The relevant terms of the SDA and the MTA
156 We now set out the relevant terms of the SDA and MTA. Despite their length, it is necessary to set out the relevant terms in full. We will then consider the parties' submissions on the issue of construction.
157 The parties to the SDA (the Separation and Distribution Agreement) were Kraft Foods Inc (SnackCo) and Kraft Foods Group Inc (GroceryCo). The agreement was dated 27 September 2012 (although the copy in the Appeal Book is undated). The Recitals to the SDA were as follows:
A. Kraft Foods Inc., acting through itself and its direct and indirect Subsidiaries, currently conducts the GroceryCo Business and the SnackCo Business.
B. The Kraft Foods Board has determined that it is appropriate, desirable and in the best interests of Kraft Foods Inc. and its shareholders to separate Kraft Foods Inc. into two publicly traded companies: (a) GroceryCo, which following the Distribution will own and conduct, directly and indirectly, the GroceryCo Business; and (b) SnackCo, which following the Distribution will own and conduct, directly and indirectly, the SnackCo Business.
C. On the Distribution Date and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Kraft Foods Inc. shall distribute to the Record Holders, on a pro rata basis, all the outstanding shares of common stock, no par value, of GroceryCo ("GroceryCo Common Stock") then owned by Kraft Foods Inc. (the "Distribution").
D. The Distribution is intended to qualify as a tax-free spin-off pursuant to Section 355 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").
158 Section 2.1 of the SDA set out definitions of certain defined terms. These included:
"Ancillary Agreements" means … the IP Agreement (Trademark) [i.e. the MTA] …
"GroceryCo Assets" means:
(a) the Assets listed or described on Schedule 1.2(5) (which for the avoidance of doubt is not a comprehensive listing of all GroceryCo Assets and is not intended to limit the other clauses of this definition of "GroceryCo Assets") and all other Assets that are expressly provided in this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement as Assets to be transferred to or retained by any member of the GroceryCo Group;
(b) all interests in the capital stock of, or any other equity interests in, the members of the GroceryCo Group (other than GroceryCo), and the capital stock and other equity, partnership, membership, joint venture and similar interests set on Schedule 1.2(6);
(c) all Assets reflected as assets of the members of the GroceryCo Group on the GroceryCo Balance Sheet and any Assets acquired by or for any member of the GroceryCo Group subsequent to the date of the GroceryCo Balance Sheet that, had they been acquired on or before such date and owned as of such date, would have been reflected on the GroceryCo Balance Sheet if prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis, subject to any dispositions of any such Assets subsequent to the date of the GroceryCo Balance Sheet;
(d) all approvals, registrations, permits or authorizations issued by any Governmental Authority that relate exclusively to the GroceryCo Business or the GroceryCo Assets and are held in the name of any member of the SnackCo Group;
(e) all Assets owned or held immediately prior to the Distribution by Kraft Foods Inc. or any of its Subsidiaries that primarily relate to or are primarily used in the GroceryCo Business (the intention of this clause (e) is only to rectify any inadvertent omission of transfer or conveyance of any Asset that, had the parties given specific consideration to such Asset as of the date of this Agreement, would have otherwise been classified as a GroceryCo Asset; no Asset shall be a GroceryCo Asset solely as a result of this clause (e) unless a claim with respect thereto is made by GroceryCo on or prior to the date that is 18 months after the Distribution); and
(f) all recoveries or other Assets (net of any expenses) received by any member of either Group with respect to any GroceryCo Action.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the GroceryCo Assets shall not include any Assets governed by the Tax Sharing Agreement. In the event of any inconsistency or conflict that may arise in the application or interpretation of any of the foregoing provisions, for the purpose of determining what is and is not a GroceryCo Asset, any item explicitly included in clause (a), (b) or (f) of the definition of "SnackCo Assets" shall take priority over any of clauses (c) through (e) of this definition of "GroceryCo Assets" and clause (e) of the definition of "SnackCo Assets" shall take priority over clause (c) of this definition of "GroceryCo Assets."
