Document:

Exhibit 4.4

 

	
 
    

 

TRINA SOLAR LIMITED

 

INDENTURE

 

Dated as of

June   , 2014

 

Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee

 

	
 
    

 

 

TRINA SOLAR LIMITED

Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act
 of 1939 and the Indenture, dated as of June    , 20141

 

	
Trust Indenture Act Section
    	
 
    	
Indenture Section
    
	
Sec.   310
    	
(a)(1)
    	
 
    	
11.04
    
	
 
    	
(a)(2)
    	
 
    	
11.04
    
	
 
    	
(a)(3)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(a)(4)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(a)(5)
    	
 
    	
11.04
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
11.04
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
Sec. 311
    	
(a)
    	
 
    	
11.11
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
11.11
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
Sec. 312
    	
(a)
    	
 
    	
10.03
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
11.10
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
Sec. 313
    	
(a)
    	
 
    	
10.01
    
	
 
    	
(b)(1)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(b)(2)
    	
 
    	
10.01,   11.01
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
10.01
    
	
 
    	
(d)
    	
 
    	
10.01
    
	
Sec. 314
    	
(a)
    	
 
    	
10.02,   16.05
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(c)(1)
    	
 
    	
16.01
    
	
 
    	
(c)(2)
    	
 
    	
16.01
    
	
 
    	
(c)(3)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(d)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(e)
    	
 
    	
16.01
    
	
 
    	
(f)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
Sec. 315
    	
(a)
    	
 
    	
11.02
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
11.03,   16.05
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
11.02
    
	
 
    	
(d)
    	
 
    	
11.02
    
	
 
    	
(e)
    	
 
    	
7.07
    
	
Sec. 316
    	
(a)(last   sentence)
    	
 
    	
1.01
    
	
 
    	
(a)(1)(A)
    	
 
    	
7.06
    
	
 
    	
(a)(1)(B)
    	
 
    	
7.06
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
7.07
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
3.08
    
	
Sec. 317
    	
(a)(1)
    	
 
    	
7.04
    
	
 
    	
(a)(2)
    	
 
    	
7.04
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
6.03
    
	
Sec. 318
    	
(a)
    	
 
    	
16.02
    
	
 
    	
(b)
    	
 
    	
N.A.
    
	
 
    	
(c)
    	
 
    	
16.02
    

 

1       Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not be deemed to be part of the indenture for any purpose.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	
ARTICLE I   DEFINITIONS
    	
4
    
	
Section 1.01
    	
Definitions
    	
4
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE II   FORMS OF SECURITIES
    	
10
    
	
Section 2.01
    	
Terms of the Securities
    	
10
    
	
Section 2.02
    	
Form of Trustee’s Certificate   of Authentication
    	
10
    
	
Section 2.03
    	
Form of Trustee’s   Certificate of Authentication by an Authenticating Agent
    	
11
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE III   THE DEBT SECURITIES
    	
11
    
	
Section 3.01
    	
Amount Unlimited;   Issuable in Series
    	
11
    
	
Section 3.02
    	
Denominations
    	
13
    
	
Section 3.03
    	
Execution,   Authentication, Delivery and Dating
    	
14
    
	
Section 3.04
    	
Temporary Securities
    	
16
    
	
Section 3.05
    	
Registrar and Paying   Agent
    	
16
    
	
Section 3.06
    	
Transfer and Exchange
    	
17
    
	
Section 3.07
    	
Mutilated,   Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities
    	
21
    
	
Section 3.08
    	
Payment   of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved
    	
21
    
	
Section 3.09
    	
Cancellation
    	
22
    
	
Section 3.10
    	
Computation   of Interest
    	
23
    
	
Section 3.11
    	
Currency   of Payments in Respect of Securities
    	
23
    
	
Section 3.12
    	
Judgments
    	
23
    
	
Section 3.13
    	
CUSIP   Numbers
    	
24
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IV REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
    	
24
    
	
Section 4.01
    	
Applicability   of Right of Redemption
    	
24
    
	
Section 4.02
    	
Selection   of Securities to be Redeemed
    	
24
    
	
Section 4.03
    	
Notice   of Redemption
    	
25
    
	
Section 4.04
    	
Deposit   of Redemption Price
    	
26
    
	
Section 4.05
    	
Securities   Payable on Redemption Date
    	
26
    
	
Section 4.06
    	
Securities   Redeemed in Part
    	
26
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE V SINKING FUNDS
    	
27
    
	
Section 5.01
    	
Applicability   of Sinking Fund
    	
27
    
	
Section 5.02
    	
Mandatory   Sinking Fund Obligation
    	
27
    
	
Section 5.03
    	
Optional   Redemption at Sinking Fund Redemption Price
    	
27
    
	
Section 5.04
    	
Application   of Sinking Fund Payment
    	
28
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VI PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
    	
29
    
	
Section 6.01
    	
Payments   of Securities
    	
29
    
	
Section 6.02
    	
Paying   Agent
    	
29
    
	
Section 6.03
    	
To   Hold Payment in Trust
    	
29
    
	
Section 6.04
    	
Merger,   Consolidation and Sale of Assets
    	
31
    
	
Section 6.05
    	
Compliance   Certificate
    	
31
    
	
Section 6.06
    	
Conditional   Waiver by Holders of Securities
    	
32
    
	
Section 6.07
    	
Statement   by Officers as to Default
    	
32
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VII REMEDIES OF TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS
    	
32
    
	
Section 7.01
    	
Events   of Default
    	
32
    

 

i

 

	
Section 7.02
    	
Acceleration;   Rescission and Annulment
    	
33
    
	
Section 7.03
    	
Other   Remedies
    	
35
    
	
Section 7.04
    	
Trustee   as Attorney-in-Fact
    	
36
    
	
Section 7.05
    	
Priorities
    	
36
    
	
Section 7.06
    	
Control   by Securityholders; Waiver of Past Defaults
    	
37
    
	
Section 7.07
    	
Limitation   on Suits
    	
37
    
	
Section 7.08
    	
Undertaking   for Costs
    	
38
    
	
Section 7.09
    	
Remedies   Cumulative
    	
38
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VIII CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
    	
39
    
	
Section 8.01
    	
Evidence   of Action of Securityholders
    	
39
    
	
Section 8.02
    	
Proof   of Execution or Holding of Securities
    	
39
    
	
Section 8.03
    	
Persons   Deemed Owners
    	
40
    
	
Section 8.04
    	
Revocation   of Consents
    	
40
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IX SECURITYHOLDERS’ MEETINGS
    	
40
    
	
Section 9.01
    	
Purposes   of Meetings
    	
40
    
	
Section 9.02
    	
Call   of Meetings by Trustee
    	
41
    
	
Section 9.03
    	
Call   of Meetings by Company or Securityholders
    	
41
    
	
Section 9.04
    	
Qualifications   for Voting
    	
41
    
	
Section 9.05
    	
Regulation   of Meetings
    	
41
    
	
Section 9.06
    	
Voting
    	
42
    
	
Section 9.07
    	
No   Delay of Rights by Meeting
    	
42
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE X REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE AND   SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS
    	
42
    
	
Section 10.01
    	
Reports   by Trustee
    	
42
    
	
Section 10.02
    	
Reports   by the Company
    	
43
    
	
Section 10.03
    	
Securityholders’   Lists
    	
43
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE XI CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
    	
43
    
	
Section 11.01
    	
Rights   of Trustees; Compensation and Indemnity
    	
43
    
	
Section 11.02
    	
Duties   of Trustee
    	
46
    
	
Section 11.03
    	
Notice   of Defaults
    	
47
    
	
Section 11.04
    	
Eligibility;   Disqualification
    	
48
    
	
Section 11.05
    	
Registration   and Notice; Removal
    	
48
    
	
Section 11.06
    	
Successor   Trustee by Appointment
    	
49
    
	
Section 11.07
    	
Successor   Trustee by Merger
    	
50
    
	
Section 11.08
    	
Right   to Rely on Officer’s Certificate
    	
51
    
	
Section 11.09
    	
Appointment   of Authenticating Agent
    	
51
    
	
Section 11.10
    	
Communications   by Securityholders with Other Securityholders
    	
52
    
	
Section 11.11
    	
Preferential   Collection of Claims Against the Company
    	
52
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE XII SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE
    	
52
    
	
Section 12.01
    	
Satisfaction   and Discharge of Indenture
    	
52
    
	
Section 12.02
    	
Defeasance   upon Deposit of Moneys or U.S. Government Obligations
    	
53
    
	
Section 12.03
    	
Repayment   to Company
    	
55
    
	
Section 12.04
    	
Indemnity   for U.S. Government Obligations
    	
55
    
	
Section 12.05
    	
Deposits   to Be Held in Escrow
    	
55
    

 

ii

 

	
Section 12.06
    	
Application   of Trust Money
    	
56
    
	
Section 12.07
    	
Deposits   of Non-U
    	
56
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE XIII IMMUNITY OF CERTAIN PERSONS
    	
56
    
	
Section 13.01
    	
No   Personal Liability
    	
56
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE XIV SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
    	
57
    
	
Section 14.01
    	
Without   Consent of Securityholders
    	
57
    
	
Section 14.02
    	
With   Consent of Securityholders; Limitations
    	
58
    
	
Section 14.03
    	
Trustee   Protected
    	
60
    
	
Section 14.04
    	
Effect   of Execution of Supplemental Indenture
    	
60
    
	
Section 14.05
    	
Notation   on or Exchange of Securities
    	
60
    
	
Section 14.06
    	
Conformity   with TIA
    	
61
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE XV SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
    	
61
    
	
Section 15.01
    	
Agreement   to Subordinate
    	
61
    
	
Section 15.02
    	
Distribution   on Dissolution, Liquidation and Reorganization; Subrogation of Securities
    	
61
    
	
Section 15.03
    	
No   Payment on Securities in Event of Default on Senior Indebtedness
    	
63
    
	
Section 15.04
    	
Payments   on Securities Permitted
    	
63
    
	
Section 15.05
    	
Authorization   of Securityholders to Trustee to Effect Subordination
    	
63
    
	
Section 15.06
    	
Notices   to Trustee
    	
63
    
	
Section 15.07
    	
Trustee   as Holder of Senior Indebtedness
    	
64
    
	
Section 15.08
    	
Modifications   of Terms of Senior Indebtedness
    	
64
    
	
Section 15.09
    	
Reliance   on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent
    	
64
    
	
Section 15.10
    	
Satisfaction   and Discharge; Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
    	
64
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE XVI MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
    	
65
    
	
Section 16.01
    	
Certificates   and Opinions as to Conditions Precedent
    	
65
    
	
Section 16.02
    	
Trust   Indenture Act Controls
    	
66
    
	
Section 16.03
    	
What   Constitutes Action by Board of Directors
    	
66
    
	
Section 16.04
    	
Notices   to the Company and Trustee
    	
66
    
	
Section 16.05
    	
Notices   to Securityholders; Waiver
    	
66
    
	
Section 16.06
    	
Legal   Holiday
    	
67
    
	
Section 16.07
    	
Effects   of Headings and Table of Contents
    	
67
    
	
Section 16.08
    	
Successors   and Assigns
    	
67
    
	
Section 16.09
    	
Separability   Clause
    	
67
    
	
Section 16.10
    	
Benefits   of Indenture
    	
67
    
	
Section 16.11
    	
Counterparts   Originals
    	
68
    
	
Section 16.12
    	
Governing   Law
    	
68
    

 

iii

 

INDENTURE dated as of June       , 2014, between Trina Solar Limited, a Cayman Islands company, and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee.

 

WITNESSETH:

 

WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance of unsecured debentures, notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness (the “Securities”) in an unlimited aggregate principal amount to be issued from time to time in one or more series as provided in this Indenture; and

 

WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

 

That, in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the holders thereof for the equal and proportionate benefit of all of the present and future holders of the Securities, each party agrees and covenants as follows:

 

ARTICLE I
 DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.01                             Definitions.

 

(a)                                 Unless otherwise defined in this Indenture or the context otherwise requires, all terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Trust Indenture Act.

 

(b)                                 Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms defined in this Section 1.01(b) shall for all purposes of this Indenture have the meanings hereinafter set forth, the following definitions to be equally applicable to both the singular and the plural forms of any of the terms herein defined:

 

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

 

“Authenticating Agent” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 11.09.

 

“Board of Directors” means either the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of that board.

 

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution or resolutions certified by the General Counsel, Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

 

 

“Business Day” means, when used with respect to any Place of Payment or any other particular location referred to in this Indenture or in the Securities, each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in that Place of Payment or other location are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to remain closed.

 

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as in effect on the date hereof.

 

“Company” means Trina Solar Limited, a Cayman Islands company, and shall also include its successors and assigns.

 

“Company Order” or “Company Request” means, respectively, a written order or request signed in the name of the Company by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or any of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Controller, General Counsel, Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.

 

“Corporate Trust Office” means the principal office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be administered, which office at the date hereof is located at Rodney Square North, 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890, or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by written notice to the holders and the Company, or the principal corporate trust officer of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by written notice to the holders and the Company).

 

“Currency” means U.S. Dollars or Foreign Currency.

 

“Default” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 11.03.

 

“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.08(b).

 

“Depositary” means, with respect to the Securities of any series issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the Person designated as Depositary by the Company pursuant to Section 3.01 until a successor Depositary shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Depositary” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Depositary hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Depositary” as used with respect to the Securities of any such series shall mean the Depositary with respect to the Securities of that series.

 

“Designated Currency” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.12.

 

“Discharged” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 12.02.

 

“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 7.01.

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

“Floating Rate Security” means a Security that provides for the payment of interest at a variable rate determined periodically by reference to an interest rate index specified pursuant to Section 3.01.

 

5

 

“Foreign Currency” means a currency issued by the government of any country other than the United States or a composite currency, the value of which is determined by reference to the values of the currencies of any group of countries.

 

“GAAP” means, with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder, generally accepted accounting principles in effect in the United States of America which are applicable at the date of such computation and which are consistently applied for all applicable periods.

 

“Global Security” means any Registered Security evidencing all or part of a series of Securities, issued in fully-registered certificated form to the Depositary for such series in accordance with Section 3.03 and bearing the legend prescribed in Section 3.03(g).

 

“Indebtedness” means any and all obligations of a Person for money borrowed which, in accordance with GAAP, would be reflected on the balance sheet of such Person as a liability on the date as of which Indebtedness is to be determined.

 

“Indenture” means this instrument and all indentures supplemental thereto.

 

“Interest Payment Date” means, with respect to any Security, the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.

 

“Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 5.01(b).

 

“Maturity” means, with respect to any Security, the date on which the principal of such Security shall become due and payable as therein and herein provided, whether by declaration, call for redemption or otherwise.

 

“Members” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.03(i).

 

“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or any of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Controller, General Counsel, Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee.

 

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion from legal counsel to the Company. The counsel may be an employee of the Company.

 

“Optional Sinking Fund Payment” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 5.01(b).

 

“Original Issue Discount Security” means any Security that is issued with “original issue discount” within the meaning of Section 1273(a) of the Code and the regulations thereunder and any other Security designated by the Company as issued with original issue discount for United States federal income tax purposes.

 

“Outstanding” means, when used with respect to Securities, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:

 

6

 

(i)                                     Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

 

(ii)                                  Securities or portions thereof for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the holders of such Securities or from its obligations with respect to which the Company shall have been Discharged; provided, however, that if such Securities or portions thereof are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made; and

 

(iii)                               Securities that have been paid pursuant to Section 3.07(b) or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a protected purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company;

 

provided, however, that in determining whether the holders of the requisite principal amount of Securities Outstanding have performed any action hereunder, Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such action, only Securities that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor. In the case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee.  Upon request of the Trustee, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee promptly an Officer’s Certificate listing and identifying all Securities, if any, known by the Company to be owned or held by or for the account of any of the above described Persons; and, the Trustee shall be entitled to accept such Officer’s Certificate as conclusive evidence of the facts therein set forth and of the fact that all Securities not listed therein are outstanding for the purpose of any such determination.  In determining whether the holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities have performed any action hereunder, the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purpose shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 7.02 and the principal amount of a Security denominated in a Foreign Currency that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purpose shall be the amount calculated pursuant to Section 3.11(b).

 

“Paying Agent” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 6.02(a).

 

“Person” means an individual, a corporation, a limited liability company, a partnership, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, an unincorporated organization or a government or an agency or political subdivision thereof.

 

7

 

“Place of Payment” means, when used with respect to the Securities of any series, the place or places where the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of that series are payable as specified pursuant to Section 3.01.

 

“Predecessor Security” means, with respect to any Security, every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security, and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.07 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Security.

 

“Record Date” means, with respect to any interest payable on any Registered Security on any Interest Payment Date, the close of business on the date specified in such Registered Security for the payment of interest pursuant to Section 3.01.

 

“Redemption Date” shall mean, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, in whole or in part, the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture and the terms of such Security, which, in the case of a Floating Rate Security, unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01, shall be an Interest Payment Date only.

 

“Redemption Price” shall mean, in the case of an Original Issue Discount Security, the amount of the principal and interest that would be due and payable as of the Redemption Date upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 7.02 and, in the case of any other Security, the principal amount thereof, plus, in each case, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the Redemption Date.

 

“Register” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.05(a).

 

“Registrar” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.05(a).

 

“Registered Security” shall mean any Security registered as to principal and interest in the Register.

 

“Responsible Officers” of the Trustee hereunder shall mean any vice president, any assistant vice president, any assistant secretary, any assistant treasurer, any trust officer, any assistant trust officer or any other officer associated with the corporate trust department of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and, in the case of any such officer, who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

 

“SEC” shall mean the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

“Security” or “Securities” have the meaning stated in the recitals and more particularly mean one or more of the Securities duly authenticated by the Trustee and delivered pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture.

 

“Security Custodian” means the custodian with respect to any Global Security appointed by the Depositary, or any successor Person thereto, and shall initially be the Paying Agent.

 

8

 

“Securityholder” or “holder of Securities” or “holder” or “registered holder,” with respect to a Registered Security, means the Person in whose name such Securities shall be registered in the Register kept for that purpose hereunder.

 

“Senior Indebtedness” means the principal of (and premium, if any) and unpaid interest on (x) Indebtedness of the Company, whether outstanding on the date hereof or thereafter created, incurred, assumed or guaranteed, for money borrowed other than (a) any Indebtedness of the Company which when incurred and without respect to any election under Section 1111(b) of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, was without recourse to the Company, (b) any Indebtedness of the Company to any of its Subsidiaries, (c) Indebtedness to any employee of the Company, (d) any liability for taxes and (e) Trade Payables, unless the instrument creating or evidencing the same or pursuant to which the same is outstanding provides that such Indebtedness is not senior or prior in right of payment to the Securities, and (y) renewals, extensions, modifications and refundings of any such Indebtedness. This definition may be modified or superseded by a supplemental indenture.

 

“Special Record Date” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.08(b)(i).

 

“Stated Maturity” means, when used with respect to any Security or any installment of interest thereon, the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal (or any portion thereof) of or premium, if any, on such Security or such installment of interest is due and payable.

 

“Subsidiary” means, when used with respect to any Person, any corporation or other entity of which a majority of (a) the voting power of the voting equity securities or (b) in the case of a partnership or any other entity other than a corporation, the outstanding equity interests of which are owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person. For the purposes of this definition, “voting equity securities” means equity securities having voting power for the election of directors, whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of securities has such voting power by reason of any contingency.

 

“Successor Company” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 3.06(i).

 

“Trade Payables” means accounts payable or any other Indebtedness or monetary obligations to trade creditors created or assumed by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in the ordinary course of business in connection with the obtaining of materials or services.

 

“Trust Indenture Act” or “TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, except as otherwise provided in this Indenture.

 

“Trustee” means Wilmington Trust, National Association and any permitted successor trustee, and if at any time there is more than one such trustee, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the trustee with respect to Securities of that series.

 

“U.S. Dollars” means such currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.

 

“U.S. Government Obligations” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 12.02.

 

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“United States” means the United States of America (including the states and the District of Columbia), its territories and its possessions and other areas subject to its jurisdiction.

 

ARTICLE II
 FORMS OF SECURITIES

 

Section 2.01                             Terms of the Securities.  (a)  The Securities of each series shall be substantially in one of the forms established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, and shall have such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification or designation and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any securities exchange on which any series of the Securities may be listed or of any automated quotation system on which any such series may be quoted, or to conform to usage, all as determined by the officers executing such Securities as conclusively evidenced by their execution of such Securities. If the form of a series of Securities is established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of such Board Resolution shall be delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officer’s Certificate setting forth the form of such series.

 

(b)                                 The terms and provisions of the Securities shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture, and, to the extent applicable, the Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.

 

Section 2.02                             Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.

 

(a)                                 Only such of the Securities as shall bear thereon a certificate substantially in the form of the Trustee’s certificate of authentication hereinafter recited, executed by the Trustee by manual signature, shall be valid or become obligatory for any purpose or entitle the holder thereof to any right or benefit under this Indenture, and the certificate of authentication by the Trustee upon any such Security executed on behalf of the Company as aforesaid shall be conclusive evidence that the Security so authenticated has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the holder thereof is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

 

(b)                                 Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication, except that any Global Security shall be dated as of the date specified as contemplated in Section 3.01.

 

(c)                                  The form of the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by the Securities shall be substantially as follows:

 

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TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

 

This is one of the Securities issued referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

	
 
    	
Wilmington   Trust, National Association,
    
	
 
    	
as   Trustee
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Authorized   Signatory
    

 

Section 2.03                             Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication by an Authenticating Agent. If at any time there shall be an Authenticating Agent appointed with respect to any series of Securities, then the Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication by such Authenticating Agent to be borne by Securities of each such series shall be substantially as follows:

 

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

 

This is one of the Securities issued referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

	
 
    	
Wilmington   Trust, National Association,
    
	
 
    	
as   Trustee
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
As   Authenticating Agent
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Authorized   Signatory
    

 

ARTICLE III
 THE DEBT SECURITIES

 

Section 3.01                             Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series. The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution of the Company, and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate of the Company, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of any series:

 

(a)                                 the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of such series from the Securities of all other series, except to the extent that additional Securities of an existing series are being issued);

 

(b)                                 any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of such series pursuant to Section 3.04, 3.06, 3.07, 4.06, or 14.05);

 

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(c)                                  the dates on which or periods during which the Securities of the series may be issued, and the dates on, or the range of dates within, which the principal of and premium, if any, on the Securities of such series are or may be payable;

 

(d)                                 the rate or rates at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, or the method by which such rate or rates shall be determined, the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, or the method by which such date or dates shall be determined, the Interest Payment Dates on which any such interest shall be payable, and, in the case of Registered Securities, the Record Dates for the determination of holders to whom interest is payable on such Interest Payment Dates;

 

(e)                                  if other than U.S. Dollars, the Currency in which Securities of the series shall be denominated or in which payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of the series shall be payable and any other terms concerning such payment;

 

(f)                                   if the amount of payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of the series may be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method including, but not limited to, an index based on a Currency or Currencies other than that in which the Securities are stated to be payable, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;

 

(g)                                  if the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on Securities of the series are to be payable, at the election of the Company or a holder thereof, in a Currency other than that in which the Securities are denominated or stated to be payable without such election, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which such election may be made and the time and the manner of determining the exchange rate between the Currency in which the Securities are denominated or payable without such election and the Currency in which the Securities are to be paid if such election is made;

 

(h)                                 the place or places, if any, in addition to or instead of the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee where the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on Securities of the series shall be payable, and where Securities of any series that are convertible or exchangeable may be surrendered for conversion or exchange, as applicable, if a different location;

 

(i)                                     the price or prices at which, the period or periods within which, or the date or dates on which, and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company, if the Company is to have that option;

 

(j)                                    the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem, purchase or repay Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder thereof and the price or prices at which, the period or periods within which or the date or dates on which, and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series shall be redeemed, purchased or repaid, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

 

(k)                                 if other than denominations of $1,000 or any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which Securities of the series shall be issuable;

 

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(l)                                     if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 7.02;

 

(m)                             whether the Securities of the series are to be issued as Original Issue Discount Securities and the amount of discount with which such Securities may be issued;

 

(n)                                 whether the Securities of the series are to be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities and the terms and conditions, if any, upon which interests in such Global Security or Securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Securities represented thereby;

 

(o)                                 the date as of which any Global Security of the series shall be dated if other than the original issuance of the first Security of the series to be issued;

 

(p)                                 the form of the Securities of the series;

 

(q)                                 if the Securities of the series are to be convertible into or exchangeable for any securities of any Person (including the Company), the terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be so convertible or exchangeable;

 

(r)                                    whether the Securities of such series are subject to subordination and the terms of such subordination; and

 

(s)                                   any other terms of the Securities of the series, including Events of Default (including deletion or modification of any Event of Default specified herein) and/or additional covenants of the Company, or any provisions of this Indenture that shall not apply to such Securities or shall apply as modified by the terms of such Board Resolution or supplemental indenture.

 

Terms of any series of Securities established pursuant to this Section 3.01 shall not be inconsistent with the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act or the provisions of this Indenture. All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical, except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided by or pursuant to such Board Resolution, and set forth in such Officer’s Certificate, or in any such indenture supplemental hereto. If any of the terms of a series of Securities are established by action taken to a Board Resolution, a copy of such Board Resolution shall be delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officer’s Certificate setting forth the terms of such series.

 

The Company initially appoints The Depositary Trust Company to act as Depositary with respect to the Securities.

 

Section 3.02                             Denominations. In the absence of any specification pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to Securities of any series, the Securities of such series shall be issuable only as Registered Securities in denominations of any integral multiple of $1,000, and shall be payable only in U.S. Dollars.

 

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Section 3.03                             Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.

 

(a)                                 The Securities shall be executed in the name and on behalf of the Company by the manual or facsimile signature of the Chairman of the Board of Directors or any of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer or Controller. If the Person whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated and delivered, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.

 

(b)                                 At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities. The Trustee shall thereupon authenticate and deliver such Securities without any further action by the Company. The Company Order shall specify the amount of the Securities to be authenticated and the date on which the original issue of Securities is to be authenticated.

 

(c)                                  In authenticating the first Securities of any series and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities the Trustee shall receive and, subject to Section 11.02, shall be fully protected in relying upon:

 

(i)                                     the supplemental indenture or Board Resolution relating thereto and, if applicable, an appropriate record of any action taken pursuant to such supplemental indenture or resolution, certified by its General Counsel, Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company;

 

(ii)                                  an Officer’s Certificate of the Company as to the absence of any event that is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default; and

 

(iii)                               an Opinion of Counsel prepared in accordance with Section 16.01, which shall state:

 

(A)                               that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, and will be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture; and

 

(B)                               that the Company has the corporate power to issue the Securities, and has duly taken all necessary action with respect to such issuance.

 

(d)                                 The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver the Securities under this Section if the issue of the Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

 

(e)                                  Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication, except as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to the Securities of such series.

 

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(f)                                   Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.01 and of this Section 3.03, if all of the Securities of any series are not to be originally issued at the same time, then the documents required to be delivered pursuant to this Section 3.03 must be delivered only once prior to the authentication and delivery of the first Security of such series; provided, however, that any subsequent request by the Company to the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series upon original issuance shall constitute a representation and warranty by the Company that, as of the date of such request, the statements made in any Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to this Section 3.03 shall be true and correct as if made on such date.

 

(g)                                  If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 3.01 that the Securities of a series are to be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order, shall authenticate and deliver one or more Global Securities that (i) shall represent an aggregate amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series to be represented by such Global Securities, (ii) shall be registered, if in registered form, in the name of the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities or the nominee of such Depositary, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to such Depositary or pursuant to such Depositary’s instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect:

 

“UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR THE INDIVIDUAL SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY, THIS GLOBAL SECURITY MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.”

 

The aggregate principal amount of each Global Security may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Security Custodian, as provided in this Indenture.

 

(h)                                 Each Depositary designated pursuant to Section 3.01 for a Global Security in registered form must, at the time of its designation and at all times while it serves as such Depositary, be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and any other applicable statute or regulation.

 

(i)                                     Members of, or participants in, the Depositary (“Members”) shall have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by the Depositary or by the Security Custodian under such Global Security, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Registrar and any of their agents as the absolute owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent or the Registrar or any of their agents from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary and its Members, the operation of customary practices of the Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of an owner of a beneficial interest in any Global Security. The registered holder of a Global Security may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person, including Members and Persons that may hold interests through Members, to take any action that a holder is entitled to take under this Indenture or the Securities.

 

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(j)                                    No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in one of the forms provided for herein duly executed by the Trustee or by an Authenticating Agent by manual signature of one of its Responsible Officers, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

 

Section 3.04                             Temporary Securities.

 

(a)                                 Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order, shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities that are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise reproduced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, in registered form and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as conclusively evidenced by their execution of such Securities. Any such temporary Security may be in global form, representing all or a portion of the Outstanding Securities of such series. Every such temporary Security shall be executed by the Company and shall be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with the same effect, as the definitive Security or Securities in lieu of which it is issued.

 

(b)                                 If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of such series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities of such series, the temporary Securities of such series shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities of such series upon surrender of such temporary Securities at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for such series, without charge to the holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities of any series, the Company shall execute and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order, shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Securities of the same series of authorized denominations and of like tenor. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of any series shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series.

 

(c)                                  Upon any exchange of a portion of a temporary Global Security for a definitive Global Security or for the individual Securities represented thereby pursuant to this Section 3.04 or Section 3.06, the temporary Global Security shall be endorsed by the Trustee to reflect the reduction of the principal amount evidenced thereby, whereupon the principal amount of such temporary Global Security shall be reduced for all purposes by the amount so exchanged and endorsed.

 

Section 3.05                             Registrar and Paying Agent.

 

(a)                                 The Company will keep, at an office or agency to be maintained by it in a Place of Payment where Registered Securities may be presented for registration or presented and surrendered for registration of transfer or of exchange, and where Securities of any series that are convertible or exchangeable may be surrendered for conversion or exchange, as applicable (the “Registrar”), a security register for the registration and the registration of transfer or of exchange of the Registered Securities (the registers maintained in such office and in any other office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment being herein

 

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sometimes collectively referred to as the “Register”), as in this Indenture provided, which Register shall at all reasonable times be open for inspection by the Trustee. Such Register shall be in written form or in any other form capable of being converted into written form within a reasonable time. The Company may have one or more co-Registrars; the term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar.

 

(b)                                 The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Registrar or co-Registrar not a party to this Indenture. The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such agent. The Company shall notify the Trustee, in writing, of the name and address of each such agent. If the Company fails to maintain a Registrar, the Trustee shall act as such and shall be entitled to appropriate compensation therefor pursuant to Section 11.01. The Company or any Affiliate thereof may act as Registrar, co-Registrar or transfer agent.

 

(c)                                  The Company hereby appoints the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office as Registrar in connection with the Securities and this Indenture, until such time as another Person is appointed as such.

 

Section 3.06                             Transfer and Exchange.

 

(a)                                 Transfer.

 

(i)                                     Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Registered Security of any series at the Registrar the Company shall execute, and the Trustee or any Authenticating Agent, upon receipt of a Company Order, shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee, one or more new Registered Securities of the same series for like aggregate principal amount of any authorized denomination or denominations. The transfer of any Security shall not be valid as against the Company or the Trustee unless registered at the Registrar by the registered holder, or by his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing.

 

(ii)                                  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Securities represented thereby, a Global Security representing all or a portion of the Securities of a series may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary for such series to a nominee of such Depositary or by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary or by such Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary for such series or a nominee of such successor Depositary.

 

(b)                                 Exchange.

 

(i)                                     At the option of the holder, Registered Securities of any series (other than a Global Security, except as set forth below) may be exchanged for other Registered Securities of the same series for like aggregate principal amount of any authorized denomination or denominations, upon surrender of the Registered Securities to be exchanged at the Registrar.

 

(ii)                                  Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order, shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities that the holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

 

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(c)                                  Exchange of Global Securities for Individual Securities. Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in Global Securities will not be entitled to receive individual Securities.

 

(i)                                     Individual Securities shall be issued to all owners of beneficial interests in a Global Security in exchange for such interests if: (A) at any time the Depositary for the Securities of a series notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for the Securities of such series or if at any time the Depositary for the Securities of such series shall no longer be eligible under Section 3.03(h) and, in each case, a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of such notice, or (B) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee and the Registrar an Officer’s Certificate stating that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable.

 

In connection with the exchange of an entire Global Security for individual Securities pursuant to this subsection (c), such Global Security shall be deemed to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities of such series, will authenticate and deliver to each beneficial owner identified by the Depositary in exchange for its beneficial interest in such Global Security, an equal aggregate principal amount of individual Securities of authorized denominations.

 

(ii)                                  The owner of a beneficial interest in a Global Security will be entitled to receive an individual Security in exchange for such interest if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing. Upon receipt by the Security Custodian and Registrar of instructions from the holder of a Global Security directing the Security Custodian and Registrar to (x) issue one or more individual Securities in the amounts specified to the owner of a beneficial interest in such Global Security and (y) debit or cause to be debited an equivalent amount of beneficial interest in such Global Security, subject to the rules and regulations of the Depositary:

 

(A)                               the Security Custodian and Registrar shall notify the Company and the Trustee of such instructions, identifying the owner and amount of such beneficial interest in such Global Security;

 

(B)                               the Company shall promptly execute and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities of such series, shall authenticate and deliver to such beneficial owner individual Securities in an equivalent amount to such beneficial interest in such Global Security; and

 

(C)                               the Security Custodian and Registrar shall decrease such Global Security by such amount in accordance with the foregoing. In the event that the individual Securities are not issued to each such beneficial owner promptly after the Registrar has received a request from the holder of a Global Security to issue such individual Securities, the Company expressly acknowledges, with respect to the right of any holder to pursue a remedy pursuant to Section 7.07 hereof, the right of any beneficial holder of Securities to pursue such remedy with respect to the portion of the Global Security that represents such beneficial holder’s Securities as if such individual Securities had been issued.

