The Agreement

1. This is The Agreement [“Agreement”] between Strawman Limited of Office 9, Dalton House, 60 Windsor Avenue, London, SW19 2RR. (UK Company Number 3825903) [“Strawman™”] and the Firm of the European Patent Attorney [“EPA”] or legal representative ["Representative"] entitled to act before the European Patent Office specified in the online Application Form [each referred to herein as “Company/Firm”], in respect of filing and pursuing an opposition to the specified Patent [“specified opposition”] wherein the specified opposition is to be filed in the name of Strawman™ by the Company/Firm.

 

2. A legal contract is created between the Company/Firm and Strawman™ once a receipt of acceptance is issued by Strawman™ in response to the online Application Form. Acceptance is generated by an automatic response. Two copies of The Agreement will be sent to the Company/Firm and will require signing. One copy of the signed Agreement is then returned to Strawman™. Once copy of the signed Agreement is to be retained by the Company/Firm. And invoice for the Agreement Fee ["Agreement Fee"] will be issued at the same time as the Agreement.

 

3. The Agreement provides the use of Strawman™ solely to be as a named opponent in the specified opposition for the purpose of fronting the specified opposition on behalf of a third party who wishes to remain anonymous [“Anonymous Party”].

 

4.1 The following terms are accepted:

[i] Except for the signing of any necessary Power of Attorney form for the specified opposition, Strawman™ will not prepare or take part in the preparation or the filing of any opposition documents or statements in respect of the specified opposition;

[ii] Use of Strawman™ does not necessarily indicate, explicitly or implicitly, agreement by Strawman™ of any or all of the grounds, statements, positions taken, made by the Company/Firm and/or the Anonymous Party in the specified opposition;

[iiib] Should the Company/Firm transfer or share representation of Strawman™ as named opponent in respect of the specified opposition, such as during either opposition proceedings or appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office in respect of the specified opposition, to or with the other Company/Firm that other Company/Firm will enter into a similar Agreement with Strawman™ know as the Transfer Agreement and shall be bound by the terms therein. In addition, a fee [“Transfer Fee”] will become payable to Strawman™ from the Company/Firm or from that other Company/Firm;

[iiic] The Transfer Fee is due to Strawman™ on the date the online transfer sharing of the representation has been accepted by Strawman™. Strawman™ reserves the right to terminate this Agreement should any fees owing to Strawman™ remain unpaid after thirty days from the date of acceptance, wherein Strawman™ reserves the right to notify the European Patent Office to withdraw their name from the specified opposition;

[iv] The Company/Firm will not reveal to Strawman™ the identity of the Anonymous Party;

[v] The Company/Firm will not use any defamatory or libelous or abusive remarks in respect of or during the specified opposition or during the opposition proceedings or during the appeal proceedings; and

[vi] The Company/Firm will not perform any irresponsible or malicious acts in respect of or during the specified opposition or during the opposition proceedings or during the appeal proceedings.

 

4.2 Breach of any of these terms will terminate the Agreement with immediate effect entitling Strawman™ to withdraw from the specified opposition and to retain any fees already paid.

 

5. The Agreement Fee ["Agreement Fee"] is due to Strawman™ on the date the online Application Form has been accepted by Strawman™. Acceptance is generated by an automatic response. Strawman™ reserves the right to terminate this Agreement should any fees owing to Strawman™ remain unpaid after thirty days from the date of the online acceptance, wherein Strawman™ reserves the right to notify the European Patent Office to withdraw their name from the specified opposition.

 

6. On entering into the Agreement with Strawman™, the Company/Firm also hereby agrees to indemnify Strawman™ against any expenses that may arise against Strawman™ as a result of any part of or all of or as a consequence of the specified opposition or the opposition proceedings. For the avoidance of doubt, Strawman™ will not seek expenses for attending of its own volition any oral proceedings that may be as a result of any part of or all of or as a consequence of the specified opposition unless Strawman™ has been asked or requested to attend such oral proceedings either by the Company/Firm or the European Patent Office.

