EXHIBIT 10.1
“*************” DENOTES
MATERIAL THAT HAS BEEN OMITTED PURSUANT TO A REQUEST FOR
CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT UNDER RULE 24b-2 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED.
LICENSE AGREEMENT
D05184
This license agreement (this "
Agreement "), which is effective upon the Commencement Date,
as defined in Section 1(e) below, is by and between Marvel
Characters, Inc., a Delaware corporation with an office at 9242
Beverly Boulevard, Suite 350, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(“ Marvel ”) and, solely with respect to
characters based on movies and television shows featuring
Spider-Man and produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
(“ Spider-Man Movie Characters ”), Spider-Man
Merchandising L.P. with an office at 417 Fifth Avenue, Mezzanine,
New York, NY 10016 (the “ LP ” and, together
with Marvel, “ Licensor ”), on the one hand, and
the party identified below (" Licensee ") on the
other.
1.
BASIC INFORMATION
AND TERMS
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(a)
Licensee:
Hasbro, Inc.
1027
Newport Avenue
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
02862
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Attention: Brian Goldner
Tel:
401-727-5202
Fax:
Email: bgoldner@hasbro.com
With
a copy to: Barry Nagler, Esq.
Tel:
401-727-5008
Fax:
401-727-5121
Email: bnagler@hasbro.com
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Numbered
Section
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(b)
Characters :
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All
Marvel Classic Characters. “Classic” Characters
refers to the embodiment of the Marvel characters as originally
conceived in the comic books and widely known to the popular
imagination through successive classic (i.e., faithful in
appearance and characterization to the original comic books)
interpretations in comic books, films, TV animation, video games
and other media. The Classic designation includes all
Marvel’s current classic (non-media) style guides (and future
versions thereof) including, for example, Classic Spider-Man,
Classic X-Men and Classic Hulk as well as Marvel Retro, Marvel
Heroes and Marvel Extreme style guides, but specifically excludes
Marvel Babies as well as all Marvel/LP Entertainment Properties
(i.e., media style guides based on films, live-action TV and/or
animation).
Marvel Super Hero Kids (formerly known as Spider-Man and
Friends ) pre-school interpretation of the Marvel Universe as
conceived and illustrated in the Marvel Super Hero Kids style guide
and current Toy Biz Marvel Super Hero Kids pre-school toy line.
All
Marvel Movie Characters to the extent the applicable
merchandising rights are owned and/or controlled by Marvel and/or
the LP, subject to any applicable third-party restrictions (for
example, restrictions on likeness rights due to cast talent
agreements vis-à-vis specific Marvel live-action movies).
All rights to use Marvel Movie Characters as they appear in
motion pictures, television productions or productions in other
media are subject to agreements between Marvel or the LP and third
parties (including, but not limited to, talent and studios)
relating to such productions; however, Marvel and the LP shall use
commercially reasonable efforts to obtain from such third parties
all rights necessary for Licensee to fully exploit the rights
granted hereunder at no further expense to Licensee. If
Licensee wishes to use any Marvel Movie Characters other than those
characters in Marvel’s style guide and other than in the form
contained in the style guide, then Licensee shall do so only with
Marvel’s prior written approval, and Licensee shall be
responsible for any required third-party clearances.
All
Marvel Animated and Live-Action Television Characters to the
extent the applicable merchandising rights are owned and/or
controlled by Marvel and/or the LP, and subject to any applicable
third-party restrictions (as above). All rights to use Marvel
Animated and Live Action Television Characters as they appear in
animation or television productions are subject to agreements
between Marvel or the LP and third parties (including, but not
limited to, talent and studios) relating to such productions;
however, Marvel and the LP shall use commercially reasonable
efforts to obtain from such third parties all rights necessary for
Licensee to fully exploit the rights granted hereunder at no
further expense to Licensee. If Licensee wishes to use any
Marvel Animated and Live Action Television Characters other than
those characters in Marvel’s style guide and other than in
the form contained in the style guide, then Licensee shall do so
only with Marvel’s prior written approval, and Licensee shall
be responsible for any required third-party clearances.
Note: Marvel Movie Characters and Marvel Animated and Live
Action Television Characters are collectively “Marvel/LP
Entertainment Properties”.
Note: Properties which are not incorporated into and are primarily
kept separate and apart from the Marvel Universe are excluded from
this Agreement. The “Marvel Universe” shall
mean:
(i)
all
characters whose visual image and description are contained in the
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe as it may be expanded from
time to time, in any successor reference work, or in any other
reference material identified by Marvel;
(ii)
all
characters whose visual image and description are intended by
Marvel to be included in future editions of the handbook or
successor work described in clause (i) of this sentence; and
(iii)
all
characters whose first appearance was in a media production based
primarily on any of the characters described in clause (i) of this
sentence.
Marvel confirms to Licensee as of the date of signing this
Agreement that, to the best of Marvel’s knowledge, no
agreements with third parties with respect to the theatrical
releases tentatively entitled Ghost Rider , Spider-Man
3 and Fantastic Four 2 place limits on Licensee’s
exercise of its rights hereunder, or require royalty or other
payments in addition to those set forth specifically herein, with
respect to the use of characters appearing in those releases.
