EXHIBIT 99.3
SOFTNET SYSTEMS, INC.
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
RECITALS
A. The Board has adopted the Plan for the purpose of retaining the
services of selected Employees, non-employee members of the Board or of the
board of directors of any Parent or Subsidiary and consultants and other
independent advisors who provide services to the Corporation (or any Parent or
Subsidiary).
B. Optionee is to render valuable services to the Corporation (or a
Parent or Subsidiary), and this Agreement is executed pursuant to, and is
intended to carry out the purposes of, the Plan in connection with the
Corporation's grant of an option to Optionee.
C. All capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning
assigned to them in the attached Appendix.
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed as follows:
1. Grant of Option. The Corporation hereby grants to Optionee,
as of the Grant Date, an option to purchase up to the number of Option Shares
specified in the Grant Notice. The Option Shares shall be purchasable from time
to time during the option term specified in Paragraph 2 at the Exercise Price.
2. Option Term. This option shall have a maximum term of ten
(10) years measured from the Grant Date and shall accordingly expire at the
close of business on the Expiration Date, unless sooner terminated in accordance
with Paragraph 5 or 6.
3. Limited Transferability.
(a) This option shall be neither transferable nor assignable
by Optionee other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution
following Optionee's death and may be exercised, during Optionee's lifetime,
only by Optionee. However, Optionee may designate one or more persons as the
beneficiary or beneficiaries of this option, and this option shall, in
accordance with such designation, automatically be transferred to such
beneficiary or beneficiaries upon the Optionee's death while holding such
option. Such beneficiary or beneficiaries shall take the transferred option
subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including (without
limitation) the limited time period during which this option may, pursuant to
Paragraph 5, be exercised following Optionee's death.
(b) If this option is designated a Non-Statutory Option in the
Grant Notice, then this option may, in connection with the Optionee's estate
plan, be assigned in whole or in part during Optionee's lifetime to one or more
members of Optionee's immediate family or to a trust established for the
exclusive benefit of one or more such family members. The assigned portion shall
be exercisable only by the person or persons who acquire a proprietary interest
in the option pursuant to such assignment. The terms applicable to the assigned
portion shall be the same as those in effect for this option immediately prior
to such assignment.
4. Dates of Exercise. This option shall become exercisable for
the Option Shares in one or more installments as specified in the Grant Notice.
As the option becomes exercisable for such installments, those installments
shall accumulate and the option shall remain exercisable for the accumulated
installments until the Expiration Date or sooner termination of the option term
under Paragraph 5 or 6.
5. Cessation of Service. The option term specified in
Paragraph 2 shall terminate (and this option shall cease to be outstanding)
prior to the Expiration Date should any of the following provisions become
applicable:
(a) Should Optionee cease to remain in Service for any reason
(other than death, Permanent Disability or Misconduct) while holding this
option, then Optionee shall have a period of three (3) months (commencing with
the date of such cessation of Service) during which to exercise this option, but
in no event shall this option be exercisable at any time after the Expiration
Date.
(b) Should Optionee die while holding this option, then the
personal representative of Optionee's estate or the person or persons to whom
the option is transferred pursuant to Optionee's will or in accordance with the
laws of inheritance shall have the right to exercise this option. However, if
Optionee has designated one or more beneficiaries of this option, then those
persons shall have the exclusive right to exercise this option following
Optionee's death. Such right shall lapse, and this option shall cease to be
outstanding, upon the earlier of (i) the expiration of the twelve (12)-month
period measured from the date of Optionee's death or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(c) Should Optionee cease Service by reason of Permanent
Disability while holding this option, then Optionee shall have a period of
twelve (12) months (commencing with the date of such cessation of Service)
during which to exercise this option. In no event shall this option be
exercisable at any time after the Expiration Date.
