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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
DALLAS DIVISION
_______________________________
)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and )
STATE OF TEXAS, )
)
Plaintiffs, ) Civil No.: 3:95 CV 3055-P
)
v. )
) Filed: Decemeber 12, 1995
KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION and )
SCOTT PAPER COMPANY, )
)
Defendants. )
_______________________________)
PROPOSED FINAL JUDGMENT
WHEREAS, plaintiffs, the United States of America and the
State of Texas, having filed their Complaint herein on December
12, 1995, and plaintiffs and defendants, by their respective
attorneys, having consented to the entry of this Final Judgment
without trial or adjudication of any issue of fact or law herein,
and without this Final Judgment constituting any evidence against
or an admission by any party with respect to any issue of law or
fact herein;
AND WHEREAS, defendants have agreed to be bound by the
provisions of this Final Judgment pending its approval by the
Court;
AND WHEREAS, prompt and certain divestiture of certain
rights and assets to assure that competition is not substantially
lessened are the essence of this agreement;
AND WHEREAS, plaintiffs require defendants to make certain
divestitures for the purpose of establishing viable competitors
in the sale of baby wipes and facial tissue;
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AND WHEREAS, defendants have represented to plaintiffs that
the divestitures required below can and will be made and that
defendants will later raise no claims of hardship or difficulty
as grounds for asking the Court to modify any of the divestiture
provisions contained below;
NOW, THEREFORE, before the taking of any testimony, and
without trial or adjudication of any issue of fact or law herein,
and upon consent of the parties hereto, it is hereby ORDERED,
ADJUDGED, AND DECREED as follows:
I. JURISDICTION
This Court has jurisdiction over each of the parties hereto
and the subject matter of this action. The Complaint states a
claim upon which relief may be granted against defendants under
Section 7 of the Clayton Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. § 18).
II. DEFINITIONS
As used in this Final Judgment:
A. "Kimberly-Clark" means defendant Kimberly-Clark
Corporation, a Delaware corporation with its headquarters in
Dallas, Texas, and includes its successors and assigns, and its
subsidiaries, directors, officers, managers, agents, and
employees.
B. "Scott" means defendant Scott Paper Company, a
Pennsylvania corporation with its headquarters in Boca Raton,
Florida, and includes its successors and assigns, and its
subsidiaries, directors, officers, managers, agents, and
employees.
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C. "Relevant Wet Wipes Assets" means:
(1) the Dover, Delaware plant of Scott, including all
tangible assets used by Scott in connection with its
business of researching, developing, making, having made,
packaging, distributing, or selling products of the Dover
plant, including but not limited to: the manufacturing plant
and associated web making, converting, packaging and
distributing equipment and facilities, inventory, real property,
and any other interests, or tangible assets or improvements,
associated with the Dover plant;
(2) a twenty-five year, exclusive, royalty-free and
assignable license, perpetually renewable at the licensee's
option, to make, have made, use or sell in the United States
any label of any baby wipes product currently produced at
the Dover, Delaware plant, including but not limited to the
Baby Fresh, Wash-a-Bye Baby, Baby Fresh Gentle Touch, and
Kid Fresh labels, and any improvement to or line extension
of those labels; and
(3) all intangible assets, wherever located, that
relate in any way to the tangible assets and labels
described above (including but not limited to:
manufacturing, converting, packaging and distribution know-
how); exclusive, assignable rights to all patents,
proprietary technology, supply contracts, and business
information solely dedicated to the tangible assets or
the labels described above; rights in real and personal
property; and nonexclusive, assignable rights to all related
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patents, proprietary technology and business information
used in connection with, but not solely dedicated to the
tangible assets or the labels described above.
