FORM OF SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT

Exhibit 10.4

FORM

SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT

This Software License Agreement (Agreement) is entered into this day of , 2005
between Nationwide Services Company, LLC, an Ohio limited liability company (Nationwide),
with offices at One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43215 (Licensor), and Nationwide
Financial Services, Inc. and its Subsidiaries, an Ohio corporation, with offices at One
Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43215 (Licensee).

WHEREAS, Licensor owns the DCDirect software core platform (Software); and

WHEREAS, Licensee is desirous of Licensor developing Software for Licensee’s exclusive use;
to utilize such Software, and to make customizations, updates and/or corrections; and

WHEREAS, for the good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby
acknowledged, Licensor is willing to license the Software to Licensee; and

WHEREAS, Licensee is willing to accept the Software license under the conditions set forth set
forth above.

NOW, THEREFORE the parties agree as follows:

1. LICENSE GRANTED

Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and in consideration of Licensee’s
obligation to pay monetary fees as outlined in Schedule A, such fees which may be adjusted
from time to time by mutual written consent of the parties, Licensor hereby grants, and Licensee
hereby accepts, a perpetual, nontransferable license to use the Software in object code form
within the United States. Except for a current license with Nationwide Global Holdings, Inc.,
Licensor agrees this agreement would be exclusive to Licensee and agrees not to enter into any
future Software license obligations or licenses with any third-parties without the prior written
consent of Licensee.

Licensor also grants permission to Licensee to make and create customizations, updates or
corrections to the Software. The parties agree that Licensor shall continue to own all right, title
and interest in and to the Software and all intellectual property rights embodied therein or related
thereto including, but not limited to, the source and object codes and any customizations, updates
and corrections to the Software. Except as expressly provided herein, no intellectual property
rights are granted to Licensee by implication, estoppel, or otherwise.

Licensee will safeguard the Software and its related materials with that degree of normal due
care commensurate with reasonable standards of industrial security for the protection of trade
secrets and proprietary information so that no unauthorized use is made of them and no
disclosure of any part of their contents is made to anyone other than Licensee’s employees,
agents or consultants whose duties reasonably require such disclosure, or as necessary in the
ordinary course of business. Licensee shall make all such persons fully aware of their
responsibility to fulfill the obligations of Licensee under this Agreement.
2. SOFTWARE PROVIDED “AS IS”

Licensor warrants that it has the right to provide the Software to Licensee hereunder. Otherwise,
Licensor provides the Software to Licensee “as is.” Licensor makes no warranties or
representations that the Software is free of errors or defects, or that it adequately performs the
functions it is intended to perform. Licensee shall test the Software to insure its acceptability for
Licensee’s purpose prior to putting the Software in productive use.

Licensor is under no obligation to update or correct defects or errors in the Software. If Licensor
does provide Licensee with updates or corrections, the terms and conditions of this Agreement
shall apply.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND LICENSOR MAKES NO OTHER

WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE SOFTWARE, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE.

3. WARRANTIES OF LICENSEE

Related to customizations, updates and/or corrections of Licensee to the Software, Licensee

represents and warrants that:

(i) Licensee has all intellectual property rights necessary to produce customizations, updates
and/or corrections to the Software;
 (ii) Licensee does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party;

(iii)Licensee will make any customizations or enhancements to the Software under this
Agreement in accordance with industry standards and in a professional and workman-
like fashion;

(iv) Following completion of any customizations or enhancements to the Software, such will
remain free from material programming errors and defects in workmanship and
materials, and will substantially conform to the specifications and any related
documentation for ninety (90) days (“Warranty Period”). If material programming errors
are discovered during the Warranty Period, Licensee shall promptly remedy such errors
at no additional expense to Licensor.

4. PROPERTY RIGHTS AND RESTRICTIONS ON USE

Licensee recognizes that the Software, and customizations, updates or corrections, if any, are the
property of, and all rights thereto, are owned by Licensor. Licensee also acknowledges that such
are a trade secret of Licensor, are valuable and confidential to Licensor, and that its use and
disclosure must be carefully and continuously controlled.

Title to the Software, and customizations, updates or corrections, if any, shall at all times remain
with Licensor.
Licensee shall keep the Software, and customizations, updates and/or corrections, if any, free and
clear of any claims, liens and encumbrances attributable to the use or possession of the Software
by Licensee. Any act of Licensee, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, purporting to create a
claim of encumbrance shall be void.

The Software is for the sole use of Licensee and shall be used only for the purpose set forth in
this Agreement.

Licensee shall treat the Software, and customizations, updates and/or corrections, if any, as
confidential and proprietary, and shall protect it in the same manner that it protects the
confidentiality of its own information. While this Agreement is in effect, or while Licensee has
custody and possession of the Software, Licensee will not:

(i) provide or make available the Software to any person or entity other than employees of
Licensee who have a need to know consistent with Licensee’s use thereof under this
Agreement; or

(ii) create or attempt to create, or permit others to create or attempt to create, by

disassembling, reverse engineering or otherwise, the source program or any part thereof
from the object program or other information made available to Licensee pursuant to this
Agreement.

Licensee agrees to promptly notify Licensor if it obtains information as to any unauthorized

possession, use or disclosure of the Software by any person or entity, and further agrees to
cooperate with Licensor in protecting Licensor’s proprietary rights.
If Licensee, its officers, agents, or employees, breach any provision of this Agreement, such
breach must be cured within thirty (30) days of receipt of Licensor’s written notice describing
such breach. If such breach is not cured within the thirty (30) days after receipt of the notice,
Licensee shall pay Licensor reasonable monetary payments for loss and/or damages related to
such breach.

