Exhibit 10.9
REGISTRATION AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION AGREEMENT, dated as of September ___, 2000, between the
investor or investors signatory hereto (each an "Investor" and together the
"Investors"), and ANTs xxxxxxxx.xxx, a Nevada corporation (the "Company").
WHEREAS, the Investors will be purchasing from the Company, in accordance
with and subject to the terms of certain subscription and purchase agreements
certain shares of Common Stock of the Company; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to grant to the Investors the registration
obligation set forth herein with respect to the shares of Common Stock being
purchased from time to time by such Investor from the Company pursuant to
subscription or purchase agreements for shares of restricted Common Stock, and
shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants (hereinafter
referred to as the "Stock" or "Securities" of the Company).
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto mutually agree as follows:
Section 1. Registrable Securities. As used herein the term "Registrable
Security" means the Securities until the Registration Statement has been
declared effective by the SEC. The term "Registrable Securities" means any
and/or all of the securities falling within the foregoing definition of a
"Registrable Security." In the event of any merger, reorganization,
consolidation, recapitalization or other change in corporate structure affecting
the Common Stock, such adjustment shall be deemed to be made in the definition
of "Registrable Security" as is appropriate in order to prevent any dilution or
enlargement of the rights granted pursuant to this Agreement.
Section 2. Restrictions on Transfer. Each Investor acknowledges and
understands that prior to the registration of the Securities as provided herein,
the Securities are "restricted securities" as defined in Rule 144 promulgated
under the Act. Each Investor understands that no disposition or transfer of the
Securities may be made by Investor in the absence of (i) an opinion of counsel
to the Investor, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company,
that such transfer may be made without registration under the Securities Act or
(ii) such registration.
With a view to making available to the Investors the benefits of Rule 144
under the Securities Act or any other similar rule or regulation of the SEC that
may at any time permit the Investors to sell securities of the Company to the
public without registration ("Rule 144"), the Company agrees to:
(a) comply with the provisions of paragraph (c)(1) of Rule 144; and
(b) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other
documents required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
under the Exchange Act by
companies subject to either of such sections, irrespective of whether the
Company is then subject to such reporting requirements.
Section 3. Registration Obligation With Respect to the Securities.
(a) The Company agrees that it will prepare and file with the SEC
not later than ninety (90) days after the closing of the sale of not less than
600,000 shares of common Stock a registration statement covering all of the
Securities, (on Form XX-0, X-0, or other appropriate registration statement
form) under the Securities Act (the "Registration Statement"), at the sole
expense of the Company (except as provided in Section 3(c) hereof), in respect
of the Investors, so as to permit the resale of the Securities including without
limitation the Warrants.
(b) The number of shares designated in the Registration Statement to
be registered shall include all of the Warrant Shares and shall include
appropriate language regarding reliance upon Rule 416 to the extent permitted by
the SEC. The Company will notify the Investors of the effectiveness of each
Registration Statement within three Trading Days of such event.
(c) The Company will maintain each Registration Statement or
post-effective amendment filed under this Section 3 effective under the
Securities Act until the earlier of (i) the date that all of the Securities have
been sold pursuant to such Registration Statement, and (ii) the date one year
after the date the Registration Statement first becomes effective.
(d) All fees, disbursements and out-of-pocket expenses and costs
incurred by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of the
Registration Statement under subparagraph 3(a) and in complying with applicable
securities and Blue Sky laws (including, without limitation, all attorneys' fees
of the Company) shall be borne by the Company. The Investors shall bear the cost
of underwriting and/or brokerage discounts, fees and commissions, if any,
applicable to the Securities being registered and the fees and expenses of their
counsel. The Investors and their counsel shall have a reasonable period, not to
exceed five (5) Trading Days, to review the proposed Registration Statement or
any amendment thereto, prior to filing with the SEC, and the Company shall
provide each Investor with copies of any comment letters received from the SEC
with respect thereto within three (3) Trading Days of receipt thereof. The
Company shall qualify any of the securities for sale in such states as any
Investor reasonably designates provided that the aggregate amount of securities
to be sold in any such state exceeds $100,000, and shall furnish indemnification
in the manner provided in Section 6 hereof. However, the Company shall not be
required to qualify in any state which will require an escrow or other
restriction relating to the Company and/or the sellers, or which will require
the Company to qualify to do business in such state or require the Company to
file therein any general consent to service of process. The Company at its
expense will supply the Investors with copies of the applicable Registration
Statement and the prospectus included therein and other related documents in
such quantities as may be reasonably requested by the Investors.