 

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(iii)                               If specified by the Company pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to a series of Securities, the Depositary for such series of Securities may surrender a Global Security for such series of Securities in exchange in whole or in part for individual Securities of such series on such terms as are acceptable to the Company and such Depositary. Thereupon, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order, shall authenticate and deliver, without service charge,

 

(A)                               to each Person specified by such Depositary a new individual Security or Securities of the same series, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Person in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for such Person’s beneficial interest in the Global Security; and

 

(B)                               to such Depositary a new Global Security in a denomination equal to the difference, if any, between the principal amount of the surrendered Global Security and the aggregate principal amount of individual Securities delivered to holders thereof.

 

(d)                                 In any exchange provided for in clauses (i) through (iii), the Company will execute and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order, will authenticate and deliver individual Securities in registered form in authorized denominations.

 

(i)                                     Upon the exchange in full of a Global Security for individual Securities, such Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Individual Registered Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security pursuant to this Section shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary for such Global Security, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Registered Securities to the Persons in whose names such Registered Securities are so registered.

 

(e)                                  All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be valid obligations of the Company evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered for such registration of transfer or exchange.

 

(f)                                   Every Registered Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer, or for exchange or payment shall (if so required by the Company, the Trustee or the Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee and the Registrar, duly executed by the holder thereof or by his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing.

 

(g)                                  No service charge will be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than those expressly provided in this Indenture to be made at the Company’s own expense or without expense or charge to the holders.

 

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(h)                                 The Company shall not be required to (i) register, transfer or exchange Securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the transmission of a notice of redemption of Securities of such series selected for redemption under Section 4.03 and ending at the close of business on the day of such transmission, or (ii) register, transfer or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.

 

(i)                                     Prior to the due presentation for registration of transfer or exchange of any Security, the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar or any co-Registrar may deem and treat the Person in whose name a Security is registered as the absolute owner of such Security (whether or not such Security shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing thereon) for all purposes whatsoever, and none of the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar or any co-Registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

(j)                                    In case a successor Company (“Successor Company”) has executed an indenture supplemental hereto with the Trustee pursuant to Article XIV, any of the Securities authenticated or delivered pursuant to such transaction may, from time to time, at the request of the Successor Company, be exchanged for other Securities executed in the name of the Successor Company with such changes in phraseology and form as may be appropriate, but otherwise identical to the Securities surrendered for such exchange and of like principal amount; and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order of the Successor Company, shall authenticate and deliver Securities as specified in such order for the purpose of such exchange. If Securities shall at any time be authenticated and delivered in any new name of a Successor Company pursuant to this Section 3.06 in exchange or substitution for or upon registration of transfer of any Securities, such Successor Company, at the option of the holders but without expense to them, shall provide for the exchange of all Securities at the time Outstanding for Securities authenticated and delivered in such new name.

 

(k)                                 Each holder of a Security agrees to indemnify the Company and the Trustee against any liability that may result from the transfer, exchange or assignment of such holder’s Security in violation of any provision of this Indenture and/or applicable United States federal or state securities laws.

 

(l)                                     The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Security other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.

 

(m)                             Neither the Trustee nor any agent of the Trustee shall have any responsibility for any actions taken or not taken by the Depositary.

 

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Section 3.07                             Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

 

(a)                                 If (i) any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office or (ii) the Company and the Trustee receive evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security, and there is delivered to the Company and the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to them to save each of them and any Paying Agent harmless, and neither the Company nor the Trustee receives notice that such Security has been acquired by a protected purchaser, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Request, shall authenticate and deliver, in exchange for or in lieu of any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series and of like tenor, form, terms and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously Outstanding, that neither gain nor loss in interest shall result from such exchange or substitution.

 

(b)                                 In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay the amount due on such Security in accordance with its terms.

 

(c)                                  Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in respect thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

 

(d)                                 Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that series duly issued hereunder.

 

(e)                                  The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

 

Section 3.08                             Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.

 

(a)                                 Interest on any Registered Security that is payable and is punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name such Registered Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Record Date for such interest notwithstanding the cancellation of such Registered Security upon any transfer or exchange subsequent to the Record Date. Payment of interest on Registered Securities shall be made at the Corporate Trust Office (except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01) or, at the option of the Company, by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Register or, if provided pursuant to Section 3.01 and in accordance with arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee, at the option of the Registered Holder by wire transfer to an account designated by the Registered Holder.

 

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(b)                                 Any interest on any Security that is payable but is not punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall, if such Security is a Registered Security, forthwith cease to be payable to the Registered Holder on the relevant Record Date by virtue of his, her or its having been such a Registered Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (i) or (ii) below:

 

(i)                                     The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names such Registered Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest (a “Special Record Date”), which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each such Registered Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 calendar days and not less than 10 calendar days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 calendar days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the holders of such Registered Securities at their addresses as they appear in the Register, not less than 10 calendar days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been mailed as aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names such Registered Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (ii).

 

(ii)                                  The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on Registered Securities in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Registered Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

 

(c)                                  Subject to the provisions set forth herein relating to Record Dates, each Security delivered pursuant to any provision of this Indenture in exchange or substitution for, or upon registration of transfer of, any other Security shall carry all the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

 

Section 3.09                             Cancellation. Unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of any series, all Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or credit against any sinking fund or otherwise shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation and shall be promptly canceled by it and, if surrendered to the Trustee, shall be promptly canceled by it.

 

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The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder that the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly canceled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities canceled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee shall dispose of all canceled Securities held by it in accordance with its then customary procedures and deliver a certificate of such disposal to the Company. The acquisition of any Securities by the Company shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the Indebtedness represented thereby unless and until such Securities are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation.

 

Section 3.10                             Computation of Interest. Except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

 

Section 3.11                             Currency of Payments in Respect of Securities.

 

(a)                                 Except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Registered Securities of any series, payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on Registered Securities of such series will be made in U.S. Dollars.

 

(b)                                 For purposes of any provision of this Indenture where the holders of Outstanding Securities may perform an action that requires that a specified percentage of the Outstanding Securities of all series perform such action and for purposes of any decision or determination by the Trustee of amounts due and unpaid for the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of all series in respect of which moneys are to be disbursed ratably, the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Outstanding Securities denominated in a Foreign Currency will be the amount in U.S. Dollars based upon exchange rates, determined as specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of such series, as of the date for determining whether the holders entitled to perform such action have performed it or as of the date of such decision or determination by the Trustee, as the case may be.

 

(c)                                  Any decision or determination to be made regarding exchange rates shall be made by an agent appointed by the Company; provided, that such agent shall accept such appointment in writing and the terms of such appointment shall, in the opinion of the Company at the time of such appointment, require such agent to make such determination by a method consistent with the method provided pursuant to Section 3.01 for the making of such decision or determination. All decisions and determinations of such agent regarding exchange rates shall be in its sole discretion and shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Company, the Trustee and all holders of the Securities.

 

Section 3.12                             Judgments. The Company may provide pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of any series that (a) the obligation, if any, of the Company to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of any series in a Foreign Currency or U.S. Dollars (the “Designated Currency”) as may be specified pursuant to Section 3.01 is of the essence and agrees that, to the fullest extent possible under applicable law, judgments in respect of such Securities shall be given in the Designated Currency; (b) the obligation of the Company to make payments in the Designated Currency of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Securities shall, notwithstanding any payment in any other Currency (whether pursuant to a judgment or otherwise), be discharged only to the extent of the amount

 

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in the Designated Currency that the holder receiving such payment may, in accordance with normal banking procedures, purchase with the sum paid in such other Currency (after any premium and cost of exchange) on the business day in the country of issue of the Designated Currency or in the international banking community (in the case of a composite currency) immediately following the day on which such holder receives such payment; (c) if the amount in the Designated Currency that may be so purchased for any reason falls short of the amount originally due, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary to compensate for such shortfall; and (d) any obligation of the Company not discharged by such payment shall be due as a separate and independent obligation and, until discharged as provided herein, shall continue in full force and effect.

 

Section 3.13                             CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing any Securities may use CUSIP numbers, if then generally in use, and thereafter with respect to such series, the Trustee may use such numbers in any notice of redemption or exchange with respect to such series provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the CUSIP numbers.

 

ARTICLE IV
 REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

 

Section 4.01                             Applicability of Right of Redemption. Redemption of Securities (other than pursuant to a sinking fund or analogous provision) permitted by the terms of any series of Securities shall be made in accordance with such terms (except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of any series) in accordance with this Article; provided, however, that if any such terms of a series of Securities shall conflict with any provision of this Article, the terms of such series shall govern.

 

Section 4.02                             Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.

 

(a)                                 If the Company shall at any time elect to redeem all or any portion of the Securities of a series then Outstanding, it shall at least 45 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter period shall be consented to by the Trustee) notify the Trustee, in writing, of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed, and thereupon the Trustee shall select, on a pro rata basis to the extent practicable or by lot or by such other similar method in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary, the Securities (or portions thereof) of such series to be redeemed. Unless otherwise provided in the Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture provided for in Section 3.01, no Security of a denomination of $1,000 shall be redeemed in part and Securities may be redeemed in part only in integral multiples of $1,000. In any case where more than one Registered Security of such series is registered in the same name, the Trustee in its discretion may treat the aggregate principal amount so registered as if it were represented by one Registered Security of such series. The Trustee shall, as soon as practicable, notify the Company in writing of the Securities and portions of Securities so selected.

 

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(b)                                 For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Security that has been or is to be redeemed.

 

Section 4.03                             Notice of Redemption.

 

(a)                                 The election of the Company to redeem any Securities of any series shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution. Notice of redemption shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request and expense, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to the holders of Securities of any series to be redeemed in whole or in part pursuant to this Article, in the manner provided in Section 16.05; provided, that, if notice is to be given by the Trustee, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee, at least 5 Business Days before notice of redemption is required to be mailed or caused to be mailed to holders pursuant to this Section 4.03 (unless a shorter notice shall be agreed to by the Trustee), an Officer’s Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice and attaching the form of notice of redemption thereto. Any notice so given shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the holder receives such notice. Failure to give such notice, or any defect in such notice to the holder of any Security of a series designated for redemption, in whole or in part, shall not affect the sufficiency of any notice of redemption with respect to the holder of any other Security of such series.

 

(b)                                 All notices of redemption shall identify the Securities to be redeemed (including CUSIP numbers) and shall state:

 

(i)                                     such election by the Company to redeem Securities of such series pursuant to provisions contained in this Indenture or the terms of the Securities of such series or a supplemental indenture establishing such series, if such be the case;

 

(ii)                                  the Redemption Date;

 

(iii)                               the Redemption Price;

 

(c)                                  if less than all Outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption, the principal amounts) of the particular Securities to be redeemed;

 

(i)                                     that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed, and that interest thereon, if any, shall cease to accrue on and after said date, subject to the satisfaction of any condition to such redemption;

 

(d)                                 the Place or Places of Payment where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price, and that the Securities designated in such notice for redemption are required to be presented on or after such Redemption Date at the designated Place of Payment;

 

(e)                                  that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case; and

 

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(f)                                   if any Security of any series is to be redeemed in part, that on and after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Security, such Security will be canceled and a new Security or Securities of such series in aggregate principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued and delivered without charge to the holder or, in the case of Securities providing appropriate space for such notation, at the option of the holders, the Trustee, in lieu of delivering a new Security or Securities as aforesaid, may make a notation on such Security of the payment of the redeemed portion thereof.

 

(g)                                  A notice of redemption may be conditional in that the Company may, notwithstanding the giving of the notice of redemption, condition the redemption of the Securities specified in the notice of redemption upon the completion of other transactions, such as refinancings or acquisitions (whether of the Company or by the Company).

 

Section 4.04                             Deposit of Redemption Price. On or prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Redemption Date for any Registered Securities, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 6.03) an amount of money in the Currency in which such Securities are denominated (except as provided pursuant to Section 3.01) sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of such Securities or any portions thereof that are to be redeemed on that date.

 

Section 4.05                             Securities Payable on Redemption Date. Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, any Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price and from and after such date (unless the Company shall Default in the payment of the Redemption Price) such Securities shall cease to bear interest, in each case subject to the satisfaction of any conditions to such redemption. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price; provided, however, that installments of interest that have a Stated Maturity on or prior to the Redemption Date for such Securities shall be payable according to the terms of such Securities and the provisions of Section 3.08.

 

If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and premium, if any, shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.

 

Section 4.06                             Securities Redeemed in Part. Any Security that is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at the Corporate Trust Office or such other office or agency of the Company as is specified pursuant to Section 3.01 with, if the Company, the Registrar or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Registrar and the Trustee duly executed by the holder thereof or his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order, shall authenticate and deliver to the holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series, of like tenor and form, of any authorized denomination as requested by such holder in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered; except that if a Global Security is so surrendered, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order, shall authenticate and deliver to the Depositary for such Global Security, without service charge, a new Global Security in a denomination equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Global Security so surrendered. In the case of a Security providing

 

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appropriate space for such notation, at the option of the holder thereof, the Trustee, in lieu of delivering a new Security or Securities as aforesaid, may make a notation on such Security of the payment of the redeemed portion thereof.

 

ARTICLE V
 SINKING FUNDS

 

Section 5.01                             Applicability of Sinking Fund.

 

(a)                                 Redemption of Securities permitted or required pursuant to a sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series by the terms of such series of Securities shall be made in accordance with such terms of such series of Securities and this Article, except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Securities of such series, provided, however, that if any such terms of a series of Securities shall conflict with any provision of this Article, the terms of such series shall govern.

 

(b)                                 The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment,” and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an “Optional Sinking Fund Payment.” If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, the cash amount of any Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 5.02.

 

Section 5.02                             Mandatory Sinking Fund Obligation. The Company may, at its option, satisfy any Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment obligation, in whole or in part, with respect to a particular series of Securities by (1) delivering to the Trustee, Securities of such series in transferable form theretofore purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company or redeemed at the election of the Company pursuant to Section 4.03 or (2) receiving credit for Securities of such series (not previously so credited) acquired by the Company and theretofore delivered to the Trustee. The Trustee shall credit such Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment obligation with an amount equal to the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment shall be reduced accordingly. If the Company shall elect to so satisfy any Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment obligation, it shall deliver to the Trustee not less than 45 days prior to the relevant sinking fund payment date a written notice signed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board of Directors or any of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Controller or its General Counsel, which shall designate the Securities (and portions thereof, if any) so delivered or credited and which shall be accompanied by such Securities (to the extent not theretofore delivered) in transferable form. In case of the failure of the Company, at or before the time so required, to give such notice and deliver such Securities the Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment obligation shall be paid entirely in moneys.

 

Section 5.03                             Optional Redemption at Sinking Fund Redemption Price. In addition to the sinking fund requirements of Section 5.02, to the extent, if any, provided for by the terms of a particular series of Securities, the Company may, at its option, make an Optional Sinking Fund Payment with respect to such Securities. Unless otherwise provided by such terms, (a) to the extent that the right of the Company to make such Optional Sinking Fund Payment shall not be exercised in any year, it shall not be cumulative or carried forward to any subsequent year, and (b) such optional payment shall operate to reduce the amount of any Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment obligation as to Securities of the same series. If the

 

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Company intends to exercise its right to make such optional payment in any year it shall deliver to the Trustee not less than 45 days prior to the relevant sinking fund payment date a certificate signed by its Chairman of the Board of Directors or any of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Controller or General Counsel stating that the Company will exercise such optional right, and specifying the amount which the Company will pay on or before the next succeeding sinking fund payment date. Such certificate shall also state that no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.

 

Section 5.04                             Application of Sinking Fund Payment.

 

(a)                                 If the sinking fund payment or payments made in funds pursuant to either Section 5.02 or 5.03 with respect to a particular series of Securities plus any unused balance of any preceding sinking fund payments made in funds with respect to such series shall exceed $50,000 (or a lesser sum if the Company shall so request, or such equivalent sum for Securities denominated other than in U.S. Dollars), it shall be applied by the Trustee on the sinking fund payment date next following the date of such payment, unless the date of such payment shall be a sinking fund payment date, in which case such payment shall be applied on such sinking fund payment date, to the redemption of Securities of such series at the Redemption Price specified pursuant to Section 4.03(b). The Trustee shall select, in the manner provided in Section 4.02, for redemption on such sinking fund payment date, a sufficient principal amount of Securities of such series to absorb said funds, as nearly as may be, and shall, at the expense and in the name of the Company, thereupon cause notice of redemption of the Securities to be given in substantially the manner provided in Section 4.03(a) for the redemption of Securities in part at the option of the Company, except that the notice of redemption shall also state that the Securities are being redeemed for the sinking fund. Any sinking fund moneys not so applied by the Trustee to the redemption of Securities of such series shall be added to the next sinking fund payment received in funds by the Trustee and, together with such payment, shall be applied in accordance with the provisions of this Section 5.04. Any and all sinking fund moneys held by the Trustee on the last sinking fund payment date with respect to Securities of such series, and not held for the payment or redemption of particular Securities of such series, shall be applied by the Trustee to the payment of the principal of the Securities of such series at maturity.

 

(b)                                 On or prior to each sinking fund payment date, the Company shall pay to the Trustee a sum equal to all interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption on Securities to be redeemed on such sinking fund payment date pursuant to this Section 5.04.

 

(c)                                  The Trustee shall not redeem any Securities of a series with sinking fund moneys or mail any notice of redemption of Securities of such series by operation of the sinking fund during the continuance of a Default in payment of interest on any Securities of such series or of any Event of Default (other than an Event of Default occurring as a consequence of this paragraph) of which the Trustee has actual knowledge, except that if the notice of redemption of any Securities of such series shall theretofore have been mailed in accordance with the provisions hereof, the Trustee shall redeem such Securities if funds sufficient for that purpose shall be deposited with the Trustee in accordance with the terms of this Article. Except as aforesaid, any moneys in the sinking fund at the time any such Default or Event of Default shall occur and any moneys thereafter paid into the sinking fund shall, during the continuance of such Default or Event of Default, be held as security for the payment of all the Securities of such series; provided, however, that in case such Default or Event of Default shall have been cured or waived as provided herein, such moneys shall

 

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thereafter be applied on the next sinking fund payment date on which such moneys are required to be applied pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5.04.

 

ARTICLE VI
 PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY

 

The Company hereby covenants and agrees as follows:

 

Section 6.01                             Payments of Securities. The Company will duly and punctually pay the principal of and premium, if any, on each series of Securities, and the interest which shall have accrued thereon, at the dates and place and in the manner provided in the Securities and in this Indenture.

 

Section 6.02                             Paying Agent.

 

(a)                                 The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of Securities, if any, an office or agency where Securities may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served (the “Paying Agent”). The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as Paying Agent to receive all presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

 

(b)                                 The Company may also from time to time designate different or additional offices or agencies where the Securities of any series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes (in or outside of such Place of Payment), and may from time to time rescind any such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations described in the preceding paragraph. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such additional designation or rescission of designation and of any change in the location of any such different or additional office or agency. The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Paying Agent not a party to this Indenture. The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such agent. The Company shall notify the Trustee of the name and address of each such agent. The Company or any Affiliate thereof may act as Paying Agent.

 

Section 6.03                             To Hold Payment in Trust.

 

(a)                                 If the Company or an Affiliate thereof shall at any time act as Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, then, on or before the date on which the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any of the Securities of that series by their terms or as a result of the calling thereof for redemption shall become payable, the Company or such Affiliate will segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the holders of such Securities or the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay such principal and premium, if any, or interest which shall have so become payable until such sums shall be paid to such holders or otherwise disposed of as herein provided, and will notify the Trustee of its action or failure to act in that regard. Upon any proceeding under any bankruptcy laws with respect to the Company or any

 

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Affiliate thereof, if the Company or such Affiliate is then acting as Paying Agent, the Trustee shall replace the Company or such Affiliate as Paying Agent.

 

(b)                                 If the Company shall appoint, and at the time have, a Paying Agent for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any series of Securities, then prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date on which the principal and premium of, if any, or interest on, any of the Securities of that series shall become payable as aforesaid, whether by their terms or as a result of the calling thereof for redemption, the Company will deposit with such Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such principal and premium, if any, or interest, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the holders of such Securities or the Trustee, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee), the Company or any other obligor of such Securities will promptly notify the Trustee of its payment or failure to make such payment.

 

(c)                                  If the Paying Agent shall be other than the Trustee, the Company will cause such Paying Agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section 6.03, that such Paying Agent shall:

 

(i)                                     hold all moneys held by it for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of that series in trust for the benefit of the holders of such Securities until such sums shall be paid to such holders or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;

 

(ii)                                  give to the Trustee notice of any Default by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities of that series in the making of any payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of that series; and

 

(iii)                               at any time during the continuance of any such Default, upon the written request of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.

 

(d)                                 Anything in this Section 6.03 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining a release, satisfaction or discharge of this Indenture or for any other reason, pay or cause to be paid to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee as required by this Section 6.03, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent.

 

(e)                                  Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal and premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company upon Company Request along with any interest that has accumulated thereon as a result of such money being invested at the direction of the Company, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust, and the holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment of such amounts without interest thereon, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be transmitted in the manner

 

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and to the extent provided by Section 16.06, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such mailing, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.

 

Section 6.04                             Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets.

 

(a)                                 The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into any Person or convey, transfer, sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the Company’s properties and assets to any successor Person in a single transaction or a series of transactions, unless:

 

(i)                                     the Company is the surviving Person or the resulting, surviving or transferee Person, if other than the Company, is a corporation, organized and validly existing under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Hong Kong, the United States, any state of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and expressly assumes, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, the Company’s obligations on any Securities and under this Indenture;

 

(ii)                                  immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing under this Indenture;

 

(iii)                               if as a result of such transactions any Securities then Outstanding become convertible into the capital stock or other securities issued by a third party, such third party fully and unconditionally guarantees all obligations of the Company or such successor under such Securities and this Indenture; and

 

(b)                                 the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer, sale, lease, or disposition and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture comply with this Section 6.04 and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

 

(c)                                  Upon any consolidation of the Company with, or merger of the Company into, any other Person or any conveyance, transfer or lease of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company in accordance with Section 6.04(a), the successor Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein, and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the predecessor Person shall be discharged from all obligations under this Indenture and any Securities.

 

Section 6.05                             Compliance Certificate. The Company shall furnish to the Trustee annually, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year ending [December 31], an Officer’s Certificate stating whether or not the Company, to the knowledge of such officer delivering the Officer’s Certificate, is in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (which compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided under this Indenture)

 

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and, in the event of any Default, specifying each such Default and the nature and status thereof of which such officer may have knowledge. Such certificates need not comply with Section 16.01 of this Indenture.

 

Section 6.06                             Conditional Waiver by Holders of Securities. Anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may fail or omit in any particular instance to comply with a covenant or condition set forth herein with respect to any series of Securities if the Company shall have obtained and filed with the Trustee, prior to the time of such failure or omission, evidence (as provided in Article VIII) of the consent of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series at the time Outstanding, either waiving such compliance in such instance or generally waiving compliance with such covenant or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such covenant or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, or impair any right consequent thereon and, until such waiver shall have become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such covenant or condition shall remain in full force and effect.

 

Section 6.07                             Statement by Officers as to Default. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee as soon as possible and in any event within 30 days after the Company becomes aware of the occurrence of any Event of Default or an event which, with the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute an Event of Default, an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the details of such Event of Default or Default and the action which the Company proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

ARTICLE VII
 REMEDIES OF TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS

 

Section 7.01                             Events of Default. Except where otherwise indicated by the context or where the term is otherwise defined for a specific purpose, the term “Event of Default” as used in this Indenture with respect to Securities of any series shall mean one of the following described events unless it is either inapplicable to a particular series or it is specifically deleted or modified in the manner contemplated in Section 3.01:

 

(a)                                 default in the payment of any interest on any Security of such series, when the interest becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days;

 

(b)                                 default in the payment of principal of or any premium on any Security of such series, when the principal or premium becomes due and payable at their Maturity, upon exercise of any repurchase right applicable to such series by call for redemption (otherwise than pursuant to a sinking fund), upon repurchase at the option of the holder thereof, upon acceleration or otherwise;

 

(c)                                  the failure of the Company to pay a sinking fund installment, if any, when and as the same shall become payable by the terms of a Security of such series, which failure shall have continued unremedied for a period of 30 days;

 

(d)                                 the failure of the Company to comply with any of its other agreements contained in the Securities of such series or this Indenture (including any indenture supplemental hereto pursuant to which the Securities of such series were issued as contemplated by Section 3.01) (other than an agreement which has been expressly included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of a series of Securities other than that series and other

 

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than an agreement in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section 7.01 specifically provided for) which failure continues for 90 days (or 120 days in the case of a breach of the covenants contained in Section 10.02 hereof) after written notice of such Default from the Trustee or holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding has been received by the Company;

 

(e)                                  the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of (A) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (B) a decree or order adjudging the Company bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company under any applicable law, or appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs;

 

(f)                                   the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by either the Company to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against the Company, or the filing by the Company of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable law, or the consent by the Company to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by the Company of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by the Company in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the authorization of any such action by the Board of Directors of the Company; or

 

(g)                                  the occurrence of any other Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series as provided in a supplemental indenture or Officer’s Certificate, if any, applicable to such series of Securities.

 

Section 7.02                             Acceleration; Rescission and Annulment.

 

(a)                                 If an Event of Default described in (e) or (f) of Section 7.01 shall occur and be continuing, then the principal amounts of all Securities Outstanding (or, if the Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and all accrued but unpaid interest on all Securities Outstanding will automatically become immediately due and payable (subject to applicable law). If any Event of Default, other than an Event of Default described in (e) or (f) of Section 7.01, with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding shall occur and be continuing, then, and in each and every such case, either the Trustee or the holders of 25% or more in principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding may (and upon the written request of the holders of a majority in principal amount of such Securities then Outstanding, the Trustee shall) declare the principal (or, if the Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) of and all accrued but unpaid interest on all the Securities of such series then Outstanding, if not then due and payable, to be due and payable, and upon any such declaration the same shall become and be immediately due and payable, anything in this

 

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Indenture or in the Securities of such series contained to the contrary notwithstanding; provided that no Event of Default with respect to Securities of a series, except with respect to an Event of Default under subsections (e) and (f) of Section 7.01 and except to the extent otherwise provided in subsection (d) of Section 7.01, shall constitute an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any other series. Upon payment of such amounts in the Currency in which such Securities are denominated (except as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 3.01), all obligations of the Company in respect of the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities of such series shall terminate.

 

(b)                                 This provision, however, is subject to the condition that, if at any time after the principal of all the Securities of such series, to which any one or more of the above-described Events of Default is applicable, shall have been so declared to be due and payable, and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided,

 

(i)                                     the Company has paid or deposited with the Paying Agent a sum in the Currency in which such Securities are denominated (except as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 3.01) sufficient to pay

 

(A)                               all amounts owing the Trustee and any predecessor trustee hereunder under Section 11.01(a) (provided, however, that all sums payable under this clause (A) shall be paid in U.S. Dollars);

 

(B)                               all arrears of interest, if any, upon all the Securities of such series (with interest, to the extent that interest thereon shall be legally enforceable, on any overdue installment of interest at the rate borne by the Securities);

 

(C)                               the principal of and premium, if any, on any Securities of such series that have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon; and

 

(D)                               all other sums payable under this Indenture (except the principal of the Securities of such series which would not be due and payable were it not for such declaration); and

 

(ii)                                  every other Default and Event of Default under this Indenture shall have been resolved so that the conditions that caused such Default or Event of Default are no longer outstanding or have otherwise been remedied to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee or of the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding, or provision deemed by such holders to be adequate therefor shall have been made, then and in every such case the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding may, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, on behalf of the holders of all the Securities of such series, waive the Event of Default by reason of which the principal of the Securities of such series shall have been so declared to be due and payable and may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences; provided, however, that no such waiver, rescission or annulment shall extend to or affect any subsequent Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

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(c)                                  Any declaration by the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.02 shall be by written notice to the Company, and any declaration or waiver by the holders of Securities of any series pursuant to this Section 7.02 shall be by written notice to the Company and the Trustee.

 

(d)                                 For all purposes under this Indenture, if a portion of the principal of any Original Issue Discount Securities shall have been accelerated and declared due and payable pursuant to the provisions hereof, then, from and after such declaration, unless such declaration has been rescinded and annulled, the principal amount of such Original Issue Discount Securities shall be deemed, for all purposes hereunder, to be such portion of the principal thereof as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, and payment of such portion of the principal thereof as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, together with interest, if any, thereon and all other amounts owing thereunder, shall constitute payment in full of such Original Issue Discount Securities.

 

(e)                                  The Company and the Trustee may, to the extent provided in Section 14.01, enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto with respect to any series of the Securities which may provide for additional or different Events of Default with respect to such series of Securities.

 

Section 7.03                             Other Remedies. If the Company shall fail for a period of 30 days to pay any installment of interest on the Securities of any series or shall fail to pay the principal of and premium, if any, on any of the Securities of such series when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at Maturity, or by call for redemption (other than pursuant to the sinking fund), by declaration as authorized by this Indenture, or otherwise, or shall fail for a period of 30 days to make any sinking fund payment as to a series of Securities, then, upon demand of the Trustee, the Company will pay to the Paying Agent for the benefit of the holders of Securities of such series then Outstanding the whole amount which then shall have become due and payable on all the Securities of such series, with interest on the overdue principal and premium, if any, and (so far as the same may be legally enforceable) on the overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by the Securities of such series, and all amounts owing the Trustee and any predecessor trustee hereunder under Section 11.01(a).

 

In case the Company shall fail forthwith to pay such amounts upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, shall be entitled and empowered to institute any action or proceeding at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute any such action or proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities of such series, and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities of such series, wherever situated, in the manner provided by law. Every recovery of judgment in any such action or other proceeding, subject to the payment to the Trustee of all amounts owing the Trustee and any predecessor trustee hereunder under Section 11.01(a), shall be for the ratable benefit of the holders of such series of Securities which shall be the subject of such action or proceeding. All rights of action upon or under any of the Securities or this Indenture may be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities and without the production of any thereof at any trial or any proceeding relative thereto.

 

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Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, if an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, and a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge of such Event of Default, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy by proceeding at law or in equity to collect the payment of amounts due with respect to the Securities or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Securities or this Indenture.

 

Section 7.04                             Trustee as Attorney-in-Fact. The Trustee is hereby appointed, and each and every holder of the Securities, by receiving and holding the same, shall be conclusively deemed to have appointed the Trustee, the true and lawful attorney-in-fact of such holder, with authority to make or file (whether or not the Company shall be in Default in respect of the payment of the principal of, or interest on, any of the Securities), in its own name and as trustee of an express trust or otherwise as it shall deem advisable, in any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or to their respective creditors or property, any and all claims, proofs of claim, proofs of debt, petitions, consents, other papers and documents and amendments of any thereof, as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and any predecessor trustee hereunder and of the holders of the Securities allowed in any such proceeding and to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claim, and to execute and deliver any and all other papers and documents and to do and perform any and all other acts and things, as it may deem necessary or advisable in order to enforce in any such proceeding any of the claims of the Trustee and any predecessor trustee hereunder and of any of such holders in respect of any of the Securities; and any receiver, assignee, trustee, custodian or debtor in any such proceeding is hereby authorized, and each and every taker or holder of the Securities, by receiving and holding the same, shall be conclusively deemed to have authorized any such receiver, assignee, trustee, custodian or debtor, to make any such payment or delivery only to or on the order of the Trustee, and to pay to the Trustee any amount due it and any predecessor trustee hereunder under Section 11.01(a); provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize or empower the Trustee to consent to or accept or adopt, on behalf of any holder of Securities, any plan of reorganization or readjustment affecting the Securities or the rights of any holder thereof, or to authorize or empower the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any holder of any Securities in any such proceeding.

 

Section 7.05                             Priorities. Any moneys or properties collected by the Trustee with respect to a series of Securities under this Article VII shall be applied in the order following, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee for the distribution of such moneys or properties and, in the case of the distribution of such moneys or properties on account of the Securities of any series, upon presentation of the Securities of such series, and stamping thereon the payment, if only partially paid, and upon surrender thereof, if fully paid:

 

First: To the payment of all amounts due to the Trustee (including, without limitation, reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) and any predecessor trustee hereunder under Section 11.01(a).

 

Second: In case the principal of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall not have become due and be unpaid, to the payment of interest on the Securities of such series, in the chronological order of the Maturity of the installments of such interest, with interest (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee) upon the overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by such Securities, such payments to be made ratably to the Persons entitled thereto.

 

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Third: In case the principal of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall have become due, by declaration or otherwise, to the payment of the whole amount then owing and unpaid upon the Securities of such series for principal and premium, if any, and interest, with interest on the overdue principal and premium, if any, and (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee) upon overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by the Securities of such series, and in case such moneys shall be insufficient to pay in full the whole amounts so due and unpaid upon the Securities of such series, then to the payment of such principal and premium, if any, and interest without preference or priority of principal and premium, if any, over interest, or of interest over principal and premium, if any, or of any installment of interest over any other installment of interest, or of any Security of such series over any other Security of such series, ratably to the aggregate of such principal and premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest.

 

Any surplus then remaining shall be paid to the Company or as directed by a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

Section 7.06                             Control by Securityholders; Waiver of Past Defaults. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee hereunder or of exercising any trust or power hereby conferred upon the Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series, provided, however, that, subject to the provisions of Sections 11.01 and 11.02, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee being advised by counsel determines that the action so directed may not lawfully be taken or would be unduly prejudicial to holders not joining in such direction or would involve the Trustee in personal liability. Prior to any declaration accelerating the Maturity of the Securities of any series, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of such series of Securities at the time Outstanding may on behalf of the holders of all of the Securities of such series waive any past Default or Event of Default hereunder and its consequences except (i) a Default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of such series or repayment of any repurchase price, if applicable, and (ii) a failure of the Company to comply with any provisions herein that cannot be modified without the consent of the holders of all of Securities of such series. Upon any such waiver the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Securities of such series shall be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder, respectively; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon. Whenever any Default or Event of Default hereunder shall have been waived as permitted by this Section 7.06, said Default or Event of Default shall for all purposes of the Securities of such series and this Indenture be deemed to have been cured and to be not continuing.

