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EXHIBIT 4.11
Form of Registration Rights Agreement
dated as of August 12, 1997 by and between
the Company and Eleven Purchasers of
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock
(Individual Agreements differ as to
the name of the Investor and
Number of Preferred Shares)
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of August 12, 1997
(this "Agreement"), is made by and between AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and the person named on the signature page
hereto (the "Initial Investor").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, in connection with the Subscription Agreement, dated as
of August 12, 1997, between the Initial Investor and the Company (the
"Subscription Agreement"), the Company has agreed, upon the terms and subject to
the conditions of the Subscription Agreement, to issue and sell to the Initial
Investor an aggregate of __________ shares (the "Preferred Shares") of preferred
stock of the Company as provided in the Subscription Agreement, which shares of
Preferred Stock are convertible into shares (the "Conversion Shares") of Common
Stock, $.00001 par value (the "Common Stock"), of the Company, and warrants (the
"Warrants") to purchase shares (the "Warrant Shares") of Common Stock of the
Company; and
WHEREAS, to induce the Initial Investor to execute and deliver
the Subscription Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide certain
registration rights under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules
and regulations thereunder, or any similar successor statute (collectively, the
"Securities Act"), and applicable state securities laws with respect to the
Conversion Shares and the Warrant Shares;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the
Initial Investor hereby agree as follows:
1. DEFINITIONS.
(a) As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the
following meanings:
"Certificate of Designations" means the Certificate of
Designations of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock as filed by the Company
with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
"Investor" means the Initial Investor and any transferee or
assignee who agrees to become bound by the provisions of this Agreement in
accordance with Section 9 hereof.
"register," "registered," and "registration" refer to a
registration effected by preparing and filing a Registration Statement or
Statements in compliance with the Securities Act and pursuant to Rule 415 under
the Securities Act or any successor rule providing for offering securities on a
continuous basis ("Rule 415"), and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness
of such Registration Statement by the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC").
"Registrable Securities" means the Conversion Shares and the
Warrant Shares.
"Registration Period" means the period from the Closing Date to
the earlier of (i) such date as is two years after the Closing Date and (ii) the
date on which all Registrable Securities have been sold by the Investors under
circumstances in which the buyers may resell such Registrable Securities without
registration under the
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Securities Act; provided, however, that if on the date specified in the
preceding clause (i) the Investors would not be permitted under the Securities
Act to sell all Registrable Securities beneficially owned by the Investors
without restriction on the manner of sale or the amount of securities sold and
without the requirement for the giving of any notice to, or the making of any
filing with, the SEC, then the period specified in such clause (i) shall be
extended to the earlier of the date on which the Investors are so permitted or
the date which is three years after the Closing Date.
"Registration Statement" means a registration statement of the
Company under the Securities Act, including any amendment thereto.
"SEC Filing Date" means the date the Registration Statement is
first filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 2.
(b) As used in this Agreement, the term Investor includes (i)
each Investor (as defined above) and (ii) each person who is a permitted
transferee or assignee of the Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 9 of
this Agreement.
(c) Capitalized terms defined in the introductory paragraph or
the recitals to this Agreement shall have the respective meanings therein
provided. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall
have the respective meanings set forth in the Subscription Agreement.
