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EXHIBIT 99.1
VERITY, INC.
1996 NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION PLAN
(AS AMENDED THROUGH AUGUST 20, 2001)
1. ESTABLISHMENT, PURPOSE AND TERM OF PLAN.
1.1 ESTABLISHMENT. The Verity, Inc. 1996 Nonstatutory Stock Option
Plan (the "PLAN") is hereby established effective as of February 6, 1996 (the
"EFFECTIVE DATE").
1.2 PURPOSE. The purpose of the Plan is to advance the interests of
the Participating Company Group and its stockholders by providing an incentive
to attract, retain and reward persons performing services for the Participating
Company Group and by motivating such persons to contribute to the growth and
profitability of the Participating Company Group.
1.3 TERM OF PLAN. The Plan shall continue in effect until the earlier
of its termination by the Board or the date on which all of the shares of Stock
available for issuance under the Plan have been issued and all restrictions on
such shares under the terms of the Plan and the agreements evidencing Options
granted under the Plan have lapsed.
2. DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION.
2.1 DEFINITIONS. Whenever used herein, the following terms shall have
their respective meanings set forth below:
(a) "BOARD" means the Board of Directors of the Company. If one
or more Committees have been appointed by the Board to administer the Plan,
"Board" also means such Committee(s).
(b) "CODE" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
and any applicable regulations promulgated thereunder.
(c) "COMMITTEE" means the Compensation Committee or other
committee of the Board duly appointed to administer the Plan and having such
powers as shall be specified by the Board. Unless the powers of the Committee
have been specifically limited, the Committee shall have all of the powers of
the Board granted herein, including, without limitation, the power to amend or
terminate the Plan at any time, subject to the terms of the Plan and any
applicable limitations imposed by law.
(d) "COMPANY" means Verity, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any
successor corporation thereto.
(e) "CONSULTANT" means any person, including an advisor, engaged
by a Participating Company to render services other than as an Employee or a
Director.
(f) "DIRECTOR" means a member of the Board or of the board of
directors of any other Participating Company.
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(g) "EMPLOYEE" means any person treated as an employee (including
an officer or a Director who is also treated as an employee) in the records of a
Participating Company; provided, however, that neither service as a Director nor
payment of a director's fee shall be sufficient to constitute employment for
purposes of the Plan.
(h) "EXCHANGE ACT" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
(i) "FAIR MARKET VALUE" means, as of any date, the value of a
share of stock or other property as determined by the Board, in its sole
discretion, or by the Company, in its sole discretion, if such determination is
expressly allocated to the Company herein.
(j) "INSIDER" means an officer or a Director of the Company or
any other person whose transactions in Stock are subject to Section 16 of the
Exchange Act.
(k) "OPTION" means a right to purchase Stock (subject to
adjustment as provided in Section 4.2) pursuant to the terms and conditions of
the Plan. Options are intended to be nonstatutory stock options and shall not be
treated as incentive stock options within the meaning of Section 422(b) of the
Code.
(l) "OPTION AGREEMENT" means a written agreement between the
Company and an Optionee setting forth the terms, conditions and restrictions of
the Option granted to the Optionee and any shares acquired upon the exercise
thereof.
(m) "OPTIONEE" means a person who has been granted one or more
Options.
(n) "PARENT CORPORATION" means any present or future "parent
corporation" of the Company, as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.
(o) "PARTICIPATING COMPANY" means the Company or any Parent
Corporation or Subsidiary Corporation.
(p) "PARTICIPATING COMPANY GROUP" means, at any point in time,
all corporations collectively which are then Participating Companies.
(q) "STOCK" means the common stock, $0.001 par value, of the
Company, as adjusted from time to time in accordance with Section 4.2.
(r) "SUBSIDIARY CORPORATION" means any present or future
"subsidiary corporation" of the Company, as defined in Section 424(f) of the
Code.
