These are aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by Grant Thornton and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for the fiscal years ended January 31, 2008 and January 31, 2007, for (a) the annual audit of SeaChange’s financial statements for each such fiscal year including statutory audits of foreign subsidiaries and the accompanying attestation report regarding SeaChange’s internal control over financial reporting contained in SeaChange’s annual reports on Form 10-K, (b) the audit of restated financial statements for the fiscal years 2007, 2006 and 2005, (c) reviews of the quarterly financial information included in SeaChange’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for each such fiscal year, (d) reviews of SEC filings and (e) work performed in connection with the adoption of FIN 48.
These are fees billed primarily for proprietary client software access to financial accounting, SEC and tax regulations provided by our principal auditors.
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has determined that the provision of the services as set out above is compatible with maintaining Grant Thornton LLP’s independence.
The Audit Committee’s policy is to pre-approve all audit, audit-related, tax and other non-audit services that may be provided by Grant Thornton LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm. The policy identifies the principles that must be considered by the Audit Committee in approving these services to ensure that Grant Thornton LLP’s independence is not impaired; describes the audit and audit-related, tax and other services that may be provided; and sets forth pre-approval requirements for all permitted services. To date, Audit Committee pre-approval has been sought for the provision of all services by Grant Thornton LLP.
All costs of solicitation of proxies will be borne by SeaChange. In addition to solicitations by mail, certain of SeaChange’s directors, officers and regular employees, without additional remuneration, may solicit proxies by telephone, facsimile, e-mail and personal interviews. Brokers, custodians and fiduciaries will be requested to forward the Notice and proxy soliciting material to the owners of stock held in their names, and SeaChange will reimburse them for their reasonable out-of-pocket costs.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, requires SeaChange’s directors, executive officers and holders of more than 10% of SeaChange’s common stock (collectively, “Reporting Persons”) to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of common stock of SeaChange. Such persons are required by regulations of the SEC to furnish SeaChange with copies of all such filings. Based on its review of the copies of such filings received by it with respect to the fiscal year ended January 31, 2008 and written representations from certain Reporting Persons, SeaChange believes that all Reporting Persons complied with all Section 16(a) filing requirements in the fiscal year ended January 31, 2008, with the exception that Steven M. Davi’s Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership filed on Form 4 on Monday, February 12, 2007, which reported two transactions that occurred on February 7, 2007, was required to be filed by Friday, February 9, 2007.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
SeaChange has adopted a written policy pursuant to the Amended and Restated Charter of the Audit Committee and the Charter of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee that all transactions between SeaChange and its officers, directors, principal stockholders and affiliates will be approved by a majority of the Board of Directors, including a majority of the independent and disinterested outside directors on the Board of Directors, and will be on terms no less favorable to SeaChange than could be obtained from unaffiliated third parties.
On September 23, 2005, SeaChange entered into an Agreement for the Sale and Purchase of Share Capital of ODG (the “Share Purchase Agreement”) by and among SeaChange, Anthony William Kelly, Andrew Thomas Birchall, Judith Kelly and Michael Kelly (collectively, the “ODG Stockholders”) providing for the purchase by SeaChange of the remaining 72.4% of the outstanding capital stock of On Demand Group Limited, a corporation incorporated under the laws of the United Kingdom (“ODG”), not then owned by SeaChange. Prior to that date, SeaChange had previously purchased a 27.6% interest in ODG for an aggregate of $3,100,000.At the closing of the Share Purchase Agreement, SeaChange paid the ODG Stockholders approximately $13,400,000 in cash, with Mr. Birchall receiving $6,700,000 and Mr. Kelly and his immediate family receiving $6,700,000. Mr. Kelly and Mr. Birchall became executive officers of SeaChange following the closing of the Share Purchase Agreement. Mr. Birchall resigned as an executive officer of SeaChange on March 14, 2008. The Share Purchase Agreement also provided for additional payments to be made to the ODG Stockholders based on their prior holdings of ODG capital stock both if ODG met certain annual performance goals through the period ending January 31, 2008 and if ODG sold its interest in Filmflex.
On May 10, 2006, SeaChange paid to the ODG Stockholders an aggregate of $2,800,000 in cash pursuant to the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement and based on the performance of ODG through January 31, 2006, with Mr. Birchall receiving $1,400,000 and Mr. Kelly and his immediate family receiving $1,400,000.
