REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT
A
This Registration Rights Agreement
(this “Agreement”) is made
and entered into as of February 3, 2011, between Vu1 Corporation, a California
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.
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Definitions.
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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 90th
calendar day following the date hereof (or, in the event of a “full review” by
the Commission, the 120th
calendar day following the date hereof) and with respect to any additional
Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 2(c) or
Section 3(c), the 90th
calendar day following the date on which an additional Registration Statement is
required to be filed hereunder (or, in the event of a “review” by the
Commission, the 120th
calendar day following the date such 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, provided,
further, if such Effectiveness Date falls on a day that is not a Trading Day,
then the Effectiveness Date shall be the next succeeding Trading
Day.
“Effectiveness Period”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Event” shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 2(d).
“Event Date” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2(d).
“Filing Date” means,
with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required hereunder, April 11,
2011 and, with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be
required pursuant to Section 2(c) or 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.
“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 Registration
Statement” means the initial Registration Statement filed pursuant to
this Agreement.
“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, as of any date of determination, (a) all of the shares
of Common Stock, (b) all Warrant Shares then issuable upon exercise of the
Warrants (assuming on such date the Warrants are exercised in full without
regard to any exercise limitations therein), (c) 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 (d) any securities issued or then issuable upon any stock split, dividend or
other distribution, recapitalization or similar event with respect to
the foregoing; provided, however, that any
such Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities (and the
Company shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness of any, or file
another, Registration Statement hereunder with respect thereto) for so long as
(a) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such Registrable
Securities is declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act and
such Registrable Securities have been disposed of by the Holder in accordance
with such effective Registration Statement, (b) such Registrable Securities have
been previously sold in accordance with Rule 144, or (c) such securities become
eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and without
current public information pursuant to Rule 144 as set forth in a written
opinion letter to such effect, addressed, delivered and acceptable to the
Transfer Agent and the affected Holders (assuming that such securities and any
securities issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange of which, or as a
dividend upon which, such securities were issued or are issuable, were at no
time held by any Affiliate of the Company, and all Warrants are exercised by
“cashless exercise” as provided in Section 2(c) of each of the Warrants), as
reasonably determined by the Company, upon the advice of counsel to the
Company.
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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 2(c) or 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 of the Commission staff, or
any comments, requirements or requests of the Commission staff and (ii) the
Securities Act.
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2.
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Shelf
Registration.
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(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, subject to the provisions of
Section 2(e)) and shall contain (unless otherwise directed by at least 85% in
interest of the Holders) substantially the “Plan of Distribution”
attached hereto as Annex
A. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall
use its best efforts to cause a Registration Statement filed under this
Agreement (including, without limitation, under Section 3(c)) to be declared
effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing
thereof, but in any event no later than 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 (i) have been sold, thereunder or pursuant to Rule
144, or (ii) may be sold without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant
to Rule 144 and 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 Registration Statement as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern 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. Eastern 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 one (1) Trading Day of
such notification of effectiveness or failure to file a final Prospectus as
aforesaid shall be deemed an Event under Section 2(d).
(b)
Notwithstanding the registration obligations set forth in Section 2(a), if the
Commission informs the Company that all of the Registrable Securities cannot, as
a result of the application of Rule 415, be registered for resale as a secondary
offering on a single registration statement, the Company agrees to promptly
inform each of the Holders thereof and use its commercially reasonable efforts
to file amendments to the Initial Registration Statement as required by the
Commission, covering the maximum number of Registrable Securities permitted to
be registered by the Commission, on Form S-3 or such other form available to
register for resale the Registrable Securities as a secondary offering, subject
to the provisions of Section 2(e); provided, however, that prior
to filing such amendment, the Company shall be obligated to 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,
Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation 612.09.
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(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement
and subject to the payment of liquidated damages pursuant to Section 2(d), if
the Commission or any SEC Guidance sets forth a limitation on the number of
Registrable Securities permitted to be registered on a particular Registration
Statement as a secondary offering (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 be reduced as
follows:
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a.
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First, the Company shall reduce or eliminate any
securities to be included by any Person other than a Holder;
and
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b.
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Second, the Company shall reduce 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).
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In the event of a cutback hereunder, the Company shall
give the Holder at least three (3) Trading Days prior written notice along with
the calculations as to such Holder’s allotment. In the event the
Company amends the Initial Registration Statement in accordance with the
foregoing, the Company will use its best efforts to file with the Commission, as
promptly as allowed by Commission or SEC Guidance provided to the Company or to
registrants of securities in general, one or more registration statements on
Form S-3 or such other form available to register for resale those Registrable
Securities that were not registered for resale on the Initial Registration
Statement, as amended.
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(d)
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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 twenty (20)
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) a Registration Statement
registering for resale all of the Registrable Securities is not declared
effective by the Commission by the Effectiveness Date of the Initial
Registration Statement, 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 ten (10) consecutive calendar days or more than an aggregate of
thirty (30) 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 (5)
Trading Day period is exceeded, and for purpose of clause (iii) the date
which such twenty (20) calendar day period is exceeded, and for purpose of
clause (v) the date on which such ten (10) or thirty (30) 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 the product of (1) the product of
(A) 1.5% multiplied by (B) the quotient of (I) the number of such Holder’s
Registrable Securities that are not then covered by a Registration
Statement that is then effective and available for use by such Holder
divided by (II) the total number of such Holder’s Registrable Securities
multiplied by (2) the aggregate purchase price paid by such Holder
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement; provided, however, that,
in the event that none of such Holder’s Registrable Securities are then
covered by a Registration Statement that is effective and available for
use by such Holder, the quotient of (I) divided by (II) in clause (1)(B)
herein shall be deemed to equal 1. The parties agree that the maximum
aggregate liquidated damages payable to a Holder under this Agreement
shall be 10% of the aggregate Subscription Amount 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 16% 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.