 

Section 7.07                             Limitation on Suits. No holder of any Security of any series shall have any right to institute any action, suit or proceeding at law or in equity for the execution of any trust hereunder or for the appointment of a receiver or for any other remedy hereunder, in each case with respect to an Event of Default with respect to such series of Securities, unless (i) such holder previously shall have given to the Trustee written notice of the continuance of one or more of the Events of Default specified herein with respect to such series of Securities, (ii) the holders of 25% in principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding shall have requested the Trustee in writing to take action in respect of the matter complained of, and (iii) satisfactory indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred therein or thereby shall have been offered to the Trustee, and the Trustee, within 60 days after

 

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receipt of such notification, request and offer of indemnity, shall have neglected or refused to institute any such action, suit or proceeding; and such notification, request and offer of indemnity are hereby declared in every such case to be conditions precedent to any such action, suit or proceeding by any holder of any Security of such series; it being understood and intended that no one or more of the holders of Securities of such series shall have any right in any manner whatsoever by his, her, its or their action to enforce any right hereunder, except in the manner herein provided, and that every action, suit or proceeding at law or in equity shall be instituted, had and maintained in the manner herein provided and for the equal benefit of all holders of the Outstanding Securities of such series; provided, however, that nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities of such series shall affect or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of such series to the respective holders of such Securities at the respective due dates in such Securities stated, or affect or impair the right, which is also absolute and unconditional, of such holders to institute suit to enforce the payment thereof or the conversion of any applicable series of Securities into securities and/or other property of the Company.

 

Section 7.08                             Undertaking for Costs. All parties to this Indenture and each holder of any Security, by such holder’s acceptance thereof, shall be deemed to have agreed that any court may in its discretion require, in any action, suit or proceeding for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any action, suit or proceeding against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such action, suit or proceeding of an undertaking to pay the costs of such action, suit or proceeding, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such action, suit or proceeding, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; provided, however, that the provisions of this Section 7.08 shall not apply to any action, suit or proceeding instituted by the Trustee, to any action, suit or proceeding instituted by any one or more holders of Securities holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Securities of any series Outstanding, or to any action, suit or proceeding instituted by any holder of Securities of any series for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or the interest on, any of the Securities of such series, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Securities.

 

Section 7.09                             Remedies Cumulative. No remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the holders of Securities of any series is intended to be exclusive of any other remedy or remedies, and each and every remedy shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to every other remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute. No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any holder of Securities of any series to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Default or Event of Default shall impair any such right or power or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such Default or Event of Default or an acquiescence therein; and every power and remedy given by this Article VII to the Trustee and to the holders of Securities of any series, respectively, may be exercised from time to time and as often as may be deemed expedient by the Trustee or by the holders of Securities of such series, as the case may be. In case the Trustee or any holder of Securities of any series shall have proceeded to enforce any right under this Indenture and the proceedings for the enforcement thereof shall have been discontinued or abandoned because of waiver or for any other reason or shall have been adjudicated adversely to the Trustee or to such holder of Securities, then and in every such case the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Securities of such series shall severally and respectively be restored to

 

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their former positions and rights hereunder, and thereafter all rights, remedies and powers of the Trustee and the holders of the Securities of such series shall continue as though no such proceedings had been taken, except as to any matters so waived or adjudicated.

 

ARTICLE VIII
 CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS

 

Section 8.01                             Evidence of Action of Securityholders. Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the holders of a specified percentage or a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities or of any series of Securities may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action), the fact that at the time of taking any such action the holders of such specified percentage or majority have joined therein may be evidenced by (a) any instrument or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by Securityholders in person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing (such action becoming effective, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company), or (b) by the record of the holders of Securities voting in favor thereof at any meeting of Securityholders duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article VII, or (c) by a combination of such instrument or instruments and any such record of such a meeting of Securityholders.

 

Section 8.02                             Proof of Execution or Holding of Securities. Proof of the execution of any instrument by a Securityholder or his, her or its agent or proxy and proof of the holding by any Person of any of the Securities shall be sufficient if made in the following manner:

 

(a)                                 The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument may be proved (i) by the certificate of any notary public or other officer in any jurisdiction who, by the laws thereof, has power to take acknowledgments or proof of deeds to be recorded within such jurisdiction, that the Person who signed such instrument did acknowledge before such notary public or other officer the execution thereof, or (ii) by the affidavit of a witness of such execution sworn to before any such notary or other officer. Where such execution is by a Person acting in other than his or her individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his or her authority;

 

(b)                                 The ownership of Registered Securities of any series shall be proved by the Register of such Securities or by a certificate of the Registrar for such series;

 

(c)                                  The record of any holders’ meeting shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 9.06;

 

(d)                                 The Trustee may require such additional proof of any matter referred to in this Section 8.02 as it shall deem appropriate or necessary, so long as the request is a reasonable one; and

 

(e)                                  If the Company shall solicit from the holders of Securities of any series any action, the Company may, at its option, by Board Resolution, fix in advance a record date for the determination of holders of Registered Securities entitled to take such action, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. Any such record date shall be fixed at the Company’s discretion. If such a record date is fixed, such action may be sought or given before or after the record date, but only the holders of Registered Securities of record at the close of business on such record date shall be deemed to be holders of Registered Securities

 

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for the purpose of determining whether holders of the requisite proportion of Outstanding Securities of such series have authorized or agreed or consented to such action, and for that purpose the Outstanding Registered Securities of such series shall be computed as of such record date.

 

Section 8.03                             Persons Deemed Owners.

 

(a)                                 The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name any Registered Security is registered as the owner of such Registered Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and premium, if any, and (subject to Section 3.08) interest, if any, on, such Registered Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Registered Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary. All payments made to any holder, or upon his, her or its order, shall be valid, and, to the extent of the sum or sums paid, effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for moneys payable upon such Security.

 

(b)                                 None of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in a Global Security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

 

Section 8.04                             Revocation of Consents. At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 8.01, of the taking of any action by the holders of the percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities or of any series of Securities specified in this Indenture in connection with such action, any holder of a Security which is shown by the evidence to be included in the Securities the holders of which have consented to such action may, by filing written notice with the Trustee at its principal office and upon proof of holding as provided in Section 8.02, revoke such action so far as concerns such Security. Except as aforesaid, any such action taken by the holder of any Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future holders of such Security, and of any Securities issued on transfer or in lieu thereof or in exchange or substitution therefor, irrespective of whether or not any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Security or such other Securities or any Security issued in exchange or substitution therefor.

 

ARTICLE IX
 SECURITYHOLDERS’ MEETINGS

 

Section 9.01                             Purposes of Meetings. A meeting of Securityholders of any or all series may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Article IX for any of the following purposes:

 

(a)                                 to give any notice to the Company or to the Trustee, or to give any directions to the Trustee, or to consent to the waiving of any Default hereunder and its consequences, or to take any other action authorized to be taken by Securityholders pursuant to any of the provisions of Article VIII;

 

(b)                                 to remove the Trustee and nominate a successor trustee pursuant to the provisions of Article XI;

 

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(c)                                  to consent to the execution of an Indenture or of indentures supplemental hereto pursuant to the provisions of Section 14.02; or

 

(d)                                 to take any other action authorized to be taken by or on behalf of the holders of any specified aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any one or more or all series, as the case may be, under any other provision of this Indenture or under applicable law.

 

Section 9.02                             Call of Meetings by Trustee. The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of all Securityholders of all series that may be affected by the action proposed to be taken, to take any action specified in Section 9.01, to be held at such time and at such place as the Trustee shall determine. Notice of every meeting of the Securityholders of a series, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be mailed to holders of Securities of such series at their addresses as they shall appear on the Register of the Company. Such notice shall be mailed not less than 20 nor more than 90 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.

 

Section 9.03                             Call of Meetings by Company or Securityholders. In case at any time the Company, pursuant to a resolution of its Board of Directors, or the holders of at least 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of a series (or of all series, as the case may be) then Outstanding that may be affected by the action proposed to be taken, shall have requested the Trustee to call a meeting of Securityholders of such series (or of all series), by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have mailed the notice of such meeting within 20 days after receipt of such request, then the Company or such Securityholders may determine the time and the place for such meeting and may call such meeting to take any action authorized in Section 9.01, by mailing notice thereof as provided in Section 9.02.

 

Section 9.04                             Qualifications for Voting. To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Securityholders, a Person shall (a) be a holder of one or more Securities affected by the action proposed to be taken at the meeting or (b) be a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy by a holder of one or more such Securities. The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of Securityholders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel and any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.

 

Section 9.05                             Regulation of Meetings.

 

(a)                                 Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of Securityholders, in regard to proof of the holding of Securities and of the appointment of proxies, and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it shall deem fit.

 

(b)                                 The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Securityholders as provided in Section 9.03, in which case the Company or the Securityholders calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner appoint a temporary chair. A permanent chairman and a permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by majority vote of the meeting.

 

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(c)                                  At any meeting of Securityholders of a series, each Securityholder of such series of such Securityholder’s proxy shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount of Securities of such series Outstanding held or represented by him; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Security challenged as not Outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not Outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote other than by virtue of Securities of such series held by him or her or instruments in writing as aforesaid duly designating him or her as the Person to vote on behalf of other Securityholders. At any meeting of the Securityholders duly called pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.02 or 9.03 the presence of Persons holding or representing Securities in an aggregate principal amount sufficient to take action upon the business for the transaction of which such meeting was called shall be necessary to constitute a quorum, and any such meeting may be adjourned from time to time by a majority of those present, whether or not constituting a quorum, and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.

 

Section 9.06                             Voting. The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Securityholders of a series shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of the holders of Securities of such series or of their representatives by proxy and the principal amounts of the Securities of such series held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports in duplicate of all votes cast at the meeting. A record in duplicate of the proceedings of each meeting of Securityholders shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one or more Persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was mailed as provided in Section 9.02. The record shall show the principal amounts of the Securities voting in favor of or against any resolution. The record shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one of the duplicates shall be delivered to the Company and the other to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee. Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.

 

Section 9.07                             No Delay of Rights by Meeting. Nothing contained in this Article IX shall be deemed or construed to authorize or permit, by reason of any call of a meeting of Securityholders of any series or any rights expressly or impliedly conferred hereunder to make such call, any hindrance or delay in the exercise of any right or rights conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Securityholders of such series under any of the provisions of this Indenture or of the Securities of such series.

 

ARTICLE X
 REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE
 AND SECURITYHOLDERS’ LISTS

 

Section 10.01                      Reports by Trustee.

 

(a)                                 So long as any Securities are outstanding, the Trustee shall transmit to holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided thereto. If required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall, within 60 days after

 

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each anniversary of the date of this Indenture deliver to holders a brief report which complies with the provisions of such Section 313(a).

 

(b)                                 The Trustee shall, at the time of the transmission to the holders of Securities of any report pursuant to the provisions of this Section 10.01, file a copy of such report with each stock exchange upon which the Securities are listed, if any, and also with the SEC in respect of a Security listed and registered on a national securities exchange, if any. The Company agrees to notify the Trustee when, as and if the Securities become listed on any stock exchange.

 

The Company will reimburse the Trustee for all expenses incurred in the preparation and transmission of any report pursuant to the provisions of this Section 10.01 and of Section 10.02.

 

Section 10.02                      Reports by the Company.

 

(a)                                 The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 30 days after the same is required to be filed with the SEC, copies of any documents or reports that the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to the provisions of Section 13.01 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, provided, however, that any such reports or documents filed with the SEC pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (or EDGAR) system shall be deemed delivered to the Trustee.

 

(b)                                 The Company shall file with the Trustee and the SEC, in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 314(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, such additional information, documents and reports with respect to compliance by the Company with the conditions and covenants provided for in this Indenture.

 

Section 10.03                      Securityholders’ Lists. The Company covenants and agrees that it will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee:

 

(a)                                 semi-annually, within 15 days after each Record Date, but in any event not less frequently than semi-annually, a list in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the holders of Securities to which such Record Date applies, as of such Record Date, and

 

(b)                                 at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished;

 

provided, however, that so long as the Trustee shall be the Registrar, such lists shall not be required to be furnished.

 

ARTICLE XI
 CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE

 

Section 11.01                      Rights of Trustees; Compensation and Indemnity. The Trustee accepts the trusts created by this Indenture upon the terms and conditions hereof, including the following, to all of which the parties hereto and the holders from time to time of the Securities agree:

 

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(a)                                 The Trustee shall be entitled to such compensation as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree for all services rendered by it hereunder (including in any agent capacity in which it acts). The compensation of the Trustee shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee promptly upon its request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee (including the reasonable expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision.

 

The Company also agrees to indemnify each of the Trustee, each of its agents, attorneys, employees and directors, and any predecessor Trustee hereunder for, and to hold each harmless against, any and all loss, liability, damage, claim, or expense incurred without its own negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder and the performance of its duties (including in any agent capacity in which it acts), as well as the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have one separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Section 11.01(a), the Trustee shall have a lien therefor on any moneys or properties held by the Trustee hereunder to the extent of such obligations, which lien shall be second in priority with respect to any moneys held in trust by the Trustee to pay principal of and interest on any particular Securities. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Indenture to the contrary, the obligations of the Company to compensate and indemnify the Trustee under this Section 11.01(a) shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and any satisfaction and discharge under Article XII. When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in clause (e) or (f) of Section 7.01 occurs, the expenses and compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws.

 

(b)                                 The Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereof and perform any duty hereunder either directly or by its agents and attorneys and shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder.

 

(c)                                  The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for the correctness of the recitals herein or in the Securities (except its certificates of authentication thereon) contained, all of which are made solely by the Company; and the Trustee shall not be responsible or accountable in any manner whatsoever for or with respect to the validity or execution, sufficiency or priority of this Indenture or of the Securities (except its certificates of authentication thereon), and the Trustee makes no representation with respect thereto, except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Indenture, authenticate the Securities and perform its obligations hereunder and that the statements made by it in a Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 supplied to the Company are true and accurate, subject to the qualifications set forth therein. The Trustee shall not be

 

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accountable for the use or application by the Company of any Securities, or the proceeds of any Securities, authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture. No representation, warranty or undertaking, express or implied, is made and no responsibility or liability is accepted by the Trustee as to the accuracy or completeness of the information included or incorporated by reference in the offering memorandum or any other information supplied in connection with the Securities.

 

(d)                                 The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection, and, to the extent permitted by Section 11.02, any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or suffered by the Trustee hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such Opinion of Counsel.

 

(e)                                  The Trustee, to the extent permitted by Section 11.02, may rely upon the certificate of the General Counsel, Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company as to the adoption of any resolution by the Board of Directors or stockholders of the Company, and any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by, and whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, offering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee may request and rely upon, an Officer’s Certificate of the Company (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed).

 

(f)                                   Subject to Section 11.04, the Trustee or any agent of the Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 310(b) and 311 of the Trust Indenture Act, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have had if it were not the Trustee or such agent.

 

(g)                                  Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with the Company.

 

(h)                                 Any action taken by the Trustee pursuant to any provision hereof at the request or with the consent of any Person who at the time is the holder of any Security shall be conclusive and binding in respect of such Security upon all future holders thereof or of any Security or Securities which may be issued for or in lieu thereof in whole or in part, whether or not such Security shall have noted thereon the fact that such request or consent had been made or given.

 

(i)                                     Subject to the provisions of Section 11.02, the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, debenture or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.

 

(j)                                    Subject to the provisions of Section 11.02, the Trustee shall not be under any obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the holders of the Securities, pursuant to any provision of this Indenture, unless one or more of the holders of the Securities shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which may be incurred by it therein or thereby.

 

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(k)                                 Subject to the provisions of Section 11.02, the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within its discretion or within the rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.

 

(l)                                     Subject to the provisions of Section 11.02, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless the holders of not less than 25% of the Outstanding Securities notify the Trustee in writing thereof.

 

(m)                             Subject to the provisions of the first paragraph of Section 11.02, the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of Indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit.

 

(n)                                 The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee and its directors, officers, employees, agents, successors and assigns in each of its capacities hereunder.

 

(o)                                 In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

 

(p)                                 If the trustee is acting as Paying Agent or Registrar hereunder, the rights and protections afforded to the Trustee pursuant to this Article XI will also be afforded to such Paying Agent and Registrar.

 

The permissive right of the Trustee to do things enumerated herein shall not be construed as duty on the part of the Trustee.

 

Section 11.02                      Duties of Trustee.

 

(a)                                 If one or more of the Events of Default specified in Section 7.01 with respect to the Securities of any series shall have happened, then, during the continuance thereof, the Trustee shall, with respect to such Securities, exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and shall use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

 

(b)                                 None of the provisions of this Indenture shall be construed as relieving the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent action, negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that, anything in this Indenture contained to the contrary notwithstanding,

 

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(i)                                     unless and until an Event of Default specified in Section 7.01 with respect to the Securities of any series shall have happened which at the time is continuing,

 

(A)                               the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties with respect to the Securities of that series as are specifically set out in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee, whose duties and obligations shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture; and

 

(B)                               the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee, upon certificates and opinions furnished to it pursuant to the express provisions of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions which, by the provisions of this Indenture, are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein);

 

(ii)                                  the Trustee shall not be liable to any holder of Securities or to any other Person for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proved in a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and

 

(iii)                               the Trustee shall not be liable to any holder of Securities or to any other Person with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith, in accordance with the direction of Securityholders given as provided in Section 7.06, relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to it or exercising any trust or power conferred upon it by this Indenture.

 

(c)                                  None of the provisions of this Indenture shall be construed as requiring the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise to incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers.

 

(d)                                 Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 11.02.

 

Section 11.03                      Notice of Defaults. Within 90 days after the occurrence thereof, and if known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall give to the holders of the Securities of a series notice of each Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series known to the Trustee, by transmitting such notice to holders at their addresses as the same shall then appear on the Register of the Company, unless such Default shall have been cured before the giving of such notice (the term “Default” being hereby defined to be the events specified in Section 7.01, which are, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, Events of Default as defined in said Section). Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any of the Securities of such series when and as

 

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the same shall become payable, or to make any sinking fund payment as to Securities of the same series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice, if and so long as a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the holders of the Securities of such series.

 

Section 11.04                      Eligibility; Disqualification.

 

(a)                                 The Trustee shall at all times satisfy the requirements of TIA Section 310(a). The Trustee shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition, and shall have a Corporate Trust Office. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 11.04, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.

 

(b)                                 The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b); provided, however, that there shall be excluded from the operation of TIA Section 310(b)(i) any indenture or indentures under which other securities or certificates of interest or participation in other securities of the Company are outstanding if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in TIA Section 310(b)(i) are met. If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such interest within 90 days or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture. If Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act is amended any time after the date of this Indenture to change the circumstances under which a Trustee shall be deemed to have a conflicting interest with respect to the Securities of any series or to change any of the definitions in connection therewith, this Section 11.04 shall be automatically amended to incorporate such changes.

 

Section 11.05                      Registration and Notice; Removal. The Trustee, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may at any time resign and be discharged of the trusts hereby created with respect to any one or more or all series of Securities by giving to the Company notice in writing and by mailing notice thereof to the holders of Securities of such series at their addresses as the same shall then appear in the Register of the Company. Such resignation shall take effect upon the appointment of a successor Trustee and the acceptance of such appointment by such successor Trustee. Any Trustee hereunder may be removed with respect to any series of Securities at any time by the filing with such Trustee and the delivery to the Company of an instrument or instruments in writing signed by the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding, specifying such removal and the date when it shall become effective.

 

If at any time:

 

(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of TIA Section 310(b) after written request therefor by the Company or by any holder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security for at least six months, or

 

(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 11.04 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any holder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security for at least six months, or

 

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(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation, then, in any such case, (i) the Company, by a Board Resolution or pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate, may remove the Trustee and appoint a successor Trustee with respect to all Securities, or (ii) subject to TIA Section 315(e), any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to all Securities and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.

 

Upon its resignation or removal, any Trustee shall be entitled to the payment of reasonable compensation for the services rendered hereunder by such Trustee and to the payment of all reasonable expenses incurred hereunder and all moneys then due to it hereunder. The Trustee’s rights to indemnification provided in Section 11.01(a) shall survive its resignation or removal.

 

Section 11.06                      Successor Trustee by Appointment.

 

(a)                                 In case at any time the Trustee shall resign, or shall be removed (unless the Trustee shall be removed as provided in Section 11.04(b), in which event the vacancy shall be filled as provided in said subdivision), or shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged bankrupt or insolvent, or if a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed, or if any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation with respect to the Securities of one or more series, a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all of such series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series) may be appointed by the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of that or those series then Outstanding, by an instrument or instruments in writing signed in duplicate by such holders and filed, one original thereof with the Company and the other with the successor Trustee; but, until a successor Trustee shall have been so appointed by the holders of Securities of that or those series as herein authorized, the Company by a resolution of its Board of Directors, or, in case all or substantially all the assets of the Company shall be in the possession of one or more custodians or receivers lawfully appointed, or of trustees in bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings (including a trustee or trustees appointed under the provisions of the bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted), or of assignees for the benefit of creditors, such receivers, custodians, trustees or assignees, as the case may be, by an instrument in writing, shall appoint a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series. Subject to the provisions of Sections 11.04 and 11.05, upon the appointment as aforesaid of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series, the Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series shall cease to be Trustee hereunder. After any such appointment other than by the holders of Securities of that or those series, the Person making such appointment shall forthwith cause notice thereof to be mailed to the holders of Securities of such series at their addresses as the same shall then appear on the Register of the Company but any successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series so appointed shall, immediately and without further act, be superseded by a successor Trustee appointed by the holders of Securities of such series in the manner above prescribed, if such appointment be made prior

 

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to the expiration of one year from the date of the mailing of such notice by the Company, or by such receivers, trustees or assignees.

 

(b)                                 If any Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall resign because of conflicting interest as provided in Section 11.04(b) and a successor Trustee shall not have been appointed by the Company or by the holders of the Securities of such series or, if any successor Trustee so appointed shall not have accepted its appointment within 30 days after such appointment shall have been made, the resigning Trustee at the expense of the Company may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee. If in any other case a successor Trustee shall not be appointed pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 11.06 within three months after such appointment might have been made hereunder, the holder of any Security of the applicable series or any retiring Trustee at the expense of the Company may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction to appoint a successor Trustee. Such court may thereupon, in any such case, after such notice, if any, as such court may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor Trustee.

 

(c)                                  Any successor Trustee appointed hereunder with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to its predecessor Trustee and to the Company, or to the receivers, trustees, assignees or court appointing it, as the case may be, an instrument accepting such appointment hereunder, and thereupon such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the authority, rights, powers, trusts, immunities, duties and obligations with respect to such series of such predecessor Trustee with like effect as if originally named as Trustee hereunder, and such predecessor Trustee, upon payment of its charges and disbursements then unpaid, shall thereupon become obligated to pay over, and such successor Trustee shall be entitled to receive, all moneys and properties held by such predecessor Trustee as Trustee hereunder. Nevertheless, on the written request of the Company or of the successor Trustee or of the holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding, such predecessor Trustee, upon payment of its said charges and disbursements, shall execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee upon the trusts herein expressed all the rights, powers and trusts of such predecessor Trustee and shall assign, transfer and deliver to the successor Trustee all moneys and properties held by such predecessor Trustee; and, upon request of any such successor Trustee and the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such authority, rights, powers, trusts, immunities, duties and obligations.

 

Section 11.07                      Successor Trustee by Merger. Any corporation into which the Trustee or any successor to it in the trusts created by this Indenture shall be merged or converted, or any corporation with which it or any successor to it shall be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee or any such successor to it shall be a party, or any corporation to which the Trustee or any successor to it shall sell or otherwise transfer all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor Trustee under this Indenture without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article and Section 310(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the parties hereto. In case at the time such successor to the Trustee shall succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture with respect to one or more series of Securities, any of such

 

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Securities shall have been authenticated but not delivered by the Trustee then in office, any successor to such Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee, and deliver such Securities so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Securities shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor Trustee; and in all such cases such certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Securities or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have; provided, however, that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee or authenticate Securities in the name of any predecessor Trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.

 

Section 11.08                      Right to Rely on Officer’s Certificate. Subject to Section 11.02, and subject to the provisions of Section 16.01 with respect to the certificates required thereby, whenever in the administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officer’s Certificate with respect thereto delivered to the Trustee, and such Officer’s Certificate, in the absence of negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable decision, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.

 

Section 11.09                      Appointment of Authenticating Agent. The Trustee may appoint an agent (the “Authenticating Agent”) reasonably acceptable to the Company to authenticate the Securities, and the Trustee shall give written notice of such appointment to all holders of Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve. Unless limited by the terms of such appointment, any such Authenticating Agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by the Authenticating Agent. Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder.

 

Each Authenticating Agent shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business and in good standing under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Article XI, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Article XI, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article XI.

 

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Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate agency or corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Article XI, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.

 

An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 11.09, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall give written notice of such appointment to all holders of Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section 11.09.

 

The Trustee agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section 11.09, and the Trustee shall be entitled to be reimbursed for such payments, subject to the provisions of Section 11.01.

 

Section 11.10                      Communications by Securityholders with Other Securityholders. Holders of Securities may communicate pursuant to Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with other holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of Section 312(c) of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to such communications.

 

Section 11.11                      Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company. If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company (or any such other obligor).

 

ARTICLE XII
 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE

 

Section 12.01                      Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. This Indenture, with respect to the Securities of any series (if all series issued under this Indenture are not to be affected), shall, upon Company Request, cease to be of further effect (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of such Securities herein expressly provided for and rights to receive payments of principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Securities) and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when,

 

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(a)                                 either:

 

(i)                                     all Securities of such series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (A) Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.07 and (B) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 6.03) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

 

(ii)                                  all Securities of such series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation,

 

(A)                               have become due and payable, or

 

(B)                               will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or

 

(C)                               are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, and the Company, in the case of (A), (B) or (C) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Paying Agent as trust funds in trust for the purpose an amount in the Currency in which such Securities are denominated (except as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 3.01) sufficient to pay and discharge the entire Indebtedness on such Securities for principal and premium, if any, and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities that have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be; provided, however, in the event a petition for relief under bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted, or any other applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, is filed with respect to the Company within 91 days after the deposit and the Trustee is required to return the moneys then on deposit with the Trustee to the Company, the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to such Securities shall not be deemed terminated or discharged;

 

(b)                                 the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

 

(c)                                  the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to such series have been complied with. Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 11.01 are, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of clause (a)(i) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 12.06 and the last paragraph of Section 6.03(e) shall survive.

 

Section 12.02                      Defeasance upon Deposit of Moneys or U.S. Government Obligations. At the Company’s option, either (a) the Company shall be deemed to have been Discharged (as defined below) from its obligations with respect to Securities of any series on the first day after the applicable conditions set forth below have been satisfied or (b) the Company shall

 

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cease to be under any obligation to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in Section 6.04 with respect to Securities of any series (and, if so specified pursuant to Section 3.01, any other restrictive covenant added for the benefit of such series pursuant to Section 3.01) at any time after the applicable conditions set forth below have been satisfied:

 

(i)                                     The Company shall have deposited or caused to be deposited irrevocably with the Trustee as trust funds in trust, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the holders of the Securities of such series (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations (as defined below) that through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount or (C) a combination of (A) and (B), sufficient to pay and discharge each installment of principal (including any mandatory sinking fund payments) of and premium, if any, and interest on, the Outstanding Securities of such series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and premium are due;

 

(ii)                                  No Event of Default or event (including such deposit) that, with notice or lapse of time, or both, would become an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit; and

 

(iii)                               The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that holders of the Securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the Company’s exercise of its option under this Section and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such action had not been exercised and, in the case of the Securities of such series being Discharged accompanied by a ruling to that effect received from or published by the Internal Revenue Service.

 

“Discharged” means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by, and obligations under, the Securities of such series and to have satisfied all the obligations under this Indenture relating to the Securities of such series (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except (A) the rights of holders of Securities of such series to receive, from the trust fund described in clause (i) above, payment of the principal of and premium, if any, interest on such Securities when such payments are due, and (B) the Company’s obligations with respect to Securities of such series under Sections 3.04, 3.06, 3.07, Section 6.02, 12.06 and 12.06 and (C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder.

 

“U.S. Government Obligations” means securities that are (i) direct obligations of the United States for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States the timely of payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States, that, in either case under clauses (i) or (ii) are not callable or redeemable at the action of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depositary receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any

 

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deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depositary receipt.

 

Section 12.03                      Repayment to Company. The Trustee and any Paying Agent shall promptly pay to the Company (or to its designee) upon Company Request any excess moneys or U.S. Government Obligations held by them at any time, including any such moneys or obligations held by the Trustee under any escrow trust agreement entered into pursuant to Section 12.05. The provisions of the last paragraph of Section 6.03 shall apply to any money held by the Trustee or any Paying Agent under this Article that remains unclaimed for two years after the Maturity of any series of Securities for which money or U.S. Government Obligations have been deposited pursuant to Section 12.02.

 

Section 12.04                      Indemnity for U.S. Government Obligations. The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the deposited U.S. Government Obligations or the principal or interest received on such U.S. Government Obligations.

 

Section 12.05                      Deposits to Be Held in Escrow. Any deposits with the Trustee referred to in Section 12.02 above shall be irrevocable (except to the extent provided in Sections 12.04 and 12.06) and shall be made under the terms of an escrow trust agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee. If any Outstanding Securities of a series are to be redeemed prior to their Stated Maturity, whether pursuant to any optional redemption provisions or in accordance with any mandatory or optional sinking fund requirement, the applicable escrow trust agreement shall provide therefor and the Company shall make such arrangements as are satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company. The agreement shall provide that, upon satisfaction of any Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment requirements, whether by deposit of moneys, application of proceeds of deposited U.S. Government Obligations or, if permitted, by delivery of Securities, the Trustee shall pay or deliver over to the Company as excess moneys pursuant to Section 12.04 all funds or obligations then held under the agreement and allocable to the sinking fund payment requirements so satisfied.

 

If Securities of a series with respect to which such deposits are made may be subject to later redemption at the option of the Company or pursuant to optional sinking fund payments, the applicable escrow trust agreement may, at the option of the Company, provide therefor. In the case of an optional redemption in whole or in part, such agreement shall require the Company to deposit with the Trustee on or before the date notice of redemption is given funds sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of the Securities to be redeemed together with all unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date. Upon such deposit of funds, the Trustee shall pay or deliver over to the Company as excess funds pursuant to Section 12.04 all funds or obligations then held under such agreement and allocable to the Securities to be redeemed. In the case of exercise of Optional Sinking Fund Payment rights by the Company, such agreement shall, at the option of the Company, provide that upon deposit by the Company with the Trustee of funds pursuant to such exercise the Trustee shall pay or deliver over to the Company as excess funds pursuant to Section 12.04 all funds or obligations then held under such agreement for such series and allocable to the Securities to be redeemed.

 

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Section 12.06                      Application of Trust Money.

 

(a)                                 Neither the Trustee nor any other Paying Agent shall be required to pay interest on any moneys deposited pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, except such as it shall agree with the Company to pay thereon. Any moneys so deposited for the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after the date of the maturity of the Securities of such series or the date fixed for the redemption of all the Securities of such series at the time outstanding, as the case may be, shall be repaid by the Trustee or such other paying agent to the Company upon its written request and thereafter, anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, any rights of the holders of Securities of such series in respect of which such moneys shall have been deposited shall be enforceable only against the Company, and all liability of the Trustee or such other paying agent with respect to such moneys shall thereafter cease.

 

(b)                                 Subject to the provisions of the foregoing paragraph, any moneys which at any time shall be deposited by the Company or on its behalf with the Trustee or any other paying agent for the purpose of paying the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on any of the Securities shall be and are hereby assigned, transferred and set over to the Trustee or such other paying agent in trust for the respective holders of the Securities for the purpose for which such moneys shall have been deposited; but such moneys need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

 

Section 12.07                      Deposits of Non-U.S. Currencies. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article, if the Securities of any series are payable in a Currency other than U.S. Dollars, the Currency or the nature of the government obligations to be deposited with the Trustee under the foregoing provisions of this Article shall be as set forth in the Officer’s Certificate or established in the supplemental indenture under which the Securities of such series are issued.

 

ARTICLE XIII
 IMMUNITY OF CERTAIN PERSONS

 

Section 13.01                      No Personal Liability. No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of, or the premium, if any, or interest on, any Security or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof or of the Indebtedness represented thereby, or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of this Indenture, against any director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder or partner as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitutional provision, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly agreed and understood that this Indenture and the Securities are solely corporate obligations, and that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, or be incurred by, any director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder or partner as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any successor corporation, because of the incurring of the Indebtedness hereby authorized or under or by reason of any of the obligations, covenants, promises or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities, or to be implied herefrom or therefrom, and that all liability, if any, of that character against every such director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder and partner is, by the acceptance of the Securities and as a condition of, and as part of the consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issue of the Securities expressly waived and released.

 

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ARTICLE XIV
 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

 

Section 14.01                      Without Consent of Securityholders. The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of any series without prior notice to, or the consent of, the holders, for any one or more of or all the following purposes:

 

(a)                                 to add to the covenants and agreements to be observed and to add Events of Default, in each case for the protection or benefit of the holders of all or any Securities of any series (and if such amendment or supplement is to be for the benefit of fewer than all series of Securities, stating that such amendment or supplement, as the case may be, is being made for the benefit of such series as shall be identified therein), or to surrender any right or power conferred upon the Company; or

 

(b)                                 to add Events of Default for the protection or benefit of the holders of all or any series of the Securities (and if such Events of Default are to be for the benefit of fewer than all series of the Securities, stating that such Events of Default are expressly being included for the benefit of such series as shall be identified therein), and to specify the rights and remedies of the Trustee and the holders of such Securities in connection therewith; or

 

(c)                                  to evidence the succession of another corporation to the Company, or successive successions, and the assumption by such successor of the covenants and obligations of the Company contained in the Securities of one or more series and in this Indenture; or

 

(d)                                 to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to one or more series of Securities and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee; or

 

(e)                                  to secure any series of Securities; or

 

(f)                                   to evidence any changes to this Indenture for the removal of Trustee pursuant to Section 11.05, appointment of Trustee pursuant to Section 11.06 or replacement of Trustee resulting from merger, conversion or consolidation pursuant to Section 11.07; or

 

(g)                                  to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained in this Indenture which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision contained in this Indenture, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture which shall not adversely affect the interests of any holder of Securities of any affected series; or

 

(h)                                 to comply with the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act; or

 

(i)                                     to add guarantors or co-obligors with respect to any series of Securities; or

 

(j)                                    to prohibit the authentication and delivery of additional Securities of any series; or

 

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(k)                                 to establish the form and terms of Securities of any series as permitted in Section 3.01, or to authorize the issuance of additional Securities of a series previously authorized or to add to the conditions, limitations or restrictions on the authorized amount, terms or purposes of issue, authentication or delivery of the Securities of any series, as herein set forth, or other conditions, limitations or restrictions thereafter to be observed; or

 

(l)                                     to supplement any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the defeasance and discharge of any of the Securities hereunder, provided that any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of any holder of Securities of any affected series in any material respect as evidenced by an Opinion of Counsel; or

 

(m)                             to make any change to this Indenture of a formal, minor or technical nature or necessary to correct a manifest error or to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law as evidenced by an Opinion of Counsel, provided that any such change shall not adversely affect the interests of any holder of Securities of any affected series in any material respect; or

 

(n)                                 to change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture; provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective only when there is no Outstanding Security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision and as to which such supplemental indenture would apply.