On June 30, 2006, SeaChange and the ODG Stockholders entered into an amendment to the Share Purchase Agreement that accelerated the second earnout payment of $2,286,416 otherwise payable in cash within seventy-five business days of January 31, 2007 under the Share Purchase Agreement. The amendment provided that the second earnout payment be satisfied as of
40
June 30, 2006 by the issuance to the sellers of shares of SeaChange’s common stock having a fair market value of $2,286,416 as of the date of the amendment, resulting in the issuance of an aggregate of 341,360 shares of SeaChange’s common stock.
On December 21, 2007, SeaChange sold all of the shares held by ODG in FilmFlex to the two other existing shareholders in FilmFlex and to FilmFlex. In connection with this sale, SeaChange entered into an amendment to the Share Purchase Agreement dated December 21, 2007 providing for the issuance to the ODG Stockholders of 417,304 shares of SeaChange’s common stock having a fair market value of $3,280,009 as of the date of the amendment.
On March 13, 2008, SeaChange and the ODG Stockholders entered into an amendment to the Share Purchase Agreement providing for the satisfaction of the final earnout payment pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement by the issuance of shares of SeaChange’s common stock having a fair market value of $4,920,042 as of January 31, 2008, or 714,084 shares of SeaChange common stock. This is the number of shares that would have been issuable to the ODG Stockholders pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement had ODG realized the targeted group net profit after tax (“GNAP”) for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2008. SeaChange entered into this amendment, notwithstanding that ODG did not achieve the target GNAP for the relevant period, recognizing the substantial value derived to date by SeaChange from ODG.
41
Appendix A
SEACHANGE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED
1996 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN1
Article 1 - Purpose.
This Third Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Plan”) is intended to encourage stock ownership by all eligible employees of SeaChange International, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, and its participating subsidiaries (as defined in Article 17) so that they may share in the growth of the Company by acquiring or increasing their proprietary interest in the Company. The Plan is designed to encourage eligible employees to remain in the employ of the Company and its participating subsidiaries. The Plan is intended to constitute an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
Article 2 - Administration of the Plan.
The Plan may be administered by a committee appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Committee”). The Committee shall consist of not less than two members of the Company’s Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may from time to time remove members from, or add members to, the Committee. Vacancies on the Committee, howsoever caused, shall be filled by the Board of Directors. The Committee may select one of its members as Chairman, and shall hold meetings at such times and places as it may determine. Acts by a majority of the Committee, or acts reduced to or approved in writing by a majority of the members of the Committee, shall be the valid acts of the Committee.
The interpretation and construction by the Committee of any provisions of the Plan or of any option granted under it shall be final, unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors. The Committee may from time to time adopt such rules and regulations for carrying out the Plan as it may deem best, provided that any such rules and regulations shall be applied on a uniform basis to all employees under the Plan. No member of the Board of Directors or the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any option granted under it.
In the event the Board of Directors fails to appoint or refrains from appointing a Committee, the Board of Directors shall have all power and authority to administer the Plan. In such event, the word “Committee” wherever used herein shall be deemed to mean the Board of Directors.
____________________
1 The marked changes show the amendments to the Third Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan approved by the Board of Directors on May 19, 2008 and for which stockholder approval is being sought.
42
Article 3 - Eligible Employees.
All employees of the Company or any of its participating subsidiaries whose customary employment is more than 20 hours per week shall be eligible to receive options under the Plan to purchase Common Stock (as defined herein), and all eligible employees shall have the same rights and privileges hereunder. Persons who are eligible employees on the first business day of any Payment Period (as defined in Article 5) shall receive their options as of such day. Persons who become eligible employees after any date on which options are granted under the Plan shall be granted options on the first day of the next succeeding Payment Period on which options are granted to eligible employees under the Plan. In no event, however, may an employee be granted an option if such employee, immediately after the option was granted, would be treated as owning stock possessing five percent or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or of any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation, as the terms “parent corporation” and “subsidiary corporation” are defined in Section 424(e) and (f) of the Code. For purposes of determining stock ownership under this paragraph, the rules of Section 424(d) of the Code shall apply, and stock which the employee may purchase under outstanding options shall be treated as stock owned by the employee.
Article 4 - Stock Subject to the Plan.