2.2 CONSTRUCTION. Captions and titles contained herein are for
convenience only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of any
provision of the Plan. Except when otherwise indicated by the context, the
singular shall include the plural, the plural shall include the singular, and
the term "or" shall include the conjunctive as well as the disjunctive.
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3. ADMINISTRATION.
3.1 ADMINISTRATION BY THE BOARD. The Plan shall be administered by the
Board, including any duly appointed Committee of the Board. All questions of
interpretation of the Plan or of any Option shall be determined by the Board,
and such determinations shall be final and binding upon all persons having an
interest in the Plan or such Option. Any officer of a Participating Company
shall have the authority to act on behalf of the Company with respect to any
matter, right, obligation, determination or election which is the responsibility
of or which is allocated to the Company herein, provided the officer has
apparent authority with respect to such matter, right, obligation, determination
or election.
3.2 POWERS OF THE BOARD. In addition to any other powers set forth in
the Plan and subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board shall have the
full and final power and authority, in its sole discretion:
(a) to determine the persons to whom, and the time or times at
which, Options shall be granted and the number of shares of Stock to be subject
to each Option;
(b) to determine the Fair Market Value of shares of Stock or
other property;
(c) to determine the terms, conditions and restrictions
applicable to each Option (which need not be identical) and any shares acquired
upon the exercise thereof, including, without limitation, (i) the exercise price
of the Option, (ii) the method of payment for shares purchased upon the exercise
of the Option, (iii) the method for satisfaction of any tax withholding
obligation arising in connection with the Option or such shares, including by
the withholding or delivery of shares of stock, (iv) the timing, terms and
conditions of the exercisability of the Option or the vesting of any shares
acquired upon the exercise thereof, (v) the time of the expiration of the
Option, (vi) the effect of the Optionee's termination of employment or service
with the Participating Company Group on any of the foregoing, and (vii) all
other terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to the Option or such shares
not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan;
(d) to approve one or more forms of Option Agreement;
(e) to amend, modify, extend, or renew, or grant a new Option in
substitution for, any Option or to waive any restrictions or conditions
applicable to any Option or any shares acquired upon the exercise thereof;
(f) to accelerate, continue, extend or defer the exercisability
of any Option or the vesting of any shares acquired upon the exercise thereof,
including with respect to the period following an Optionee's termination of
employment or service with the Participating Company Group;
(g) to prescribe, amend or rescind rules, guidelines and policies
relating to the Plan, or to adopt supplements to, or alternative versions of,
the Plan, including, without limitation, as the Board deems necessary or
desirable to comply with the laws of, or to
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accommodate the tax policy or custom of, foreign jurisdictions whose citizens
may be granted Options; and
(h) to correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any
inconsistency in the Plan or any Option Agreement and to make all other
determinations and take such other actions with respect to the Plan or any
Option as the Board may deem advisable to the extent consistent with the Plan
and applicable law.
3.3 LIMITATION ON OPTION GRANTS. The power of the Board to grant
Options shall be limited as follows: from the date of the amendment of the Plan
to extend eligibility to Insiders, to each anniversary of such amendment
(commencing with the period from the date of such amendment to the third
anniversary of such amendment, then the period from the date of such amendment
to the fourth anniversary of such amendment, etc.), less than fifty percent
(50%) of the shares made subject to Options granted in such time period may be
made subject to Options granted to Insiders; however, shares made subject to an
Option granted to an Insider as an essential inducement for such person to
become an Employee shall not be included in the numerator nor in the denominator
of such calculation.
4. SHARES SUBJECT TO PLAN.
4.1 MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SHARES ISSUABLE. Subject to adjustment as
provided in Section 4.2, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Stock that
may be issued under the Plan shall be twenty-four million seven hundred thousand
(24,700,000) (after giving effect to the Company's 2:1 stock split of December
3, 1999) and shall consist of authorized but unissued or reacquired shares of
Stock or any combination thereof. If an outstanding Option for any reason
expires or is terminated or canceled or shares of Stock acquired, subject to
repurchase, upon the exercise of an Option are repurchased by the Company, the
shares of Stock allocable to the unexercised portion of such Option, or such
repurchased shares of Stock, shall again be available for issuance under the
Plan.
