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EXHIBIT 99.3
NETIVERSE, 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 the board
of directors of any Parent or Subsidiary and consultants and other independent
advisors in the service of Netiverse, Inc., a Delaware corporation
("Corporation") (or any Parent or Subsidiary).
B. NINewHire ("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 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. During Optionee's lifetime, this
option shall be exercisable only by Optionee and shall not be assignable or
transferable other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution
following Optionee's death.
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, Disability or Misconduct) while this option is
outstanding, 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.
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(b) Should Optionee die while this option is
outstanding, 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. 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
Disability while this option is outstanding, 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.
Note: Exercise of this option on a date later than three (3)
months following cessation of Service due to Disability will
result in loss of favorable Incentive Option treatment, unless
such Disability constitutes Permanent Disability. In the event
that Incentive Option treatment is not available, this option
will be taxed as a Non-Statutory Option upon exercise.
(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 in which Optionee is, at the time of Optionee's
cessation of Service, vested pursuant to the Vesting Schedule specified in the
Grant Notice or the special vesting acceleration provisions of Paragraph 6. 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
vested Option Shares for which the option has not been exercised. To the extent
Optionee is not vested in one or more Option Shares at the time of Optionee's
cessation of Service, this option shall immediately terminate and cease to be
outstanding with respect to those shares.
(e) Should Optionee's Service be terminated for
Misconduct, then this option shall terminate immediately and cease to remain
outstanding.
6. ACCELERATED VESTING.
(a) In the event of any Corporate Transaction, the
Option Shares at the time subject to this option but not otherwise vested shall
automatically vest in full so that this option shall, immediately prior to the
effective date of the Corporate Transaction, become exercisable for all of the
Option Shares as fully-vested shares and may be exercised for any or all of
those Option Shares as vested shares. However, the Option Shares shall NOT vest
on such an accelerated basis if and to the extent: (i) this option is assumed by
the successor corporation (or parent thereof) in the Corporate Transaction and
the Corporation's repurchase rights with respect to the unvested Option Shares
are assigned to such 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 on the unvested Option Shares at
the time of the Corporate Transaction (the excess of the Fair Market Value of
those Option Shares over the Exercise Price payable for such shares) and
provides for subsequent payout in accordance with the same Vesting Schedule
applicable to those unvested Option Shares as set forth in the Grant Notice.
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(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 the record holder
of the purchased shares.
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
Purchase Agreement 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; or
(B) a promissory note payable to the
Corporation, but only to the extent authorized by the Plan
Administrator in accordance with Paragraph 14.
Should the Common Stock be registered under Section 12 of
the 1934 Act at the time the option is exercised, then the
Exercise Price may also be paid as follows:
(C) in shares of Common Stock held by
Optionee (or any other person or persons exercising the option) for the
requisite period necessary to avoid a
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charge to the Corporation's earnings for financial reporting purposes and
valued at Fair Market Value on the Exercise Date; or
(D) to the extent the option is
exercised for vested Option Shares, 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
(a) 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 (b) 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 Purchase Agreement 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.
(iv) Execute and deliver to the Corporation such
written representations as may be requested by the Corporation in order
for it to comply with the applicable requirements of Federal and state
securities laws.
(v) 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. REPURCHASE RIGHTS. ALL OPTION SHARES ACQUIRED UPON THE
EXERCISE OF THIS OPTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RIGHTS OF THE CORPORATION
AND ITS ASSIGNS TO REPURCHASE THOSE SHARES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS
SPECIFIED IN THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT.
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11. 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.
12. 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 and the legal representatives, heirs
and legatees of Optionee's estate.
13. 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.
14. 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,
interest-bearing promissory note secured by those Option Shares. The payment
schedule in effect for any such promissory note shall be established by the Plan
Administrator in its sole discretion.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL. If the Option Shares covered by this
Agreement exceed, as of the Grant Date, the number of shares of Common Stock
which may be issued under the Plan as last approved by the stockholders, then
this option shall be void with respect to such 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.