 

7. Should an appeal lie from the decision of the Opposition Division, Strawman™ will unequivocally allow its continued use as the named party to the appeal proceedings, subject to payment of a similar additional fee equal to the current Agreement Fee. This fee is payable irrespective of whether the Anonymous Party itself wishes an appeal to be filed. Again, except for the signing of any necessary Power of Attorney form for the specified opposition, it is accepted that Strawman™ will not prepare or take part in the preparation or the filing of any appeal documents or statements. For the avoidance of doubt, the terms in Clauses 4.1 and 4.2 apply here.

 

8.1 Should the Company/Firm or the other Company/Firm or the Anonymous Party file an appeal in respect of any aspect regarding the specified opposition then a similar additional fee, equal to the current Agreement Fee, will become payable to Strawman™ by the Company/Firm before or at the same time an appeal has been filed at the European Patent Office which appeal shall be promptly notified within 3 weeks of said filing to Strawman™ by the Company/Firm, failing which Strawman™ reserves the right to notify the European Patent Office to withdraw from the specified opposition.

 

8.2 Should an appeal be filed at the European Patent Office by a party other than the Company/Firm or the other Company/Firm or the Anonymous Party and the Company/Firm or the other Company/Firm or the Anonymous Party wishes Strawman™ to be or to remain a party to the proceedings then a similar additional fee, equal to the current Agreement Fee, becomes payable to Strawman™ by the Company/Firm at the time the appeal has been filed at the European Patent Office which appeal shall be promptly notified within 3 weeks to Strawman™ by the Company/Firm, failing which Strawman™ reserves the right to notify the European Patent Office to withdraw from the specified opposition.

 

9. At all material times the onus rests on the Company/Firm to notify Strawman™ of any appeal filed at the European Patent Office in respect of the specified opposition, failing which Strawman™ reserves the right to withdraw from the specified opposition.

 

10. Upon payment of the additional fee, the Company/Firm also hereby agrees to indemnify Strawman™ against any expenses that may arise against Strawman™ as a result of any part of or all of or as a consequence of the appeal or the appeal proceedings. For the avoidance of doubt, Strawman™ will not seek expenses for attending of its own volition any oral proceedings that may be as a result of any part of or all of or as a consequence of the appeal unless Strawman™ has been asked or requested to attend such oral proceedings by the Company/Firm or the European Patent Office.

 

11. Should Strawman™ be summoned to any oral proceedings, and should it prove to be necessary for Strawman™ to attend such oral proceedings, at the discretion of Strawman™ one or more representatives of Strawman™ will attend the proceedings on the basis of a daily rate per representation and the Company/Firm will pay those fees in addition to any out-of-pocket expenditure also incurred as a result of the summons.

 

12. No term of this Agreement is enforceable under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 by a person who is not party in this Agreement.

 

13. In the performance of this Agreement, the status of Strawman™, including its employees and agents, shall be that of independent contractors and not as an agent of the Company/Firm.

 

14. If required, a Power of Attorney enabling the Company/Firm or other Company/Firm to represent Strawman™ at the European Patent Office for the specified opposition will be provided to Strawman™ by the Company/Firm or by the other Company/Firm for signature by Strawman™ and will be returned by Strawman™ to the Company/Firm or to the other Company/Firm. Strawman™ shall be entitled to claim for any reasonable expenses in this respect to be payable by the Company/Firm..

 

15. The Company/Firm also hereby agrees to indemnify Strawman™ against any costs and/or any expenses and/or any actions, such as an award of costs and/or damages, that may arise either from or during the specified opposition, such as actions by the Company/Firm or by the other Company/Firm or by the Anonymous Party in respect of any aspect relating to the specified opposition, in particular due to any matter that arises due to a failure to meet any of the terms in Clauses 4.1 [iv], [v] and [vi].

 

16. The Company/Firm hereby confirms that the patent owner of the European patent mentioned herein is not the Anonymous Party for the specified opposition.

 

17. Subject to Clause 4.2 this Agreement shall terminate on the date on which the specified opposition, including any appeal proceedings, are concluded. Clauses 6, 10 and 15 shall indefinitely survive any termination of this Agreement.

 

18. This Agreement is made in England and is to be governed and construed in accordance with English Law. The parties hereby submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England.

Company Number: 3825903

Registered Office: Office 9, Dalton House, 60 Windsor Avenue, London, SW19 2RR.

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