (1) year, Licensee or its
sub-licensees has failed to distribute any of: (i) the Exclusive
Licensed Products, (ii) the Price-Point Products at the specified
Price Points on Exhibit A, or (iii) the Exclusive Distribution
Licensed Products at the Distribution Channels specified in Exhibit
A, then such exclusivity grant with respect to the product, price
point or distribution channel shall become non-exclusive. Licensee
and its sub-licensees may continue to design, develop, manufacture,
sell, market, and distribute any such Licensed Products on a
non-exclusive basis, to fulfill that particular product, price
point or distribution channel that has become non-exclusive by
virtue of this provision and Licensor and its third party licensees
will have all rights to design, develop, manufacture, sell, market
and distribute on a non-exclusive basis any such Licensed Products
that Licensee previously held which became non-exclusive by virtue
of this provision.
7. SALE OF LICENSED PRODUCTS TO LICENSOR
(a) Licensee agrees to sell to Licensor the
Licensed Products in such quantities, as Licensor may need in
connection with its retail activities. All sales by Licensee to
Licensor of Licensed Product(s) shall be on terms at least as good
as those given by Licensee to any of its customers such that the
Licensor can purchase the Licensed Product(s) from the Licensee at
a price never to exceed the lowest price offered to any other
customer of the Licensee and on such other terms that are as
good as the most favorable terms given to any other customers of
the Licensee.
(a)
Purpose of Quality
Control.
In order to maintain the quality reputation of
the Property, all Licensed Products and promotional or packaging
material relating to the Licensed Products must have Licensor's
approval, not to be unreasonably withheld.
(b)
Design/Concept
Approval.
Licensee shall submit to Licensor for approval,
not to be unreasonably withheld, pre-production submittals
consisting of concepts, designs, line drawings or sketches
and finished artwork, as the case may be, with respect to any
proposed Licensed Products or promotional or packaging
material relating to the Licensed Products ("Concept
Submittal(s)"). Once Licensor has approved the concept for a
Licensed Product, Licensee shall be entitled to create prototypes
which Licensee may then use to solicit orders for such
Licensed Products. Licensee shall not manufacture, or distribute
any promotional or packaging material relating to the Licensed
Products before obtaining Licensor's approval of Concept Submittals
for each such Licensed Product. If Licensor fails to
communicate its approval or disapproval of any Concept Submittal
within five (5) days after receipt of Licensee's submission,
Licensor shall be deemed to have disapproved such Concept
Submittal.
(c)
Pre-Production
Approvals.
Licensee shall submit to Licensor for approval,
not to be unreasonably withheld, printed or embroidered strike-off
or pre-production samples for any proposed Licensed Products
("Sample Submittal(s)"). Licensee shall not manufacture, or
distribute any Licensed Products before obtaining Licensor's
approval of the Sample Submittals for each such item. If Licensor
fails to disapprove any Sample Submittal within five (5) days after
receipt of Licensee's submission, Licensor shall be deemed to
approve such Sample Submittal.
Licensee shall maintain the same quality in the
Licensed Products and promotional and packaging material relating
to the Licensed Products produced as in the Sample Submittals
approved by Licensor. Upon commencement of manufacture and
distribution of the
Licensed Products and/or promotional and
packaging material relating to said Licensed Products after all
required approvals have been given by Licensor, Licensee shall
submit, at its own cost, three (3) sets of the production samples
of the Licensed Products and/or promotional and packaging material
to Licensor. In the event that a Licensed Product is produced in
more than one color or finish, then Licensee shall provide at least
one production sample of each color and/or finish, but in no event
shall Licensee provide less than three production samples of any
particular Licensed Product. If the Licensed Product(s) and/or
promotional and packaging material utilize third party participant
artwork, three (3) additional production samples are required for
the participant, which may be comprised of assorted colors
and/or finishes. Licensor may, from time to time, request
that Licensee submit to Licensor, at Licensee's cost, up to
six (3) additional sets of production samples of any Licensed
Products and/or promotional and packaging material, which Licensee
shall submit, provided, however, that Licensee has any such
additional production samples available.
If during the term of this Agreement there is to
be any change in the Licensed Products or the promotional or
packaging material relating to the Licensed Products after the
approval of production samples, Licensee must comply with the
provisions of Paragraph 8(b) and Paragraph 8(c) for such Licensed
Product or material before its manufacture, sale, marketing or
distribution, as the case may be.
(f)
Licensee's Production
Facilities.
Licensee agrees to furnish Licensor promptly
with the addresses of Licensee's production facilities for the
Licensed Products and the names and addresses of the persons or
entities, if any, which are manufacturing each of the Licensed
Products for Licensee. Licensor shall have the right upon
reasonable notice to Licensee, during regular business hours, at
its own expense to inspect any production facilities where any
Licensed Products are being manufactured for the purpose of
enabling Licensor to determine whether Licensee is adhering to the
requirements of this Agreement relating to the nature and
quality of the Licensed Products and the use of the Property in
connection therewith. For purposes of this provision, manufacturing
shall be deemed to mean the process of screenprinting, engraving,
decorating or any other process used by the manufacturer, to apply
or attach the Property to Licensed Products, and to trims such as
buttons, hangtags and labels. It would not include: major
assembly processes such as cutting and sewing, laundry and
finishing processes.
(g)
Close-Outs,
Imperfect,
Irregulars or Second Quality Items.
Licensee shall have the right to sell and
distribute Licensed Products which are close-outs, overruns,
imperfect, irregular or second quality through such outlets and in
such manner as Licensee may reasonably determine; provided,
however, that such products shall be limited to ten percent
(10%) in the aggregate (i.e., 5% for close-outs/overruns and 5% for
imperfect, irregular or second quality items)of first quality sales
(measured in number of units sold), reconciled on an annual basis,
and, in the case of imperfect, irregular or second quality items,
that Licensee shall remove or deface labels, tags and other
packaging which bears or identifies the Property prior to
the sale thereof and provided further that Licensee shall
notify Licensor as to the retailers selected for the disposition of
merchandise. The royalty payable to Licensor in respect of such
products shall be two and one/fourth percent (2.25%) during
the First Term and five percent (5%) during any Extended or Renewal
Term, which shall be deemed the "Royalty" for such
products.
(h)
Damaged, Defective or
Non-Approved Items.
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