"GroceryCo Business" means:
(a) the business and operations conducted by Kraft Foods Inc. and its Subsidiaries prior to the Distribution comprising what is referred to in Kraft Foods lnc.'s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the six months ended June 30, 2012 (the "Kraft Foods 10-Q") as the U.S. Beverages, U.S. Cheese, U.S. Convenient Meals and U.S. Grocery segments, including the production, distribution, manufacture, marketing, packaging and sale of products under the stock keeping units ("SKUs") listed on Schedule 1.2(7), as applicable (other than any SKUs of the SnackCo Group that may be inadvertently listed on such Schedule);
(b) the business and operations conducted by Kraft Foods Inc. and its Subsidiaries prior to the Distribution relating to the production, distribution, manufacture, marketing, packaging and sale of products included in the GroceryCo Business under clause (a) above or under one of the brands listed on Schedule 1.2(8), in each case through what is referred to in the Kraft Foods 10-Q as the Kraft Foods Canada & N.A. Foodservice segment, including the SKUs listed on Schedule 1.2(7), as applicable (other than any SKUs of the SnackCo Group that may be inadvertently listed on such Schedule);
(c) the business and operations conducted by Kraft Foods Inc. and its Subsidiaries prior to the Distribution in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico relating to the production, distribution, manufacture, marketing, packaging and sale of products included in the GroceryCo Business under clause (a) or (b) above (other than Refreshment Beverages Products), including the SKUs listed on Schedule 1.2(7), as applicable (other than any SKUs of the SnackCo Group that may be inadvertently listed on such Schedule);
(d) the business and operations conducted by Kraft Foods Inc. and its Subsidiaries prior to the Distribution relating to the production, distribution, manufacture, marketing, packaging and sale of products included in the GroceryCo Business under clause (a) or (b) above (other than Refreshment Beverages Products and products sold under the brands listed on Schedule 1.2(9)) that are sold in any geographic region other than the United States, Canada, the Caribbean or Puerto Rico as an export from the United States or Canada to Third Parties through the export group of Kraft Foods Inc., including the SKUs listed on Schedule 1.2(7), as applicable (other than any SKUs of the SnackCo Group that (i) may be inadvertently listed on such Schedule or (ii) relate to Refreshment Beverages Products and products sold under the brands listed on Schedule 1.2(9));
(e) the Other Excluded SnackCo Businesses; and
(f) any other businesses or operations conducted primarily through the use of the GroceryCo Assets.
For the avoidance of doubt, this definition of "GroceryCo Business" shall not be construed to transfer to any member of either Group any trademark or other intellectual property governed by the IP Agreement (Trademark) [i.e. the MTA] or the IP Agreement (Non-Trademark).
"GroceryCo Products" means any products included in the GroceryCo Business or sold by any of the businesses listed or described on Schedule 1.2(16).
"Internal Reorganization" means all of the transactions, other than the Distribution, described in the document entitled "Detailed Transaction Steps" delivered by Kraft Foods Inc. to GroceryCo.
"SnackCo Assets" means:
(a) the Assets listed or described on Schedule 1.2(19) (which for the avoidance of doubt is not a comprehensive listing of all SnackCo Assets and is not intended to limit the other clauses of this definition of "SnackCo Assets") and all other Assets that are expressly provided in this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement as Assets to be transferred to or retained by any member of the SnackCo Group;
(b) all interests in the capital stock of, or any other equity interests in, the members of the SnackCo Group (other than SnackCo), and the capital stock and other equity, partnership, membership, joint venture and similar interests listed on Schedule 1.2(20);
(c) all Assets reflected as assets of the members of the SnackCo Group on the SnackCo Balance Sheet and any Assets acquired by or for any member of the SnackCo Group subsequent to the date of the SnackCo Balance Sheet that, had they been acquired on or before such date and owned as of such date, would have been reflected on the SnackCo Balance Sheet if prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis, subject to any dispositions of any such Assets subsequent to the date of the SnackCo Balance Sheet;
(d) all approvals, registrations, permits or authorizations issued by any Governmental Authority that relate exclusively to the SnackCo Business or the SnackCo Assets and are held in the name of any member of the GroceryCo Group;
(e) all Assets owned or held immediately prior to the Distribution by Kraft Foods Inc. or any of its Subsidiaries that primarily relate to or are primarily used in the SnackCo Business (the intention of this clause (e) is only to rectify any inadvertent omission of transfer or conveyance of any Asset that, had the parties given specific consideration to such Asset as of the date of this Agreement, would have otherwise been classified as a SnackCo Asset; no Asset shall be a SnackCo Asset solely as a result of this clause (e) unless a claim with respect thereto is made by SnackCo on or prior to the date that is 18 months after the Distribution); and
(f) all recoveries or other Assets (net of any expenses) received by any member of either Group with respect to any SnackCo Action.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the SnackCo Assets shall not include any Assets governed by the Tax Sharing Agreement. In the event of any inconsistency or conflict that may arise in the application or interpretation of any of the foregoing provisions, for the purpose of determining what is and is not a SnackCo Asset, any item explicitly included in clause (a), (b) or (f) of the definition of "GroceryCo Assets" shall take priority over any of clauses (c) through (e) of this definition of "SnackCo Assets" and clause (e) of the definition of "GroceryCo Assets" shall take priority over clause (c) of this definition of "SnackCo Assets."