D. "Relevant Facial Tissue Assets" means:
(1) a twenty-five year, exclusive, royalty-free and
assignable license, perpetually renewable at the licensee's
option, to make, have made, use or sell in the United States
any facial tissue under the Scotties label, and a covenant
that defendants shall not make, have made, use or sell in
the United States any facial tissue under the Scott or
Scotties label;
(2 ) any two of the following four tissue mills: the
Scott tissue mill in Marinette, Wisconsin; the Scott tissue
mill in Ft. Edward, New Y ork; the Kimberly-Clark Lakeview
tissue mill in Neenah, Wisconsin; and the Kimberly-Clark
Badger-Globe tissue mill in Neenah, Wisconsin; provided,
however, that in the event a purchaser elects to purchase the
Marinette, WI tissue mill of Scott, defendants shall not be
required to divest the DRC tissue machine and associated
converting assets, located in an adjacent facility on the
Marinette tissue mill site and not currently used for making
facial tissue, in which case defendants shall, at the option
of the purchaser, enter into an arrangement with respect to
the measures necessary to separate the DRC tissue machine
from the rest of the Marinette tissue mill, including but
not limited to a long-term agreement to provide, on a
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nondiscriminatory basis, shared utilities, such as water,
electric, steam, and treatment of waste or effluent;
(3) at th e purchaser's option, (a) a commitment by
defendants to enter into up to a three-year agreement to
sell to purchaser, at such rates as to which purchaser and
defendants may agree, as much as 25,000 metric tons/year of
tissue parent rolls; and (b) a commitment by defendants to
enter into up to a three-year agreement to buy from the purchaser,
at such rates as to which purchaser and defendants may agree,
as much as 25,000 metric tons/year of tissue parent rolls;
(4) all tangible assets used solely in connection with
the business of making, having made, using, converting,
packaging, distributing, or selling any product from any of
the tissue mills identified in Section II(D)(2), including but
not limited to: the tissue mill and associated
papermaking, converting, packaging and distribution
equipment and facilities; real property; or tangible assets
or improvements, associated with the tissue mill; and
(5) a ll intangible assets, not otherwise addressed
above, wherever located, that relate in any way solely to
the tangible assets described above or the Scotties label
(including but not limited to: papermaking, converting,
packaging and distributing know-how); exclusive, assignable
rights to all patents, proprietary technology, supply
contracts, and business information and rights in real and
personal property solely dedicated to the tangible assets or
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the Scotties label; and nonexclusive, assignable rights to
all related patents, proprietary technology and business
information used in connection with, but not solely
dedicated to the tangible assets or the Scotties label.
E. "Label" means all legal rights associated with a
brand's trademarks, trade names, copyrights, designs, and trade
dress (and any improvements, extensions or modifications); the
brand's trade secrets; know-how or other proprietary information
for making, having made, using and selling the brand, including,
but not limited to, packaging, sales, marketing and distribution
know-how and documentation, such as customer lists.
III. APPLICABILITY
A. The provisions of this Final Judgment apply to the
defendants, their successors and assigns, their subsidiaries,
directors, officers, managers, agents, and employees, and all
other persons in active concert or participation with any of them
who shall have received actual notice of this Final Judgment by
personal service or otherwise.
B. Defendants shall require, as a condition of the sale or
other disposition of all or substantially all of the Relevant Wet
Wipes Assets and Relevant Facial Tissue Assets, that the
purchaser or purchasers agree to be bound by the provisions of
this Final Judgment.
IV. DIVESTITURES
A. Defendants are hereby ordered and directed, within 150
days after filing of the Final Judgment, to divest to a purchaser
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the Relevant Wet Wipes Assets, in accordance with the procedures
specified in this Final Judgment.
Defendants are ordered and directed, within 180 days after
filing of the Final Judgment, to divest to one or more purchasers
the Relevant Facial Tissue Assets, in accordance with the
procedures specified in this Final Judgment.
B. Defendants agree to take all reasonable steps to
accomplish the divestitures as expeditiously and timely as
possible. Plaintiffs may, in their sole discretion, extend the
time period for any divestiture for an additional period of time
not to exceed two months.