(d) During the limited period of post-Service exercisability,
this option may not be exercised in the aggregate for more than the number of
Option Shares for which the option is exercisable at the time of Optionee's
cessation of Service. Upon the expiration of such limited exercise period or (if
earlier) upon the Expiration Date, this option shall terminate and cease to be
outstanding for any exercisable Option Shares for which the option has not been
exercised. However, this option shall, immediately upon Optionee's cessation of
Service for any reason, terminate and cease to be outstanding with respect to
any Option Shares for which this option is not otherwise at that time
exercisable.
(e) Should Optionee's Service be terminated for Misconduct,
then this option shall terminate immediately and cease to remain outstanding.
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6. Special Acceleration of Option.
(a) This option, to the extent outstanding at the time of a
Corporate Transaction, but not otherwise fully exercisable, shall automatically
accelerate so that this option shall, immediately prior to the effective date of
such Corporate Transaction, become exercisable for all of the Option Shares at
the time subject to this option and may be exercised for any or all of those
Option Shares as fully vested shares of Common Stock. No such acceleration of
this option shall occur, however, if and to the extent: (i) this option is, in
connection with the Corporate Transaction, to be assumed by the successor
corporation (or parent thereof) or (ii) this option is to be replaced with a
cash incentive program of the successor corporation which preserves the spread
existing at the time of the Corporate Transaction on the Option Shares for which
this option is not otherwise at that time exercisable (the excess of the Fair
Market Value of those Option Shares over the aggregate Exercise Price payable
for such shares) and provides for subsequent payout in accordance with the same
option exercise/vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice.
(b) Immediately following the Corporate Transaction, this
option shall terminate and cease to be outstanding, except to the extent assumed
by the successor corporation (or parent thereof) in connection with the
Corporate Transaction.
(c) If this option is assumed in connection with a Corporate
Transaction, then this option shall be appropriately adjusted, immediately after
such Corporate Transaction, to apply to the number and class of securities which
would have been issuable to Optionee in consummation of such Corporate
Transaction had the option been exercised immediately prior to such Corporate
Transaction, and appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the Exercise
Price, provided the aggregate Exercise Price shall remain the same.
(d) This Agreement shall not in any way affect the right of
the Corporation to adjust, reclassify, reorganize or otherwise change its
capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, liquidate or
sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets.
7. Adjustment in Option Shares. Should any change be made to
the Common Stock by reason of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization,
combination of shares, exchange of shares or other change affecting the
outstanding Common Stock as a class without the Corporation's receipt of
consideration, appropriate adjustments shall be made to (i) the total number
and/or class of securities subject to this option and (ii) the Exercise Price in
order to reflect such change and thereby preclude a dilution or enlargement of
benefits hereunder.
8. Stockholder Rights. The holder of this option shall not
have any stockholder rights with respect to the Option Shares until such person
shall have exercised the option, paid the Exercise Price and become a holder of
record of the purchased shares.
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9. Manner of Exercising Option.
(a) In order to exercise this option with respect to all or
any part of the Option Shares for which this option is at the time exercisable,
Optionee (or any other person or persons exercising the option) must take the
following actions:
(i) Execute and deliver to the Corporation a Notice of
Exercise for the Option Shares for which the option is exercised.
(ii) Pay the aggregate Exercise Price for the purchased shares
in one or more of the following forms:
(A) cash or check made payable to the Corporation;
(B) a promissory note payable to the Corporation, but
only to the extent authorized by the Plan Administrator in
accordance with Paragraph 13;
(C) shares of Common Stock held by Optionee (or any
other person or persons exercising the option) for the
requisite period necessary to avoid a charge to the
Corporation's earnings for financial reporting purposes and
valued at Fair Market Value on the Exercise Date; or
(D) through a special sale and remittance procedure
pursuant to which Optionee (or any other person or persons
exercising the option) shall concurrently provide
irrevocable instructions (I) to a Corporation-designated
brokerage firm to effect the immediate sale of the purchased
shares and remit to the Corporation, out of the sale
proceeds available on the settlement date, sufficient funds
to cover the aggregate Exercise Price payable for the
purchased shares plus all applicable Federal, state and
local income and employment taxes required to be withheld by
the Corporation by reason of such exercise and (II) to the
Corporation to deliver the certificates for the purchased
shares directly to such brokerage firm in order to complete
the sale.