"SnackCo Business" means:
(a) the business and operations conducted by Kraft Foods Inc. and its Subsidiaries prior to the Distribution comprising what is referred to in the Kraft Foods 10-Q as the U.S. Snacks, Kraft Foods Europe and Kraft Foods Developing Markets segments (but excluding (i) the production, distribution, manufacture, marketing, packaging and sale of Planters and Corn Nuts branded products (but for the avoidance of doubt, not Back-to-Nature nuts) (the "Other Excluded SnackCo Businesses") and (ii) the other businesses and operations included in clauses (c) and (d) of the definition of "GroceryCo Business");
(b) the business and operations conducted by Kraft Foods Inc. and its Subsidiaries prior to the Distribution comprising what is referred to in the Kraft Foods 10-Q as the Kraft Foods Canada & N.A. Foodservice segment (but excluding the businesses and operations described in clause (b) of the definition of "GroceryCo Business"); and
(c) any other businesses or operations conducted primarily through the use of the SnackCo Assets.
For the avoidance of doubt, this definition of "Snack Co Business" shall not be construed to transfer to any member of either Group any trademark or other intellectual property governed by the IP Agreement (Non-Trademark) or the IP Agreement (Trademark).
159 The Distribution Date for the purposes of the SDA was 1 October 2012.
160 Section 2.1 of the SDA dealt with the internal reorganisation:
Section 2.1 Internal Reorganization: Transfer of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities
(a) Prior to the Distribution, the parties shall cause the Internal Reorganization to be completed, and shall, and shall cause their respective Subsidiaries to, execute all such instruments, assignments, documents and other agreements … necessary to effect the Internal Reorganization.
(b) Prior to the Distribution, the parties shall, and shall cause their respective Subsidiaries to, (i) execute such instruments of assignment and transfer and take such other corporate actions as are necessary to (A) transfer to one or more members of the GroceryCo Group all of the right, title and interest of the SnackCo Group in and to all GroceryCo Assets and (B) transfer to one or more members of the SnackCo Group all of the right, title and interest of the GroceryCo Group in and to all SnackCo Assets …
161 Article III of the SDA dealt with the Distribution. Article IV dealt with further assurances and additional agreements.
162 Article VIII of the SDA dealt with miscellaneous matters. This included section 8.1, which provided in part:
Section 8.1 Coordination with Ancillary Agreements; Conflicts.
(a) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, in the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the provisions of this Agreement and the provisions of an Ancillary Agreement, the provisions of the Ancillary Agreement shall control over the inconsistent provisions of this Agreement as to matters specifically addressed in the Ancillary Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the Tax Sharing Agreement shall govern all matters (including any indemnities and payments among the parties and each other member of their respective Groups and the allocation of any rights and obligations pursuant to agreements entered into with Third Parties) relating to Taxes or otherwise specifically addressed in the Tax Sharing Agreement.
163 The effect of the above provision was that, in relation to matters specifically addressed by the MTA, the MTA (which was an Ancillary Agreement) prevailed over the SDA in the event of inconsistency.
164 We turn now to the MTA. The parties to the MTA (the Master Ownership and License Agreement Regarding Trademarks and Related Intellectual Property) were Kraft Foods Global Brands LLC (SnackCo IPCo) and Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC (GroceryCo IPCo). The agreement was dated "as of" 27 September 2012. The Recitals to the MTA were as follows:
A. Kraft Foods Inc., a Virginia corporation ("Kraft Foods Inc.") or ("SnackCo") and Kraft Foods Group, Inc a Virginia corporation ("GroceryCo") have entered into the Separation and Distribution Agreement (the "Separation Agreement"), dated as of September 27, 2012, under which Kraft Foods Inc. will distribute to the Record Holders (as defined in the Separation Agreement), on a pro rata basis, all the outstanding shares of GroceryCo Common Stock (as defined in the Separation Agreement) owned by Kraft Foods Inc. on the Distribution Date (as defined in the Separation Agreement) (the "Distribution").