2. REGISTRATION.
(a) MANDATORY REGISTRATION. The Company shall prepare, and on or
prior to the date which is 30 days after the Closing Date, file with the SEC a
Registration Statement on Form S-3 or, if Form S-3 is not available, Form SB-2
which on the SEC Filing Date covers the resale of a number of shares of Common
Stock equal to at least the number of Conversion Shares and Warrant Shares
issuable to the Investor upon conversion of the Preferred Shares and exercise of
the Warrants, determined as if the Preferred Shares were converted in full and
the Warrants were exercised in full on the SEC Filing Date (determined without
regard to the limitation contained in the second sentence of Section 10(a) of
the Certificate of Designations and the limitation contained in Section 1.1(b)
of the Warrants), and which Registration Statement shall state that, in
accordance with Rule 416 under the Securities Act, such Registration Statement
also covers such indeterminate number of additional shares of Common Stock as
may become issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Shares and exercise of the
Warrants to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or
similar transactions. If, notwithstanding Rule 416 under the Securities Act, the
Registration Statement is not deemed to cover such indeterminate number of
shares of Common Stock as shall be issuable upon conversion of the Preferred
Shares and exercise of the Warrants based on changes from time to time in the
conversion price and exercise price thereof, and without limiting the rights of
the holder of the Preferred Shares to have all or a portion of the Preferred
Shares redeemed pursuant to Section 11 of the Certificate of Designations, at
any time the number of shares of Common Stock included in the Registration
Statement required to be filed as provided in the first sentence of this Section
2(a) shall be insufficient to cover the number of shares of Common Stock
issuable on conversion in full of the unconverted Preferred Shares and
unexercised Warrants, then promptly, but in no event later than 20 days after
such insufficiency shall occur, the Company shall file with the SEC an
additional Registration Statement on Form S-3 or Form SB-2 (which shall not
constitute a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed
pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 2(a)) covering such number of
shares of Common Stock as shall be sufficient to permit such conversion and
exercise. For all purposes of this Agreement such additional Registration
Statement shall be deemed to be the Registration Statement required to be filed
by the Company pursuant to this Section 2(a), and the Company and the Investors
shall have the same rights and obligations with respect to such additional
Registration Statement as they shall have with respect to the initial
Registration Statement required to be filed by the Company pursuant to this
Section 2(a).
(b) CERTAIN OFFERINGS. If any offering pursuant to a Registration
Statement pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof involves an underwritten offering, the
Investors who hold a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities subject
to such underwritten offering shall have the right to select one legal counsel
and an investment banker or bankers and manager or managers to administer the
offering, which investment banker or bankers or manager or managers shall be
reasonably satisfactory to the Company. The Investors who hold the Registrable
Securities to be included in such underwriting shall pay all underwriting
discounts and commissions and other fees and expenses of such investment banker
or bankers and manager or managers so selected in accordance with this Section
2(b) (other than fees and expenses relating to registration of Registrable
Securities under federal or state securities laws, which are payable by the
Company pursuant to
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Section 5 hereof) with respect to their Registrable Securities and the fees and
expenses of such legal counsel so selected by the Investors.
(c) ADJUSTMENT OF CONVERSION TERMS. If the Registration Statement
covering the Registrable Securities which is required to be filed by the Company
pursuant to the first sentence of Section 2(a) hereof is not effective within
120 days after the Closing Date and in certain other circumstances specified in
Section 10 of the Certificate of Designations, the terms of conversion of the
Preferred Stock shall be adjusted as provided in the Certificate of
Designations.
(d) PIGGY-BACK REGISTRATIONS. If at any time the Company shall
determine to prepare and file with the SEC a Registration Statement relating to
an offering for its own account or the account of others under the Securities
Act of any of its equity securities, other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 or their
then equivalents relating to equity securities to be issued solely in connection
with any acquisition of any entity or business or equity securities issuable in
connection with stock option or other employee benefit plans, the Company shall
send to each Investor who is entitled to registration rights under this Section
2(d) written notice of such determination and, if within twenty (20) days after
receipt of such notice, such Investor shall so request in writing, the Company
shall include in such Registration Statement all or any part of the Registrable
Securities such Investor requests to be registered, except that if, in
