REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Exhibit 99.2
This Registration Rights Agreement
(this “Agreement”) is made
and entered into as of February __, 2010, between Artistry Publications, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and each of
the several purchasers signatory hereto (each such purchaser, a “Purchaser” and,
collectively, the “Purchasers”).
This
Agreement is made pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of the
date hereof, between the Company and each Purchaser (the “Purchase
Agreement”).
The
Company and each Purchaser hereby agrees as follows:
1. Definitions
Capitalized terms used and not
otherwise defined herein that are defined in the Purchase Agreement shall have
the meanings given such terms in the Purchase Agreement. As used in this
Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Advice” shall have
the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).
“Effectiveness Date”
means, with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required to be filed
hereunder, the 180th
calendar day following the date hereof (or, in the event of a “full review” by
the Commission, the 210th
calendar day following the date hereof) and with respect to any additional
Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 3(c), the
90th
calendar day following the date on which an additional Registration Statement is
required to be filed hereunder; provided, however, that in the
event the Company is notified by the Commission that one or more of the above
Registration Statements will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further
review and comments, the Effectiveness Date as to such Registration Statement
shall be the fifth Trading Day following the date on which the Company is so
notified if such date precedes the dates otherwise required above.
“Effectiveness Period”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Event” shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“Event Date” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“Filing Date” means,
with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required hereunder, the
45th
calendar day following the Final Closing and, with respect to any additional
Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 3(c), the
earliest practical date on which the Company is permitted by SEC Guidance to
file such additional Registration Statement related to the Registrable
Securities.
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“Holder” or “Holders” means the
holder or holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable
Securities.
“Indemnified Party”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
“Indemnifying Party”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
“Initial Shares” means
a number of Registrable Securities equal to the lesser of (i) the total number
of Registrable Securities and (ii) one-third of the number of issued and
outstanding shares of Common Stock that are held by non-affiliates of the
Company on the day immediately prior to the filing date of the Initial
Registration Statement.
“Initial Registration
Statement” means the initial Registration Statement filed pursuant to
this Agreement.
“Legal Counsel” means
Sichenzia Xxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP or such other counsel as thereafter
designated by a majority of the Holders.
“Losses” shall have
the meaning set forth in Section 5(a).
“Plan of Distribution”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Prospectus” means the
prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including, without limitation,
a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus
filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A
promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act), as amended or
supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the
offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration
Statement, and all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including
post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed
to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.
“Registrable
Securities” means (a) all of the Common Shares issued to the Purchasers
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, (b) all Warrant Shares (assuming on the date
of determination the Warrants are exercised in full without regard to any
exercise limitations therein), (d) any additional shares of Common Stock
issuable in connection with any anti-dilution provisions in the Warrants
(without giving effect to any limitations on exercise set forth in the Warrants)
and (e) any securities issued or issuable upon any stock split, dividend or
other distribution, recapitalization or similar event with respect to
the foregoing; provided, however, that the
Company shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness, or file another
Registration Statement hereunder with respect to any Registrable Securities that
are not subject to the current public information requirement under Rule 144 and
that are eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions
without current public information pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated by the
Commission pursuant to a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed,
delivered and acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the affected
Holders.
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“Registration
Statement” means any registration statement required to be filed
hereunder pursuant to Section 2(a) and any additional registration statements
contemplated by Section 3(c), including (in each case) the Prospectus,
amendments and supplements to any such registration statement or Prospectus,
including pre- and post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all
material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in
any such registration statement.
“Rule 415” means Rule
415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule
may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or
regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same
purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 424” means Rule
424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule
may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or
regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same
purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Selling Stockholder
Questionnaire” shall have the meaning set forth in Section
3(a).
“SEC Guidance” means
(i) any publicly-available written or oral guidance, comments, requirements or
requests of the Commission staff and (ii) the Securities Act.
