AGREEMENT made as
of February ___, 2006, by and between IM Ready-Made, LLC, a New
York limited liability company with offices at 347 West 36
th Street, New York, New York, 10018 (hereinafter
referred to as the “Company”), and THE FASHION HOUSE,
INC., a Colorado corporation with offices at 6310 San Vincente
Boulevard, #330, Los Angeles, California 90048-5499 (hereinafter
referred to as “Licensee”).
WHEREAS, the
Company and Licensee have agreed to enter into an arrangement
pursuant to which Licensee, under a license from and subject to the
approval of the Company, shall manufacture, distribute and sell
Products in the Territory under the Licensed Marks (each as
hereinafter defined), which Products shall consist of three lines,
as follows:
(i) under the
mark “Isaac”, with a suggested retail price of $150-400
(such license, the “Isaac Shoe Line”);
(ii) under
the mark “Isaac Mizrahi – New York” with a
suggested retail price of $400 and up (such license, the
“Couture Shoe Line”); and
(iii) under
the mark [mark], with a suggested retail price of $80-140 (such,
license, the “Diffusion Line”; each such line, a
“Shoe Line” and, collectively, the “Shoe
Lines”);
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NOW, THEREFORE, in
consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, the
Company and Licensee do hereby respectively grant, covenant and
agree as follows:
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(a) The
Company hereby grants to Licensee, during the term of this
Agreement, an exclusive license to use the marks
“Isaac”, “Isaac Mizrahi-New York”, and
[mark], solely in forms to be agreed upon by the parties (each, a
“Licensed Mark” and collectively the “
Licensed Marks ”), throughout the United States (the
“Territory” ), solely in connection with
Licensee’s manufacture, distribution and sale of
women’s shoes for the Isaac Shoe Line, the Isaac Mizrahi-New
York Shoe Line and the [X] Shoe Line, respectively, all such items
of the types, qualities and styles traditionally sold in the
channels of distribution approved in Paragraph 5.7 and with a
suggested retail price of $150 to $400, $400 and up, and $80-$140,
respectively. Items authorized for sale hereunder shall be referred
to as “ Products. ” Items within the definition
of “Products” that are manufactured, distributed and
sold by Licensee in accordance with this Agreement shall be
referred to collectively hereinafter as “ Articles
.” The foregoing and any other provision to the contrary
contained herein notwithstanding, Licensee acknowledges and agrees
that: (1) the Company reserves all rights to the Licensed
Marks except those specifically granted herein to Licensee, and (2)
Licensee shall not use the Licensed Marks for any purpose
whatsoever on the Internet (including as a domain name or in
metatags), microfilm, e-mail, electronic databases, on-line
services, CD-ROM or other similar media now existing or hereafter
developed, except that, subject to the Company’s approval of
uses in accordance herewith and provided that Licensee uses all
commercially reasonable efforts to prevent solicitation of and
sales to customers outside the Territory, Licensee may utilize the
Licensed Marks on the Internet to advertise (but not sell) Articles
on Licensee’s website at http://www.fashionhouseinc.com, and
other
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sites, each of
which are approved by the Company, and (y) in emails with
Licensee’s customers located within the Territory (but not in
unsolicited emails).
1.1(b) Right of First Refusal . In the event
the Company desires to use or license any mark related to
“Isaac Mizrahi” (including, without limitation, any
Licensed Mark) on or in connection with Products outside of the
United States, Licensee shall have a right of first refusal to
match the material terms of any such use or licensing
opportunity.
1.2 All
Articles to Bear Licensed Marks . All Articles shall bear
the applicable Licensed Mark (it being understood that the parties
contemplate that the applicable Licensed Mark shall be on the
labels within Products and the respective boxes or other packaging
therefor). No Articles ( i.e. , Products bearing or sold
under a Licensed Mark) shall be sold or otherwise distributed by
Licensee under any mark other than the applicable Licensed
Mark.
1.3 No
Retail Sales . Licensee acknowledges that the rights
granted to it hereunder do not include the right to operate a
boutique under any of the Licensed Marks (or any variation or
simulation thereof) or otherwise to itself sell Articles at retail
(including, without limitation, through catalog, mail or internet
orders), except that Licensee may sell Articles through a factory
outlet operated by Licensee under Licensee’s name, provided
that “Net Sales” (as hereinafter defined in
Paragraph 2.1) of Articles through such factory outlet during
any Annual Period shall not constitute more than twenty five
percent (25%) of Net Sales for such Annual Period.