connection with any underwritten public offering for the account of the Company
the managing underwriter(s) thereof shall impose a limitation on the number of
shares of Common Stock which may be included in the Registration Statement
because, in such underwriter(s)' judgment, such limitation is necessary to
effect an orderly public distribution, then the Company shall be obligated to
include in such Registration Statement only such limited portion of the
Registrable Securities with respect to which such Investor has requested
inclusion hereunder. Any exclusion of Registrable Securities shall be made pro
rata among the Investors seeking to include Registrable Securities, in
proportion to the number of Registrable Securities sought to be included by such
Investors; provided, however, that the Company shall not exclude any Registrable
Securities unless the Company has first excluded all outstanding securities the
holders of which are not entitled by right to inclusion of securities in such
Registration Statement; and provided further, however, that, after giving effect
to the immediately preceding proviso, any exclusion of Registrable Securities
shall be made pro rata with holders of other securities having the right to
include such securities in the Registration Statement, based on the number of
securities for which registration is requested except to the extent such pro
rata exclusion of such other securities is prohibited under any written
agreement entered into by the Company with the holder of such other securities
prior to the date of this Agreement, in which case such other securities shall
be excluded, if at all, in accordance with the terms of such agreement. No right
to registration of Registrable Securities under this Section 2(d) shall be
construed to limit any registration required under Section 2(a) hereof. The
obligations of the Company under this Section 2(d) may be waived by Investors
holding a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities and shall expire
after the Company has afforded the opportunity for the Investors to exercise
registration rights under this Section 2(d) for two registrations; provided,
however, that any Investor who shall have had any Registrable Securities
excluded from any Registration Statement in accordance with this Section 2(d)
shall be entitled to include in an additional Registration Statement filed by
the Company the Registrable Securities so excluded. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, if the Registration Statement required to be filed
pursuant to Section 2(a) of this Agreement shall have been ordered effective by
the SEC and the Company shall have maintained the effectiveness of such
Registration Statement as required by this Agreement and if the Company shall
otherwise have complied in all material respects with its obligations under this
Agreement, the Certificate of Designations and the Transfer Agent Agreement,
then the Company shall not be obligated to register any Registrable Securities
on such Registration Statement referred to in this Section 2(d).
(e) ELIGIBILITY FOR FORM S-3 AND FORM SB-2. The Company meets the
requirements for the use of Form S-3 or Form SB-2 for registration of the
Registrable Securities for resale by the Investors. The Company shall file all
reports required to be filed by the Company with the SEC in a timely manner so
as to become eligible for the use of such Form used to register the Registrable
Securities and so as to maintain such eligibility for the use of such Form.
3. OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY. In connection with the
registration of the Registrable Securities, the Company shall:
(a) prepare promptly, and file with the SEC not later than 30
days after the Closing Date, a Registration Statement with respect to the number
of Registrable Securities provided in Section 2(a), and thereafter to use its
best efforts to cause each Registration Statement relating to Registrable
Securities to become effective as soon as possible after such filing, and keep
the Registration Statement effective pursuant to Rule 415 at all times during
the
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Registration Period; submit to the SEC, within three business days after the
Company learns that no review of the Registration Statement will be made by the
staff of the SEC or that the staff of the SEC has no further comments on the
Registration Statement, as the case may be, a request for acceleration of
effectiveness of the Registration Statement to a time and date not later than 48
hours after the submission of such request; and the Company represents and
warrants to, and covenants and agrees with, the Investors that the Registration
Statement (including any amendments or supplements thereto and prospectuses
contained therein), at the time it is first filed with the SEC, at the time it
is ordered effective by the SEC and at all time during which it is required to
be effective hereunder (and each such amendment and supplement at the time it is
filed with the SEC and at all time during which it is available for use in
connection with the offer and sale of the Registrable Securities) shall not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein, in
light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading; provided,
however, that, subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4(a) below, each
Investor may notify the Company in writing that it wishes to exclude all or a
portion of its Registrable Securities from such Registration Statement.
