Exhibit 10. 1
** Certain information in this
exhibit has been omitted and will be filed separately with the
Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to a confidential
treatment request.
TECHNOLOGY AND PATENT RIGHTS
LICENSE AGREEMENT
This Technology and Patent Rights
License Agreement, (the “Agreement”), is made and
entered into effective the 5th day of April, 2005 (the
“Effective Date”), by and between Broin and
Associates, Inc., a South Dakota corporation located at 2209
East 57 th Street North, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104
(“Licensor”) and Great Plains Ethanol, LLC a South
Dakota limited liability company, located at 27716 - 462
nd Avenue, Chancellor, SD 57015,
(“Licensee”).
RECITALS;
A.
Licensee owns and operates a dry
mill fuel ethanol plant near Chancellor, South Dakota, for the
production and marketing of fuel ethanol and ethanol
co-products.
B.
Licensor is in the business of
designing and building dry mill fuel ethanol plants.
C.
Licensor possesses the Technology
and Patent Rights necessary to operate Licensee’s Ethanol
Plant to produce the Licensed Products using the Licensed
Methods.
D.
Licensee desires to acquire
non-exclusive licenses to Licensor’s Technology and Patent
Rights, and Licensor is willing to grant such licenses, all in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the mutual promises and conditions set forth in this Agreement,
Licensor and Licensee hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I -
DEFINITIONS
1.1
“Affiliate” or “Affiliates” of Licensor
means Jeffrey S. Broin, Robert L. Broin, Todd R. Broin, one or more
members of their respective Immediate Families, Broin
Enterprises, Inc., Broin Management, LLC, Ethanol Products,
LLC, or any other present or future company of which ten percent
(10%) or more of the outstanding securities are owned or controlled
by Licensor or one or more Affiliates.
1.2
“Application” means an application for the protection
of an invention or an industrial design; reference to an
“Application” shall include applications for patents
for inventions (including utility and provisional applications),
reissue applications, inventors’ certificates, utility
certificates, utility models, patents or certificates of addition,
inventors’ certificates of addition, utility certifications
of addition, design patents, and industrial design registrations,
foreign or domestic, including the Applications identified in
Exhibit B, if any.
1
** Certain information in this
exhibit has been omitted and will be filed separately with the
Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to a confidential
treatment request.
1.3
“Confidentiality Agreement” means the Confidentiality
and Nondisclosure Agreement dated April 5, 2005, between
Licensee and Licensor, and/or any amendment, modification or
replacement agreement between Licensee and Licensor with respect to
the protection and nondisclosure of Confidential
Information.
1.4
“Confidential Information” means the Confidential
Information of Licensor and its Affiliates, as defined in the
Confidentiality Agreement, and any other information now or later
identified by Licensor and its Affiliates as being confidential and
subject to nondisclosure obligations.
1.5
“Ethanol Plant” means the ethanol production facility
owned and operated by Licensee near Chancellor, South
Dakota.
1.6
“Gross Income” means gross income as determined under
generally accepted accounting principles, applied on a consistent
basis.
1.7
“Immediate Family” or “Immediate Families”
means respectively and collectively the spouse, children,
grandchildren and parents of Jeffrey S. Broin, Robert L. Broin and
Todd R. Broin.
1.8
“Initial New Technology Fee” means the initial fee to
be paid to Licensor for New Technology pursuant to any Addendum
executed by the parties.
1.9
“Licensed Products” means any and all products,
machines, manufactures, or compositions of matter which are covered
by or are produced using a process or a method covered by the
Technology and Patent Rights, including but not limited to ethanol,
distillers grain, carbon dioxide and other ethanol
co-products.
1.10
“Licensed Methods” means any and all methods or
processes which are covered by the Technology and Patent Rights,
including but not limited to methods of producing ethanol,
distillers grain, carbon dioxide or other ethanol
co-products.