1.4
Exploitation . Licensee shall use its best efforts to
develop and promote all Products and otherwise exploit the rights
herein granted throughout the Territory
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(subject to the
restrictions contained herein) and to sell the maximum quantity of
Articles therein consistent with the high standards and prestige
represented by the applicable Licensed Mark and the advertising and
marketing philosophies of the Company.
1.5 Disputes
Between Licensees . In the event of any dispute between
Licensee and any other licensee of the Company in the Territory
with respect to the products covered by their respective licenses,
such dispute shall be mediated by the Company, in its sole
discretion, after hearing the position of Licensee and each such
other licensee. The Company’s determination shall be final
and binding upon Licensee.
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1.6
Diversion . Licensee shall not (a) export
Articles from the Territory, (b) divert (as hereafter defined)
Articles, or (c) contract for the manufacture of Articles
with, or sell Articles to, any person or entity which Licensee
knows or has reason to believe (including, without limitation, by
reason of a previous history of exportation or diversion of
Articles, other Products or any other products which is known to
Licensee) may export such Articles from the Territory or divert
Articles. To “ divert ” means, for Licensee or
any other person/entity, to sell or otherwise transfer Articles
other than to permitted retail locations (as set forth in
Paragraph 5.7) located in the Territory for sale within the
Territory. In order to monitor and control potential
exportation/diversion problems, Licensee shall use commercially
reasonable efforts to ensure that the Company and Licensee be able
to determine, with respect to Articles which are found to have been
exported/diverted, the entity which sold such exported/diverted
Articles or from which such Articles were exported/diverted. In
addition, Licensee shall cooperate with the Company in connection
with anti-counterfeiting programs relating to the Licensed Marks
and/or Articles as well as other products sold under the Licensed
Marks. In the event that, despite all of the foregoing or
otherwise, Articles are exported/diverted on more than one
occasion, the Company on the second occasion and thereafter may
purchase the exported/diverted Articles at Licensee’s expense
and, in the Company’s discretion, destroy such Articles or
return such Articles to Licensee.
2.1 Term
. The initial term of this Agreement shall commence as of the
date hereof and continue through March 31, 2011. Thereafter,
this Agreement automatically
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shall renew for
an additional term of five (5) years, provided that, with
respect to such renewal, (a) Licensee delivers to the Company
a written notice of its election to renew this Agreement at least
six months prior to the end of the initial term, (b) “Net
Sales” (as defined herein) during the fifth “Annual
Period” (as defined below in this Paragraph 2.1) of the
initial term are at least Fifteen Million Dollars for all the Shoe
Lines (the “ Renewal Threshold ”), and (c)
Licensee has performed all of its obligations under this Agreement
at the time the option to renew is exercised and at the end of the
initial term. Each twelve (12) month period commencing on each
April 1st during the term of this Agreement shall constitute and
shall be referred to hereinafter as an “ Annual Period
,” except that the first Annual Period shall commence as of
the date hereof and continue through March 31, 2007.
“Net Sales” are defined as the gross invoice price for
the Products shipped by Licensee less (a) returns accepted for
credit or exchange, (b) normal and customary trade discounts
but not advertising allowances, (c) freight charges (if
separately invoiced) and amounts disbursable,
(d) uncollectible accounts, and (e) year-end allowances
of up to a maximum of five (5%) percent of gross invoices, but
not including any other deduction for advertising, warehouse
and distribution costs and expenses.
2.2
Limitations on Renewal . If Licensee otherwise
effectively renews this Agreement but Net Sales during the last
Annual Period of the initial term are less than the Renewal
Threshold, unless the Company waives the shortfall, the renewal
shall be ineffective and this Agreement forthwith shall
terminate.
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2.3
Termination Due To Insufficient Net Sales .
Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraphs 2.1 and 2.2 above and
in addition to the termination provisions provided below, the
Company may terminate this Agreement within thirty (30) days
after its receipt of any of the annual statements to be delivered
to the Company in the event that (i) “Net Sales” for
the second or any subsequent Annual Period covered by any such
annual statement are less than the amount necessary to generate the
“Guaranteed Minimum Royalty” (as set forth in
Paragraph 8) for such Annual Period. Any such termination
shall be effective as of the end of the sell off of the collections
then in process, but in no event later than the June 30th
following the Annual Period for which required level of Net Sales
was not reached.
3.1
Collections . During each Annual Period, Licensee
shall manufacture, distribute and sell Spring and Fall collections
of Articles. The first collection shall be the Spring 2007
collection.
3.2
Development . (a) Licensee shall employ one full
time designer who shall be exclusively dedicated to the production
of the Articles, and who shall be approved by the
Company.