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2
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(c)
Licensed Categories :
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1)
Action Figures
: All toy “action
figures” in all sizes in all plastic (e.g. pvc/abs) or other
similar synthetic materials or combination of materials, with or
without batteries or other electronics (but excluding plush,
porcelain and resin, as that term is generally understood in the
collectible toy industry) as this category is generally understood
within the boy’s action segment of the toy industry on the
date hereof together with all related accessories (weapons,
vehicles, playsets etc.) conceived, designed, marketed and sold for
interaction with such action figures (for example, Spider-Man
action figures with Spider-Man motor-cycle designed and built to
scale).
Note : For the avoidance of doubt, construction
toys and modular playsets, magnetic toys, wooden toys, collectible
gift figurines (i.e., collectible statues, busts, dioramas,
sculpts, etc.), plastic models and model kits, figural novelty
items (e.g. Kubricks, Mini-Mates, Little Big Heads, Tomy Capsule
Collectibles), die-cast toys (except for the Titanium range) and
figure-inclusive strategy/tactics games (e.g. Hero Clix), except
for Attacktix game, are not included in the Licensed Categories.
Note : For the avoidance of doubt, the
following items are not “Action Figures” for the
purposes hereof and Licensee accepts and understands that Licensor
has on-going licenses in each of these business segments, which
shall continue throughout the Term:
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girls’ dolls (for example,
Barbie, Amazing Amanda)
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collectible action figures, statues,
busts and dioramas (for example, Diamond Select, Bowen, Hard
Heroes, Sideshow, Corgi etc).
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micro-figurine playsets (scaled for
below 3 inches) (for example, Auto Kit)
-
construction toys and figures (for
example, Mega Bloks, Lego)
-
magnetic toys and figures (for
example, Magnetix, GeoMag)
-
modular playsets with figures (for
example, Playmobil, Famosa Marvel Heroes)
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novelty figures (for example,
Mini-Mates, Kubriks, Little Big Heads, Bobble-Heads)
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plush figures (for example, Russ
Berrie, Kelly Toys, Thinkway)
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figure-based or figure-inclusive
board and/or strategy & tactics games (for example, Playmates
Battle Dice, Whiz Kids Hero Clix)
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micro (below 3 inches) figurines
(for example, Bullyland, Tomy/Bandai Capsule
Collectibles)
-
micro (below 3 inches) figurines for
premiums (for example, QSR premiums, micro-figurines inside of
food/chocolate)
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figural room guards, banks, clocks,
walkie-talkies, radios, hard candy, novelty candy (e.g. Spinners),
confectionary and other non-action-toy devices or
objects.
2)
Marvel Super Hero Kids
Pre-School Figures ,
including related accessories and vehicles and related 3D
pre-school play-sets designed and built to scale.
3)
Puzzles
: (i) Traditional two-dimensional
(2D) cardboard and foam puzzles in all shapes, piece counts and
sizes and (ii) cardboard and foam three-dimensional (3D) puzzles
(i.e. Wrebbit, Puzz3D) as may be mutually agreed upon by the
parties.
4)
Board Games
: (i) Traditional
children’s, family and all-age board games in
Licensee’s proprietary brands (for example, "Monopoly",
"Life", "Risk", "Candy Land", "Operation", "Trivial Pursuit",
"Clue", "Scrabble", “Heroscape”), in themed editions,
as well as (ii) similar traditional non-proprietary-branded
children’s, family and all-age board games as may be mutually
agreed upon by the parties.
5)
Non-Costume/Non-Dress Up
Action and Role-Play Weapons and Accessories
: child-sized pretend-play wearable
accessories, which embody and/or emulate key powers and/or
re-produce key accessories of Marvel Super Heroes.
a.
Note : By way of example, this Licensed Category
would include Spider-Man Web Blasters, Hulk Hands and Thing Feet
(embodiment of powers). Other examples could include, for instance,
a Thor hammer or Captain America shield (re-produce key
accessories).
b.
Note : All Non-Costume/Non-Dress Up Action and
Role-Play Articles must be composed of not less than seventy
percent (70%) plastic.
c.
Note : For the avoidance of doubt, this Licensed
Category does not cover all weapons (e.g. laser tag, water guns),
non-action Role Play ****************************************
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***** and/or outdoor toys in general.
6)
“Titanium”
Die-Cast Figures and Vehicles , i.e., the existing Hasbro die-cast toy line of
this name, as well as substantially similar variations and
extensions thereof which maintain the existing distinctive
chrome/metallic finish (mono-painted or non-painted).
7)
“Attacktix” Figure
Tactics Game , i.e.,
the existing Hasbro figure-based strategy and tactics tabletop game
of this name, as well as substantially similar variations and
extensions thereof.
Note on QSR premiums: Licensee
acknowledges and understands that Licensor generally does not
control promotional rights to Marvel/LP Entertainment Properties
and therefore to third-party promotional/tie-in activities and the
associated premiums which may accompany or be a part of such
promotional activities. With respect to quick-service-restaurant
(“QSR”) promotions, Licensor shall use commercially
reasonable and good-faith efforts to consult with Licensee on the
premiums considered for use in Marvel/LP Entertainment Properties
QSR promotions and attempt to influence the choice of such premiums
to non-action-figure-type executions.