(b) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments (including
post-effective amendments) and supplements to the Registration Statement and the
prospectus used in connection with the Registration Statement as may be
necessary to keep the Registration Statement effective at all times during the
Registration Period, and, during the Registration Period, comply with the
provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all
Registrable Securities of the Company covered by the Registration Statement;
(c) furnish to each Investor whose Registrable Securities are
included in the Registration Statement and its legal counsel, (1) promptly after
the same is prepared and publicly distributed, filed with the SEC or received by
the Company, one copy of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto,
each preliminary prospectus and prospectus and each amendment or supplement
thereto, each letter written by or on behalf of the Company to the SEC or the
staff of the SEC and each item of correspondence from the SEC or the staff of
the SEC relating to such Registration Statement (other than any portion of any
thereof which contains information for which the Company has sought confidential
treatment) and (2) such number of copies of a prospectus, including a
preliminary prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto and such
other documents, as such Investor may reasonably request in order to facilitate
the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Investor;
(d) use its best efforts to (i) register and qualify the
Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such
securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Investors who hold a
majority in interest of the Registrable Securities being offered reasonably
request, (ii) prepare and file in those jurisdictions such amendments (including
post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registrations and
qualifications as may be necessary to maintain the effectiveness thereof at all
times until the end of the Registration Period, (iii) take such other actions as
may be necessary to maintain such registrations and qualifications in effect at
all times during the Registration Period and (iv) take all other actions
reasonably necessary or advisable to qualify the Registrable Securities for sale
in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required
in connection therewith or as a condition thereto (I) to qualify to do business
in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for
this Section 3(d), (II) to subject itself to general taxation in any such
jurisdiction, (III) to file a general consent to service of process in any such
jurisdiction, (IV) to provide any undertakings that cause more than nominal
expense or burden to the Company or (V) to make any change in its charter or
by-laws, which in each case the Board of Directors of the Company determines to
be contrary to the best interests of the Company and its stockholders;
(e) in the event that the Registrable Securities are being
offered in an underwritten offering, enter into and perform its obligations
under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, including, without
limitation, customary indemnification and contribution obligations, with the
underwriters of such offering;
(f) as promptly as practicable after becoming aware of such event
or circumstance, notify each Investor of any event or circumstance of which the
Company has knowledge, as a result of which the prospectus included in the
Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a
material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading, and use its best efforts promptly to
prepare a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement to correct such
untrue statement or omission, and deliver a number of copies of such supplement
or amendment to each Investor as such Investor may reasonably request;
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(g) as promptly as practicable after becoming aware of such
event, notify each Investor who holds Registrable Securities being sold (or, in
the event of an underwritten offering, the managing underwriters) of the
issuance by the SEC of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness of
the Registration Statement at the earliest possible time;
(h) permit a single firm of counsel designated as selling
stockholders' counsel by (i) if prior to the initial effective time of the
Registration Statement, Pangaea Fund Limited and (ii) if after the initial
effective time of the Registration Statement, the Investors who hold a majority
in interest of the Registrable Securities being sold, to review and comment on
the Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto a
reasonable period of time prior to their filing with the SEC;
(i) make generally available to its security holders as soon as
practical, but not later than ninety (90) days after the close of the period
covered thereby, an earnings statement (in form complying with the provisions of
Rule 158 under the Securities Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not
later than the first day of the Company's fiscal quarter next following the
effective date of the Registration Statement;
(j) at the request of the Investors who hold a majority in
interest of the Registrable Securities being sold, furnish on the date that
Registrable Securities are delivered to an underwriter, if any, for sale in
connection with the Registration Statement (i) a letter, dated such date, from
the Company's independent certified public accountants in form and substance as
is customarily given by independent certified public accountants to underwriters
in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the underwriters; and (ii) an
opinion, dated such date, from counsel representing the Company for purposes of
such Registration Statement, in form and substance as is customarily given in an
underwritten public offering, addressed to the underwriters and the Investors;
(k) make available for inspection by any Investor, any
underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to the Registration
Statement, and any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by any such
Investor or underwriter (collectively, the "Inspectors"), all pertinent
financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the
Company (collectively, the "Records"), as shall be reasonably necessary to
enable each Inspector to exercise its due diligence responsibility, and cause
the Company's officers, directors and employees to supply all information which
any Inspector may reasonably request for purposes of such due diligence;
provided, however, that each Inspector shall hold in confidence and shall not
make any disclosure (except to an Investor) of any Record or other information
which the Company determines in good faith to be confidential, and of which
determination the Inspectors are so notified, unless (i) the disclosure of such
Records is necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in any
Registration Statement, (ii) the release of such Records is ordered pursuant to
a subpoena or other order from a court or government body of competent
jurisdiction or (iii) the information in such Records has been made generally
available to the public other than by disclosure in violation of this or any
other agreement. The Company shall not be required to disclose any confidential
information in such Records to any Inspector until and unless such Inspector
shall have entered into confidentiality agreements (in form and substance
satisfactory to the Company) with the Company with respect thereto,
substantially in the form of this Section 3(k). Each Investor agrees that it