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18. 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: (i) more than three (3) months after
the date Optionee ceases to be an Employee for any reason other than death or
Permanent Disability or (ii) more than twelve (12) months after the date
Optionee ceases to be an Employee by reason of Permanent Disability.
(b) This option shall not become exercisable in the
calendar year in which granted if (and to the extent) the aggregate Fair Market
Value (determined at the Grant Date) of the Common Stock for which this option
would otherwise first become exercisable in such calendar year would, when added
to the aggregate value (determined as of the respective date or dates of grant)
of the Common Stock and any other securities for which 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. To the extent the exercisability
of this option is deferred by reason of the foregoing limitation, the deferred
portion shall become exercisable in the first calendar year or years thereafter
in which the One Hundred Thousand Dollar ($100,000) limitation of this Paragraph
18(b) would not be contravened, but such deferral shall in all events end
immediately prior to the effective date of a Corporate Transaction in which this
option is not to be assumed, whereupon the option shall become immediately
exercisable as a Non-Statutory Option for the deferred portion of the Option
Shares.
(c) 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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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement on
the day and year first above written.
NETIVERSE, INC.,
A DELAWARE CORPORATION
By:____________________________________
Its:___________________________________
OPTIONEE
_______________________________________
NINewHire
Address: NIAddress1
NIAddress2
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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. CODE shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
D. COMMON STOCK shall mean the Corporation's common stock.
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 Netiverse, Inc., a Delaware corporation,
and any successor corporation to all or substantially all of the assets or
voting stock of Netiverse, Inc. which shall by appropriate action adopt the
Plan.
G. DISABILITY shall mean the inability of Optionee to engage in any
substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or
mental impairment and shall be determined by the Plan Administrator on the basis
of such medical evidence as the Plan Administrator deems warranted under the
circumstances. Disability shall be deemed to constitute Permanent Disability in
the event that such Disability 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.
H. 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.
I. EXERCISE DATE shall mean the date on which the option shall have been
exercised in accordance with Paragraph 9 of the Agreement.
J. EXERCISE PRICE shall mean the exercise price payable per Option
Share as specified in the Grant Notice.
K. EXPIRATION DATE shall mean the date on which the option expires as
specified in the Grant Notice.
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L. FAIR MARKET VALUE per share of Common Stock on any relevant date
shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions:
(i) If the Common Stock is at the time traded on
the Nasdaq National Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be
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.
(ii) If the Common Stock is at the time listed on
any Stock Exchange, then the Fair Market Value shall be 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.
(iii) If the Common Stock is at the time neither
listed on any Stock Exchange nor traded on the Nasdaq National
Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be determined by the
Plan Administrator after taking into account such factors as the
Plan Administrator shall deem appropriate.
▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ DATE shall mean the date of grant of the option as
specified in the Grant Notice.
▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ 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.
O. INCENTIVE OPTION shall mean an option which satisfies the
requirements of Code Section 422.
P. 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).
Q. 1934 ACT shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
R. NON-STATUTORY OPTION shall mean an option not intended to
satisfy the requirements of Code Section 422.
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S. OPTION SHARES shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock
subject to the option.
T. OPTIONEE shall mean the person to whom the option is granted as
specified in the Grant Notice.
U. 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.
V. PLAN shall mean the Corporation's 1999 Stock Option/Stock
Issuance 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. PURCHASE AGREEMENT shall mean the stock purchase agreement in
substantially the form of Exhibit B to the Grant Notice.
Y. 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 an independent consultant.
Z. STOCK EXCHANGE shall mean the American Stock Exchange or the New
York Stock Exchange.
AA. 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.
BB. VESTING SCHEDULE shall mean the vesting schedule specified in the
Grant Notice pursuant to which the Optionee is to vest in the Option Shares in a
series of installments over his or her period of Service.
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