4.2 ADJUSTMENTS FOR CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE. In the event of any
stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, recapitalization, combination,
reclassification or similar change in the capital structure of the Company,
appropriate adjustments shall be made in the number and class of shares subject
to the Plan and to any outstanding Options, and in the exercise price per share
of any outstanding Options. If a majority of the shares which are of the same
class as the shares that are subject to outstanding Options are exchanged for,
converted into, or otherwise become (whether or not pursuant to an Ownership
Change Event, as defined in Section 8.1) shares of another corporation (the "New
Shares"), the Board may unilaterally amend the outstanding Options to provide
that such Options are exercisable for New Shares. In the event of any such
amendment, the number of shares subject to, and the exercise price per share of,
the outstanding Options shall be adjusted in a fair and equitable manner as
determined by the Board, in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
any fractional share resulting from an adjustment pursuant to this Section 4.2
shall be rounded up or down to the nearest whole number, as determined by the
Board, and in no event may the exercise price of any Option be decreased to an
amount less than the par value, if any, of the stock subject to the Option. The
adjustments determined by the Board pursuant to this Section 4.2 shall be final,
binding and conclusive.
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5. ELIGIBILITY. Subject to Section 3.3, Options may be granted only to
Employees, Directors and Consultants. For purposes of the foregoing sentence:
(A) "Employees" shall include prospective Employees to whom Options are granted
in connection with written offers of employment with the Participating Company
Group; and (B) "Consultants" shall include prospective Consultants to whom
Options are granted in connection with written offers of engagement with the
Participating Company Group. Eligible persons may be granted more than one (1)
Option.
6. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OPTIONS. Options shall be evidenced by Option
Agreements specifying the number of shares of Stock covered thereby, in such
form as the Board shall from time to time establish. Option Agreements may
incorporate all or any of the terms of the Plan by reference and shall comply
with and be subject to the following terms and conditions:
6.1 EXERCISE PRICE. The exercise price for each Option shall be
established in the sole discretion of the Board; provided, however, that the
exercise price per share for an Option shall be not less than eighty-five
percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the effective date
of grant of the Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option may be granted
with an exercise price lower than the minimum exercise price set forth above if
such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another
option in a manner qualifying under the provisions of Section 424(a) of the
Code.
6.2 EXERCISE PERIOD. Options shall be exercisable at such time or
times, or upon such event or events, and subject to such terms, conditions,
performance criteria, and restrictions as shall be determined by the Board and
set forth in the Option Agreement evidencing such Option; provided, however,
that no Option granted to a prospective Employee or prospective Consultant may
become exercisable prior to the date on which such person commences service with
a Participating Company.
6.3 PAYMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE.
(a) FORMS OF CONSIDERATION AUTHORIZED. Except as otherwise
provided below, payment of the exercise price for the number of shares of Stock
being purchased pursuant to any Option shall be made (i) in cash, by check, or
cash equivalent, (ii) by tender to the Company of shares of Stock owned by the
Optionee having a Fair Market Value (as determined by the Company without regard
to any restrictions on transferability applicable to such stock by reason of
federal or state securities laws or agreements with an underwriter for the
Company) not less than the exercise price, (iii) by the assignment of the
proceeds of a sale or loan with respect to some or all of the shares being
acquired upon the exercise of the Option (including, without limitation, through
an exercise complying with the provisions of Regulation T as promulgated from
time to time by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) (a
"CASHLESS EXERCISE"), (iv) by the Optionee's promissory note in a form approved
by the Company, (v) by such other consideration as may be approved by the Board
from time to time to the extent permitted by applicable law, or (vi) by any
combination thereof. The Board may at any time or from time to time, by adoption
of or by amendment to the standard form of Option Agreement described in Section
7, or by other means, grant Options which do not permit all of
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the foregoing forms of consideration to be used in payment of the exercise price
or which otherwise restrict one or more forms of consideration.
