EXHIBIT 99.3
GEOCITIES
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
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RECITALS
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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
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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)
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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. This option shall be neither transferable
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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, 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 the Optionee's immediate family or to a trust
established for the exclusive benefit of the Optionee and/or 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
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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
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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 this option is
outstanding, then the period for exercising this option shall be reduced to a
three (3)-month period commencing with the date of such cessation of Service,
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. Such right
shall lapse, and this option shall cease to be outstanding, upon the earlier of
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(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 this option is outstanding, then the period for exercising this
option shall be reduced to a twelve (12)-month period commencing with the date
of such cessation of Service, but 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
vested 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 otherwise 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.
6. Special Acceleration of Option.
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(a) This option, to the extent outstanding at the time of a
Change in Control transaction but not otherwise fully exercisable, shall
automatically accelerate so that this option shall, immediately prior to the
effective date of such Change in Control, 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. However, this
option shall not become exercisable on such an accelerated basis if and to the
extent: (i) this option is, in connection with the Change in Control, to be
assumed by the successor corporation (or parent thereof) or otherwise continued
in full force and effect pursuant to the terms of the Change in Control 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 Change in
Control 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
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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 Change in Control, this option
shall terminate and cease to be outstanding, except to the extent assumed by the
successor corporation (or parent thereof) or otherwise continued in full force
and effect pursuant to the terms of the Change in Control transaction.
(c) If this option is assumed in connection with a Change in
Control (or otherwise continued in full force and effect), then this option
shall be appropriately adjusted, immediately after such Change in Control, to
apply to the number and class of securities or other property which would have
been issuable to Optionee in consummation of such Change in Control had the
option been exercised immediately prior to such Change in Control, and
appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the Exercise Price, provided the
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aggregate Exercise Price shall remain the same.
(d) This option may also be subject to acceleration in accordance
with the terms of any special Addendum attached to this Agreement.
(e) 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.
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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
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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.
9. Manner of Exercising Option.
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(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:
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(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 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-approved 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.
(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.
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(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
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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
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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.
12. Notices. Any notice required to be given or delivered to the
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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
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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.
14. Construction. This Agreement and the option evidenced hereby are
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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
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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
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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
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this option is designated an Incentive Option in the Grant Notice, the following
terms and conditions shall also apply to the grant:
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(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 Change in Control 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 Change in
Control 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 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 Change in Control, 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 GeoCities (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 ________________, 199___.
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.
, 199
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Date
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Optionee
Address:
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Print name in exact manner
it is to appear on the
stock certificate:
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Address to which certificate
is to be sent, if different
from address above:
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Social Security Number:
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Employee Number:
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APPENDIX
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The following definitions shall be in effect under the Agreement:
A. Agreement shall mean this Stock Option Agreement.
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B. Board shall mean the Corporation's Board of Directors.
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C. Change in Control shall mean a change in ownership or
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control of the Corporation effected through any of the following transactions:
(i) a merger, consolidation or reorganization approved by the
Corporation's stockholders, unless securities representing more than
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fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the
successor corporation are immediately thereafter beneficially owned,
directly or indirectly and in substantially the same proportion, by
the persons who beneficially owned the Corporation's outstanding
voting securities immediately prior to such transaction,
(ii) any stockholder-approved transfer or other disposition of
all or substantially all of the Corporation's assets, or
(iii) the acquisition, directly or indirectly, by any person or
related group of persons (other than the Corporation or a person that
directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common
control with, the Corporation) of beneficial ownership (within the
meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of securities possessing more
than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the
Corporation's outstanding securities pursuant to a tender or exchange
offer made directly to the Corporation's stockholders which the Board
recommends such stockholders accept.
D. Code shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
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E. Common Stock shall mean shares of the Corporation's common stock.
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F. Corporation shall mean GeoCities, a Delaware corporation.
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G. Employee shall mean an individual who is in the employ of the
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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
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been exercised in accordance with Paragraph 9 of the Agreement.
I. Exercise Price shall mean the exercise price per Option Share as
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specified in the Grant Notice.
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J. Expiration Date shall mean the date on which the option expires as
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specified in the Grant Notice.
K. Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on any relevant date
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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 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.
(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.
▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ Date shall mean the date of grant of the option as specified
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in the Grant Notice.
▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ Notice shall mean the Notice of Grant of Stock Option
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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
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requirements of Code Section 422.
O. Misconduct shall mean the commission of any act of fraud,
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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 intentional wrongdoing by Optionee, whether by
omission or commission, which adversely affects the business or affairs of the
Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) in a material manner. This shall not
limit the grounds for the dismissal or discharge of Optionee or any other
individual in the Service of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary).
P. 1934 Act shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
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amended.
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Q. Non-Statutory Option shall mean an option not intended to satisfy
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the requirements of Code Section 422.
R. Notice of Exercise shall mean the notice of exercise in the form
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attached hereto as Exhibit I.
S. Option Shares shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock
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subject to the option as specified in the Grant Notice.
T. Optionee shall mean the person to whom the option is granted as
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specified in the Grant Notice.
U. Parent shall mean any corporation (other than the Corporation) in
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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. Permanent Disability shall mean the inability of Optionee to
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engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically
determinable physical or mental impairment expected to result in death or to be
of continuous duration of twelve (12) months or more.
W. Plan shall mean the Corporation's 1998 Stock Incentive Plan.
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X. Plan Administrator shall mean either the Board or a committee of
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the Board acting in its capacity as administrator of the Plan.
Y. Service shall mean the Optionee's performance of services for the
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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.
Z. Stock Exchange shall mean the American Stock Exchange or the New
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York Stock Exchange.
AA. Subsidiary shall mean any corporation (other than the Corporation)
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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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