Employee Stock Purchase Plan - GT Interactive Software Corp.
GT INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE CORP.
EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
1. ESTABLISHMENT OF PLAN. GT Interactive Software Corp., (the "Company")
proposes to grant options for purchase of the Company's Common Stock to
eligible employees of the Company and Subsidiaries (as hereinafter
defined) pursuant to this Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan").
For purposes of this Plan, "parent corporation" and "Subsidiary"
(collectively, "Subsidiaries") shall have the same meanings as "parent
corporation" and "subsidiary corporation" in Sections 424(e) and
424(f), respectively, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the "Code").
The Company intends that the Plan shall qualify as an "employee stock
purchase plan" under Section 423 of the Code (including any amendments
or replacements of such section), and the Plan shall be so construed.
Any term not expressly defined in the Plan but defined for purposes of
Section 423 of the Code shall have the same definition herein. A total
of 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock are reserved for issuance under the
Plan. Such number shall be subject to adjustments effected in
accordance with Section 14 of the Plan.
2. PURPOSES. The purposes of the Plan are to:
(a) provide employees of the Company and/or any Subsidiary (a
"Participating Subsidiary") designated by the Board of
Directors of the Company (the "Board"), based on the
recommendation of the Company's Compensation Committee, as
eligible to participate in the Plan, with a convenient means
to acquire an equity interest in the Company through payroll
deductions;
(b) enhance such employees' sense of participation in the affairs
of the Company and its Subsidiaries; and
(c) provide an incentive for continued employment.
3. ADMINISTRATION. This Plan shall be administered by a committee (the
"Committee") appointed by the Compensation Committee and consisting of
one or more officers or other employees of the Company.
Subject to the provisions of the Plan and the limitations of Section
423 of the Code or any successor provision in the Code, all questions
of interpretation or application of the Plan shall be determined by the
Committee and its decisions shall be final and binding upon all
participants, subject at all times to the approval of the Compensation
Committee. All expenses incurred in connection with the administration
of the Plan shall be paid by the Company.
4. ELIGIBILITY. Any employee of the Company or a Participating Subsidiary
is eligible to participate in an Offering Period (as hereinafter
defined) under the Plan except the following:
(a) employees who are not employed by the Company or a
Participating Subsidiary on the first (1st) day of the month
before the beginning of such Offering Period;
(b) employees who are customarily employed for less than 20 hours
per week;
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(c) employees who are customarily employed for less than five (5)
months in a calendar year; and
(d) employees who, together with any other person whose stock
would be attributed to such employee pursuant to Section
424(d) of the Code, own stock or hold options to purchase
stock or who, as a result of being granted an option under the
Plan with respect to such Offering Period, would own stock or
hold options to purchase stock possessing five (5) percent or
more of the total combined voting power or value of all
classes of stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
5. OFFERING DATES. The offering periods of this Plan (each, an "Offering
Period") shall be of six (6) months duration commencing on January 1
and July 1 of each year and ending on June 30 and December 31 of each
year. The first Offering Period shall commence on July 1, 1998. The
first business day of each Offering Period is referred to as the
"Offering Date". The last business day of each Offering Period is
referred to as the "Purchase Date". The Committee shall have the power
to change the timing or duration of Offering Periods with respect to
future offerings if such change is announced at least fifteen (15) days
prior to the scheduled beginning of the first Offering Period to be
affected.
6. PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAN. Eligible employees may become participants
in an Offering Period under the Plan on the first Offering Date after
satisfying the eligibility requirements by delivering a subscription
agreement to the Company's or Participating Subsidiary's (whichever
employs such employee) payroll department (the "payroll department")
not later than the first day of the month before such Offering Date
unless a later time for filing the subscription agreement is set by the
Committee for all eligible Employees with respect to a given Offering
Period. An eligible employee who does not deliver a subscription
agreement to the payroll department by such date after becoming
eligible to participate in such Offering Period under the Plan shall
not participate in that Offering Period or any subsequent Offering
Period unless such employee enrolls in the Plan by filing the
subscription agreement with the payroll department not later than the
first day of the month preceding a subsequent Offering Date.
