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General terms and conditions for the provision
of services
Pimpernel Online Entertainment
hereinafter to be referred to as: user
Article 1 Definitions
1. In the present general terms and conditions,
the following terms are used in the sense given below, unless explicitly
indicated otherwise.
User: the user of the general terms and conditions.
Client: user's opposite party.
Agreement: the agreement concerning the provision
of services.
Article 2 General
1. The present terms and conditions shall apply
to each and every offer, tender and agreement between user and a
client, to which user has declared the present terms and conditions
applicable, insofar as parties have not explicitly deviated from
the present terms and conditions in writing.
2. The present terms and conditions shall also
apply to all agreements with user, the execution of which calls
for the services of third parties.
3. Possible deviations from the present general
terms and conditions shall only be valid provided they have been
explicitly agreed upon in writing.
4. The applicability of client's possible purchase
or other conditions is explicitly rejected.
5. If one or more stipulations in the present
general terms and conditions should be null and void or declared
null and void, then the other stipulations of the present general
terms and conditions shall remain fully applicable. The case ensuing,
user and client shall enter into negotiations to agree upon new
stipulations replacing the null and void conditions, or, as the
case may be, the conditions declared null and void, whereby the
purpose and the meaning of the original conditions shall be heeded
as far as possible.
Article 3 Offers and Tenders
1. All offers shall be free of obligation unless the
offer contains an acceptance term.
2. The offers made by user shall be free of
obligation; they shall be valid for a period of 30 days, unless
indicated otherwise. User shall only be bound by the offers if the
acceptance thereof is confirmed in writing by the opposite party
within 30 days, unless indicated otherwise.
3. The prices given in above-mentioned offers
and tenders shall be exclusive of VAT and other government levies,
as well as of the other expenses to be possibly made within the
scope of the agreement, including shipment and administration costs,
unless user indicates otherwise.
4. If the acceptance deviates (on secondary
items) from the offer given, user shall not be bound by it. The
agreement shall in such event not be concluded in accordance with
said deviating acceptance, unless user indicates otherwise.
5. A compound quotation shall not oblige user
to execute part of the assignment against a corresponding part of
the given quotation.
6. Offers and tenders shall not apply automatically
to future assignments.
Article 4 Execution of the Agreement
1. User shall execute the agreement to the best
of his knowledge and ability and in compliance with the demands
of proper craftsmanship, all this on the basis of the state of science
as known then.
2. If and in so far required for the proper
execution of the agreement, user shall have the right to have certain
work and services done by third parties.
3. The client shall see to it that user shall
be provided in due time with all data which user has said to be
necessary or which the client must in all reasonableness understand
to be necessary to the execution of the agreement. If user has not
been provided in due time with the data necessary to the execution
of the agreement, user shall have the right to suspend the execution
of the agreement and / or to charge the client for the additional
costs resulting from the delay at the generally accepted rates.
4. User shall not be liable for damage of whatever
nature caused by the fact that user worked on the basis of incorrect
and / or incomplete data provided by the client, unless user should
have been aware of said incorrectness or incompleteness.
5. If parties have agreed that the agreement
will be executed in stages, user can suspend the execution of the
parts belonging to a following stage until the client has approved
in writing the results of the stage prior to it and have paid the
instalment for the stage completed.
6. If user or third parties engaged by user
within the scope of the assignment do work at client's site or at
a site designated by client, client shall provide the employees
having to work there free of charge with all facilities desired
in all reasonableness by said employees.
7.Client shall safeguard user against possible
claims filed by third parties who may sustain damage attributable
to client in connection with the execution of the agreement.
Article 5 Changes to the agreement
1. If it is shown during the execution of the
agreement that the work to be done needs to be changed and supplemented
in order to ensure its proper execution, parties shall adapt the
agreement accordingly in due time and in mutual consultations.
2. If parties agree that the agreement needs
to be changed or supplemented, this decision may influence the time
of completion of the execution. User shall inform the client thereof
as soon as possible.
3. Should the change or supplement to the agreement
have any financial and / or qualitative consequences, user shall
inform client thereof in advance.
4. If a fixed fee has been agreed upon then
user shall indicate the degree to which the change or supplement
to the agreement will result in an increase of said fee.
5. Contrary to the conditions of paragraph 3,
user shall not be able to charge additional costs if the change
or supplement is the result of circumstances attributable to user.
Article 6 Duration of the Contract; Term
of Execution
1. The agreement between user and a client shall
be entered into for an indefinite period of time, unless the nature
of the agreement dictates otherwise or if parties have explicitly
agreed otherwise in writing.
2. If a term has been agreed to complete certain
work within the term of the agreement,then this term shall never
be a term to be observed on penalty of forfeiture of rights. If
the term of execution is exceeded, the client must consequently
declare user in default in writing.
