EXHIBIT 4.2
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INFOSEEK CORPORATION
EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
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I. PURPOSE OF THE PLAN
This Employee Stock Purchase Plan is intended to promote the interests
of Infoseek Corporation by providing eligible employees with the opportunity to
acquire a proprietary interest in the Corporation through participation in a
payroll-deduction based employee stock purchase plan designed to qualify under
Section 423 of the Code.
Capitalized terms herein shall have the meanings assigned to such
terms in the attached Appendix.
II. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN
The Plan Administrator shall have full authority to interpret and
construe any provision of the Plan and to adopt such rules and regulations for
administering the Plan as it may deem necessary in order to comply with the
requirements of Code Section 423. Decisions of the Plan Administrator shall be
final and binding on all parties having an interest in the Plan.
III STOCK SUBJECT TO PLAN
A. The stock purchasable under the Plan shall be shares of
authorized but unissued or reacquired Common Stock, including shares of Common
Stock purchased on the open market. The maximum number of shares of Common
Stock which may be issued over the term of the Plan shall not exceed one hundred
eighty-seven thousand five hundred (587,500) shares, plus an annual increase to
be added on the first day of January of each calendar year, beginning on January
1, 1999, equal to the lesser of (i) 400,000 shares, (ii) 1% of the outstanding
shares of the Corporation on such date or (iii) such lesser amount as determined
by the Board.
B. Should any change be made to the Common Stock by reason of any
stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, combination of shares, exchange
of shares or other change affecting the outstanding Common Stock as a class
without the Corporation's receipt of consideration, appropriate adjustments
shall be made to (i) the maximum number and class of securities issuable under
the Plan, (ii) the maximum number and class of securities purchasable per
Participant on any one Purchase Date and (iii) the number and class of
securities and the price per share in effect under each outstanding purchase
right in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of benefits thereunder.
IV. OFFERING PERIODS
A. Shares of Common Stock shall be offered for purchase under the
Plan through a series of successive offering periods until such time as (i) the
maximum number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the Plan
shall have been purchased or (ii) the Plan shall have been sooner terminated.
B. Each offering period shall be of such duration (generally not to
exceed twenty-four (24) months) as determined by the Plan Administrator prior to
the start date. However, the initial offering period shall commence at the
Effective Time and terminate on the last business day in July 1998. The next
offering period shall commence on the first business day in August 1998, and
subsequent offering periods shall commence as designated by the Plan
Administrator.
C. Each offering period shall be comprised of a series of one or
more successive Purchase Intervals. Purchase Intervals shall run from the first
business trading day in February to the last business trading day in July of the
same year and from the first business trading day in August each year to the
last business trading day in January of the following year. However, the first
Purchase Interval in effect under the initial offering period shall commence at
the Effective Time and terminate on the last business trading day in January
1997.
V. ELIGIBILITY
A. Each individual who is an Eligible Employee on the start date of
any offering period under the Plan may enter that offering period on such start
date or on any subsequent Quarterly Entry Date within that offering period,
provided he or she remains an Eligible Employee.
B. Each individual who first becomes an Eligible Employee after the
start date of an offering period may enter that offering period on any
subsequent Quarterly Entry Date within that offering period on which he or she
is an Eligible Employee.
C. The date an individual enters an offering period shall be
designated his or her Entry Date for purposes of that offering period.
D. To participate in the Plan for a particular offering period, the
Eligible Employee must complete the enrollment forms prescribed by the Plan
Administrator (including a stock purchase agreement and a payroll deduction
authorization) and file such forms with the Plan Administrator (or its
designate) on or before his or her scheduled Entry Date.
VI. PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS
A. The payroll deduction authorized by the Participant for purposes
of acquiring shares of Common Stock under the Plan may be any multiple of one
percent (1%) of the Base Salary
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paid to the Participant during each Purchase Interval within that offering
period, up to a maximum of ten percent (10%). The deduction rate so authorized
shall continue in effect throughout the offering period, except to the extent
such rate is changed in accordance with the following guidelines:
(i) The Participant may, at any time during an offering
period, reduce his or her rate of payroll deduction to become effective as
soon as possible after filing the appropriate form with the Plan
Administrator. The Participant may not, however, effect more than one (1)
such reduction per Purchase Interval.