Except to the extent the sale and remittance
procedure is utilized in connection with the option
exercise, payment of the Exercise Price must accompany the
Notice of Exercise delivered to the Corporation in
connection with the option exercise.
(iii) Furnish to the Corporation appropriate documentation
that the person or persons exercising the option (if other than Optionee) have
the right to exercise this option.
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(iv) Make appropriate arrangements with the Corporation (or
Parent or Subsidiary employing or retaining Optionee) for the satisfaction of
all Federal, state and local income and employment tax withholding requirements
applicable to the option exercise.
(b) As soon as practical after the Exercise Date, the
Corporation shall issue to or on behalf of Optionee (or any other person or
persons exercising this option) a certificate for the purchased Option Shares,
with the appropriate legends affixed thereto.
(c) In no event may this option be exercised for any
fractional shares.
10. Compliance with Laws and Regulations.
(a) The exercise of this option and the issuance of the Option
Shares upon such exercise shall be subject to compliance by the Corporation and
Optionee with all applicable requirements of law relating thereto and with all
applicable regulations of any stock exchange (or the Nasdaq National Market, if
applicable) on which the Common Stock may be listed for trading at the time of
such exercise and issuance.
(b) The inability of the Corporation to obtain approval from
any regulatory body having authority deemed by the Corporation to be necessary
to the lawful issuance and sale of any Common Stock pursuant to this option
shall relieve the Corporation of any liability with respect to the non-issuance
or sale of the Common Stock as to which such approval shall not have been
obtained. The Corporation, however, shall use its best efforts to obtain all
such approvals.
11. Successors and Assigns. Except to the extent otherwise
provided in Paragraphs 3 and 6, the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to
the benefit of, and be binding upon, the Corporation and its successors and
assigns and Optionee, Optionee's assigns, the legal representatives, heirs and
legatees of Optionee's estate and any beneficiaries of this option designated by
Optionee.
12. Notices. Any notice required to be given or delivered to
the Corporation under the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing and
addressed to the Corporation at its principal corporate offices. Any notice
required to be given or delivered to Optionee shall be in writing and addressed
to Optionee at the address indicated below Optionee's signature line on the
Grant Notice. All notices shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or
upon deposit in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid and properly addressed to the
party to be notified.
13. Financing. The Plan Administrator may, in its absolute
discretion and without any obligation to do so, permit Optionee to pay the
Exercise Price for the purchased Option Shares by delivering a full-recourse
promissory note payable to the Corporation. The terms of any such promissory
note (including the interest rate, the requirements for collateral and the terms
of repayment) shall be established by the Plan Administrator in its sole
discretion.
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14. Construction. This Agreement and the option evidenced
hereby are made and granted pursuant to the Plan and are in all respects limited
by and subject to the terms of the Plan. All decisions of the Plan Administrator
with respect to any question or issue arising under the Plan or this Agreement
shall be conclusive and binding on all persons having an interest in this
option.
15. Governing Law. The interpretation, performance and
enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
California without resort to that State's conflict-of-laws rules.
16. Excess Shares. If the Option Shares covered by this
Agreement exceed, as of the Grant Date, the number of shares of Common Stock
which may without stockholder approval be issued under the Plan, then this
option shall be void with respect to those excess shares, unless stockholder
approval of an amendment sufficiently increasing the number of shares of Common
Stock issuable under the Plan is obtained in accordance with the provisions of
the Plan.
17. Additional Terms Applicable to an Incentive Option. In the
event this option is designated an Incentive Option in the Grant Notice, the
following terms and conditions shall also apply to the grant:
(a) This option shall cease to qualify for favorable tax
treatment as an Incentive Option if (and to the extent) this option is exercised
for one or more Option Shares: (A) more than three (3) months after the date
Optionee ceases to be an Employee for any reason other than death or Permanent
Disability or (B) more than twelve (12) months after the date Optionee ceases to
be an Employee by reason of Permanent Disability.