(b) TENDER OF STOCK. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option may
not be exercised by tender to the Company of shares of Stock to the extent such
tender of Stock would constitute a violation of the provisions of any law,
regulation or agreement restricting the redemption of the Company's stock.
Unless otherwise provided by the Board, an Option may not be exercised by tender
to the Company of shares of Stock unless such shares either have been owned by
the Optionee for more than six (6) months or were not acquired, directly or
indirectly, from the Company.
(c) CASHLESS EXERCISE. The Company reserves, at any and all
times, the right, in the Company's sole and absolute discretion, to establish,
decline to approve or terminate any program or procedures for the exercise of
Options by means of a Cashless Exercise.
(d) PAYMENT BY PROMISSORY NOTE. No promissory note shall be
permitted if the exercise of an Option using a promissory note would be a
violation of any law. Any permitted promissory note shall be on such terms as
the Board shall determine at the time the Option is granted. The Board shall
have the authority to permit or require the Optionee to secure any promissory
note used to exercise an Option with the shares of Stock acquired upon the
exercise of the Option or with other collateral acceptable to the Company.
Unless otherwise provided by the Board, if the Company at any time is subject to
the regulations promulgated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System or any other governmental entity affecting the extension of credit in
connection with the Company's securities, any promissory note shall comply with
such applicable regulations, and the Optionee shall pay the unpaid principal and
accrued interest, if any, to the extent necessary to comply with such applicable
regulations.
6.4 TAX WITHHOLDING. The Company shall have the right, but not the
obligation, to deduct from the shares of Stock issuable upon the exercise of an
Option, or to accept from the Optionee the tender of, a number of whole shares
of Stock having a Fair Market Value, as determined by the Company, equal to all
or any part of the federal, state, local and foreign taxes, if any, required by
law to be withheld by the Participating Company Group with respect to such
Option or the shares acquired upon the exercise thereof. Alternatively or in
addition, in its sole discretion, the Company shall have the right to require
the Optionee, through payroll with-holding, cash payment or otherwise, including
by means of a Cashless Exercise, to make adequate provision for any such tax
withholding obligations of the Participating Company Group arising in connection
with the Option or the shares acquired upon the exercise thereof. The Company
shall have no obligation to deliver shares of Stock or to release shares of
Stock from an escrow established pursuant to the Option Agreement until the
Participating Company Group's tax withholding obligations have been satisfied by
the Optionee.
6.5 REPURCHASE RIGHTS. Shares issued under the Plan may be subject to
a right of first refusal, one or more repurchase options, or other conditions
and restrictions as determined by the Board in its sole discretion at the time
the Option is granted. The Company shall have the right to assign at any time
any repurchase right it may have, whether or not such
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right is then exercisable, to one or more persons as may be selected by the
Company. Upon request by the Company, each Optionee shall execute any agreement
evidencing such transfer restrictions prior to the receipt of shares of Stock
hereunder and shall promptly present to the Company any and all certificates
representing shares of Stock acquired hereunder for the placement on such
certificates of appropriate legends evidencing any such transfer restrictions.
7. STANDARD FORM OF OPTION AGREEMENT.
7.1 GENERAL. Unless otherwise provided by the Board at the time the
Option is granted, an Option shall comply with and be subject to the terms and
conditions set forth in the form of Immediately Exercisable Nonstatutory Stock
Option Agreement adopted by the Board concurrently with its adoption of the Plan
and as amended from time to time.
7.2 STANDARD TERM OF OPTIONS. Except as otherwise provided by the
Board in the grant of an Option, any Option granted hereunder shall have a term
of ten (10) years from the effective date of grant of the Option.