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3(a)
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(d)
Territory/
Channels of
Distribution :
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(i) Territory : Worldwide, excluding
Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea.
(ii) Channels of Distribution :
All Channels of Distribution.
1.
Internet: may only be sold or shipped within the
territory specified in Section 1(d) (i)
2.
Home Shopping: Subject to Section 13(a)
3. Direct Sales method, including Internet direct
sales: may only be sold or shipped within the Territory specified
in Section 1(d)(i)
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3(b)
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(e)
Term :
Commencement Date:
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The
first date on which (i) this Agreement has been fully executed and
(ii) the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Anti-Trust
Improvements Act has terminated with respect hereto.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the sale and/or distribution of
Licensed Articles hereunder may begin, and the provisions of this
Agreement to do with exclusivity shall apply, only with respect to
retail sales occurring on and after January 1, 2007.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this
Agreement, no manufacture, sale or distribution of Licensed
Articles by Licensee prior to January 1, 2007 shall violate this
Agreement as long as such activity is with respect to retail sales
occurring after January 1, 2007 and, more particularly, is
conducted according to the following schedule:
(i)
sales (wholesale) to be made no earlier than six (6) months before
January 1, 2007;
(ii)
manufacturing to be performed no earlier than six (6) months before
January 1, 2007; and
(iii)
shipment to begin no earlier than two (2) months before January 1,
2007;
but
where one of the parties informs the other that variations from the
dates in clauses (i) through (iii) of this sentence would be
reasonable under the circumstances, the parties shall negotiate in
good faith on the subject of whether the requested variation should
be made.
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3(c)
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Expiration Date:
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December 31, 2011 (subject to extension as set forth in Section
3(c) hereof). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained in this Agreement, no manufacture, sale or distribution
of articles utilizing the Property in Licensee’s exclusive
Licensed Categories by parties other than Licensee prior to the
Expiration Date (as it may be extended) shall violate this
Agreement as long as such activity is with respect to retail sales
occurring after the Expiration Date (as it may be extended) and,
more particularly, is conducted according to the following
schedule:
(i)
sales (wholesale) to be made no earlier than six (6) months before
the Expiration Date (as it may be extended);
(ii)
manufacturing to be performed no earlier than six (6) months before
the Expiration Date (as it may be extended); and
(iii)
shipment to begin no earlier than two (2) months before the
Expiration Date (as it may be extended);
but
where one of the parties informs the other that variations from the
dates in clauses (i) through (iii) of this sentence would be
reasonable under the circumstances, the parties shall negotiate in
good faith on the subject of whether the requested variation should
be made.
Licensor agrees that development activities for Licensed Articles
may begin upon full execution hereof.
The
Term may be extended, with respect to Spider-Man 4 Movie Licensed
Articles, and otherwise as set forth in Section 3(c) hereof.
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(f)
Exclusive/
Non-Exclusive :
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Notwithstanding the overall non-exclusive nature of this Agreement,
Licensor agrees that so long as Licensee is not in material and
uncured default under this Agreement, Licensor shall not, during
the Term as it may be extended and in the Territory, grant to any
third party, nor shall it or any of its affiliates utilize, the
right to sell, distribute or otherwise exploit the Property (to the
extent that the Property continues to be licensed hereunder) in
Licensed Categories #1 (Action Figures) and #5
(Non-Costume/Non-Dress Up Action and Role Play Weapons and
Accessories) in the Channels of Distribution.
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3(a)
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(g)
Royalty Rate :
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Note : For all sales by Licensee directly to consumers,
including any sales through Licensee-owned retail stores (web-based
or traditional), each of the following Royalty Rates shall be
reduced by *******(e.g., ******** becomes*****) and “Net
Sales” shall mean the invoiced consumer retail price.
A.
For sales by Licensee (or its Affiliates, as defined in
Section 5(a)(i)) to parties other than
******************************, and credited against
advance/guarantee payments made hereunder:
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B.
For sales by Licensee (or its Affiliates) to
**************************
************************, and credited against advance/guarantee
payments made hereunder:
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5(a)
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(h)
Minimum Royalty Guarantee :
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Two
Hundred Five Million Dollars (U.S. $205,000,000).
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5(b)
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Advance :
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One
Hundred Million Dollars (U.S. $100,000,000) payable on the later of
December 28, 2005 or the second business day after the Commencement
Date.
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Balance:
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Seventy Million Dollars (U.S. $70,000,000) payable upon national
release of a Qualifying Theatrical Release (as defined herein) in
the United States of the third Spider-Man film (tentatively
entitled “Spider-Man 3”);
Thirty-Five Million Dollars (U.S. $35,000,000) payable upon
national release of a Qualifying Theatrical Release in the United
States of the fourth Spider-Man film (tentatively entitled
“Spider-Man 4”);
Note : All sums payable as Advances and Balance of the
Minimum Royalty Guarantee are recoupable
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************ against any royalty payments due in connection with
this Agreement, whether accruing before or after the date of
payment, and all are cross-collateralized against one another.
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(i)
Insurance : Combined Single
Limit of $3,000,000 per occurrence.
