SALES
AGREEMENT
between
Aker
BioMarine Antarctic AS, Organisation No. 988354139 (the
“Supplier”)
and
Schiff
Nutrition Group, Inc.
(the
“Customer”)
This Sales Agreement is
entered into as of August 31, 2009 (the “Effective
Date”) by and between Aker BioMarine Antarctic AS
(Organisation No. 988354139), Fjordalleen 16, N-0112 Oslo, Norway
(the “Supplier”) and Schiff Nutrition Group, Inc., 2002
S. 5070 West, Salt Lake City, UT, U.S.A. 84104-4726 (the
“Customer”).
The Supplier and the
Customer are hereinafter collectively referred to as the
“Parties” or, individually, a
“Party”.
WHEREAS, the Supplier is
planning to launch its krill oil product into the U.S. supplement
market;
WHEREAS, the Supplier has
made significant investments in the harvesting of krill and is
planning to develop Superba™ as the leading ingredient brand
for krill based products;
WHEREAS, the Customer
sells or intends to sell krill oil products in the Territory and
Export Territories (each as defined herein);
WHEREAS, the Supplier
wants to sell the Supplier’s krill oil products in the
Territory and Export Territories, and whereas the Customer has a
strong interest in including the Supplier’s krill oil
products in such supplement business; and
WHEREAS, the Supplier and
the Customer are entering into this Agreement for the purpose of
accomplishing this goal.
1.
DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this
Agreement, any capitalized terms shall have the following meanings
when used herein, always provided that where the context so allows,
words importing the singular include the plural and vice
versa:
Agreement
shall mean
this Sales Agreement and its Appendices and Schedules (as amended
by written agreement from time to time).
Effective Date
shall have
the meaning set for in the preamble.
Export
Territories shall have the meaning
provided in Appendix I.
Initial Period
shall have
the meaning provided in Section 15.
Oil
Specification means the Specification
for the Product in oil form as described in Appendix II.
Patents
shall mean
those patents set forth in Appendix III, together with any patents
and/or patent applications filed by Supplier and covering or
related to the Product, including any United States patents issued
from such applications and from divisionals, continuations, and
continuations-in-part of these applications; and any foreign patent
applications and/or patents which are directed to subject matter
specifically described in such United States patents and/or patent
applications listed. The term “Patents”
shall also include any reissues of such United States
patents.
Product
shall mean
(i) the Superba™ krill oil product in encapsulated or oil
form, as an ingredient to be used in Customer’s products, and
(ii) any combination product containing the
Superba™ krill oil product in encapsulated or oil
form, provided that such product must have a minimum daily dosage
of 300 mg of Superba™ krill oil (the
“Blended Product”). Unless otherwise stated
in this Agreement, the term “Product” is meant to
include the Superba™ krill oil contained in the Blended
Product.
Purchase Price
shall mean
the amount to be paid by the Customer for the Product as set out in
Appendix IV, as modified from time to time in accordance with
Clause 3.2.
Sales Channels
shall have
the meaning provided in Appendix V.
Softgel
Specification means the Specification
for the Product in encapsulated form as described in Appendix
VI.
Territory
shall mean
the United States.
Trademarks
shall mean
those marks set forth in Appendix VII, together with any current or
future related trademarks.
U.S.
Distributor shall mean Aker BioMarine
Antarctic AS or any other distributor based in or doing business in
the United States, as selected by Aker BioMarine Antarctic AS,
subject to the Customer’s prior written consent, such consent
not to be unreasonably withheld.
2.1
On the terms and
conditions set out in this Agreement, the Supplier hereby grants to
the Customer:
(i)
a non-exclusive,
non-transferable and royalty-free right to directly or indirectly
manufacture, advertise, promote, package, ship, distribute, market
and sell (collectively, “Sell”) the Product in the
Territory in the Sales Channels and in the Export Territories in
the Sales Channels, provided the Product is purchased from the
Supplier; and
(ii)
a non-exclusive,
non-transferable and royalty-free right to use one or more of the
Trademarks in the Territory in the Sales Channels and in the Export
Territories for the sole purpose of manufacturing, advertising,
promoting, packaging, shipping, distributing, marketing and sale
(collectively, “Sale”) of the Product in accordance
with the guidelines set forth on Appendix VIII, provided that any
use of the Trademark on the Blended Products is subject to the
prior consent of the Supplier.