The stock subject to the options under the Plan shall be shares of the Company’s authorized but unissuedCommon Stock, par value $.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), or shares of Common Stock reacquired by the Company, including shares purchased in the open market. The aggregate number of shares which may be issued pursuant to the Plan is1,600,0002,200,000, subject to adjustment as provided in Article 12. If any option granted under the Plan shall expire or terminate for any reason without having been exercised in full or shall cease for any reason to be exercisable in whole or in part, the unpurchased shares subject thereto shall again be available under the Plan.
Article 5 - Payment Period and Stock Options.
Payment Periods shall consist of the six-month periods commencing on June 1 and December 1 and ending on November 30 and May 31, respectively.
Twice each year, on the first business day of each Payment Period, the Company will grant to each eligible employee who is then a participant in the Plan an option to purchase on the last business day of such Payment Period, at the Option Price hereinafter provided for, a maximum of 1125 shares, on condition that such employee remains eligible to participate in the Plan throughout the remainder of such Payment Period. The participant shall be entitled to exercise the option so granted only to the extent of the participant’s accumulated payroll deductions on the last business day of such Payment Period. If the participant’s accumulated payroll deductions on the last business day of the Payment Period would enable the participant to purchase more than 1125 shares except for the 1125-share limitation, the excess of the amount of the accumulated payroll deductions over the aggregate purchase price of the 1125 shares shall be promptly refunded to the participant by the Company, without interest. The Option Price per share for each Payment Period shall be the lesser of (i) 85% of the average market price of
43
the Common Stock on the first business day of the Payment Period and (ii) 85% of the average market price of the Common Stock on the last business day of the Payment Period, in either event rounded up to the nearest whole cent. The foregoing limitation on the number of shares subject to options and the Option Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Article 12.
For purposes of the Plan, the term “average market price” on any date means (i) the average (on that date) of the high and low prices of the Common Stock on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is traded, if the Common Stock is then traded on a national securities exchange; or (ii) the last reported sale price (on that date) of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Market, if the Common Stock is not then traded on a national securities exchange; or (iii) the average of the closing bid and asked prices last quoted (on that date) by an established quotation service for over-the-counter securities, if the Common Stock is not then traded on a national securities exchange or reported on the Nasdaq Global Market; or (iv) if the Common Stock is not publicly traded, the fair market value of the Common Stock as determined by the Committee after taking into consideration all factors which it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, recent sale and offer prices of the Common Stock in private transactions negotiated at arm’s length.
For purposes of the Plan, the term “business day” means a day on which there is trading on the Nasdaq Global Market or the aforementioned national securities exchange, whichever is applicable pursuant to the preceding paragraph; and if neither is applicable, a day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
No employee shall be granted an option which permits the employee’s right to purchase stock under the Plan, and under all other Section 423(b) employee stock purchase plans of the Company and any parent or subsidiary corporations, to accrue at a rate which exceeds $25,000 of fair market value of such stock (determined on the date or dates that options on such stock were granted) for each calendar year in which such option is outstanding at any time. The purpose of the limitation in the preceding sentence is to comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code. If the participant’s accumulated payroll deductions on the last business day of the Payment Period would otherwise enable the participant to purchase Common Stock in excess of the Section 423(b)(8) limitation described in this paragraph, the excess of the amount of the accumulated payroll deductions over the aggregate purchase price of the shares actually purchased shall be promptly refunded to the participant by the Company, without interest.
Article 6 - Exercise of Option.
Each eligible employee who continues to be a participant in the Plan on the last business day of a Payment Period shall be deemed to have exercised his or her option on such date and shall be deemed to have purchased from the Company such number of full shares of Common Stock reserved for the purpose of the Plan as the participant’s accumulated payroll deductions on such date will pay for at the Option Price, subject to the 1125-share limit of the option and the Section 423(b)(8) limitation described in Article 5. If the individual is not a participant on the last business day of a Payment Period, he or she shall not be entitled to exercise his or her option. Only full shares of Common Stock may be purchased under the Plan. Unused payroll deductions remaining in a participant’s account at the end of a Payment Period by reason of the inability to purchase a fractional share shall be carried forward to the next Payment Period.
44
Article 7 - Authorization for Entering the Plan.
An employee may elect to enter the Plan by filling out, signing and delivering to the Company an authorization:
A. Stating the percentage to be deducted regularly from the employee’s pay;
B. Authorizing the purchase of stock for the employee in each Payment Period in accordance with the terms of the Plan; and
C. Specifying the exact name or names in which stock purchased for the employee is to be issued as provided under Article 11 hereof.