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10(e)
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(j)
Post-Expiration Disposal Period:
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90
Days
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16(e)
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2.
RECITALS
(a)
Marvel and the LP
represent and warrant, to the best of their knowledge with respect
to trademark and servicemark rights (including, but not limited to,
trade dress and goodwill pertaining to such marks), and without
limitation with respect to all other of the following items and
rights, that they have all rights in and to the names, nicknames,
abbreviated names, depictions, likenesses, poses, costumes,
emblems, powers, characteristic concepts, themes, settings,
pictorial and written graphics and other characteristic elements
and contexts of the Characters identified in Section 1(b) hereof
and any copyrights, trademarks, service marks and other
intellectual, literary, artistic, design, moral, industrial or
commercial property rights and goodwill in connection with the
Characters, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs,
depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and
graphic, photographic and other visual representations of, relating
to and associated with the Characters identified in Section 1(b)
hereof (which names, characters, etc. and/or each of the individual
components thereof shall hereinafter be referred to as the "
Property "), said Property being known and recognized by the
general public and associated in the public mind with
Marvel.
(b)
Licensee desires to
utilize the Property in the manner hereinafter
described.
(c)
Marvel is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (formerly known as
Marvel Enterprises, Inc.), a Delaware corporation.
(d)
Marvel is a general
partner of the LP.
(e)
Under a separate
service agreement dated as of the date hereof (the “
Service Agreement ”), Marvel Entertainment, Inc. has
agreed to provide Licensee with creative consultation with respect
to the creation, appearance, packaging and marketing of Licensed
Articles in exchange for a service fee
************************************************* (the “
Service Fee ”). The parties agree that Marvel
Entertainment, Inc. is an intended third-party beneficiary of this
Agreement.
3.
GRANT OF
LICENSE
(a)
Licensed
Articles .
Upon the terms and conditions and with the limitations and
exceptions hereinafter set forth, Licensor hereby grants to
Licensee and Licensee hereby accepts the non-exclusive (exclusive,
to the extent provided in Section 1(f) hereof, in Licensed
Categories #1 (Action Figures) and #5 (Non-Costume/Non-Dress Up
Action and Role Play Weapons and Accessories)) license and right to
utilize the Property but solely upon and in connection with the
manufacture, promotion, sale, and distribution of the categories of
articles identified in Section 1(c) (" Licensed Categories
") and in the Channels of Distribution identified in Section 1(d)
(ii) (“ Channels of Distribution ”) during the
Term. Articles in the Licensed Categories that
utilize the Property and are manufactured, promoted, sold and/or
distributed hereunder a re referred to herein as “
Licensed Articles .”
(b)
Territory/Channels
of Distribution . The license hereby granted
extends only to the Territory identified in Section 1(d)(i) and
within the Channels of Distribution identified in Section 1(d)(ii).
Licensee expressly acknowledges and agrees that it is not
licensed or authorized to use the Property, directly or indirectly,
in any other area or Channel of Distribution, and that it is not
licensed to and will not knowingly sell the Licensed Articles to
persons who intend or are likely to resell them in any other area
or Channel of Distribution, to the extent this provision is
permitted by the applicable law at the time of such use, license or
sale. In the event that Licensee sells or
exploits the Licensed Articles outside either the Territory or
Channels of Distribution in violation of this Section 3(b),
notwithstanding Sections 1(g) and 5(a), the royal ty due Licensor
on such sales shall be the Net Sales.
(c)
Term
. The license
hereby granted shall commence upon the Commencement Date and
terminate automatically on the Expiration Date (the “
Term ”) set forth in Section 1(e) or the expiration of
any renewal or extension as provided herein, unless sooner
terminated in accordance with the provisions hereof. In the
event Licensee commences any activities in connection with the
Property prior to the Commencement Date, all provisions of this
Agreement for the benefit and protection of Licensor and Licensee
shall apply in full to such activities. Marvel and Licensee shall
use commercially reasonable efforts to realize a smooth commercial
transition from Marvel’s current master toy licensee to the
Licensee and, at the end of the Term, from the Licensee to Licensor
itself or to a successor licensee, with regard to maintaining
merchandise space at key retailers , developing new lines in a
timely manner and maintaining appropriate stock and inventory
levels during the transition.
(i)
The
Term shall be extended by twelve (12) months (to December 31, 2012)
if the fourth Spider-Man film is not released by December 31,
2011.
(ii)
If the fourth
Spider-Man film is released during 2011, then the Term,
for
fourth Spider-Man film
tie-in Licensed Articles only, will be extended for a period of 12
months commencing on the United States release date.
(iii)
If,
during the Term, Marvel and its licensees do not release a minimum
of either: five (5) non-Spider-Man Qualifying Theatrical Releases
(as defined herein) or four (4) non-Spider-Man Qualifying
Theatrical Releases and one (1) Domestic Qualifying Broadcast (as
defined herein) of television animation within the United States
between the commencement of the Term and December 31, 2011, then
the Term of this Agreement shall be extended until one (1) year
from date of the earlier of (A) the fifth non-Spider-Man Qualifying
Theatrical Release or (B) the later of the fourth non-Spider-Man
Qualifying Theatrical Release or the applicable Domestic Qualifying
Broadcast, as the case may be, but no such extension shall extend
the Term beyond December 31, 2013; provided that if Marvel and its
licensees release one or more Qualifying Theatrical Releases or a
Domestic Qualif ying Broadcasts during the final calendar year of
this Agreement, as it may be extended (a “Final Year
Release”), Licensee’s rights with respect to any Final
Year Release shall extend through the end of the month that is
twelve (12) months after the date of such Final Year
Release.