The Customer shall only
use the licenses to manufacture the Product set forth in Section
2.1(i) and (ii) above for the manufacture of softgels, capsules or
other finished product and for the manufacture of Blended Products,
and not for the manufacture of krill oil itself. No
consents, approvals or authorizations shall be required from
Supplier in connection with Customer’s exercise of its
licenses under (i)-(ii) above. Except as otherwise set
forth in this Agreement, the Customer shall not assign its rights
under (i)-(ii) above.
2.2
Should the Supplier elect
to grant any customer/company the exclusive right to Sell the
Product or use the Trademark in any territories other than the
Territory and Export Territories or any sales channel other than
the Sales Channels, the Supplier will preserve non-exclusive rights
for the Customer to Sell the Product into the Sales Channels in
such territory.
2.3
The Customer shall sell
the Product in the Territory in the Customer’s own name and
for the Customer’s own account (including, if applicable, in
the name and for the account of any of the Customer’s
wholly-owned or controlled subsidiaries). Notwithstanding the
foregoing sentence, the Customer may also sell private label
Product (under its customer’s brand name) in the Territory
and the Export Territories, provided that the Customer shall not
use the Trademarks on private label Products without the
Supplier’s prior written consent. Neither Party
shall represent itself as agent for the other or in any way bind
the other to any third parties.
2.4
The Customer will receive
the Product in oil or capsule form, as specified by the Customer in
the applicable purchase order, from the U.S. Distributor or
encapsulator, as applicable. If at any time the Customer
is purchasing capsules rather than oil from the Supplier, the
Customer will give 6 months prior notice to the Supplier before
using its own encapsulator to encapsulate the Product. If at any
time the Customer is purchasing oil rather than capsules from the
Supplier, the Supplier shall not be responsible for any liability
incurred as a result of the use of the Customer’s
encapsulator.
2.5
This Agreement shall not
in any way be construed as providing the Customer with any
exclusive rights in purchasing, selling and/or distributing the
Product within the Territory or outside the Territory. Nor does it
include any obligation on the part of the Customer to buy any
Product from the Supplier, except that the Customer hereby
covenants and agrees that, absent breach of this Agreement by the
Supplier that remains uncured after the applicable cure period
under this Agreement, it will not purchase any krill oil or krill
derived products from any person or third party other than the U.S.
Distributor or the Supplier (or an encapsulator that has purchased
the Product from the U.S. Distributor or the Supplier on behalf of
the Customer) during the term of this
Agreement in accordance
with Clause 10 hereunder, except that the Customer may purchase
krill oil or krill derived products from a person or third party
(such products, “Third Party Products”) only to the
extent that the Supplier cannot or will not sell the Product to the
Customer for Sale in a given territory or because the registration
process has commenced using Third Party Products. If the Customer
purchases any Third Party Products because the Product is not
offered in such territory, the Parties agree that when the Supplier
is able to provide the Product in compliance with this Agreement in
such territory and the Customer is able to effect an orderly
transition to the Product with its customers in such territory
without undue risk or burden, then the Customer will no longer Sell
such Third Party Product in the applicable
territory. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Customer
shall be permitted to Sell krill oil purchased from a third party
prior to the effectiveness of this Agreement.
3.
DELIVERY, PURCHASE PRICE
AND PAYMENT TERMS
3.1
The Purchase Price for
the Products is as set out in Appendix IV. Such Purchase
Price does not include any taxes. Customer shall be
solely responsible for any U.S. taxes. The Supplier
shall be solely responsible for foreign taxes, import duties and
other amounts associated with delivering the Product to the U.S.
Distributor.
3.2
The Supplier represents
that the price the Customer pays for the Product is the
Supplier’s lowest price currently in effect for any customer
with a license to Sell in the Territory or Export
Territories. Should any lower price, or any better
terms, be quoted by the Supplier to any of its customers with a
license to Sell in the Territory or Export Territories, prior to
completion of the delivery of the goods, the Supplier will promptly
notify the Customer and, thereupon, such lower price or better
terms will apply to this Agreement, provided that the granting of
such lower price or better terms to the Customer would not be in
violation of any applicable law. In calculating the
price, the Supplier shall take into account all rebates, discounts,
charge-backs, promotions, credits or other favorable terms or
similar arrangements. The Supplier represents and
warrants that, to the best of its knowledge, the prices for the
Product do not and will not violate any federal, state, county or
municipal law or regulation relative to price discrimination,
price-fixing, or price stabilization.