Such authorization must be received by the Company at least ten days before the first day of the next succeeding Payment Period and shall take effect only if the employee is an eligible employee on the first business day of such Payment Period.
Unless a participant files a new authorization or withdraws from the Plan, the deductions and purchases under the authorization the participant has on file under the Plan will continue from one Payment Period to succeeding Payment Periods as long as the Plan remains in effect.
The Company will accumulate and hold for each participant’s account the amounts deducted from his or her pay. No interest will be paid on these amounts.
Article 8 - Maximum Amount of Payroll Deductions.
An employee may authorize payroll deductions in an amount (expressed as a whole percentage) not less than one percent (1%) but not more than ten percent (10%) of the employee’s total compensation, including base pay or salary and any overtime, bonuses or commissions.
Article 9 - Change in Payroll Deductions.
Deductions may not be increased or decreased during a Payment Period. However, a participant may withdraw in full from the Plan.
Article 10 - Withdrawal from the Plan.
An employee may withdraw from the Plan (in whole but not in part) at any time prior to the last business day of a Payment Period by delivering a withdrawal notice to the Company, in which event the Company shall promptly refund the entire balance of the employee’s deductions not previously used to purchase stock under the Plan.
To re-enter the Plan, an employee who has previously withdrawn must file a new authorization at least ten days before the first day of the next Payment Period in which he or she wishes to participate. The employee’s re-entry into the Plan becomes effective at the beginning of such Payment Period, provided that he or she is an eligible employee on the first business day of the Payment Period.
45
Article 11 - Issuance of Stock.
Certificates for stock issued to participants shall be delivered as soon as practicable after each Payment Period by the Company’s transfer agent.
Stock purchased under the Plan shall be issued only in the name of the participant, or if the participant’s authorization so specifies, in the name of the participant and another person of legal age as joint tenants with rights of survivorship.
Article 12 - Adjustments.
Upon the happening of any of the following described events, a participant’s rights under options granted under the Plan shall be adjusted as hereinafter provided:
A. In the event that the shares of Common Stock shall be subdivided or combined into a greater or smaller number of shares or if, upon a reorganization, split-up, liquidation, recapitalization or the like of the Company, the shares of Common Stock shall be exchanged for other securities of the Company, each participant shall be entitled, subject to the conditions herein stated, to purchase such number of shares of Common Stock or amount of other securities of the Company as were exchangeable for the number of shares of Common Stock that such participant would have been entitled to purchase except for such action, and appropriate adjustments shall be made in the purchase price per share to reflect such subdivision, combination or exchange; and
B. In the event the Company shall issue any of its shares as a stock dividend upon or with respect to the shares of stock of the class which shall at the time be subject to option hereunder, each participant upon exercising such an option shall be entitled to receive (for the purchase price paid upon such exercise) the shares as to which the participant is exercising his or her option and, in addition thereto (at no additional cost), such number of shares of the class or classes in which such stock dividend or dividends were declared or paid, and such amount of cash in lieu of fractional shares, as is equal to the number of shares thereof and the amount of cash in lieu of fractional shares, respectively, which the participant would have received if the participant had been the holder of the shares as to which the participant is exercising his or her option at all times between the date of the granting of such option and the date of its exercise.
Upon the happening of any of the foregoing events, the class and aggregate number of shares set forth in Article 4 hereof which are subject to options which have been or may be granted under the Plan and the limitations set forth in the second paragraph of Article 5 shall also be appropriately adjusted to reflect the events specified in paragraphs A and B above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any adjustments made pursuant to paragraphs A or B shall be made only after the Committee, based on advice of counsel for the Company, determines whether such adjustments would constitute a “modification” (as that term is defined in Section 424 of the Code). If the Committee determines that such adjustments would constitute a modification, it may refrain from making such adjustments.