Article 7 Fee
1. The paragraphs 2., 5. and 6. through 11.
shall apply to those offers and agreements in which a fixed fee,
rate or rental is offered or agreed upon. If no fixed fee, rate
or rental has been agreed upon, the paragraphs 3. through 11. of
the present article shall apply.
2. Parties can agree upon a fixed fee, rate
or rental the moment the agreement is concluded.
3. If no fixed fee has been agreed upon, the
fee shall be determined on the basis of the number of hours actually
spent on the work. The fee shall be calculated in accordance with
user's usual hourly rates, valid for the period in which the work
is being done, unless a deviating hourly rate has been agreed upon.
4. The fee, rate, rental and a possible cost
estimate shall be exclusive of VAT.
5. With respect to assignments and agreements
with a duration of more than 3 months, the costs owed shall be charged
periodically.
6. If user and the client agree upon a fixed
fee, an hourly rate or rental, user shall nevertheless be entitled
to increase this fee, rate or rental.
7. User shall be allowed to charge on price
increases, if user can demonstrate that significant changes in price
have occurred between the time of offer and the time of delivery
with respect to, e.g., salaries and wages.
8. User shall furthermore be able to increase
the fee or rate when it is shown during the execution of the work
that the volume of work initially agreed upon or expected when the
contract was concluded, was underestimated to such a degree, and
this through no fault of the user, that user cannot be expected
in reasonableness to do the work agreed upon for the fee or rate
initially agreed upon.
9. Client will be authorised to annul the agreement,
if the fee or tariff is increased within three months after entering
the agreement. After expiration of said period, the principal will
be authorised to annul the agreement, if the increase exceeds 10%.
Client will not be entitled to annulment if the increase of the
fee or rate results from a competence by virtue of the law.
10. User shall notify the client in writing
of his intention to increase the fee, the hourly rate or rental,
whereby user shall communicate the volume of said increase and the
date on which it shall take effect.
11. If client does not wish to accept the increase
in fee, hourly rate or rental communicated by user, client shall
be entitled to terminate the agreement in writing within seven working
days following the above-mentioned notification, or to cancel the
assignment by the date given in user's notification on which the
change in fee or hourly rate would take effect.
Article 8 Payment
1. Payment must be made within 14 days from
the date of invoice, in a way to be indicated by user and in the
currency in which the statement of expenses was drawn up. Contestation
of the amount of the statements of expenses shall not suspend the
fulfilment of the payment obligation.
2. If client fails to fulfil his payment obligation
within the term of 14 days, then client shall be in default by operation
of law. In that event, client shall owe an interest of 1% per month,
unless the statutory interest rate is higher, in which case the
statutory interest rate shall apply. The interest on the amount
due and payable shall be calculated as from the day the client is
in default until the moment he has paid the amount in full.
3. User's claims against client shall become
due on demand in the event that client's company is wound up, attached,
declared bankrupt, or if a suspension of payment is granted.
4. User shall be entitled to have the payments
made by the client go first of all to reduce the costs, subsequently
to reduce the interest still due and finally to reduce the principal
sum and the current interest. User shall have the right, without
this leading user to be in default, to refuse an offer for payment,
if the client designates a different sequence of attribution. User
shall be entitled to refuse full payment of the principal sum, if
said payment does not include the interest still due, the current
interest and the costs.
Article 9 Retention of Title
1. All goods delivered by user or made available
by means of a rental agreement, possibly also including designs,
sketches, drawings, films, software, (electronic) files, etc., shall
remain user's property until client has fulfilled all of his obligations
under all agreements concluded with user. Within the scope of a
rental agreement all property rights will remain with user under
all circumstances.
2. Client shall not be authorised to pledge
or encumber in any way the goods falling under the retention of
title.
3. If third parties seize goods delivered subject
to retention of title or wish to establish or assert a right to
them, client shall be held to inform user thereof as soon as can
reasonably expected.
4. The client shall undertake to insure the
goods delivered subject to retention of title and to keep them insured
against damage caused by fire, explosion and water as well as against
theft and make this insurance policy available for inspection on
first demand.
5. Goods delivered by user falling under the
retention of title by virtue of the stipulations under 1. of the
present article, may only be sold on within the framework of normal
business activities and must never be used as instrument of payment.
6. In the event that user wishes to exercise
his ownership rights mentioned in the present article, client shall
give user or third parties to be appointed by user, now for then,
unconditional and irrevocable permission to access all sites and
locations where user's property might be found and to take these
goods back.
Article 10 Collection Charges
1. If the client fails to fulfil his obligations
(in due time) or defaults on them, then all reasonable costs incurred
to have all extrajudicial costs and debts paid shall be borne by
the client. The client shall in any case owe the collection charges
in the event of a monetary claim. The collection charges shall be
calculated in accordance with the collection rates advised by the
Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten (Netherlands Bar) for collection
procedures.