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 14.03, the Trustee is authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, to make the further agreements and stipulations which may be therein contained and to accept the conveyance, transfer, assignment, mortgage or pledge of any property or assets thereunder.

 

Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section 14.01 may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent of the holders of any of the Securities at the time Outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 14.02.

 

Section 14.02                      With Consent of Securityholders; Limitations.

 

(a)                                 With the consent (evidenced as provided in Article VIII) of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each affected series, the Company (when authorized by a resolution of the Board of Directors) and the Trustee may, from time to time and at any time, amend or supplement this Indenture for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the holders of the Securities of such series to be affected; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby (and without the consent of the Trustee as to (iii) below),

 

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(i)                                     extend the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the interest thereon or any premium payable upon redemption thereof, or change the Currency in which the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on such Security is denominated or payable, or reduce the amount of the principal that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on any Security or adversely affect any right to convert or exchange any Security; or

 

(ii)                                  reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Securities of any series, the consent of whose holders is required for any amendment or supplement, or the consent of whose holders is required for any waiver of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or certain Defaults hereunder and their consequences provided for in this Indenture; or

 

(iii)                               modify the rights, duties or immunities of the Trustee; or

 

(iv)                              modify the provisions with respect to the repurchase rights of the holders, as applicable, in Securities of such series in a manner adverse to holders thereof; or

 

(v)                                 alter the manner of calculation or rate of accrual of interest, repurchase price or the conversion rate, as applicable, on any Security of such series or extend the time for payment of any such amount; or

 

(vi)                              modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 6.06 or Section 7.06, except to increase any the respective percentages referred to therein or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby; provided, however, that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and any concomitant changes or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 11.06 and 14.01(f).

 

(b)                                 A supplemental indenture that changes or eliminates any provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities or which modifies the rights of the holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the holders of Securities of any other series.

 

(c)                                  It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Securityholders under this Section 14.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof.

 

(d)                                 The Company may set a record date for purposes of determining the identity of the holders of each series of Securities entitled to give a written consent or waive compliance by the Company as authorized or permitted by this Section. Such record date shall not be more than 30 days prior to the first solicitation of such consent or waiver or the date of the most recent list of holders furnished to the Trustee prior to such solicitation pursuant to Section 312 of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

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(e)                                  Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section 14.02, the Company shall mail a notice, setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture, to the holders of Securities at their addresses as the same shall then appear in the Register of the Company. Any failure of the Company to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture.

 

Section 14.03                      Trustee Protected. Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by the Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel required by Section 16.01 and by:

 

(a)                                 a supplemental indenture duly executed on behalf of the Company;

 

(b)                                 a copy of a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company, certified by the General Counsel, Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and a copy of an Officer’s Certificate of the Company, authorizing the execution of said supplemental indenture;

 

(c)                                  an Opinion of Counsel, stating that said supplemental indenture complies with, and that the execution thereof is authorized or permitted by, the provisions of this Indenture and such supplemental indenture is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms; and

 

(d)                                 if said supplemental indenture shall be executed pursuant to Section 14.02, evidence (as provided in Article VIII) of the consent thereto of the Securityholders required to consent thereto as in Section 14.02 provided, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of said supplemental indenture unless said supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into said supplemental indenture.

 

Section 14.04                      Effect of Execution of Supplemental Indenture. Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article XIV, this Indenture shall be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the holders of all of the Securities or of the Securities of any series affected, as the case may be, shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments, and all the terms and conditions of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.

 

Section 14.05                      Notation on or Exchange of Securities. Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article may bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company or the Trustee shall so determine, new Securities so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Board of Directors of the Company, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for the Securities then Outstanding in equal aggregate principal amounts, and such exchange shall be made without cost to the holders of the Securities.

 

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Section 14.06                      Conformity with TIA. Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to the provisions of this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.

 

ARTICLE XV
 SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES

 

Section 15.01                      Agreement to Subordinate. In the event a series of Securities is designated as subordinated pursuant to Section 3.01(s), and except as otherwise provided in Board Resolutions or a supplemental indenture, the Company, for itself, its successors and assigns, covenants and agrees, and each holder of Securities of such series by his, her or its acceptance thereof, likewise covenants and agrees, that the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on each and all of the Securities of such series is hereby expressly subordinated, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter set forth, in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness. In the event a series of Securities is not designated as subordinated pursuant to Section 3.01(s), this Article XV shall have no effect upon the Securities.

 

Section 15.02                      Distribution on Dissolution, Liquidation and Reorganization; Subrogation of Securities. Subject to Section 15.01, upon any distribution of assets of the Company upon any dissolution, winding up, liquidation or reorganization of the Company, whether in bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or receivership proceedings or upon an assignment for the benefit of creditors or any other marshalling of the assets and liabilities of the Company or otherwise (subject to the power of a court of competent jurisdiction to make other equitable provision reflecting the rights conferred in this Indenture upon the Senior Indebtedness and the holders thereof with respect to the Securities and the holders thereof by a lawful plan of reorganization under applicable bankruptcy law):

 

(a)                                 the holders of all Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive payment in full of the principal thereof (and premium, if any) and interest due thereon before the holders of the Securities are entitled to receive any payment upon the principal (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on Indebtedness evidenced by the Securities; and

 

(b)                                 any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, to which the holders of the Securities or the Trustee would be entitled except for the provisions of this Article XV shall be paid by the liquidation trustee or agent or other person making such payment or distribution, whether a trustee in bankruptcy, a receiver or liquidating trustee or otherwise, directly to the holders of Senior Indebtedness or their representative or representatives or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture under which any instruments evidencing any of such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, ratably according to the aggregate amounts remaining unpaid on account of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Senior Indebtedness held or represented by each, to the extent necessary to make payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness; and

 

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(c)                                  in the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, shall be received by the Trustee or the holders of the Securities before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full, such payment or distribution shall be paid over, upon written notice to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, to the holder of such Senior Indebtedness or his, her or its representative or representatives or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture under which any instrument evidencing any of such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, ratably as aforesaid, for application to payment of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid until all such Senior Indebtedness shall have been paid in full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness.

 

Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, the holders of the Securities shall be subrogated to the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness (to the extent that distributions otherwise payable to such holder have been applied to the payment of Senior Indebtedness) to receive payments or distributions of cash, property or securities of the Company applicable to Senior Indebtedness until the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities shall be paid in full and no such payments or distributions to the holders of the Securities of cash, property or securities otherwise distributable to the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall, as between the Company, its creditors other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the holders of the Securities be deemed to be a payment by the Company to or on account of the Securities. It is understood that the provisions of this Article XV are and are intended solely for the purpose of defining the relative rights of the holders of the Securities, on the one hand, and the holders of the Senior Indebtedness, on the other hand. Nothing contained in this Article XV or elsewhere in this Indenture or in the Securities is intended to or shall impair, as between the Company, its creditors other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the holders of the Securities, the obligation of the Company, which is unconditional and absolute, to pay to the holders of the Securities the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms, or to affect the relative rights of the holders of the Securities and creditors of the Company other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, nor shall anything herein or in the Securities prevent the Trustee or the holder of any Security from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under this Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, under this Article XV of the holders of Senior Indebtedness in respect of cash, property or securities of the Company received upon the exercise of any such remedy. Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in this Article XV, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 15.05, shall be entitled to rely upon a certificate of the liquidating trustee or agent or other person making any distribution to the Trustee for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such distribution, the holders of Senior Indebtedness and other Indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereof and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article XV.

 

With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, the Trustee undertakes to perform or observe only such of its covenants and objectives as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee, however, shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness. The Trustee shall not be liable to any such holder if it shall pay over or distribute to or on behalf of holders of Securities or the Company, or any other Person, moneys or assets to which any holder of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by virtue of this Article XV.

 

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Section 15.03                      No Payment on Securities in Event of Default on Senior Indebtedness. Subject to Section 15.01, no payment by the Company on account of principal (or premium, if any), sinking funds or interest, if any, on the Securities shall be made at anytime if: (i) a default on Senior Indebtedness exists that permits the holders of such Senior Indebtedness to accelerate its maturity and (ii) the default is the subject of judicial proceedings or the Company has received notice of such default. The Company may resume payments on the Securities when full payment of amounts then due for principal (premium, if any), sinking funds and interest on Senior Indebtedness has been made or duly provided for in money or money’s worth.

 

Section 15.04                      Payments on Securities Permitted. Subject to Section 15.01, nothing contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities shall (a) affect the obligation of the Company to make, or prevent the Company from making, at any time except as provided in Sections 15.02 and 15.03, payments of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the Securities or (b) prevent the application by the Trustee of any moneys or assets deposited with it hereunder to the payment of or on account of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the Securities, unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received at its Corporate Trust Office written notice of any fact prohibiting the making of such payment from the Company or from the holder of any Senior Indebtedness or from the trustee for any such holder, together with proof satisfactory to the Trustee of such holding of Senior Indebtedness or of the authority of such trustee more than two Business Days prior to the date fixed for such payment.

 

Section 15.05                      Authorization of Securityholders to Trustee to Effect Subordination. Subject to Section 15.01, each holder of Securities by his acceptance thereof authorizes and directs the Trustee on his, her or its behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination as provided in this Article XV and appoints the Trustee his attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes.

 

Section 15.06                      Notices to Trustee. Subject to Section 15.01, notwithstanding the provisions of this Article XV or any other provisions of this Indenture, neither the Trustee nor any Paying Agent (other than the Company) shall be charged with knowledge of the existence of any Senior Indebtedness or of any fact which would prohibit the making of any payment of moneys or assets to or by the Trustee or such Paying Agent, unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall have received (in the case of a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee) written notice thereof from the Company or from the holder of any Senior Indebtedness or from the trustee for any such holder, together with proof satisfactory to the Trustee of such holding of Senior Indebtedness or of the authority of such trustee and, prior to the receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee shall be entitled in all respects conclusively to presume that no such facts exist; provided, however, that if at least two Business Days prior to the date upon which by the terms hereof any such moneys or assets may become payable for any purpose (including, without limitation, the payment of either the principal (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any Security) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall not have received with respect to such moneys or assets the notice provided for in this Section 15.06, then, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall have full power and authority to receive such moneys or assets and to apply the same to the purpose for which they were received, and shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary which may be received by it within two Business Days prior to such date. The Trustee shall be entitled to rely on the delivery to it of a written notice by a Person representing himself to be a holder of

 

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Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee on behalf of such holder) to establish that such a notice has been given by a holder of Senior Indebtedness or a trustee on behalf of any such holder. In the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that further evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of Senior Indebtedness to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article XV, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of Senior Indebtedness held by such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to the rights of such Person under this Article XV and, if such evidence is not furnished, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending judicial determination as to the right of such Person to receive such payment.

 

Section 15.07                      Trustee as Holder of Senior Indebtedness. Subject to Section 15.01, the Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to all the rights set forth in this Article XV in respect of any Senior Indebtedness at any time held by it to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Indebtedness and nothing in this Indenture shall be construed to deprive the Trustee of any of its rights as such holder. Nothing in this Article XV shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Sections 7.05 or 11.01.

 

Section 15.08                      Modifications of Terms of Senior Indebtedness. Subject to Section 15.01, any renewal or extension of the time of payment of any Senior Indebtedness or the exercise by the holders of Senior Indebtedness of any of their rights under any instrument creating or evidencing Senior Indebtedness, including, without limitation, the waiver of default thereunder, may be made or done all without notice to or assent from the holders of the Securities or the Trustee. No compromise, alteration, amendment, modification, extension, renewal or other change of, or waiver, consent or other action in respect of, any liability or obligation under or in respect of, or of any of the terms, covenants or conditions of any indenture or other instrument under which any Senior Indebtedness is outstanding or of such Senior Indebtedness, whether or not such release is in accordance with the provisions of any applicable document, shall in any way alter or affect any of the provisions of this Article XV or of the Securities relating to the subordination thereof.

 

Section 15.09                      Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent. Subject to Section 15.01, upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in this Article XV, the Trustee and the holders of the Securities shall be entitled to rely upon any order or decree entered by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation, reorganization, dissolution, winding up or similar case or proceeding is pending, or a certificate of the trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, custodian, receiver, assignee for the benefit of creditors, agent or other person making such payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the holders of Securities, for the purpose of ascertaining the persons entitled to participate in such payment or distribution to holders of Senior Indebtedness and other Indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article XV.

 

Section 15.10                      Satisfaction and Discharge; Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance. Subject to Section 15.01, amounts and U.S. Government Obligations deposited in trust with the Trustee pursuant to and in accordance with Article XII and not, at the time of such deposit, prohibited to be deposited under Sections 15.02 or 15.03 shall not be subject to this Article XV.

 

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ARTICLE XVI
 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

Section 16.01                      Certificates and Opinions as to Conditions Precedent.

 

(a)                                 Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee (i) an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and (ii) an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or demand as to which the furnishing of such document is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or demand, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

 

(b)                                 Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than the certificates provided pursuant to Section 6.05 of this Indenture or TIA Section 314(a)(4)) must comply with TIA Section 314(a) and shall include (i) a statement that the Person making giving such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; (ii) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based; (iii) a statement that, in the view or opinion of such Person, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable such Person to express an informed view or opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and (iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the view or opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

 

(c)                                  Any certificate, statement or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his or her certificate, statement or opinion is based are erroneous. Any certificate, statement or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate, statement or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate, statement or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.

 

(d)                                 Any certificate, statement or opinion of an officer of the Company or of counsel to the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to accounting matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an accountant or firm of accountants, unless such officer or counsel, as the case may be, knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the accounting matters upon which his or her certificate, statement or opinion may be based are erroneous. Any certificate or opinion of any firm of independent registered public accountants filed with the Trustee shall contain a statement that such firm is independent.

 

65

 

(e)                                  In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

 

(f)                                   Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

 

Section 16.02                      Trust Indenture Act Controls. If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by, or another provision included in this Indenture which is required to be included in this Indenture by any of the provisions of Sections 310 to 318, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed duties or incorporated provision shall control.

 

Section 16.03                      What Constitutes Action by Board of Directors. Whenever action is required by this Indenture by the Board of Directors of the Company and there is at the time constituted a committee of the Board of Directors duly authorized to take such action, or a committee of officers or other representatives of the Company so authorized by the Board of Directors, such action by such a committee shall be deemed to be the action of the Board of Directors and shall be sufficient for all purposes of this Indenture where action by the Board of Directors is specified.

 

Section 16.04                      Notices to the Company and Trustee. Any notice or demand authorized by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with, the Company or the Trustee shall be sufficiently made, given, furnished or filed for all purposes if it shall be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to:

 

(a)                                 the Company, at Trina Solar Limited, No. 2 Tian He Road Electronics Park, New District, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213031, People’s Republic of China. Attention: Chief Financial Officer, facsimile no. +86 519 8548 2008, or at such other address or facsimile number as may have been furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company.

 

(b)                                 the Trustee, at Wilmington Trust, National Association, Rodney Square North, 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890, Attention: Corporate Capital Markets / Trina Solar, facsimile no. +1 (302) 636-4145, telephone no. +1 (302) 636-6000, or at such other address or facsimile number as may have been furnished in writing to the Company by the Trustee.

 

Any such notice, demand or other document shall be in the English language.

 

Section 16.05                      Notices to Securityholders; Waiver. Any notice or report required or permitted to be given to Securityholders shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided),

 

(a)                                 if to Registered Holders, if given in writing by first class mail, postage prepaid, to such holders at their addresses as the same shall appear on the Register of the Company.

 

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(b)                                 In the event of suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give notice by mail, then such notification as shall be given with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute sufficient notice for every purpose hereunder.

 

(c)                                  Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance on such waiver. In any case where notice to holders is given by mail; neither the failure to mail such notice nor any defect in any notice so mailed to any particular holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other holders, and any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given. In any case where notice to holders is given by publication, any defect in any notice so published as to any particular holder shall not affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other holders, and any notice that is published in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given.

 

(d)                                 Each such notice or report shall also be delivered pursuant to this Section 16.05 to any Person described in TIA Section 313(c) to the extent required by the TIA.

 

Section 16.06                      Legal Holiday. Unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01, in any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Maturity of any Security of any series shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment for the Securities of that series, then payment of principal and premium, if any, or interest need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Maturity and no interest shall accrue on such payment for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Maturity, as the case may be, to such Business Day if such payment is made or duly provided for on such Business Day.

 

Section 16.07                      Effects of Headings and Table of Contents. The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

Section 16.08                      Successors and Assigns. All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the parties hereto shall bind their respective successors and assigns and inure to the benefit of their permitted successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

 

Section 16.09                      Separability Clause. In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

Section 16.10                      Benefits of Indenture. Nothing in this Indenture expressed and nothing that may be implied from any of the provisions hereof is intended, or shall be construed, to confer upon, or to give to, any Person or corporation other than the parties hereto and their successors and the holders of the Securities any benefit or any right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Indenture or any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise or agreement hereof, and all covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Indenture contained shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and of the holders of the Securities.

 

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Section 16.11                      Counterparts Originals. This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

Section 16.12                      Governing Law. This Indenture and the Securities shall be deemed to be contracts made under the law of the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of said State.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

	
 
    	
TRINA   SOLAR LIMITED,
    
	
 
    	
as   Issuer
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Name:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
WILMINGTON   TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
    
	
 
    	
as   Trustee
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
By:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Name
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Title:
    	
 
    

 

69Exhibit 10.2

 

 

DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT CONTRACT

 

FOR AN ONLINE SALES PLATFORM

 

 

19 November 2012

 

between

 

CDISCOUNT S.A.

 

And

 

GO SPORT FRANCE

 

1

 

CONTENTS

 

1                                         DEFINITIONS

 

2                                         OBJECT

 

3                                        CONTRACTUAL DOCUMENTS

 

4                                        PRIME CONTRACTOR

 

5                                        PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT

 

6                                        PLATFORM ACCEPTANCE AND GUARANTEE

 

7                                        PLATFORM HOSTING AND OPERATION

 

8                                        LOGISTICS

 

9                                        CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGEMENT

 

10                                 SERVICE QUALITY

 

11                                 REPORTING

 

12                                 COOPERATION BETWEEN THE PARTIES

 

13                                 POACHING OF STAFF

 

14                                 FINANCIAL TERMS

 

15                                 INSURANCE

 

16                                 LIABILITIES

 

17                                 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 

18                                 PERSONAL DATA

 

19                                 TERM

 

20                                 CESSATION OF THE CONTRACT

 

21                                  CONTRACT MODIFICATION

 

22                                 CONFIDENTIALITY

 

23                                 FORCE MAJEURE

 

24                                 CONTRACT ASSIGNMENT

 

25                                 OTHER STIPULATIONS

 

26                                 GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

 

27                                 EXTENSION OF THE CONTRACT TO “COURIR” AND TO OTHER AFFILIATED ENTITIES

 

2

 

This Contract is concluded between

 

CDiscount, a limited liability company (SA) with share capital of €5,162,154.62 with registered head office at 4-6 Cours de l’Intendance, 33000 Bordeaux, France, registered in the Bordeaux Trade and Companies Register under 424 059 822, represented by Anil Benard-Dendé, duly empowered for the purposes of this Contract in his capacity of B2B development director, hereafter referred to as “CDiscount” or the “Service Provider”, and

 

GO SPORT FRANCE, a simplified joint-stock company (SAS) with share capital of €36,000,000 and registered head office at 17 Avenue de la Falaise, 38360 Sassenage, France, listed in the Grenoble Trade and Companies Register under 428560031, represented by Mr Loïc LE BORGNE, duly empowered for the purposes of this Contract in his capacity of Chief Operating Officer, hereafter referred to as “GO SPORT FRANCE.”

 

RECITALS

 

In order to increase its volume of business via the sale of its products on the internet, GO SPORT FRANCE issued a call for tenders on 20 December 2011 for the development and technical management of online selling platforms for each of its brands GO Sport and Courir. The call for tenders concerned the supply of the following services, broken down into three distinct batches in accordance with the specifications:

 

BATCH 1 — E-commerce Platform

 

·                 creation of an e-commerce platform for each of these brands on the basis of content furnished by GO SPORT FRANCE and specifications substantiated by the Parties;

 

·                 hosting and maintenance of these e-commerce platforms and provision of services related to the management of orders (management of customer payments, management of fraud, etc.);

 

BATCH 2 — Logistics

 

·                                        provision of logistics services such as reception in the service provider’s warehouses of products delivered by GO SPORT FRANCE or its suppliers, storage in the warehouse and their shipment to customers and the management of returns, etc.;

 

BATCH 3 — “Multi-Channel” Customer Service (“GRC”)

 

·                 institution by the service provider and management of a customer service to allow (i) the customers of each e-commerce platform to send in their questions and claims before or after the act of purchase, and in particular those concerning the status of their order, product returns, invoicing and payment and (ii) the customers of GO SPORT FRANCE stores to asks certain questions before or after the act of purchase.

 

Concerning the highly strategic nature of this project and the damaging consequences that might result from any non-compliance and/or quality defect or non-compliance with the levels of e-commerce platform services and services subject to the call for tenders (chiefly in terms of loss of turnover and damage to image), GO SPORT FRANCE wanted to call upon a service provider having proven, extensive and recognised expertise in matters of e-commerce platform management that would be able to advise GO SPORT FRANCE in the institution of e-commerce platforms.

 

3

 

CDiscount answered the call for tenders launched by GO SPORT FRANCE and was finally selected by it, on the basis of its response of 8 March 2012 to the specifications for aforementioned batches 1, 2 and 3, knowing that it indicated that it had the required expertise and could meet the needs and objectives that it answered in the said tender and its terms, in return for the prices agreed in the appendix.

 

CDiscount is a traditional player recognised in online commerce in France and wishes, through the development and technical management of the e-commerce platforms of the GO Sport brand and, in a second phase, of the Courir brand, to offer its experience in this field for the first time to third parties.

 

After a phase of discussion and negotiation, CDiscount and GO SPORT FRANCE decided to set up this project in the context of this Contract following the terms and procedures explained hereafter.

 

THE FOLLOWING WAS THEREFORE AGREED:

 

1                                         DEFINITIONS

 

The terms beginning with a capital letter in this Contract shall have the meaning given to them in this Clause. They shall have the same meaning whether they are used in the singular or plural.

 

	
Buyer
    	
 
    	
means any internet user who connects to the Platform   and purchases a Product online.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Anomaly
    	
 
    	
means any defect in Platform operation such as   (i) any dysfunction that prevents access to all or part of the Platform   Functionalities or that affects its results, or (ii) any defect,   non-compliance or difference with respect to the documentation substantiated   in writing between the Parties or the Specifications, (iii) any defect,   non-compliance or dysfunction affecting the interfaces or their set-up, the   list of which today appears in Appendix 3 to this Contract.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Blocking Anomaly
    	
 
    	
means any Anomaly that makes it impossible to access   the Platform, or navigation under the conditions defined in the SLA and the   placement of Orders via the Platform with or without the loyalty function.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Major Anomaly
    	
 
    	
means any Anomaly disrupting or preventing access to   an essential functionality, in particular the store stock notification   function, or damaging the image of the Platform or of Go Sport in the eyes of   the Buyer, without making it impossible to place an order.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Minor Anomaly
    	
 
    	
means any Anomaly other than a Blocking or Major   Anomaly such as, though this is not exhaustive, an Anomaly affecting the   Platform’s comfort of use or ergonomics.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Payment Management Brick
    	
 
    	
has the meaning given to it in Clause 7.5.
    

 

4

 

	
Schedule
    	
 
    	
means the Schedule specified in Clause 5.3 below.   This contractual Schedule includes in particular the ROAD MAP appearing in   Appendix 1 below.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Order Processing Centre
    	
 
    	
means a Product distribution centre held by   CDiscount or fully or partly on behalf of CDiscount.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Order
    	
 
    	
means an order for Products placed via a Platform.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Content
    	
 
    	
means all the elements, trademarks, brands, documents,   data and information of all kinds protected or not by an intellectual   property right that are furnished by GO SPORT FRANCE to CDiscount to be   integrated in a Platform.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Contract
    	
 
    	
has the meaning given to it in Clause 3.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Courir
    	
 
    	
designates the “Courir” brand of the Group to which   GO SPORT FRANCE belongs.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Order Date
    	
 
    	
means the date on which the Order is validated by   CDiscount realised under the terms stipulated in Appendix 1 — Platform   Functionality
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Launch Date
    	
 
    	
means the date at which the Platform is launched for   the GO Sport brand.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Specific Developments
    	
 
    	
Developments conducted by CDiscount on the basis of   specifications written by GO SPORT FRANCE, consisting of additions of   Functionalities to the Platform base Functionalities, created specifically   for the needs of GO SPORT FRANCE in the Contract framework and integrated   rightfully in the Platform.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Personal Data
    	
 
    	
means any data related directly or indirectly to an   identified or identifiable natural person by reference to an identification   number or one or more elements specific to that person.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Affiliated Entity
    	
 
    	
means any legal entity that directly or indirectly   controls a Party or is under the control of a company holding control of a   Party in the meaning of article L.233-3 of the Commercial Code. For the   purposes of the Contract in particular, the companies GO SPORT FRANCE and   COURIR are Affiliated Entities. CDiscount hereby accepts that the number of   Affiliated Entities of GO SPORT FRANCE may vary during the Contract. Entities   that are related to GO SPORT FRANCE only on a contractual
    

 

5

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
basis, in particular by franchise, importation or   distribution contracts, do not constitute Affiliated Entities. The master   franchises for Poland and the United Arab Emirates are not Affiliated   Entities.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Upgrade
    	
 
    	
means any functional or technical upgrade of the   Platform as defined below in Clause 7.4.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Functionality
    	
 
    	
means the Platform functionalities agreed by the   Parties at the Contract signing date on the basis of the common repository of   functionalities appearing in Appendix 1, as well as any other Platform   functionality agreed upon later by the Parties.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
GO Sport
    	
 
    	
means the “GO Sport” brand of GO SPORT FRANCE.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
GO SPORT FRANCE
    	
 
    	
means the simplified joint-stock company signatory   to the Contract.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Group
    	
 
    	
means the group formed by a Party and its Affiliated   Entities.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Product Information
    	
 
    	
means, for each Product, the following product data:   name, manufacturer, price, universal product code (UPC), as the case may be,   stock-keeping unit (SKU) characteristics, packaging, documents necessary for   its shipment, certificate of origin, as the case may be, classification or   other data required by law or regulations, by administrative or tax   authorities or required by CDiscount in the context of Order processing.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Launch
    	
 
    	
means the effective start of production of a   Platform version for GO SPORT FRANCE including a part of the Functionalities   expressly expected by GO SPORT (other than Upgrades) in compliance with   Appendix 1. This Platform version, also called “R1 Core” in the Road Map,   shall include at least all the Functionalities listed in the Key Points   appearing in Contract Appendix 2 below.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Update
    	
 
    	
means changes to the Platform made by CDiscount and   not integrating new Functionalities.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Service Levels
    	
 
    	
mean the objectives related to the indicators   stipulated in the service agreement appearing in Contract Appendix 4 —   “Service Levels.”
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Management Tools
    	
 
    	
has the meaning given to it in Clause 5.5.
    

 

6

 

	
Service Provider Tools
    	
 
    	
means the tools defined in Clause 7.5.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Platform
    	
 
    	
Means the pooled e-commerce Platform designed and   developed for the purposes of GO SPORT FRANCE, including the base   Functionalities and Specific Developments expected by GO SPORT FRANCE   according to the Schedule (1-A) and specifications (1-B) appearing in   Contract Appendix 1, including a technical tool and services allowing correct   operation of the Functionalities and services offered by the Platform as   detailed below in Clause 5.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Service Providers
    	
 
    	
means any third party service provider to the   Contract to which CDiscount has recourse for the performance of one or more   services, to the exclusion of any employee of either Party.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Services
    	
 
    	
means all or part of the services furnished by   CDiscount to GO SPORT FRANCE in the Contract context.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Products
    	
 
    	
means the GO SPORT FRANCE products sold via the   Platform and that GO SPORT FRANCE ships or plans to ship to one or more Order   Processing Centres and, in the event of cancellation of Batch 2, means the   Products distributed via the Platform.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Excluded Products
    	
 
    	
means Products that do not meet the technical   specifications stipulated in Contract Appendix 6, whether because of the   dimensions, the packaging procedures or their nature. Also within this   definition come the regulated products or those classified as “dangerous product” by national or international   regulations concerning the transport of merchandise or dangerous products.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
CDiscount Intellectual Property
    	
 
    	
means all the elements made available to GO SPORT   FRANCE by CDiscount to which CDiscount holds intellectual property rights or   benefits from a licence, including, though not exhaustively, all the elements   necessary for the use of the Services and all Platform Functionalities by GO   SPORT FRANCE in compliance with the object and terms of this Contract.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Specifications
    	
 
    	
means the functional and/or technical characteristics   of the Services and/or of the Functionalities expressly substantiated by the   parties in the terms of this Contract, including in the context of Appendix   1.
    

 

7

 

	
Territory
    	
 
    	
means continental France and Corsica and, as the   case may be, any territory of the European Union concerning the delivery   services. In the event of delivery outside continental France and Corsica,   the logistics services shall be invoiced specifically on a case basis.
    

 

8

 

2                                         OBJECT

 

In return for the remuneration stipulated in the terms of the Contract, GO SPORT FRANCE entrusts to CDiscount, which accepts, the realisation of the Services including in particular:

 

·                      development and continuous operation of the Platform (Batch 1);

 

·                      processing of Product Orders, including in particular the stock-keeping of the Order Processing Centre and delivery of the Products corresponding to these Orders (Batch 2);

 

·                      customer services (Batch 3);

 

·                      reporting to GO SPORT FRANCE stipulated in each of the batches;

 

under the terms specified in the Contract.

 

The Services initially furnished to GO SPORT FRANCE for the GO SPORT FRANCE brand may later, if GO SPORT FRANCE chooses to do so, be extended to the Courir brand under the terms and procedures stipulated in Clause 27.1 and/or to other Affiliated Entities under the terms of Clause 27.2.

 

3                                        CONTRACTUAL DOCUMENTS

 

The contractual relations between the Parties are governed by the following contractual documents by order of decreasing legal value (hereafter the “Contract”):

 

·                      The body of this document and any amendments to it signed between the Parties;

 

·                      Its appendices.

 

In the event of contradiction between one or more stipulations appearing in any of the above contractual documents, the document of higher rank shall prevail. In the event of contradiction between two documents of equal rank, the most recent shall prevail.

 

4                                       PRIME CONTRACTOR

 

CDiscount acts as prime contractor for the realisation of the Services.

 

As such, CDiscount ensures the management, control and coordination of the Services and agrees in particular to:

 

·                      have and maintain the skills needed to carry out the services in accordance with the agreed terms;

 

·                      organise and lead the committees instituted to allow and facilitate collaboration of the Parties under the terms of Appendix 7;

 

·                      ensure management of the Services;

 

·                      ensure supervision of the Services and monitor their state of progress;

 

·                      communicate to GO SPORT FRANCE all the difficulties it finds and can measure in light of its experience, as Contract performance proceeds, in order to allow them to be taken into account as early as possible, including when these difficulties are attributable to GO SPORT FRANCE or to service providers or third parties;

 

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·                      furnish the Services in accordance with the Contract terms, the Specifications, the Contract appendices, and in particular with the Service Levels.

 

5                                        PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT

 

5.1                              General

 

GO SPORT FRANCE entrusts to CDiscount the development and creation of the Platform and the availability of the corresponding technical infrastructure, in view of the sale of the Products and the presentation of the GO Sport brand to the public in the Territory and consisting of the following elements, perfectly integrated and compatible (i) amongst themselves and with (ii) the elements with which CDiscount has confirmed under the Contract that its Platform could inter-operate in particular with the Information System of GO SPORT FRANCE and the information system of the Order Processing Centre.

 

The Platform includes:

 

·                       the computer programmes furnished by CDiscount by application of the Contract, whether they have been developed by CDiscount or by third parties, specifically for GO SPORT FRANCE (Specific Developments) or not, and in particular but not limited to the Service Provider Tools as defined in the clause “Service Provider Tools”;

 

·                       the databases that shall make it possible to collect the Personal data concerning the Buyers, as well as the Content, including the Product Information and Product Data Sheets;

 

·                       the interfaces, including a list of classification by degree of criticality established today by joint agreement between the Parties, appearing in Appendix 3 to this Contract;

 

·                       Updates and any Upgrades;

 

·                       Management Tools as defined in the “Management Tool” clause.

 

5.2                              Functionalities

 

The Platform shall include all the Functionalities designated in the common repository of functionalities appearing in Appendix 1 at the dates specified therein, or which are agreed jointly between the Parties.

 

Except for the foregoing, it is expressly agreed that the Functionalities mentioned in Appendix 1 that are not included in the Platform as from the Launch Date shall be subject to development at later dates as specified in Appendix 1.