2. Shelf
Registration
(a) On or
prior to each Filing Date, the Company shall prepare and file with the
Commission a Registration Statement covering the resale of all of the
Registrable Securities that are not then registered on an effective Registration
Statement for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule
415. Each Registration Statement filed hereunder shall be on Form S-3
(except if the Company is not then eligible to register for resale the
Registrable Securities on Form S-3, in which case such registration shall be on
another appropriate form in accordance herewith) and shall contain (unless
otherwise directed by at least an 85% majority in interest of the Holders)
substantially the “Plan of Distribution”
attached hereto as Annex
A. In the event the amount of Registrable Securities which may
be included in the Registration Statement is limited due to SEC Guidance
(provided that, the Company shall use diligent efforts to advocate with the
Commission for the registration of all of the Registrable Securities in
accordance with the SEC Guidance, including without limitation, the Manual of
Publicly Available Telephone Interpretations D.29) the Company shall use its
best efforts to register such maximum portion of the Registrable Securities as
permitted by SEC Guidance. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company
shall use its best efforts to cause a Registration Statement to be declared
effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing
thereof, but in any event prior to the applicable Effectiveness Date, and shall
use its best efforts to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective
under the Securities Act until all Registrable Securities covered by such
Registration Statement have been sold, or may be sold without volume or
manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144, without the requirement for
the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement
under Rule 144, as determined by the counsel to the Company pursuant to a
written opinion letter to such effect, addressed and acceptable to the Transfer
Agent and the affected Holders (the “Effectiveness
Period”). The Company shall telephonically request
effectiveness of a
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Registration
Statement as of 5:00 p.m. New York City time on a Trading
Day. The Company shall immediately notify the Holders via
facsimile or by e-mail of the effectiveness of a Registration Statement on the
same Trading Day that the Company telephonically confirms effectiveness with the
Commission, which shall be the date requested for effectiveness of such
Registration Statement. The Company shall, by 9:30 a.m. New York City
time on the Trading Day after the effective date of such Registration Statement,
file a final Prospectus with the Commission as required by Rule
424. Failure to so notify the Holder within 1 Trading Day of such
notification of effectiveness or failure to file a final Prospectus as foresaid
shall be deemed an Event under Section 2(b). Notwithstanding any other provision
of this Agreement and subject to the payment of liquidated damages pursuant to
Section 2(b), if any SEC Guidance sets forth a limitation on the number of
Registrable Securities permitted to be registered on a particular Registration
Statement (and notwithstanding that the Company used diligent efforts to
advocate with the Commission for the registration of all or a greater portion of
Registrable Securities), unless otherwise directed in writing by a Holder as to
its Registrable Securities, the number of Registrable Securities to be
registered on such Registration Statement will first be reduced by Registrable
Securities represented by Warrant Shares (applied, in the case that some Warrant
Shares may be registered, to the Holders on a pro rata basis based on the total
number of unregistered Warrant Shares held by such Holders), and second by
Registrable Securities represented by the Common Shares purchased by the
Purchasers pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. In the event of a cutback
hereunder, the Company shall give the Holder at least 5 Trading Days prior
written notice along with the calculations as to such Holder’s
allotment.
(b) If: (i)
the Initial Registration Statement is not filed on or prior to its Filing Date
(if the Company files the Initial Registration Statement without affording the
Holders the opportunity to review and comment on the same as required by Section
3(a) herein, the Company shall be deemed to have not satisfied this clause (i)),
or (ii) the Company fails to file with the Commission a request for acceleration
of a Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 461 promulgated by the
Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, within five Trading Days of the date
that the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the
Commission that such Registration Statement will not be “reviewed” or will not
be subject to further review, or (iii) prior to the effective date of a
Registration Statement, the Company fails to file a pre-effective amendment and
otherwise respond in writing to comments made by the Commission in respect of
such Registration Statement within 25 calendar days after the receipt of
comments by or notice from the Commission that such amendment is required in
order for such Registration Statement to be declared effective, or (iv) as to,
in the aggregate among all Holders on a pro-rata basis based on their purchase
of the Securities pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, a Registration Statement
registering for resale all of the Initial Shares is not declared effective by
the Commission by the Effectiveness Date of the Initial Registration Statement
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(unless
the sole reason for such non-registration of all or any portion of the Initial
Shares is solely as a result of SEC Guidance under Rule 415 or similar rule
which limits the number of Registrable Securities which may be included in a
registration statement with respect to the Holders), or (v) after the effective
date of a Registration Statement, such Registration Statement ceases for any
reason to remain continuously effective as to all Registrable Securities