(b) During
each Annual Period, Licensee shall submit to the Company materials,
designs, sketches, colors, tags, labels and packaging for each of
its lines of Articles from which the Company may select those, if
any, which the Company approves for use in connection with
Articles.
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(c) The
Company, in its sole discretion, shall approve or disapprove the
materials, designs, sketches, colors, tags, labels and packaging
submitted as aforesaid, and shall discuss with Licensee any
modifications or alterations thereof. Only those materials,
designs, sketches, colors, tags, labels and packaging which are so
approved shall be used in the production of the
Articles.
3.3 Regular
Meetings . The Company and Licensee shall meet regularly to
discuss and agree upon concepts for new Articles and materials
relating thereto as well as marketing plans and
strategies.
3.4 Sketches
and Other Materials are Property of Company . All sketches
and other materials (a) provided by the Company, or
(b) provided by Licensee and approved by the Company, shall
be, as between the Company and Licensee, the exclusive property of
the Company, and shall be used by Licensee solely in connection
with the manufacture, distribution and sale of Articles in the
Territory and pursuant to this Agreement. If Licensee chooses not
to use such sketches or other material, Licensee shall deliver them
to the Company, at Licensee’s expense, and Licensee may not
use them or permit their use thereafter. Whether or not Licensee
chooses to use any such sketches and other material, the Company
may use and permit others to use them in any manner it desires,
provided that, to the extent of the Company’s other shoe
licensees, if any, such use does not conflict with any rights
granted to Licensee hereunder. All sketches and materials created
by Licensee but not approved by the Company shall be, as
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between the
Company and Licensee, the exclusive property of Licensee and the
Company shall have no rights in respect thereof.
3.5 Costs of
Production . Licensee shall be responsible for making all
samples as well as for the production of Articles, and Licensee
shall bear all costs in connection therewith. Further, Licensee
agrees to reimburse Licensor for payment of any reasonable ordinary
out-of-pocket expenses (such as expenses for designer samples) up
to $500 incurred by the Company in connection with this
Agreement.
3.6
Protection of Innovation . Neither Licensee nor its
affiliates shall: (a) manufacture (or cause to be manufactured),
market, distribute or sell any Products with a distinctive or
unique design first developed for or used with Articles, or
(b) distribute or sell any Products with or using labeling,
advertising or promotional material that is the same or confusingly
similar to labeling, advertising or promotional material then or
ever used by Licensee in connection with Articles, nor shall any of
them authorize, assist, engage or permit any third party to do any
of the foregoing.
(a) Each
party acknowledges that all information relating to the business
and operations of the other party that such other party discloses
during or prior to the term of this Agreement (including, without
limitation, all financial information related to the business and
operations and all information regarding its officers, directors
and employees), as well as all concepts, sketches, plans and
designs used or proposed for use in connection with Articles (by
whomever used or proposed) (collectively
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“
Confidential Information ”), is the valuable property
of the party disclosing the same (except that all concepts,
sketches, plans, features, manufacturing specifications and designs
shall be the property of the Company as and to the extent provided
in Section 3.4). Each party acknowledges the need to preserve
the confidentiality and secrecy of the Confidential Information and
agrees that, both during the term of this Agreement and after the
termination hereof, it shall not use or disclose the same, except
as provided below, and it shall take all necessary steps to ensure
that use by it or by its contractors, suppliers, distributors,
agents and employees (which use shall be solely as necessary for,
and in connection with, the manufacture, distribution, sale,
advertising or promotion of Articles) shall preserve in all
respects such confidentiality and secrecy. Each party hereby the
other and its officers, directors and employees against any damage
of any kind (including attorneys’ fees and expenses) which
may be suffered by any of them as a result of any breach by such
party or its contractors, suppliers, agents or employees of the
provisions of this paragraph.
(b) The
parties herein further acknowledge and agree that a party’s
remedies at law for a breach or threatened breach of this
Paragraph 4.1 would be inadequate and, in recognition of this
fact, in the event or a breach or threatened breach by a recipient
of this Paragraph 4.1, the recipient agrees that, in addition
to any remedies at law, at the other party’s option, it shall
be entitled, without posting bond, to obtain equitable relief in
the form of specific performance, restraining order, preliminary or
permanent injunction or any other equitable remedy which then may
be available. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as
prohibiting the parties from pursuing any
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other remedies
available to it for such breach or threatened breach. Pursuit of
any remedy at law or in equity shall not be deemed an election of
remedies.
(c) The
provisions of this paragraph and the parties’ obligations
hereunder shall survive the expiration or termination of this
Agreement.
5. MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES; QUALITY
CONTROL
5.1 General
Quality . The contents and workmanship of Articles shall be
at all times of the highest quality appropriate for the line in
which it is sold. In addition, Articles shall be distributed and
sold only with packaging, presentation and sales promotion
materials appropriate for line and consistent with the
Company’s standards therefor. It is anticipated that Licensee
shall set its wholesale prices of Articles at a level to encourage
the development of sales of Articles. However, it is acknowledged
that Licensee will set its wholesale prices for Articles in its
discretion, provided that no Article may retail for less than $400,
$100.00 and $80, with respect to the Isaac Mizrahi-New York Shoe
Line, the Isaac Shoe Line and the [X] Shoe Line,
respectively.
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5.2 Quality
Approval . The styles, designs, packaging, contents,
workmanship and quality of all Articles, as well as all advertising
and promotional materials relating thereto, and the specific media
in which they shall be disseminated, must be approved by the
Company in accordance with Section 6.1 hereof prior to any
distribution, sale or use thereof. Any other provision of this
Agreement notwithstanding, the Company at all times shall have the
right to take all actions which it reasonably deems necessary to
ensure that: (a) Articles manufactured or sold hereunder, and
the advertising and promotion of such Articles, are consistent with
the reputation and prestige of the applicable Licensed Mark and
(b) Articles are manufactured, distributed, sold and promoted
by the Licensee in accordance with this Agreement, provided that,
to the extent commercially practicable, prior to taking such
action, the Company shall provide Licensee with a reasonable
opportunity to take corrective action.
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5.3
Prototypes and Samples . Before selling or
distributing any Article, Licensee shall submit to the Company,
free of charge, for its approval in accordance with
Section 6.1 hereof, one (1) sketch of each such Article
together with (i) samples of all materials of which such
Articles shall be comprised and (ii) the tags, labels and
packaging to be used in connection therewith. The Company and its
duly authorized representatives shall have the right, upon
reasonable advance notice and during normal business hours, to
examine Articles in the process of being manufactured and to
inspect all facilities utilized by or on behalf of Licensee in
connection therewith. In addition and in accordance with
Section 5.6, before Licensee begins selling or distributing
any Article, Licensee shall submit to the Company a then-current
production sample of each Article for its written approval in
accordance with Section 6.1.
5.4
Compliance with Law and Company Requirements . All
Articles shall be manufactured, sold, labeled, packaged,
distributed and advertised in accordance with all applicable laws
and regulations, whether foreign or domestic, national, regional or
local, throughout the Territory and/or in any territory in which
Articles are so manufactured, sold, labeled, packaged, distributed
and/or advertised, including all child and other labor laws,
customs requirements and advertising and consumer protection laws.
Licensee shall monitor the performance of its retail location
purchasers and of Contractors (as hereinafter defined) in this
regard and shall (a) notify Company of any instances of
noncompliance, (b) endeavor to take any corrective action as
may be reasonably requested by Company to remedy the same and
(c) terminate agreements with persons that repeatedly fail to
so comply. No proposal or approval by Company of any
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Articles, or
portion thereof, or any other materials, designs, tags, labeling,
packaging or other advertising or promotional materials, shall be
deemed to limit or modify Licensee’s obligations under this
paragraph. If Licensee determines that any otherwise approved
Articles or portion thereof, or any other materials, designs, tags,
labeling, packaging or other advertising or promotional materials,
are not in compliance with any applicable law, Licensee shall
notify Company and the parties shall seek to rectify the problem.
Any proposed modification to rectify the problem shall be subject
to Company’s prior approval and the modified item also shall
be subject to Company’s final approval.
5.5 Form and
Manner of Use of Licensed Marks . Licensee shall use and
display the Licensed Marks and Other Intellectual Property (as
hereinafter defined) only in such form and manner as are
specifically approved in writing by the Company in accordance with
Paragraph 6.1 hereof. Licensee shall cause to appear on all
Articles produced hereunder, and on their tags, packaging and the
like, and on all advertising, promotional and publicity material
used in connection therewith, including, without limitation,
point-of-sale displays and similar materials, and on any printed
matter of any kind on which the Licensed Marks and/or Other
Intellectual Property appear, including but not limited to business
cards, invoices, order forms and stationery, such legends, markings
and notices as the Company may request and, in any case, only as
has been approved by the Company in accordance with
Paragraph 6.1 hereof. Before using or releasing any such
material, Licensee shall submit to the Company, for its approval,
proposed advertising (including a description of the proposed
placement thereof), promotional and publicity copy, tags, labels,
packaging and the like and all printed matter
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of any kind on
which the Licensed Marks and/or Other Intellectual Property appear.
