Provision Language
14. PATENT PROSECUTION AND MAINTENANCE
14.1 REGENTS will diligently prosecute and maintain the United States and foreign patent applications and patents under REGENTS’ Patent Rights, subject to LICENSEE’S reimbursement REGENTS’ out of pocket costs under Paragraph 14.3 below, and all patent applications and patents under REGENTS’ PATENT RIGHTS will be held in the name of REGENTS. REGENTS will have sole responsibility for retaining and instructing patent counsel, but continued use of such counsel at any point in the patent prosecution process subsequent to initial filing of a U.S. patent application covering the INVENTION will be subject to the approval of LICENSEE. If LICENSEE rejects three of REGENTS’ choice of prosecution counsel, then REGENTS may select new prosecution counsel without LICENSEE’s consent. REGENTS will promptly provide LICENSEE with copies of all relevant documentation so that LICENSEE may be currently informed and apprised of the continuing prosecution and LICENSEE agrees to keep this documentation confidential in accordance with Article 25 (Confidentiality). LICENSEE may comment upon such documentation, provided, however, that if LICENSEE has not commented upon such documentation in reasonable time for REGENTS to sufficiently consider LICENSEE’s comments prior to the deadline for filing a response with the relevant government patent office, REGENTS will be free to respond appropriately without consideration of LICENSEE’s comments. LICENSEE and LICENSEE’s patent counsel will have the right to consult with patent counsel chosen by REGENTS.
14.2 REGENTS will use reasonable efforts to prepare or amend any patent application to include claims reasonably requested by LICENSEE to protect the LICENSED PRODUCTS contemplated to be SOLD or to be practiced under this AGREEMENT.
14.3 Subject to Paragraph 14.4, LICENSEE will bear all out-of-pocket costs incurred by the REGENTS for preparing, filing, prosecuting, protecting and maintaining all United States and foreign patent applications, and patents under REGENTS’ PATENT RIGHTS (“Patent Costs”). LICENSEE must reimburse to REGENTS Patent Costs incurred prior to the term of this AGREEMENT (“Past Patent Costs”) within thirty (30) days of LICENSEE’s receipt of an invoice from REGENTS. With respect to Patent Costs incurred during the term of this AGREEMENT (“Ongoing Patent Costs”), LICENSEE is required to pay in advance REGENTS’ patent counsel’s estimated costs for undertaking Patent Actions that occur during the term of this AGREEMENT before REGENTS authorizes its patent counsel to proceed (“Advanced Payment”). The absence of this Advanced Payment will be deemed to be an election by LICENSEE not to secure the patent rights associated with the specific phase of patent prosecution in such territory, and such patent application(s) and patent(s) will not be part of the REGENTS’ PATENT RIGHTS and therefore not be subject to this AGREEMENT, and LICENSEE will have no further rights or license to them. At REGENTS’ sole discretion, rather than requiring an Advanced Payment, REGENTS may: (1) bill LICENSEE for Ongoing Patent Costs after such amounts are incurred, in which case payment will be due to REGENTS within thirty (30) days of LICENSEE’s receipt of an invoice from REGENTS, or (2) have Ongoing Patent Costs directly billed to LICENSEE by REGENTS’ patent counsel. If REGENTS reduces the exclusive licenses granted herein to non-exclusive licenses pursuant to this AGREEMENT and REGENTS grants additional license(s), the costs of preparing, filing, prosecuting and maintaining such patent applications and patents will be divided equally among the licensed parties from the effective date of each subsequently granted license agreement.
14.4 LICENSEE’s obligation to underwrite and to pay all domestic and foreign patent filing, prosecution, and maintenance costs will continue for so long as this AGREEMENT remains in effect, provided, however, that LICENSEE may terminate its obligations with respect to any given patent application or patent in any or all designated countries upon ninety (90) days written notice to REGENTS. REGENTS will use its best efforts to curtail patent costs when such a notice is received from LICENSEE. REGENTS may continue prosecution and/or maintenance of such applications or patents at its sole discretion and expense; provided, however, that LICENSEE will have no further right or licenses thereunder.