5. TERM

a) The license subject to this Agreement shall continue until Licensee is acquired by a third
party or survives any merger.

b) Non-performance of the contract terms.

In the event of termination of this Agreement pursuant to the above, Licensor shall have the right
to take possession of the Software.

Termination of this Agreement shall not relieve either party of its obligations pursuant to
Sections 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 hereof.

6. INDEMNIFICATION AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Licensee agrees to indemnify and hold Licensor harmless from and against all loss, cost, expense
or liability (including reasonable attorney’s fees) arising out of a claim by a third party against
Licensor based upon Licensee’s use of the Software.

Licensee agrees to indemnify and hold Licensor harmless from any loss or damages to Licensor
related to, or associated with Licensee’s customizations, updates and/or corrections to the
Software.

Licensee agrees to indemnify and hold Licensee harmless, and defend at its expense, any action
brought against Nationwide, its officers, directors, employees, shareholders, legal
representatives, agents, successors and assigns (“Nationwide Indemnified Parties”) to the extent
that it is based on a claim that the customizations, updates and/or corrections developed by
Licensee infringe any intellectual property rights of any third parties.

Licensor shall have no liability to Licensee for any damage sustained by Licensee as a result of
Licensee’s use of the Software, whether such damages would arise as a result of breach of
contract, tort or otherwise. Licensee has tested the Software and relies on its own judgment in
utilizing it.

Licensor warrants that the use of the initially provided Software will not infringe any patent,
copyright, or trademark in the United States or elsewhere, and Licensor shall indemnify and hold
Licensee harmless against any and all losses, damages and expenses, (including attorney’s fees
and other costs of defending any infringement action) which Licensee may sustain or incur as a
result of a breach of this warranty.

Obligations set forth herein are contingent upon the other party:
 a) Providing the indemnifying party with prompt written notice of any action brought
against the other party; and

b) The other party cooperating with the indemnifying party in the defense of any such
action, and allowing the indemnifying party to control the defense and settlement of any
such action at its expense;

Licensor shall have no obligation to defend any action or indemnify Licensee from damage if:

(i) Licensee, in providing customizations, updates and/or corrections to the Software,

infringes upon the intellectual property of any third party.

(ii) Licensee is not using the most current version of the Software and the action would have
been avoided without such combined use.

(iii)Licensee has modified the Software in combination with other Software and the action
would have been avoided without such combined use.

(iv) Licensee is using the Software in combination with other Software and the action would
have been avoided without such combined use

7. FORCE MAJUERE
Either party shall be excused from failures or delays in delivery or performance hereunder if
such failure or delay is attributable to causes beyond the reasonable control of the party, which
makes such performance or delivery commercially impractical. In the event of any such delay,
the time of delivery or performance and time of payment shall be extended for a period of time
equal to the time lost by reason of such delay (unless otherwise specified in writing between the
parties hereto).

8. NOTICES

All notices shall be in writing and shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the United
States Postal Services, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or when sent by telegram, telex,
or facsimile. All notices shall be directed to Licensee or to Licensor, its successors or assigns, at
the respective addresses set forth on the signature page of this Agreement or to such other
address as one party may, from time to time, designate by notice to the other party.

9. RELATIONSHIP OF THE PARTIES

The parties to this Agreement are affiliated companies and this Agreement will not establish any
relationship of partnership, joint venture, employment, franchise, or agency between the Parties.
Neither Party will have the power to bind the other or incur obligations on the other’s behalf
without the other’s prior written consent.

10. PUBLICITY

A public press announcement related this Agreement may be made, but only if mutually agreed
to in writing by the Parties.
5

11. WAIVER

No waiver of any breach of any provision of this Agreement shall constitute a waiver of any
prior, concurrent or subsequent breach of the same or any other provision hereof, and no waiver
shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by an authorized representative of the
waiving Party.

12. COMPLETE AGREEMENT

This Agreement constitutes the complete and exclusive statement of this agreement between the
parties hereto and supersedes any and all prior express implied agreements or understandings
between the parties hereto concerning the subject matter hereof. No amendment, waiver or other
alteration of this Agreement may be made except by mutual agreement in writing.

If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or

unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be
affected thereby and the parties shall negotiate replacement provisions for those provisions
which are held invalid, illegal or unenforceable which as closely as possible express the intent of
those provisions.

13. RESTRICTIONS OF TRANSFER

This Agreement and the rights and obligations under this Agreement shall not be transferable,
sublicensable or assignable to any other person, firm or corporation by Licensee, without the
express prior written consent of the Licensor. The rights and obligations of this Agreement shall
insure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, their successors and permitted
assigns.

14. GOVERNING LAW

This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio.

15. NO CONSTRUCTION AGAINST THE DRAFTER

The parties agree that this Agreement is the result of careful negotiations between sophisticated
parties and thus any principle of construction or rule of law that provides that an agreement shall
be construed against the drafter of the agreement in the event of any inconsistency or ambiguity
in such agreement shall not apply to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

16. HEADINGS

The various headings in this Agreement are inserted for convenience only, and shall not affect
the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement or any paragraph or provision hereof.

6. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have set their hands as of the day and year first
above written.
Nationwide Services Company, LLC Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.

Name: Name:

Title: Title:

Date: Date:

By: By:

SCHEDULE A: Schedule of License Fees:

2005 - $ 3.0 million dollars

2006 - $ 8.0 million dollars

2007 - $10.0 million dollars

2008 - $10.0 million dollars

2009 - $10.0 million dollars

2010 - $ 10.0 million dollars

2011 - $ 8.0 million dollars

The payments are to be made in full before by Licensee before the end of each respective
year.