46
If the Company is to be consolidated with or acquired by another entity (x) in a merger, consolidation or other reorganization in which the holders of the outstanding voting stock of the Company immediately preceding the consummation of such event shall, immediately following such event, hold, as a group, less than a majority of the voting securities of the surviving or resulting entity, (y) a sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or (z) otherwise (an “Acquisition”), the Committee or the board of directors of any entity assuming the obligations of the Company hereunder (the “Successor Board”) shall, with respect to options then outstanding under the Plan, either (i) make appropriate provision for the continuation of such options by arranging for the substitution on an equitable basis for the shares then subject to such options either (a) the consideration payable with respect to the outstanding shares of the Common Stock in connection with the Acquisition, (b) shares of stock of the surviving or successor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary of such corporation, or (c) such other securities as the Successor Board deems appropriate, the fair market value of which shall not materially exceed the fair market value of the shares of Common Stock subject to such options immediately preceding the Acquisition; or (ii) terminate each participant’s options in exchange for a cash payment equal to the excess of (a) the fair market value on the date of the Acquisition, of the number of shares of Common Stock that the participant’s accumulated payroll deductions as of the date of the Acquisition could purchase, at an option price determined with reference only to the first business day of the applicable Payment Period and subject to the 1125-share, Code Section 423(b) (8) and fractional-share limitations on the amount of stock a participant would be entitled to purchase, over (b) the result of multiplying such number of shares by such option price.
The Committee or Successor Board shall determine the adjustments to be made under this Article 12, and its determination shall be conclusive.
Article 13 - No Transfer or Assignment of Employee’s Rights.
An option granted under the Plan may not be transferred or assigned and may be exercised only by the participant.
Article 14 - Termination of Employee’s Rights.
Whenever a participant ceases to be an eligible employee because of retirement, voluntary or involuntary termination, resignation, layoff, discharge, death or for any other reason, his or her rights under the Plan shall immediately terminate, and the Company shall promptly refund, without interest, the entire balance of his or her payroll deduction account under the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, eligible employment shall be treated as continuing intact while a participant is on military leave, sick leave or other bona fide leave of absence, for up to 90 days, or for so long as the participant’s right to re-employment is guaranteed either by statute or by contract, if longer than 90 days.
Article 15 - Termination and Amendments to Plan.
Unless terminated sooner as provided below, the Plan shall terminate on December 31, 2016.The Plan may be terminated at any time by the Company’s Board of Directors but such termination shall not affect options then outstanding under the Plan. If at any time shares of stock
47
reserved for the purpose of the Plan remain available for purchase but not in sufficient number to satisfy all then unfilled purchase requirements, the available shares shall be apportioned among participants in proportion to the amount of payroll deductions accumulated on behalf of each participant that would otherwise be used to purchase stock. Upon such termination or any other termination of the Plan, all payroll deductions not used to purchase stock will be refunded, without interest.
The Committee or the Board of Directors may from time to time adopt amendments to the Plan provided that, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, no amendment may (i) increase the number of shares that may be issued under the Plan, or (ii) change the class of employees eligible to receive options under the Plan, if such action would be treated as the adoption of a new plan for purposes of Section 423(b) of the Code.
Article 16 - Limits on Sale of Stock Purchased under the Plan.
The Plan is intended to provide shares of Common Stock for investment and not for resale. The Company does not, however, intend to restrict or influence any employee in the conduct of his or her own affairs. An employee may, therefore, sell stock purchased under the Plan at any time the employee chooses, subject to compliance with any applicable federal or state securities laws and subject to any restrictions imposed under Article 21 to ensure that tax withholding obligations are satisfied.THE EMPLOYEE ASSUMES THE RISK OF ANY MARKET FLUCTUATIONS IN THE PRICE OF THE COMMON STOCK.
Article 17 - Participating Subsidiaries.
The term “participating subsidiary” shall mean any present or future subsidiary of the Company, as that term is defined in Section 424(f) of the Code, which is designated from time to time by the Board of Directors to participate in the Plan. The Board of Directors shall have the power to make such designation before or after the Plan is approved by the stockholders.
Article 18 - Optionees Not Stockholders.
Neither the granting of an option to an employee nor the deductions from his or her pay shall constitute such employee a stockholder of the shares covered by an option until such shares have been actually purchased by the employee.
Article 19 - Application of Funds.
The proceeds received by the Company from the sale of Common Stock pursuant to options granted under the Plan will be used for general corporate purposes.
Article 20 - Notice to Company of Disqualifying Disposition.
By electing to participate in the Plan, each participant agrees to notify the Company in writing immediately after the participant transfers Common Stock acquired under the Plan, if such transfer occurs within two years after the first business day of the Payment Period in which such Common Stock was acquired. Each participant further agrees to provide any information
48
about such a transfer as may be requested by the Company or any subsidiary corporation in order to assist it in complying with the tax laws. Such dispositions generally are treated as “disqualifying dispositions” under Sections 421 and 424 of the Code, which have certain tax consequences to participants and to the Company and its participating subsidiaries.
Article 21 - Withholding of Additional Income Taxes.