included in such Registration Statement, or the Holders are otherwise not
permitted to utilize the Prospectus therein to resell such Registrable
Securities, for more than 10 consecutive calendar days or more than an aggregate
of 15 calendar days (which need not be consecutive calendar days) during any
12-month period, or (vi) the Company shall fail for any reason to satisfy the
current public information requirement under Rule 144 as to the applicable
Registrable Securities (any such failure or breach being referred to as an
“Event”, and
for purposes of clauses (i), (iv), and (vi), the date on which such Event
occurs, and for purpose of clause (ii) the date on which such five Trading Day
period is exceeded, and for purpose of clause (iii) the date which such 15
calendar day period is exceeded, and for purpose of clause (v) the date on which
such 10 or 15 calendar day period, as applicable, is exceeded being referred to
as “Event
Date”), then, in addition to any other rights the Holders may have
hereunder or under applicable law, on each such Event Date and on each monthly
anniversary of each such Event Date (if the applicable Event shall not have been
cured by such date) until the applicable Event is cured, the Company shall pay
to each Holder an amount in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a
penalty, equal to 1% of the purchase price paid by such Holder pursuant to the
Purchase Agreement. The parties agree that the maximum aggregate
liquidated damages payable to a Holder under this Agreement shall be 12% of the
aggregate purchase price paid by such Holder pursuant to the Purchase
Agreement. If the Company fails to pay any partial liquidated damages
pursuant to this Section in full within seven days after the date payable, the
Company will pay interest thereon at a rate of 18% per annum (or such lesser
maximum amount that is permitted to be paid by applicable law) to the Holder,
accruing daily from the date such partial liquidated damages are due until such
amounts, plus all such interest thereon, are paid in full. The partial
liquidated damages pursuant to the terms hereof shall apply on a daily pro rata
basis for any portion of a month prior to the cure of an Event.
(c) Legal
Counsel. Subject to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement, Holders shall have the right to select Legal Counsel to review and
oversee, solely on its behalf, any Registration Statement pursuant to this
Agreement. The Company shall also reimburse Legal Counsel for its
fees and disbursements in connection with registration, filing or qualification
pursuant to this Agreement which amount shall be limited to $7,500.
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3. Registration
Procedures.
In
connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company
shall:
(a) Not less
than five (5) Trading Days prior to the filing of each Registration Statement
and not less than one (1) Trading Day prior to the filing of any related
Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any document that
would be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference), the
Company shall (i) furnish to Legal Counsel copies of all such documents proposed
to be filed, which documents (other than those incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference) will be subject to the review of Legal Counsel, and
(ii) cause its officers and directors, counsel and independent registered public
accountants to respond to such inquiries as shall be necessary, in the
reasonable opinion of Legal Counsel, to conduct a reasonable investigation
within the meaning of the Securities Act. The Company shall not file a
Registration Statement or any such Prospectus or any amendments or supplements
thereto to which the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities or
Legal Counsel shall reasonably object in good faith, provided that, the Company
is notified of such objection in writing no later than five (5) Trading Days
after Legal Counsel has been so furnished copies of a Registration Statement or
one (1) Trading Day after Legal Counselhas been so furnished copies of any
related Prospectus or amendments or supplements thereto. Each Holder agrees to
furnish to the Company a completed questionnaire in the form attached to this
Agreement as Annex
B (a “Selling
Stockholder Questionnaire”) on a date that is not less than two (2)
Trading Days prior to the Filing Date or by the end of the fourth (4th)
Trading Day following the date on which such Holder receives draft materials in
accordance with this Section.
(b) (i)
Prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective
amendments, to a Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection
therewith as may be necessary to keep a Registration Statement continuously
effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for the Effectiveness
Period and prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration
Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of the
Registrable Securities, (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or
supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement (subject to the terms of this
Agreement), and, as so supplemented or amended, to be filed pursuant to Rule
424, (iii) respond as promptly as reasonably possible to any comments received
from the Commission with respect to a Registration Statement or any amendment
thereto and provide as promptly as reasonably possible to the Holders true and
complete copies of all correspondence from and to the Commission relating to a
Registration Statement (provided that, the Company may excise any information
contained therein which would constitute material non-public information as to
any Holder which has not executed a confidentiality agreement with the Company),
and (iv) comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Securities
Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable
Securities covered by a Registration Statement during the applicable period in
accordance (subject to the terms of this Agreement) with the intended methods of
disposition by the Holders thereof set forth in such Registration Statement as
so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented.