 

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5.3                              Schedule — Status of Services on the Contract signing day

 

5.3.1                    At the Contract signing date, the Parties plan that the Launch shall occur on 19 November 2012, while it is specified that the Launch of the Platform’s initial version shall occur in any event at the time of acceptance in accordance with Clause 6.

 

If this acceptance does not occur on 19 November 2012, the Parties agree to come together and adapt the Contract terms to take into consideration the impact of the shift in Launch Date.

 

5.3.2                    The development schedule of the main Platform Functionalities stipulated on the Contract signing day appears in Appendix 1-B (Road Map).

 

5.3.3                    CDiscount shall keep GO SPORT FRANCE regularly informed of the state of Platform development progress with reference to Appendix 1. If necessary, GO SPORT FRANCE may express its observations in writing to CDiscount on this information within 72 hours.

 

5.3.4                    In the event of foreseeable delay due to one or the other Party, the Parties must come together and negotiate any changes to the Schedule. These changes shall be made by amendment to the Contract.

 

5.3.5                    The Parties recognise and accept that, unless expressly stipulated otherwise by the Parties, the times stipulated in Appendix 1 are mandatory in character considering the strategic nature of the Platform and of the Services.

 

5.3.6                    The imperative contractual dates for the customer service (batch 3) are:

 

·             Loyalty file launch: 5 November 2012

 

·             E-commerce file launch: Platform Launch Date

 

·             Store file launch: 17 December 2012

 

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5.3.6                    Platform presentation

 

Under its sole responsibility, GO SPORT FRANCE shall determine the final appearance of the Platform at Launch Date, subject to Platform technological constraints.

 

5.4                              Contents

 

5.4.1                    In the Platform context, GO SPORT FRANCE shall have full discretion and shall assume full responsibility and bear all the risks of obtaining, providing and updating the Contents that it publishes and wishes to use on the Platform.

 

5.4.2                    GO SPORT FRANCE has furnished CDiscount with the Product Data and all other Contents that are to be available on the Platform at Launch. GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to update the Product Data using the Management Tools or data flows in the format designated by CDiscount.

 

5.4.3                    GO SPORT FRANCE shall make sure that all the Contents comply with the applicable regulations in effect.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall alone assume all the consequences and responsibilities for the Contents and shall keep CDiscount discharged and unharmed for any financial consequence in this regard, except for any content furnished by CDiscount or by service providers.

 

5.5                              Management Tools

 

As from the Launch Date and throughout the Contract term, CDiscount shall make management tools available to GO SPORT FRANCE to allow it to manage the Contents and Platform presentation (the “Management Tools”).

 

GO SPORT FRANCE recognises that it has been partially trained by CDiscount in the use of the Management Tools. The Parties agree to complete this training without excess cost for GO SPORT FRANCE as the delivery of the Functionalities proceeds.

 

6                                        PLATFORM ACCEPTANCE AND GUARANTEE

 

6.1                              It is expressly agreed between the Parties that the Platform acceptance at Launch does not include acceptance of the batches to be developed or of the Functionalities to be activated after Launch in accordance with the Road Map stipulated in Appendix 1-B, which themselves are subject to bilateral acceptance by the procedure described hereafter in this clause.

 

6.2                              The purpose of acceptance is to verify the Platform’s compliance with the Specifications, and in particular with the Functionalities defined in Appendix 1, including in terms of completeness.

 

The test files are prepared and carried out jointly by GO SPORT FRANCE and CDiscount and then substantiated by GO SPORT FRANCE. It is in GO SPORT FRANCE’s interest to prepare as complete a test file as possible.

 

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6.3                              At the end of the tests, GO SPORT FRANCE may:

 

(a)              pronounce acceptance without reservation;

 

(b)              pronounce acceptance while expressing reservations due to Anomalies observed in the Platform; or

 

(c)               refuse Platform acceptance if one or more Blocking Anomalies are observed.

 

6.4                              In the event of reservation or refusal to issue acceptance, CDiscount shall provide the necessary technical corrections in view of presenting a new Platform version in a second test phase within a maximum time agreed between the Parties.

 

6.5                              Concerning the initial version of the Platform (R1 Core), if not all the Anomalies have been corrected by CDiscount at the end of this second test phase within the maximum time agreed between the Parties, GO SPORT FRANCE may cancel the Contract under the terms of the clause “Cancellation for serious lapse,” without reducing any damages and interest that GO SPORT FRANCE would have grounds to claim in reparation.

 

Concerning the other Platform batches stipulated in the Road Map (after Launch), if not all the Anomalies have been corrected by CDiscount at the end of the second test phase, CDiscount agrees to correct the Anomalies indicated in view of putting the system into production within the times agreed between the Parties.

 

6.6                              Acceptance shall take final form by joint signature of the report without reservation, or after discharge of any reservations in a later test phase.

 

6.7                              Guarantee

 

It is expressly agreed between the Parties that CDiscount shall furnish GO SPORT FRANCE free of charge, for four (4) months as from the Launch Date, with corrective maintenance services on the Platform in accordance with clause 7.3 and Appendix 3.

 

7                                        PLATFORM HOSTING AND OPERATION

 

7.1                              General

 

As from the Launch Date and throughout the Contract term, CDiscount shall be in charge of hosting and operation of the Platform under the conditions defined below.

 

7.2                              Hosting

 

7.2.1                    CDiscount agrees to provide and maintain a Platform hosting solution for the benefit of GO SPORT FRANCE throughout the term of the Contract, by furnishing it with enough storage capacity and computer processing power on the servers used.

 

The Platform hosting terms, the technical nature of the servers and the other services related to these hosting services are described in Appendix 3.

 

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7.2.2                    CDiscount agrees to ensure the permanence, continuity and quality of the hosting and accessibility of the Platform and all the Functionalities and Contents in accordance with the Service Levels. Therefore, CDiscount agrees in particular that the provision of the Services targets 24/7 access by internet users within the bounds of the Service Levels and use of the Functionalities in accordance with Specifications.

 

7.2.3                    CDiscount ensures the physical and logical security of the Platform hosting servers. The measures implemented in this context are described in Contract Appendix 3. In particular, CDiscount agrees to install and maintain suitable backup servers identical to the main servers, for the duration of the Contract. In the event the main servers are unavailable, CDiscount agrees to switch the Platform to the backup servers.

 

7.2.4                    However, CDiscount reserves the capacity to suspend Platform accessibility exceptionally and briefly to carry out any maintenance operations or improvement of the servers hosting the Platform, subject to the commitments mentioned in Appendix 4.

 

7.2.5                    CDiscount may modify or change all or part of the servers hosting the Platform or any other part of its computer system to meet technical constraints or for technological upgrades.

 

7.3                              Corrective maintenance

 

7.3.1                    As from Platform acceptance as defined in Contract Clause 6, and throughout the Contract term, CDiscount agrees to provide corrective maintenance of the Platform under its responsibility and under the conditions defined in the Contract.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE recognises that, insofar as Platform operation calls for recourse to elaborate, complex computer codes and programmes, CDiscount cannot guarantee that the Platform will operate without interruption or be totally exempt from Anomalies, while it is specified that CDiscount shall correct the Anomalies in the context of corrective maintenance operations described below and in accordance with the Service Levels and Appendix 4.

 

In the event of Anomalies notified to CDiscount by GO SPORT FRANCE or diagnosed by CDiscount during Contract performance, CDiscount agrees to act as from receipt of Anomaly notification or its observation, within the times given in Appendix 4.

 

7.3.2                    In the context of the corrective maintenance services and as long as the Anomaly is indicated in writing, is reproducible and documented, CDiscount agrees to take all necessary measures to:

 

(a)              diagnose the origin of the Anomaly;

 

(b)              correct the Anomaly; and

 

(c)               limit its consequences.

 

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7.3.3                    When GO SPORT FRANCE notifies an Anomaly to CDiscount, in order to allow CDiscount’s intervention, GO SPORT FRANCE shall provide all documents and information for localising and correcting the Anomaly, in particular the conditions of Anomaly occurrence and screen shots of the Platform affected by the Anomaly.

 

The Anomalies notified by GO SPORT FRANCE shall be classified by degree of criticality and seriousness by GO SPORT FRANCE, while it is specified that this classification shall be the subject of bilateral discussions between the Parties, in order to check its pertinence when CDiscount is in disagreement with it.

 

The Anomalies are classified by criticality and seriousness as Blocking Anomalies, Major Anomalies and Minor Anomalies. This classification shall determine the measures to be taken by CDiscount in the context of Platform corrective maintenance.

 

After correction of a Blocking Anomaly indicated by GO SPORT FRANCE, CDiscount shall issue an incident report within the planned times as from this indication, detailing:

 

(a)         the Anomaly reference;

 

(b)         the time and date when the Anomaly appeared;

 

(c)          the time and date of Anomaly correction;

 

(d)         the pertinent measures taken by CDiscount or the action proposed in the event of failure of the measure initially taken.

 

For the other Anomalies, the follow-up shall be in accordance with the procedure described in Appendix 3.

 

7.3.4                    Platform corrective maintenance is limited to the Services covered by this Contract and excludes any intervention resulting from the following cases:

 

(a) use of the Platform out of compliance with the Specifications and training documentation, except in the event of prior written approval by CDiscount;

 

(b) Platform dysfunctions resulting directly from a change of computer system at GO SPORT FRANCE, except in the event of prior written approval by CDiscount;

 

(c) any intervention by GO SPORT FRANCE at the origin of the Anomaly.

 

If an unrequested or faulty change made by CDiscount on the Platform entails dysfunctions of the GO SPORT FRANCE information system or its interfaces, GO SPORT FRANCE reserves the right to invoice and claim payment for the proven, reasonable excess costs entailed, at the rate in effect on the day of intervention, except if CDiscount corrects the dysfunctions immediately and without cost to GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

If CDiscount is solicited for one of the reasons listed above, GO SPORT FRANCE shall be invoiced at the standing rate at the time of the intervention.

 

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7.4                              Upgrade maintenance

 

In the Contract context, GO SPORT FRANCE may ask CDiscount to carry out improvements, adaptations and changes to the Platform (the “Upgrades”). The creation of one or more Upgrades shall be subject to provision of an estimate in accordance with the stipulations of Clause 21.

 

7.5                              Service Provider Tools

 

At the Launch Date and throughout the Contract term, CDiscount shall provide GO SPORT FRANCE with the Services using the following applications (the “Service Provider Tools”):

 

(a)         an application allowing automatic sending of emails from the Platform in the context of an Order or the creation of a customer account on the Platform;

 

(b)         a Platform internal search engine;

 

(c)          a secure payment platform in accordance with the French interbank standards, constituting an Internet payment service, validating and recording the transactions made at online Product purchase on the Platform (the “Payment Management Brick”);

 

(d)         a fraud prevention application;

 

(e)          an application allowing the internet user to geo-localise the collection points;

 

(f)           an application checking mailing addresses in real time (aimed at limiting deliveries to “NPAI” customers).

 

in accordance with the financial terms of Appendix 5.

 

The cost of the Service Provider Tools shall be re-invoiced by CDiscount to GO SPORT FRANCE under the terms of Clause 14. CDiscount reserves the possibility of changing all or part of the Service Provider Tools to equivalent Functionalities as long as that entails no Blocking or Major Anomaly on the Platform, in any event, the resulting cost overshoots must be agreed first between the Parties.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to use the Service Provider Tools for the sole purposes of managing and operating the Platform under the conditions stipulated in the Contract.

 

7.6                              Management of payments and means of payment

 

7.2.1                    Payment Management Brick

 

7.2.1.1          CDiscount obligations

 

CDiscount agrees to do its best to ensure the reliability and security of the Payment Management Brick.

 

CDiscount does not, however, commit to ensuring 100% security as such level is never achieved either off or on the Internet, in particular in matters of remote sales or mail order.

 

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However, CDiscount agrees to furnish the agreed reporting relative to the Payment Management Brick.

 

Furthermore, CDiscount cannot be held liable for any event resulting from the actions of a third party that is not under the control of CDiscount and/or of an event of Force Majeure that might affect the proper operation of the Payment Management Brick. This is applicable to any event resulting from the actions of a third party not under CDiscount’s control and/or of an event of Force Majeure having an impact on the correct operation of the services furnished by the Internet, the bank card GIE and international networks, telephone operators, Internet access providers, bank or financial servers. CDiscount must nonetheless do everything it can to re-establish the correct operation of the Platform as early as possible.

 

7.6.1.2           GO SPORT FRANCE obligations

 

In order to use the Payment Management Brick, GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to sign a specific agreement (“mail order sale” contract) with its bank, which is a payment service provider, suitable for the payment facilities it intends to propose to Buyers for the purchases of Products and of the following securitisation methods:

 

·                      Secure Socket Layer (“SSL”) is an encryption protocol for transporting information over the Internet in full confidentiality, compatible in particular with Internet Explorer;

 

·                      “3D-Secure” is an architectural scheme for triggering the authentication of the bankcard holder in the remote payment context.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to transmit to CDiscount as early as possible and no more than 15 days before the effective date any information from GO SPORT FRANCE’s bank related to the Payment Management Brick, such as a change of processing centre, change of bank details, the operation of the bank card system, card acceptance thresholds, the change of the Bank Card GIE regulations or changes to the acceptance rules and management of payment methods accepted by GO SPORT FRANCE. It is incumbent upon it to agree with this bank on the most appropriate information transmission procedures.

 

7.6.1.3          GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to inform CDiscount of any fraudulent use of the Payment Management Brick.

 

7.6.2                    Reimbursement management

 

Procedures for reimbursements and regularisations of Orders on the Platform that are the subject of a return (each of these regularisations constitutes a “Reimbursement”) shall be generated jointly by GO SPORT FRANCE and CDiscount and substantiated by GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

CDiscount shall provide Buyers with the information and assistance necessary for performing the Reimbursements under the conditions defined in the context of the customer relations assignment of which it is in charge.

 

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7.6.3                    Fraud management

 

CDiscount shall fight fraud in the context of using the Platform.

 

In this context, CDiscount assesses the confidence level of a transaction and plans the actions to implement as a consequence, which may be the following: (i) sending of the GO Sport Product acquired by the Buyer, (ii) review and substantiation of the Order via a manual process, and (iii) proposal to the Buyer to use another means of payment.

 

CDiscount also assesses the Buyer’s reliability on the basis of the previous transactions between the Buyer and the Platform.

 

CDiscount agrees to do its best to manage fraud as reliably as possible and to institute tools and adequate organisation to this end. Fraud management is conducted as a complement to the imperative set-up of the SSL and 3-D Secure securitisation methods.

 

7.7                              Commercial policy

 

GO SPORT FRANCE is solely responsible for the terms, conditions and policies of marketing, pricing and Product returns that it decides to apply.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall take sole charge of the sale of Products on the Platform and shall be responsible for the entire commercial policy related to sale of the Products on the Platform, and in particular of the definition of stocks of Products expected and marketed via the Platform, the construction of Product lines and the pricing policy applied to the Products, the institution of promotional offers, etc.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall alone assume all the consequences and liabilities of this commercial policy as long as this commercial policy has been complied with by CDiscount in the context of supply of the Services, and for the sale of Products, and shall release CDiscount and hold it harmless from any financial consequences in this regard.

 

7.8                              Marketing policy

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall alone be responsible for the entire marketing policy on the Platform and in particular its paying and natural referencing, the sending of advertising campaign emails to internet users, Platform customers and prospective customers, advertising the Platform, the promotion of Product sales on the Platform, etc.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall assume all the consequences and liabilities for this marketing policy as long as this marketing policy has been complied with by CDiscount in the context of supplying the Services, and shall release CDiscount and hold it harmless from any of the financial consequences in this regard.

 

If GO SPORT FRANCE wanted to entrust CDiscount with all or part of the activities included in the marketing policy, the Parties shall meet and define the terms and conditions of these new services in a new contract.

 

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7.9                              Advertising system

 

In a separate contract, GO SPORT FRANCE may entrust CDiscount with all the activities related to the Platform advertising system, and in particular the rental of advertising spots on the Platform to third parties, the institution of packaging options, the availability of databases to third parties, etc.

 

8                                        LOGISTICS

 

8.1                              General

 

CDiscount shall receive, store, package, ship and deliver the Products, except for Excluded Products, in accordance with the provisions of this Contract and Appendix 6 detailing the content of these Services.

 

8.2                              Specific obligations of GO SPORT FRANCE concerning the logistic operations

 

8.2.1                    Information provided by GO SPORT FRANCE

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall provide CDiscount with the Product Data. GO SPORT FRANCE shall ensure that, at any time, the Product Data is true and adequate. GO SPORT FRANCE shall immediately inform CDiscount of any change affecting the Product Data.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to inform CDiscount of the Products whose handling requires specific authorisation, or which are subject to special regulations.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall comply with all the legal formalities applicable to it for the storage and transport of the Products of which it takes charge and shall provide, in due time, all the exact and up-to-date information and documents that GO SPORT FRANCE has and might be requested of it by CDiscount, and which might be necessary for processing the Orders by CDiscount. CDiscount’s liability cannot be incurred in the event of delay in the shipment of the Products resulting from the lack of or inaccuracy of the Product data communicated by GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall be exclusively responsible for any cost overshoots for CDiscount that might result directly from non-performance of its obligation to provide information under this Clause, in the limit of the amount defined in the “Liabilities” clause 16.

 

8.2.2                     Forecasts of volumes

 

8.2.2.1          At least once per year, GO SPORT FRANCE shall provide annual forecasts of the volumes of Orders per Product category (Textile/Shoes/Equipment) and for each Order Processing Centre.

 

At least once per month, GO SPORT FRANCE shall send CDiscount its weekly forecasts for the three (3) coming months concerning the sale of Products, the change in Product assortment (number of references, Product types), the commercial operations and the returns. These forecasts shall be firm as concerns the month following their issuance (M+1) and not firm for the two following months (M+2 and M+3).

 

At least once per week (Wednesday), GO SPORT FRANCE shall send CDiscount its daily forecasts for the following week concerning Product sale, new items, discontinued items, commercial operations and returns. These forecasts shall be firm for GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

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The activity forecasts stipulated in this clause must take into account the special commercial operations defined by GO SPORT FRANCE (exceptional promotions, sales, etc.).

 

8.2.2.2          CDiscount accepts maximum fluctuations of activity with respect to the firm volume forecasts sent by GO SPORT FRANCE under the following terms:

 

·                       bracket of plus or minus twenty per cent (20%) the first year of Contract performance, as from signing date;

 

·                       bracket of plus or minus fifteen per cent (15%) the second year of Contract performance;

 

·                       bracket of plus or minus ten per cent (10%) the following years.

 

In the event of a cumulative difference, observed Wednesday morning, in the sum of daily forecasts of Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday greater than the maximum percentage of the brackets described above, a planning review shall be held on Wednesday afternoon (at 2 p.m.). The objectives of this review shall be to make all the decisions that will make it possible to keep the customer promise, at the choice and initiative of GO SPORT FRANCE, by (i) modifying the delivery time promised on the commerce site and/or (ii) by putting in place additional teams, the cost overshoot of which shall then be thirty-seven point five per cent (37.5%) over the logistics rates appearing in Appendix 5. The excess cost mentioned above shall apply only on the preparation work units.

 

In any event, in the event of fluctuation of activity exceeding the maximum percentage of the twenty per cent (20%) bracket during the first six months of performance of the logistics services (Batch 2). CDiscount accepts not to invoice any excess cost to GO SPORT FRANCE and GO SPORT FRANCE accepts in return not to apply any penalty at the level of the Service Levels corresponding to said logistics services that would be directly related to a fluctuation of activity exceeding twenty per cent (20%) on the communication forecasts.

 

8.2.2.3          In the event of overshoot of the maximum fluctuation accepted by CDiscount by application of Clause 8.2.2.2, the Service Level shall be assessed and determined on the basis of the high end of the bracket authorised for the reference year concerned.

 

8.2.2.4          For the case where the real weekly flow is less than the low end of the bracket of weekly forecasts of volumes communicated monthly to CDiscount, GO SPORT FRANCE shall be invoiced by CDiscount for an amount corresponding to the low end of the volume forecast bracket without reducing the minimum invoices stipulated in the Contract. This payment by GO SPORT FRANCE is limited to a maximum of one week and concerns only the order preparation batches. In the presence of such an acknowledged difference, GO SPORT FRANCE shall have the possibility of transmitting an update of its weekly forecasts on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

 

8.2.3                    Compliance with CDiscount procedures

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall follow the procedures, information requirements and CDiscount schedule for notification, programming, confirmation and delivery of the Products to the Order Processing Centres as long as these rules have been communicated by CDiscount to GO SPORT FRANCE in times allowing GO Sport to comply with these rules. GO SPORT FRANCE shall communicate the above rules to its Product suppliers delivering to CDiscount directly, and in the event the above rules are not followed by the suppliers of GO SPORT FRANCE, CDiscount shall be released from the Service Levels for reception and shall present an estimate for any cost overshoots generated.

 

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In accordance with the CDiscount logistics procedures defined in Appendix 6, CDiscount shall be in charge of managing the stocks and distributing Orders amongst the various Order Processing Centres.

 

CDiscount shall communicate to GO SPORT FRANCE the contact details of the Order Processing Centres to which GO SPORT FRANCE must deliver the Products.

 

CDiscount shall receive the Products and record them in its information system.

 

8.2.4                    Recall of Products

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall inform CDiscount immediately of effective or potential recalls affecting the Products and, as required, shall provide CDiscount at its expense with any cooperation and assistance necessary to conduct its recall campaigns.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE assumes full responsibility for the recall campaigns.

 

8.3                              Storage

 

CDiscount shall have the task of warehousing the Product from their receipt in the Order Processing Centres and up until their shipment to the Buyer. In the context of this assignment, CDiscount shall be considered as the consignee of the Products.

 

The Products shall be stored in the Order Processing Centres designated by CDiscount under the conditions stipulated in Appendix 6 and in accordance with professional practices in these matters.

 

The Products shall be subject to electronic recording identifying the Products in the CDiscount information system, shall be assigned a place and, as required, an electronic storage address.

 

CDiscount shall be in charge of organising the storage and shall decide which data it sends to GO SPORT FRANCE. CDiscount shall under no circumstances be obliged to mark or physically separate the Products from the other products stored in the Order Processing Centres.

 

If CDiscount reaches its maximum storage capacity allocated to GO SPORT FRANCE as defined in Appendix 6 for any reason not attributable to CDiscount, the Parties agree to find an alternative solution at the expense of GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

8.4                              Preparation and shipment of Products

 

At reception of an Order, CDiscount shall carry out the preparation of the shipments, furnish the packaging materials and shall ship the Products, via transport Service Providers. GO SPORT FRANCE shall choose the wrapping from amongst the models proposed by CDiscount. Any wrapping chosen by GO SPORT FRANCE that is not part of the models proposed by CDiscount shall be subject to an estimate drawn up beforehand by CDiscount and accepted by GO SPORT FRANCE, and shall be invoiced specifically.

 

The operational procedures for wrapping and shipping the Products are specified in Appendix 6.

 

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8.5                              Inventory

 

CDiscount shall proceed with an annual inventory in order to compare, for all the Products at the Order Processing Centres, the inventory of physical stocks with the stocks recorded in the information system.

 

At the request of GO SPORT FRANCE and subject to meeting a minimum forewarning of two (2) months, CDiscount may proceed with any additional inventory that will be the subject of an estimate accepted first by GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

8.6                              Management of Product returns

 

CDiscount shall be in charge of processing the returns of Products bought via the Platform in accordance with the terms stipulated in Appendix 6.

 

Those returned Products that, in CDiscount’s opinion, are new and sellable shall be re-integrated into stock to be put back on sale on the Platform. Any other Product shall be designated as unsellable. GO SPORT FRANCE shall, at its expense, take charge of removal or destruction of these Products except with express agreement of the Parties (in particular in the event of a Product stock removal operation).

 

8.7                              Product ownership

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall retain ownership of all the Products stored in the Order Processing Centres, including those Products that have been returned, while it is understood that CDiscount as consignee bears Product-related risks as long as these Products have been accepted by CDiscount in the Order Processing Centres.

 

9                                        CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGEMENT

 

9.1                              General

 

CDiscount shall ensure remote management of the relations between GO SPORT FRANCE and its customers.

 

CDiscount shall take all measures to ensure the institution of the human and material resources needed for the correct functioning of its customer relations service assignment.

 

9.2                              Scope

 

CDiscount’s customer relations service assignment shall consist of processing all the information and assistance requests expressed by GO SPORT FRANCE internet users using the Platform, and in particular the performance of the following services: reception of incoming calls, processing of outgoing calls, processing of emails and letters, processing of seizures.

 

CDiscount’s customer relations service assignment shall also consist of processing all the information and assistance requests expressed by current or potential customers in relation with purchases made or to come in physical stores of GO SPORT FRANCE as well as any request related to the GO Sport “Feel Good” loyalty card and the other GO Sport gift cards.

 

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The scope of the Services for which CDiscount shall be responsible in this customer relations service assignment is defined in Appendix 8. The Services shall be performed in accordance with the Contract and in particular with the Service Levels.

 

The customer relations service assignment excludes certain services mentioned in Appendix 8.

 

9.3                              Activity forecasts

 

At least once monthly (on the 10th day of each month), GO SPORT FRANCE shall send CDiscount its forecasts for the coming three months concerning the volumes of customer relations service activity, the volumes of Orders via the Platform, the volumes of contacts induced, the volumes of contacts in connection with the activities in physical points of sale of GO SPORT FRANCE and the volumes of contacts in relation with the GO Sport Feel Good loyalty programme.

 

These forecasts shall be commitments to within + 10% concerning the month following their issuance (M+1) and to within + 20% concerning the following month (M+2). The three-month forecasts (M+3) shall not be commitments but only communicated as an indication.

 

The activity forecasts stipulated in this Clause must take into account the special commercial operations defined by GO SPORT FRANCE (exceptional promotions, sales, etc.).

 

9.4                              Customer relations service managed by GO SPORT FRANCE (Level 2)

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall remain in charge of the processing of certain information requests and claims expressed by GO SPORT FRANCE customers under the escalation conditions defined in Appendix 8.

 

9.5                              Terms of intervention

 

In the context of its customer relations service assignment, CDiscount shall process all information and assistance requests appearing in Appendix 8 without guaranteeing that it shall respond to all the questions posed in the context of this service.

 

CDiscount shall ensure the customer relations service from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. French time.

 

Reciprocally, GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to communicate to CDiscount the information making it possible to respond to the requests mentioned in Appendix 8 as well as those requested by CDiscount before the Launch Date. As from Launch Date and throughout the Contract term, GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to update and communicate immediately the necessary information for realisation of its customer relations service assignment by CDiscount.

 

9.6                              Placement in waiting line and response time

 

If CDiscount receives customer relations communications that it thinks should be resolved by GO SPORT FRANCE, CDiscount shall reserve these communications in a “waiting line” in accordance with an “escalation” procedure.

 

The escalation procedure is written jointly by GO SPORT FRANCE and CDiscount and substantiated by GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

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In the event of escalation of an information request or claim to the customer relations service managed by GO SPORT FRANCE, GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to answer it within 24 hours.

 

9.7                              Training of customer relations staff

 

For the purposes of the customer relations service requests relating to the information and assistance assignments coming within the responsibility of CDiscount as defined in Appendix 8, the staff dedicated to the CDiscount customer relations service shall identify themselves as representatives of GO SPORT FRANCE using the trade name “GO Sport”.

 

These members of staff must be able to provide assistance to the customers of GO SPORT FRANCE in French. They shall not be obliged to use a language other than French, nor to process requests in a language other than French.

 

The Parties agree together on a training procedure and the guidelines concerning communication with the customers of GO SPORT FRANCE for staff of the CDiscount customer relations service. CDiscount shall take care of the training of the customer relations staff and ensure performance of the customer relations service in accordance with these guidelines.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall furnish a training guide such that any person integrating the staff dedicated to the customer relations service has a knowledge support.

 

9.8                              Changes in procedures

 

CDiscount agrees to perform its services in accordance with the procedures transmitted by GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

Minor procedural changes that concern in particular changing characteristics of a product offer or of a commercial operation (such as a competition, sales, or the parameters of the Feel Good loyalty programme) or changes of the contact details of physical sales points, if they entail changes only at the level of communication for those in charge of customers, must be communicated to CDiscount at least 96 hours before they go into production.

 

Major procedural changes that concern launches of new products in particular, substantial changes in the commercial offer, changes made to the purchase procedures (such as payment method, carrier) and tools, and which entail changes at the level of communication for those in charge of customers and of the information system must be communicated to CDiscount at least 10 business days before they go into production.

 

When these changes implicate significant elements of the customer relations service entrusted to CDiscount and the average processing times as defined in Appendix 4, they shall prompt a change to the Contract per Clause 21 and a revision of the financial terms stipulated in Appendix 5.

 

Any change to the customer service assignment and in the content of the GO SPORT FRANCE offer to its customers must be reflected in an update in the training programme and training guide, under its responsibility. Otherwise, CDiscount cannot be held responsible for failure to meet the Service Levels defined in Appendix 4 corresponding to this update.

 

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When a change is likely to have an impact on the organisation of the processing of the various customer relations service assignments, CDiscount shall inform GO SPORT FRANCE of this. In any event, CDiscount shall take charge of organising the customer relations service for the processing of the various assignments.

 

10                                 SERVICE QUALITY

 

10.1                       Service Levels

 

CDiscount undertakes to ensure that the quality of the Platform and of the Services will meet the Service Levels defined by the Parties in Appendices 4 and 5.

 

Only the Service Levels cited in the services agreement appearing in Appendix 4 are subject to a service quality commitment on the part of CDiscount. CDiscount shall not be held liable for any lapse in service quality that is not covered by a Service Level in the services agreement of Appendix 4.

 

10.2                       Assessment

 

The Services carried out by CDiscount shall be assessed with respect to the Service Levels in accordance with the procedures and methods described in Appendix 4 or those habitually used in such matters by CDiscount.

 

CDiscount shall make available to GO SPORT FRANCE a report on the assessments of the objective Service Levels defined above at the frequencies stated in Appendix 4.

 

10.3                       Penalties

 

The Parties agree to institute a penalty procedure to sanction any non-compliance with the Service Levels, except if CDiscount proves that the non-compliance with the Service Levels is exclusively attributable to a fault of GO SPORT FRANCE, or to a third party that has no relation with CDiscount, or to an event of Force Majeure.

 

The method for calculating these penalties is given in Appendix 3 and Appendix 4, subject to compliance with the principles agreed in this clause.

 

It is understood that these penalties are set only for coercive, constrictive purposes and that GO SPORT FRANCE may not, in particular, also claim indemnification of any harm it incurs due to non-compliance with the Service Levels, subject to deduction of the penalties already paid for this non-compliance.

 

Any penalty settled is not attributed to the ceiling described in clause 16.3.

 

Failure to invoice penalties within three months of the non-compliance with the corresponding Service Levels shall be interpreted as a waiver of the benefit of said penalties.

 

The penalties must be invoiced separately.

 

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11                                 REPORTING

 

Throughout the Contract term, CDiscount agrees to communicate to GO SPORT FRANCE all the information related to the Services under the terms and time periods stipulated in the Contract.

 

12                                 COOPERATION BETWEEN THE PARTIES

 

12.1                       Collaboration

 

12.1.1             Platform development and operation and the performance of the other Services require active collaboration between GO SPORT FRANCE and CDiscount. In this regard, a common approach must be instituted and an ongoing exchange of information must make it possible to avoid generating incidents harmful to the interests of both Parties.

 

Each of the Parties agrees to communicate to the other all information, documents or difficulties of which it is aware that might affect proper Contract performance. Each of the Parties agrees to do its best to meet the deadlines established by joint agreement.

 

12.1.2             Each of the Parties shall name, upon signature hereof, a competent contact person who shall be available to represent and take all the necessary routine operational measures during the Contract. This contact person shall be the person to contact as a priority in the event of occurrence of a difficulty of any kind during Contract performance.

 

Tracking committees shall be instituted to oversee the proper performance of the Contract and to solve any difficulties encountered (together called the “Tracking Committees”).

 

The composition of the Tracking Committees, their function, the venue and periodicity of their meetings, as well as the procedures for approving the documents they generate, are specified in Appendix 7. Any participant whose presence on a Tracking Committee might be necessary in light of the agenda may participate in them as long as the other Party has first been informed of this.

 

12.1.3             As required, each of the Parties agrees to receive the members of the other Party’s staff assigned to Contract performance under the best possible conditions to make available to them the means and tools necessary for Contract performance.

 

Each of the Parties agrees to have its staff members present on the premises of the other Party follow the internal rules and procedures of the other Party, which shall first be communicated to it.

 

Each of the Parties shall ensure administrative, accounting and social management of its staff and shall retain the powers of management, command, surveillance and control over its agents.

 

12.2                       Obligations of GO SPORT FRANCE

 

Without altering the other Contract terms, GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to provide CDiscount with the information and assistance CDiscount deems necessary for correct Contract performance.

 

The information provided by GO SPORT FRANCE to CDiscount shall be reliable, complete, precise and in the formats indicated by CDiscount.

 

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12.3                       Obligations of CDiscount

 

CDiscount shall have an advisory and assistance role with regard to GO SPORT FRANCE for the performance of the Services and of this Contract. This obligation does not extend to GO SPORT FRANCE’s commercial policy, marketing or advertising agency activities.

 

In particular, CDiscount must warn GO SPORT FRANCE when GO SPORT FRANCE’s requirements risk delaying the Launch or deteriorating the operation of the Functionalities of the Platform or the quality of the Services.

 

CDiscount agrees to inform GO SPORT FRANCE of any difficulty encountered, including any delay, in the course of Contract performance.

 

CDiscount shall operate the Platform and provide the Services in accordance with the Specifications.

 

CDiscount agrees to use qualified staff and subcontractors in sufficient number for the proper performance of the Contract.

 

13                                 POACHING OF STAFF

 

The Parties refrain from hiring, or having hired by a third party, any employee of the other Party having participated in the performance of the Services for any reason whatsoever, unless agreed otherwise between them, throughout the term of the Contract and for one year after expiry or cessation of the Contract.

 

If one of the Parties does not meet this commitment, it agrees to indemnify the other Party by paying it a sum equal to the total gross remuneration paid to this employee over the twelve (12) months preceding his departure.