shall, upon learning that disclosure of such Records is sought in or by a court
or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means, give
prompt notice to the Company and allow the Company, at the Company's own
expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain
a protective order for, the Records deemed confidential. The Company shall hold
in confidence and shall not make any disclosure of information concerning an
Investor provided to the Company pursuant to Section 4(e) hereof unless (i)
disclosure of such information is necessary to comply with federal or state
securities laws, (ii) the disclosure of such information is necessary to avoid
or correct a misstatement or omission in any Registration Statement, (iii) the
release of such information is ordered pursuant to a subpoena or other order
from a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or (iv) such
information has been made generally available to the public other than by
disclosure in violation of this or any other agreement. The Company agrees that
it shall, upon learning that disclosure of such information concerning an
Investor is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent
jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt notice to such Investor, at
such Investor's own expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent
disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, such information;
(l) use its best efforts to cause all the Registrable Securities
covered by the Registration Statement to be listed on the OTC Bulletin Board or
such other principal national securities market on which securities of the same
class or series issued by the Company are then listed or traded;
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(m) provide a transfer agent and registrar, which may be a single
entity, for the Registrable Securities not later than the effective date of the
Registration Statement;
(n) cooperate with the Investors who hold Registrable Securities
being offered and the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, to
facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates (not bearing any
restrictive legends) representing Registrable Securities to be offered pursuant
to the Registration Statement and enable such certificates to be in such
denominations or amounts as the case may be, as the managing underwriter or
underwriters, if any, or the Investors may reasonably request and registered in
such names as the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, or the Investors
may request; and, within three business days after a Registration Statement
which includes Registrable Securities is ordered effective by the SEC, the
Company shall deliver, and shall cause legal counsel selected by the Company to
deliver, to the transfer agent for the Registrable Securities (with copies to
the Investors whose Registrable Securities are included in such Registration
Statement) an instruction substantially in the form attached hereto as EXHIBIT 1
and an opinion of such counsel in the form attached hereto as EXHIBIT 2;
(o) during the Registration Period, the Company shall not bid for
or purchase any Common Stock or any right to purchase Common Stock or attempt to
induce any person to purchase any such security or right if such bid, purchase
or attempt would in any way limit the right of the Investors to sell Registrable
Securities by reason of the limitations set forth in Regulation M under the
Exchange Act; and
(p) take all other reasonable actions necessary to expedite and
facilitate disposition by the Investor of the Registrable Securities pursuant to
the Registration Statement.
4. OBLIGATIONS OF THE INVESTORS. In connection with the
registration of the Registrable Securities, the Investors shall have the
following obligations:
(a) It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the
Company to complete the registration pursuant to this Agreement with respect to
the Registrable Securities of a particular Investor that such Investor shall
furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable
Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable
Securities held by it as shall be reasonably required to effect the registration
of such Registrable Securities and shall execute such documents in connection
with such registration as the Company may reasonably request. At least four (4)
Business Days prior to the first anticipated filing date of the Registration
Statement, the Company shall notify each Investor of the information the Company
requires from each such Investor (the "Requested Information") if any of such
Investor's Registrable Securities are eligible for inclusion in the Registration
Statement. If at least one (1) Business Day prior to the filing date the Company
has not received the Requested Information from an Investor (a "Non-Responsive
Investor"), then the Company may file the Registration Statement without
including Registrable Securities of such Non-Responsive Investor;
(b) Each Investor by such Investor's acceptance of the
Registrable Securities agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably
requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of the
Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Investor has notified the Company
in writing of such Investor's election to exclude all of such Investor's
Registrable Securities from the Registration Statement;
(c) In the event Investors holding a majority in interest of the
Registrable Securities being registered determine to engage the services of an
underwriter, each Investor agrees to enter into and perform such Investor's
obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form,
including, without limitation, customary indemnification and contribution
obligations, with the managing underwriter of such offering and take such other
actions as are reasonably required in order to expedite or facilitate the
disposition of the Registrable Securities, unless such Investor has notified the
Company in writing of such Investor's election to exclude all of such Investor's
Registrable Securities from the Registration Statement;
(d) Each Investor agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from
the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(f)
or 3(g), such Investor will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable
Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement covering such Registrable
Securities until such Investor's receipt of the copies of the supplemented or
amended prospectus contemplated by Section 3(f) or 3(g) and, if so directed by
the Company, such Investor shall deliver to the Company (at the expense of the
Company) or destroy (and deliver to the Company a
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certificate of destruction) all copies in such Investor's possession, of the
prospectus covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt
of such notice; and
(e) No Investor may participate in any underwritten registration
hereunder unless such Investor (i) agrees to sell such Investor's Registrable
Securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by
the Investors entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements, (ii) completes
and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting
agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such
underwriting arrangements and (iii) agrees to pay its pro rata share of all
underwriting discounts and commissions and other fees and expenses of investment
bankers and any manager or managers of such underwriting and legal expenses of
the underwriters applicable with respect to its Registrable Securities, in each
case to the extent not payable by the Company pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement.