By electing to participate in the Plan, each participant acknowledges that the Company and its participating subsidiaries are required to withhold taxes with respect to the amounts deducted from the participant’s compensation and accumulated for the benefit of the participant under the Plan, and each participant agrees that the Company and its participating subsidiaries may deduct additional amounts from the participant’s compensation, when amounts are added to the participant’s account, used to purchase Common Stock or refunded, in order to satisfy such withholding obligations. Each participant further acknowledges that when Common Stock is purchased under the Plan the Company and its participating subsidiaries may be required to withhold taxes with respect to all or a portion of the difference between the fair market value of the Common Stock purchased and its purchase price, and each participant agrees that such taxes may be withheld from compensation otherwise payable to such participant. It is intended that tax withholding will be accomplished in such a manner that the full amount of payroll deductions elected by the participant under Article 7 will be used to purchase Common Stock. However, if amounts sufficient to satisfy applicable tax withholding obligations have not been withheld from compensation otherwise payable to any participant, then, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Company may withhold such taxes from the participant’s accumulated payroll deductions and apply the net amount to the purchase of Common Stock, unless the participant pays to the Company, prior to the exercise date, an amount sufficient to satisfy such withholding obligations. Each participant further acknowledges that the Company and its participating subsidiaries may be required to withhold taxes in connection with the disposition of stock acquired under the Plan and agrees that the Company or any participating subsidiary may take whatever action it considers appropriate to satisfy such withholding requirements, including deducting from compensation otherwise payable to such participant an amount sufficient to satisfy such withholding requirements or conditioning any disposition of Common Stock by the participant upon the payment to the Company or such subsidiary of an amount sufficient to satisfy such withholding requirements.
Article 22 - Governmental Regulations.
The Company’s obligation to sell and deliver shares of Common Stock under the Plan is subject to the approval of any governmental authority required in connection with the authorization, issuance or sale of such shares.
Government regulations may impose reporting or other obligations on the Company with respect to the Plan. For example, the Company may be required to identify shares of Common Stock issued under the Plan on its stock ownership records and send tax information statements to employees and former employees who transfer title to such shares.
49
Article 23 - Governing Law.
The validity and construction of the Plan shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of law thereof.
Article 24 - Approval of Board of Directors and Stockholders of the Company.
The 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors on September 6, 1996 and was approved by the stockholders of the Company on October 25, 1996. The 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was amended and restated on May 29, 1997 to constitute the Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was amended and restated on April 14, 2000 to constitute the Second Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The Second Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was further amended on July 12, 2002, July 16, 2003 and May 19, 2006. The Third Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors on May 19, 2006 and was approved by the stockholders of the Company on July 12, 2006 to constitute the Plan.Further amendments to the Third Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan were adopted by the Board of Directors on May 19, 2008 and approved by the stockholders of the Company on July 16, 2008 to constitute the Plan.
50
INVITATION TO 2008 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
DATE: Wednesday, July 16, 2008
TIME: 10:00 a.m.
PLACE: SeaChange Corporate Headquarters
50 Nagog Park, Acton, Massachusetts 01720
June 4, 2008
Dear Fellow Stockholders,
I am pleased that we are one of the first companies to take advantage of the Securities and Exchange Commission rules allowing issuers to furnish proxy materials over the Internet. Please read the proxy statement for more information on this alternative or follow the link to a Q&A here on our web site. We believe this will allow us to provide our stockholders with the information they need while lowering the costs of delivery and reducing the environmental impact of our annual meeting.
| Sincerely yours, |
| |
| |
| Bill Styslinger |
| Chairman, President, and CEO |
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT PROXY MATERIALS AND VOTING
FOR
SEACHANGE INTERNATIONAL’S ANNUAL MEETING
TO BE HELD
JULY 16, 2008
Why am I being provided with these materials?
SeaChange is providing you with this proxy statement because our Board of Directors is soliciting your proxy to vote at our 2008 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on Wednesday, July 16, 2008. You are invited to attend the annual meeting and we request that you vote on the proposals described in this proxy statement. You do not need to attend the meeting to vote your shares. If you received a printed copy of these materials by mail, you may simply complete, sign and return your proxy card or follow the instructions below to submit your proxy over the telephone or via the Internet. If you did not receive a printed copy of these materials by mail and are accessing them on the Internet, you may simply follow the instructions below to submit your proxy on the Internet.