C. In accomplishing the divestitures ordered by this Final
Judgment, defendants promptly shall make known, by usual and
customary means, the availability of the Relevant Wet Wipes
Assets and Relevant Facial Tissue Assets. Defendants shall
provide any person making an inquiry regarding a possible
purchase with a copy of the Final Judgment. Defendants shall
also offer to furnish to all bona fide prospective purchasers,
subject to customary confidentiality assurances, all reasonably
necessary information regarding the Relevant Wet Wipes Assets and
the Relevant Facial Tissue Assets, except such information
subject to attorney-client privilege or attorney work product
privilege. Defendants shall make available such information to
plaintiffs at the same time that such information is made
available to any other person. Defendants shall permit
prospective purchasers of the Relevant Wet Wipes Assets and
Relevant Facial Tissue Assets to have access to personnel and to
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make such inspection of physical facilities and any and all
financial, operational, or other documents and information as may
be relevant to the divestitures required by this Final Judgment.
D. Unless plaintiffs otherwise consent in writing,
divestitures under Section IV(A), or by the trustee appointed
pursuant to Section V, shall include the Relevant Wet Wipes
Assets and Relevant Facial Tissue Assets and be accomplished in
such a way as to satisfy plaintiffs, in their sole discretion,
that the Relevant Wet Wipes Assets and Relevant Facial Tissue
Assets can and will be used by the purchaser or purchasers as
part of viable, ongoing businesses engaged in the selling of baby
wipes and facial tissue at wholesale to retail stores. Each
divestiture shall be made to a purchaser or purchasers for whom
it is demonstrated to plaintiffs' satisfaction that (1) the
purchase or purchases are for the purpose of competing
effectively in making and selling branded baby wipes and/or
facial tissue at wholesale to retail stores and other customers;
and (2) the purchaser or purchasers have or soon will have the
managerial, operational, and financial capability to compete
effectively in making and selling branded baby wipes and/or
facial tissue at wholesale to retail stores; and (3) none of the
terms of any agreement between the purchaser or purchasers and
defendants give defendants the ability artificially to raise the
purchaser's or purchasers' costs, lower the purchaser's or
purchasers' efficiency, or otherwise interfere in the ability of
the purchaser or purchasers to compete effectively. Although
Sections II(D)(2) and IV(A) require a sale of any two of four
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tissue mills, plaintiffs can, in their sole discretion, approve a
divestiture involving a sale of less than two tissue mills listed
in Section II(D), if convinced that such divestiture is
sufficient to satisfy their competitive concerns.
E. Defendants shall exercise any residual right in any
label licensed pursuant to this Final Judgment solely for the
purpose of protecting their lawful intellectual property rights.
Defendants shall not, in any circumstance, exercise any such
right to impair or inhibit in any way a licensee's ability to
compete, and they shall not exercise such right, directly or
indirectly, to obtain competitively-sensitive information
pertaining to any licensee.
V. APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEE
A. If defendants have not accomplished any divestiture
required by Section IV within the time specified therein,
defendants shall notify plaintiffs of that fact in writing.
Within ten (10) calendar days of their receipt of such written
notice, plaintiffs shall provide defendants with written notice
of the names and qualifications of not more than two (2) nominees
for the position of trustee for the required divestiture.
Defendants shall notify plaintiffs within five (5) calendar days
thereafter whether either or both of such nominees are
acceptable. If either or both of such nominees are acceptable to
defendants, plaintiffs shall notify the Court of the person upon
whom the parties have agreed and the Court shall appoint that
person as the trustee. If neither nominee is acceptable to
defendants, they shall furnish to plaintiffs, within ten (10)
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calendar days after plaintiffs provide the names of their
nominees, written notice of the names and qualifications of not
more than two (2) nominees for the position of trustee for the
required divestiture. If either or both of such nominees are
acceptable to plaintiffs, plaintiffs shall notify the Court of
the person upon whom the parties have agreed and the Court shall
appoint that person as the trustee. If neither nominee is
acceptable to plaintiffs, plaintiffs shall furnish the Court the
names and qualifications of its and defendants' proposed
nominees. The Court may hear the parties as to the nominees'
qualifications and shall appoint one of the nominees as the
trustee.