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(c) Notify
the Holders of Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, pursuant
to clauses (iii) through (vi) hereof, be accompanied by an instruction to
suspend the use of the Prospectus until the requisite changes have been made) as
promptly as reasonably possible (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not less than
one Trading Day prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such Person)
confirm such notice in writing no later than one Trading Day following the day
(i)(A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or post-effective
amendment to a Registration Statement is proposed to be filed, (B) when the
Commission notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of such
Registration Statement and whenever the Commission comments in writing on such
Registration Statement, and (C) with respect to a Registration Statement or any
post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective, (ii) of any
request by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority
for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or for
additional information, (iii) of the issuance by the Commission or any other
federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable
Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for that purpose; (iv) of the
receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the
qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable
Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any
Proceeding for such purpose, (v) of the occurrence of any event or passage of
time that makes the financial statements included in a Registration Statement
ineligible for inclusion therein or any statement made in a Registration
Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that
requires any revisions to a Registration Statement, Prospectus or other
documents so that, in the case of a Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as
the case may be, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state any 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 (vi) of the occurrence or existence of any pending
corporate development with respect to the Company that the Company believes may
be material and that, in the determination of the Company, makes it not in the
best interest of the Company to allow continued availability of a Registration
Statement or Prospectus, provided that, any and all of such information shall
remain confidential to each Holder until such information otherwise becomes
public, unless disclosure by a Holder is required by law; provided, further, that
notwithstanding each Holder’s agreement to keep such information confidential,
each such Holder makes no acknowledgement that any such information is material,
non-public information.
(d) Use its
best efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of
(i) any order stopping or suspending the effectiveness of a Registration
Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from
qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any
jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment.
(e) Furnish
to each Holder, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each such
Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, including financial
statements and schedules, all documents incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated therein by reference to the extent requested by such Person, and
all exhibits to the extent requested by such Person (including those previously
furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such
documents with the Commission; provided, that any such item which is available
on the XXXXX system need not be furnished in physical form.
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(f) Subject
to the terms of this Agreement, the Company hereby consents to the use of such
Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling
Holders in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities
covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, except after
the giving of any notice pursuant to Section 3(c).
(g) The
Company shall cooperate with any broker-dealer through which a Holder proposes
to resell its Registrable Securities in effecting a filing with the FINRA
Corporate Financing Department pursuant to NASD Rule 2710, as requested by any
such Holder, and the Company shall pay the filing fee required by such filing
within two (2) Business Days of request therefor.
(h) Prior to
any resale of Registrable Securities by a Holder, use its commercially
reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the selling Holders
in connection with the registration or qualification (or exemption from the
Registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for the resale by
the Holder under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions within
the United States as any Holder reasonably requests in writing, to keep each
registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the
Effectiveness Period and to do any and all other acts or things reasonably
necessary to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable
Securities covered by each Registration Statement; provided, that, the Company
shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction
where it is not then so qualified, subject the Company to any material tax in
any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or file a general consent
to service of process in any such jurisdiction.
(i) If
requested by a Holder, cooperate with such Holders to facilitate the timely
preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to
be delivered to a transferee pursuant to a Registration Statement, which
certificates shall be free, to the extent permitted by the Purchase Agreement,
of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in
such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holder may
request.
(j) If the Company notifies the
Holders in accordance with clauses (iii) through (vi) of Section 3(d) above to
suspend the use of any Prospectus until the requisite changes to such Prospectus
have been made, then the Holders shall suspend use of such
Prospectus. The Company will use its best efforts to ensure that the
use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is
practicable. The Company shall be entitled to exercise its right
under this Section 3(j) to suspend the availability of a Registration Statement
and Prospectus, subject to the payment of partial liquidated damages otherwise
required pursuant to Section 2(b), for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days
(which need not be consecutive days) in any 12 month
period.
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(k) Comply
with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission.