(ii) The Participant may, prior to the commencement of any new
Purchase Interval within an offering period, increase the rate of his or
her payroll deduction by filing the appropriate form with the Plan
Administrator. The new rate (which may not exceed the ten percent (10%)
maximum) shall become effective on the start date of the first Purchase
Interval following the filing of such form.
B. Payroll deductions shall begin on the first pay day following
the Participant's Entry Date into the offering period and shall (unless sooner
terminated by the Participant) continue through the pay day ending with or
immediately prior to the last day of that offering period. The amounts so
collected shall be credited to the Participant's book account under the Plan,
but no interest shall be paid on the balance from time to time outstanding in
such account. The amounts collected from the Participant shall not be held in
any segregated account or trust fund and may be commingled with the general
assets of the Corporation and used for general corporate purposes.
C. Payroll deductions shall automatically cease upon the
termination of the Participant's purchase right in accordance with the
provisions of the Plan.
D. The Participant's acquisition of Common Stock under the Plan on
any Purchase Date shall neither limit nor require the Participant's acquisition
of Common Stock on any subsequent Purchase Date, whether within the same or a
different offering period.
VII. PURCHASE RIGHTS
A. Grant of Purchase Right. A Participant shall be granted a
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separate purchase right for each offering period in which he or she
participates. The purchase right shall be granted on the Participant's Entry
Date into the offering period and shall provide the Participant with the right
to purchase shares of Common Stock, in a series of successive installments over
the remainder of such offering period, upon the terms set forth below. The
Participant shall execute a stock purchase agreement embodying such terms and
such other provisions (not inconsistent with the Plan) as the Plan Administrator
may deem advisable.
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Under no circumstances shall purchase rights be granted under the Plan
to any Eligible Employee if such individual would, immediately after the grant,
own (within the meaning of Code Section 424(d)) or hold outstanding options or
other rights to purchase, stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the
total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Corporation
or any Corporate Affiliate.
B. Exercise of the Purchase Right. Each purchase right shall be
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automatically exercised in installments on each successive Purchase Date within
the offering period, and shares of Common Stock shall accordingly be purchased
on behalf of each Participant (other than Participants whose payroll deductions
have previously been refunded pursuant to the Termination of Purchase Right
provisions below) on each such Purchase Date. The purchase shall be effected by
applying the Participant's payroll deductions for the Purchase Interval ending
on such Purchase Date to the purchase of shares of Common Stock at the purchase
price in effect for the Participant for that Purchase Date.
C. Purchase Price. The purchase price per share at which Common
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Stock will be purchased on the Participant's behalf on each Purchase Date within
the offering period shall be equal to eighty-five percent (85%) of the lower of
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(i) the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on the Participant's Entry
Date into that offering period or (ii) the Fair Market Value per share of Common
Stock on that Purchase Date; provided, however, that the purchase price may be
adjusted by the Board pursuant to Section X. However, for each Participant
whose Entry Date is other than the start date of the offering period, the clause
(i) amount shall in no event be less than the Fair Market Value per share of
Common Stock on the start date of that offering period.
D. Number of Purchasable Shares. The number of shares of Common
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Stock purchasable by a Participant on each Purchase Date during the offering
period shall be the number of shares obtained by dividing the amount collected
from the Participant through payroll deductions during the Purchase Interval
ending with that Purchase Date by the purchase price in effect for the
Participant for that Purchase Date. However, the maximum number of shares of
Common Stock purchasable per Participant on any one Purchase Date shall not
exceed five hundred (500) shares, subject to periodic adjustments in the event
of certain changes in the Corporation's capitalization.
E. Excess Payroll Deductions. Any payroll deductions not applied to
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the purchase of shares of Common Stock on any Purchase Date because they are not
sufficient to purchase a whole share of Common Stock shall be held for the
purchase of Common Stock on the next Purchase Date. However, any payroll
deductions not applied to the purchase of Common Stock by reason of the
limitation on the maximum number of shares purchasable by the Participant on the
Purchase Date shall be promptly refunded.
F. Termination of Purchase Right. The following provisions shall
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govern the termination of outstanding purchase rights:
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(i) A Participant may, at any time prior to the next
scheduled Purchase Date in the offering period, terminate his or her
outstanding purchase right by filing the appropriate form with the Plan
Administrator (or its designate), and no further payroll deductions shall
be collected from the Participant with respect to the terminated purchase
right. Any payroll deductions collected during the Purchase Interval in
which such termination occurs shall be immediately refunded. If no such
election is made at the time such purchase right is terminated, then the
payroll deductions collected with respect to the terminated right shall be
refunded as soon as possible.