5. EXPENSES OF REGISTRATION. All reasonable expenses, other than
underwriting discounts and commissions and other fees and expenses of investment
bankers and other than brokerage commissions, incurred in connection with
registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to Section 3, including,
without limitation, all registration, listing and qualifications fees, printers
and accounting fees and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company,
shall be borne by the Company, provided, however, that the Investors shall bear
the fees and out-of-pocket expenses of any legal counsel retained by the
Investors pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof or otherwise.
6. INDEMNIFICATION. In the event any Registrable Securities are
included in a Registration Statement under this Agreement:
(a) To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify
and hold harmless each Investor who holds such Registrable Securities, the
directors, if any, of such Investor, the officers, if any, of such Investor,
each person, if any, who controls any Investor within the meaning of the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act, any underwriter (as defined in the
Securities Act) for the Investors, the directors, if any, of such underwriter
and the officers, if any, of such underwriter, and each person, if any, who
controls any such underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the
Exchange Act (each, an "Indemnified Person"), against any losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses (joint or several) incurred (collectively,
"Claims") to which any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the
Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings,
whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based
upon any of the following statements, omissions or violations in the
Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereof, or any
prospectus included therein: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any
post-effective amendment thereof or the omission or alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus if used
prior to the effective date of such Registration Statement, or contained in the
final prospectus (as amended or supplemented, if the Company files any amendment
thereof or supplement thereto with the SEC) or the omission or alleged omission
to state therein any material fact necessary to make the statements made
therein, in light of the circumstances under which the statements therein were
made, not misleading or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company
of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state securities law or any rule or
regulation under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities
law (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii) being, collectively,
"Violations"). Subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 6(d) with
respect to the number of legal counsel, the Company shall reimburse the
Investors and each such underwriter or controlling person, promptly as such
expenses are incurred and are due and payable, for any legal fees or other
reasonable expenses incurred by them in connection with investigating or
defending any such Claim. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(a): (I) shall
not apply to a Claim arising out of or based upon a Violation which occurs in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the
Company by any Indemnified Person or underwriter for such Indemnified Person
expressly for use in connection with the preparation of the Registration
Statement or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto, if such
prospectus was timely made available by the Company pursuant to Section 3(c)
hereof; (II) with respect to any preliminary prospectus shall not inure to the
benefit of any such person from whom the person asserting any such Claim
purchased the Registrable Securities that are the subject thereof (or to the
benefit of any person controlling such person) if the untrue statement or
omission of material fact contained in the preliminary prospectus was corrected
in the prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, if such prospectus was
timely made available by the Company pursuant to Section 3(c) hereof; and (III)
shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is
effected without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall
not be unreasonably withheld. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and
effect regardless of any
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investigation made by or on behalf of the Indemnified Person and shall survive
the transfer of the Registrable Securities by the Investors pursuant to Section
9.