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(e) If
Form S-3 is not available for the registration of the resale of Registrable
Securities hereunder, the Company shall (i) register the resale of the
Registrable Securities on another appropriate form and (ii) undertake to
register the Registrable Securities on Form S-3 as soon as such form is
available, provided that the
Company shall maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement then in
effect until such time as a Registration Statement on Form S-3 covering the
Registrable Securities has been declared effective by the
Commission.
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3. Registration
Procedures.
In
connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company
shall:
(a) Not
less than three (3) 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 each Holder 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 such
Holders, and (ii) use its best efforts 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 respective counsel to each
Holder, to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of the
Securities Act. Notwithstanding the above, the Company shall not be obligated to
provide the Holders advance copies of any universal shelf registration statement
registering securities in addition to those required hereunder, or any
Prospectus prepared thereto. 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 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 the Holders have
been so furnished copies of a Registration Statement or one (1) Trading Day
after the Holders have 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 second (2nd) 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 shall excise any information
contained therein which would constitute material non-public information
regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries), and (iv) comply in all
material respects with the applicable 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) If
during the Effectiveness Period, the number of Registrable Securities at any
time exceeds 100% of the number of shares of Common Stock then registered in a
Registration Statement, then the Company shall file as soon as reasonably
practicable, but in any case prior to the applicable Filing Date, an additional
Registration Statement covering the resale by the Holders of not less than the
number of such Registrable Securities.
(d) 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 (1) Trading Day prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such Person)
confirm such notice in writing no later than one (1) 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, however, in no event
shall any such notice contain any information which would constitute material,
non-public information regarding the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries.
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(e) 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.
(f) 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 (or successor thereto) need not be furnished in physical
form.
(g) 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(d).
(h) 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 FINRA Rule 5110, 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.
(i) 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.
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(j) If
requested by a Holder, cooperate with such Holder 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.
(k) Upon
the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 3(d), as promptly as
reasonably possible under the circumstances taking into account the Company’s
good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Company and its
stockholders of the premature disclosure of such event, prepare a supplement or
amendment, including a post-effective amendment, to a Registration Statement or
a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to
be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document so
that, as thereafter delivered, neither a Registration Statement nor such
Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading. 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(k) to suspend the availability of a Registration Statement
and Prospectus, subject to the payment of partial liquidated damages otherwise
required pursuant to Section 2(d), for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days
(which need not be consecutive days) in any 12-month period.
(l) Comply
with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission.
(m) 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.
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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 FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110, 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.
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Indemnification.
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(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,
defective or otherwise unavailable Prospectus after the Company has notified
such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated, defective or otherwise
unavailable for use by such Holder and prior to the receipt by such Holder of
the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d), but only if and to the extent that
following the receipt of the Advice the misstatement or omission giving rise to
such Loss would have been corrected. 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. Such indemnity shall remain in full
force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such
indemnified person and shall survive the transfer of any Registrable Securities
by any of the Holders in accordance with Section 6(h).
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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 any
applicable prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act through no
fault of the Company 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 (in the case of
any Prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which
they were made) 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 expressly for inclusion in such
Registration Statement or such Prospectus or (ii) to the extent, but only 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 (iii) in the case
of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(d)(iii)-(vi), to
the extent, but only to the extent, related to the use by such Holder of an
outdated, defective or otherwise unavailable Prospectus after the Company has
notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated, defective or
otherwise unavailable for use by such Holder and prior to the receipt by such
Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d), but only if and to the extent
that following the receipt of the Advice the misstatement or omission giving
rise to such Loss would have been corrected. In no event shall the
liability of any selling Holder under this Section 5(b) 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 materially and adversely prejudiced the Indemnifying
Party.
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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.
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 finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction
(which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) 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.
14
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 pursuant to this
Section 5(d), 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.
6.
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Miscellaneous.
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(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. Each of the
Company and each Holder agrees 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. Except as set forth on Schedule 6(b)
attached hereto, 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) (i) shall not prohibit the Company from filing amendments
to registration statements filed prior to the date of this Agreement, (ii) shall
not prohibit the Company from filing a shelf registration statement on Form S-3
for a primary offering by the Company, provided that the Company makes no
offering of securities pursuant to such shelf registration statement prior to
the effective date of the Registration Statement required hereunder that
includes all of the Registrable Securities, and (iii) a registration statement
on Form S-4 or Form S-8.
15
(c) Compliance. Each
Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery
requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it (unless an exemption
therefrom is available) 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(d).
(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 (without
volume restrictions or current public information requirements) promulgated by
the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act or that are the subject of a then
effective Registration Statement.
(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 51% or
more of the then outstanding Registrable Securities (for purposes of
clarification, this includes 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 only 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). No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend
or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless
the same consideration also is offered to all of the parties to this
Agreement.
16
(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 Section 5.7 of 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.
(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.
17
(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 group or
entity, or create a presumption that the Holders are in any way acting in
concert or as a group or entity with respect to such obligations or the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other matters, and the
Company acknowledges that the Holders are not acting in concert or as a group,
and the Company shall not asset any such claim, with respect to such obligations
or transactions. 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. The use of a single agreement with
respect to the obligations of the Company contained was solely in the control of
the Company, not the action or decision of any Holder, and was done solely for
the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to
do so by any Holder. It is expressly understood and agreed that each
provision contained in this Agreement is between the Company and a Holder,
solely, and not between the Company and the Holders collectively and not between
and among Holders.
********************
(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.
VU1
CORPORATION
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By:
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/s/
Xxxxxx X. Styles
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Xxxxxx
X. Styles
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Chief
Executive
Officer
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[SIGNATURE
PAGE OF HOLDERS FOLLOWS]