The same shall not be used or released prior to Licensee’s
receipt of such approval and Licensee shall provide the Company
with finished versions thereof, free of charge, upon the
Company’s reasonable request.
5.6
Departure from Approved Sample . After any sample,
copy, artwork or other material has been approved, Licensee shall
not depart therefrom in any respect without the prior written
approval of the Company. If the Company should disapprove any
sample Article or any sample tag, label, packaging or the like, or
any advertising, promotional or publicity material, Licensee shall
neither use nor permit the same to be used in any
manner.
(a) In
order to maintain the reputation, image and prestige of the
Licensed Marks and the Company, Licensee’s distribution
patterns in respect of Articles shall consist solely of retail
locations whose location, merchandising and overall operations are
consistent with the high quality and prestige level of the Articles
and the reputation, image and prestige of the Licensed Marks, and
in accordance with the limitations set forth herein. Such retail
distribution channels shall be (1) “better department”
retail and specialty stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf
Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Barneys, Nordstrom and other stores of
equal or higher caliber, (2) catalogues associated with the
retail stores identified in subsection (1), (3) the Internet
websites Zappos.com, Shoes.com and other Internet portals approved
by the Company in writing from time to time, (4) to the extent
provided in Paragraph 1.3, a factory store
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operated by
Licensee under Licensee’s name, and (5) only for
Articles sold by Licensee at more than twenty five percent (25%)
off the full published wholesale price of Articles (such sales,
“Close-Out Sales”), Shoe Pavilion, DSW and Lohmans,
provided that sales to said three entities shall not, in the
aggregate, exceed twenty five percent (25%) of Net Sales with
respect to each Shoe Line during any Annual Period. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, Licensee acknowledges and
agrees that: (i) it shall not sell or distribute, or sell to
persons who may sell or distribute, Articles to K-Mart, Wal-Mart,
Target, Mervyn’s, J.C. Penney, Sears, Kohl’s, or any
other similar such mass merchandisers or club stores or any other
discounter or retail location not meeting the standard set forth in
the previous sentences of this subparagraph, and (ii) it shall
not accept production orders from any discounter, club store, mass
merchandiser, or similar such discounter, without the
Company’s prior written approval, which may be given or
withheld in its sole discretion.
(b) If
the Company objects in writing to the continued sale of Articles to
any retail location and provides bona fide reasons
for such objection, Licensee shall use commercially reasonable
efforts to correct the problem, if possible, and, if the problem
cannot be corrected or is not corrected within a commercially
reasonable period of time, Licensee shall terminate sales to such
retail location.
(c) Licensee
shall not enter into any agreement with a distributor or
sublicensee related to the Articles without the Company’s
prior written consent.
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(a) Licensee
may use contractors for the manufacture or assembly of Articles
(“ Contractors ”). The Company’s prior
approval of a prospective Contractor shall not be required.
However, if the Company objects to the continued engagement of any
Contractor as not being in compliance with the requirements of this
Agreement, Licensee shall use commercially reasonable efforts to
correct the problem, if possible, and, if the problem cannot be
corrected or is not corrected within a commercially reasonable
period of time, Licensee shall terminate its engagement of such
Contractor.
(b) Each
Contractor must agree (i) not to use, except in connection
with the manufacture of Articles for Licensee, or disclose to any
third party any proprietary information regarding Articles,
(ii) to permit the Company to exercise its rights hereunder to
inspect the Contractor’s facilities, (iii) not to use
any child labor or violate any labor or other applicable laws or
standards adopted by the United Nations or the applicable
jurisdiction with respect to fair remuneration for word, health and
safety conditions in the work environment and social protection of
workers in connection with the manufacture of Articles, and
(iv) to sell Articles manufactured by it for Licensee only to
Licensee and to no other person or entity.
(c) Neither
the engagement of a Contractor by Licensee nor the Company’s
failure to object to a Contractor shall limit Licensee’s
obligations hereunder, i.e. , any act or omission by a
Contractor which would otherwise constitute a material violation of
this Agreement shall constitute a material violation of this
Agreement by Licensee. Licensee shall be solely responsible for
insuring that any Article produced by any Contractor shall comply
with the quality standards set forth in this Agreement.
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6.1
Subjective Approvals; Approvals in Writing . It is
specifically understood and agreed that the Company’s
approval pursuant to this Agreement may be based solely on the
Company’s subjective standards and may be withheld in the
Company’s sole and absolute discretion. No approval shall be
deemed given by the Company hereunder unless it is in writing
signed by the Company.
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