(d)
Eighteen (18) months
prior to expiration of the initial Term Marvel shall submit in
writing its schedule of films and television series based on its
best knowledge at such time for a prospective renewal term.
Licensee shall have a Right of First Negotiation (as defined
below) for the rights granted hereunder after the expiration of the
Term hereof unless Marvel elects to exploit the rights directly
itself. “ Right of First Negotiation ” shall
mean the following: prior to beginning negotiations with a third
party regarding the rights granted herein, Marvel shall give
written notice to Licensee and for twenty one (21) days from the
mailing of the notice (the “ Negotiation Period
”), Marvel and Licensee shall negotiate in good faith.
If Marvel and Licensee have not executed a binding agreement
by expiration of the Negotiation Period, Licensor sh all be free to
grant any and all rights to any third party.
4.
RESERVATION OF
RIGHTS
(a)
Licensor hereby
reserves all rights not herein specifically granted to
Licensee.
(b)
Television,
etc. Except only for the visual
reproduction or presentation of the actual Licensed Articles
licensed hereunder or of the actual packaging therefor or as may be
expressly provided in this Agreement, Licensee shall not use the
Property or the Licensed Articles identified with the Property in
connection with any manner of television, radio, motion picture,
filmstrip, webcast, Internet broadcast, sound and/or visual
recording or transmission device or media, or anything similar to
the foregoing now known or hereafter developed without Marvel's
prior written approval. The name and/or likeness of any
performer portraying any character included within the Property on
radio, television, or in any other media or form shall not be
deemed to be included in the Property, and the use thereof is not
licensed.
5.
ROYALTIES, PAYMENTS,
REPORTS, RECORDS AND BRAND INTEGRITY
(a)
Royalties
. Licensee agrees
to pay Licensor royalties at the Royalty Rate identified in Section
1(g), determined as follows:
(i)
Royalties shall be
calculated by applying the Royalty Rate identified in
Section 1(g) to Licensee's (or its Affiliates’) Net
Sales (defined below). “ Affiliate ”
means, with respect to any party, any other party directly or
indirectly controlling or that is controlled by or is under common
control with such party. For the purposes of this definition,
“control” means the possession of the power to direct
or cause the direction of the management and policies of such
Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by
contract or otherwise. “Affiliated” and
“Unaffiliated” shall have corresponding
meanings.
(ii)
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(iii)
Royalties as
specified herein shall become due on the last day of each of
Hasbro’s quarterly fiscal periods, and shall be paid not
later than thirty (30) days following the end of the Hasbro fiscal
period for all Net Sales accruing for the United States, Canada and
their respective territories and possessions in that Hasbro fiscal
period and not later than sixty (60) days following the end of the
Hasbro fiscal period for all Net Sales accruing in the remainder of
the Territory in that Hasbro fiscal period, accompanied by the
Royalty Report required herein. Royalties are due on any and
all sales or other disposition of the Products. Products shall be
considered sold and Net Sales shall be deemed accrued for all
purposes hereunder on the date of shipment or the date that the
shipment is invoiced by the Licensee, whichever date is earlier.
Hasbro’s fiscal ye ar ends on a Sunday within two weeks
of the end of each calendar year, and Hasbro’s quarterly
fiscal periods typically consist of thirteen (13) weeks each,
ending on a Sunday.
(iv)
Licensee’s (and
its Affiliates’) sales and pricing policies shall reasonably
optimize maximum availability of the Licensed Articles in the
Territory and Channels of Distribution while avoiding deep
discounts, liquidation, close-outs, over-production, “market
flooding” or other disparaging pricing and related production
practises which would reasonably constitute “dumping”
as the term is generally understood in the consumer products
industry, unless specifically agreed to in advance and in writing
by Licensor.
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Nothing herein shall be
construed as granting Licensor the right to set or approve
Licensee’s pricing, and nothing shall be deemed to restrict
Licensee’s ability to set prices in its own unfettered
discretion.
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(b)
Advance and Minimum
Royalty Guarantee . Licensee agrees to pay
Marvel the Minimum Royalty Guarantee specified in Section 1(h) as a
minimum guarantee against royalties to be paid Marvel and the LP
during the Term of this Agreement. As the first installment
of the Minimum Royalty Guarantee, upon the later of December 28,
2005 or the second business day after the Commencement Date,
Licensee shall pay Licensor the Advance specified in Section 1(h).
The Advance shall be fully recoupable by Licensee
***********************************************************************************
************************************against
Royalties due under this Agreement. Any unpaid balance of
said Minimum Royalty Guarantee shall be paid to Marvel as provided
in Section 1(h) to the extent not paid earlier as earned Royalties
************************************************************************************
********************************************.
No part of the Advance or Minimum Royalty Guarantee shall in
any event be repayable or refundable to Licensee, except as set
forth in this Agreement.