B. Prior to the Distribution, Kraft Foods Inc., acting through itself and its direct and indirect Subsidiaries (as defined in the Separation Agreement), has conducted the GroceryCo Business (as defined in the Separation Agreement), and the SnackCo Business (as defined in the Separation Agreement). Pursuant to the Distribution, Kraft Foods Inc. is being separated into two publicly traded companies: (i) GroceryCo, which will own and conduct, directly and indirectly, the GroceryCo Business; and (ii) SnackCo, which will own and conduct, directly and indirectly, the SnackCo Business.
C. In furtherance of the separation of Kraft Foods Inc. into two publicly traded companies pursuant to the Separation Agreement, Section 2.1(b) of the Separation Agreement requires GroceryCo and SnackCo to, and to cause their respective subsidiaries to, (A) transfer to one or more members of the GroceryCo Group (as defined in the Separation Agreement) all of the right, title and interest of the SnackCo Group (as defined in the Separation Agreement) in and to all GroceryCo Assets (as defined in the Separation Agreement) and (B) transfer to one or more members of the SnackCo Group all of the right, title and interest of the GroceryCo Group in and to all SnackCo Assets (as defined in the Separation Agreement).
D. In addition to such transfer of GroceryCo Assets and SnackCo Assets, the parties desire to license to each other certain Trademarks (as defined below) on both a short-term and long-term basis, taking into consideration the historic joint development of such Trademarks by the GroceryCo and SnackCo Businesses, the overlapping usage by both the GroceryCo and SnackCo Businesses in certain jurisdictions, and the needs for the Licensee (as defined below) to transition to new branding and Trademarks and exhaust existing inventory.
E. The parties desire to enter into an agreement on the following terms and conditions to set forth their agreements regarding the ownership and licensing of Trademarks used in the conduct of the GroceryCo Business and the SnackCo Business.
165 Section 1.2 of the MTA stated that "[c]apitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings assigned to them in the [SDA]". Section 1.2 also included the following definitions:
"GroceryCo Brand-Related Copyrights" means any of the copyrights owned by Kraft Foods Inc. or any of its direct or indirect Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Distribution in any product packaging, advertising and promotional material and website and other content that relates specifically to products that are primarily branded with GroceryCo Marks, other than the copyrights mentioned in Section 2.1(d).
"GroceryCo Brand IP" means, collectively, the GroceryCo Marks (and the goodwill associated therewith), the GroceryCo Brand-Related Copyrights and the GroceryCo Domain Names.
"GroceryCo Mark Binders" means the Trademark binders dated as of the Distribution Date and labeled "GroceryCo Marks" that contain a listing of all of the GroceryCo Marks.
"GroceryCo Marks" means any of the Trademarks owned by Kraft Foods Inc. or any of its direct or indirect Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Distribution that (i) are GroceryCo Primary Brands or (ii) primarily relate to or are primarily used in the GroceryCo Business. The "GroceryCo Marks" include all of the Trademarks listed in the GroceryCo Mark Binders (other than any SnackCo Primary Brand listed inadvertently therein) and exclude all of the Trademarks that are listed in the SnackCo Mark Binders (other than any GroceryCo Primary Brand listed inadvertently therein).
"GroceryCo Primary Brands" means the brands used in the GroceryCo Business that are listed on Schedule B hereto.
"GroceryCo Products" means products produced, manufactured, advertised, promoted. marketed, distributed or sold in connection with the GroceryCo Business.
"Kraft GroceryCo Trademark" means the Trademarks "KRAFT" and "KRAFT FOODS" owned by Kraft Foods Inc. or any of its direct or indirect Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Distribution, including the Kraft Hexagon Logo or any successor logo adopted by GroceryCo.
"Kraft Hexagon Logo" means the Trademark owned by Kraft Foods Inc. or any of its direct or indirect Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Distribution that consists of "Kraft" bordered with a hexagon as shown below.
