ASK JEEVES, INC.
1999 NON-OFFICER EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
(NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTIONS)
Pursuant to your Stock Option Grant Notice ("Grant Notice") and this
Stock Option Agreement, Ask Jeeves, Inc. (the "Company") has granted you an
option under its 1999 Non-Officer Equity Incentive Plan (the "Plan") to purchase
the number of shares of the Company's Common Stock indicated in your Grant
Notice at the exercise price indicated in your Grant Notice. Defined terms not
explicitly defined in this Stock Option Agreement but defined in the Plan shall
have the same definitions as in the Plan.
The details of your option are as follows:
1. VESTING. Subject to the limitations contained herein, your option
will vest as provided in your Grant Notice, provided that vesting will cease
upon the termination of your Continuous Service.
2. NUMBER OF SHARES AND EXERCISE PRICE. The number of shares of
Common Stock subject to your option and your exercise price per share referenced
in your Grant Notice may be adjusted from time to time for Capitalization
Adjustments, as provided in the Plan.
3. EXERCISE PRIOR TO VESTING ("EARLY EXERCISE"). If permitted in
your Grant Notice (i.e., the "Exercise Schedule" indicates that "Early Exercise"
of your option is permitted) and subject to the provisions of your option, you
may elect at any time that is both (i) during the period of your Continuous
Service and (ii) during the term of your option, to exercise all or part of your
option, including the nonvested portion of your option; provided, however, that:
(A) a partial exercise of your option shall be deemed to cover
first vested shares of Common Stock and then the earliest vesting installment of
unvested shares of Common Stock;
(B) any shares of Common Stock so purchased from installments
that have not vested as of the date of exercise shall be subject to the purchase
option in favor of the Company as described in the Company's form of Early
Exercise Stock Purchase Agreement; and
(C) you shall enter into the Company's form of Early Exercise
Stock Purchase Agreement with a vesting schedule that will result in the same
vesting as if no early exercise had occurred.
4. METHOD OF PAYMENT. Payment of the exercise price is due in full
upon exercise of all or any part of your option. You may elect to make payment
of the exercise price in cash or by check or in any other manner PERMITTED BY
YOUR GRANT NOTICE, which may include one or more of the following:
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(A) In the Company's sole discretion at the time your option is
exercised and provided that at the time of exercise the Common Stock is publicly
traded and quoted regularly in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, pursuant to a program
developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board that,
prior to the issuance of Common Stock, results in either the receipt of cash (or
check) by the Company or the receipt of irrevocable instructions to pay the
aggregate exercise price to the Company from the sales proceeds.
(B) Provided that at the time of exercise the Common Stock is
publicly traded and quoted regularly in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, by delivery of
already-owned shares of Common Stock either that you have held for the period
required to avoid a charge to the Company's reported earnings (generally six
months) or that you did not acquire, directly or indirectly from the Company,
that are owned free and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances or security
interests, and that are valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise.
"Delivery" for these purposes, in the sole discretion of the Company at the time
you exercise your option, shall include delivery to the Company of your
attestation of ownership of such shares of Common Stock in a form approved by
the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may not exercise your option by
tender to the Company of Common Stock to the extent such tender would violate
the provisions of any law, regulation or agreement restricting the redemption of
the Company's stock.
5. WHOLE SHARES. You may exercise your option only for whole shares
of Common Stock.
6. SECURITIES LAW COMPLIANCE. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained herein, you may not exercise your option unless the shares of
Common Stock issuable upon such exercise are then registered under the
Securities Act or, if such shares of Common Stock are not then so registered,
the Company has determined that such exercise and issuance would be exempt from
the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The exercise of your
option must also comply with other applicable laws and regulations governing
your option, and you may not exercise your option if the Company determines that
such exercise would not be in material compliance with such laws and
regulations.