(b) No installment under this option shall qualify for
favorable tax treatment as an Incentive Option if (and to the extent) the
aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the Grant Date) of the Common Stock
for which such installment first becomes exercisable hereunder would, when added
to the aggregate value (determined as of the respective date or dates of grant)
of the Common Stock or other securities for which this option or any other
Incentive Options granted to Optionee prior to the Grant Date (whether under the
Plan or any other option plan of the Corporation or any Parent or Subsidiary)
first become exercisable during the same calendar year, exceed One Hundred
Thousand Dollars ($100,000) in the aggregate. Should such One Hundred Thousand
Dollar ($100,000) limitation be exceeded in any calendar year, this option shall
nevertheless become exercisable for the excess shares in such calendar year as a
Non-Statutory Option.
(c) Should the exercisability of this option be accelerated
upon a Corporate Transaction, then this option shall qualify for favorable tax
treatment as an Incentive Option only to the extent the aggregate Fair Market
Value (determined at the Grant Date) of the Common Stock for which this option
first becomes exercisable in the calendar year in which the Corporate
Transaction occurs does not, when added to the aggregate value (determined as of
the respective date or dates of grant) of the Common Stock or other securities
for which this option
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or one or more other Incentive Options granted to Optionee prior to the Grant
Date (whether under the Plan or any other option plan of the Corporation or any
Parent or Subsidiary) first become exercisable during the same calendar year,
exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) in the aggregate. Should the
applicable One Hundred Thousand Dollar ($100,000) limitation be exceeded in the
calendar year of such Corporate Transaction, the option may nevertheless be
exercised for the excess shares in such calendar year as a Non-Statutory Option.
(d) Should Optionee hold, in addition to this option, one or
more other options to purchase Common Stock which become exercisable for the
first time in the same calendar year as this option, then the foregoing
limitations on the exercisability of such options as Incentive Options shall be
applied on the basis of the order in which such options are granted.
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EXHIBIT I
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
I hereby notify SoftNet Systems, Inc. (the "Corporation") that
I elect to purchase __________ shares of the Corporation's Common Stock (the
"Purchased Shares") at the option exercise price of $_____ per share (the
"Exercise Price") pursuant to that certain option (the "Option") granted to me
under the Corporation's 1998 Stock Incentive Plan on
_______________________,________.
Concurrently with the delivery of this Exercise Notice to the
Corporation, I shall hereby pay to the Corporation the Exercise Price for the
Purchased Shares in accordance with the provisions of my agreement with the
Corporation (or other documents) evidencing the Option and shall deliver
whatever additional documents may be required by such agreement as a condition
for exercise. Alternatively, I may utilize the special broker-dealer sale and
remittance procedure specified in my agreement to effect payment of the Exercise
Price.
______________________________ , ________
Date
_______________________________________
Optionee
Address: ______________________________
_______________________________________
Print name in exact manner it is
to appear on the stock certificate: _______________________________________
Address to which certificate is to
be sent, if different from
address above: _______________________________________
_______________________________________
Social Security Number: _______________________________________
APPENDIX
The following definitions shall be in effect under the
Agreement:
A. Agreement shall mean this Stock Option Agreement.
B. Board shall mean the Corporation's Board of Directors.
C. Common Stock shall mean shares of the Corporation's common
stock.
D. Code shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended.
E. Corporate Transaction shall mean either of the following
stockholder-approved transactions to which the Corporation is a party:
(i) a merger or consolidation in which securities
possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total
combined voting power of the Corporation's outstanding
securities are transferred to a person or persons different
from the persons holding those securities immediately prior
to such transaction, or
(ii) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the Corporation's assets in complete
liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation.