3.3
Payment for the Products
shall be made to the U.S. Distributor in full, free of bank charges
within 45 days of the date of delivery of the Product to the
Customer and the associated invoice by the U.S. Distributor.
Payment to the U.S. Distributor will satisfy all payment
obligations of the Customer under this Agreement, and no further
amounts shall be owed to the U.S. Distributor, the Supplier or the
encapsulator of the Product (unless the Customer uses its own
encapsulator, as described in Section 3.5(v) below).
3.4
The Supplier will pay
freight costs to the U.S. Distributor. The Customer will
pay freight costs from the U.S. Distributor to the delivery
location. Title to the Product will pass to the Customer
only following Customer’s receipt of such Product at its Salt
Lake City facility; subject to the acceptance, Nonconforming Goods
and other provisions of Sections 3.5 and 4.3 of this
Agreement.
3.5
Ordering Product;
Production Quantities.
(i)
Purchase
Orders. The Supplier agrees to sell and the Customer
agrees to purchase the Product pursuant to specific purchase orders
submitted from time to time by the Customer to the U.S.
Distributor, which shall include, among other things, the required
quantity of the Product. No purchase order is binding on
the Customer unless and until it is in writing and signed by
Customer's authorized representative. The U.S.
Distributor shall provide written confirmation within 2 business
days of receipt of the purchase order, and such confirmation shall
be binding on the Supplier. Each purchase order shall be
deemed to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement and subject to
the terms and conditions therein and herein. In the
event of a conflict between the terms of the purchase order and
this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall apply.
(ii)
Forecasts; Minimum Lead
Times. The Customer shall provide the Supplier with a
six (6) month non-binding forecast, updated once per
quarter. Beginning January 1, 2010, the Customer shall
provide the Supplier with a twelve (12) week binding minimum
forecast; provided that the Customer may upon ten days prior
written notice to the Supplier delay delivery of the Product
purchased. The Supplier certifies that should the
Customer so order, it will provide up to 50 metric tons of Product
per year and up to 10 metric tons of Product per month.
(iii)
Inventories. The
Supplier will source, purchase and warehouse all raw materials and
maintain at all times sufficient inventories of ingredients and
supplies to meet its obligations hereunder. Any
expenditure the Supplier may make based on projected future sales
to the Customer (including any forecasts by the Supplier or the
Customer) are the Supplier's responsibility and at the Supplier's
own risk. The Supplier shall not be entitled to
reimbursement of any production costs or expenses unless
specifically authorized in writing in advance by the
Customer. The Supplier shall cause the U.S. Distributor
to maintain at all times eight (8) weeks of Product inventory in
the United States. The Supplier shall ensure that the U.S.
Distributor stores the Product according to the Oil Specification
or Softgel Specification in Appendix II or Appendix VI, as
applicable. The Supplier agrees to maintain in inventory
at all times 400 metric tons of nutraceutical-grade krill meal
available for immediate extraction.
(iv)
Timeliness. The
Supplier shall, and shall cause the U.S. Distributor to,
manufacture, ship and deliver the Product in bulk form acceptable
to the Customer, in a timely manner in accordance with the purchase
orders submitted by the Customer. The Supplier agrees
that all Product purchased by the Customer shall meet the Oil
Specification or Softgel Specification, as
applicable. The Customer shall have forty-five (45) days
from receipt of the Product at the Customer’s Salt Lake City
facility (in the case of softgels) or at the Customer’s
contract encapsulator’s facility (in the case of oil) to
inspect the Product in order to determine that it meets such
Specifications. If the Product does not meet the Oil
Specification or Softgel Specification, then such Product may be
rejected by the Customer at the Supplier's expense; provided that
the Supplier will not accept any rejected Product, or incur any
cost or expense of any rejected Product, to the extent rejection is
due to the fact that it has been changed, altered or blended by the
Customer. If the Customer fails to inspect the Product
within such forty-five (45) day period, then the Product shall be
deemed to be accepted. Acceptance of any part of a
commercial unit shall not be deemed to be an acceptance of the
entire unit. The Supplier agrees that it will notify the Customer
immediately of any real or anticipated delays that could impact the
supply of the Product or the ability of the Supplier to fulfill its
obligations under this Agreement, including, but not limited to,
component supply or labor shortages, or events which involve
health, safety, building code, or regulatory issues or
violations.