(l) The
Company may require each selling Holder to furnish to the Company a certified
statement as to the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such
Holder and, if required by the Commission, the natural persons thereof that have
voting and dispositive control over the shares. During any periods that the
Company is unable to meet its obligations hereunder with respect to the
registration of the Registrable Securities solely because any Holder fails to
furnish such information within three Trading Days of the Company’s request, any
liquidated damages that are accruing at such time as to such Holder only shall
be tolled and any Event that may otherwise occur solely because of such delay
shall be suspended as to such Holder only, until such information is delivered
to the Company.
4. Registration
Expenses. All fees and expenses incident to the performance of or
compliance with this Agreement by the Company shall be borne by the Company
whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration
Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall
include, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including,
without limitation, fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent
registered public accountants) (A) with respect to filings made with the
Commission, (B) with respect to filings required to be made with any Trading
Market on which the Common Stock is then listed for trading, (C) in compliance
with applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws reasonably agreed to by the
Company in writing (including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Company in connection with Blue Sky qualifications or exemptions
of the Registrable Securities) and (D) if not previously paid by the Company in
connection with an Issuer Filing, with respect to any filing that may be
required to be made by any broker through which a Holder intends to make sales
of Registrable Securities with the FINRA pursuant to NASD Rule 2710, so long as
the broker is receiving no more than a customary brokerage commission in
connection with such sale, (ii) printing expenses (including, without
limitation, expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities), (iii)
messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Company, (v) Securities Act liability insurance, if the Company
so desires such insurance, and (vi) fees and expenses of all other Persons
retained by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement. In addition, the Company shall be
responsible for all of its internal expenses incurred in connection with the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including,
without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees
performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the
fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable
Securities on any securities exchange as required hereunder. In no
event shall the Company be responsible for any broker or similar commissions of
any Holder or, except to the extent provided for in the Transaction Documents,
any legal fees or other costs of the Holders.
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5. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification by the
Company. The Company shall, notwithstanding any termination of this
Agreement, indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the officers, directors,
members, partners, agents, brokers (including brokers who offer and sell
Registrable Securities as principal as a result of a pledge or any failure to
perform under a margin call of Common Stock), investment advisors and employees
(and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding
such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each of
them, each Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15
of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and the officers,
directors, members, stockholders, partners, agents and employees (and any other
Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles,
notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each such
controlling Person, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and
against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including,
without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses (collectively,
“Losses”), as
incurred, arising out of or relating to (1) any untrue or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement, any
Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto
or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission
or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus or
supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made)
not misleading or (2) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law, or any rule or
regulation thereunder, in connection with the performance of its obligations
under this Agreement, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that (i)
such untrue statements or omissions are based solely upon information regarding
such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use
therein, or to the extent that such information relates to such Holder or such
Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was
reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in a
Registration Statement, such Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement
thereto (it being understood that the Holder has approved Annex A hereto for
this purpose) or (ii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type
specified in Section 3(d)(iii)-(vi), the use by such Holder of an outdated or
defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that
the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder
of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d). The Company shall notify
the Holders promptly of the institution, threat or assertion of any Proceeding
arising from or in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement of which the Company is aware.
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(b) Indemnification by
Holders. Each Holder shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold
harmless the Company, its directors, officers, agents and employees, each Person
who controls the Company (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act
and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, agents or
employees of such controlling Persons, to the fullest extent permitted by
applicable law, from and against all Losses, as incurred, to the extent arising
out of or based solely upon: (x) such Holder’s failure to comply with the
prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act or (y) any untrue or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration
Statement, any Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any
preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged
omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading (i) to the extent, but only to the extent,
that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information so
furnished in writing by such Holder to the Company specifically for inclusion in
such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or (ii) to the extent that such
information relates to such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of
Registrable Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved in writing by
such Holder expressly for use in a Registration Statement (it being understood
that the Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose), such Prospectus
or in any amendment or supplement thereto or (ii) in the case of an occurrence
of an event of the type specified in Section 3(d)(iii)-(vi), the use by such
Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified
such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to
the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d). In no
event shall the liability of any selling Holder hereunder be greater in amount
than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder upon the sale
of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification
obligation.
