Provision Language
Definitions
“Confidential Information” means all (a) documents and information provided by or on behalf of one Party to the other Party in connection with or in furtherance of this Agreement, including at any meeting of the JSC, (b) the terms of this Agreement, and (c) all development–supply–commercialization–agreement/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener“>BBIL Technology, BBIL Patent Rights, Ocugen Technology, Ocugen Patent Rights, Joint Program Technology, Joint Program Patent Rights and Joint Program Materials that are disclosed or provided by or on behalf of a Party to the other Party, or to any of its employees, consultants or Affiliates during the Term.
11. Confidential Information
11.1. Confidential Information.
(a) Confidentiality Obligations. Each Party (the “Disclosing Party”) may disclose to the other Party (the “Receiving Party”) and the Receiving Party may acquire during the course and conduct of activities under this Agreement, certain Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party in connection with this Agreement. The Receiving Party shall keep all the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information in confidence with the same degree of care with which the Receiving Party holds its own confidential information (but in no event less than a commercially reasonable degree of care), and take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or use of any of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information. The Receiving Party shall not use the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information except in connection with the performance of its obligations and exercise of its rights under this Agreement
(b) Exceptions. The provisions of Section 11.1(a) shall not apply to, and Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party shall not include, information which the Receiving Party can demonstrate by reasonable, written evidence: (a) was, prior to its receipt by the Receiving Party from the Disclosing Party, in the possession of the Receiving Party and at its free disposal; (b) is subsequently disclosed to the Receiving Party without any obligations of confidence by a third party who has not derived it directly or indirectly from the Disclosing Party; (c) is or becomes generally available to the public through no act or default of the Receiving Party or its agents, employees or Affiliates; or (d) is independently developed by the Receiving Party without use of, reference or access to, the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information.
(c) Permitted Disclosures. The Receiving Party may disclose Confidential Information belonging to the Disclosing Party as expressly permitted by this Agreement or if and to the extent such disclosure is reasonably necessary in the following instances:
(i) prosecuting or maintaining Patents Rights as permitted by this Agreement, provided that the Disclosing Party is informed of such requirement a reasonable period of time prior to the disclosure;
(ii) Regulatory Filings for the Product that such Party has a license or right to Develop hereunder in a given country or jurisdiction;
(iii) prosecuting or defending litigation as permitted by this Agreement;
(iv) complying with applicable court orders or governmental regulations, including mutually recognized securities laws and rules of securities exchanges;
(v) disclosure to its employees, consultants, contractors and agents, and to Sublicensees (in the case of Ocugen), and those of its Affiliates, in each case on a need–to–know basis in connection with the research, Development, Manufacture, and Commercialization of the Product in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in each case under obligations of confidentiality and non–use at least as stringent as those herein; and
(vi) disclosure to potential and actual investors, acquirers, licensees and other financial or commercial partners solely for the purpose of evaluating or carrying out an actual or potential investment, acquisition or collaboration, in each case under written obligations of confidentiality and non–use at least as stringent as those herein.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Party is, based on advice of legal counsel, required to make a disclosure of the other Party’s Confidential Information pursuant to Sections 11.1(c)(iii) or 11.1(c)(iv), it shall, except where impracticable, give reasonable advance notice (not less than five (5) Business Days) to the other Party of such disclosure and use efforts to secure confidential treatment of such Confidential Information at least as diligent as such Party would use to protect its own Confidential Information, but in no event less than reasonable efforts.
If information, which constitutes Confidential Information, is disclosed pursuant to Section 11.1(c) but such information does not thereby fall into any of the exceptions stated in Section 11.1(b), then notwithstanding such disclosure pursuant to Section 11.1(c), such information shall still constitute Confidential Information and the obligations of confidentiality and restriction on use under Section 11.1(a) shall still apply to it.
The Parties acknowledge that either or both Parties (or their respective parent companies) may be obligated to make filings (including, but not limited to, the filing of a copy of this Agreement) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or other securities regulators or exchanges. Each Party shall be entitled to make such required filings, provided that it requests confidential treatment of at least the financial terms and sensitive technical terms of this Agreement to the extent such confidential treatment is reasonably available to such Party. In the event of any such filing of this Agreement, the Party making such filing shall provide notice to the other Party with a copy of such disclosure and, if applicable, a copy of this Agreement marked to show provisions for which such Party intends to seek confidential treatment not less than five (5) Business Days prior to such filing (and any revisions to such portions of the proposed filing a reasonable time prior to the filing thereof), and shall give good faith consideration to the other Party’s comments thereon to the extent consistent with the legal requirements. No such notice shall be required if the substance of the description of or reference to this Agreement contained in the proposed filing has been included in any previous filing made by either Party hereunder or otherwise approved by the other Party.
11.2. Publicity. Ocugen may issue a public announcement of the execution of this Agreement in a form mutually agreed by the Parties and substantially in the form attached here to as Schedule 11.2. Thereafter, with respect to any press release or public statement disclosing information relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or the terms hereof (a “Public Statement”), (a) Ocugen may make Public Statements relating to the research, Development, Manufacture or Commercialization of the Product in and for the Ocugen Territory, including the publication of all results of research or Development Activities, any Clinical Trial conducted on the Product, Regulatory Filings, Regulatory Approvals or any health or safety matter related to the Product, all with respect to the Ocugen Territory, without BBIL’s prior written consent; provided, that Ocugen shall not make any such Public Statement that includes any Confidential Information of BBIL without the prior written consent of BBIL to disclose such Confidential Information, and (b) BBIL may make Public Statements relating to the research, Development, Manufacture or Commercialization of the Product in the BBIL Territory, including the publication of all results of research or Development Activities, any Clinical Trial conducted on the Product, Regulatory Filings, Regulatory Approvals or any health or safety matter related to the Product, all with respect to the BBIL Territory, without Ocugen’s prior written consent; provided, that BBIL shall not make any such Public Statement that includes any Confidential Information of Ocugen without the prior written consent of Ocugen to disclose such Confidential Information; provided that it is understood and agreed that BBIL shall not make any Public Statements relating to the amount of any Profit Share payments to be made or actually made under this Agreement, except as permitted pursuant to Section 11.1(c)(iv). If either Party requires the other Party’s consent to issue a Public Statement or any portion thereof as provided above, such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed by the other Party; and the issuing Party will provide the other Party with a copy of the proposed Public Statement as soon as reasonably practicable under the circumstances prior to its scheduled release (but in no event fewer than five (5) Business Days). If the reviewing Party provides any comments, the Parties will consult on such proposed Public Statement and amend accordingly. Each Party may repeat any information relating to this Agreement that has already been publicly disclosed in accordance with this Section 11.2, provided such information continues as of such time to be accurate.