SETTLEMENT
AND
LICENSE
AGREEMENT
This SETTLEMENT AND LICENSE
AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into
as of June 1, 2009 (the “Effective Date”) by and
between starpay.com, l.l.c., an Oklahoma limited liability company,
VIMACHINE, Inc., a Delaware corporation, The Beard Company, an
Oklahoma corporation, Marc Messner, an individual, Kirit Talati, an
individual, and MEDICALMAP-EMR, LLC, (“MEDICALMAP”), a
Texas Company, on the one hand, and Visa International Service
Association, a Delaware corporation with offices in Foster City,
California, and Visa U.S.A. Inc., a corporation organized under the
laws of Delaware and having offices in San Francisco and Foster
City, California, on the other hand.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, starpay.com, l.l.c. and
VIMACHINE, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Visa U.S.A. Inc. and Visa
International Service Association in the United States District
Court for the Northern District of Texas on May 8, 2003, Case No.
CIV:3-03CV0976-L, alleging patent infringement and trade secret
misappropriation, in which Visa U.S.A. Inc. and Visa International
Service Association filed counterclaims (the
“Action”);
WHEREAS, while expressly denying and
disclaiming wrongdoing or liability of any kind whatsoever, the
parties agree to enter into this Agreement in order to avoid
further expense, inconvenience, and the distraction of litigation
and to put to rest certain claims among the parties hereto, as set
forth below;
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in
consideration of the covenants, conditions and undertakings
hereinafter set forth, it is hereby agreed by and between the
parties as follows:
AGREEMENT
1.1 “Licensed
Patents” means (i) U.S. Patent No. 5,903,878 (ii) any U.S. or
foreign patents or patent applications claiming the benefit of a
filing date from U.S. Patent No. 5,903,878 or the application
therefor, (iii) all divisional, continuation, continuation-in-part,
re-issue, reexamination, CPA and RCE applications and patents based
on any of the patents or patent applications recited in clauses (i)
or (ii), and (iv) any other U.S. or foreign patents or U.S. or
foreign applications (a) that are now owned (in full or partially)
by Licensing Entities (b) that are exclusively licensed to
Licensing Entities, or (c) with respect to which Licensing Entities
have the right to grant licenses or covenants not to sue.
“Licensed Patents” under this paragraph do not include
(i) U.S. Patent No. 6,370,514 issued April 9, 2002 to Mr. Messner,
which is subject to a pre-existing exclusive license to Universal
Certificate Group, LLC d/b/a giveanything.com, and (ii) U.S. Patent
No. 5,231,797 issued October 15, 1993 for treating moisture laden
coal.
1.2 “Covenant
Patents” means U.S. Patents Nos. 5,999,942; 5,915,115;
5,873,094; and 5,677,997.
1.3 “Licensing
Entities” means starpay.com, l.l.c.; VIMACHINE, Inc.; The
Beard Company; Marc Messner; and any Successor-in-Interest to any
of them.
1.4 “Successor-in-Interest”
means any successor or assign with respect to the Licensed Patents
or the Covenant Patents. Unless stated otherwise, the covenants
made herein are intended to “run with” the Licensed
Patents and Covenant Patents and to bind any party in a position to
enforce them, and Licensing Entities, Kirit Talati, MEDICALMAP, and
any of their Successors-in-Interest shall disclose this Agreement
in connection with any proposed transaction resulting in the
creation of a new Successor-in-Interest, and shall obtain consent
in writing to the terms hereof prior to any such
transaction.
1.5 “Visa”
means Visa U.S.A. Inc., Visa International Service Association,
Visa Europe Services Inc., and Visa Inc., together with their
subsidiaries, successors, officers, directors, employees,
representatives, and attorneys.
1.6 “Visa
Related Entities” means any past, current or future entity
making, using, offering to sell, selling, importing, licensing,
advertising, processing, facilitating, participating in the
research and development of or commercializing any Licensed
Activity. Visa Related Entities include Visa’s clients,
issuers, end-users, member banks (and member banks’ agents
and processors), acquirers, partners, merchants, vendors, service
providers, licensees, and manufacturing or technology partners, but
only with respect to such entities’ conduct in relation to
any Licensed Activity. With respect to Visa member banks, Visa
Related Entities also include parents, subsidiaries, successors,
officers, directors, employees, representatives, attorneys, and any
entity that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or
is under common control with a Visa Related Entity, whether through
the ownership of securities, as a result of contract, or otherwise
(it being understood that the ownership of securities or other
instruments representing 50% or more of the outstanding voting
power of a particular entity, or the right to appoint 50% or more
of the directors of the entity, shall conclusively constitute
control for the purpose of this definition).