 

14                                 FINANCIAL TERMS

 

The financial terms are defined in Appendix 5 to this Contract. These financial terms may be subject to revision under the conditions defined in the same appendix.

 

15                                 INSURANCE

 

CDiscount certifies that it has taken out an insurance policy with a reputable solvent insurer established in France, to cover the Services and any other obligation of CDiscount under the Contract terms. In this regard, CDiscount shall pay the premiums and dues corresponding to said insurance policy.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE certifies that it has taken out an insurance policy with a reputable solvent insurer established in France for the performance of its obligations under the Contract terms. In this regard, GO SPORT FRANCE shall pay the premiums and dues corresponding to said insurance policy.

 

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16                                 LIABILITIES

 

16.1                       GO SPORT FRANCE alone is responsible for the exhaustiveness and compliance of the Contents placed on the Platform with the applicable regulations. GO SPORT FRANCE certifies that the Contents, to its knowledge, do not infringe or violate any third-party intellectual property right and holds CDiscount harmless in this regard.

 

CDiscount shall furnish the Services chiefly on the basis of the information provided by GO SPORT FRANCE, in particular the Product Data. CDiscount may not be held liable for errors, responsibilities or other difficulties, which CDiscount can prove are attributable to information furnished by GO SPORT FRANCE insofar as they are untrue, incomplete, non-compliant with applicable regulations, contrary to Contract terms or were not furnished to CDiscount in the times stipulated in the Contract or agreed between the Parties.

 

16.2                       In the event of loss, damage or delay in the delivery of the Products, CDiscount’s liability shall be limited to the amounts defined in Appendix 9, unless the Parties come to a better agreement.

 

CDiscount shall do its best to obtain indemnification from the carrier Service Provider that it shall pay forward, as the case may be, to GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

16.3                       Without altering the other Contract stipulations, CDiscount’s liability cannot be incurred due to damage caused to the Products when this damage results from:

 

(a)              a manufacturing defect affecting the Products;

 

(b)              defects in the wrapping or packaging used by GO SPORT FRANCE to deliver for the Contract purposes;

 

(c)               any damage or defect affecting the Products that was not discovered at their reception at the Order Processing Centre.

 

16.4                       CDiscount shall be rightfully liable for any consequence of direct damage with regard to GO SPORT FRANCE, including if the damage consists of an operational loss (that is, the loss of commercial margin minus the variable costs and not the corresponding turnover, which shall not be indemnified) as long as GO SPORT FRANCE observes negligence or a lapse on the part of CDiscount, of its agents or Service Providers placed under its control, in any one of its obligations under the Contact, unless CDiscount proves that this lapse results directly and exclusively from an event of Force Majeure, from a third party escaping its control, or from GO SPORT FRANCE, and in any event within the bounds of the liability ceilings defined hereafter.

 

Except for cases where CDiscount is exonerated from liability expressly stipulated above, the liability of each of the Parties may not exceed the total pre-tax amount paid by GO SPORT FRANCE to CDiscount for all the Contract Services, whatever the nature or extent of the damage concerned, excluding all damage for which a liability ceiling is prohibited by French law and the case law of French courts, within the limit of four hundred thousand (400,000) euros per calendar year.

 

In any case, neither of the Parties can be held liable for indirect damage incurred by the other Party, that is, that which does not result directly from a fault of the Party defaulting on Contract performance, such as damage to image.

 

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17                                 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 

17.1                       Contents

 

GO SPORT FRANCE grants CDiscount, free of charge and worldwide, for the entire term of the Contract, the non-exclusive right to use, reproduce, adapt, modify, re-format, create other derivative works, realise, present and distribute any Content for the performance of the Contract by CDiscount or its Service Providers.

 

17.2                       Documents

 

For those documents for whom the Parties are co-writers such as expressions of needs, functional specifications, processing the customer relations management batch, form emails, etc., the Parties shall be free to use them freely and without restriction including after the Contract term.

 

For all the other documents made available by CDiscount, GO SPORT FRANCE shall be granted a licence for their use under the terms of Clause 17.3.

 

17.3                       Use of the Platform by GO SPORT FRANCE

 

17.3.1             CDiscount grants GO SPORT FRANCE, as from Launch, a non-exclusive, non-transferrable, non-assignable right to use of the Intellectual Property of CDiscount, including Specific Developments as defined in this Contract, its upgrades and the corresponding documentation necessary for Platform operation on the Territory during the Contract.

 

17.3.2             Any use not expressly authorised by CDiscount is unlawful under the applicable provisions in intellectual property matters.

 

In particular, unless there is a legal exception and subject to the rights which it holds itself or which are granted by virtue of this Contract, GO SPORT FRANCE refrains from performing the following operations: (i) copying or reproducing all or part of the CDiscount Intellectual Property, (ii) distributing copies or reproductions of all or part of CDiscount Intellectual Property, (iii) modifying, adapting, translating, separating, correcting errors itself, performing or trying to perform reverse engineering, decompiling, de-assembling or creating derivative works or improvements on the basis of CDiscount Intellectual Property, (iv) selling, renting, sub-licensing, lending, distributing or trying to grant any right to the CDiscount intellectual Property, (v) making all or part of the CDiscount Intellectual Property available to third parties (except cases stipulated in the Contract) or authorising any third party to carry out or try to carry out the operations mentioned in this clause, (vi) using CDiscount’s Intellectual Property for purposes other than those specified in the Contract.

 

17.4                       Domain names

 

GO SPORT FRANCE alone takes charge of managing the domain names relative to the Platform.

 

In particular, GO SPORT FRANCE alone is responsible for obtaining the intellectual property rights concerning the domain names used in the context of the Platform (including maintenance of the domain name registration and, as the case may be, obtaining any “misspelling” it deems useful and any reasonably pertinent extension with the competent registry managers) throughout the Contract term.

 

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18                                 PERSONAL DATA

 

In accordance with the provisions applicable in matters of personal data protection, and in particular Act 78-17 of 6 January 1978 on personal data and freedoms (the “Personal Data Act”), as amended, GO SPORT FRANCE is responsible for processing all the Personal Data collected or processed in the Contract context, in particular by means of the Platform.

 

In this regard, GO SPORT FRANCE agrees, as the party responsible for processing, and CDiscount agrees, as subcontractor, to comply with all the laws and regulations applicable to them, managing such processing and use made of the Personal Data thus processed, and in particular the Personal Data Act, as well as any laws that replace or complement it.

 

In this regard, GO SPORT FRANCE in particular takes charge of (i) carrying out all the formalities required under these laws, (ii) informing the persons whose Personal Data are collected of their rights and obtaining their consent, if necessary, and instituting mechanisms allowing them to exercise these rights.

 

The Parties agree to take all necessary precautions to preserve the security of the Personal Data to prevent them from being distorted, damaged or from having unauthorised third parties access said data.

 

In the Contract context, CDiscount, as subcontractor in the meaning of the Personal Data Act, has to process Personal Data on behalf of GO SPORT FRANCE. CDiscount agrees to process this Personal Data in the name and on behalf of GO SPORT FRANCE, and only on instructions from GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

CDiscount warrants that it has the technical and organisational means allowing it to ensure the security and confidentiality of the Personal Data.

 

In accordance with the terms of articles 34 and 35 of the Personal Data Act, CDiscount uses state-of-the-art measures to guarantee security and confidentiality, in particular to prevent their accidental or fraudulent modification, distortion, damage or destruction and to prevent them from being used in an unauthorised manner by third parties.

 

It is expressly agreed that, as subcontractor in the meaning of the Personal Data Act, CDiscount’s liability cannot be incurred in the event of non-compliance by GO SPORT FRANCE, as the party responsible for processing, with its obligations under the Personal Data Act, as long as CDiscount has met its contractual obligations on this point.

 

19                                 TERM

 

On the day of its signing by both Parties, this Contract shall enter into effect retroactively at the day of start-up of the Services, that is, as from the Kick-Off meeting, which was 24 April 2012, and shall end after three (3) years as from the Launch Date (hereafter, the “Initial Term”).

 

Unless terminated by one of the Parties by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt sent to the other Party and received six (6) months before the end of the Initial Term of the Contract, or of the renewal period in progress, the Contract shall be automatically renewed for successive periods of one (1) year.

 

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20                                 CESSATION OF THE CONTRACT

 

In the event of early cessation of the Contract as concerns the logistics Services under the terms of clause 20.1 — “Early Cancellation of the logistics Services” — GO SPORT FRANCE shall be obliged to buy back the Logistics Equipment from CDiscount under the terms of this clause.

 

20.1                       Early Cancellation of the logistics Services

 

By joint agreement between the Parties, as from Launch Date of the initial Platform version, GO SPORT FRANCE has a right to cancel this Contract concerning the logistics Services (batch 2) without lapse on its part, as of right and without indemnity (without altering the reimbursement stipulated below), subject to six (6) months’ notice, upon simple notification to CDiscount sent by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt. It is stipulated that GO SPORT FRANCE can notify this cancellation only one-and-a-half years after said Launch Date, with the cancellation then taking effect at the end of the six months’ notice as from notification, and the two-year period as from the launch Date of the initial Platform version.

 

CDiscount expressly acknowledges that it is aware of GO SPORT FRANCE’s capacity to take back the logistics and unilaterally terminate all the corresponding services of batch 2 and that the said six months’ notice stipulated in such case is enough for it to measure and anticipate all the consequences of this early partial termination of the Contract between the Parties. In the event of early cancellation of the logistics services of batch 2 in compliance with the foregoing stipulations, CDiscount shall do its best to have GO SPORT FRANCE benefit from its transport terms (negotiated preferential terms).

 

In the event of cessation of the logistics services (batch 2) at GO SPORT FRANCE’s initiative under the foregoing conditions, GO SPORT FRANCE shall own the net book value of the pre-tax investment cost of €110,000 at the day of Contract expiry, for the warehousing and storage equipment for the Products acquired by CDiscount for the purposes of performing the services of batch 2, subject to their acquisition by GO SPORT FRANCE, if GO SPORT FRANCE so requests. The payment by GO SPORT FRANCE to CDiscount of the residual value of the price of this equipment entails the transfer of ownership of the equipment to its benefit and the obligation of its handover by CDiscount at Contract expiry. Likewise, if the Contract runs to term, GO SPORT FRANCE shall owe the net book value of said equipment on the day of Contract expiry, within the bounds of the seven (7) year amortisation term.

 

If CDiscount decides to conserve the equipment for its own use, GO SPORT FRANCE shall pay no indemnity. The same shall hold for total or partial cancellation of the Contract for lapse on the part of CDiscount under the terms of this clause.

 

During the notice period, the Parties shall meet to negotiate in good faith via amendment the Contract adaptations required by early cancellation of batch 2 for the logistics Services.

 

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20.2                        Cancellation for lapse

 

Each of the Parties may cancel the Contract in the event of lapse by the other Party in one or more of its obligations under the Contract, which must be serious, persistent, repeated or likely to cause serious damage to the Party who has not lapsed.

 

This cancellation shall be rightfully effective thirty (30) days after the sending of formal notice notified by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt if the lapse concerned has not been repaired within this time in a complete and lasting manner, without reducing the injured Party’s right to obtain reparation of its damages under the terms of Clause 16.

 

Furthermore, in any event, GO SPORT FRANCE may rightfully cancel this Contract without prior formal notice mentioned in the paragraph above and upon simple notification (the cancellation taking effect upon its receipt) in the following non-exhaustive list of cases:

 

·                  non-achievement of 95% of Platform availability stipulated in clause 4 — “Availability” — of Appendix 3 to this Contract, for (i) three (3) consecutive months over any period as from Platform Launch Date, or (ii) for four (4) non-consecutive months over any twelve-month period;

 

·                  the impossibility of signing the acceptance report without reservations on the initial Platform version (“R1 Core”) under the terms of clause 6 of this Contract, or the impossibility of lifting the reservations pointed out by GO SPORT FRANCE in the context of acceptance with reservations of said initial Platform version in the times planned between the Parties or unless a better agreement is achieved in a maximum of thirty (30) days as from signature of an acceptance report with reservations;

 

·                  non-achievement of an 80% “preparation time” level for non-express items according to the calculation formula of clause 2.2 in Appendix 4 to this Contract for (i) three (3) consecutive months over any period as from Platform Launch Date, or (ii) for four (4) non-consecutive months over any twelve-month period;

 

·                  non-achievement of a 90% “preparation time” level for express items according to the calculation formula of clause 2.2 in Appendix 4 to this Contract for (i) three (3) consecutive months over any period as from Platform Launch Date, or (ii) for four (4) non-consecutive months over any twelve-month period;

 

·                  non-achievement of an 80% call reception level for (i) three (3) consecutive months over any period as from Platform Launch Date, or (ii) for four (4) non-consecutive months over any twelve-month period;

 

·                  non-compliance by CDiscount of the Blocking Anomaly correction time mentioned in clause 7 — “Maintenance” — of Appendix 3 to this Contract three times, duly indicated in good faith and in writing, in particular by email to the main CDiscount contact person described in Clause 12.1.2, over a period of two (2) months.

 

20.3                      Consecutive Cancellation

 

If GO SPORT FRANCE is in a position to rightfully cancel the Contract due to a lapse by CDiscount relative to Batch 3, GO SPORT FRANCE may cancel or request continuity of Batch 3 alone upon simple notification.

 

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If GO SPORT FRANCE is in a position to rightfully cancel the Contract due to a lapse of CDiscount relative to Batch 1 or Batch 2, GO SPORT FRANCE may inform CDiscount of its desire to cancel only Batch 1 or Batch 2. In such instance, CDiscount must inform GO SPORT FRANCE within fifteen (15) days of the consequences of such partial cancellation on the other Batches stipulated in the Contract. These discussions must be conducted in good faith, while in the event of unsatisfactory reply from CDiscount, GO SPORT FRANCE shall conserve the possibility of cancelling the entire Contract.

 

20.4                       Consequence of Contract cessation

 

20.4.1             Cessation of use of the Platform and return to CDiscount

 

At Contract expiry or cancellation for any reason whatsoever, GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to cease using the Platform immediately and to return within fifteen (15) days, at its expense alone, all the elements, equipment, media and Confidential Information belonging to CDiscount and made available to GO SPORT FRANCE by CDiscount in the context of the Contract or, at CDiscount’s request, to destroy them at its expense, in which case GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to confirm the effective destruction of said elements to CDiscount by written notification.

 

20.4.2              Transitory period (stocks)

 

CDiscount has twenty-one (21) days to ship the Products in stock that have been ordered before the date of Contract cessation. The Contract stipulations shall remain in effect and produce their effect during this time period.

 

Concerning the Products that are not subject to an Order before the date of Contract cessation, GO SPORT FRANCE shall take charge of the Products warehoused in the Order Processing Centres or at third-party enterprises. Lacking instructions from GO SPORT FRANCE within one (1) month as from Contract cessation, CDiscount may re-ship these Products to GO SPORT FRANCE at GO SPORT FRANCE’s expense.

 

20.4.3             Reversibility for Batch 1 (Platform)

 

In the event of Contract cessation, CDiscount shall return a copy of the Contents to GO SPORT FRANCE in a data format/model agreed upon between the Parties, and CDiscount guarantees the completeness and integrity of these Contents.

 

21                                  CONTRACT MODIFICATION

 

21.1                       Any changes to the provisions of the Contract or of its Appendices can only be made with the express written agreement of both Parties and by way of amendment.

 

21.2                       At the request of GO SPORT FRANCE, CDiscount may propose to GO SPORT FRANCE to modify the Services or to furnish one or more other services by submitting to it an estimate that may be accepted by GO SPORT FRANCE. This estimate must in particular specify the estimated cost of the changes to the Services and/or of the new service and their effects on the Services, in particular in terms of service quality.

 

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21.3                       The Parties agree to deal with the modification and new service requests in good faith and quickly, as well as any consequences in terms of costs and time.

 

22                                 CONFIDENTIALITY

 

Any information communicated (whether in writing, orally or by any other means, directly or indirectly) by one of the Parties to the other before or after Contract entry into effect, and in particular any technical, commercial, accounting or financial information and any information concerning the Parties’ activities, as well as any information that is confidential by nature (the “Confidential Information”) is of a strictly confidential nature.

 

Each of the Parties agrees to take all measures, chiefly with respect to its own staff, to preserve the secrecy of the Confidential Information of the other Party. All the employees of each of the Parties must be obliged by contract to hold to confidentiality duties equivalent to those of this Clause. Each of the Parties shall have its employees, representatives and service providers comply with this confidentiality commitment.

 

Each of the Parties also refrains from using the Confidential Information for purposes other than the performance of the Contract.

 

However, no disclosure of information may be held against one of the Parties (i) if the information concerned is already known to the public, (ii) if it has been developed independently without the use of the Confidential Information of the other Party, (iii) if the Party that discloses it can prove that it was aware of it even before its communication by the other Party, (iv) if the information has been obtained lawfully from other sources, or (v) if the information is disclosed to an administrative or judicial court or to an administrative or supervisory authority in the context of proceedings or an audit.

 

This secrecy commitment shall remain in effect throughout the duration of the Contract and for five (5) years counting from its expiry or cancellation for any reason whatsoever.

 

23                                 FORCE MAJEURE

 

Neither Party shall be held liable for a lapse in its obligations under the Contract if an event of force majeure occurs in the meaning of this Clause, of case law or of the law, subject to the Party invoking such event immediately, to its doing its best to limit its consequences, and to it resuming Contract performance after this event has disappeared.

 

The Parties agree that the following facts and events constitute a non-exhaustive list of events of force majeure: fires, explosions, natural disasters, actions or lack of action on the part of a public authority, unknown viruses, social conflicts, strikes, wars, terrorist acts, sabotage, prolonged losses of energy or any other event of force majeure recognised by the case law of French Courts.

 

24                                 CONTRACT ASSIGNMENT

 

The Contract may be totally or partially assigned by one of the Parties only with prior written agreement from the other Party.

 

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However, each Party may freely assign or transfer the Contract in the context of a restructuring or reorganisation operation within its Group (such as a merger, split-up, sale of business, partial contribution of assets or other).

 

25                                 OTHER STIPULATIONS

 

25.1                       Entirety of the Contract

 

The Contract expresses the entirety of the Parties’ obligations as concerns its object, and supersedes all other prior writings, communications or agreements that may have been exchanged between them on the same object.

 

25.2                       Independence of the stipulations

 

If any one of the Contract stipulations is declared null, non-applicable or non-binding, it shall be considered not written and shall not entail the nullity of the other provisions that shall remain in effect, unless the very object of the Contract is affected by this fact. Insofar as possible, the Parties shall endeavour to replace the invalid stipulation with a stipulation having the same effect.

 

25.3                       Tolerance

 

Unless stipulated otherwise in the terms of the Contract, the fact for one of the Parties not to invoke a lapse by the other Party in any of its obligations mentioned herein cannot be interpreted for the future as a waiver of its rights or the obligations in question.

 

26                                 GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

 

This Contract is expressly governed by French law.

 

Any difficulty concerning in particular the interpretation, formation or performance of this Contract shall come within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Paris courts except in cases where the rules of public order of competence mandatorily attribute jurisdiction to another district.

 

27                                 EXTENSION OF THE CONTRACT TO “COURIR” AND TO OTHER AFFILIATED ENTITIES

 

27.1                       COURIR

 

The Parties agree that the Contract is intended to extend to the Courir brand during the term of this Contract (as stipulated in the “Term” clause).

 

However, it is expressly agreed between the Parties that GO SPORT FRANCE makes no commitment to launch the worksite of an e-commerce Platform for Courir. The only commitment of GO SPORT FRANCE under this Contract is to give CDiscount exclusivity during the Contract term, consisting of an obligation to entrust CDiscount with the set-up of the Platform (and, as the case may be, on a basis negotiated later by joint agreement between the Parties, of complementary batches of services related to the operation of said Platform) on condition that the worksite be launched by GO SPORT FRANCE during the term of this Contract. As a consequence, GO SPORT FRANCE shall refrain from entrusting set-up of the COURIR Platform to a third-party service provider during the Contract subject to compliance by CDiscount with the ROADMAP in Appendix 1, while it is specified that a delay by GO SPORT FRANCE is not binding on CDiscount and that the maximum cost of the COURIR Platform set-up does not exceed a maximum pre-tax amount of eighty thousand (80,000) 

 

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euros. This pre-tax sum of €80,000 shall be indexed to the Syntec by the formula of Appendix 5 section 1.3.

 

With regard to the foregoing stipulations, CDiscount must be able to extend its Services, including the development and operation of a new e-commerce Platform for the sale of Courir Products, on the bases and principles of the commitments and obligations negotiated and stipulated in this Contract.

 

The COURIR Platform absolutely must repeat, for the cost indicated above, all the Functionalities of the Platform made available to GO SPORT FRANCE and adaptation of the Front Office for COURIR.

 

27.2                       Other Affiliated Entities

 

The Parties agree that the Contract could be extended to the other Affiliated Entities of GO SPORT FRANCE. In such case, the Parties shall have to agree by way of amendment to the particular terms, chiefly financial, for the extension of the Contract to Another Affiliated Entity of GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

	
Signed in two original   copies.
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
For CDiscount:
    	
For GO SPORT FRANCE:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Date: 19 November 2012
    	
 
    	
Date: 19 November 2012
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Place: Paris
    	
 
    	
Place: Paris
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
{signature}
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Mr/Mrs
    	
Mr/Mrs
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
{handwritten}   Anil BENARD-DENDE
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
{handwritten}   Loïc LE BORGNE
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
{handwritten}   COO GO Sport Group
    

 

36

 

LIST OF APPENDICES

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
page
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPENDIX 1
    	
PLATFORM FUNCTIONALITIES
    	
38
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPENDIX 2
    	
KEY POINTS
    	
45
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPENDIX 3
    	
HOSTING AND PLATFORM OPERATION
    	
47
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPENDIX 4
    	
SERVICE LEVELS
    	
54
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPENDIX 5
    	
FINANCIAL TERMS
    	
56
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPENDIX 6
    	
LOGISTICS
    	
64
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPENDIX 7
    	
TRACKING AND REPORTING COMMITTEES
    	
72
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPENDIX 8
    	
SCOPE OF REMIT OF THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE
    	
74
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPENDIX 9
    	
INDEMNIFICATIONS FOR LATENESS, LOSS AND DAMAGE
    	
76
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
APPENDIX 10
    	
TERMS OF DELIVERY TO CDISCOUNT WAREHOUSES
    	
77
    

 

37

 

	
APPENDIX   1 — PLATFORM FUNCTIONALITIES
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
Appendix 1 A — Common functionality reference
    	
 
    
			

 

38

 

 

39

 

 

40

 

 

41

 

 

 

 

42

 

e-Commerce Project

 

Roadmap 2012-2013: Shared version of 12 November 2012

 

	
19 Nov
   2012
    	
 
    	
26 Dec 2012
    	
 
    	
January

2013
    	
 
    	
February
   2013
    	
 
    	
Mars 2013
    	
 
    	
July 2013
    	
 
    	
September 2013
    
	
R1 Core release (base 11 key points)
    	
 
    	
·    R2 Core   release

·    Global   Anim-co (substantiated as key for GGS commercial operation on 2 January)

·    Set of   corrections not delivered at start-up
    	
 
    	
Optimisation/debugging

 
    	
 
    	
Affiliation
    	
 
    	
·    Kits/Bundle   page (CDS standard meeting GGS retail demands?)

·    Gift map   (CDS standard)

·    Go-Sport   X-Sell (CDS standard with basket improvements)

 

·    Fid   explanation pop-in

·    Rich   Relevance* cross selling
    	
 
    	
·    Paypal

·    GRC   preventive com (CDiscount roadmap)

·    Fid   Integration via Web Service

 

Trade off:

·    Stock   notification

·    Extension   of mecaco to basket
    	
 
    	
·    Social   module: Wishlist

·    Online   Loyalty Card (online registration)

 

·    To plan:   cross docking

·    To   plan/not priority

·    Facebook   connect

·    GRC 360   purchase coupon management

·    Multi-sign   gift cheque/ card

·    Voice   Bazaar (*)
    

 

	
Remission of expression of needs
    	
 
    	
01/12
    	
 
    	
15/01
    	
 
    	
15/12
    	
10/07
    	
 
    
	
Substantiation of detailed functionality   specifications
    	
 
    	
11/01
    	
 
    	
08/02
    	
 
    	
28/02
    	
02/08
    	
 
    
	
Substantiation of figures
    	
 
    	
11/01
    	
 
    	
08/02
    	
 
    	
05/03
    	
02/08
    	
 
    
	
Max days
    	
 
    	
<30
    	
 
    	
<30
    	
 
    	
 
    	
<30
    	
 
    

 

·                  Green: included in the scope and thus the setup.

·                  Red: Not included in the scope and Cdiscount offer (not included in the setup, Go Sport responsibility)

 

The functionalities that will be available in the Cdiscount offer in 2013 should be added to this roadmap (organisation to substantiate but a presentation of features to Go Sport each month/quarter would allow us to select the elements we want to see implemented.

 

43

 

Appendix 1 B — Road Map

 

44

 

APPENDIX 2 — KEY POINTS

 

Substantiation points in the Go/No Go decision for Launch

 

	
ID
    	
 
    	
Functionality
    	
 
    	
Details
    
	
1
    	
 
    	
Catalogue descent
    	
 
    	
General navigation

Product list and Showcase

Product data sheet

Product data sheet Add basket

Graphic integration
    
	
2
    	
 
    	
Basket
    	
 
    	
Standard basket element

Coupon

Fid coupon
    
	
3
    	
 
    	
Anim-co
    	
 
    	
FdP discount

FID% discount and value (€8 and 10%)
    
	
4
    	
 
    	
Order Process
    	
 
    	
All steps in the order process (+ related parameter   setting: FdP, etc.)

Order process follow-up email (order   confirmation, etc.)
    
	
5
    	
 
    	
Customer space
    	
 
    	
Limited to Order follow-up functionalities for the Launch
    
	
6
    	
 
    	
Manager/Reporting
    	
 
    	
Order follow-up

Follow-up of turnover, number of orders, etc.

Access to reports
    
	
7
    	
 
    	
Analytics
    	
 
    	
Tracking of Google analytics metrics
    
	
8
    	
 
    	
Item repository
    	
 
    	
Item interface

PromoSale and Arbo interfaces

ESUS
    
	
9
    	
 
    	
Processing of customer orders
    	
 
    	
Validated Basket interface (automatic FIAnet   functionality)

Interface to ATOS Platform and ATOS to BNP

Tickets interface

Accounting interface (Payment)
    
	
10
    	
 
    	
Commercial activities
    	
 
    	
SAP promotions

SAP sales

Per cent and value reduction coupons

Purchase coupons
    
	
11
    	
 
    	
Logistics
    	
 
    	
Expected supply receptions interfaces and platform
    

 

45

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Acknowledge supply receipt interfaces and platform

Stock and stock movement interfaces

Stock adjustment, Inventory, End-of-season   return files
    

 

46

 

APPENDIX 3 — HOSTING AND PLATFORM OPERATION

 

Scope of the Appendix

 

This Appendix details the processes and commitments of CDISCOUNT in the fields of hosting and operating the platform, including the corresponding maintenance.

 

CDISCOUNT manages the Platform in SAAS mode.

 

Clause 1 — Production phase start-up

 

The Core R1 production phase begins at the Launch Date in accordance with the Road Map.

 

Clause 2 — Platform hardware and software configuration

 

The Services are provided on a pooled technical infrastructure that is managed by CDISCOUNT and its suppliers only. CDISCOUNT will maintain this infrastructure and keep it up to date to sustain the Service Levels described in Clause 4.1 below, as long as the hourly visits do not exceed 2000 unique visits per hour for a maximum 36,000 unique visits per day. The parties will regularly review this cap on visits per hour in the context of the Operations Committee.

 

CDISCOUNT is the sole owner of this technical infrastructure.

 

Clause 3 — Telecommunications

 

The technical infrastructure CDISCOUNT proposes includes redundant and secure network connectivity to the Backbone Internet. This pooled connectivity to the Internet includes a passband suited to Platform operation and burst management when traffic is saturated.

 

CDISCOUNT agrees to take the actions needed to resolve network interruptions when they are related to the scope of its Services (i.e. to the network linking the Platform production servers and the Backbone Internet).

 

CDISCOUNT can under no circumstances be held responsible for the difficulties or interruptions encountered in the general telecommunications network.

 

Clause 4 — Availability

 

1.                                  Platform availability — Service levels

 

CDISCOUNT commits to 99% Platform availability on a monthly basis. This availability shall be calculated as follows:

 

Availability = “Total service hours” minus “Unavailability”

“Total service hours”

 

“Total service hours” are 24 hours multiplied by the number of calendar days in the month.

 

“Unavailability” is the number of complete hours during which the service was not available (aside from planned maintenance periods explained in Clause 5 below).

 

The Platform is “unavailable” when internet users cannot access it.

 

47

 

Each of the Parties must notify the other of any Platform unavailability.

 

2.                                  Penalty

 

GO SPORT FRANCE may benefit from a penalty in the event of availability below 99% according to the table below. The penalty is calculated as a percentage of the monthly Variable Remuneration described in Appendix 6, paragraph 1.2 (a).

 

	
Monthly availability rate
    	
 
    	
Lump-sum penalty
    	
 
    
	
98.9 to 98.99%
    	
 
    	
0.5
    	
%
    
	
98.8 to 98.89%
    	
 
    	
1
    	
%
    
	
98.7 to 98.79%
    	
 
    	
2
    	
%
    
	
98 to 98.69%
    	
 
    	
5
    	
%
    
	
75 to 98%
    	
 
    	
10
    	
%
    
	
Below 75%
    	
 
    	
25
    	
%
    

 

The penalties are not cumulative. Only the severest shortfall of availability shall be considered for the penalty of a given month. These penalties must be claimed within three months by GO SPORT FRANCE and paid by CDiscount subject to attribution of a bonus.

 

If the monthly availability is 99.5% or more, CDiscount will be credited with a bonus per the following table.

 

	
Monthly availability rate
    	
 
    	
Lump-sum penalty
    	
 
    
	
99.5 to 99.59%
    	
 
    	
0.5
    	
%
    
	
99.6 to 99.69%
    	
 
    	
1
    	
%
    
	
99.7 to 99.79%
    	
 
    	
2
    	
%
    
	
99.8 to 99.89%
    	
 
    	
5
    	
%
    
	
99.9% and above
    	
 
    	
10
    	
%
    

 

The bonus is calculated as a percentage of the monthly Variable Remuneration described in Appendix 6, paragraph 1.2 (a). A bonus is not paid out but can be used for a period of 12 months counting from when it is obtained to offset/cancel a penalty.

 

If several bonuses are obtained over a sliding 12-month period, they can be accumulated to offset/cancel the penalty for a given month.

 

Clause 5 — Planned service interruptions

 

The application maintenance to the Platform must have no impact on the Services provided to GO SPORT FRANCE during open hours.

 

It is agreed that all planned maintenance operations must be notified by CDISCOUNT to GO SPORT FRANCE at least 48 hours in advance. GO SPORT FRANCE shall inform CDISCOUNT as quickly as possible and no later than 24 hours before the planned date of the maintenance operation when such an interruption is of a nature to disrupt an operation deemed essential by GO SPORT FRANCE and, in such cases, the Parties shall consult each other so that CDISCOUNT can re-plan its maintenance operation.

 

However, GO SPORT FRANCE recognises the exceptional nature of certain maintenance operations requiring very quick interventions incompatible with this 48-hour notice period 

 

48

 

(such as a security breach calling for an urgent patch, a hardware problem, hacking attacks, etc.). In the event of exceptional interventions of this type, CDISCOUNT shall notify GO SPORT FRANCE of the problem and of the intervention at least two hours in advance and provide GO SPORT FRANCE with the necessary explanations justifying the need for this intervention.

 

Clause 6 — Support for corrective maintenance

 

The opening hours of CDISCOUNT support are:

 

·                  From Monday to Thursday, from 9 am to 6 pm CET

·                  Friday from 9 am to 5 pm CET

·                  Exceptions: French public holidays

 

GO SPORT FRANCE can access the support service either by the ticketing service made available by CDISCOUNT or by phone, or by email, during opening hours.

 

In the context of this Contract, CDISCOUNT provides only level 2 support to GO SPORT FRANCE. CDISCOUNT does not provide support to GO SPORT FRANCE’s internal customers who use the Platform.

 

For Blocking Anomalies alone, GO SPORT FRANCE is also provided with a constraint procedure for corrective maintenance actions under the Contract conditions outside the above support opening hours, with contacts and phone numbers. This procedure is reserved strictly for Blocking Anomalies and generates no extra cost for GO SPORT FRANCE but, for each use of it for Anomalies that are not Blocking, a lump sum of €250 shall be invoiced to GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

Clause 7 — Maintenance

 

·                  Maintenance service levels

 

For Anomalies, CDISCOUNT agrees to:

 

·                 take into account the Anomalies during support opening hours per a minimum acknowledgment time (ticket opening);

 

·                 correct the Anomaly or propose a bypass solution per a minimum resolution time (specified in hours/calendar or business days) counting from the end of the theoretical acknowledgment time.

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
Blocking*
    	
 
    	
Major**
    	
 
    	
Minor**
    	
 
    
	
Acknowledgment
    	
 
    	
0.5 hours
    	
 
    	
4 hours
    	
 
    	
8 hours
    	
 
    
	
Resolution
    	
 
    	
4 hours
    	
 
    	
10 days
    	
 
    	
30 days
    	
 
    

 

* calendar hours

** in business hours/days

 

CDISCOUNT does not agree to meet these Service Levels for Major Anomalies concerning an element that has already undergone acceptance and that should have been pointed out at that time, unless this Major Anomaly results in a regression.

 

49

 

Exceptions to these commitments, for example for managing priorities or for particular problems encountered in resolving an Anomaly, must be presented by CDISCOUNT to GO SPORT FRANCE and substantiated between the two parties.

 

Clause 8 — Security

 

Platform data and programmes are saved periodically to guarantee the quickest possible re-start with minimum data losses, including the Contents. Each night, all of the Platform’s data and Contents are saved along with its components on the main site and shall be replicated on a remote site before the end of 2012.