(c) Conduct of Indemnification
Proceedings. If any Proceeding shall be brought or asserted against any
Person entitled to indemnity hereunder (an “Indemnified Party”),
such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Person from whom indemnity is
sought (the “Indemnifying Party”)
in writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall have the right to assume the
defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to
the Indemnified Party and the payment of all fees and expenses incurred in
connection with defense thereof; provided, that, the failure of any Indemnified
Party to give such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its
obligations or liabilities pursuant to this Agreement, except (and only) to the
extent that it shall be finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction
(which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) that such
failure shall have prejudiced the Indemnifying Party.
An
Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such
Proceeding and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses
of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party or Parties
unless: (1) the Indemnifying Party has agreed in writing to pay such
fees and expenses, (2) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed promptly to
assume the defense of such Proceeding and to employ counsel reasonably
satisfactory to such Indemnified Party in any such Proceeding, or (3) the named
parties to any such Proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both
such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, and counsel to the
Indemnified Party shall reasonably believe that a material conflict of interest
is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Party
and the Indemnifying Party (in which case, if such Indemnified Party notifies
the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at
the expense of the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the
right to assume the defense thereof and the reasonable fees and expenses of no
more than one separate counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying
Party). The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement
of any such Proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall
not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. No Indemnifying Party shall,
without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect any
settlement of any pending Proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Party
is a party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such
Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of
such Proceeding.
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Subject
to the terms of this Agreement, all reasonable fees and expenses of the
Indemnified Party (including reasonable fees and expenses to the extent incurred
in connection with investigating or preparing to defend such Proceeding in a
manner not inconsistent with this Section) shall be paid to the Indemnified
Party, as incurred, within ten Trading Days of written notice thereof to the
Indemnifying Party; provided, that, the Indemnified Party shall promptly
reimburse the Indemnifying Party for that portion of such fees and expenses
applicable to such actions for which such Indemnified Party is judicially
determined not to be entitled to indemnification hereunder.
(d) Contribution. If the
indemnification under Section 5(a) or 5(b) is unavailable to an Indemnified
Party or insufficient to hold an Indemnified Party harmless for any Losses, then
each Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such
Indemnified Party, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
fault of the Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party in connection with the
actions, statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses as well as any
other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of such Indemnifying
Party and Indemnified Party shall be determined by reference to, among other
things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission of a material fact,
has been taken or made by, or relates to information supplied by, such
Indemnifying Party or Indemnified Party, and the parties’ relative intent,
knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such
action, statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party
as a result of any Losses shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations
set forth in this Agreement, any reasonable attorneys’ or other fees or expenses
incurred by such party in connection with any Proceeding to the extent such
party would have been indemnified for such fees or expenses if the
indemnification provided for in this Section was available to such party in
accordance with its terms.
The
parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution
pursuant to this Section 5(d) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any
other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable
considerations referred to in the immediately preceding
paragraph. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5(d), no
Holder shall be required to contribute, in the aggregate, any amount in excess
of the amount by which the net proceeds actually received by such Holder from
the sale of the Registrable Securities subject to the Proceeding exceeds the
amount of any damages that such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by
reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission.
The
indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section are in addition
to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified
Parties.
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6.
Miscellaneous.
(a) Remedies. In
the event of a breach by the Company or by a Holder of any of their respective
obligations under this Agreement, each Holder or the Company, as the case may
be, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law and
under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, shall be entitled to
specific performance of its rights under this Agreement. The Company
and each Holder agree that monetary damages would not provide adequate
compensation for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the
provisions of this Agreement and hereby further agrees that, in the event of any
action for specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall not assert
or shall waive the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
(b) No Piggyback on
Registrations; Prohibition on Filing Other Registration Statements.
Neither the Company nor any of its security holders (other than the Holders in
such capacity pursuant hereto) may include securities of the Company in any
Registration Statements other than the Registrable Securities. The
Company shall not file any other registration statements until all Registrable
Securities are registered pursuant to a Registration Statement that is declared
effective by the Commission, provided that this Section 6(b) shall not prohibit
the Company from filing amendments to registration statements filed prior to the
date of this Agreement.
(c) Compliance. Each
Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery
requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it in connection with sales
of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement.