1.7 “Licensed
Activity” means any past, present, or future (1) activity,
product, technology, specification, service, good and/or software
by or from Visa, (2) 3-D Secure-related activity, product,
technology, specification, service, good and/or software by or from
any person or entity, or (3) any payer authentication-related
activity, product, technology, specification, service, good and/or
software by or from any person or entity, where licensed by or
offered in connection with Visa.
1.8 “Person”
means an individual, trust, corporation, partnership, joint
venture, limited liability company, association, unincorporated
organization or other legal or governmental entity.
Provided that Visa U.S.A. Inc. has
made the payments required by paragraph 3.1 and 3.2 hereof, the
following licenses are hereby granted.
2.1 Licensing
Entities hereby grant to Visa and to all Visa Related Entities a
non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide license to any and
all Licensed Patents for any Licensed Activity. This license
includes the right to practice, design, make, have made, operate,
use, sell, offer for sale, import, promote, or otherwise distribute
the technology disclosed in any Licensed Patent in connection with
any Licensed Activity.
2.2 Licensing
Entities, Kirit Talati, and MEDICALMAP warrant that they know of no
patents other than the Licensed Patents and the Covenant Patents as
to which any of them have any ownership interest and that may cover
any Licensed Activity.
2.3 Visa
has unfettered right to sublicense only U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,878.
Visa may not sublicense any other patents affected by the license
granted hereunder.
3.1
Payment Amount . Within five (5) business days from the
Effective Date, Visa U.S.A. Inc. shall pay to Licensing Entities,
via electronic funds transfer, a one-time settlement payment amount
of two million seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars United
States dollars ($2,750,000).
3.2
Payment Amount. Within five (5) business days from the
Effective Date, Visa U.S.A., Inc. shall pay to MEDICALMAP, via
electronic funds transfer, a one-time payment of five hundred
thousand dollars United States dollars ($500,000) as consideration
for the covenants not to sue set forth herein.
3.3
Means of Payment . The settlement payments specified in
paragraphs 2.1 and 3.2, above, shall be made in United States
Dollars and shall be made by electronic funds transfers. Settlement
payments to Licensing Entities and MEDICAL MAP shall be made to the
following accounts:
|
Party
|
Amount
|
Account
|
|
Starpay.com, l.l.c.
|
$832,268.37
|
|
|
VIMachine, Inc.
|
$689,056.86
|
|
|
Edward L. White, P.C.
|
$623,465.31
|
|
|
White & Weddle, P.C.
|
$596,209.46
|
|
|
Party
|
Amount
|
Account
|
|
MEDICALMAP-EMR, LLC
|
$500,000.00
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
$3,250,000.00
|
|
3.4 Licensing
Entities, Kirit Talati, and MEDICALMAP hereby acknowledge and agree
that payments made by Visa U.S.A. Inc. of the settlement amounts in
the means specified by these paragraphs 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 shall be
a full and complete compliance with the payment obligations
hereunder.
3.5
Taxes. Visa U.S.A. Inc. shall make all payments due
hereunder in United States currency clear of and without deduction
or deferment for any demand, set-off, counterclaim or other
dispute. Each party shall be separately and individually
responsible for the tax consequences to it of this
transaction.
|
|
4.
|
Dismissals, Releases and
Covenants Not To Sue.
|
4.1
Dismissal. Within five (5) business days of the receipt of
payment set forth in paragraphs 3.1 and 3.2 herein, starpay.com,
l.l.c. and VIMACHINE, Inc. shall cause to be filed in the Northern
District of Texas, Case No. CIV:3-03CV0976-L, a fully executed
stipulated order of dismissal with prejudice in the form attached
hereto as Exhibit A .