 

CDISCOUNT shall institute a backup infrastructure and a PRA (“Activity resumption plan”) during the first quarter of 2013.

 

Clause 9 — Subcontracting

 

CDISCOUNT reserves the right to change subcontractors at any time as long as this change does not impact the Service Levels defined in this appendix. However, CDISCOUNT shall communicate its list of subcontractors to GO SPORT FRANCE at any time upon request.

 

At its own initiative, CDISCOUNT may freely attribute all or part of the performance of the Services, including total or partial hosting of the Platform, to any third party, under its own responsibility. If the subcontracting is likely to impact the Service Levels, CDISCOUNT first makes an express written request to GO SPORT FRANCE for its agreement.

 

Clause 10 — Administration and supervision of interfaces between the Platform and the computer systems of GO SPORT FRANCE

 

Concerning the technical interfaces (data exchanges) between GO SPORT FRANCE’s computer systems and the Platform, CDISCOUNT agrees to ensure correct operation:

 

·                  for data exported from the Platform to the GO SPORT FRANCE computer systems:

 

·                  verification of exported data (presence, format and consistency):

 

Alerts are triggered if data to be exported have not been, per the production plan to be drawn up between the Parties (especially to guarantee that the elements are present according to the planning).

 

·                  for data imp ported to the Platform from the GO SPORT FRANCE computer systems:

 

·                  verification of data to be imported (presence, format and consistency):

 

Alerts are triggered if data to be imported have not been, per the production plan to be drawn up between the Parties (especially to guarantee that the elements are present according to the planning).

 

Correcting the data (format, content or absence of file) is the responsibility of the transmitting system (CDISCOUNT for the Platform and GO SPORT FRANCE for its own applications). In an emergency situation, the entity responsible for the receiving system having integrated false data (such as false prices, false stock, etc.) may intervene directly in the data at the request and expense of the other party.

 

50

 

Any problem detected at the level of the data exchange interfaces under CDISCOUNT’s responsibility shall be treated as an Anomaly per the degree of criticality of said interface appearing in the table appended hereto.

 

Clause 11 — Management of CDISCOUNT relations with its client GO SPORT FRANCE

 

Two organisations shall be instituted:

 

·                  A customer committee shall meet every two months except the first three, which shall be monthly, and shall review the following points:

·                  Tracking of actions and decisions of previous committee meeting

·                  Review of production ramp-up during the period

·                  Tracking of requests and financing

·                  Advancement of projects and Road Map

·                  Tracking of software maintenance

·                  Tracking of major incidents

·                  Tracking of Anomaly reclassification list

·                  Financial tracking

 

·                  An operations committee shall be held monthly dealing with the following points:

·                  Tracking of actions and decision of previous committee meeting

·                  Tracking of service levels

·                  Tracking of requests for new indicators and their financing

·                  Exchange of forecasts and tracking of capacity planning

·                  Incident analysis

·                  Problem management

·                  Tracking of security

·                  Tracking of use of constraints

 

Clause 12 — Management of changes requested by the client GO SPORT FRANCE

 

A functional reference shall be identified at CDISCOUNT and shall be the entry point for any change requested by GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

CDISCOUNT puts the Platform changes into production in the context of an annual schedule of releases. This schedule specifies the major project milestones, from the presentation of need expression by GO SPORT FRANCE to its placement in production by CDISCOUNT.

 

It includes major and minor releases. The change requests expressed by GO SPORT FRANCE in the minor releases are eligible depending on:

 

·                  the complexity of the project to be carried out

·                  whether or not the entire Platform needs to be tested again.

 

Each change request expressed by GO SPORT FRANCE shall be assessed in an estimate and a scheduling proposal.

 

Developments shall begin only after the estimate is signed. If GO SPORT FRANCE does not sign an estimate in the milestone period planned for construction of the release, this will entail planning of the developments in another release.

 

If CDISCOUNT’s participation in the pre-framing of a change request expressed by GO SPORT FRANCE exceeds two man-days of work, an estimate will be drawn up.

 

51

 

The changes made by CDISCOUNT to the request of GO SPORT FRANCE shall integrate the Platform standard.

 

The procedure described in this Clause 12 shall be followed for the acceptance of the Functionalities mentioned in the Road Map, including those for which the price is already included in the Implementation Costs described in Appendix 6.1.1 (a).

 

Clause 13 — Management of changes requested by other Platform users

 

The Platform is constantly changing due to the change requests from other “customers”. These changes are installed at the same time for all “customers”, and in particular for GO SPORT FRANCE, which decides whether or not to use these changes or new functionalities. When it is a matter of Platform structural changes, they are applied for GO SPORT FRANCE without there being any major functional impacts for the users.

 

Clause 14 — Acceptance of new functionalities

 

The Road Map of Appendix 1-B to the Contract, as well as the scheduling of the Functionalities stipulated in it, and in particular their placement in production, is reviewed at each customer committee meeting. The acceptance period is part of this schedule and is thus known by GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

The Road Map of new functionalities requested by GO SPORT FRANCE as well as their scheduling, and in particular their placement in production, is reviewed at each customer committee meeting. The acceptance period is part of this schedule and is thus known by GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

Concerning the changes requested by the other Platform “customers”, CDISCOUNT agrees to send GO SPORT FRANCE a release note at least three weeks before placement in production so that GO SPORT FRANCE can organise itself for this Platform acceptance with the Functionalities that are activated.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to accept all the major functionalities in the provisional planning of the releases other than Functionalities that will not be activated.

 

52

 

Appendix — List of interfaces

 

	
Interface
    	
 
    	
Direction
    	
 
    	
Subject
    	
 
    	
CD
   criticality
    
	
Substantiated basket
    	
 
    	
CDS to SAP
    	
 
    	
Initial return of cashier’s receipt for stock flow   management (no Financial flow)
    	
 
    	
Major
    
	
Cashier’s receipt
    	
 
    	
CDS to SAP
    	
 
    	
Return of the sale invoice for integration of the   Financial flow in SAP
    	
 
    	
Major
    
	
Accounting
    	
 
    	
CDS to SAP
    	
 
    	
Return of means of payment
    	
 
    	
Major
    
	
Supplier reception
    	
 
    	
CDS to SAP
    	
 
    	
Receipt of supplier orders
    	
 
    	
Major
    
	
Warehouse reception
    	
 
    	
CDS to SAP
    	
 
    	
Receipt of warehouse orders
    	
 
    	
Major
    
	
Stock movements
    	
 
    	
CDS to SAP
    	
 
    	
Stock movement made on the elog
    	
 
    	
Major
    
	
arbo
    	
 
    	
SAP to CDS
    	
 
    	
Transfer of arboflex updates: creation and   modification of parent/child node, labelled changes, sfa creation
    	
 
    	
Major
    
	
Item
    	
 
    	
SAP to CDS
    	
 
    	
Transfer from item database: item code, label, EAN,   sfa attachment, etc. on web assortment
    	
 
    	
Major
    
	
Full item
    	
 
    	
SAP to CDS
    	
 
    	
Transfer from item database: item code, label, EAN,   sfa attachment, etc.
    	
 
    	
Minor
    
	
Sale price
    	
 
    	
SAP to CDS
    	
 
    	
Transfer of promotional and sales prices
    	
 
    	
Blocking
    
	
Stock
    	
 
    	
SAP to CDS
    	
 
    	
Available stock in network and warehouse
    	
 
    	
Major
    
	
Order portfolio
    	
 
    	
SAP to CDS
    	
 
    	
Supplier orders to receive
    	
 
    	
Major
    
	
Reception expected
    	
 
    	
SAP to CDS
    	
 
    	
Warehouse order to receive
    	
 
    	
Major
    
	
Loyal customers
    	
 
    	
SAP to CDS
    	
 
    	
Sending of loyal customers
    	
 
    	
Major
    

 

53

 

APPENDIX 4 — SERVICE LEVELS

 

1 —                         HOSTING — CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE — INTERVENTION TIMES

 

Concerning the Platform hosting, operation and maintenance Services, reference is made to the Service Levels conditions of Appendix 3.

 

2 —                        LOGISTICS

 

2.1                              Losses

 

For products of less than 30 kg

 

GO SPORT FRANCE accepts a loss ratio of 0.1%.

 

For products of more than 30 kg

 

GO SPORT FRANCE accepts a loss ratio of 0.15%.

 

In the event of negative inventory difference ratios greater than these, a penalty equal to the difference between the observed inventory difference and the accepted loss ratio, applied to the value of the inflows from the last inventory shall be invoiced by GO SPORT FRANCE to the Service Provider.

 

The inventory difference ratio corresponds to the algebraic sum of the values (in pre-tax purchase price) of the differences over the total value of the inflow since the last inventory. The positive and negative differences offset each other. It takes into account the differences observed during the inventory, but also the differences attributable to CDISCOUNT that entailed an adjustment of stocks since the last inventory.

 

The loss ratio applies only to differences attributable to CDISCOUNT and not due to events of Force Majeure such as defined in the Contract, or to losses and damages coming under the responsibility of GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

2.2                              Preparation time

 

Definition

 

·                       Off express

 

Target date for end of preparation is the date of generation of the Preparation Coupon (available stock) plus one business day (except weekend orders finished Tuesday evening).

 

·                       Express

 

Target shipping date is the order date if before 11 am (plus one business day if after 11 am).

 

54

 

Calculation

 

·                       Target service ratio: 95% for Off-Express and 97.5% for Express

 

·                       Penalty of 25% of variable preparation costs only for those preparations below the target service ratio

 

·                       If the real service ratio is greater than 97.5%, a 25% bonus of variable preparation costs for Off-Express preparations beyond 95%.

 

2.3                             Reception time at the Order Processing Centre

 

Definition

 

·                       Date of storage = Date of reception + 1.5 business days

 

·                       Exclusion of orders in disputes

 

Calculation

 

·                       Target ratio: 95%.

 

3 —                        CUSTOMER RELATION MANAGEMENT

 

3.1                              General

 

GO SPORT FRANCE can agree with CDISCOUNT on the change or withdrawal of the service level criteria defined hereafter. These criteria must be related to the activity entrusted by GO SPORT FRANCE to CDISCOUNT. For example, CDISCOUNT cannot be objectivised on indicators that are directly or indirectly influenced by the activity of the other GO SPORT FRANCE processes (commercial policy, client information, etc.).

 

3.2                              Customer relations Service Levels

 

·                       Average customer satisfaction.

 

·                       Call pick-up rate. The rate of calls picked up must be greater than 90%.

 

·                       Mean processing time. After a three-month period of observation starting at the Launch Date, the average processing times indicated below must be verified and, if necessary, revised to adapt them to the Platform activity.

 

Average processing time

 

	
Incoming phone call
    	
 
    	
240 seconds and 9.5 calls per hour
    
	
Postal letter
    	
 
    	
180 seconds and 12.7 cases per hour
    
	
Email
    	
 
    	
180 seconds and 12.7 cases per hour
    

 

The average processing times provided for in the above table shall be checked and substantiated at the end of the three-month observation period starting at the Contract signing date, and the costs per act will be determined on the basis of this substantiation.

 

55

 

APPENDIX 5 — FINANCIAL TERMS

 

1.1                              Implementation Costs

 

(a)                                 Price

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall pay CDISCOUNT the sums described hereafter, due for the Services performed by CDISCOUNT for implementation of the Platform (the “Implementation Costs”):

 

·                       Three hundred ninety thousand Euros before tax (€390,000 excl. VAT) for Platform installation costs;

 

·                       Sixty-eight thousand Euros before tax (€68,000 excl. VAT) for specific developments carried out before the Launch Date; and

 

·                       Eight thousand Euros before tax (€8,000 excl. VAT) for other specific developments carried out before the Launch Date.

 

(b)                                Payment procedures

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall be invoiced 50% of the said Implementation Costs no later than the Contract signing date and the balance as follows:

 

·                       30% within two weeks following delivery of the “Commercial Driver” Functionality planned for December 2012;

 

·                       20% at delivery of the last Functionality of the “Scope” (Functionalities appearing in green on the Road Map).

 

The other functionalities in red on the Road Map shall be invoiced 100% when they enter production.

 

1.2                              Variable Remuneration

 

(a)                                Price

 

Throughout the Contract term, CDISCOUNT shall collect an annual remuneration for all the Services, calculated on the basis of the annual turnover of the Platform per the terms of the following table (the “Variable Remuneration”):

 

	
Annual Platform turnover not counting
   tax (in Euros)
    	
 
    	
Annual Remuneration (per cent of annual
   turnover not counting tax)
    	
 
    
	
From 0 to   10,000,000 inclusive
    	
 
    	
3
    	
%
    
	
More than   10,000,000 to 20,000,000 inclusive
    	
 
    	
2.8
    	
%
    
	
More than   20,000,000 to 40,000,000 inclusive
    	
 
    	
2.6
    	
%
    
	
Over 40,000,000
    	
 
    	
2.4
    	
%
    

 

56

 

However, it is expressly specified that CDISCOUNT’s annual Variable Remuneration cannot be less than (i) two hundred six thousand euros pre-tax (€206,000 excl. VAT) the first calendar year of Contract performance, which is 2013, and (ii) two-hundred fifty thousand euros pre-tax (€250,000 excl. VAT) the following years. For 2012, the minimum is set at a monthly base of €17,166.70 excl. VAT (which shall be adjusted pro rata for November) starting at Launch Date.

 

(b)                                 Invoicing procedures

 

The Variable Remuneration shall be invoiced on a monthly basis under the following conditions:

 

·                       The first calendar year of Contract performance, GO SPORT FRANCE shall be invoiced each month, in advance, an equivalent of 1/12th of the minimum annual Variable Remuneration of €206,000.

 

A regularisation of the Variable Remuneration shall be invoiced by CDISCOUNT, as the case may be, at the end of the first calendar year of Contract performance to take account of the turnover actually achieved by GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

Variable Remuneration + Regularisation = “Readjusted Remuneration.”

 

·                       The following years, GO SPORT FRANCE shall be invoiced each month, in advance, a Variable Remuneration calculated on the basis of 1/12th of the amount of the Readjusted Variable Remuneration for the entire year N-1.

 

CDISCOUNT shall invoice a regularisation of the Variable Remuneration, as the case may be, at the end of each calendar year of Contract performance in order to reflect the turnover actually achieved over the entire year N.

 

1.3                              Maintenance Costs

 

In return for the maintenance services furnished by CDISCOUNT, each year, GO SPORT FRANCE shall pay CDISCOUNT a remuneration of 20% of the Implementation Costs (or €93,200 excl. VAT) and development costs necessary for creating the additional specific functionalities (the “Maintenance Costs”). CDISCOUNT shall revise the Maintenance Costs in accordance with the variation of the Syntec index per the following procedures:

 

Pn = Pn-1 x (Sn/Sn-1)

 

in which:

 

Pn = new Maintenance Costs

 

Pn-1 = Maintenance Costs of the last annual period before revision

 

Sn = value of last Syntec index published at the date of invoicing

 

57

 

Sn-1 = value of the Syntec index used at the last annual period before revision, while it is specified that at the first revision of the Maintenance Costs, the value of Sn-1 corresponds to the value of the Syntec index at the Contract signing date.

 

The Maintenance Costs shall be invoiced for the first time four months after the Launch Date on a pro rata basis (8/12ths) and then on a full year basis (at the anniversary of the Contract signing date), in advance.

 

1.4                              Remuneration for Services

 

1.4.1                    Service Provider tools

 

	
Traffic analysis
    	
 
    	
0
    	
 
    	
We propose using, in
   Google Analytics.
   Omniture rates: €25K/y +
   €25K services
    
	
Distribution of emails
    	
 
    	
€0.13 for 1,000 emails
    	
 
    	
MailPerformance Solution
    
	
Search engine
    	
 
    	
0
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Payment transaction
    	
 
    	
0.164% to 2.5% (Paypal for foreign bearers) per   transaction
    	
 
    	
One or more PSPs depending on security required
    
	
Customer opinion management
    	
 
    	
€3,500/month with moderation
    	
 
    	
Recourse to Bazaarvoice for management ... moderation   of client opinions
    
	
Geolocation of withdrawal points
    	
 
    	
€0 without calculating distances
    	
 
    	
Solution proposed: use of ... in free mode.   Calculation of distances ... CDISCOUNT IS
    
	
Behavioural Web
    	
 
    	
€2,000/month
    	
 
    	
Rich Relevance
    
	
Checking addresses
    	
 
    	
€5,000/year
    	
 
    	
QAS partner
    

 

The prices in the table above are given as an indication and can be revised in accordance with the conditions offered by the Service Providers.

 

58

 

1.5                              “Under 30 kg” logistics and transport services

 

1.5.1                    Logistics services (under 30 kg)

 

Unit costs

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
Textile/shoe
    	
 
    	
Outsize
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Reception
    	
 
    	
€0.9/sales unit  +€0.44/product under blister
    	
 
    	
€1.1/sales unit
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Preparation/shipment
    	
 
    	
€1.4/single-product package unit  +€0.5/additional sales unit
    	
 
    	
€2.25/sales unit
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Storage (monthly)
    	
 
    	
Pan position: €0.71  Y1/Y2: Invoicing by sales unit: €0.24 (minimum place/sales unit)*
    	
 
    	
Pallet place: €6.5
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Returns
    	
 
    	
€2/sales unit
    	
 
    	
€2/sales unit
    

 

* During the first two years, to support the activity ramp-up, the minimum between cost by sales unit x number of sales units and the cost of placement shall be applied. Thereafter the cost of the placement will prevail.

 

Accompanying non-competing advertisements (“asilage”): €0.05/sales unit (medium not furnished)

 

Cost of additional inventory: €0.044/sales unit

 

Additional services shall be invoiced by the hour on the basis of the real time spent at an hourly rate of €25 pre-tax. Unit costs of package units

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
Length
    	
 
    	
Width
    	
 
    	
Height
    	
 
    	
Price (1 July 2011)
    	
 
    
	
Cardboard box
    	
 
    	
600
    	
 
    	
400
    	
 
    	
200
    	
 
    	
€
    	
0.527
    	
 
    
	
Cardboard box
    	
 
    	
600
    	
 
    	
400
    	
 
    	
500
    	
 
    	
€
    	
0.732
    	
 
    
	
Cardboard box
    	
 
    	
400
    	
 
    	
400
    	
 
    	
400
    	
 
    	
€
    	
0.567
    	
 
    
	
Cardboard box
    	
 
    	
400
    	
 
    	
300
    	
 
    	
150
    	
 
    	
€
    	
0.252
    	
 
    
	
Bubble envelope
    	
 
    	
470
    	
 
    	
350
    	
 
    	
—
    	
 
    	
€
    	
0.183
    	
 
    
	
Film
    	
 
    	
—
    	
 
    	
—
    	
 
    	
—
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Blister
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
€
    	
0.09
    	
 
    

 

The costs of the package units are furnished as an indication. The package units shall be invoiced on a euro-by-euro basis.

 

59

 

1.5.2                    Transport services (less than 30 kg)

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
Unit cost
    	
 
    	
Time
    	
 
    	
Terms
    
	
Post
    	
 
    	
€
    	
3.80
    	
 
    	
48 hr
    	
 
    	
+€4 if L + W + H = 1.5 m
    
	
Kiala/Relais Colis
    	
 
    	
€
    	
3
    	
 
    	
72 hr
    	
 
    	
< 150 cm
    
	
CD collection points
    	
 
    	
€
    	
2.50
    	
 
    	
4 days
    	
 
    	
< 150 cm
    
	
TNT
    	
 
    	
€
    	
10
    	
 
    	
24 hr
    	
 
    	
 
    

 

Losses: 0.1% of the inflows

 

Pricing of the package unit with a maximum average weight (2 kg/package unit)

 

Weight variations prompt a rate adjustment on the following expression: (weight — 2) * 0.2 + Unit price/carrier

 

PDF Gas oil on top:

 

·                  Monthly review because of fuel cost variation:

 

In the event of a variation during the Contract of the diesel fuel index, not counting VAT by a minimum +10% over the diesel fuel index without VAT (published by the Comité National Routier — “CNR”) published in February 2012 (CDISCOUNT’s initial commercial proposal), CDISCOUNT shall make a monthly adjustment of rates for the Transport Service less than 30 kg automatically on the month’s invoice in consideration of this fuel price variation.

 

·                  Relative share of diesel fuel in the Service price (ToG):

 

This adjustment shall be applied proportionally to the percentage of the fuel cost in the cost price of the Service concerned, which is 20%.

 

The formula used to calculate the index is:

 

P2 = P1 = {P1 x ToG x [(I/Iref) - 1]}

 

In which:

 

P1 = Service rates

P2 = Adjusted service rates after indexing

ToG = Share of fuel cost in Service cost price

Iref = Diesel fuel index not including VAT reference CNR (February 2012)

I = Diesel fuel index not including VAT reference CNR at end of month M-1

 

These rates are valid for deliveries in continental France (including Corsica).

 

They are valid for the one-way transport service and for the Product return service.

 

60

 

1.6                              Logistics and transport services “more than 30 kg”

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
Unit Cost
    	
 
    	
Terms
    
	
Reception/preparation
    	
 
    	
Traditional: €6/product  Outsize: €11/product
    	
 
    	
Outsize: W > 100 cm or L > 120 cm
    
	
Storage
    	
 
    	
€5/product/month
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Delivered to home “Economy”
    	
 
    	
Traditional: €58/product  Outsize: €68/product
    	
 
    	
To be refined depending on product   dimensions* & assignment to best carrier (CCV v RC)
    
	
Delivered to home “Comfort”
    	
 
    	
Traditional: €83/product  Outsize: €93/product
    	
 
    
	
Delivered to collection points
    	
 
    	
Traditional: €16.50/product  Outsize: €26.50/product
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Customer return
    	
 
    	
€45/product
    	
 
    	
 
    

 

* For the three months counting from the Launch Date, the Parties will have to meet to review the above rates to reflect the reality of the “more than 30 kg” product flows processed. The revision of these rates may lead to the establishment of a rate grid for delivery services depending on the weight and volume of the transported products (such as bicycles for the lightest and strength training apparatus for the heaviest).

 

Loss ratio: 0.15% of inflows.

 

Multi-package unit deliveries: 50% of the price for the second product.

 

PDF Gas oil on top:

 

·                      Monthly review because of fuel cost variation for “Economy home delivery,” “Comfort home delivery,” “Delivery at collection points” and “Customer return” services.

 

In the event of a variation during the Contract of the diesel fuel index, not counting VAT by a minimum +10% over the diesel fuel index without VAT (published by the Comité National Routier — “CNR”) published in February 2012 (CDISCOUNT’s initial commercial proposal), CDISCOUNT shall make a monthly adjustment of rates for the above services automatically on the month’s invoice in consideration of this fuel price variation.

 

·                  Relative share of diesel fuel in the Service price (ToG):

 

This adjustment shall be applied proportionally to the percentage of the fuel cost in the cost price of the Service concerned, which is 20%.

 

The formula used to calculate the index is:

 

P2 = P1 = {P1 x ToG x [(I/Iref) - 1]}

 

61

 

In which:

P1 = Service rates

P2 = Adjusted service rates after indexing

ToG = Share of fuel cost in Service cost price

Iref = Diesel fuel index not including VAT reference CNR (February 2012)

I = Diesel fuel index not including VAT reference CNR at end of month M-1

 

These rates are valid for deliveries in continental France (including Corsica).

 

1.7                              Annual revaluation of transport costs (not counting fuel)

 

Transport services (not counting fuel) shall be revaluated by reference to CNR index “LD 40 T except diesel fuel”.

 

For the revaluation of year N, the following revaluation ratio should be applied: average of monthly indices for year N-1/average monthly indices for year N-2.

 

For example: 2013 revaluation = (average 2012 indices)/(average 2011 indices).

 

1.8                              Revaluation of variable costs of logistics services

 

The variable costs of the logistic services shall be revaluated annually by applying the composite index of the Union des Entreprises de Transport et de Logistique de France (the “TLF” index).

 

For the revaluation of a given year N, the following revaluation ratio should be applied: the TLF index at 31 December of year N-1/TLF index at 31 December of year N-2.

 

For example: 2013 revaluation = (index at 31 December 2012)/(index at 31 December 2011).

 

Any overshoot of the tolerance thresholds concerning the management and storage capacities of the CDISCOUNT Order Processing Centre as defined in Appendix 6, paragraph 1.3, will call for a redefinition by joint agreement between the Parties of the logistics conditions for the overshoot, the Contract and the Service Levels remaining applicable for the part that is not the subject of an overshoot.

 

1.9                              Logistics implementation costs

 

In addition to the logistics services specified above, GO SPORT FRANCE shall be invoiced €5,000 pre-tax for project start-up and €15,000 pre-tax for project management.

 

These sums shall be invoiced at the Contract signing date.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall be invoiced €17,000 pre-tax per year for seven years for the investment made for the purchase of the necessary storage equipment for a total pre-tax value of €110,000.

 

62

 

1.10                       Services relating to customer relations management

 

For three months counting from the Launch Date, the customer relations services shall be invoiced on an hourly basis, which shall be applied by the service provider in charge of the CDISCOUNT customer relations service.

 

When the Parties have checked that the average processing times defined in Appendix 4 are adequate and have adapted them to the characteristics of the Platform activity, they shall define new financial terms for the services related to customer relations management. These new terms shall be defined on the basis of the activities accomplished by the customer relations service.

 

Any changes made to the average processing times defined in Appendix 4 shall be subject to a revision of financial terms of the customer relations management services.

 

The financial terms shall also be revised whenever a change made by GO SPORT FRANCE has a non-negligible impact on the average processing times.

 

At least once weekly (Wednesday), GO SPORT FRANCE shall send CDISCOUNT its daily forecasts for the two coming weeks, which shall be firm for GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall take charge of any activity variations greater than 10% from the forecasts in the customer relations activities communicated in M+1 and shall be invoiced for services related to customer relation management beyond a minimum floor of 90% of the activity forecasts communicated at M+1.

 

In the event of actual daily flow below the bottom of the volume forecast bracket (that is, less than 90%), GO SPORT FRANCE shall be invoiced and shall take charge of an amount corresponding to 90% of the forecast daily volumes.

 

The services related to customer relations management shall be invoiced monthly. CDISCOUNT shall re-invoice the partner’s service euro for euro on an hourly basis (which is, as of today, €27.80 per hour).

 

The customer relations management services shall be invoiced at an additional €5,000 per month.

 

In addition to the foregoing customer relations management services, GO SPORT FRANCE shall be invoiced at the Contract signing date:

 

·                  €15,000 for project management;

·                  €8,500 for project technical set-up;

·                  €10,000 for initial training of staff dedicated to carrying out the customer relations management task.

 

1.11                       Travel expenses

 

Travel expenses shall be invoiced in addition per the reimbursement grid provided for this purpose by GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

1.12                       Invoicing procedures, payment deadlines and interest

 

All the foregoing services shall be invoiced monthly. The invoices for transport services are payable at 30 days counting from their date of issuance and those for the other services are payable at 60 days from the date of issuance.

 

The interest applied to payment delays shall be three times the legal interest rate.

 

63

 

APPENDIX 6 — LOGISTICS

 

This Appendix describes the terms under which the logistics services are performed by CDISCOUNT. All the operations shall be performed by the methods developed below.

 

1.                                     GENERAL PRESENTATION

 

1.1                              Description of the service

 

The logistics service shall consist of:

 

·                  reception and storage of Products from GO SPORT FRANCE;

 

·                  shipping of the Products;

 

·                  management of returns.

 

The Parties agree to organise “cross-docking” services in accordance with the Road Map under the Contract. They shall negotiate in good faith the implementation procedures and the pricing terms for the cross-docking services on the basis of market prices.

 

Cross-docking consists in, rather than storing the products at the CDISCOUNT processing centre, simply transiting the Products from GO SPORT FRANCE warehouses through those centres.

 

Each day, the GO SPORT FRANCE Central warehouses deliver all the Products for meeting the customers’ orders for the day in bulk to the CDISCOUNT processing centre(s).

 

CDISCOUNT then sorts the products per customer order, packs them and hands over the package units to the various carriers.

 

In cross-docking mode, no processed Product remains stored in the CDISCOUNT processing centre.

 

The cross-docking flow can also be applied to Products direct from GO SPORT FRANCE suppliers.

 

This process may make it possible to consolidate a cross-docking Product with a Product stored at CDISCOUNT for the same customer order.

 

The same item cannot be eligible simultaneously for the cross-docking flow and a stock flow.

 

GO SPORT FRANCE shall transmit regularly, at a frequency to be defined, the list of items (new or existing) that it wants to switch from one process to the other. The costs that might result from these switchover operations not covered by the control specification shall be at the expense of GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

64

 

Service level

 

The cross-docking processing time at CDISCOUNT is understood to be from reception at CDISCOUNT (agreed time and without dispute) up to the end of preparation for carriers (agreed time). The parties agree that the processing time is contained in a single business day and they must do their best to achieve this objective.

 

Calculation: Target ratio: 95% for off-express and for express.

 

1.2                              Product characteristics

 

The following Products are not part of the scope of the service:

 

·                  perishable foodstuffs or those requiring storage at a controlled or directed temperature

 

·                  inflammable or dangerous products

 

·                  multi-package unit products

 

·                  products under customs control.

 

The other products considered as dangerous and for which use and storage are not allowed in the warehouses that will be used by CDISCOUNT, in particular under authorisations for use (environmental equipment — ICPE) are the following:

 

·                  inflammable solids

 

·                  oxidizing products

 

·                  inflammable liquids

 

·                  aerosols (whatever the propellant gas)

 

·                  explosives or explosive materials

 

·                  toxic products

 

·                  acids and bases

 

·                  phytosanitary products.

 

Under the sprinkling standard R1 applied in warehouses (mentioned in the ICPE file; exception possible under certain conditions, studied on a case basis with our insurer):

 

·                  gas cylinders

 

·                  combustible liquids

 

·                  alcoholic beverages of more than 40% content by volume

 

·                  oils (both food and other)

 

·                 cellular plastics that are not contained in cardboard boxes closed on all six sides, or when they account for more than 15% by volume of the package unit containing them

 

65

 

·                 rolls of paper of low weight (< 50 g/m2)

 

·                 basewad paper in rolls (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.)

 

·                 rolls of material

 

·                 clothing on hangers

 

·                 nappies not contained in cardboard boxes closed on all six sides. Tyres will be subject to a prior agreement between the Parties before any processing of a new line of tyres.

 

The Products are distributed by type and category, which determine:

 

·                  their order processing centre

 

·                  their possible customer delivery methods

 

·                  the rules for grouping multi-product orders in the same package.

 

Definition of the two Product typologies:

 

·                 Small Product (called “less than 30 kg” or “< 30 kg”): Product which, packaged as a unit for delivery to the end customer, weighs less than 30 kg and the sum of its three dimensions is less than 2 metres.

 

The following categories are found in this “< 30 kg” typology:

 

·                  Standard < 30 kg:  A product which, as a unit, enters into the largest box of the defined package unit line, the dimensions of which are less than 850 mm x 450 mm x 250 mm

 

·                  Standard < 30 kg to pack alone: A product which, as a unit, does not enter into the largest box of the defined package unit line, with dimensions greater than 850 mm x 450 mm x 250 mm, and the sum of whose dimensions is less than 1.50 metres, and no dimension of which is 1 metre or more

 

·                  Large (G): Product which, packed as a unit for delivery to the end customer, has dimensions the sum of which is 1.50 metres or more and one dimension of which is 1 metre or more

 

·                  Large (G)/TNT forced: Product of the “ski” type that, packed as a unit for delivery to the end customer, has dimensions having a sum of 2 metres or more.

 

·                                        Large Product (called “greater than 30 kg” or “> 30 kg”): Product which, packaged as a unit for delivery to the end customer, weighs 30 kg or more and the sum of its three dimensions is 2 metres or more, except for “ski” type products, which are considered “small products”.

 

There are the following categories in this >30 kg typology:

 

·                  Standard > 30 kg: A product which, as a unit, can be stored and transported stably on a 100 x 120 pallet with a maximum height of 2.20 metres

 

66

 

·                  Outsize > 30 kg: A product which, as a unit, cannot be stored and transported stably on a 100 x 120 pallet or the height of which is greater than 2.20 metres or the weight is greater than 90 kg.

 

1.3                              Order Processing Centres

 

·                                         Cestas (< 30 kg product processing centre):

 

This site is equipped and dimensioned to manage 14,000 references (fewer than 3% of which are of category G) and three products/references on average, with a tolerance of + 20%.

 

·                                         Andrézieux (> 30 kg product processing centre):

 

This site is equipped and dimensioned to manage 160 references, 70 of which are not stored permanently (sale out of supplier stock) and 3 sales units/references on average, with a tolerance of + 20%.

 

Any overshoot of these tolerance thresholds will call for a redefinition by joint agreement of the Parties of the logistics overshoot conditions, the Contract and the Service Levels remaining applicable for the part that is not subject to overshoot.

 

2.                                     RECEPTION AND STORAGE

 

2.1                              Deliveries of products by GO SPORT FRANCE or its suppliers

 

(a)                                GO SPORT FRANCE and its suppliers must follow the Product delivery rules of the order processing centres:

 

·                                         Small product (< 30 kg) processing centre

 

CDISCOUNT — Bâtiment B

ZA Pot au Pin

Pierroton

33610 Cestas

 

In the event of dispute at reception from the GO SPORT FRANCE warehouses, GO SPORT FRANCE takes charge of the process of declaring to the carrier on the basis of the information returned by CDISCOUNT via the “Acknowledgement of receipt” interface.

 

For any direct deliveries from suppliers, CDISCOUNT staff in charge of the Cestas warehouse begin the claim process to the carrier by sending, on behalf of GO SPORT FRANCE, the registered letter of claim within 48 hours. GO SPORT FRANCE is then in charge of tracking and ensuring that the indemnification process is successful.

 

·                                         Large product (> 30 kg) processing centre

 

Entrepôt Easydis Les Sources

ZAC de l’Orme

 

67

 

42160 Andrézieux-Bouthéon

 

In the event of dispute at reception, the CDISCOUNT staff in charge of the Andrézieux warehouse begins the claim process to the carrier by sending, on behalf of GO SPORT FRANCE, the registered letter of claim within 48 hours. GO SPORT FRANCE is then in charge of tracking and ensuring that the indemnification process is successful.