1.11
“License” or “Licenses” means the
Technology License and/or Patent Rights License described in
Section 2.1
1.12
“Management Agreement” means the agreement between
Licensee and Manager with respect to the management and operation
of the Ethanol Plant, as evidenced by the First Amended and
Restated Operating Agreement of Great Plains Ethanol, LLC dated
April 23, 2001, and/or any amendment, modification or
replacement agreement between Manager and Licensee for the
management and operation of the Ethanol Plant.
1.13
“Management Bonus” means the management bonus to be
paid to Manager under the terms of Section 9.3(b) of the
Management Agreement.
2
** Certain information in this
exhibit has been omitted and will be filed separately with the
Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to a confidential
treatment request.
1.14
“Management Fee” means the management fee paid to
Manager pursuant the terms of Section 9.3(a) of the
Management Agreement.
1.15
“Management Term” means from the date of this Agreement
until such time as the Management Agreement expires or is
terminated by either Licensee and/or Manager, pursuant to the terms
and conditions of the Management Agreement.
1.16
“Manager” means Broin Management, LLC, its successors
and assigns.
1.17
“New Technology” means: (i) replacements,
improvements, enhancements or modifications to the Technology and
Patent Rights, (ii) new inventions and discoveries for the
construction and operation of the Ethanol Plant, the manufacture of
the Licensed Products and/or use of the Licensed Methods, and
(iii) technology in research, development, or testing stage,
and technology to be researched, developed or tested by Licensor
subsequent to the date of this Agreement, and (iv) any
processes; systems, diagrams, information, balances, blueprints,
configurations, manuals, videotapes or any other proprietary
rights, patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, formulas,
research data, know-how, process control systems, software
certifications and specifications and other technology that is not
part of the Technology and Patent Rights.
1.18
“Patents” means patents, reissues, renewals, and
extensions thereof for inventions, inventors’ certificates,
utility certificates, utility models, patents or certificates of
addition, inventors’ certificate of addition, utility
certificates of addition, design patents, and industrial design
registrations.
1.19
‘Patent Rights” means: (i) the Scheduled Patents,
and (ii) such Patents and Applications directed to the
construction and operation of the Ethanol Plant, the manufacture of
the Licensed Products and/or use of the Licensed Methods that
Licensor may own or gain rights to license during the term of this
Agreement and which Licensor may agree to include in the Patent
Rights.
1.20
“Patent Rights License” means a revocable,
non-exclusive, indivisible and non-transferable right and license
to use the Patent Rights solely for the Permitted Purpose, subject
to the conditions set forth herein.
1.21
“Permitted Purpose” means the operation of the Ethanol
Plant for the production of the Licensed Products and/or use of the
Licensed Methods at the Ethanol Plant.
1.22
“Person” means an individual, partnership, limited
partnership, limited liability company, foreign limited liability
company, trust, estate, corporation, foreign corporation,
cooperative, custodian, trustee, executor, administrator, nominee,
representative or any other individual or entity, however
designated.
3
** Certain information in this
exhibit has been omitted and will be filed separately with the
Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to a confidential
treatment request.
1.23
‘Post-Management Term” means that period of time
commencing upon (i) the expiration of the Management Agreement
at the conclusion of its natural term with no renewal thereof, or
(ii) Licensee’s termination of the Management Agreement
for cause as defined in the Management Agreement, and in either
event concluding upon the earlier of (iii) the date that
Licensee ceases to use all of the Technology and/or Patent Rights,
or (iv) the annual anniversary date of the expiration or
termination of the Management Agreement occurring at least ninety
(90) days following the giving of notice of termination of the
Licenses, by Licensee pursuant to Section 3.3.
1.24
‘Post-Management Term Fees” means
the ** to
be paid by Licensee to Licensor during the Post Management Term as
provided in any Addendum executed by the parties.
1.25
“Scheduled Patents” means the Applications and Patents
listed in any Addendum executed by the parties.
