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Exhibit
10.61
AVIS RENT A CAR SYSTEM,
INC.
SYSTEM LICENCE
AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT , made this 22nd
day of October 1986 between Avis Rent A Car System, Inc., a
Delaware corporation, with principal offices at 900 Old Country
Road, Garden City, Long Island, New York, hereinafter called
“Licensor”, and Avis Europe plc an English company, of
Avis House, Station Road, Bracknell, Berks, hereinafter called
“Licensee”.
WITNESSETH
Whereas, Licensor is the exclusive owner
of, and has the right to use and to license others to use, a plan
or system for conducting the business of renting and leasing motor
vehicles, with or without drivers, hereinafter called
“vehicle rental business”, which plan or system
consists, among other things, of uniform methods of operation,
accounting, advertising service and publicity, courtesy and credit
card service, kind and amount of insurance protection, method of
procuring insurance protection and equipment, style and character
of equipment, furnishings and appliances used in the conduct of a
system generally known as Avis Rent a Car System and sometimes
referred to hereinafter as the “System”; and
Whereas, Licensee is desirous of
obtaining a licence to use the System in the conduct of a vehicle
rental business and to sub-license the System to others in the area
hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the
sum of $1 and of the mutual covenants contained herein, it is
agreed by and between the parties hereto as follows:
1.1 Licensor hereby grants to the
Licensee, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, an exclusive
licence to use the System, and to grant to sub-licensees
(“Sub-licensees”) sub-licences for the use of the
System, and to permit Sub-licensees to grant sub-licences for the
use of the System, in the conduct of a vehicle rental business in
that part of the world bounded to the west of the Greenwich
Meridian by a line running from the north pole to the south pole
along 30 degrees of longitude (but including that part of the
Azores and Greenland which lies to the west of such line) and to
the east of the Greenwich Meridian by a line running from the north
pole to the south pole along 60 degrees of longitude (but including
that part of the USSR and Iran which lies to the east of such line)
excluding Madagascar and the continent of Africa which lies to the
west of the Suez canal and the Red Sea (“the
Territory”);
1.2 This licence commences on
5 November 1986 and terminates on 30 November
2036.
1.3 During the term of this agreement,
Licensor covenants that it will not grant a licence to use the
System in the conduct of a vehicle rental business in the Territory
to anyone other than Licensee and that it will not itself conduct a
vehicle rental business within the Territory.
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| 2. |
LICENSOR’S RIGHTS IN SYSTEM |
Licensee recognises and acknowledges
without any limitation or reservation of any kind or nature
Licensor’s interest in and exclusive right to the System as
described above, and to all parts thereof, including, without
limitation, all bulletins or procedures and supplements thereto and
all forms set forth or described from time to time therein, and all
forms, advertising matter and devices from time to time used as a
part of, in connection with, or applicable to the System, and
Licensee further recognises and acknowledges the exclusive right of
Licensor to grant this licence and to grant licences to others to
use the System in the conduct of a vehicle rental business.
Licensee does hereby accept this licence, and does covenant and
agree to conduct a vehicle rental business only within the
Territory, including airports, ports and railroad stations therein
and only in accordance with the methods, rules and regulations of
the System as now constituted, or as the same may from time to time
be changed or amended as provided herein.
| 3. |
GENERAL INDEMNIFICATION PROVISIONS |
3.1 All claims for indemnification under
this Agreement in respect of any third party claim shall be
asserted and resolved as provided in this
Section 3.
3.2 In the event that any third party
claim or demand (a “Claim”) for which either party
(“Indemnitor”) may be liable under this Agreement to
indemnify the other party (“Indemnitee”) is asserted
against or sought to be collected from Indemnitee, Indemnitee shall
as promptly as practicable inform Indemnitor in writing of the
Claim, and shall provide such details of the Claim (including
amount, if known) and any documents relating thereto as are then
available to it (the “Claim Notice”). The failure on
the part of Indemnitee to give a Claim Notice promptly shall not
relieve the Indemnitor of any. indemnification obligations
hereunder unless, and then only to the extent that, the Indemnitor
is materially prejudiced thereby.
3.3 The Indemnitor shall have 15 days
from delivery of the Claim Notice (the “Notice Period”)
to inform Indemnitee whether or not it desires to conduct the
defence of the Claim, in which case Indemnitor shall, at its sole
cost and expense, have the right to defend Indemnitee by
appropriate proceedings and by counsel reasonably acceptable to
Indemnitee and shall have the sole power to direct and control such
defence; provided that Indemnitee may participate in such
defence at its sole cost and expense.
3.4 Indemnitee shall not settle a Claim
for which it is indemnified by Indemnitor unless Indemnitor does
not defend Indemnitee against such Claim, except that Indemnitee
shall have the sole right to defend, settle or compromise a Claim
with respect to which it has waived its right to indemnification
pursuant to this Agreement.
3.5 If Indemnitor does not serve notice
under Section 3.3 during the Claim Period, Indemnitee may take
such steps as are reasonable to defend itself against a Claim and
to settle or compromise such Claim.