"SnackCo Brand IP" means, collectively, the SnackCo Marks (and the goodwill associated therewith), the SnackCo Brand-Related Copyrights and the SnackCo Domain Names.
"SnackCo Mark Binders" means the Trademark binders dated as of the Distribution Date and labeled "SnackCo Marks" that contain a listing of all of the SnackCo Marks.
"SnackCo Marks" means any of the Trademarks owned by Kraft Foods Inc. or any of its direct or indirect Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Distribution that (i) are SnackCo Primary Brands or (ii) primarily relate to or are primarily used in the SnackCo Business. The "SnackCo Marks" include all of the Trademarks listed in the SnackCo Mark Binders (other than any GroceryCo Primary Brand listed inadvertently therein) and exclude all of the Trademarks that are listed in the GroceryCo Mark Binders (other than any SnackCo Primary Brand listed inadvertently therein).
"SnackCo Primary Brands" means the brands used in the SnackCo Business that are listed on Schedule C hereto.
"SnackCo Products" means products produced, manufactured, advertised, promoted, marketed, distributed or sold in connection with the SnackCo Business.
"Split-Ownership Brands" means the following brands used in connection with the GroceryCo Business and the SnackCo Business: "Philadelphia", "Maxwell House", "Gevalia", "Dream Whip" and "Live Active".
"Sub-Brands" means a Trademark, excluding Trade Dress, used on the front of the package for purpose of naming product variants, product segments, product flavors, usage occasions and the like and used in combination with a licensed GroceryCo Primary Brand or a licensed SnackCo Primary Brand, as the case may be.
"Trade Dress" means the rights in the registered or unregistered characteristics of the visual appearance of a product packaging including the shape or appearance of the container, graphic design, and color scheme or design, or a combination of any of the foregoing that serve as a source identifier and are used on the package in combination with a licensed GroceryCo Primary Brand or a licensed SnackCo Primary Brand, as the case may be.
"Trademarks" means trademarks, service marks, trade names and other indications of origin or similar rights and all related Trade Dress, in each case, whether registered or unregistered, including all registrations and all applications to register any of the foregoing.
166 Article II of the MTA dealt with the allocation of ownership of Trademarks, Brand-Related Copyrights and Domain Names. Section 2.1 stated in part as follows:
Section 2.1 Ownership of Trademarks, Brand-Related Copyrights and Domain Names.
(a) Ownership by GroceryCo IPCo.
(i) The parties acknowledge that, as between the parties and their respective Affiliates, GroceryCo IPCo and its Affiliates are the sole and exclusive owners of the GroceryCo Brand IP and that no SnackCo Entity has any right or interest therein, subject to the licenses granted to SnackCo IPCo in the GroceryCo Brand IP under this Agreement. SnackCo IPCo hereby assigns to GroceryCo IPCo all right, title and interest of SnackCo IPCo in and to the GroceryCo Brand IP, and agrees to cause its Affiliates to assign pursuant to separate assignment agreements to GroceryCo IPCo or an Affiliate of GroceryCo IPCo designated by GroceryCo IPCo any right, title and interest of such Affiliates of SnackCo IPCo in and to the GroceryCo Brand IP.
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(iii) All Trade Dress used for GroceryCo Products and adopted by SnackCo IPCo or any of its Affiliates prior to the Distribution Date with respect to any of the GroceryCo Marks licensed hereunder ("GroceryCo Trade Dress") shall be owned by GroceryCo IPCo (or, pursuant to separate assignment agreements, Affiliates of GroceryCo IPCo designated by GroceryCo IPCo) and deemed to be included in the GroceryCo Marks licensed to SnackCo IPCo hereunder, and SnackCo IPCo hereby assigns to GroceryCo IPCo all right, title and interest of SnackCo IPCo in such GroceryCo Trade Dress, and agrees to cause its Affiliates to assign pursuant to separate assignment agreements to GroceryCo IPCo or an Affiliate of GroceryCo IPCo designated by Grocery IPCo any right, title and interest of such Affiliates of SnackCo IPCo in and to such GroceryCo Trade Dress. Any Trade Dress that is created in good faith after the Distribution Date by or on behalf of a SnackCo Entity independently from such GroceryCo Trade Dress in connection with the use of a GroceryCo Mark licensed by GroceryCo IPCo hereunder ("SnackCo-Developed Trade Dress") and that portion of any Trade Dress that relates specifically to any SnackCo Marks shall be owned by SnackCo IPCo or its respective Affiliates.