7. TERM. You may not exercise your option before the commencement of
its term or after its term expires. The term of your option commences on the
Date of Grant and expires upon the EARLIEST of the following:
(A) three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous
Service for any reason other than your Disability or death, provided that if
during any part of such three- (3-) month period your option is not exercisable
solely because of the condition set forth in the preceding paragraph relating to
"Securities Law Compliance," your option shall not expire until the earlier of
the Expiration Date or until it shall have been exercisable for an aggregate
period of three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous Service;
(B) twelve (12) months after the termination of your Continuous
Service due to your Disability;
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(C) eighteen (18) months after your death if you die either
during your Continuous Service or within three (3) months after your Continuous
Service terminates;
(D) the Expiration Date indicated in your Grant Notice; or
(E) the day before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Date of
Xxxxx.
8. EXERCISE.
(A) You may exercise the vested portion of your option (and the
unvested portion of your option if your Grant Notice so permits) during its term
by delivering a Notice of Exercise (in a form designated by the Company)
together with the exercise price to the Secretary of the Company, or to such
other person as the Company may designate, during regular business hours,
together with such additional documents as the Company may then require.
(B) By exercising your option you agree that, as a condition to
any exercise of your option, the Company may require you to enter into an
arrangement providing for the payment by you to the Company of any tax
withholding obligation of the Company arising by reason of (1) the exercise of
your option, (2) the lapse of any substantial risk of forfeiture to which the
shares of Common Stock are subject at the time of exercise, or (3) the
disposition of shares of Common Stock acquired upon such exercise.
9. TRANSFERABILITY. Your option is not transferable, except by will
or by the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during your life
only by you. Notwithstanding the foregoing, by delivering written notice to the
Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, you may designate a third party
who, in the event of your death, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise your
option.
10. OPTION NOT A SERVICE CONTRACT. Your option is not an employment
or service contract, and nothing in your option shall be deemed to create in any
way whatsoever any obligation on your part to continue in the employ of the
Company or an Affiliate, or of the Company or an Affiliate to continue your
employment. In addition, nothing in your option shall obligate the Company or
an Affiliate, their respective shareholders, Boards of Directors, Officers or
Employees to continue any relationship that you might have as a Director or
Consultant for the Company or an Affiliate.
11. WITHHOLDING OBLIGATIONS.
(A) At the time you exercise your option, in whole or in part,
or at any time thereafter as requested by the Company, you hereby authorize
withholding from payroll and any other amounts payable to you, and otherwise
agree to make adequate provision for (including by means of a "cashless
exercise" pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by
the Federal Reserve Board to the extent permitted by the Company), any sums
required to satisfy the federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding
obligations of the Company or an Affiliate, if any, which arise in connection
with your option.
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(B) Upon your request and subject to approval by the
Company, in its sole discretion, and compliance with any applicable
conditions or restrictions of law, the Company may withhold from fully vested
shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable to you upon the exercise of your
option a number of whole shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value,
determined by the Company as of the date of exercise, not in excess of the
minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law. If the date of
determination of any tax withholding obligation is deferred to a date later
than the date of exercise of your option, share withholding pursuant to the
preceding sentence shall not be permitted unless you make a proper and timely
election under Section 83(b) of the Code, covering the aggregate number of
shares of Common Stock acquired upon such exercise with respect to which such
determination is otherwise deferred, to accelerate the determination of such
tax withholding obligation to the date of exercise of your option.
Notwithstanding the filing of such election, shares of Common Stock shall be
withheld solely from fully vested shares of Common Stock determined as of the
date of exercise of your option that are otherwise issuable to you upon such
exercise. Any adverse consequences to you arising in connection with such
share withholding procedure shall be your sole responsibility.
(C) You may not exercise your option unless the tax
withholding obligations of the Company and/or any Affiliate are satisfied.
Accordingly, you may not be able to exercise your option when desired even
though your option is vested, and the Company shall have no obligation to
issue a certificate for such shares of Common Stock or release such shares of
Common Stock from any escrow provided for herein.
12. NOTICES. Any notices provided for in your option or the Plan
shall be given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon receipt or,
in the case of notices delivered by mail by the Company to you, five (5) days
after deposit in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to you at
the last address you provided to the Company.
13. GOVERNING PLAN DOCUMENT. Your option is subject to all the
provisions of the Plan, the provisions of which are hereby made a part of your
option, and is further subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and
regulations which may from time to time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to
the Plan. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of your option
and those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control.
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