(ii) The termination of such purchase right shall be
irrevocable, and the Participant may not subsequently rejoin the offering
period for which the terminated purchase right was granted. In order to
resume participation in any subsequent offering period, such individual
must re-enroll in the Plan (by making a timely filing of the prescribed
enrollment forms) on or before his or her scheduled Entry Date into that
offering period.
(iii) Should the Participant cease to remain an Eligible
Employee for any reason (including death, disability or change in status)
while his or her purchase right remains outstanding, then that purchase
right shall immediately terminate, and all of the Participant's payroll
deductions for the Purchase Interval in which the purchase right so
terminates shall be immediately refunded. However, should the Participant
cease to remain in active service by reason of an approved unpaid leave of
absence, then the Participant shall have the right, exercisable up until
the last business day of the Purchase Interval in which such leave
commences, to (a) withdraw all the payroll deductions collected to date on
his or her behalf for that Purchase Interval or (b) have such funds held
for the purchase of shares on his or her behalf on the next scheduled
Purchase Date. In no event, however shall any further payroll deductions
be collected on the Participant's behalf during such leave. Upon the
Participant's return to active service, his or her payroll deductions under
the Plan shall automatically resume at the rate in effect at the time the
leave began unless the Participant withdraws from the Plan prior to his or
her return.
G. Corporate Transaction. Each outstanding purchase right shall
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automatically be exercised, immediately prior to the effective date of any
Corporate Transaction, by applying the payroll deductions of each Participant
for the Purchase Interval in which such Corporate Transaction occurs to the
purchase of whole shares of Common Stock at a purchase price per share equal to
eighty-five percent (85%) of the lower of (i) the Fair Market Value per share of
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Common Stock on the Participant's Entry Date into the offering period in which
such Corporate Transaction occurs or (ii) the Fair Market Value per share of
Common Stock immediately prior to the effective date of such Corporate
Transaction. However, the applicable limitation on the number of shares of
Common Stock purchasable per Participant shall continue to apply to any such
purchase, and the clause (i) amount above shall not, for any Participant whose
Entry Date for the offering period is other than the start date of that offering
period, be less than the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on that
start date.
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The Corporation shall use its best efforts to provide at least ten
(10)-days prior written notice of the occurrence of any Corporate Transaction,
and Participants shall, following the receipt of such notice, have the right to
terminate their outstanding purchase rights prior to the effective date of the
Corporate Transaction.
H. Proration of Purchase Rights. Should the total number of shares
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of Common Stock to be purchased pursuant to outstanding purchase rights on any
particular date exceed the number of shares then available for issuance under
the Plan, the Plan Administrator shall make a pro-rata allocation of the
available shares on a uniform and nondiscriminatory basis, and the payroll
deductions of each Participant, to the extent in excess of the aggregate
purchase price payable for the Common Stock pro-rated to such individual, shall
be refunded.
I. Assignability. The purchase right shall be exercisable only by
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the Participant and shall not be assignable or transferable by the Participant.
J. Stockholder Rights A Participant shall have no stockholder
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rights with respect to the shares subject to his or her outstanding purchase
right until the shares are purchased on the Participant's behalf in accordance
with the provisions of the Plan and the Participant has become a holder of
record of the purchased shares.
VII. ACCRUAL LIMITATIONS
A. No Participant shall be entitled to accrue rights to acquire
Common Stock pursuant to any purchase right outstanding under this Plan if and
to the extent such accrual, when aggregated with (i) rights to purchase Common
Stock accrued under any other purchase right granted under this Plan and (ii)
similar rights accrued under other employee stock purchase plans (within the
meaning of Code Section 423) of the Corporation or any Corporate Affiliate,
would otherwise permit such Participant to purchase more than Twenty-Five
Thousand Dollars ($25,000) worth of stock of the Corporation or any Corporate
Affiliate (determined on the basis of the Fair Market Value per share on the
date or dates such rights are granted) for each calendar year such rights are at
any time outstanding.
B. For purposes of applying such accrual limitations to the
purchase rights granted under the Plan, the following provisions shall be in
effect:
(i) The right to acquire Common Stock under each outstanding
purchase right shall accrue in a series of installments on each successive
Purchase Date during the offering period on which such right remains
outstanding.