B. If defendants have not accomplished either of the
divestitures required by Section IV of this Final Judgment at the
expiration of the time period specified therein, subject to the
selection process described in Section V(A), the appointment by
the Court of the trustee shall become effective. The trustee
shall then take steps to effect the divestiture(s) specified in
Section IV(A).
C. After the trustee's appointment has become effective,
only the trustee shall have the right to sell the Relevant Wet
Wipes Assets or Relevant Facial Tissue Assets. The trustee shall
have the power and authority to accomplish the divestiture(s) to
a purchaser acceptable to plaintiffs at such price and on such
terms as are then obtainable upon the best reasonable effort by
the trustee, subject to the provisions of Section IV of this
Final Judgment, and shall have such other powers as this Court
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shall deem appropriate. Defendants shall not object to the sale
of the Relevant Wet Wipes Assets or Relevant Facial Tissue Assets
by the trustee on any grounds other than the trustee's
malfeasance. Any such objection by defendants must be conveyed
in writing to plaintiffs and the trustee no later than fifteen
(15) calendar days after the trustee has notified defendants of
the proposed licensing and sale in accordance with Section VI of
this Final Judgment.
D. The trustee shall serve at the cost and expense of
defendants, shall receive compensation based on a fee arrangement
which provides an incentive based on the price and terms of the
divestiture and the speed with which it is accomplished, and
shall serve on such other terms and conditions as the Court may
prescribe; provided however, that the trustee shall receive no
compensation, nor incur any costs or expenses (other than related
to the selection process), prior to the effective date of his or
her appointment. The trustee shall account for all monies
derived. After approval by the Court of the trustee's
accounting, including fees for its services, all remaining monies
shall be paid to defendants and the trust shall then be
terminated.
E. Defendants shall take no action to interfere with or
impede the trustee's accomplishment of the divestiture of the
Relevant Wet Wipes Assets or Relevant Facial Tissue Assets and
shall use its best efforts to assist the trustee in accomplishing
the required divestiture. Subject to a customary confidentiality
agreement, the trustee shall have full and complete access to the
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personnel, books, records, and facilities related to the Relevant
Wet Wipes Assets or the Relevant Facial Tissue Assets, and
defendants shall develop such financial or other information
necessary to the divestiture of the Relevant Wet Wipes Assets and
Relevant Facial Tissue Assets.
F. After its appointment becomes effective, the trustee
shall file monthly reports with the parties and the Court setting
forth the trustee's efforts to accomplish divestiture of the
Relevant Wet Wipes Assets and Relevant Facial Tissue Assets as
contemplated under this Final Judgment; provided however, that to
the extent such reports contain information that the trustee
deems confidential, such reports shall not be filed in the public
docket of the Court. Such reports shall include the name,
address, and telephone number of each person who, during the
preceding month, made an offer to acquire, expressed an interest
in acquiring, entered into negotiations to acquire, or was
contacted or made an inquiry about acquiring, any interest in the
Relevant Wet Wipes Assets and Relevant Facial Tissue Assets, and
shall describe in detail each contact with any such person during
that period. The trustee shall maintain full records of all
efforts made to divest these operations.
G. Within six (6) months after its appointment has become
effective, if the trustee has not accomplished the divestiture
required by Section IV of this Final Judgment, the trustee shall
promptly file with the Court a report setting forth (1) the
trustee's efforts to accomplish the required divestiture, (2) the
reasons, in the trustee's judgment, why the required divestiture
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has not been accomplished, and (3) the trustee's recommendations;
provided however, that to the extent such reports contain
information that the trustee deems confidential, such reports
shall not be filed in the public docket of the Court. The
trustee shall at the same time furnish such reports to the
parties, who shall each have the right to be heard and to make
additional recommendations consistent with the purpose of the
trust. The Court shall thereafter enter such orders as it shall
deem appropriate in order to carry out the purpose of the trust,
which shall, if necessary, include augmenting the assets to be
divested, and extending the trust and the term of the trustee's
appointment.