(b) In connection with any Registration Statement in which an
Investor is participating, each such Investor agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless, to the same extent and in the same manner set forth in Section 6(a),
the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the
Registration Statement, each person, if any, who controls the Company within the
meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, any underwriter and any other
stockholder selling securities pursuant to the Registration Statement or any of
its directors or officers or any person who controls such stockholder or
underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act
(collectively and together with an Indemnified Person, an "Indemnified Party"),
against any Claim to which any of them may become subject, under the Securities
Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such Claim arises out of or is
based upon any Violation, in each case to the extent (and only to the extent)
that such Violation occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by such Investor expressly for use in
connection with such Registration Statement; and such Investor will reimburse
any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by any Indemnified Party in
connection with investigating or defending any such Claim; provided, however,
that the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 6(b) shall not apply to
amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without
the prior written consent of such Investor, which consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld; provided, further, however, that the Investor shall be
liable under this Section 6(b) for only that amount of a Claim as does not
exceed the amount by which the net proceeds to such Investor from the sale of
Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement exceeds the
purchase price paid by such Investor for such Registrable Securities. Such
indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation
made by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party and shall survive the transfer of
the Registrable Securities by the Investors pursuant to Section 9.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification
agreement contained in this Section 6(b) with respect to any preliminary
prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any Indemnified Party if the untrue
statement or omission of material fact contained in the preliminary prospectus
was corrected on a timely basis in the prospectus, as then amended or
supplemented.
(c) The Company shall be entitled to receive indemnities from
underwriters, selling brokers, dealer managers and similar securities industry
professionals participating in any distribution, to the same extent as provided
above, with respect to information so furnished in writing by such persons
expressly for inclusion in the Registration Statement.
(d) Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Person or
Indemnified Party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any
action (including any governmental action), such Indemnified Person or
Indemnified Party shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be made against any
indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a
written notice of the commencement thereof and the indemnifying party shall have
the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so
desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume
control of the defense thereof with counsel selected by the indemnifying party
but reasonably acceptable to the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party, as
the case may be; provided, however, that an Indemnified Person or Indemnified
Party shall have the right to retain its own counsel with the fees and expenses
to be paid by the indemnifying party, if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel
retained by the indemnifying party, the representation by such counsel of the
Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and the indemnifying party would be
inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such
Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and any other party represented by such
counsel in such proceeding. In such event, the Company shall pay for only one
separate legal counsel for the Investors; such legal counsel shall be selected
by the Investors holding a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities
included in the Registration Statement to which the Claim relates. The failure
to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of
the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such indemnifying party of
any liability to the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party under this Section
6, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is prejudiced in its ability
to defend such action. The indemnification required by this Section 6 shall be
made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the
investigation or defense, as such expense, loss, damage or liability is incurred
and is due and payable.
7. CONTRIBUTION. To the extent any indemnification by an
indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party
agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it
would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by
law; provided, however, that (a) no contribution shall be made under
circumstances where the maker would not have been liable for indemnification
under the fault standards set forth in Section 6, (b) no seller of Registrable
Securities guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of
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Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any
seller of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation and (c) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities
shall be limited in amount to the amount by which the net amount of proceeds
received by such seller from the sale of such Registrable Securities exceeds the
purchase price paid by such seller for such Registrable Securities.
8. REPORTS UNDER EXCHANGE ACT. With a view to making available to
the Investors the benefits of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act or
any other similar rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit the
Investors to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration
("Rule 144"), the Company agrees to:
(a) make and keep public information available, as those terms
are understood and defined in Rule 144;
(b) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other
documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act;
(c) furnish to each Investor so long as such Investor owns
Registrable Securities, promptly upon request, (i) a written statement by the
Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of Rule 144, the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act, (ii) a copy of the most recent annual or
quarterly report of the Company and such other reports and documents so filed by
the Company and (iii) such other information as may be reasonably requested to
permit the Investors to sell such securities pursuant to Rule 144 without
registration; and
(d) if at any time the Company is not required to file such
reports with the SEC under Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, to use its
best efforts to make publicly available other information, upon the request of
an Investor, so long as is necessary to permit publication by brokers and
dealers of quotations for the Common Stock and sales of the Registrable
Securities in accordance with Rule 15c2-11 under the Exchange Act.