Once an employee becomes a participant in an Offering Period, such
employee will automatically participate in the Offering Period
commencing immediately following the last day of the prior Offering
Period unless the employee withdraws from the Plan or terminates
further participation in the Offering Period as set forth in Section 11
below. Such participant is not required to file any additional
subscription agreements in order to continue participation in the Plan,
provided that if the participant wishes to change his or her
contribution level, a new subscription agreement must be filed as
provided in the preceding paragraph.
7. GRANT OF OPTION ON ENROLLMENT. Enrollment by an eligible employee in
the Plan with respect to an Offering Period will constitute the grant
(as of the Offering Date) by the Company to such employee of an option
to purchase on the Purchase Date for that Offering Period up to that
number of shares of Common Stock of the Company determined by dividing
the amount accumulated in such employee's payroll deduction account
during such Offering Period by the lower of (i) eighty-five percent
(85%) of the fair market value of a share of the Company's Common Stock
on the Offering Date (the "Entry Price") or (ii) eighty-five percent
(85%) of the fair market value of a share of the Company's Common Stock
on the Purchase Date, subject to the limitations set forth in Section
10, and subject to the following limitation: The number of shares of
the Company's Common Stock subject to an option granted to an employee
on any Offering Date shall not exceed two hundred percent (200%) of the
number of shares of the Company's Common Stock determined by dividing
an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the employee's semi-annual
compensation as of the Offering Date by eighty-five percent (85%) of
the fair market value of a share of the Common Stock on the Offering
Date. An employee's semi-annual compensation shall be determined as
follows: (i) for any employee who was employed by the Company or a
Participating Subsidiary for an entire six-month
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period ending on the date prior to the Offering Date, the employee's
compensation (as defined in Section 9 (a)) for such six-month period;
or (ii) for any employee not employed for the entire six-month period,
the sum of the compensation (as defined in Section 9(a)) earned in each
of the full calendar months prior to the Offering Date during which the
employee was employed by the Company or a Participating Subsidiary,
divided by the number of full months during which the employee was so
employed, multiplied by six. The fair market value of a share of the
Company's Common Stock shall be determined as provided in Section 8.
8. PURCHASE PRICE. The purchase price per share at which a share of Common
Stock will be sold in any Offering Period shall be eighty-five percent
(85%) of the lesser of:
(a) the fair market value on the Offering Date; or
(b) the fair market value on the Purchase Date.
For purposes of the Plan, the term "Fair Market Value" shall mean, as
of any date, the value of Common Stock determined as follows:
(a) if such Common Stock is then quoted on the NASDAQ National
Market, its last reported sale price on the NASDAQ National
Market or, if no such reported sale takes place on such date,
the average of the closing bid and asked prices;
(b) if such Common Stock is publicly traded and is then listed on
a national securities exchange, its last reported sale price
or, if no such reported sale takes place on such date, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices on the principal
national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is
listed or admitted to trading;
(c) if such Common Stock is publicly traded but is not quoted on
the NASDAQ National Market or listed or admitted to trading on
a national securities exchange, the average of the closing bid
and asked prices on such date, as reported in The Wall Street
Journal, for the over-the-counter market; or
(d) if none of the foregoing is applicable, by the Board in good
faith.
9. PAYMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE; CHANGES IN PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS; ISSUANCE OF
SHARES.
(a) The purchase price of the shares is accumulated by regular
payroll deductions made during each Offering Period. The
deductions are made as a percentage of the employee's
compensation, as elected by the participant on his or her
subscription agreement, in one percent (1%) increments not to
exceed ten percent (10%). Compensation eligible for payroll
deduction shall be limited to base salary and overtime (if
any) paid in a payroll period, provided, however, that for
purposes of determining a participant's compensation, any
election by such participant to reduce his or her regular cash
remuneration under Sections 125 or 401(k) of the Code shall be
treated as if the participant did not make such election.
Payroll deductions shall commence with the first pay period
following the Offering Date and shall continue to the end of
the Offering Period unless terminated as provided in the Plan.
