Appointment of agent - Appointment of Secretary of State. A. Any nonresident or foreign nonparticipating manufacturer that has not registered to do business in this state as a foreign corporation or business entity shall appoint and continually engage without interruption, as a condition precedent to having its brand families included or retained in the directory, the services of an agent in this state to act as agent for the service of process on whom all process, and any action or proceeding against it concerning or arising out of the enforcement of the Master Settlement Agreement Complementary Act and Sections 600.21 through 600.23 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes, may be served in any manner authorized by law. The service shall constitute legal and valid service of process on the nonparticipating manufacturer. The nonparticipating manufacturer shall provide the name, address, phone number, and proof of the appointment and availability of the agent to perform the duties of an agent pursuant to the Master Settlement Agreement Complementary Act and to the satisfaction of the Oklahoma Tax Commission and the Attorney General. Any nonparticipating manufacturer located outside of the United States shall, as an additional condition precedent to having its brand families listed or retained in the Directory, cause each of its importers into the United States of any of its brand families to be sold in Oklahoma to appoint and continuously engage without interruption the services of an agent in the State of Oklahoma in accordance with the provisions of this act. All obligations of a nonparticipating manufacturer imposed by this act with respect to appointment of its agent shall likewise apply to such importers with respect to appointment of their agents. B. The nonparticipating manufacturer shall provide notice to the Oklahoma Tax Commission and Attorney General thirty (30) calendar days prior to termination of the authority of an agent and shall further provide proof to the satisfaction of the Attorney General of the appointment of a new agent no less than five (5) calendar days prior to the termination of an existing agent appointment. If an agent terminates an agency appointment, the nonparticipating manufacturer shall notify the Oklahoma Tax Commission and Attorney General of the termination within five (5) calendar days and shall include proof to the satisfaction of the Attorney General of the appointment of a new agent. C. Any nonparticipating manufacturer whose cigarettes are sold in this state, who has not appointed and engaged an agent as required by this section, shall be deemed to have appointed the Secretary of State as its agent and may be proceeded against in courts of this state by service of process upon the Secretary of State. However, the appointment of the Secretary of State as the agent shall not satisfy the condition precedent for having the brand families of the nonparticipating manufacturer included or retained in the directory.
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