9. ASSIGNMENT OF THE REGISTRATION RIGHTS. The rights to have the
Company register Registrable Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be
automatically assigned by the Investors to any transferee of all or any portion
of such securities (or all or any portion of the Preferred Shares or Warrants)
only if: (a) the Investor agrees in writing with the transferee or assignee to
assign such rights, and a copy of such agreement is furnished to the Company
within a reasonable time after such assignment, (b) the Company is, within a
reasonable time after such transfer or assignment, furnished with written notice
of (i) the name and address of such transferee or assignee and (ii) the
securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred
or assigned, (c) immediately following such transfer or assignment the further
disposition of such securities by the transferee or assignee is restricted under
the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, and (d) at or before
the time the Company received the written notice contemplated by clause (b) of
this sentence the transferee or assignee agrees in writing with the Company to
be bound by all of the provisions contained herein. In connection with any such
transfer the Company shall, at its sole cost and expense, promptly after such
assignment take such actions as shall be reasonably acceptable to the Initial
Investor and such transferee to assure that the Registration Statement and
related prospectus are available for use by such transferee for sales of the
Registrable Securities in respect of which the rights to registration have been
so assigned.
10. AMENDMENT OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS. Any provision of this
Agreement may be amended and the observance thereof may be waived (either
generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or
prospectively), only with the written consent of the Company and Investors who
hold a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities. Any amendment or
waiver effected in accordance with this Section 10 shall be binding upon each
Investor and the Company.
11. MISCELLANEOUS.
(a) A person or entity is deemed to be a holder of Registrable
Securities whenever such person or entity owns of record such Registrable
Securities. If the Company receives conflicting instructions, notices or
elections from two or more persons or entities with respect to the same
Registrable Securities, the Company shall act upon the basis of instructions,
notice or election received from the registered owner of such Registrable
Securities.
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(b) Notices required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be
in writing and shall be deemed to be sufficiently given when personally
delivered (by hand, by courier, by telephone line facsimile transmission or
other means) or sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, properly
addressed and with proper postage pre-paid (i) if to the Company, at American
Technology Corporation, 13114 Evening Creek Dr. South, San Diego, California
92128, Attention: Chief Financial Officer, telephone line facsimile transmission
no. (619) 679-0545, (ii) if to the Initial Investor,
___________________________________, with a copy to__________________________
and (iii) if to any other Investor, at such address as such Investor shall have
provided in writing to the Company, or at such other address as each such party
furnishes by notice given in accordance with this Section 11(b), and shall be
effective, when personally delivered, upon receipt and, when so sent by
certified mail, four days after deposit with the United States Postal Service.
(c) Failure of any party to exercise any right or remedy under
this Agreement or otherwise, or delay by a party in exercising such right or
remedy, shall not operate as a waiver thereof.
(d) This Agreement shall be enforced, governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements
made and to be performed entirely within such State. In the event that any
provision of this Agreement is invalid or unenforceable under any applicable
statute or rule of law, then such provision shall be deemed inoperative to the
extent that it may conflict therewith and shall be deemed modified to conform
with such statute or rule of law. Any provision hereof which may prove invalid
or unenforceable under any law shall not affect the validity or enforceability
of any other provision hereof.
(e) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the
parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. There are no
restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth
or referred to herein. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and
understandings among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter
hereof.
(f) Subject to the requirements of Section 9 hereof, this
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and
assigns of each of the parties hereto.
(g) All pronouns and any variations thereof refer to the
masculine, feminine or neuter, singular or plural, as the context may require.
(h) The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of
reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.
(i) The Company acknowledges that any failure by the Company to
perform its obligations under this Agreement, including, without limitation, the
Company's obligations under Section 3(n), or any delay in such performance could
result in damages to the Investors and the Company agrees that, in addition to
any other liability the Company may have by reason of any such failure or delay,
the Company shall be liable for all direct and consequential damages caused by
any such failure or delay.
(j) This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts,
each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which shall constitute one
and the same agreement. This Agreement, once executed by a party, may be
delivered to the other party hereto by telephone line facsimile transmission of
a copy of this Agreement bearing the signature of the party so delivering this
Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of day
and year first above written.
AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
By /s/ ROBERT PUTNAM
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Name: Robert Putnam
Title: President and CEO
INVESTOR
By
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Name:
Title:
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