THESE CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT
ARE INCORPORATED INTO ANY CONTRACT FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT
MADE BETWEEN XJ ELECTRONICS LIMITED OF NUNEATON
(“THE COMPANY”, WHICH EXPRESSION SHALL INCLUDE ITS PRINCIPALS,
EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS) AND THE CLIENT.
BY COMMISSIONING ANY WORK FROM THE COMPANY, THE
CLIENT IS DEEMED TO HAVE ACCEPTED THESE CONDITIONS.
A PURCHASE ORDER, CONTRACT OR OTHER WRITTEN INSTRUCTION
TO PROCEED IS REQUIRED BEFORE THE COMPANY SHALL COMMENCE
ANY WORK.
1 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
Neither the Company nor the
client shall not at any time divulge confidential information inclusive of commercial intentions, production
methods or business organisation, of each other. Both parties shall take all reasonable steps
to ensure that all members of its staff are bound to
obligations of confidence.
The Company will not release
for publication any information about work it is executing
or has completed for its client, either to the press
or otherwise until the client has given express consent.
2 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Save for any pre-contractual
or “pitch” work provided to the client to demonstrate
the capabilities of the Company, in which the Company
reserves and retains exclusively all Intellectual Property
Rights, all Intellectual Property Rights in any design
or other work prepared by the Company for the purpose
for which it was commissioned, will pass to the client
upon payment by the client of all sums then due to the
Company. Such Intellectual Property Rights shall also
be assigned by the Company to the client upon termination
of the relevant contract provided that the client has
performed all of its obligations under such contract.
Upon assignment of any copyright, the Company agrees
to waive any moral rights to which it may be entitled
under Part I, Chapter IV of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
For the purposes of this Clause
2 “intellectual Property Rights” means all copyright,
extended or revived copyright, design right, registered
design right, patent, utility model, database right,
trade mark or any similar right exercisable in any part
of the world, including any application for registration
of any patent, trade mark, registered design or similar
registerable rights in any part of the world.
The Company shall at the expense
of the client execute any reasonable document or do
any such things as the client shall reasonably require
to enable the client to become the proprietor of any
registerable Intellectual Property Rights which are
assigned to then client by the Company in pursuance
of this Clause 2.
The client will be responsible
for, and bear the cost of registration of any registerable
Intellectual Property Right in material which is the
subject of any contract if the client considers it desirable
to obtain any protection afforded by such registration.
The Company makes no representation or warranty, whether
expressly or by implication, that any Intellectual Property
Rights are registerable in any part of the world, or
whether registration should be sought.
Whereat the Company will take
all reasonable steps to ensure that any design proposals
are original, it will be the client's responsibility
to carry out all patent, copyright and registered design
searches to ensure that nothing produced by the Company
on the client’s behalf infringes any existing Intellectual
Property Rights of any third party.
The client agrees in respect
of any design or other material which it may decide
to put into production or offer for sale to indemnify
the Company against any damages, costs or expenses in
respect of any infringement of any third party's Intellectual
Property Rights (including without limitation a patent,
trademark, or registered design) and the Company hereby
agrees that if it shall at any time become aware that
such an infringement is likely to occur, it will promptly
inform the client of such circumstances.
Furthermore, if in the opinion of the client
or the Company there is at any time a significant risk
of any such infringement, the client may thereupon request
the Company to cease any activity pursuant to its commission
or the Company may in its own discretion decide to cease
work, whereupon the client shall be charged such amount
as the Company would be entitled to charge by reason
of the provisions of Clause 11 hereof.
3 STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS & STANDARD CODES OF PRACTICE
It shall be the responsibility
of the client to inform the Company of the existence,
relevance and scope of any statutory or regulatory requirements
or UK, European or
International Standards and/or Codes of Practice applicable
to the commissioned work prior to commencement of the
commissioned work.
4 PUBLICITY
The client may not use the
Company's name in connection with any publicity arising
out of any project unless specific written approval
is given by the Company.
5 WORK IN PROGRESS & COMPLETION
All instructions and matters
of substance communicated in meeting or by telephone
shall be confirmed by the client in writing and the
written record shall be issued by the client to the
Company and agreed by the Company within 7 working days
following the meeting or conversation in question.