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3.6 Unless Indemnitee agrees (such
agreement not to be unreasonably withheld) Indemnitor may settle or
compromise actions and consent to entry of judgments only on terms
providing for the delivery of the claimant or plaintiff of a duly
executed written unconditional release of Indemnitee from all
liability in respect of such action.
3.7 During the Notice Period, Indemnitee
may, without prejudicing its right to indemnification, take
reasonable actions to preserve all and any rights with respect to
the subject matter of a Claim notified to Indemnitor.
3.8 Indemnitee will provide all
assistance and access to all documents and personnel reasonably
required by Indemnitor in connection with the Defence of any
Claim.
Licensee covenants and
agrees:
| 4.1 |
Liability Insurance and Indemnity |
(a) To provide or use its
reasonable endeavours to procure that its Sub-licensees agree to
provide bodily injury and property damage liability insurance in
each country within the Territory in at least the minimum legal
amount for such country or the amount extended to customers in such
country by companies of similar international stature, whichever is
the greater. In addition to the renter, such insurance shall
protect as an insured, Licensee, the appropriate Sub-licensee,
Licensor, its parent, subsidiaries and affiliates, members of the
renter’s immediate family, and his employer and employees
where authorised by the renter to use the motor vehicle rented. It
shall be a violation of this Agreement for Licensee to rent
vehicles without providing insurance in the amounts which it has so
notified Licensor it is providing. Licensee shall also procure that
insurance is made available in the type and in the minimum amounts
specified in agreements entered into by Licensor with certain
corporate customers and to which Licensee agrees in
writing.
(b) At its option, when and
on the terms and conditions of the program then offered to Licensee
by Licensor, to pay the stipulated amount (the “DIC”
charge) for bodily injury and property damage liability insurance
coverage relating to claims, suits or proceedings, instituted and
maintained outside of the Territory but which arise, in whole or in
part, from accidents, events, incidents or transactions occurring
in the Territory or involving a vehicle owned by Licensee. Licensor
shall advise Licensee in writing promptly at the beginning of each
fiscal year during which the program will be available to Licensee
of the amount of such charge. Such amount shall, if Licensee has
opted to participate in the program, be paid to Licensor within
thirty (30) days after receipt by Licensee of Licensor’s
notice of the amount to be paid. It is specifically agreed that
Licensee is not paying a premium nor is Licensee buying
insurance.
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(c) To indemnify and save
Licensor, its parent, subsidiaries and affiliates, harmless from
all loss, cost, liability and expense, including attorney’s
fees, incurred in connection with or arising out of the operation
of Licensee’s businesses unless caused by the acts of
Licensor, its agents or servants. Licensor, when defending any
suits or claims which would be covered by the indemnity by Licensee
shall consult with Licensee on such defence and shall not settle
any suit or claim without the prior consent or Licensee.
(d) So long as Licensee shall
perform and carry out all the terms, covenants, conditions and
provisions of this License Agreement, and shall exercise its option
to pay the DIC charge as provided above, Licensee shall be relieved
of any obligation to indemnify and save harmless in connection with
any claim, suit or proceeding instituted and maintained outside the
Territory and which would normally be covered by the insurance
maintained by Licensee as provided in Section 4.1(a) had such
claim, suit or proceeding been instituted and maintained within the
Territory.
| 4.2 |
Release from Liability |
To provide each person renting a
vehicle, members of his immediate family, and renter’s
employer and employees operating such vehicle with renter’s
permission, without extra charge with an automatic release from all
liability of any of such persons for damage to the rented vehicle
caused by collision or upset in excess of such amount as Licensee
may specify or fire, theft, casualty or other perils normally
protected against by a comprehensive physical damage insurance
policy. In addition, Licensee shall unless prohibited by local law
make available to the renter at such rate as Licensee may specify,
an automatic release from all such damages without
limitation.
To use at the time of renting of a
vehicle, a Rental Agreement which complies with the guidelines
established in accordance with Section 6.
| 4.4 |
Conduct of Licensee’s Business |
To conduct the vehicle rental business
under this Agreement in a businesslike manner and in compliance
with all the applicable laws, rules and regulations appertaining
thereto, and with all bulletins, directives by letter and
instructions contained in Avis System Station or Licensee Manual or
other manuals which may from time to time be issued by Licensor
respecting the conduct by Licensees of the vehicle rental business
(to the extent that such bulletins, directives and instructions are
binding on Licensee under Section 6); to maintain the premises
in a clean, safe and orderly manner so that they will at all times
present a neat appearance; to keep all motor vehicles used by
Licensee in the conduct of the vehicle rental business in a safe,
efficient and presentable condition and in first class mechanical
and running order, and to use in the conduct of its transient rent
a car operations passenger cars of the current or next preceding
model year only, consistent with past practice.
| 4.5 |
Inspection by Licensor |
To permit Licensor, at all reasonable
times during business hours, to inspect the Licensee’s
business premises and all parts thereof and to inspect the motor
vehicles and to examine and audit any or all of the bo
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