VI. NOTIFICATION
Within two (2) business days following execution of a
definitive agreement, contingent upon compliance with the terms
of this Final Judgment, to effect, in whole or in part, any
proposed divestiture pursuant to Sections IV or V of this Final
Judgment, defendants or the trustee, whichever is then
responsible for effecting the divestiture, shall notify
plaintiffs of the proposed divestiture. If the trustee is
responsible, it shall similarly notify defendants. The notice
shall set forth the details of the proposed transaction and list
the name, address, and telephone number of each person not
previously identified who offered to, or expressed an interest in
or desire to, acquire any ownership interest in the assets that
are the subject of the binding contract, together with full
details of same. Within fifteen (15) calendar days of receipt by
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plaintiffs of such notice, plaintiffs may request additional
information concerning the proposed divestiture and the proposed
purchaser. Defendants and the trustee shall furnish any
additional information requested within twenty (20) calendar days
of the receipt of the request, unless the parties shall otherwise
agree. Within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of the
notice or within twenty (20) calendar days after plaintiffs have
been provided the additional information requested (including any
additional information requested of persons other than defendants
or the trustee), whichever is later, plaintiffs shall provide
written notice to defendants and the trustee, if there is one,
stating whether or not it objects to the proposed divestiture.
If plaintiffs provide written notice to defendants and the
trustee that it does not object, then the divestiture may be
consummated, subject only to defendants' limited right to object
to the sale under the provisions in Section V(C). Absent written
notice that the plaintiffs do not object to the proposed
purchaser, a divestiture proposed under Section IV shall not be
consummated. Upon objection by either plaintiff, a divestiture
proposed under Section IV shall not be consummated. Upon
objection by either plaintiff, or by defendants under the proviso
in Section V(C), a divestiture proposed under Section V shall not
be consummated unless approved by the Court.
VII. AFFIDAVITS
Within ten (10) calendar days of the filing of this Final
Judgment and every thirty (30) calendar days thereafter until the
divestiture has been completed or authority to effect divestiture
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passes to the trustee pursuant to Section V of this Final
Judgment, defendants shall deliver to plaintiffs an affidavit as
to the fact and manner of compliance with Sections IV and V of
this Final Judgment. Each such affidavit shall include, inter
alia, the name, address, and telephone number of each person
who, at any time after the period covered by the last such
report, made an offer to acquire, expressed an interest in
acquiring, entered into negotiations to acquire, or was contacted
or made an inquiry about acquiring, any interest in the Relevant
Wet Wipes Assets or Relevant Facial Tissue Assets, and shall
describe in detail each contact with any such person during that
period. Defendants shall maintain full records of all efforts
made to divest these operations.
VIII. FINANCING
With prior written consent of the plaintiffs, defendants may
finance all or any part of any purchase made pursuant to Sections
IV or V of this Final Judgment.
IX. PRESERVATION OF ASSETS
Until the divestitures required by the Final Judgment have
been accomplished:
A. Defendants shall take all steps necessary to ensure that
the Relevant Wet Wipes Assets will be maintained as an
independent, ongoing, economically viable and active competitor
in the sale of baby wipes in the United States, with proprietary
technology, management operations, books, records and
competitively-sensitive sales, marketing and pricing information
and decision-making kept separate and apart from, and not
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influenced by, that of Kimberly-Clark's Huggies baby wipes
business.
B. Defendants shall operate the Relevant Facial Tissue
Assets to ensure a distinct and economically viable product line,
which actively competes in the sale of facial tissue in the
United States, with competitively-sensitive sales, marketing and
pricing information and decision-making kept separate and apart
from, and not influenced by, that of Kimberly-Clark's Kleenex
facial tissue business.