We intend to mail a printed copy of our proxy statement and proxy card to certain of our stockholders of record entitled to vote at the annual meeting on or about June 4, 2008. All other stockholders will receive a Notice Regarding Availability of Proxy Matters (sometimes referred to as the “Notice of Internet Availability”), which will be mailed on or about June 4, 2008.
What if I have received a Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials?
In accordance with the rules and regulations recently adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, instead of mailing a printed copy of our proxy materials to each stockholder of record, we may now furnish proxy materials to our stockholders on the Internet. If you received a Notice of Internet Availability by mail, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials unless you request these from SeaChange. Instead, the Notice of Internet Availability will instruct you as to how you may access and review all of the important information contained in the proxy materials. The Notice of Internet Availability also instructs you as to how you may submit your proxy on the Internet or by phone. If you received a Notice of Internet Availability by mail and would like to receive a printed copy of our proxy materials, not including the proxy card, you should follow the instructions for requesting the materials included in the Notice of Internet Availability.
What am I voting on?
There are three matters scheduled for a vote:
- The re-election of Mary Cotton and Carmine Vona as directors for an additional three year term;
- An amendment to SeaChange’s Third Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan to increase the total authorized shares under the plan by 600,000 shares; and
- The ratification of the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as SeaChange’s independent registered public accounting firm.
Who can vote at the annual meeting?
Only stockholders of record at the close of business on May 19, 2008 will be entitled to vote at the annual meeting.
Am I a stockholder of record?
If at the close of business on May 19, 2008 your shares were registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, then you are a stockholder of record. If you hold SeaChange stock through a bank, broker or other intermediary, you are not a stockholder of record. Instead, you hold our stock in “street name,” and the “record owner” of your shares is your bank, broker or other intermediary. If you are not a registered stockholder, please understand that SeaChange does not know that you are a stockholder, or how many shares you own.
If I am a stockholder of record of SeaChange shares, how do I cast my vote?
If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote in person at the annual meeting. However, we encourage you to vote by proxy card, the Internet or by telephone even if you plan to attend the annual meeting (please see the procedures for voting by proxy below). If you choose to vote in person at the annual meeting, we will give you a ballot when you arrive. Please be aware that you must present a valid photo ID and proof of share ownership.
If you do not wish to vote in person or you will not be attending the annual meeting, you may vote by proxy. The procedures for voting by proxy are as follows:
- Printed Proxy Card: If you received a printed copy of the proxy materials by mail, you may vote by completing, signing and dating your proxy card and
returning it promptly in the envelope provided. You are encouraged to specify your choices by marking the appropriate boxes on the proxy card. Shares will be voted following your written instructions. However, it is not necessary to mark any boxes if you wish to vote in accordance with the Board of Directors’ recommendations.
Internet: To vote by proxy on the Internet go towww.proxyvote.comto complete an electronic proxy card. To authenticate your identity in order to allow you to provide your voting instructions, and to confirm that your instructions have been recorded properly, you will need your control number found on the Notice of Internet Availability or proxy card.
- Telephone: To vote by proxy over the telephone, dial the toll-free phone number listed on your proxy card or Notice of Internet Availability and follow the recorded instructions. To authenticate your identity in order to allow you to provide your voting instructions, and to confirm that your instructions have been recorded properly, you will need the control number found on the Notice of Internet Availability or proxy card.
If you vote by proxy, your vote must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern time on July 15, 2008 to be counted.
We provide Internet proxy voting to allow you to vote your shares on line, with procedures designed to ensure the authenticity and correctness of your proxy voting instructions. However, please be aware that you must bear any costs associated with your Internet access, such as charges from Internet access providers and telephone companies. |
If I am a holder in street name of SeaChange shares, how do I cast my vote?
If you are a holder in street name, you may vote in person at the annual meeting, but in order to do so you will first have to ask your bank, broker or other intermediary to furnish you with a legal proxy. You will need to bring the legal proxy with you to the meeting, and hand it in with a signed ballot that you can request at the meeting. You will not be able to vote your shares at the meeting without a legal proxy and a signed ballot.
If you are a holder in street name and do not wish to vote in person or you will not be attending the annual meeting, you may vote by proxy. To do so you must timely deliver your voting instructions to your respective bank, broker or other intermediary, following the specific instructions that have been provided to you by your bank, broker or other intermediary.
How many votes do I have?
On each matter to be voted upon, you have one vote for each share of our common stock that you owned as of the close of business on May 19, 2008.