(e) The Company shall not be required by this Section 3 to include
an Investor's Securities in any Registration Statement which is to be filed if,
in the opinion of counsel for both the Investor and the Company (or, should they
not agree, in the opinion of another counsel experienced in securities law
matters acceptable to counsel for the Investor and
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the Company) the proposed offering or other transfer as to which such
registration is requested is exempt from applicable federal and state securities
laws and would result in all purchasers or transferees obtaining securities
which are not "restricted securities", as defined in Rule 144 under the
Securities Act.
(f) If at any time or from time to time after the effective date of
any Registration Statement, the Company notifies the Investors in writing of the
existence of a Potential Material Event (as defined in Section 3(g) below), the
Investors shall not offer or sell any Securities or engage in any other
transaction involving or relating to Securities, from the time of the giving of
notice with respect to a Potential Material Event until the Investors receive
written notice from the Company that such Potential Material Event either has
been disclosed to the public or no longer constitutes a Potential Material
Event; provided, however, that the Company may not so suspend the right to such
holders of Securities for more than twenty (20) days in the aggregate during any
twelve month period, during the period the Registration Statement is required to
be in effect, without such event being a Registration Default. If a Potential
Material Event shall occur prior to the date a Registration Statement is
required to be filed, then the Company's obligation to file such Registration
Statement shall be delayed for not more than sixty (60) days. The Company must,
if lawful, give the Investors notice in writing at least three (3) Trading Days
prior to the first day of the blackout period.
(g) "Potential Material Event" means any of the following: (a) the
possession by the Company of material information not ripe for disclosure in a
registration statement, as determined in good faith by the Chief Executive
Officer or the Board of Directors of the Company that disclosure of such
information in a Registration Statement would be detrimental to the business and
affairs of the Company; or (b) any material engagement or activity by the
Company which would, in the good faith determination of the Chief Executive
Officer or the Board of Directors of the Company, be adversely affected by
disclosure in a registration statement at such time, which determination shall
be accompanied by a good faith determination by the Chief Executive Officer or
the Board of Directors of the Company that the applicable Registration Statement
would be materially misleading absent the inclusion of such information.
Section 4. Cooperation with Company. The Investors will cooperate with the
Company in all respects in connection with this Agreement, including timely
supplying all information reasonably requested by the Company (which shall
include all information regarding the Investors and proposed manner of sale of
the Registrable Securities required to be disclosed in any Registration
Statement) and executing and returning all documents reasonably requested in
connection with the registration and sale of the Registrable Securities and
entering into and performing their obligations under any underwriting agreement,
if the offering is an underwritten offering, in usual and customary form, with
the managing underwriter or underwriters of such underwritten offering. Nothing
in this Agreement shall obligate any Investor to consent to be named as an
underwriter in any Registration Statement.
Section 5. Registration Procedures. If and whenever the Company is
required by any of the provisions of this Agreement to effect the registration
of any of the Registrable Securities under the Act, the Company shall (except as
otherwise provided in this Agreement), as
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expeditiously as possible, subject to the Investors' assistance and cooperation
as reasonably required with respect to each Registration Statement:
(a) (i) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and
supplements to the Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection
therewith as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective and
to comply with the provisions of the Act with respect to the sale or other
disposition of all securities covered by such registration statement whenever
the Investors shall desire to sell or otherwise dispose of the same (including
prospectus supplements with respect to the sales of securities from time to time
in connection with a registration statement pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated
under the Act) and (ii) take all lawful action such that each of (A) the
Registration Statement and any amendment thereto does not, when it becomes
effective, 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 and (B) the prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement,
and any amendment or supplement thereto, does not at any time during the
Registration Period include 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;
(b) (i) prior to the filing with the SEC of any Registration
Statement (including any amendments thereto) and the distribution or delivery of
any prospectus (including any supplements thereto), provide draft copies thereof
to the Investors as required by Section 3(c) and reflect in such documents all
such comments as the Investors (and their counsel) reasonably may propose
respecting the Selling Shareholders and Plan of Distribution sections (or
equivalents) and (ii) furnish to each Investor such numbers of copies of a
prospectus including a preliminary prospectus or any amendment or supplement to
any prospectus, as applicable, in conformity with the requirements of the Act,
and such other documents, as such Investor may reasonably request in order to
facilitate the public sale or other disposition of the securities owned by such
Investor;
(c) register and qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the
Registration Statement under such other securities or blue sky laws of such
jurisdictions as the Investors shall reasonably request (subject to the
limitations set forth in Section 3(c) above), and do any and all other acts and
things which may be necessary or advisable to enable each Investor to consummate
the public sale or other disposition in such jurisdiction of the securities
owned by such Investor;
(d) list such Registrable Securities on the Principal Market, if the
listing of such Registrable Securities is then permitted under the rules of such
Principal Market;
(e) notify each Investor at any time when a prospectus relating
thereto covered by the Registration Statement is required to be delivered under
the Act, of the happening of any event of which it has knowledge as a result of
which the prospectus included in the Registration Statement, as then in effect,
includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
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not misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing, and the Company
shall prepare and file a curative amendment under Section 5(a) as quickly as
commercially possible;
(f) as promptly as practicable after becoming aware of such event,
notify each Investor who holds Registrable Securities being sold (or, in the
event of an underwritten offering, the managing underwriters) of the issuance by
the SEC of any stop order or other suspension of the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement at the earliest possible time and take all lawful action
to effect the withdrawal, rescission or removal of such stop order or other