2. If user demonstrates that he has incurred
higher expenses, which were necessary in reason, said expenses shall
also qualify for reimbursement.
3. The reasonable judicial and execution costs
possibly incurred shall equally be borne by client.
Article 11 Inspection & Complaints
1. The client must notify user in writing of
complaints about the work done or services provided within 8 days
following their detection, but no later than within 30 days following
completion of the work concerned. The notice of default must give
as detailed a description as possible of the shortcoming, so that
user is in a position to respond adequately.
2. If a complaint proves to be well-founded,
user shall yet do the work as agreed upon, unless such has become
demonstrably useless in the meantime to the client. The client must
notify user in writing if the latter is the case.
3. If it is no longer possible or useful to
still do the work with respect to the provision of services agreed
upon, user shall only be liable within the limits of article 15.
Article 12 Cancellation
1. Both parties shall be entitled to cancel
the agreement at all times.
2. If the agreement is terminated prematurely
by client, user shall be entitled to compensation of the loss of
capacity utilisation to be demonstrated caused by said premature
termination, unless the termination is based on facts and circumstances
which can be attributed to user. Client shall furthermore be held
in that event to pay the statement of expenses for the work done
up till that moment. The preliminary results of the work done up
till that moment shall therefore be put at client's disposal subject
to approval.
3. If the agreement is terminated prematurely
by user, user shall see to it in conjunction with client that the
work still to be done be transferred to third parties, unless the
termination is based on facts and circumstances which can be attributed
to client.
4. If the transfer of the work still to be done
entails extra costs for user, said costs shall be charged to client.
Article 13 Suspension and Dissolution
1. User shall be authorised to suspend the fulfilment
of the obligations under the agreement, in the event that:
- client does not fulfil or does not fully fulfil
his obligations resulting from the agreement
- after the agreement has been concluded, user
learns of circumstances giving good ground to fear that the client
will not fulfil his obligations. If good ground exists to fear that
the client will only partially or improperly fulfil his obligations,
suspension shall only be allowed in so far the shortcoming justifies
such action.
- client was asked to furnish security to guarantee
the fulfilment of his obligations resulting from the agreement when
the contract was concluded and that this security is not provided
or insufficient.
2. User shall furthermore be authorised to dissolve
the agreement (have the agreement dissolved) if circumstances arise
of such a nature that fulfilment of the obligations becomes impossible
or can no longer be demanded in accordance with the requirements
of reasonableness and fairness, or if other circumstances arise
of such a nature that the unaltered maintenance of the agreement
can no longer be demanded in all reasonableness.
3. If the agreement is dissolved, the user's
claims against the client shall be forthwith due and payable. If
user suspends fulfilment of his obligations, he shall retain his
rights under the law and the agreement.
4. User shall always retain the right to claim
damages.
Article 14 Return of Goods Put at Client's
Disposal
1. If user has put goods at client's disposal
during and in connection with the execution of the agreement, client
shall be held to return the delivered goods within 14 days in their
original state, free of defects and in their entirety. If client
fails to fulfil this obligation, all resulting costs shall be at
client 's expense.
2. If, for any reason whatsoever, client still
remains in default to fulfil the obligation mentioned under 1. after
being warned to do so, user shall be entitled to recover the resulting
damage and costs, including replacement costs, from client.
Article 15 Liability
1. Should user be liable, then said liability
shall be limited to the stipulations of the present condition.
2. If user is liable for direct damage, then
said liability shall be limited to a maximum equalling the amount
of the payment to be made by user's insurer, at any rate up to a
maximum of twice the amount of the statement of expenses, at any
rate that part of the assignment to which the liability relates.
User's liability for direct damage shall at all times be limited
to a maximum of 500 Euro. (In words: five hundred Euro).
3. In the event of an assignment or agreement
with a duration of more than 3 months, the liability shall, contrary
to the stipulations under 2. of the present article, furthermore
be limited to the part of the fee or rental still due for the last
three months with a maximum of 500 Euro (In words: five hundred
Euro).
4. Direct damage shall be understood to be exclusively:
- the reasonable costs incurred to establish the cause and the volume
of the damage, in so far said establishment relates to damage in
the sense of the present terms and conditions
- the reasonable costs possibly incurred to
have user's faulty performance meet the conditions of the agreement,
unless such faulty performance cannot be attributed to user;
- the reasonable costs incurred to prevent or
limit the damage, in so far client demonstrates that said costs
have led to the limitation of direct damage as meant in the present
general terms and conditions.
5. User shall never be liable for indirect damage,
including consequential damage, loss of profit, lost savings and
damage due to business stagnation.