(v)
Supplier Failure to
Supply. If the Supplier fails to supply the Product in
the manner and within the time frames set forth in this Agreement,
or is unable to supply the Product for any reason (either, a
“Failure to Supply”), the Supplier will promptly notify
the Customer of such delay or inability to perform and the Customer
will upon receipt of such notice promptly make reasonable efforts
to cover with a third party’s product. The Supplier agrees to
pay to the Customer the difference between the price the Customer
pays to cover and the Purchase Price (“Cover”). Such
Cover will not be considered a breach of Clauses 2.5 or 10 of this
Agreement, and the Supplier hereby grants the Customer a
non-exclusive, royalty-free license that allows Licensee to obtain
Product from third parties during the period the Supplier fails to
supply the Product, and to Sell such Product without violating this
Agreement or the Patents. If the Customer is unable to
cover, the Supplier agrees to pay to the Customer as liquidated
damages the difference between the price the Customer would have
charged its customer for the applicable lost or delayed sales
(based on the most recent price agreed upon by the Customer and its
customer prior to the Supplier’s notification to the Customer
of the delay or inability to supply) and the Product cost of goods
sold, as applicable (“Lost Sales”). The
Supplier will also pay to the Customer any penalties or other costs
incurred by the Customer in connection with such lost or delayed
sale (“Costs”), including, but not limited to, credits
and expenses incurred as a result of returned and/or discontinued
Product. The Supplier’s obligation to pay for
Cover, Lost Sales and Costs shall terminate one (1) year following
the failure to supply. The liquidated damages are not an
exclusive remedy, but in addition to other rights and remedies
available at law or in equity.
The Supplier agrees that
the Customer will be entitled to fulfillment of its orders on a
first priority basis in the case of any inventory
shortfall.
4.
PRODUCTS; WARRANTIES AND
LIABILITY
4.1
Supplier guarantees that
the Product has a minimum of twenty-four (24) months remaining
shelf-life at the time of delivery, provided that the Product is
stored according to the Oil Specification or Softgel Specification,
as applicable, in Appendix II or Appendix VI and that the EPA and
DHA levels will be at 100%
of the amount set forth
on the Oil Specification or Softgel Specification, as applicable,
at the end of the shelf-life. It is understood and
agreed that until the Supplier has the results of its twenty-four
(24) month stability testing, the above-stated guarantee will be
for a minimum of eighteen (18) months remaining
shelf-life.
4.2
The Product supplied
shall be in conformity with the Oil Specification and Softgel
Specification as set out in Appendix II and Appendix VI,
respectively. The Oil Specification and Softgel Specification may
be amended by written agreement of the Parties from time to time.
The Supplier shall discuss changes to the Oil Specification or
Softgel Specification with the Customer before they are
implemented, but the Supplier will make the final decision based on
an overall evaluation, subject to the Customer’s agreement,
such agreement not to be unreasonably withheld. Changes to the Oil
Specification or Softgel Specification requested by Customer may
cause changes in the Purchase Price to the extent of the actual
increase in the cost to the Supplier.
4.3
Upon receipt of the
Products the Customer shall make a visual inspection (physical and
organoleptic properties) of the goods and within fifteen (15) days
after receipt notify the U.S. Distributor of any damaged or
defective goods. Defects that could reasonably not be detected for
Products in the recipient’s control shall be reported to the
U.S. Distributor in writing within reasonable time after the defect
was discovered or should have been discovered. Products
that are not rejected in writing within the above time-limits shall
be deemed to be accepted.