(ii) No right to acquire Common Stock under any outstanding
purchase right shall accrue to the extent the Participant has already
accrued in the same calendar year the right to acquire Common Stock under
one (1) or more other purchase rights at a rate
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equal to Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) worth of Common Stock
(determined on the basis of the Fair Market Value per share on the date or
dates of grant) for each calendar year such rights were at any time
outstanding.
C. If by reason of such accrual limitations, any purchase right of
a Participant does not accrue for a particular Purchase Interval, then the
payroll deductions which the Participant made during that Purchase Interval with
respect to such purchase right shall be promptly refunded.
D. In the event there is any conflict between the provisions of
this Article and one or more provisions of the Plan or any instrument issued
thereunder, the provisions of this Article shall be controlling.
IX. EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERM OF THE PLAN
A. The Plan was adopted by the Board on April 10, 1996 and shall
become effective at the Effective Time, provided no purchase rights granted
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under the Plan shall be exercised, and no shares of Common Stock shall be issued
hereunder, until (i) the Plan shall have been approved by the stockholders of
the Corporation and (ii) the Corporation shall have complied with all applicable
requirements of the 1933 Act (including the registration of the shares of Common
Stock issuable under the Plan on a Form S-8 registration statement filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission), all applicable listing requirements of
any stock exchange (or the Nasdaq National Market, if applicable) on which the
Common Stock is listed for trading and all other applicable requirements
established by law or regulation. In the event such stockholder approval is not
obtained, or such compliance is not effected, within twelve (12) months after
the date on which the Plan is adopted by the Board, the Plan shall terminate and
have no further force or effect and all sums collected from Participants during
the initial offering period hereunder shall be refunded.
B. Unless sooner terminated by the Board, the Plan shall terminate
upon the earliest of (i) the last business day in July 2006, (ii) the date on
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which all shares available for issuance under the Plan shall have been sold
pursuant to purchase rights exercised under the Plan or (iii) the date on which
all purchase rights are exercised in connection with a Corporate Transaction. No
further purchase rights shall be granted or exercised, and no further payroll
deductions shall be collected, under the Plan following its termination.
X. AMENDMENT OF THE PLAN
The Board may alter, amend, suspend or discontinue the Plan at any
time to become effective immediately following the close of any Purchase
Interval. However, the Board may not, without the approval of the Corporation's
stockholders, (i) materially increase the number of shares of Common Stock
issuable under the Plan or the maximum number of shares purchasable per
Participant on any one Purchase Date, except for permissible adjustments in the
event of certain changes in the Corporation's capitalization, (ii) alter the
purchase price formula so as to reduce the
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purchase price payable for the shares of Common Stock purchasable under the
Plan, or (iii) materially increase the benefits accruing to Participants under
the Plan or materially modify the requirements for eligibility to participate in
the Plan. Notwithstanding the above, in the event the Board determines that the
ongoing operation of the Plan may result in unfavorable financial accounting
consequences, the Board may, in its discretion and, to the extent necessary or
desirable, modify or amend the Plan to reduce or eliminate such accounting
consequence including, but not limited to (i) altering the purchase price for
any offering period including an offering period underway at the time of the
change in purchase price, (ii) shortening any offering period so that offering
period ends on a new Purchase Date, including an offering period underway at the
time of the Board action; and (iii) allocating shares. Such modifications or
amendments shall not require stockholder approval or the consent of any Plan
Participants.
XI. GENERAL PROVISIONS
A. Nothing in the Plan shall confer upon the Participant any right
to continue in the employ of the Corporation or any Corporate Affiliate for any
period of specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way
the rights of the Corporation (or any Corporate Affiliate employing such person)
or of the Participant, which rights are hereby expressly reserved by each, to
terminate such person's employment at any time for any reason, with or without
cause.
B. All costs and expenses incurred in the administration of the
Plan shall be paid by the Corporation.
C. The provisions of the Plan shall be governed by the laws of the
State of California without resort to that State's conflict-of-laws rules.
