Indemnification by the Distributor (a) The Distributor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties” for purposes of this Section 7.4) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the Sponsor) or litigation (including legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or acquisition of the Fund’s shares or the Variable Insurance Products and:
(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the registration statement or prospectus or sales literature of the Fund (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Distributor or the Fund by or on behalf of the Company for use in the registration statement or prospectus for the Fund or in sales literature (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the Variable Insurance Products or Fund shares; or
(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations (other than statements or representations contained in the registration statement, prospectus or sales literature for the Variable Insurance Products not supplied by the Distributor or persons under its control) or unlawful conduct of the Fund, the Advisers or persons under their control, with respect to the sale or distribution of the Variable Insurance Products or Fund shares; or
(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a registration statement, prospectus or sales literature covering the Variable Insurance Products (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement or statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Fund; or
(iv) result from any failure by the Distributor or the Fund to provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement; or
(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any representation and/or warranty made by the Distributor or the Fund in this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the Distributor of the Fund; as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 7.4(b) and 7.4(c) hereof.
(b) The Distributor shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation to which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of such Indemnified Party’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party’s duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party’s reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or to the Company or the Accounts, whichever is applicable.
(c) The Distributor shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Distributor in writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of any such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Distributor of any such claim shall not relieve the Distributor from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of this indemnification provision. In any case any such action is brought against the Indemnified Parties, the Distributor will be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Sponsor also shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice from the Distributor to such party of the Distributor’s election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and the Distributor will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by each party independently in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
(d) The Company agrees promptly to notify the Distributor of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers or directors in connection with the issuance or sale of the Variable Insurance Products or the operation of each account.