7.3 AUTHORITY TO VARY TERMS. The Board shall have the authority from
time to time to vary the terms of the standard form of Option Agreement
described in this Section 7 either in connection with the grant or amendment of
an individual Option or in connection with the authorization of a new standard
form or forms; provided, however, that the terms and conditions of any such new,
revised or amended standard form or forms of Option Agreement shall be in
accordance with the terms of the Plan. Such authority shall include, but not by
way of limitation, the authority to grant Options which are not immediately
exercisable.
8. TRANSFER OF CONTROL.
8.1 DEFINITIONS.
(a) An "OWNERSHIP CHANGE EVENT" shall be deemed to have occurred
if any of the following occurs with respect to the Company:
(i) the direct or indirect sale or exchange in a single or
series of related transactions by the stockholders of the Company of more than
fifty percent (50%) of the voting stock of the Company;
(ii) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is a
party;
(iii) the sale, exchange, or transfer of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company; or
(iv) a liquidation or dissolution of the Company.
(b) A "TRANSFER OF CONTROL" shall mean an Ownership Change Event
or a series of related Ownership Change Events (collectively, the "TRANSACTION")
wherein the stockholders of the Company immediately before the Transaction do
not retain immediately after the Transaction, in substantially the same
proportions as their ownership of shares of the Company's voting stock
immediately before the Transaction, direct or indirect beneficial
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ownership of more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of
the outstanding voting stock of the Company or the corporation or corporations
to which the assets of the Company were transferred (the "TRANSFEREE
CORPORATION(s)"), as the case may be. For purposes of the preceding sentence,
indirect beneficial ownership shall include, without limitation, an interest
resulting from ownership of the voting stock of one or more corporations which,
as a result of the Transaction, own the Company or the Transferee
Corporation(s), as the case may be, either directly or through one or more
subsidiary corporations. The Board shall have the right to determine whether
multiple sales or exchanges of the voting stock of the Company or multiple
Ownership Change Events are related, and its determination shall be final,
binding and conclusive.
8.2 EFFECT OF TRANSFER OF CONTROL ON OPTIONS. In the event of a
Transfer of Control, the surviving, continuing, successor, or purchasing
corporation or parent corporation thereof, as the case may be (the "ACQUIRING
CORPORATION"), may either assume the Company's rights and obligations under
outstanding Options or substitute for outstanding Options substantially
equivalent options for the Acquiring Corporation's stock. Any Options which are
neither assumed or substituted for by the Acquiring Corporation in connection
with the Transfer of Control nor exercised as of the date of the Transfer of
Control shall terminate and cease to be outstanding effective as of the date of
the Transfer of Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, shares acquired upon
exercise of an Option prior to the Transfer of Control and any consideration
received pursuant to the Transfer of Control with respect to such shares shall
continue to be subject to all applicable provisions of the Option Agreement
evidencing such Option except as otherwise provided in such Option Agreement.
Furthermore, notwithstanding the foregoing, if the corporation the stock of
which is subject to the outstanding Options immediately prior to an Ownership
Change Event described in Section 8.1(a)(i) constituting a Transfer of Control
is the surviving or continuing corporation and immediately after such Ownership
Change Event less than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of
its voting stock is held by another corporation or by other corporations that
are members of an affiliated group within the meaning of Section 1504(a) of the
Code without regard to the provisions of Section 1504(b) of the Code, the
outstanding Options shall not terminate unless the Board otherwise provides in
its sole discretion.
9. PROVISION OF INFORMATION. Each Optionee shall be given access to
information concerning the Company equivalent to that information generally made
available to the Company's common stockholders.
10. NONTRANSFERABILITY OF OPTIONS. During the lifetime of the Optionee, an
Option shall be exercisable only by the Optionee or the Optionee's guardian or
legal representative. No Option shall be assignable or transferable by the
Optionee, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.