1.26
“Technology” means: (i) all processes, systems,
diagrams, information, balances, blueprints, configurations,
manuals, videotapes, proprietary rights, patents, trademarks,
copyrights, trade secrets, formulas, research data, know-how,
process control systems, software configurations and
specifications, and other technology required to operate the
Ethanol Plant, to manufacture the Licensed Products, and/or use the
Licensed Methods, all as identified in Exhibit A,
(ii) means all inventions and discoveries covered by the
claims in the Applications prior to the issuance of, during the
life of, and following the expiration of the Patents, and
(iii) any of the foregoing directed to the manufacture of the
Licensed Products and/or use of the Licensed Methods that Licensor
may own or gain rights to license during the term of this
Agreement, but not including the New Technology until so specified
in an Addendum.
1.27
“Technology and Patent Rights Fee” means
the ** equal
to ** to
be paid to Licensor by Licensee during the Management Term for the
right to use the Technology and Patent Rights to produce the
Licensed Products using the Licensed Methods, pursuant to
Section 4.1.
1.28
“Technology License” means the revocable,
non-exclusive, indivisible and non-transferable right and license
to use the Technology solely for the Permitted Purpose as granted
by Licensor to Licensee pursuant to Section 2.1, but, subject
to the conditions set forth in this Agreement.
1.29
“Third Party” means any Person other than Licensee and
its officers and employees having a reason to know the Technology
and Patent Rights.
1.30
“Transfer” means a sale, assignment, gill, exchange or
other disposition of the Technology and/or the Patent Rights.
“Transfer” does not mean or include a mortgage, pledge
or grant of a security interest or other encumbrance of or in the
item in question.
4
** Certain information in this
exhibit has been omitted and will be filed separately with the
Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to a confidential
treatment request.
ARTICLE II- GRANT OF
LICENSE
2.1
Non-Exclusive License . Licensor hereby grants to Licensee
the Technology License and the Patent Rights License. (the
“Technology License”)
2.2
Restrictions . Licensee is prohibited from using the
Technology and/or Patent Rights for any purpose other than the
Permitted Purpose. Licensee is prohibited from disclosing to any
Person the Technology and Patent Rights. Licensee is prohibited
from sublicensing, renting, and/or leasing to any Person the
Technology and/or Patent Rights. Licensee is prohibited from
reverse engineering the Technology and/or Patent Rights. Licensee
is not granted the right to use the Technology and/or Patent Rights
in connection with the design, construction, operation or
maintenance of another ethanol facility.
2.3
New Technology . The Licenses do not extend to New
Technology until an Addendum is executed by the parties under which
the New Technology becomes subject to the Licenses. If during
the term of this Agreement, Licensor, Licensee and/or
Licensee’s employees, consultants, and contractors develop
any New Technology, or if Licensor becomes the owner of any New
Technology, such New Technology shall be solely owned by
Licensor. If Licensee, its employees, consultants and/or
contractors develop any New Technology, or if any of the foregoing
become the owners of any rights in New Technology, Licensee, its
employees, consultants and/or contractors shall assign to Licensor
all right, title and interest in and to the New Technology.
New Technology, in the sole discretion of Licensor, may be licensed
to Licensee. If Licensor determines that Licensor will make
available and license to Licensee the New Technology, then the New
Technology shall become part of the Technology licensed hereunder,
and shall be licensed to Licensee without charge or additional
compensation to be paid by Licensor during the Management
Term. Any charges and additional compensation to be paid to
Licensor during the Post-Management Term shall be set forth in an
Addendum that shall be executed by the parties.
2.4
Assignments to Licensee . Licensee shall require all of
Licensee’s current and future employees, consultants and
contractors to assign to Licensee all New Technology, so as to
ensure and facilitate the assignment by Licensee to Licensor of the
same. Licensee’s current and future employees, consultants
and contractors shall execute and deliver to Licensee an Employee,
Consultant or Contractor Confidentiality and Nondisclosure
Agreement in the form attached to the Confidentiality Agreement.