suspension;
(g) cooperate with the Investors to facilitate the timely
preparation and delivery of certificates for the Registrable Securities to be
offered pursuant to the Registration Statement and enable such certificates for
the Registrable Securities to be in such denominations or amounts, as the case
may be, as the Investors reasonably may request and registered in such names as
the Investors may request; and, within three (3) Trading Days after a
Registration Statement which includes Registrable Securities is declared
effective by the SEC, deliver and cause legal counsel selected by the Company to
deliver to the transfer agent for the Registrable Securities (with copies to the
Investors) an appropriate instruction and, to the extent necessary, an opinion
of such counsel;
(h) in the event of an underwritten offering, promptly include or
incorporate in a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to the
Registration Statement such information as the managers reasonably agree should
be included therein and to which the Company does not reasonably object and make
all required filings of such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment
as soon as practicable after it is notified of the matters to be included or
incorporated in such Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment; and
(i) maintain a transfer agent and registrar for its Common Stock.
Section 6. Indemnification.
(a) To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Company agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless the Investors and each person, if any, who controls
an Investor within the meaning of the Securities Act (each a "Distributing
Investor") against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several
(which shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, include, but not be limited
to, all reasonable costs of defense and investigation and all reasonable
attorneys' fees and expenses), to which the Distributing Investor may become
subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based
upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact
contained in any Registration Statement, or any related final prospectus or
amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission
or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided,
however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent, and
only to the extent, that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of
or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made in such Registration Statement, preliminary prospectus,
final prospectus
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or amendment or supplement thereto in reliance upon, and in conformity with,
written information furnished to the Company by the Distributing Investor, its
counsel, affiliates or any underwriter, specifically for use in the preparation
thereof. In addition, the Company shall not be liable hereunder to the extent a
Distributing Investor caused such losses etc. by failing to deliver the final
prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto. This indemnity agreement will
be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.
(b) To the maximum extent permitted by law, each Distributing
Investor agrees that it will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, and each
officer and director of the Company or person, if any, who controls the Company
within the meaning of the Securities Act, against any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (which shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, include, but not
be limited to, all reasonable costs of defense and investigation and all
reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses) to which the Company or any such
officer, director or controlling person may become subject under the Securities
Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement
or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Registration
Statement, or any related final prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto,
or arise out of or are based upon (i) failure by such Distributing Investor to
deliver the final prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the
omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but
in each case only to the extent that such untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission was made in such Registration
Statement, final prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto in reliance upon,
and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by such
Distributing Investor, its counsel, affiliates or any underwriter, specifically
for use in the preparation thereof. This indemnity agreement will be in addition
to any liability which the Distributing Investor may otherwise have.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this
Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action against such indemnified
party, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made
against the indemnifying party under this Section 6, notify the indemnifying
party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the
indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability
which it may have to any indemnified party except to the extent the failure of
the indemnified party to provide such written notification actually prejudices
the ability of the indemnifying party to defend such action. In case any such
action is brought against any indemnified party, and it notifies the
indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be
entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with
any other indemnifying party similarly notified, assume the defense thereof,
subject to the provisions herein stated and after notice from the indemnifying
party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense
thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party
under this Section 6 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by
such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than
reasonable costs of investigation, unless the indemnifying party shall not
pursue the action to its final conclusion. The indemnified parties as a group
shall have the right to employ one separate counsel in any such action and to
participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel
shall not be at the expense of the indemnifying party if the indemnifying party
has assumed the
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defense of the action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified
party unless (i) the employment of such counsel has been specifically authorized
in writing by the indemnifying party, or (ii) the named parties to any such
action (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnified party and
the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have been advised by its
counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to the
indemnifying party different from or in conflict with any legal defenses which
may be available to the indemnified party or any other indemnified party (in
which case the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense
of such action on behalf of such indemnified party, it being understood,
however, that the indemnifying party shall, in connection with any one such
action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same
jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be
liable only for the reasonable fees and expenses of one separate firm of
attorneys for the indemnified party, which firm shall be designated in writing
by the indemnified party). No settlement of any action against an indemnified
party shall be made without the prior written consent of the indemnified party,
which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld so long as such settlement
includes a full release of claims against the indemnified party.