The client may request the
Company to cancel or amend any work provided that such
cancellation or the details of any such amendment are
confirmed in writing. The client shall pay any reasonable
additional charges or expenses incurred by the Company
as a result of such cancellation or amendment.
The Company will use its reasonable
endeavours to adhere strictly to the completion dates
quoted, but time for completion shall not be of the
essence of any contract under these conditions and the
Company shall not be liable for any failure to complete
or deliver by such dates.
6 FORCE MAJEURE
Should the Company be prevented
from completing or delivering any work, or the client
be prevented from accepting delivery, by reason of any
circumstance beyond that party's control (including
without limitation any strike, lockout or other industrial
action) the time for completion/delivery shall be extended
until the caused preventing that act have ceased, and
the Company shall not thereby be liable for any loss
or damage occasioned to the client or any third party
arising therefrom. If
the event of force majeure lasts longer than 6 months,
either party may on written notice to the other party,
cancel the relevant contract in which event any unpaid
fees calculated on a quantum meruit basis will be charged
to the client by the Company.
7 QUOTATIONS
Fees, prices for product etc.
quoted remain valid for 30 days.
The quotation is not an offer, and any order
given in respect of a quotation shall not be binding
on the Company until accepted by the client in writing.
8 TERMS OF PAYMENT
Prices quoted are exclusive
of Value Added Tax and charges or disbursements payable
to third parties.
Accounts will be submitted
on a monthly basis and will be due for payment within
30 days of the invoice month end date, unless otherwise specifically
agreed in writing.
Payment by overseas clients
shall be made by telegraphic transfer to the nominated
bank account of the Company.
For clients within the European
Union, goods or services invoiced will be treated as
zero rated only if a valid VAT registration number
is supplied.
The Company may on certain
projects require an advance payment of such amounts
as the Company and the client may agree.
The Company may charge interest
on any sums outstanding beyond their due date for payment
at the rate of 5% per annum above the base lending rate
for the time being of the Lloyds TSB Bank.
Until payment is made of all
sums due to the Company whereupon legal title shall
pass to the client, the Company shall have a first and
paramount lien on all documents, drawings, designs,
models, products etc. produced or arising in the course
of the Company's work for the client.
9 CANCELLATION OF PROJECT
Where any specific project
is cancelled by the client and the contract in respect
of such project is terminated, a fee will be charged
on a quantum meruit basis for the amount of work carried
out on the project before its cancellation and in addition
such amount as may be attributable to any forward financial
commitment by the Company on the project.
10 STATUTORY COMPLIANCE
The Company will use its reasonable
endeavours to ensure that any products it may design
shall comply with all relevant statutory requirements
and standard codes of practice provided that these have
been properly notified to the Company in accordance
with Clause 3.
11 LIMITATION
The Company shall not be liable
for any consequential loss or damage or other claims
for loss of profit, costs or expenses whatsoever arising
from or in connection with the design of products
or their use or resale by the client, whether by reason
of any implied or expressed warranty or condition
hereof or any common law or statutory obligation,
or by reason of any representation (whether written
or oral) given by the Company in connection with the
subject of this matter, whether given before or upon
the execution hereof.
Nothing herein shall seek to
exclude liability for death or personal injury arising
from the negligence or other default of the Company.
12 COMPANY'S EMPLOYEES
Neither party shall for a period
commencing on the date of this contract and expiring
12 months after the date of completion of any contract
between the Company and client, solicit or employ any
person then in the employment of the other party.
13 GENERAL
These conditions shall be deemed
to form part of any order or contract accepted by the
Company. Any Conditions on the client's order form will
not form part of any contract with the Company unless
the Company has specifically agreed thereto in writing.
A person who is not a party
to any contract between the Company and the client has
no rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties)
Act 1999 to enforce any of these conditions or other
contractual terms.
The Company acts in all of
its contracts as a principal in law. Nothing in these
conditions creates or implies any relationship or agency,
partnership or joint venture between the parties.
14
GOVERNING LAW & DISPUTE RESOLUTION
These conditions shall be governed
by, and construed in accordance with the laws of England
and Wales and the parties irrevocably agree to submit
to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England
and Wales over any claim or matter arising under or in
connection with these conditions, save that nothing shall
prevent the parties from agreeing to submit themselves
to the form of alternative dispute resolution set out
below or any other reasonable and appropriate form of
informal dispute.