11. INDEMNIFICATION. In addition to such other rights of indemnification as
they may have as members of the Board or officers or employees of the
Participating Company Group, members of the Board and any officers or employees
of the Participating Company Group to whom authority to act for the Board is
delegated shall be indemnified by the Company against all reasonable expenses,
including attorneys' fees, actually and necessarily incurred in connection with
the defense of any action, suit or proceeding, or in connection with any appeal
therein, to
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which they or any of them may be a party by reason of any action taken or
failure to act under or in connection with the Plan, or any right granted
hereunder, and against all amounts paid by them in settlement thereof (provided
such settlement is approved by independent legal counsel selected by the
Company) or paid by them in satisfaction of a judgment in any such action, suit
or proceeding, except in relation to matters as to which it shall be adjudged in
such action, suit or proceeding that such person is liable for gross negligence,
bad faith or intentional misconduct in duties; provided, however, that within
sixty (60) days after the institution of such action, suit or proceeding, such
person shall offer to the Company, in writing, the opportunity at its own
expense to handle and defend the same.
12. TERMINATION OR AMENDMENT OF PLAN. The Board may terminate or amend the
Plan at any time. However, no termination or amendment of the Plan may adversely
affect any then outstanding Option or any unexercised portion thereof, without
the consent of the Optionee, unless such termination or amendment is necessary
to comply with any applicable law or government regulation.
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ADDENDUM
VERITY, INC.
1996 Nonstatutory Stock Option Plan ("the Plan")
Additional Terms and Conditions for Employees resident of France
The additional terms and conditions detailed below are to be read in conjunction
with the rules of the Plan. Defined terms are to have the same meaning as that
stated in the rules of the Plan. These additional terms and conditions are
specific to Employees who are resident in the Republic of France only and do not
affect the rights afforded to other Employees who are granted Options under the
Plan.
1. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, Options may only be
granted to Employees having a work contract with a Participating Company.
2. An Option granted to any participant who, at the time of grant, holds
shares representing 10% or more of the share capital of any Participating
Company will not be deemed to have been granted pursuant to this Addendum.
3. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, an Option will generally
only be exercisable after the expiration of the holding period mentioned
under article 163 bis C I of the tax code of the Republic of France, except
as otherwise decided at the sole discretion of the Board or Committee.
4. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the exercise price shall
only be adjusted upon the occurrence of the events specified under July 24,
1966 corporate law (section 208-5) in accordance with the laws of the
Republic of France.
5. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, in the event of the
Optionee's death, the period during which the legal heirs (pursuant to a
transfer on death permitted under the laws of the Republic of France) are
entitled to exercise that Optionee's Option (or Options) is the lesser of:
(i) six months following that Optionee's death, and (ii) the expiration of
the term of such Option as set forth in the Option Agreement.
6. The total number of Options granted and remaining unexercised (outstanding
options) will never cover a number of shares exceeding one-third of the
share capital of Verity, Inc.
7. The per share exercise price of an Option granted pursuant to this addendum
shall be no less than the higher of: (i) ninety-five percent (95%) of the
average closing sales price for a share of such stock (or the closing bid,
if no sales were reported) as quoted on such exchange or market (or the
exchange or market with the greatest volume of trading in the Company's
common stock) for the twenty (20) market trading days immediately preceding
the day of determination, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such
other source as the Board deems reliable; or (ii) one hundred percent
(100%) of the Fair Market Value of the stock.
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8. The terms herein shall be interpreted to qualify Options granted pursuant
to this addendum for the favorable tax and social security treatment
applicable to stock options granted under sections L 208-1 up to L 208-8-2
of the Law n degrees 66-537 of July 24, 1966, and in accordance with the
relevant provisions set forth by the tax and social security laws, as well
as the tax and social security regulations of the Republic of France.
9. Except as required by the tax and social security laws and regulations of
the Republic of France, the Plan (including this addendum and Options
granted hereunder) shall be governed and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of California and the United States of America.
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