C. Defendants shall use all reasonable efforts to maintain
and increase sales of baby wipes under any label required to be
divested pursuant to Sections II(C) and IV(A) and facial tissue
under the Scotties label, and they shall maintain at 1995 or
previously approved levels, whichever is higher, promotional,
advertising, marketing and merchandising support for baby wipes
under labels in the Relevant Wet Wipes Assets and facial tissue
under the Scotties label.
D. Defendants shall take all steps necessary to ensure that
the Relevant Wet Wipes Assets and Relevant Facial Tissue Assets
are fully maintained in operable condition at their current
capacity configurations, and shall maintain and adhere to normal
repair and maintenance schedules for such assets.
E. Defendants shall not, except as part of a divestiture
approved by plaintiffs, sell any Relevant Wet Wipes Assets or
Relevant Facial Tissue Assets, other than in the ordinary course
of business.
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F. Defendants shall take no action that would jeopardize
the sale or license of the Relevant Wet Wipes Assets or the
Relevant Facial Tissue Assets. Within 21 days after filing of
the Final Judgment, defendants shall discontinue making and
selling facial tissue under the Scott label and make and sell
facial tissue under the Scotties label; provided, however, that
defendants may sell inventory of facial tissue produced under the
Scott Label until such inventory is depleted.
X. COMPLIANCE INSPECTION
Only for the purposes of determining or securing compliance
with the Final Judgment and subject to any legally recognized
privilege, from time to time:
A. Duly authorized representatives of the United States
Department of Justice, upon written request of the Attorney
General or of the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the
Antitrust Division, or of the Attorney General of the State of
Texas, and on reasonable notice to defendants made to their
principal offices, shall be permitted:
(1) Access during office hours of defendants to
inspect and copy all books, ledgers, accounts, correspondence,
memoranda, and other records and documents in the possession or
under the control of defendants, who may have counsel present,
relating to enforcement of this Final Judgment; and
(2) Subject to the reasonable convenience of
defendants and without restraint or interference from them,
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to interview officers, employees, and agents of defendants,
who may have counsel present, regarding any such matters.
B. Upon the written request of the Attorney General or of
the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust
Division, or of the Attorney General of the State of Texas, made
to defendants' principal offices, defendants shall submit such
written reports, under oath if requested, with respect to
enforcement of this Final Judgment.
C. No information or documents obtained by the means
provided in this Section X shall be divulged by a representative
of either plaintiff to any person other than a duly authorized
representative of the Executive Branch of the United States or of
the State of Texas, except in the course of legal proceedings to
which the United States is a party (including grand jury
proceedings), or for the purpose of securing compliance with this
Final Judgment, or as otherwise required by law.
D. If at the time information or documents are furnished
by defendants to plaintiffs, defendants represent and identify in
writing the material in any such information or documents to
which a claim of protection may be asserted under Rule 26(c)(7)
of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and defendants mark each
pertinent page of such material, "Subject to claim of protection
under Rule 26(c)(7) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,"
then ten (10) calendar days notice shall be given by plaintiff to
defendants prior to divulging such material in any legal
proceeding (other than a grand jury proceeding).
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XI. RETENTION OF JURISDICTION
Jurisdiction is retained by this Court for the purpose of
enabling any of the parties to this Final Judgment to apply to
this Court at any time for such further orders and directions as
may be necessary or appropriate for the construction or carrying
out of this Final Judgment, for the modification of any of the
provisions hereof, for the enforcement of compliance herewith,
and for the punishment of any violations hereof.
XII. TERMINATION
Unless this Court grants an extension, this Final Judgment
will expire on the tenth anniversary of the date of its entry.
XIII. PUBLIC INTEREST
Entry of this Final Judgment is in the public interest.
Dated:
United States District Judge
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