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(b) Ownership by SnackCo IPCo.
(i) The parties acknowledge that, as between the parties and their respective Affiliates, SnackCo IPCo and its Affiliates are the sole and exclusive owners of the SnackCo Brand IP and that no GroceryCo Entity has any right or interest therein, subject to the licenses granted to GroceryCo IPCo in the SnackCo Brand IP under this Agreement. GroceryCo IPCo hereby assigns to SnackCo IPCo all right, title and interest of GroceryCo IPCo in and to the SnackCo Brand IP, and agrees to cause its Affiliates to assign pursuant to separate assignment agreements to SnackCo IPCo or an Affiliate of SnackCo IPCo designated by SnackCo IPCo any right, title and interest of such Affiliates of GroceryCo IPCo in and to the SnackCo Brand IP.
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(iii) All Trade Dress used for SnackCo Products and adopted by GroceryCo IPCo or any of its Affiliates prior to the Distribution Date with respect to any of the SnackCo Marks licensed hereunder ("SnackCo Trade Dress") shall be owned by SnackCo IPCo (or, pursuant to separate assignment agreements, Affiliates of SnackCo IPCo designated by SnackCo IPCo) and deemed to be included in the SnackCo Marks licensed to GroceryCo IPCo hereunder, and GroceryCo IPCo hereby assigns to SnackCo IPCo all right, title and interest of GroceryCo IPCo in such SnackCo Trade Dress, and agrees to cause its Affiliates to assign pursuant to separate assignment agreements to SnackCo IPCo or an Affiliate of SnackCo IPCo designated by SnackCo IPCo any right, title and interest of such Affiliates of GroceryCo IPCo in and to such SnackCo Trade Dress. Any Trade Dress that is created in good faith after the Distribution Date by or on behalf of a GroceryCo Entity independently from such SnackCo Trade Dress in connection with the use of a SnackCo Mark licensed by SnackCo IPCo hereunder ("GroceryCo-Developed Trade Dress") and that portion of any Trade Dress that relates specifically to any GroceryCo Marks shall be owned by GroceryCo IPCo or its respective Affiliates.
167 Article III of the MTA dealt with licences. Section 3.1 stated in part:
Section 3.1 License Grants by GroceryCo IPCo to SnackCo IPCo.
(a) Ten-Year License of Kraft GroceryCo Trademark to SnackCo IPCo. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, GroceryCo IPCo hereby grants to SnackCo IPCo from the Distribution Date until the tenth anniversary of the Distribution Date an exclusive, fully-paid, royalty-free, and nontransferable (except as expressly permitted herein) license to use and display in the following jurisdictions the Kraft GroceryCo Trademark in the same relative size or smaller on the principle display panel as used on the Distribution Date on SnackCo Products in the following product categories existing on the Distribution Date on which the Kraft GroceryCo Trademark appears on such date in such jurisdictions and on any substantially similar SnackCo Products and flankers and product line extensions of such SnackCo Products developed by or on behalf of the SnackCo Business or any member of the SnackCo Group after the Distribution Date and in connection with the production, manufacturing, advertising, promotion, marketing, distribution and sale of such SnackCo Products in such jurisdictions:
(i) cheese, including without limitation, processed cheese, cream cheese, grated cheese, hard cheese and natural cheese in the Near East Countries, Australia and New Zealand, including the use of the GroceryCo mark "Singles" for processed cheese;
(ii) processed cheese in Mauritius, Mexico, Venezuela, Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines, including the use of the GroceryCo Mark "Singles" for processed cheese;
(iii) mayonnaise in the European Union, Mexico, Venezuela, Australia and New Zealand;
(iv) salad dressing in the European Union, Australia and New Zealand;
(v) peanut butter in Australia and New Zealand;
(vi) ketchup in the European Union; and
(vii) macaroni and cheese products in Australia and New Zealand including the use of GroceryCo Marks "Kraft Mac & Cheese" and "Kraft Easy Mac" for such products.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if, subject to Section 3.7 of this Agreement and Section 4.6 of the Separation Agreement, any of the licenses granted in this Section 3.l(a) are assigned or otherwise transferred by the Licensee to a third party, the term of such license following such assignment or other transfer shall be limited to the shorter of (A) the remaining term of the original ten-year license term or (B) two years from the date of such assignment or other transfer; provided that GroceryCo IPCo shall in good faith consider in its sole discretion any requests by SnackCo IPCo to extend the two year remaining term for up to one additional year.