(b) All payroll deductions made for a participant are credited to
his or her account under the Plan and are deposited with the
general funds of the Company; no interest accrues on the
payroll deductions. All payroll deductions received or held by
the Company may be used by the Company for any corporate
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purpose, and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate such
payroll deductions.
(c) On the next business day following each Purchase Date, as long
as the Plan remains in effect and provided that the
participant has not submitted a signed and completed
withdrawal form before that date which notifies the Company
that the participant wishes to withdraw from that Offering
Period under the Plan and have all payroll deductions
accumulated in the account maintained on behalf of the
participant as of that date returned to the participant, the
Company shall apply the funds then in the participant's
account to the purchase of whole shares of Common Stock
reserved under the option granted to such participant with
respect to the Offering Period to the extent that such option
is exercisable on the Purchase Date. The purchase price per
share shall be as specified in Section 8 of the Plan. Any cash
remaining in a participant's account after such purchase of
shares shall be carried forward, without interest, into the
next Offering Period. In the event that the Plan has been
oversubscribed, all funds not used to purchase shares on the
Purchase Date shall be returned to the participant, without
interest. No Common Stock shall be purchased on a Purchase
Date on behalf of any employee whose participation in the Plan
has terminated prior to such Purchase Date.
(d) Shares purchased by the participant will be restricted for
ninety (90) days from the Purchase Date. The participant will
not be able to sell or otherwise transfer ownership of the
stock during the 90-day restricted period. The participant
will retain voting rights to purchased shares during the
restricted period.
(e) Ninety (90) days following the Purchase Date, the Company
shall arrange the delivery to each participant, as
appropriate, of a certificate representing the shares
purchased upon exercise of his or her option; provided that
the Committee may deliver certificates to a broker or brokers
that hold such certificates in street name for the benefit of
each such participant.
(f) During a participant's lifetime, such participant's option to
purchase shares hereunder is exercisable only by him or her.
The participant will have no interest or voting right in
shares covered by his or her option until such option has been
exercised. Shares to be delivered to a participant under the
Plan will be registered in the name of the participant or in
the name of the participant and his or her spouse.
10. LIMITATIONS ON SHARES TO BE PURCHASED.
(a) No employee shall be entitled to purchase stock under the Plan
at a rate which, when aggregated with his or her rights to
purchase stock under all other employee stock purchase plans
of the Company or any Subsidiary, exceeds $25,000 in fair
market value, determined as of the Offering Date (or such
other limit as may be imposed by the Code) for each calendar
year in which the employee participates in the Plan.
(b) If the number of shares to be purchased on a Purchase Date by
all employees participating in the Plan exceeds the number of
shares then available for issuance under the Plan, the Company
shall make a pro rata allocation of the remaining shares in as
uniform a manner as shall be practicable and as the Committee
shall determine to be equitable. In such event, the Company
shall give written notice of such reduction of the number of
shares to be purchased under a participant's option to each
employee affected thereby.
(c) Any payroll deductions accumulated in a participant's account
which are not used to purchase stock due to the limitations in
this Section 10 shall be returned to the participant as soon
as practicable after the end of the Offering Period.
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11. WITHDRAWAL.
(a) Each participant may withdraw from an Offering Period under
the Plan by signing and delivering to the payroll department
notice on a form provided for such purpose. Such withdrawal
may be elected not later than the 1st day of the month prior
to the end of an Offering Period.
(b) The accumulated payroll deductions shall be returned to the
withdrawn participant within sixty (60) days following
withdrawal and his or her interest in the Plan shall
terminate. In the event a participant voluntarily elects to
withdraw from the Plan, he or she may not resume his or her
participation in the Plan during the same Offering Period, but
he or she may participate in any Offering Period under the
Plan which commences on a date subsequent to such withdrawal
by filing a new subscription agreement in the same manner as
set forth above for initial participation in the Plan.
12. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT. Termination of a participant's employment
for any reason, including retirement or death or the failure of a
participant to remain an eligible employee, terminates his or her
participation in the Plan immediately. In such event, the payroll
deductions credited to the participant's account will be returned to
him or her or, in the case of his or her death, to his or her legal
representative, without interest within sixty (60) days following the
termination. For this purpose, an employee will not be deemed to have
terminated employment or failed to remain in the continuous employ of
the Company in the case of sick leave, military leave, or any other
leave of absence approved by the Committee; provided that such leave is
for a period of not more than ninety (90) days or reemployment upon the
expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or statute.
13. RETURN OF PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS. In the event an employee's interest in
the Plan is terminated by withdrawal, termination of employment or
otherwise, or in the event the Plan is terminated by the Board, the
Company shall deliver to the employee all payroll deductions credited
to his or her account. No interest shall accrue on the payroll
deductions of a participant in the Plan.
14. CAPITAL CHANGES. Subject to any required action by the stockholders of
the Company, the number of shares of Common Stock covered by each
option under the Plan which has not yet been exercised and the number
of shares of Common Stock which have been authorized for issuance under
the Plan but have not yet been placed under option (collectively, the
"Reserves"), as well as the Entry Price of each option under the Plan
which has not yet been exercised, shall be proportionately adjusted for
any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock
resulting from a stock split or the payment of a stock dividend (but
only on the Common Stock) or any other increase or decrease in the
number of shares of Common Stock effected without receipt of
consideration by the Company; provided, however, that conversion of any
convertible securities of the Company shall not be deemed to have been
"effected without receipt of consideration". Such adjustment shall be
made by the Committee, whose determination in that respect shall be
final, binding and conclusive. Except as expressly provided herein, no
issue by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities
convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no
adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number
or price of shares of Common Stock subject to an option.
In the event of the proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company,
the Offering Period will terminate immediately prior to the
consummation of such proposed action, unless otherwise provided by the
Board. The Board may, in the exercise of its sole discretion in such
instances, declare that the options under the Plan shall terminate as
of a date fixed by the Board and give each participant the right to
exercise his or her
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option as to all of the optioned stock, including shares which would
not otherwise be exercisable. In the event of a proposed sale of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company, or the merger of the
Company with or into another corporation, each option under the Plan
shall be assumed or an equivalent option shall be substituted by such
successor corporation or a parent or subsidiary of such successor
corporation, unless the Board determines, in the exercise of its sole
discretion and in lieu of such assumption or substitution, that the
participant shall have the right to exercise the option as to all of
the optioned stock. If the Board makes an option exercisable in lieu of
assumption or substitution in the event of a merger or sale of assets,
the Board shall notify the participant that the option shall be fully
exercisable for a period of twenty (20) days from the date of such
notice, and the option will terminate upon the expiration of such
period.
The Board may, if it so determines in the exercise of its sole
discretion, also make provision for adjusting the Reserves, as well as
the Entry Price of each outstanding option, in the event that the
Company effects one or more reorganizations, recapitalizations, rights
offerings or other increases or reductions of shares of its outstanding
common Stock, and in the event of the Company being consolidated with
or merged into any other corporation.
15. NONASSIGNABILITY. Neither payroll deductions credited to a
participant's account nor any rights with regard to the exercise of an
option or to receive shares under the Plan may be assigned,
transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of in any way (other than by
will, the laws of descent and distribution or as provided in Section 22
hereof) by the participant. Any such attempt at assignment, transfer,
pledge or other disposition shall be without effect.
16. REPORTS. Individual accounts will be maintained for each participant in
the Plan. Each participant shall receive promptly after the end of each
Offering Period a report of his account setting forth the total payroll
deductions accumulated, the number of shares purchased, the per share
price thereof and the remaining cash balance, if any, carried forward
to the next Offering Period.