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Schedule A
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Corporations Participating in
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
As of the Effective Time
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Infoseek Corporation
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APPENDIX
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The following definitions shall be in effect under the Plan:
A. Base Salary shall mean the regular base salary paid to a
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Participant by one or more Participating Companies during such individual's
period of participation in one or more offering periods under the Plan, plus any
pre-tax contributions made by the Participant to any Code Section 401(k) salary
deferral plan or any Code Section 125 cafeteria benefit program now or hereafter
established by the Corporation or any Corporate Affiliate. The following items
of compensation shall NOT be included in Base Salary: (i) all overtime payments,
bonuses, commissions (other than those functioning as base salary equivalents),
profit-sharing distributions and other incentive-type payments and (ii) any and
all contributions (other than Code Section 401(k) or Code Section 125
contributions) made on the Participant's behalf by the Corporation or any
Corporate Affiliate under any employee benefit or welfare plan now or hereafter
established.
B. Board shall mean the Corporation's Board of Directors.
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C. Code shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
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D. Common Stock shall mean the Corporation's common stock.
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E. Corporate Affiliate shall mean any parent or subsidiary
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corporation of the Corporation (as determined in accordance with Code Section
424), whether now existing or subsequently established.
F. Corporate Transaction shall mean either of the following
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stockholder-approved transactions to which the Corporation is a party:
(i) a merger or consolidation in which securities possessing more
than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the Corporation's
outstanding securities are transferred to a person or persons different from the
persons holding those securities immediately prior to such transaction, or
(ii) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially
all of the assets of the Corporation in complete liquidation or dissolution of
the Corporation.
G. Corporation shall mean Infoseek Corporation, a California
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corporation, and any corporate successor to all or substantially all of the
assets or voting stock of Infoseek Corporation which shall by appropriate action
adopt the Plan.
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H. Effective Time shall mean the time at which the Underwriting
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Agreement is executed and finally priced. Any Corporate Affiliate which becomes
a Participating Corporation after such Effective Time shall designate a
subsequent Effective Time with respect to its employee-Participants.
I. Eligible Employee shall mean any person who is employed by a
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Participating Corporation on a basis under which he or she is regularly expected
to render more than twenty (20) hours of service per week for more than five (5)
months per calendar year for earnings considered wages under Code Section
3401(a).
J. Entry Date shall mean the date an Eligible Employee first
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commences participation in the offering period in effect under the Plan. The
earliest Entry Date under the Plan shall be the Effective Time.
K. Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on any relevant date
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shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions:
(i) If the Common Stock is at the time traded on the Nasdaq
National Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling
price per share of Common Stock on the date in question, as such price is
reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers on the Nasdaq
National Market or any successor system. If there is no closing selling
price for the Common Stock on the date in question, then the Fair Market
Value shall be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for
which such quotation exists.
(ii) If the Common Stock is at the time listed on any Stock
Exchange, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price per
share of Common Stock on the date in question on the Stock Exchange
determined by the Plan Administrator to be the primary market for the
Common Stock, as such price is officially quoted in the composite tape of
transactions on such exchange. If there is no closing selling price for
the Common Stock on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall
be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such
quotation exists.
(iii) For purposes of the initial offering period which begins
at the Effective Time, the Fair Market Value shall be deemed to be equal to
the price per share at which the Common Stock is sold in the initial public
offering pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.
L. 1933 Act shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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M. Participant shall mean any Eligible Employee of a Participating
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Corporation who is actively participating in the Plan.
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N. Participating Corporation shall mean the Corporation and such
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Corporate Affiliate or Affiliates as may be authorized from time to time by the
Board to extend the benefits of the Plan to their Eligible Employees. The
Participating Corporations in the Plan as of the Effective Time are listed in
attached Schedule A.
O. Plan shall mean the Corporation's Employee Stock Purchase Plan,
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as set forth in this document.
P. Plan Administrator shall mean the committee of two (2) or more
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Board members appointed by the Board to administer the Plan.
Q. Purchase Date shall mean the last business day of each Purchase
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Interval. The initial Purchase Date shall be the last business day of January
1997.
R. Quarterly Entry Date shall mean the date on which an Eligible
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Employee may first enter an offering period. The Quarterly Entry Dates for each
offering period shall be the first business day of February, May, August and
November.
S. Purchase Interval shall mean each successive period within the
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offering period at the end of which there shall be purchased shares of Common
Stock on behalf of each Participant.
T. Stock Exchange shall mean either the American Stock Exchange or
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the New York Stock Exchange.
U. Underwriting Agreement shall mean the agreement between the
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Corporation and the underwriter or underwriters managing the initial public
offering of the Common Stock.
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