(d) Discontinued
Disposition. By its acquisition of Registrable Securities,
each Holder agrees that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the
occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 3(d)(iii) through (vi),
such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable
Securities under a Registration Statement until it is advised in writing (the
“Advice”) by
the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus (as it may have been
supplemented or amended) may be resumed. The Company will use its
best efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly
as is practicable. The Company agrees and acknowledges that any
periods during which the Holder is required to discontinue the disposition of
the Registrable Securities hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of
Section 2(b).
(e) Piggy-Back
Registrations. If, at any time during the Effectiveness Period, there is
not an effective Registration Statement covering all of the Registrable
Securities and the Company shall determine to prepare and file with the
Commission 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 (each as promulgated under the
Securities Act) 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 the Company’s stock option or
other employee benefit plans, then the Company shall deliver to each Holder a
written notice of such determination and, if within fifteen days after the date
of the delivery of such notice, any such Holder shall so request in writing, the
Company shall include in such registration statement all or any part of such
Registrable Securities such Holder requests to be registered; provided, however, that the
Company shall not be required to register any Registrable Securities pursuant to
this Section 6(e) that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated
by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act or that are the subject of a
then effective Registration Statement.
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(f) Amendments and
Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of
this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or
consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, unless the
same shall be in writing and signed by the Company and the Holders of 67% or
more of the then outstanding Registrable Securities (including, for this purpose
any Registrable Securities issuable upon exercise or conversion of any
Security). If a Registration Statement does not register all of the
Registrable Securities pursuant to a waiver or amendment done in compliance with
the previous sentence, then the number of Registrable Securities to be
registered for each Holder shall be reduced pro rata among all Holders and each
Holder shall have the right to designate which of its Registrable Securities
shall be omitted from such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect
to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of a Holder or some Holders
and that does not directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may
be given by such Holder or Holders of all of the Registrable Securities to which
such waiver or consent relates; provided, however, that the
provisions of this sentence may not be amended, modified, or supplemented except
in accordance with the provisions of the first sentence of this Section
6(f).
(g) Notices. Any and all
notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be
provided hereunder shall be delivered as set forth in the Purchase
Agreement.
(h) Successors and
Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon
the successors and permitted assigns of each of the parties and shall inure to
the benefit of each Holder. The Company may not assign (except by merger) its
rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of all of the
Holders of the then outstanding Registrable Securities. Each Holder may assign
their respective rights hereunder in the manner and to the Persons as permitted
under the Purchase Agreement.
(i) No Inconsistent
Agreements. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has entered,
as of the date hereof, nor shall the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on or
after the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to its
securities, that would have the effect of impairing the rights granted to the
Holders in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions
hereof. Except as set forth on Schedule 6(i),
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has previously entered into any
agreement granting any registration rights with respect to any of its securities
to any Person that have not been satisfied in full.
(j) Execution and
Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts,
all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement
and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and
delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not
sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is
delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format
data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the
party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same
force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” signature page were an original
thereof.
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(k) Governing
Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity,
enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be determined in
accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
(l) Cumulative Remedies.
The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any other
remedies provided by law.
(m) Severability. If any
term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of
competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the
remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein
shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired
or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable
efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or
substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision,
covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the
intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be
hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
(n) Headings. The
headings in this Agreement are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of
the Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions
hereof.
(o) Independent Nature of
Holders’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Holder hereunder
are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Holder hereunder,
and no Holder shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the
obligations of any other Holder hereunder. Nothing contained herein or in any
other agreement or document delivered at any closing, and no action taken by any
Holder pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Holders as
a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or
create a presumption that the Holders are in any way acting in concert with
respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Each Holder shall be entitled to protect and enforce its rights, including
without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be
necessary for any other Holder to be joined as an additional party in any
proceeding for such purpose.
********************
(Signature
Pages Follow)
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as
of the date first written above.
|
ARTISTRY
PUBLICATIONS, INC.
|
|
By:__________________________________________
Name:
Title:
|
[SIGNATURE
PAGE OF HOLDERS FOLLOWS]
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[SIGNATURE
PAGE OF HOLDERS TO ARTISTRY PUBLICATIONS RRA]
Name of
Holder: __________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of
Holder: __________________________
Name of
Authorized Signatory: _________________________
Title of
Authorized Signatory: __________________________
[SIGNATURE
PAGES CONTINUE]
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