6. The limitations of liability for direct damage
contained in the present terms and conditions shall not apply if
the damage is due to intentional act or omission or gross negligence
on the part of user or his subordinates.
Article 16 Safeguarding
1. The client shall safeguard user against claims
filed by third parties concerning intellectual property rights on
material or data provided by the client, which shall be used for
and during the execution of the agreement.
2. If the client provides user with information
carriers, electronic files or software etc., the former shall guarantee
that said information carriers, electronic files or software are
free of viruses and defects.
Article 17 Transfer of Risk
1. The risk of loss of, or damage to the goods
being the subject of the agreement, shall be transferred to client
the moment said goods are judicially and/or actually delivered to
client and therefore fall into the power of client or of third parties
to be appointed by client.
Article 18 Force Majeure
1. Parties shall not be held to fulfil any of
their obligations if they are hindered to do so due to a circumstance
through no fault of their own and which cannot be attributed to
them by virtue of law, a legal action or generally accepted practice.
2. In addition to the provisions of the law
and the judge-made law in this respect, force majeure shall in the
present general terms and conditions furthermore be understood to
be any external circumstance, be it envisaged or not, on which user
cannot have any influence but which prevents user from fulfilling
his obligations. Industrial action at user's company or at the companies
of third parties shall also be understood to be a circumstance of
force majeure.
3. User shall also be entitled to invoke force
majeure if the circumstance rendering (further) fulfilment of the
obligation(s) impossible, commences after the point in time on which
user should have fulfilled his obligation.
4. Throughout the duration of the circumstances
of force majeure, parties shall be entitled to suspend the fulfilment
of their obligations. If this period lasts for more than two months,
either of the parties shall be entitled to dissolve the agreement
without any obligation to pay the opposite party damages.
5. Insofar user has already partially fulfilled
his obligations resulting from the agreement at the moment the circumstance
of force majeure commenced or shall be able to fulfil them and insofar
separate value can be attributed to the part already fulfilled or
still to be fulfilled respectively, user shall be entitled to submit
a separate statement of expenses of the part already fulfilled or
still to be fulfilled respectively. The client shall be held to
pay this statement of expenses as if it were a separate agreement.
Article 19 Secrecy
1. Both parties shall be bound to secrecy of
all confidential information they have received within the scope
of their agreement from each other or from another source. Information
shall be considered to be confidential if the other party has indicated
so or if the confidential character results from the nature of the
information.
2. If a statutory provision or a judicial decision
compels user to convey confidential information to third parties
designated by law or by the court and user cannot for that purpose
invoke a legal right to refuse to give evidence or such a right
acknowledged or allowed by the competent court, user shall not be
held to pay damages or compensation and the opposite party shall
not be entitled to demand the dissolution of the agreement on the
ground of any damage resulting from said circumstance.
Article 20 Intellectual Property and Copyrights
1. Without prejudice to the other stipulations
of the present general terms and conditions, user shall reserve
the rights and authorities to which user is entitled under the Copyright
Act.
2. All documents, such as reports, advice, agreements,
designs, sketches, drawings,software, etc., provided by user, shall
be destined to be used by client exclusively and must not be reproduced,
made public or brought to the notice of third parties by client
without prior consent from user, unless the nature of the documents
provided dictates otherwise.
3. User shall reserve the right to use the knowledge
gained due to the execution of the work for other purposes, in so
far no confidential information shall be brought to the notice of
third parties when doing so.
Article 21 Samples and Models
1. If a sample or (demo-)model has been given
to client, then the assumption is that such has been given by way
of indication only, unless parties agree explicitly that the product
to be delivered shall correspond with it.
Article 22 Non-employment of the opposite party's
personnel
1. Throughout the duration of the agreement
and for one year following termination thereof, client shall not
in any way, hire or employ in any other way, be it directly or indirectly,
staff of user or of enterprises whom user has engaged to execute
the present agreement and who are (were) involved in the execution
of the agreement, without prior proper businesslike consultation
on this matter, all this in accordance with the requirements of
reasonableness and fairness.
Article 23 Disputes
1. The Court in user's place of business shall
have exclusive jurisdiction to hear actions, unless the District
Court is the competent Court. User shall nevertheless be entitled
to submit the dispute to the Court deemed competent by the law.
2. Parties shall only refer the matter to the
court if they have done their utmost to solve the dispute in mutual
consultations.
Article 24 Applicable Law
1. Dutch law shall apply to each and every agreement
between user and the client.
Article 25 Changes to the Terms and Conditions
and their Location
1. The present terms and conditions have been filed at the office
of the Chamber of Commerce in Dordrecht, The Netherlands. The most
recently filed version shall always apply, or, as the case may be,
the version valid at the time the agreement was concluded.
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