What does it mean if I received more than one Notice of Internet Availability or proxy card?
If you received more than one Notice of Internet Availability or proxy card, your shares are registered in more than one name or are registered in different accounts. Please follow the voting instructions included witheach Notice of Internet Availability and proxy card to ensure that all of your shares are voted.
Can I change my vote after submitting my proxy?
For stockholders of record:Yes. A proxy may be revoked at any time prior to the voting at the meeting by submitting a later dated proxy (including a proxy via the Internet or by telephone) or by giving timely written notice of revocation to the Secretary of the Company.
For holders in street name:Yes. You must follow the specific voting directions provided to you by your bank, broker or other intermediary to change or revoke any instructions you have already provided to your bank, broker or other intermediary.
How can I find out the results of the voting at the annual meeting?
Preliminary voting results will be announced at the annual meeting. Final voting results will be published in our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of fiscal 2009, which ends on July 31, 2008.
SEACHANGE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
ATTN: MARTHA SCHAEFER
50 NAGOG PARK
ACTON, MA 01720
VOTE BY INTERNET -www.proxyvote.com Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-offdate or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web site and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create anelectronic voting instruction form. ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF FUTURE STOCKHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS If you would like to reduce the costs incurred by SeaChange International, Inc. in mailing proxy materials, you can consent to receiving all future proxystatements, proxy cards and annual reports electronically via e-mail or the Internet. To sign up for electronic delivery, please follow the instructionsabove to vote using the Internet and, when prompted, indicate that you agree to receive or access stockholder communications electronically in future years. VOTE BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903 Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions. VOTE BY MAIL Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to SeaChange International, Inc., c/oBroadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717. |
TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: | SECHA1 | | KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS |
| DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY |
THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED. |
SEACHANGE INTERNATIONAL, INC. |
|
| Vote on Directors |
| 1. | To elect two (2) Class III Directors to serve for a three-year term. |
| | Nominees: |
| | (01) | Mary Palermo Cotton |
| | (02) | Carmine Vona |
For All | Withhold All | For All Except | | To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s), mark “For All Except” and write the number(s) of the nominee(s) on the line below. | | | | |
|
o | o | o | | | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| Vote on Proposals | | For | Against | Abstain |
| |
| 2. | To approve the amendment to SeaChange’s Third Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. | | o | o | o |
| | | | | | |
| 3. | To ratify the appointment of SeaChange’s independent registered public accounting firm, Grant Thornton LLP. | | o | o | o |
| |
| |
| | | | | |
| (NOTE:Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. All holders must sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, please give full title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. If a corporation, please sign in full corporate name, by authorized officer. If a partnership, please sign in partnership name by authorized person.) | | | | |
| | | | |
| For address changes and/or comments, please check this box and write them on the back where indicated. | o | | | Yes | No | |
| | | | | | | |
| Please indicate if you wish to view meeting materials electronically via the Internet rather than receiving a hard copy. Please note that you will continue to receive a proxy card for voting purposes only. | | o | o | | | Please indicate if you plan to attend this meeting. | o | o | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | Yes | No | | | HOUSEHOLDING ELECTION - Please indicate if you consent to receive certain future investor communications in a single package per household. | | o | o | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | | | | | |
| Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] | Date | | | Signature (Joint Owners) | Date | |
SEACHANGE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on July 16, 2008
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The undersigned, revoking all prior proxies, hereby appoints William C. Styslinger, III and Kevin M. Bisson and each of them, with full power of substitution, as proxies to represent and vote all shares of common stock of SeaChange International, Inc. which the undersigned would be entitled to vote if personally present at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of SeaChange to be held on July 16, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. local time, at SeaChange’s offices located at 50 Nagog Park, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, and at all adjournments thereof, upon matters set forth in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement dated May 30, 2008, a copy of which has been received by the undersigned. The proxies are further authorized to vote, in their discretion, upon such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournments thereof.
THIS PROXY WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED BY THE UNDERSIGNED STOCKHOLDER(S). IF NO DIRECTION IS GIVEN, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR THE ELECTION OF THE DIRECTORS, FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT TO SEACHANGE’S THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED 1996 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN, AND FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF SEACHANGE’S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM.
| | | |
| Address Changes/Comments: | | |
| | |
| | |
(If you noted any Address Changes/Comments above, please mark corresponding box on the reverse side.)SEE REVERSE SIDE