********************************************************************************
***********************************************************************************************************
***********************************************************************************************************
****************************************************************************************************
(c)
Currency, Wire
Payment and Taxes . All payments to Licensor
shall be made in United States Dollars, shall be computed at the
exchange rate published by the Wall Street Journal as of the last
business day of the month preceding the month for which the
Royalties are being calculated. All payments to Marvel shall
be made via wire transfer to HSBC Bank USA, Beverly Hills,
California 90210; Branch: HSBC Bank USA, 445 N. Bedford Drive,
Beverly Hills, California 90210; ABA: 122240861 Account Name:
Marvel Characters, Inc.; Reference: D05184 Account #: 167-710923.
If wire is to be made via SWIFT, Licensor’s SWIFT CODE:
HSBCUS6L (except for Spider-Man Movie Characters royalty payments,
in which event the wire transfer shall be made to Bank of America,
555 South Flower Street, 3rd floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071; Bank
Transit ABA #:1210-0-0358; Bank Account #: 1257-4-2 7398; Account
Name: Spider-Man Merchandising, L.P. Swift Code: BOFAUS44).
If payment is late, Marvel has the option to require that
payment be made at the exchange rate existing on the day preceding
payment. All taxes, levies, charges or duties imposed on
license rights, artwork or similar material, or payments therefor
(excluding income taxes and fees applicable to Licensor), shall be
paid by Licensee and no deductions for such taxes, levies, charges
or duties shall be made from amounts owed Marvel hereunder, it
being the intent hereof that all royalties payable to Marvel be
free and clear of any taxes, levies, charges or duties of any kind
whatsoever (excluding income taxes and fees applicable to
Licensor).
(d)
Royalty
Reports .
For each Hasbro fiscal period specified in Section 5(a)(iii),
commencing with the end of the Hasbro fiscal period following the
Commencement Date of this license and continuing until a final
certification of wind-up is delivered, Licensee shall furnish
Licensor with a detailed Royalty Report certified to be accurate by
an authorized representative of Licensee,
showing all information called for by Licensee’s standard
royalty reporting forms for each Licensed Article. Licensee
shall provide two separate Royalty Reports as follows: one for
Licensed Articles utilizing Spider-Man Movie Characters and one for
all other Licensed Articles. Upon request from Marvel,
Licensee shall use reasonable efforts to forecast and project
anticipated royalties for the next four (4) Quarterly Hasbro fiscal
periods; provided that in no way shall Licensee be accountable for
the ultimate accuracy of such forecasts. Each Royalty Report
(including Royalty Reports showing only Spider-Man Movie articles)
shall be furnished to Marvel via e-mail (or other mutually
agreed-upon means) to royaltyreports@marvel.com within thirty
(30) days after the end of the Hasbro fiscal period for which such
Royalty Report is made in the United States and Canada and sixty
(60) days after the end of the Hasbro fiscal period for which such
Royalty Report is made for the remainder of the Territory, and
shall be accompanied by payment to Marvel or the LP, as applicable,
of any and all monies due for the Licensed Articles. Such
Royalty Report shall be furnished whether or not there are any Net
Sales during the preceding Hasbro fiscal period, and whether or not
any monies are then due. The receipt or acceptance by
Licensor of any of the Royalty Reports furnished pursuant to this
Agreement or of any payments made hereunder (or the receipt of any
wires p aid hereunder) shall not preclude Licensor from questioning
its accuracy during the period allowed for audits as set forth in
this Agreement, and in the event that any inconsistencies or
mistakes are discovered in such Royalty Reports or payments, they
shall promptly be rectified and the appropriate payment made by
Licensee or Licensor as the case may be, together with interest on
any overdue payments at the rate specified in Section 17(c) hereof.
Licensee shall provide to Licensor on a monthly basis, by the
fifteenth day of each calendar month, Licensee’s estimates of
approximate royalties earned on (i) sales of Licensed Articles in
the United States and Canada in the preceding calendar month and
(ii) sales of Licensed Articles in all other territories in the
next preceding calendar month (e.g., the estimates provided by
March 15 will be for royalties earned on (i) sales in the United
States and Canada in February and (ii) sales in all other
territories in January); provided that in no way shall Licensee be
accountable for the ultimate accuracy of such estimates.
(e)
Records
. Licensee shall
maintain (or make available at such address upon Licensor’s
request) at its expense, detailed, accurate, full and complete
records and books of account covering all transactions by it
relating to this Agreement, and Licensor and its duly authorized
representatives shall have the right, no more than twice during
each calendar year during normal business hours, and no later than
thirty (30) days from written notice, to examine and/or audit such
records and books of account and all other documents and materials
in the possession or under the control of Licensee relating or
pertaining to the subject matter or provisions of this Agreement
and to make copies and/or extracts therefrom for purposes of the
audit only. Licensor agrees to coordinate its audits
hereunder with the audits, if any, conducted by Marvel
Entertainment, Inc. under the Ser vice Agreement. In the
event that Licensor's duly authorized representatives shall
discover a deficiency for any accounting period of five percent
(5%) or more by any such examination and/or audit, Licensee shall
pay to Licensor the reasonable cost of such examination.