17. NOTICE OF DISPOSITION. Each participant shall notify the Company if the
participant disposes of any of the shares purchased in any Offering
Period pursuant to this Plan if such disposition occurs within two (2)
years from the Offering Date or within twelve (12) months from the
Purchase Date on which such shares were purchased (the "Notice
Period"). Unless such participant is disposing of any of such shares
during the Notice Period, such participant shall keep the certificates
representing such shares in his or her name (and not in the name of a
nominee) during the Notice Period. The Company may, at any time during
the Notice Period, place a legend or legends on any certificate
representing shares acquired pursuant to the Plan requesting the
Company's transfer agent to notify the Company of any transfer of the
shares. The obligation of the participant to provide such notice shall
continue notwithstanding the placement of any such legend on
certificates.
18. NO RIGHTS TO CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT. Neither this Plan nor the grant of
any option hereunder shall confer any right on any employee to remain
in the employ of the Company or any Subsidiary or restrict the right of
the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate such employee's employment.
19. EQUAL RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES. All eligible employees shall have equal
rights and privileges with respect to the Plan so that the Plan
qualifies as an "employee stock purchase plan" within the meaning of
Section 423 or any successor provision of the Code and the related
regulations. Any provision of the Plan which is inconsistent with
Section 423 or any successor provision of the Code shall without
further act or amendment by the Company or the Board be reformed to
comply with the requirements of Section 423. This Section
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19 shall take precedence over all other provisions in the Plan.
20. NOTICES. All notices or other communications by a participant to the
Company under or in connection with the Plan shall be deemed to have
been duly given when received in the form specified by the Company at
the location, or by the person, designated by the Company for the
receipt thereof.
21. TERM; STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL. This Plan shall become effective on the
date that it is adopted by the Board. This Plan shall be approved by
the stockholders of the Company, in any manner permitted by applicable
corporate law, within twelve (12) months before or after the date this
Plan is adopted by the Board. No purchase of shares pursuant to this
Plan shall occur prior to such stockholder approval. This Plan shall
continue until the earlier to occur of (a) termination of this Plan by
the Board (which termination may be effected by the Board at any time),
(b) issuance of all of the shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance
under this Plan, or (c) July 1, 2003.
22. DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY.
(a) A participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary
who is to receive any shares and cash, if any, from the
participant's account under this Plan in the event of such
participant's death subsequent to the end of an Offering
Period but prior to delivery to him of such shares and cash.
In addition, a participant may file a written designation of a
beneficiary who is to receive any cash from the participant's
account under this Plan in the event of such participant's
death prior to a Purchase Date.
(b) Such designation of beneficiary may be changed by the
participant at any time by written notice. In the event of the
death of a participant and in the absence of a beneficiary
validly designated under this Plan who is living at the time
of such participant's death, the Company shall deliver such
shares or cash to the executor or administrator of the estate
of the participant, or if no such executor or administrator
has been appointed (to the knowledge of the Company), the
Company, in its discretion, may deliver such shares or cash to
the spouse or to any one or more dependents or relatives of
the participant, or if no spouse, dependent or relative is
known to the Company, then to such other person as the Company
may designate.
23. CONDITIONS UPON ISSUANCE OF SHARES; LIMITATION ON SALE OF SHARES.
Shares shall not be issued with respect to an option unless the
exercise of such option and the issuance and delivery of such shares
pursuant thereto shall comply with all applicable provisions of law,
domestic or foreign, including, without limitation, the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the
requirements of any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon
which the shares may then be listed, and shall be further subject to
the approval of counsel for the Company with respect to such
compliance.
24. APPLICABLE LAW. The Plan shall be governed by the substantive laws
(excluding the conflict of laws rules) of the State of New York
25. AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION OF THIS PLAN. The Board may at any time amend,
terminate or extend the term of this Plan, except that any such
termination cannot affect options previously granted under this Plan,
nor may any amendment make any change in an option previously granted
which would adversely affect the right of any participant, nor may any
amendment be made without approval of the stockholders of the Company
obtained in accordance with Section 21 hereof within twelve (12) months
of the adoption of such amendment (or earlier if required by Section
21) if such amendment would:
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(a) increase the number of shares that may be issued under this
Plan;
(b) change the designation of the employees (or class of
employees) eligible for participation in this Plan; or
(c) constitute an amendment for which stockholder approval is
required by any stock exchange or automated quotation system
upon which the shares may then be listed.
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