Without waiving any other
rights or remedies available at law or equity, the Customer may
reject or revoke acceptance of goods or any portion thereof which,
without limitation, are (i) not in conformity with the
Customer’s quality control standards, (ii) defective, (iii)
otherwise not in conformity with quantities or descriptions
referred to in this Agreement or made a part hereof, (iv) not in
conformity with the Oil Specification or Softgel Specification
under which the goods are to be sold, (v) not in compliance with
any mutually approved sample, (vi) not in compliance with the
Customer’s current “Supplier Shipping & Compliance
Guide” (collectively, “Nonconforming Goods”) or
(vii) no longer required as a result of the Supplier’s
Failure to Supply and discontinuation by one or more customers of
the Customer. The Supplier shall make no shipment of
Nonconforming Goods, whether as an accommodation or otherwise,
unless first authorized in writing by the Customer. Upon
rejection or revocation, the Customer, at its option, may return at
the Supplier’s expense any or all of the goods or require
correction or replacement at Supplier’s expense within five
business days.
4.4
The Customer shall have
the option to inspect the Product, including materials used in the
manufacture or packaging of the Product, and records relating
thereto at reasonable times and places before, during and after the
manufacture or delivery of the Product. The Customer
reserves the right to inspect any facility in which the Product is
manufactured, packaged or stored and any raw materials, goods in
process, or finished goods. The Customer will provide a
minimum of ten (10) days prior notice of any such
inspection. An inspection or failure to inspect shall
not relieve the Supplier of any responsibility or liability with
respect to the Product, including material used in the manufacture
or packaging of the Product, nor shall an inspection be interpreted
as an acceptance of the Product by the Customer.
4.5
Notwithstanding the
foregoing paragraphs, the Customer’s failure to discover
Nonconforming Goods or other defects shall not relieve the Supplier
of its obligations under Section 13 or any other provision of this
Agreement or the applicable purchase order or limit any rights or
remedies the Customer may have under applicable law or
equity.
4.6
The Supplier hereby
represents and warrants to the Customer that (i) the Supplier is
the sole owner of the right, title and interest in and to the
Product, the Patents and the
Trademarks; (ii) the Supplier is entitled to
grant the licenses contemplated hereunder to the Customer; (iii)
the development, manufacture, sale, offer for sale, importation,
use, distribution, or other exploitation or disposition of the
Products will not infringe any intellectual property right of any
third party; (iv) the Product, the Trademarks and the Patents do
not infringe upon or violate any patent, copyright, trademark,
trade name, trade dress or other intellectual or proprietary
property rights of any third party in the Territory or the Export
Territories; (v) the Product as delivered by the U.S.
Distributor or the Supplier to the Customer will be free of
defects, will be manufactured in accordance with U.S. dietary
supplement good manufacturing practices and will conform to the
description of the Product ordered by the Customer; (vi)
the Product as delivered by the U.S. Distributor or the Supplier
to
the Customer shall
continue to be the same qualitative and quantitative formula as the
Product tested in any clinical studies; (vii) the Supplier has the
full power, capacity and right to enter into this Agreement,
including, but not limited to, the ability and wherewithal to
provide for the manufacture of the Product in compliance with this
Agreement; (viii) the Supplier has not licensed the Product, the
Trademarks or the Patents or any aspect thereof in any manner
inconsistent with the licenses granted hereunder; (ix) the Supplier
shall convey good, clear and unencumbered title to the Product
supplied; (x) neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement
nor compliance with the obligations of the Supplier hereunder, will
violate any law or regulation, or any order or decrees of any court
or government instrumentality, or will conflict with, or result in
the breach of, or constitute a default under, any contract,
agreement, instrument or judgment to which the Supplier is a party;
and (xi) to the best of Supplier’s officers knowledge after
reasonable investigation (including, without limitation,
consultation with appropriate legal counsel), no action, approval
or consent, including but not limited to, any action, approval or
consent by any United States, European or Norwegian federal, state,
municipal or other governmental agency, commission, board, bureau
or instrumentality is necessary in order to constitute this
Agreement as a valid, binding and enforceable obligation of the
Supplier in accordance with its terms. Notwithstanding this Clause
4.6, the Supplier’s representations with respect to the
Blended Product in clauses (iii) and (iv) cover the krill oil, but
not the combining of the krill oil with other
ingredients.
4.7
The Customer hereby
represents and warrants to the Supplier that (i) it has the full
power, capacity and right to enter into the Agreement; (ii) it
knows of no pending or threatened action in law or in equity, which
adversely affects the rights granted herein; (iii) neither the
execution and delivery of this Agreement nor compliance with the
obligatio