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(m) Related Logos and Tag Lines. For clarity, and unless expressly provided otherwise herein, references to a specific GroceryCo Mark that is a Licensed Trademark under this Section 3.1 shall include the logos, Sub-Brands, Trade Dress, and tag lines (other than "Make Today Delicious" which is owned by SnackCo IPCo) owned by a GroceryCo Entity as of the Distribution Date and used in connection with Such GroceryCo Mark in any product packaging immediately prior to the Distribution Date.
168 Section 3.5 of the MTA (being one of the clauses that Kraft contends Bega breached) stated:
Section 3.5 Obligation to Phase-Out Use.
(a) Upon any termination or expiration of any license of a Licensed Trademark granted under Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.6, the Licensee agrees (i) to discontinue, and cause each of its Affiliates to discontinue, the production of packaging, promotion and marketing materials that display such Licensed Trademark and (ii) to cease all advertising, couponing and any other consumer-directed marketing or promotion activity making use of such Licensed Trademark. During the twelve (12) month period following any such termination or expiration of any such license of a Licensed Trademark, the Licensee shall have the right (i) to sell any finished goods bearing the Licensed Trademark held as inventory on the date of such termination or expiration and (ii) to produce products bearing such Licensed Trademark to the extent necessary to exhaust all packaging materials existing at the time of such termination or expiration and in connection therewith to use such packaging materials and sell such products as finished goods. Each party agrees that it and its Affiliates will not produce or authorize the production of any products or packaging materials bearing a Licensed Trademark licensed to such party with an intent that such quantities be in excess of the quantity that reasonably would be expected to be sold prior to the termination or expiration of the license of such Licensed Trademark and such party shall have no rights under this Section 3.5 following the termination or expiration of the relevant license to sell any such product or use any such packaging materials in excess of such quantity. Except as contemplated above in this Section 3.5, all use of a Licensed Trademark by the Licensee shall cease upon the termination or expiration of the license of such Licensed Trademark. For the avoidance of doubt, the rights and obligations set forth in this Section 3.5 shall apply to the sublicensees of SnackCo IPCo set forth in Section 3.1(1), subject to Section 2.10.
(b) If the Licensee intends to transition the name of a product from a Licensed Trademark to a new trademark or brand name after the expiration or termination of the Trademark license, the Licensee shall be entitled to announce such transition of a product name prior to the expiration or termination of the Trademark license in advertising, marketing and sales materials. The Licensee may announce such transition of a product name on the product packaging and shall be permitted to reasonably reduce the prominence of the logos of the Licensed Trademarks as they appear on such packaging in furtherance of such transition, provided that no so labeled products are shipped to customers or distributors after the expiration or termination of the Trademark license (except during the twelve (12) month period provided for in Section 3.5(a)). The announcement of the transition of a product name in advertising, marketing, sales materials and product packaging shall be unobtrusive and shall not denigrate or tarnish the image and reputation of the Licensed Trademark or impair or aggravate a potential market entry by the Licensor after the expiration or termination of the Trademark license.
169 Section 3.8 of the MTA stated in part:
Section 3.8 Quality Standards and Control.
(a) The parties acknowledge that the Trademarks licensed hereunder have established valuable goodwill and that it is important to the parties that this valuable goodwill and reputation be preserved. Accordingly, the parties agree that the products with which the Licensed Trademarks are used by a party or its Affiliates, as Licensee, shall for the term of the respective Trademark license meet quality standards that are substantially equivalent to or higher than those standards maintained by Kraft Foods Inc. and its Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Distribution Date. Each party covenants and agrees that all of its and its Affiliates' activities in connection with such Trademarks licensed to it by the other party will be conducted in conformity with all applicable Laws. In case a Licensed Trademark is used as an ingredient indicator on the packaging of a certain product, the Licensee shall purchase the indicated ingredient(s) from the Licensor or one of its Affiliates, or from a company designated and approved by the Licensor or one of its Affiliates.