F. Corporation shall mean SoftNet Systems, Inc., a New York
corporation, and any successor corporation to all or substantially all of the
assets or voting stock of SoftNet Systems, Inc. which shall by appropriate
action adopt the Plan.
G. Employee shall mean an individual who is in the employ of the Corporation (or
any Parent or Subsidiary), subject to the control and
direction of the employer
entity as to both the work to be performed and the manner and method of
performance.
H. Exercise Date shall mean the date on which the option shall
have been exercised in accordance with Paragraph 9 of the Agreement.
I. Exercise Price shall mean the exercise price per Option
Share as specified in the Grant Notice.
J. Expiration Date shall mean the date on which the option
expires as specified in the Grant Notice.
K. Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on any relevant
date shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions:
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(i) If the Common Stock is at the time traded on the
Nasdaq National Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be
deemed equal to the closing selling price per share of
Common Stock on the date in question, as the price is
reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers
on the Nasdaq National Market. If there is no closing
selling price for the Common Stock on the date in question,
then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling
price on the last preceding date for which such quotation
exists, or
(ii) If the Common Stock is at the time listed on any
Stock Exchange, then the Fair Market Value shall be deemed
equal to the closing selling price per share of Common Stock
on the date in question on the Stock Exchange determined by
the Plan Administrator to be the primary market for the
Common Stock, as such price is officially quoted in the
composite tape of transactions on such exchange. If there is
no closing selling price for the Common Stock on the date in
question, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing
selling price on the last preceding date for which such
quotation exists.
X. Xxxxx Date shall mean the date of grant of the option as
specified in the Grant Notice.
X. Xxxxx Notice shall mean the Notice of Grant of Stock Option
accompanying the Agreement, pursuant to which Optionee has been informed of the
basic terms of the option evidenced hereby.
N. Incentive Option shall mean an option which satisfies the
requirements of Code Section 422.
O. Misconduct shall mean the commission of any act of fraud,
embezzlement or dishonesty by Optionee, any unauthorized use or disclosure by
Optionee of confidential information or trade secrets of the Corporation (or any
Parent or Subsidiary), or any other intentional misconduct by Optionee adversely
affecting the business or affairs of the Corporation (or any Parent or
Subsidiary) in a material manner. The foregoing definition shall not be deemed
to be inclusive of all the acts or omissions which the Corporation (or any
Parent or Subsidiary) may consider as grounds for the dismissal or discharge of
Optionee or any other individual in the Service of the Corporation (or any
Parent or Subsidiary).
P. Non-Statutory Option shall mean an option not intended to
satisfy the requirements of Code Section 422.
Q. Notice of Exercise shall mean the notice of exercise in the
form attached hereto as Exhibit I.
R. Option Shares shall mean the number of shares of Common
Stock subject to the option as specified in the Grant Notice.
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S. Optionee shall mean the person to whom the option is
granted as specified in the Grant Notice.
T. Parent shall mean any corporation (other than the
Corporation) in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Corporation,
provided each corporation in the unbroken chain (other than the Corporation)
owns, at the time of the determination, stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or
more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the
other corporations in such chain.
U. Permanent Disability shall mean the inability of Optionee
to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically
determinable physical or mental impairment which is expected to result in death
or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of twelve (12)
months or more.
V. Plan shall mean the Corporation's 1998 Stock Incentive
Plan.
W. Plan Administrator shall mean either the Board or a
committee of the Board acting in its capacity as administrator of the Plan.
X. Service shall mean the Optionee's performance of services
for the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) in the capacity of an
Employee, a non-employee member of the board of directors or a consultant or
independent advisor.
Y. Stock Exchange shall mean the American Stock Exchange or
the New York Stock Exchange.
Z. Subsidiary shall mean any corporation (other than the
Corporation) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the
Corporation, provided each corporation (other than the last corporation) in the
unbroken chain owns, at the time of the determination, stock possessing fifty
percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock
in one of the other corporations in such chain.
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