Section 7. Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable
contribution under the Securities Act in any case in which (i) the indemnified
party makes a claim for indemnification pursuant to Section 6 hereof but is
judicially determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of
competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the
last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case
notwithstanding the fact that the express provisions of Section 6 hereof provide
for indemnification in such case, or (ii) contribution under the Securities Act
may be required on the part of any indemnified party, then the Company and the
applicable Distributing Investor shall contribute to the aggregate losses,
claims, damages or liabilities to which they may be subject (which shall, for
all purposes of this Agreement, include, but not be limited to, all reasonable
costs of defense and investigation and all reasonable attorneys' fees and
expenses), in either such case (after contribution from others) on the basis of
relative fault as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The
relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether
the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or
alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the
Company on the one hand or the applicable Distributing Investor on the other
hand, and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and
opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and
the Distributing Investor agree that it would not be just and equitable if
contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation
or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to in this Section 7. The amount paid or
payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this Section 7
shall be deemed to include any reasonable legal or other expenses reasonably
incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending
any such action or claim. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation
(within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to
contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation.
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Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 7, in no event shall any (i)
Investor be required to undertake liability to any person under this Section 7
for any amounts in excess of the dollar amount of the proceeds received by such
Investor from the sale of such Investor's Registrable Securities (after
deducting any fees, discounts and commissions applicable thereto) pursuant to
any Registration Statement under which such Registrable Securities are
registered under the Securities Act and (ii) underwriter be required to
undertake liability to any person hereunder for any amounts in excess of the
aggregate discount, commission or other compensation payable to such underwriter
with respect to the Registrable Securities underwritten by it and distributed
pursuant to such Registration Statement.
Section 8. Notices. All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals,
and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing
and, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be hand delivered.
Section 9. Assignment. This Agreement is binding upon and inures to the
benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, successors and
permitted assigns. The rights granted the Investors under this Agreement may be
assigned to any purchaser of all of the Registrable Securities owned by such
Investor.
Section 10. Counterparts/Facsimile. This Agreement may be executed in two
or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, but all of
which, when together shall constitute but one and the same instrument, and shall
become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each party
hereto and delivered to the other parties. In lieu of the original, a facsimile
transmission or copy of the original shall be as effective and enforceable as
the original.
Section 11. Remedies. The remedies provided in this Agreement are
cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by law. 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 best 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.
Section 12. Conflicting Agreements. The Company shall not enter into any
agreement with respect to its securities that is inconsistent with the rights
granted to the holders of Registrable Securities in this Agreement or otherwise
prevents the Company from complying with all of its obligations hereunder.
Section 13. Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for reference
purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of
this Agreement.
Section 14. Governing Law, Arbitration. This Agreement shall be governed
by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California
applicable to contracts made in California by persons domiciled in California
and without regard to its principles of conflicts
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of laws. Any dispute under this Agreement shall be submitted to arbitration
under the American Arbitration Association (the "AAA") in or near San Mateo,
California, and shall be finally and conclusively determined by the decision of
a board of arbitration consisting of three (3) members (hereinafter referred to
as the "Board of Arbitration") selected as according to the rules governing the
AAA. The Board of Arbitration shall meet on consecutive business days in San
Mateo, California, and shall reach and render a decision in writing (concurred
in by a majority of the members of the Board of Arbitration) with respect to the
amount, if any, which the losing party is required to pay to the other party in
respect of a claim filed. In connection with rendering its decisions, the Board
of Arbitration shall adopt and follow the laws of the State of California. To
the extent practical, decisions of the Board of Arbitration shall be rendered no
more than thirty (30) calendar days following commencement of proceedings with
respect thereto. The Board of Arbitration shall cause its written decision to be
delivered to all parties involved in the dispute. Any decision made by the Board
of Arbitration (either prior to or after the expiration of such thirty (30)
calendar day period) shall be final, binding and conclusive on the parties to
the dispute, and entitled to be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law
and entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. The Board of Arbitration
shall be authorized and is hereby directed to enter a default judgment against
any party failing to participate in any proceeding hereunder within the time
periods set forth in the AAA rules. The non-prevailing party to any arbitration
(as determined by the Board of Arbitration) shall pay the expenses of the
prevailing party, including reasonable attorneys' fees, in connection with such
arbitration. Any party shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief from a
court in any case where such relief is available.
Section 15. No Rules of Construction. No rules of construction are
intended by the parties hereto and none shall be employed in the interpretation
of this Agreement. For all purposes in connection herewith, the parties intend
to be treated as joint authors hereof.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Registration
Agreement to be duly executed, on the day and year first above written.
ANTs Xxxxxxxx.xxx, a Nevada
corporation
By: ____________________________________
Xxxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, President and
Chief Executive Officer
Investor:
By: ____________________________________
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