4.2
Visa Release to Licensing Entities . Visa U.S.A. Inc. and
Visa International Service Association irrevocably release, acquit
and forever discharge Licensing Entities from any and all claims or
liabilities of any kind and nature, at law, in equity, or
otherwise, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed
and undisclosed, relating in any way to the Action, and/ or U.S.
Patent No. 5,903,878.
4.3
Licensing Entities Release . Licensing Entities irrevocably
release, acquit and forever discharge Visa and all Visa Related
Entities from any and all claims or liabilities of any kind and
nature, at law, in equity, or otherwise, known and unknown,
suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, relating to
any Licensed Activity.
4.4. Visa
Release to Dr. Talati . Visa
U.S.A. Inc. and Visa International Service Association irrevocably
release, acquit and forever discharge Dr. Talati from any and all
claims or liabilities existing as of the Effective Date, of any
kind and nature, at law, in equity, or otherwise, known and
unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed,
including but not limited to all claims relating in any way to the
Action, and/or U.S. Patent Nos. 5,903,878; 5,999,942; 5,915,115;
5,873,094; and 5,677,997, as well as U.S. Patent Application No.
11/215,647 .
4.5
Dr. Talati Release . Dr. Talati irrevocably releases,
acquits and forever discharges Visa from any and all claims or
liabilities existing as of the Effective Date, of any kind and
nature, at law, in equity, or otherwise, known and unknown,
suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, relating to
any Licensed Activity.
4.6
Licensing Entities Covenant Not To Sue . Licensing Entities
agree that, for a period of five (5) years from the Effective Date
of this Agreement, they will not bring, cause to be brought, or
assist another in pursuing any claim or action against Visa or any
Visa Related
Entities relating to any
intellectual property issues or claims that may now exist or
hereafter arise.
4.7
MEDICALMAP Covenant Not to Sue . MEDICALMAP agrees
that it will not bring, cause to be brought or assist another in
pursuing any claim or action against Visa or any Visa Related Party
for Visa’s internal use of the Covenant Patents.
Internal use includes: (a) any use for any internal development,
communications or dealings within Visa; (b) any use by Visa to
enable Visa to provide products or services to or on behalf of its
clients related to the Visa Network; or (c) any use by a Visa
Related Party to provide products or services to a client of Visa
on behalf of Visa related to the Visa Network. For the
avoidance of doubt, MEDICALMAP, is not granting Visa or the Visa
Related Parties a license to the Covenant Patents pursuant to this
Section 4.7. For further avoidance of doubt, with regard to
any Visa Related Party, this Covenant Not to Sue is limited only to
Visa’s use of the Covenant Patents as set forth in (a), (b),
and (c) above, and does not extend to any other party or uses.
MEDICALMAP will reasonably cooperate to allow Visa to record the
terms of this Covenant not to Sue with the United States Patent and
Trademark Office and any other applicable foreign patent
offices.
“Visa Related Party”
means Visa’s issuers, member banks (and member banks’
agents and processors), acquirers, partners, merchants, vendors,
and service providers but only with respect to such entities’
conduct as set forth in (c), above.
“Visa Network” means any
communication or transaction network owned or operated by Visa, or
used in connection with Visa products or services, which network is
related to Visa payment products, financial transactions, or
financial information, or the processing in connection
therewith.
4.7.a. Kirit Talati Covenant Not to Sue
Against Visa . Kirit Talati agrees that, for a period of
five (5) years from the Effective Date of this Agreement, he will
not bring any claim or action against Visa based on any
intellectual property issues or claims that may exist or hereafter
arise. Such covenant not to sue is personal to Kirit Talati, does
not transfer to any successor, and does not run to any employer of
Kirit Talati or to any future owner of any patent or other
intellectual property on which Kirit Talati is an inventor and/or
creator. For the avoidance of doubt, Kirit Talati is not granting
Visa a license to any intellectual property pursuant to this
Section 4.7.a.
4.7.b. Kirit Talati Covenant Not to Sue
Against Visa Related Parties . Kirit Talati agrees that,
for a period of five (5) years from the Effective Date of this
Agreement, he will not bring any claim or action against any Visa
Related Party (as that term is defined in section 4.7) for
Visa’s internal use of any intellectual property.
Internal use includes: (a) any use for any