170 Section 3.10 of the MTA (being one of the clauses Kraft says Bega breached) stated:
Section 3.10 Goodwill Arising from Use of Marks.
Any and all goodwill arising from any Licensee's or its Affiliates' use of Trademarks licensed by the Licensor shall inure solely to the benefit of the Licensor and neither during the terms of the respective Trademark licenses nor after their termination or expiration shall either party assert any claim to the Licensor's Trademarks or such goodwill relating thereto as a result of the use of such Trademarks pursuant to the license granted to the Licensee hereunder. Each party agrees that all goodwill in the Licensor's Trademarks licensed to the Licensee hereunder that may be held by Licensee notwithstanding the foregoing is hereby assigned by the Licensee and its Affiliates to the Licensor, without the need for any further action by any person.
171 Section 3.11 of the MTA (being one of the clauses Bega is said to have breached) stated:
Section 3.11 No Inconsistent Action.
Subject to Section 2.3, neither the Licensee nor any of its Affiliates shall knowingly or intentionally: (a) take, maintain or direct any action that is inconsistent with the Licensor's ownership of the Licensed Trademarks (b) assert any claim of right in or ownership of the Licensor's Licensed Trademarks or challenge the Licensor's right, title, interest in, or ownership of, its Licensed Trademarks or its registrations therefor; (c) apply for, or cause any other entity to apply for, the registration of any logo, symbol, trademark, service mark, company or corporate name, product name, domain name or a new social media account or address that does not exist as of the Distribution Date (e.g., a new Facebook or Twitter address) other than for licenses for a term of not less than ten (10) years hereunder and then in a manner that does not include the territory reserved to the Licensor in such addresses and otherwise is consistent with the territorial restrictions in this Agreement, or commercial slogan which (i) consists in whole or in part of the Licensor's Licensed Trademarks that have been registered in such jurisdiction or (ii) is confusingly similar to the Licensor's Licensed Trademarks that have been registered in such jurisdiction; or (d) take any action that would diminish or dilute the value, reputation or goodwill of the Licensor's Licensed Trademarks or that would otherwise denigrate the image and reputation of the Licensor, tarnish the Licensor's Licensed Trademarks or harm the Licensor's goodwill in its Licensed Trademarks. Neither party shall take any action with an intent to diminish the value, reputation or goodwill of or that would otherwise denigrate the image and reputation of the Split-Ownership Brands, in each case in a manner that would result in a materially adverse effect on the value, ownership, or use of such Split-Ownership Brand by or to the other party in those jurisdictions in which such other party owns the Trademarks relating to such Split-Ownership Brand. For avoidance of doubt, to the extent that an exclusive license granted by a party hereunder as provided herein does not permit such party to use a Trademark for a particular purpose, such party shall not use a Trademark that is confusingly similar thereto for such purpose.
172 Section 8.8 and 8.9 of the MTA stated:
Section 8.8 No Third Party Beneficiaries; Affiliates. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any Person other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns any legal or equitable right, benefit or remedy of any nature under or by reason of this Agreement. Without limitation to the foregoing, and for clarity, (i) references to Affiliates of a party herein does not render such Affiliates a party to this Agreement, (ii) each party hereto shall be responsible for providing to its Affiliates pursuant to separate agreements or other such arrangement any rights or benefits that such Affiliates may enjoy as a result of this Agreement and (iii) each party hereto shall be responsible for causing its Affiliates to comply with the applicable provisions of this Agreement.
Section 8.9 Governing Law. This Agreement and all disputes or controversies arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal Laws of the State of New York, without regard to the Laws of any other jurisdiction that might be applied because of the conflicts of laws principles of the State of New York (other than Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law).
173 Schedule B to the MTA is headed "GroceryCo Primary Brands". Under the heading "Cheese & Dairy", there is a list of brands, including Kraft. Similarly, under the heading "Grocery", there is a list of brands including Kraft.
174 Schedule C is headed "SnackCo Primary Brands". Although not directly relevant for the purposes of the appeal, we note that under the heading "Grocery & Convenient Meals", the "Vegemite" brand was listed.
175 The SnackCo Mark Binders included a reference to the "Never Oily, Never Dry" trade mark. As noted above, that trade mark was registered in the name of KFL before the Restructure and remained registered in the name of the same company (renamed MAFL) following the Restructure.