 

Delivery of any products that correspond to the < 30 kg category described above at the large product (> 30 kg) processing centre does not necessarily trigger the switching error processing as these products can be prepared and shipped by the service provider and corresponding carriers.

 

In the reverse case, however, the products can under no circumstances be shipped from the Cestas small product processing centre.

 

In the event of an error in product switching, the costs and constraints induced by the transfer of the products shall be borne by GO SPORT FRANCE:

 

·                  preparation, shipping and transport between the two processing centres;

 

·                  any compensation of the customer for delayed delivery in the event of sale on bluff stock;

 

·                  second receipt of products.

 

To limit the risk, GO SPORT FRANCE agrees to sell on stock bluff only after the first receipt on one of the e-logistics warehouses (except for bicycles).

 

(b)                                Two types of merchandise delivery are planned:

 

·                                         From the warehouses of GO SPORT FRANCE: These “warehouse” orders can never be changed in the IS. For deliveries to the Cestas processing centre in trays, CDISCOUNT agrees to load the empty trays (by full pallet) for return via the carrier of GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

·                                         From the suppliers of GO SPORT FRANCE: These “supplier” orders may be changed by GO SPORT FRANCE in the IS up to the day before the delivery. Thereafter, only cancellation of the remainder is possible.

 

At first receipt of a given reference, CDISCOUNT may ask GO SPORT FRANCE not to put a product on sale when the product does not meet the storage, preparation and shipping constraints of e-commerce distribution. CDISCOUNT shall make GO SPORT FRANCE a proposal to raise the product in question to compliance (with an estimate if the service is to be performed by CDISCOUNT) and all selling of that product will depend upon this.

 

The delivery conditions of the products delivered by GO SPORT FRANCE or its suppliers to CDISCOUNT shall be specified, as required, by joint agreement in consideration of the document furnished for information in Appendix 11.

 

68

 

2.2                              Packaging and storage

 

(a)                                Packaging

 

Each item delivered to the end customer may be handled a large number of times, depending on the delivery method chosen by that end customer. The packaging chosen therefore has to guarantee non-deterioration of the product up to delivery to the end customer.

 

Packaging characteristics (aside from dimensional constraints):

 

·                      The package units must be intact (neither wet nor torn, etc.).

 

·                      The packaging must be suitable so that the merchandise is firmly secured and the boxes do not collapse.

 

·                      The package units must be securely closed.

 

(b)                                Storage

 

For the Cestas Pot au Pin warehouse, a fixed daily slot (business days) is reserved for deliveries from GO SPORT FRANCE or its suppliers.

 

·                      Time slot: 7 a.m.

 

·                      Maximum number of lorries: 1

 

·                      Maximum number of pallets: 33

 

·                      Confirmation of delivery at D-2 (business days) by email indicating the order number, the carrier’s identity, the number of pallets and the references and products.

 

In the event of additional delivery, the standard CDISCOUNT appointment procedure must be followed.

 

For the Andrézieux warehouse, three fixed daily slots (business days) are planned on business days.

 

·                      Time slot: 7, 8 and 9 a.m.

 

·                      Maximum number of lorries: two palletised lorries (one from the GO SPORT FRANCE platform and one from a supplier of GO SPORT FRANCE) + one bulk lorry.

 

·                      Maximum number of pallets: equivalent 100 pallets.

 

·                      Confirmation of delivery at D-2 (business days) by email indicating the order number, the carrier’s identity, the number of pallets, the references and products as well as the type of delivery (bulk or pallets).

 

In the event of an additional delivery, GO SPORT FRANCE or its supplier must make an appointment by email one week in advance.

 

69

 

3.                                     SHIPPING OF ORDERS

 

3.1                              Preparation of shipments

 

A customer order may generate several package units depending on the end customer’s delivery constraints.

 

> 30 kg products are not over-packed.

 

For < 30 kg products that do not fit into a box of the defined line, GO SPORT FRANCE authorises CDISCOUNT to send the product without larger package unit if its original package unit meets the distribution constraints, or to find a specific suitable package unit (the cost of which will first be validated by GO SPORT FRANCE).

 

CDISCOUNT shall not be held liable for shipment delays due to a delay of availability of the stock by GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

3.2                              Shipment

 

The Orders are transported by the following carriers:

 

·                  Coliposte

 

·                  Relais Colis

 

·                  Easydis/M30 and P30 collection point network

 

·                  CCV

 

·                  TNT.

 

The eligibility of the products for the various delivery methods depends on the constraints set by the carriers and distribution networks. CDISCOUNT manages it in the IS and shall keep GO SPORT FRANCE informed of any change in the package unit distribution process.

 

·                  Barring exceptions:

 

·                  Standard products of < 30 kg are eligible for Coliposte, Relais Colis, TNT (as long as there is available stock at the e-logistics warehouse) and the M30 collection point network.

 

·                  Large (G) Products of < 30 kg are eligible for Coliposte and TNT (on condition that there is available stock in the e-logistics warehouse).

 

·                  Standard products of > 30 kg are eligible for CCV Economy delivery, CCV Comfort delivery, and P30 carry-away.

 

·                  Outsize products of > 30 kg are eligible for CCV Comfort delivery.

 

70

 

4.                                     MANAGEMENT OF RETURNS

 

CDISCOUNT shall judge the quality of the products returned. Products deemed unsellable “new” shall be entered into the “HS” computer stock (quality blockage).

 

These HS stocks shall be grouped into two types:

 

·                      Products to be destroyed: GO SPORT FRANCE shall commission (at a frequency to be defined) one of its employees at each warehouse to substantiate the destruction of the products.

 

·                      Products to be returned to a discount store: GO SPORT FRANCE will charter (frequency to be defined) transport to return its products to the venue of its choice.

 

71

 

APPENDIX 7 — TRACKING AND REPORTING COMMITTEES

 

1.                                     COMPOSITION AND MEETING VENUE OF TRACKING COMMITTEES

 

Strategy Committee

 

Function: The strategy committee shall be in charge of ensuring the proper development and operation of the Platform both in its computer aspects, logistics and customer relations. The strategy committee shall draw up a schedule of condition of the customer relations management and development prospects in the pre-defined strategic environment.

 

Periodicity: Every half-year.

 

GRC Production Committee

 

Function: Review of service levels and indicators and definition of action plans and review of planning and its reliability.

 

Periodicity: Once per week.

 

GRC Steering Committee

 

Function: Review of service levels and indicators, actions conducted, their pertinence, definition of new actions and information on coming projects.

 

Periodicity: Once per month.

 

In the context of these committees, CDISCOUNT shall communicate, at GO SPORT FRANCE’s request:

 

·                       the daily, weekly and monthly statements of volumes of phone calls and service quality;

 

·                       the daily statements of the email and other asynchronous flows processing entities;

 

·                       the weekly and monthly statements of the average length of processing asynchronous flows,

 

·                       the weekly and monthly statements of customer satisfaction levels (when the assessment tool is instituted);

 

·                       the weekly and monthly statements of ratio and contact reasons.

 

Logistics production committee

 

Function: Review of service levels and indicators and definition of action plans and review of planning and its reliability.

 

Periodicity: Once per week (Wednesday, 2 p.m.).

 

72

 

Logistics Steering Committee

 

Function: Review of service levels and indicators, actions conducted, their pertinence, definition of new actions and information about upcoming projects.

 

Periodicity: Once per month.

 

Hosting and Platform Operation Committees

 

Two other committees are planned in clause 11 of Appendix 3.

 

2.                                     MINUTES APPROVAL PROCEDURE

 

Pursuant to each meeting of a Tracking Committee, CDISCOUNT shall send minutes to GO SPORT FRANCE.

 

These minutes shall report all the points and organisational and technical decisions taken during the meeting of the Tracking Committee and shall be sent to all the members of the Tracking Committee within four business days following the meeting. Unless reservations are expressed by any one of the Parties concerning the content of these minutes within four business days following its dissemination or the next meeting of the Committee if it occurs before then, all the points mentioned in the document shall be considered accepted and approved by all the Parties.

 

If one of the Parties expresses reservations on the said minutes within the foregoing time period, the Parties agree to place the reservations raised on the agenda of the following Tracking Committee meeting.

 

73

 

APPENDIX 8 — SCOPE OF REMIT OF THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE

 

The various services of the remote customer relations service shall be distributed as follows on the basis of the information communicated by GO SPORT FRANCE:

 

Services of the CDISCOUNT customer relations service

 

	
Time of action
    	
 
    	
Object of the action
    
	
 

 

 

Before purchase
    	
 
    	
Any general information, especially in connection   with GO SPORT FRANCE, any articles published in newspapers or information in   connection to GO SPORT FRANCE suppliers
    
	
 
    	
Any information about the Products
    
	
 
    	
Any information about the “Feel   Good” loyalty programme and GO SPORT FRANCE gift cards
    
	
 
    	
Any information about GO SPORT FRANCE physical   stores (opening hours, addresses, etc.)
    
	
 
    	
Any information about payment security, product   delivery procedures, after-sales service
    
	
 
    	
Any information related to technical difficulties   encountered using the Platform
    
	
 

 

During purchase
    	
 
    	
Information and assistance in creating a personal   account or placing an order
    
	
 
    	
Information about delivery procedures and means of   payment
    
	
 
    	
Information and assistance solving technical   difficulties encountered on the Platform (creation of personal account and   placing orders)
    
	
 
    	
Information about substitute products if a product   is not available (such as stock depletion)
    
	
 

 

After purchase
    	
 
    	
Information about tracking orders and managing fraud
    
	
 
    	
Managing return requests of products bought via the   Platform
    
	
 
    	
Tracking of returns of products bought via the   Platform
    
	
 
    	
Tracking of reimbursements of products bought via   the Platform and in physical store
    
	
 
    	
Communication of information about customers
    

 

74

 

Escalation – Level 2

 

Customer relations service managed by GO SPORT FRANCE

 

Resolution of conflicts with customers

Partial or total cancellation of an order placed on the Platform

Decision related to returns of products ordered via the Platform (reimbursement, another shipment to customer)

Application of Platform commercial policy (reimbursement of carriage costs, commercial gesture)

Diagnosis and resolution of technical difficulties related to the Platform

Processing of difficulties related to product quality

Informing customers about certain products (very complex technical products) and certain delivery operations

 

Services excluded from the scope of the customer relations service

 

Advice to staff dedicated to customer relations service for carrying out the customer purchase

Management of deferred payment operations (of the cheque or bank transfer type)

Taking orders on behalf of the customer

Taking offline orders

 

75

 

APPENDIX 9 — TERMS OF INDEMNIFICATION FOR DELAY, LOSS AND DAMAGE

 

CDISCOUNT agrees to do its best to obtain from carriers, in the name and on behalf of GO SPORT FRANCE, the indemnities due for possible delay, losses and damage incurred by the products.

 

76

 

APPENDIX 10 — TERMS OF DELIVERY TO CDISCOUNT WAREHOUSES

 

This appendix is communicated for information purposes. The Parties shall adapt the conditions of this appendix to their relations in the Contract context in the three months following the Contract signing date.

 

APPLICATION CONTRACT TO THE 2013 FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

CONDITIONS OF DELIVERY TO CDISCOUNT WAREHOUSES

 

BETWEEN THE UNDERSIGNED

 

	
The company CDISCOUNT,   

 

Limited liability company (SA) with share capital of   €4,281,603.20 and head office at 120-126 Quai de Bacalan, CS 11584 33067   Bordeaux listed in the Bordeaux Trade and Companies Registry under 424 059   822   

 

Represented by Pierre-Yves Escarpit  in his capacity of Supply Chain Director

 

Hereafter referred to as “CDISCOUNT”
    	
 
    	
The company                

 

            company   with capital of €       and head office at                   

Listed in the               Trade   and Companies Registry under                 

 

Represented by               

in his capacity of                       

 

Hereafter referred to as the “Supplier”
    

 

Hereafter referred to collectively as the “Parties”.

 

RECITALS

 

By application of article L.441-7 of the Commercial Code, the Supplier and CDISCOUNT have negotiated and concluded a Framework Agreement for 2013.

 

In this Framework Agreement, the parties agreed in particular on the type(s) of logistics flows developed between them and the need to detail them in a Framework Agreement application contract.

 

These “Terms of Delivery to Cdiscount Warehouses” thus constitute an application contract concluded pursuant to this Framework Agreement. They determine the essential rules to ensure the quality of the Supplier’s deliveries to the warehouses designated by CDISCOUNT.

 

In the common interests of the parties and in that of the end consumer, they must allow optimisation of the deliveries and enhanced collaboration between Supplier and CDISCOUNT.

 

77

 

I — PRELIMINARY REMARKS

 

1.1                              Depending on the product type, the supplier may have to deliver to several logistics sites, the overload and addresses of which shall be communicated at when the appointment is made and/or shall be found on the purchase order:

 

·                       Products of weights of 30 kg or more OR sum of dimensions greater than 2 m: Andrézieux Les Sources or Agediss site

 

·                       Products weighing less than 30 kg AND sum of dimensions 2 m or less: Cestas site.

 

1.2                              Delivery sites and addresses are indicated on the purchase orders placed by CDISCOUNT. It is imperative to use them.

 

1.3                              The supplier must deliver the order at the requested date and in compliance with these specifications.

 

1.4                              Depending on the product type, the supplier may have to deliver to several sites.

 

1.5                              Certain CDISCOUNT delivery sites have several buildings. The Supplier must specify to the carrier the building and cell number as well as the other necessary information.

 

1.6                              Upon arriving at the delivery site, the driver in charge of the delivery must sign the security agreement presented to him. He must likewise be equipped individually with protective clothing (safety shoes and fluorescent jacket).

 

1.7                              All logistics documents (Delivery Slip, Transport Coupon, etc.) must be written in French. Documents written in English may nonetheless be accepted.

 

Considering the value of the merchandise, the Supplier agrees to take (or have its carrier take) all the necessary measures to ensure security of the means of transport.

 

II — MAKING AN APPOINTMENT

 

The reception hours at the warehouse and building are defined in Appendix 2.

 

2.1                              The Supplier (or its carrier) must make an appointment prior to any delivery. The contact details for making appointments are indicated in Clause 1 of Appendix 1 — CONTACT DETAILS.

 

2.2                              Only the appointment schedules set by CDISCOUNT shall be considered.

 

2.3                              For the Cestas and Agediss sites, the appointment must be requested as early as possible and at the latest 48 hours before the delivery date mentioned on the purchase order. The appointment is then scheduled according to availability.

 

For the Andrézieux site, the appointment must be requested as early as possible and no later than 15 days before the delivery date mentioned on the purchase order. The appointment is then scheduled according to availability.

 

2.4                              The appointment given shall not be prior to the delivery date mentioned on the purchase order.

 

2.5                              When the Supplier (or its carrier) makes an appointment, it must communicate the following information to the Call Centre:

 

78

 

·                       Supplier’s name

·                       CDISCOUNT internal order no. to deliver

·                       Total number of pallets actually delivered (bundled or on floor), package units and references

·                       Container no. if applicable

·                       Type of product, only for deliveries to Andrézieux or Agediss.

·                       Type of delivery (palletised, bulk)

·                       Delivery date stipulated on the order

·                       Supplier’s or carrier’s contact details (phone, fax, email)

 

2.6                              Any appointment change or cancellation by the Supplier must be communicated to the Call Centre as early as possible and at least 48 hours in advance.

 

2.7                              It is mandatory to make an appointment: deliveries are not accepted without appointment.

 

If several purchase orders are delivered, some of them by appointment, the purchase orders without appointment shall be refused. If purchase orders with and without appointment are not differentiated, the entire delivery shall be refused.

 

2.8                              Carriers have an interest in complying with the dates and times set for the appointment. In the event of delay, the Supplier or carrier agrees to forewarn the Call Centre concerned as early as possible and shall be subject to the penalties described in the Framework Agreement. Furthermore, for deliveries to Cestas, carriers who do not show on time shall be subject to the rules of unloading priority set out by CDISCOUNT and detailed in Appendix 3.

 

2.9                              Special cases of deliveries without appointment: Express/messenger type deliveries are accepted without appointment only for items weighing less than 15 kg and capped at 20 package units per delivery. The package unit dimensional constraints that CDISCOUNT has set are detailed in point 5.2.1.

 

Reception of this type of delivery at Day D is not guaranteed, however, and depends on the warehouse’s reception capacities.

 

III — DELIVERY SLIP

 

3.1                              All deliveries ABSOLUTELY MUST be accompanied by one or more Delivery Slips (BL) corresponding to the merchandise delivered. Any purchase order delivered without BL or other documents (packing list) will be refused.

 

·                  A BL is neither a Transport Coupon nor an invoice nor a purchase order. It is forbidden to produce a purchase order in place of a BL.

 

·                  Any order delivered with a BL with handwritten changes shall be refused.

 

·                  Under law, the merchandise must also be accompanied by a Transport Coupon (CMR).

 

·                  The supplier issues one BL per order and per lorry (if the volume of an order is spread out over several lorries, one BL per lorry will be required).

 

·                  At delivery, the driver must present the BL(s) before opening the trailer or container, along with the Waybill. The BL must not be glued to a pallet or inserted in a package unit. The supplier shall nonetheless keep the documents available to the CDISCOUNT provisioners if requested.

 

3.2                              The following information must appear on the BL:

 

·                  CDISCOUNT internal order no.

·                  Supplier’s name and address

 

79

 

·                  Supplier’s and/or CDISCOUNT internal item references (SKU)

·                  Quantities ordered and delivered per reference

·                  Gencod of the reference

·                  Number of handling units (number of pallets and/or package units

·                  PCB

 

The information transmitted to CDISCOUNT on the databases for referencing items must be followed strictly: differences observed between information transmitted and the delivery may prompt a refusal of merchandise or a service re-invoiced to the supplier.

 

In a palletised reception, the information to prove is:

 

·                  Supplier package unit with EAN code (1 reference = 1 EAN code only)

·                  Number of layers

·                  Number of package units or UVC on one pallet

·                  Package unit dimensions

·                  Weight

 

In a bulk reception, the information to prove is:

 

·                  Supplier package unit with EAN code (1 reference = 1 EAN code only)

·                  Number of layers in the container

·                  Package unit dimensions

·                  Weight

 

Example BL diagram:

 

Delivery Slip no. XX

 

	
Supplier’s name
    Supplier’s address
    	
 
    	
CDISCOUNT
    Delivery address
    CDISCOUNT order no.
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Total pallets delivered:  
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Total package units delivered:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Item 1 code — Item 1 designation  

Item 1 Gencod  

PCB
    	
 
    	
Qty delivered/qty ordered
    	
 
    	
Package unit no./Pallet no.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Item 2 code — Item 2 designation  

Item 2 Gencod  

PCB
    	
 
    	
Qty delivered/qty ordered
    	
 
    	
Package unit no./Pallet no.
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Item 3 code — Item 3 designation  

Item 3 Gencod  

PCB
    	
 
    	
Qty delivered/qty ordered
    	
 
    	
Package unit no./Pallet no.
    

 

IV — DELIVERY TYPES

 

For deliveries to the Cestas site, aside from major import orders and aside from any specific agreement expressed in writing by the CDISCOUNT Flow Coordination Service, the delivery standard is lorry delivery of palletised merchandise.

 

4.1                              Deliveries on pallets (see Appendix 5)

 

The pallet must not be broken, must be film-coated firmly (including merchandise and support) in order to ensure the stability of the products when the film is removed. It must also be wrapped with a security tape to ensure integrity of the delivered merchandise.

 

There must be no overhang of the pallet. The package units must not exceed the pallet platform. Outsize products shall be negotiated on a case basis.

 

80

 

4.1.1                    Pallet characteristics

 

·                  European standard 80 x 120 (EUR, CHEP, etc.): any request for other pallets (100 x 120, plastic, no-value, etc.) must first be approved by the Flow Coordination Service.

·                  Not exceed 1.80 m including support:

·                  Any delivery of pallets between 1.80 m and 2.40 m shall be refused or be subject to an estimate for re-palleting (see service grid in Appendix 4).

·                  Deliveries on pallets greater than 2.40 m shall be refused systematically.

·                  Be fireproof.

 

4.1.2                    The following information must appear on the pallets:

 

·                  Warehouse address with building

·                  Supplier’s name

·                  Corresponding CDISCOUNT purchase order no.

·                  Number of pallets

 

4.1.3                   When several purchase orders are delivered on the same pallet, the purchase orders must be clearly identified and separated (see Appendix 5).

 

4.1.4                    The pallets must be mono-reference whenever the volume permits. The use of multi-reference pallets is tolerated only if:

 

·                  the references are grouped amongst themselves on the same pallet;

·                  the same reference is not disseminated over several supports (unless the volume so requires;

 

Palleting anomalies may prompt refusal of merchandise or a service re-invoiced to the supplier.

 

Palletised deliveries of package units exhibiting sub-packages A + B must be processed so that A and B are integral with each other (tape, film, strap, etc.). Otherwise, the load shall be likened to a bulk shipment and may be refused.

 

4.2                              Bulk deliveries

 

Bulk delivery is accepted only in the context of Major Import flows or with the express agreement of the Flow Coordination Service, and shall always be subject to an estimate for repalleting (see service table in Appendix 4).

 

Rules for filling bulk containers & lorries:

 

·                  Load reference by reference: do not mix package units.

·                  Leave a space between the last layer and the roof so package units can be reached.

·                  Follow the directions of the arrows on the package units.

·                  Do not load flat package units on edge, to avoid collapse of the package unit.

·                  Homogenise the load.

·                  Attach the merchandise if the load is not complete.

·                  Fine edging of the container to avoid package units falling out when opened.

·                  No tarp-covered semi-trailer to guarantee package unit integrity

·                  Attach large, heavy products to avoid any risk of accident when the container or lorry doors are opened at unloading, if a container is full.

 

For a bulk container or lorry consisting of a multi-package unit reference, the loading must be done to allow immediate reconstitution of the set A+B. Therefore, the loading must alternate products A, B and even C. For example: Package unit A on the right and package unit B on the left.

 

The lorry must be high enough to be able to dock at the wharf and so that unloading is possible with conventional handling apparatus of the pincer truck type.

 

If strap is used, it must be made of plastic and not of metal (risk of injury).

 

81

 

V — PRODUCTS

 

5.1                              Each product must be clearly identified with:

 

·                  Its SKU code (item)

·                  Item name

·                  Size/colour if managed

 

5.2                              Each SKU (item) must have a bar code complying with GS1 standards on its product package unit. The bar code must be placed visibly on the product package unit.

 

5.3                              The products must be packaged individually (boxes, film, etc.).

 

VI — PACKAGE UNIT PACKAGING

 

6.1                              In the context of distribution by CDISCOUNT, each item delivered to the end customer may be handled many times depending on the distribution circuit and delivery method chosen by the end customer (see Appendix 6). This is why the packaging must guarantee non-deterioration of the product up to customer delivery by adequate protection to withstand the many handlings and possible overloads inherent in the mail-order organisation.

 

6.2                              Package unit packaging characteristics:

 

·                  The package units must be intact (not wet or torn, etc.).

·                  The packaging must be suitable so that the merchandise is maintained and the boxes do not collapse. It must also include solid interior protections, if necessary, of the fragile and/or salient parts of the merchandise.

·                  The package units must be firmly closed.

·                  The specific handling and storage recommendations (such as top, bottom, fragile, vertical storage, maximum stacking, etc.) must be clearly visible on the package unit in text or pictogram form.

·                  A given order standard (such as a package unit of 24 sales units) must under no circumstances be delivered in two separate package units (such as package units of 12 sales units each) even if strapped or taped together.

·                  Any box of a delivery must contain only one and the same item reference (except for Fashion products).

·                  Tools, spare parts or elements separate from the main product must be packed separately and fastened so that they cannot damage the product during handling and transport or recovery by the customer for use. Spare parts placed in elements of the main product must have information that is explicit and identifiable by the customer (such as assembly manual or other document integrated in the package unit).

 

6.2.1                    For packaging on the Cestas site:

 

Package unit dimensions for items less than 15 kg:

 

·                  The maximum standard package unit dimensions authorised are:

Length: 80 cm

Width: 60 cm

Height: 60 cm

·                  The maximum standard package unit weight allowed is 20 kg.

 

Package unit dimensions for items weighing more than 15 kg and less than 30 kg:

 

·                  Palletised package units will be accepted with the defined maximum constraints:

Length: 120 cm

Width: 80 cm

Height: 180 cm

 

Or

Length: 120 cm

Width: 100 cm

Height: 180 cm

 

Bulk package units shall be accepted on the Cestas site up to a maximum limit of 30 kg/package unit.

 

82

 

In all instances, if the package unit dimensions proposed by the supplier are not suitable for storage, CDISCOUNT reserves the right to send the information back to the supplier to change the packaging.

 

6.3                              Package unit identification

 

All package units are to be identified using a label including the following information:

 

·                  Product reference FRN and/or CDISCOUNT internal reference (SKU)

·                  Size/Colour if managed

·                  Quantity

·                  Each package unit must be identified by a package unit label

·                  The logistics EAN must be present on each label in the form of ITF 14 (DUN14) or EAN13.

·                  The size of the label must ensure the legibility of the information.

·                  The package unit label must be placed on one of the sides of each box or display so that it is visible from outside the pallet.

 

VII — SPECIFIC FASHION FEATURES

 

7.1                              Specific product packaging

 

For Textile products, assorted package units are accepted under certain conditions:

 

·                  Package unit of a single and same model

·                  Products must be stowed inside the box by colour and size.

 

7.2                              Specific product features

 

Textile and Shoe references must comply with French and European standards in effect with regard to labelling (composition label for Textile products, materials labelling for footwear).

 

VIII — COMPLIANCE WITH REFERENCES AND QUANTITIES ORDERED

 

8.1                              The supplier agrees to deliver the quantities ordered per the order (quantity and reference) in a single time on the appointment date confirmed and in a single lorry if possible.

 

8.2                              Cases of non-compliance with the ordered quantities are the following:

 

·                  Surplus

·                  Not ordered

·                  Missing

 

In the event of Surplus items or those Not ordered but delivered, for which the Provisioner/Buyer does not wish to keep the merchandise, the supplier is obliged to organise its removal within fifteen days following delivery.

 

In the event of Missing items, the supplier informs the Provisioner/Buyer of this as early as possible, and they take the responsibility of accepting the delivery of remaining quantities or balancing out the order.

 

No excess quantity or any product substitution shall be accepted without the prior consent of the Provisioner/Buyer.

 

83

 

IX — NON-COMPLIANCE OF DELIVERIES

 

9.1                              Any non-compliance in the broad sense at receipt entails delay and may give rise to work at the supplier’s expense, or return of the merchandise (see services grid 4).

 

9.1                              Cases of non-compliance are the following:

 

·                  Absence or error of labelling

·                  Item inversion

·                  Damaged package unit

·                  Mixture of references inside a package unit or a pallet

·                  Colour

·                  Deliveries on pallets that are broken or too high (> 1.80 m and < 2.40 m)

·                  Non-compliance with the PCB

·                  Technical documents (missing manuals, EC standards, etc.),

·                  etc.

 

9.3                              Depending on the cases of non-compliance, CDISCOUNT shall apply the following management rules:

 

·                  Estimate for bringing into compliance at supplier’s expense per the service grid detailed in Appendix 4 for deliveries to the Cestas site, with a minimum lump sum of €50 per non-compliant delivery, and on estimate on a case basis for the Agediss and Andrézieux sites;

·                  Or the supplier takes back the merchandise at its expense within a maximum of 15 calendar days after delivery.

 

If the supplier does not take back the products within 15 days following formal notice, CDISCOUNT may destroy the non-compliant products at the Supplier’s expense.

 

In all cases, any serious or repeated non-performance of its delivery obligations by the supplier may entail early cancellation of its contract or de-referencing of the products concerned.

 

	
Signed in Bordeaux on
    	
 
    	
 
    

 

In two original copies

 

	
For CDISCOUNT
    	
For the   SUPPLIER
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Name: Pierre-Yves Escarpit
    	
Name:
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
Capacity: Supply Chain Director
    	
Capacity:
    

 

84

 

APPENDIX 1 — CONTACT DETAILS

 

1 -                                 CONTACT DETAILS for MAKING AN APPOINTMENT

 

·                  For deliveries to CESTAS

 

Entrepôts Cdiscount Zone du Pot au Pin

33610 Cestas

 

(a)         Appointments are made only by phone at 05 56 68 12 88 or by email at RDV_livraison_cestas@cdiscount.com;

 

(b)         The Call Centre is available between 8.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and between 8.30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday.

 

·                  For deliveries to Andrézieux

 

Entrepôt Easydis Les Sources ZAC de l’Orme

Rue des Sources

42160 Andrézieux Bouthéon

 

(a)        Appointments are made by phone at 04 77 55 93 18 or by email at jzambelli@groupe-casino.fr

 

For Bulk deliveries, besides GEM, any request for appointment must be made by email at jzambelli@groupe-casino.fr

 

(b)        The Call Centre is available from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

 

·                  For deliveries to Agediss

 

Entrepôt GIRARD AGEDISS 41

ZI Les Portes de Chambor

41500 MER

 

(a)         Appointments are made by phone at 02 54 81 78 16 or by email at arrivagemer@agediss.fr.

 

85

 

APPENDIX 2 — RECEPTION SCHEDULE at CESTAS SITE

 

Reception schedules defined by building/cell and by day are the following:

 

	
Building/Cell
    	
 
    	
Unloading times
    	
 
    	
Unloading times
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
(M-T-W-T)
    	
 
    	
(F)
    	
 
    
	
BUILDING A — CELL A
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    	
 
    
	
BUILDING A — CELL D
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    	
 
    
	
BUILDING B — CELL G
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    	
 
    
	
BUILDING B — CELL J
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    	
 
    
	
BUILDING C — CELL K
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.
    	
 
    
	
BUILDING C — CELL L
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
    	
 
    	
7 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.
    	
 
    

 

APPENDIX 3 — COMPLIANCE WITH DELIVERY TIME SLOTS

 

The carrier must comply with the set appointment time.

 

For deliveries to CESTAS, in order to reduce the waiting time, CDISCOUNT institutes a driver waiting line management system.

 

Schematic presentation of the rules defined:

 

	
Carrier “on time”
    	
 
    	
Carrier early
    	
 
    	
Carrier late
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Early or late by less than an hour from the planned   appointment
    	
 
    	
More than 1 hour ahead of planned appointment
    	
 
    	
More than 1 hour behind planned appointment
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Unloading taken in charge by priority
    	
 
    	
Unloading taken at planned appointment (earlier if availability and in reception time schedules)
    	
 
    	
Unloading taken in charge depending on   availability in reception time schedule during the day, by order of arrival.
    

 

APPENDIX 4 — LOGISTICS SERVICE GRID for CESTAS SITE

 

86

 

	
Delivery task
    	
 
    	
Fare
    	
 
    	
Unit
    	
 
    
	
Sticking of Gencod label
    	
 
    	
€
    	
0.50
    	
 
    	
Sales unit
    	
 
    
	
Switch of Packaging
    	
 
    	
€
    	
0.90
    	
 
    	
Sales unit
    	
 
    
	
Blister Packaging
    	
 
    	
€
    	
1.40
    	
 
    	
Sales unit
    	
 
    
	
Handling on product
    	
 
    	
€
    	
0.90
    	
 
    	
Sales unit
    	
 
    
	
Sorting out into different   parcels
    	
 
    	
€
    	
0.90
    	
 
    	
Sales unit
    	
 
    
	
Sorting out into different   pallets
    	
 
    	
€
    	
9.50
    	
 
    	
Pallet
    	
 
    
	
Handling on pallet
    	
 
    	
€
    	
3.50
    	
 
    	
Pallet
    	
 
    
	
Pallet too high
    	
 
    	
€
    	
8.50
    	
 
    	
Pallet
    	
 
    
	
Switch of broken Pallet
    	
 
    	
€
    	
10.50
    	
 
    	
Pallet
    	
 
    
	
Unstandardised Pallet
    	
 
    	
€
    	
10.50
    	
 
    	
Pallet
    	
 
    
	
Unstandardised Pallet and   too high
    	
 
    	
€
    	
10.50
    	
 
    	
Pallet
    	
 
    
	
Bulk unloading
    	
 
    	
€
    	
1.00
    	
 
    	
Package unit
    	
 
    
	
Transfer between two   activities
    	
 
    	
€
    	
7.70
    	
 
    	
Pallet
    	
 
    
	
Transfer between two   warehouses
    	
 
    	
On quote
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Special delivery task
    	
 
    	
On quote
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    

 

APPENDIX 5 — SUPPLIER PALLET

 

Bande de garantie = Security tape

 

Etiquette identification = Identification label

 

The identification label must carry the:

 

·                  Warehouse address

·                  Purchase order number(s)

·                  Pallet number on each pallet.

 

The references corresponding to a given purchase order must be grouped onto the pallets:

 

87

 

[Pictures:

 

Commandes achat clairement identifies et séparées = 

 

Purchase orders (Cda) clearly identified and separated

 

1 colis par reference = 1 package unit per reference

 

Colis séparé et range par reference = Package unit separate and arranged by reference

 

NON = NO]

 

Key:

 

Cda = Purchase order

Ref = Reference

 

The same reference must not by disseminated over several supports unless the volume so requires.

 

NON = NO

 

APPENDIX 6 — WRAPPING

 

It is compulsory that the wrapping of the items furnished can protect them to ensure their integrity at the time of delivery to CDISCOUNT customers.

 

It is also of capital importance that the wrapping of these items ensures their integrity in the event of return from the end customer to CDISCOUNT.

 

The number of potential handlings per product is shown in the following summary:

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Number of times
   handled up to end
   customer
    	
 
    	
Number of times
   handled if returned
   from end customer
    	
 
    	
Total number
   of times
   handled
    
	
From Cestas warehouses
    	
 
    	
Items received palletised
    	
 
    	
22 or 23
    	
 
    	
13
    	
 
    	
35 or 36
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
From warehouses other than Cestas
    	
 
    	
Items received palletised
    	
 
    	
14 to 20
    	
 
    	
5 to 11
    	
 
    	
19 to 28
    
	
 
    	
Items received not palletised
    	
 
    	
13 to 15
    	
 
    	
 
    	
18 to 26
    

 

88

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