Licensee shall keep all such books of account and records
available to Licensor for at least two (2) years after the
termination or expiration of this Agreement. If Licensee
fails to keep and disclose such records, Licensor shall have the
right to reasonably estimate, and demand payment for, such
additional royalty as may be indicated owing by such trade
information as may be available.
6.
LICENSOR TITLE AND
GOODWILL
(a)
General
. Licensor represents
and warrants to the best of its knowledge with respect to trademark
and servicemark rights (including, but not limited to, trade dress
and goodwill pertaining to such marks), and without limitation with
respect to all other of the following items and rights, and
Licensee acknowledges to the extent of such representation and
warranty (i) that Licensor is the owner and/or controller of all
right, title and interest in and to the Property and the Characters
included therein and all associated trademarks and copyrights, (ii)
the great value of the goodwill associated with the Property, and
that the Property has acquired secondary meaning in the mind of the
public and (iii) that the trademarks and copyrights included in the
Property, and the registrations therefor, are valid and subsisting.
Licensee further agrees that it shall not during the Term of
this license or at any time thereafter dispute or contest directly
or indirectly, or do or cause to be done any act which in any way
contests, impairs or tends to impair Licensor's exclusive rights
and title to the Property, or the validity thereof or the validity
of this Agreement, and shall not assist others in so doing.
Licensor represents and warrants that it has all necessary
rights to grant to Licensee the rights contemplated hereby free of
any encumbrances whatsoever and that such grant shall not infringe
on the rights of any other party.
(b)
Representations of
Ownership, etc . Licensee shall not in any
manner represent that it has any ownership in the Property, or in
any trademarks or copyrights included in the Property (or
registrations therefor), but may, only during the Term of this
license, and only if Licensee has complied with all laws and
registration requirements (other than registration requirements of
which Licensee has no actual knowledge) within the Territory for so
doing of which Licensor has provided notice to Licensee, represent
that it is a "licensee" or "official licensee" hereunder.
Licensee shall not register or attempt to register any
copyright or trademark in the Property, in its own name or that of
any third party, nor shall it assist any third party in doing
so.
(c)
Use for Benefit of
Licensor .
Licensee agrees that any and all uses and sales by Licensee
of the Property under this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of
Marvel and that neither such uses or sales nor anything contained
in this Agreement shall give or assign Licensee or any other person
or entity any right, title or interest in the Property, or in any
properties owned by Licensor which are not licensed hereunder,
except the right to use the Property specifically in accordance
with the provisions of this Agreement; provided that Licensee shall
remain the owner of all Licensee’s patents, trademarks,
copyrights or other intellectual property contained in the Licensed
Articles that are separate or separable from the Property and all
adaptations, compilations, modifications, translations and versions
thereof. Except in connection with “Attacktix” figure
tacti cs games, Marvel Licensed Articles may not be co-mingled
and/or bundled with any non-Marvel properties and/or trademarks
(other than the conventional use of the “Hasbro,”
“Playskool,” “Tiger,” “Galoob”
or “Kenner” corporate trademarks) unless specifically
authorized in writing by Marvel. Except as otherwise approved
in writing by Marvel, Licensed Articles shall not include any other
trademarks (except Licensee's non-character marks and its
distributors marks), characters or properties, whether owned by
Licensee or another (e.g. GI Joe, Star Wars etc. may not appear in
the same packaging, advertising or marketing materials as Licensed
Articles). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Licensor acknowledges
that Licensee may co-mingle other brands and trademarks with the
Property for the purpose of advertising, packaging and
cross-selling its Titanium and Attacktix product lines.
Licensor further acknowledges that Licensee shall co-mingle
the Property with L icensee’s proprietary brands for the
purpose of manufacturing, distributing and promoting Games
hereunder. Except as provided above, no Licensed Article
shall be sold in any manner intended to promote the sale of any
other product or service (other than another Licensed Article)
without Licensor's prior written consent in each
instance.
7.
PROTECTION OF
RIGHTS-INCLUDING COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS
(a)
General
. Licensee shall
cooperate reasonably and in good faith with Licensor, at
Licensor’s expense for the purpose of Licensor securing and
preserving Licensor’s (or any grantor of Licensor’s)
rights in and to the Property. Upon creation of Licensed Articles
embodying the Property, Licensee shall be deemed to have
automatically assigned to Licensor all copyrights solely in the
Property (and all adaptations, compilations, modifications,
translations and versions of the Property) embodied in the Licensed
Articles; provided that Licensee shall remain the owner of all
Licensee’s patents, trademarks, copyrights or other
intellectual property contained in the Licensed Articles that are
separate or separable from the Property and all adaptations,
compilations, modifications, translations and versions thereof.
In addition, each party shall execute any instruments
requested by the other party to accomplish or confirm the
foregoing. Any such assignment shall be without consideration
other than the mutual covenants and considerations of this
Agreement. Licensee agrees that it shall be primarily liable
to Licensor under the terms of this Agreement for any actions or
omissions on the part of Licensee’s lenders, including but
not limited to (i) shipping and fulfilling orders for the Licensed
Articles (ii) paying the royalties or Minimum Royalty Guarantee
payments (iii) shipping only finished Licensed Articles, in the
same packaging and boxes as Licensee would have used; (iv) sale or
other disposition of Licensed Articles shall be permitted only for
so long as the applicable sell-off period is authorized hereunder,
etc.