15. MARKING
15.1 Prior to the issuance of patents under REGENTS’ PATENT RIGHTS, LICENSEE agrees to mark LICENSED PRODUCT(S) (or their containers or labels) made, SOLD, licensed or otherwise disposed of by it in the United States under the license granted in this AGREEMENT with the words “Patent Pending,” and following the issuance in the United States of one or more patents under REGENTS’ PATENT RIGHTS, with the numbers of REGENTS’ PATENT RIGHTS. All LICENSED PRODUCTS shipped to, manufactured, or SOLD in other countries will be marked in such manner as to conform with the patent laws and practice of such countries.
18. PATENT INFRINGEMENT
18.1 If either party learns of infringement of potential commercial significance of any of the REGENTS’ PATENT RIGHTS, it will provide the other with: (i) written notice of such infringement and (ii) any evidence of such infringement available to it (the “Infringement Notice“). Neither party will put an alleged infringer on notice of the existence of any of the REGENTS’ PATENT RIGHTS without first obtaining consent of the other. Both the REGENTS and the LICENSEE will use their diligent efforts to terminate such infringement without litigation.
18.2 If the matter described in the Infringement Notice is not resolved within ninety (90) days of receipt of the Infringement Notice, then the LICENSEE may institute suit for patent infringement. The LICENSEE may not join the REGENTS as a party in such suit without the REGENTS’ prior written consent. If the REGENTS joins such suit at the LICENSEE’s request or is involuntarily joined, the LICENSEE will pay all out-of-pocket costs incurred by the REGENTS arising out of such suit.
18.3 If, within a hundred and twenty (120) days of receipt of the Infringement Notice, the matter described in the Infringement Notice has not been resolved and the LICENSEE has not filed suit against the infringer, then the REGENTS may institute suit for patent infringement against the infringer. If the REGENTS institutes such suit, then the LICENSEE may not join such suit without the REGENTS’ consent and may not thereafter commence suit against the infringer for the acts of infringement that are the subject of the REGENTS’ suit or any judgment rendered in that suit.
18.4 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this AGREEMENT, in the event that either party receives written notice of infringement under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 (and/or foreign counterparts of this Law) (“The Act”), then the party in receipt of such notice under the Act will promptly provide the Infringement Notice to the other party. If under the Act the LICENSEE will lose the right to pursue legal remedies for infringement by not filing suit, the notification period and the time period to file suit under Paragraph 18.2 will be accelerated to within forty-five (45) days from receipt of the Infringement Notice to either party.
18.5 Any recovery or settlement received in connection with any suit will first be shared by the REGENTS and the LICENSEE equally to cover any litigation costs each incurred and will next be paid to the REGENTS or the LICENSEE to cover any litigation costs it incurred in excess of the litigation costs of the other. In any suit initiated by the LICENSEE, any recovery in excess of litigation costs will be shared between LICENSEE and the REGENTS as follows: (a) for any recovery other than amounts paid for willful infringement: (i) the REGENTS will receive fifteen percent (15%) of the recovery if the REGENTS did not incur any litigation costs or all of the REGENTS’ litigation costs were reimbursed by LICENSEE, (ii) the REGENTS will receive thirty percent (30%) of the recovery if the REGENTS incurred any litigation costs in connection with the litigation that were not reimbursed by LICENSEE; and (b) for any recovery for willful infringement, the REGENTS will receive fifty percent (50%) of the recovery. In any suit initiated by the REGENTS, any recovery in excess of litigation costs will belong to the REGENTS. The REGENTS and the LICENSEE agree to be bound by all determinations of patent infringement, validity and enforceability (but no other issue) resolved by any adjudicated judgment in a suit brought in compliance with this Article 18 (Patent Infringement).
18.6 Any agreement made by the LICENSEE for purposes of settling litigation or other dispute will comply with the requirements of Article 4 (Sublicenses) of this AGREEMENT.