global business affiliation

GLOBAL BUSINESS AFFILIATION

Effective date: March 1, 2025

HKS Studio LLC (“the Group”, “we”, “our”) is a U.S. registered private limited liability company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The Group business project globally. In order to protect the global interests of the Group, its asset, and clients, the following statement outlines the governance structure, operational rights, and global business policies managing all affiliated brands, subsidiaries, and regional offices. We recommend that you retain a copy of these Terms for future reference.

1. Global Governance & Jurisdiction

All operations, subsidiaries, assets, and personnel acting under the Group name, regardless of regional incorporation, are governed only by the Group's U.S. headquarters. This includes but not limited to:

Strategic and creative decision-making authority;

Appointment or dismissal of all-level personnel;

Rights to enter or terminate partnerships;

Ownership, control and final interpretation, of all associated intellectual property, including any form of creative works, audiovisual materials, registered or unregistered trademarks;

Ownership, control and final interpretation, of all webpages;

2. Group Asset Authority and Control

The Group reserves the right to issue, suspend, or revoke the usage rights of any overseas registered asset — including but not limited to subsidiaries and regional offices (excluding individuals) — with immediate effect, irrespective of time zone. “Group Asset Usage Rights” refer to, but are not limited to:

The authority to represent, utilise, and publicly display in the local jurisdiction any creative outputs, audiovisual materials, written content, statements, memoranda, or other works currently being developed or previously completed by the Group;

The authority to represent, utilise, and publicly display any registered or unregistered trademarks owned by the Group in the local jurisdiction;

All leasing, full acquisition, permanent or non-permanent transfers of the Group’s intellectual property — including but not limited to creative outputs, trademarks (registered or unregistered), audiovisual materials, and written content — must be formalised through legally binding documents issued in English and the local official language (where applicable), signed and authorised by the current Chief Executive Officer of the Group. Any agreements that fail to meet these formal requirements shall be deemed invalid and will constitute an infringement of the Group’s intellectual property. The Group reserves the right to pursue legal action for such violations in any applicable jurisdiction.

3. Sub-Brand Autonomy and Approval Protocol

Subsidiaries and affiliated sub-brands of the Group may independently engage in business dealings with clients and partners within their respective jurisdictions, as long as all legally binding documents and contracts signed between parties reviewed and approved by the Group’s U.S. headquarters. As a general principle, the Group will make every reasonable effort to respect and support the lawful operations of its subsidiaries, provided they comply with applicable local laws and regulations.

4. Contractual and Legal Oversight

The Group reserves the right to override in local operations when the interests or legal integrity of the Group are at stake. This includes:

Unilateral modification, suspension, or cancellation of contracts with third parties if deemed harmful to Group interests;

Unrestricted and indefinite withdrawal of Group’s assets and personnel;

Retention of legal recourse in local jurisdictions and international courts where applicable;

Enforcement of full legal protection over its intellectual property, brand equity, and affiliated personnel;

5. Respect for Local Law

In the event of a legal conflict between U.S. law and the local jurisdiction in which a subsidiary operates, the Group will aim to comply with local law to the fullest extent possible, while protecting the Group’s overarching rights and interests.

6. Regional Autonomy and Global Policy

Business decisions made in any specific region are not to be construed as policy changes affecting the Group globally unless explicitly announced by the U.S. headquarters.

7. Transparency in Affiliation

All regional affiliates and sub-brands must clearly identify their relationship with HKS Studio Group in external communication and public-facing materials.