(b)
Trademarks and
Copyrights .
Licensor represents and warrants to the best of its knowledge
with respect to trademark and servicemark rights (including, but
not limited to, trade dress and goodwill pertaining to such marks),
and without limitation with respect to all other of the following
items and rights, and Licensee acknowledges and agrees to the
extent of such representation and warranty that the names,
characters, symbols, designs, likenesses, and visual
representations, among other things, comprising the Property are
owned by Marvel or the LP, and Licensee agrees that it shall cause
to appear on everything which uses, bears or displays the Property
or any part thereof, including all Licensed Articles, tags, labels
and the advertising, promotional, packaging and display material
therefor, a notice proclaiming and identifying the relevant
portions of the Property appea ring therein as properties of
Licensor, as, for example, by labeling each name and character
likeness with this Trademark and Copyright notice: Name(s) of
character(s)] and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are
Trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. and are used with permission.
Copyright Ó
[year of first
publication of Marvel material by Licensee, in Arabic numerals]
Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.marvel.com,
or otherwise as Marvel may deem appropriate. In the event the
product features Spider-Man Movie Character(s), the notice shall
provide © [year date] Columbia Pictures Industries Inc. All
Rights Reserved Trademark: Spider-Man, and all related characters,
® [year date] Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights
Reserved. (or such other legal line as Licensor may reasonably deem
appropriate).
(c)
Notice of
Supervision . Every Licensed Article and
all advertising, promotional, packaging and display material
therefor shall also bear this notice of supervision: This
[Description of Licensed Article] is produced under license from
Marvel Characters, Inc. (or an equivalent if given prior written
approval by Licensor) in order to notify the public that
Licensor’s standards are maintained.
(d)
N/A
(e)
Confusing
Use .
Licensee shall not use, and shall use reasonable efforts to
keep others with whom Licensee does business from using, the
Property in any manner likely to cause confusion or doubt in the
mind of the public as to the ownership, source, sponsorship and
control thereof or in any manner that does not make clear that the
Property is owned and controlled exclusively by Licensor. In
addition, Licensee shall not use or co-mingle with the Property,
and shall use reasonable efforts to keep others from using or
co-mingling with the Property, any other trademarks, characters or
properties, whether owned by Licensee or another, so as to suggest
that such other trademarks, etc. may have been created or may be
owned, controlled, licensed or approved by Licensor or that they
are in any way related to the Property or Licensor.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Lice nsor acknowledges that
Licensee may co-mingle other brands and trademarks with the
Property for the purpose of advertising, packaging and
cross-selling its Titanium and Attacktix product lines.
Licensor further acknowledges that Licensee shall co-mingle
the Property with Licensee’s proprietary brands for the
purpose of manufacturing, distributing and promoting Games
hereunder.
(f)
Registration
. Licensee agrees
to reasonably cooperate with and assist Licensor, at
Licensor’s expense, in the prosecution of any copyright,
trademark or service mark applications concerning the Property that
Licensor may desire to file, and for that purpose, Licensee shall,
upon request, supply to Licensor a reasonable number of samples of
the Licensed Articles or other material as may be required in
connection with any such application. Furthermore, Licensee
shall execute any instrument Licensor shall reasonably deem
necessary or desirable to record or cancel Licensee as a registered
user of the trademarks of Licensor included in the
Property.
(g)
Customer
Complaints .
Licensee shall, in connection with its duty to use the
Property so as to promote the continuing goodwill thereof, give
attention to legitimate customer complaints brought against
Licensee in connection with the Licensed Articles or other
materials using the Property. Licensee shall give Licensor
prompt notice of all complaints that might affect the good standing
of the Property or the reputation of Licensor and also of all
complaints that might result in legal action between Licensor and
any third party, and reasonably cooperate with Licensor upon
request to achieve as good a reputation and press for the Property
as possible.
(h)
Copyright
Notice .
It is a condition of this license that prior to public
distribution, Licensee shall cause to appear the copyright notice
specified in Section 7(b) on all Licensed Articles, tags, labels
and the advertising, promotional, packaging and display materials
therefor, or otherwise as Licensor may instruct in writing or
approve upon request.
(i)
Secure Copyrights,
etc .
Licensor may register, in its name (or the name of another,
including Licensee, if desired by Licensor), to the fullest extent
possible, the copyrights in the Property and the registrations,
renewals and extensions thereof, embodied in the Licensed Articles,
including all adaptations, translations, modifications and versions
of the Property. It is also a condition of this license that
all Licensed Articles and other materials produced under this
Agreement only to the extent that they embody the Property shall be
produced as works made for hire for Licensor; provided that
Licensee shall remain the owner of all Licensee’s patents,
trademarks, copyrights or other intellectual property contained in
the Licensed Articles that are separate or separable from the
Property and all adaptations, compilations, modifications,
translations and versio ns thereof.
(j)
Licensee shall use
commercially reasonable efforts to ensure