Licensee shall enforce the terms and conditions of the Employee,
Consultant or Contractor Confidentiality and Nondisclosure
Agreement, and hereby authorizes Licensor, as a third party
beneficiary, to enforce the same, and agrees to cooperate and
assist Licensor in the enforcement of the same.
2.5
Patent Prosecution . Licensor shall have full control over
prosecution and maintenance of the Applications and Scheduled
Patents. Licensor shall use, at its sole discretion, reasonable
efforts to establish patent protection for the information,
inventions and discoveries included in the Applications and shall
timely keep Licensee advised of the status of such prosecution and
maintenance thereof In addition, with respect to the development of
New
5
** Certain information in this
exhibit has been omitted and will be filed separately with the
Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to a confidential
treatment request.
Technology, Licensee may offer, at
its own expense, assistance to Licensor in the drafting of claims
and specifications for the development of New Technology and/or
filing of new Applications.
ARTICLE III -
TERM
3.1
Initial Technology License Term . The Technology License
shall commence on the Effective Date of this Agreement and shall
terminate, unless otherwise terminated as provided herein, upon the
earlier of (i) the date that Licensee ceases to use all of the
Technology, or (ii) the conclusion of the Management
Term. If Licensor determines, in its sole discretion, that
the processes, know-how, and other proprietary information
contained in the Technology infringes or may infringe upon the
proprietary information of any Person, then the Technology License
with respect to said infringing processes, know-how, and other
proprietary information shall terminate upon notice from Licensor
to Licensee.
3.2
Initial Patent Rights License Term . The Patent
Rights License shall commence on the Effective Date of this
Agreement and shall terminate, unless otherwise terminated as
provided herein, upon the earlier of (i) the date that
Licensee ceases to use all of the Patent Rights, (ii) the
conclusion of the Management Term, or (iii) expiration of the
last to expire of any of the Scheduled Patents issued.
3.3
Post-Management Term . Upon the commencement of the
Post-Management Term, Licensee shall have the option to continue
the Licenses in full force and effect on a year-to-year basis,
subject to Licensee’s fulfillment of Licensee’s
obligations hereunder, including but not limited to
Licensee’s payment of the Post-Management Term Fees, and
Licensee’s obligations under any and all Addendums to this
License Agreement. To exercise the option to continue the
Licenses, Licensee shall give Licensor written notice of
Licensee’s election to exercise the option at least ninety
(90) days prior to the expiration of the Management Agreement if it
expires at the conclusion of its natural term or no later than the
date that Licensee gives Manager notice of termination of the
Management Agreement for cause. Thereafter, the Licenses
shall renew automatically on a year-to-year basis, unless Licensee
gives Licensor written notice of Licensee’s election to
terminate the Licenses, which notice shall be given at least ninety
(90) days prior to the anniversary date of the expiration of the
Management Term. If Licensee timely exercises the option to
continue the Licenses, then the Licenses shall continue in full
force an4 effect during the Post-Management Term.
ARTICLE IV -
COMPENSATION
4.1
License Fees During the Management Term .
During the Management Term, Licensee shall pay to Licensor the
Technology and Patent Rights Fee, as defined in
Section 1.27. The Technology and Patent Rights Fee shall
be
paid
** .
6
** Certain information in this
exhibit has been omitted and will be filed separately with the
Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to a confidential
treatment request.
If during the Management Term
Licensor transfers to a Person that is not an Affiliate of Licensor
this Agreement, or if during the Management Term a controlling
interest in the stock of the Licensor (more than 50%) is held by a
Person that is not an Affiliate of Licensor, then Licensee may
request that the amount of the Technology and Patent Rights Fee be
renegotiated for the balance of the Management Term. Licensee shall
have ninety (90) days following receipt of written notice of
Transfer f