HOMESTORE.COM, INC.
1999 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
As Adopted July 6, 1999
1. Establishment of Plan. homestore.com, Inc. (the "Company") proposes to
grant options for purchase of the Company's Common Stock to eligible employees
of the Company and its Participating Subsidiaries (as hereinafter defined)
pursuant to this Employee Stock Purchase Plan (this "Plan"). For purposes of
this Plan, "Parent Corporation" and "Subsidiary" 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").
"Participating Subsidiaries" are Parent Corporations or Subsidiaries that the
Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") designates from time to time as
corporations that shall participate in this Plan. The Company intends this Plan
to qualify as an "employee stock purchase plan" under Section 423 of the Code
(including any amendments to or replacements of such Section), and this Plan
shall be so construed. Any term not expressly defined in this Plan but defined
for purposes of Section 423 of the Code shall have the same definition herein. A
total of 750,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock is reserved for issuance
under this Plan. In addition, on each January 1, the aggregate number of shares
of the Company's Common Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan shall be
increased automatically by a number of shares equal to one-half percent (0.5%)
of the total number of outstanding shares of the Company's Common Stock on the
immediately preceding December 31st; provided, however, that the aggregate
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shares reserved under this Plan shall not exceed 5,000,000 shares. Such number
shall be subject to adjustments effected in accordance with Section 14 of this
Plan.
2. Purpose. The purpose of this Plan is to provide eligible employees of
the Company and Participating Subsidiaries with a convenient means of acquiring
an equity interest in the Company through payroll deductions, to enhance such
employees' sense of participation in the affairs of the Company and
Participating Subsidiaries, and to provide an incentive for continued
employment.
3. Administration. This Plan shall be administered by the Compensation
Committee of the Board (the "Committee"). Subject to the provisions of this Plan
and the limitations of Section 423 of the Code or any successor provision in the
Code, all questions of interpretation or application of this Plan shall be
determined by the Committee and its decisions shall be final and binding upon
all participants. Members of the Committee shall receive no compensation for
their services in connection with the administration of this Plan, other than
standard fees as established from time to time by the Board for services
rendered by Board members serving on Board committees. All expenses incurred in
connection with the administration of this Plan shall be paid by the Company.
4. Eligibility. Any employee of the Company or the Participating
Subsidiaries is eligible to participate in an Offering Period (as hereinafter
defined) under this Plan except the following:
(a) employees who are not employed by the Company or a Participating
Subsidiary (10) days before the beginning of such Offering Period, except that
employees who are employed on the Effective Date of the Registration Statement
filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") registering the
initial public offering of the Company's Common Stock shall be eligible to
participate in the first Offering Period under the Plan;
(b) employees who are customarily employed for twenty (20) hours or
less per week;
(c) employees who are customarily employed for five (5) months or less
in a calendar year;
(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 possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total
combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or any of
its Participating Subsidiaries or who, as a result of being granted an option
under this Plan with respect to such Offering Period,
would own stock or hold options to purchase stock possessing five percent (5%)
or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of
the Company or any of its Participating Subsidiaries; and
(e) individuals who provide services to the Company or any of its
Participating Subsidiaries as independent contractors who are reclassified as
common law employees for any reason except for federal income and employment tax
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purposes.
5. Offering Dates. The offering periods of this Plan (each, an "Offering
Period") shall be of twenty-four (24) months duration commencing on February 1
and August 1 of each year and ending on January 31 and July 31 of each year;
provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, the first such Offering
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Period shall commence on the first business day on which price quotations for
the Company's Common Stock are available on the Nasdaq National Market (the
"First Offering Date") and shall end on July 31, 2001. Unless otherwise amended
by the Committee, except for the first Offering Period, each Offering Period
shall consist of four (4) six month purchase periods (individually, a "Purchase
Period") during which payroll deductions of the participants are accumulated
under this Plan. The first Offering Period shall consist of no more than five
and no fewer than three Purchase Periods, any of which may be greater or less
than six months as determined by the Committee. The first business day of each
Offering Period is referred to as the "Offering Date". The last business day of
each Purchase Period is referred to as the "Purchase Date". The Committee shall
have the power to change the duration of Offering Periods with respect to
offerings without stockholder approval 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 this Plan. Eligible employees may become participants
in an Offering Period under this Plan on the first Offering Date after
satisfying the eligibility requirements by delivering a subscription agreement
to the Company's Human Resources Department not later than five (5) days before
such Offering Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may set a later
time for filing the subscription agreement authorizing payroll deductions for
all eligible employees with respect to a given Offering Period. An eligible
employee who does not deliver a subscription agreement to the Human Resources
Department by such date after becoming eligible to participate in such Offering
Period shall not participate in that Offering Period or any subsequent Offering
Period unless such employee enrolls in this Plan by filing a subscription
agreement with the Human Resources Department not later than five (5) days
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 or is deemed to withdraw from this 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
agreement in order to continue participation in this Plan.
7. Grant of Option on Enrollment. Enrollment by an eligible employee in
this 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 up to that number of shares of Common Stock of the Company
determined by dividing (a) the amount accumulated in such employee's payroll
deduction account during such Purchase Period by (b) 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 (but in no event less than the par value of a share
of the Company's Common Stock), or (ii) eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair
market value of a share of the Company's Common Stock on the Purchase Date (but
in no event less than the par value of a share of the Company's Common Stock),
provided, however, that the number of shares of the Company's Common Stock
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subject to any option granted pursuant to this Plan shall not exceed the lesser
of (x) the maximum number of shares set by the Committee pursuant to Section
10(c) below with respect to the applicable Purchase Date, or (y) the maximum
number of shares which may be purchased pursuant to Section 10(b) below with
respect to the applicable Purchase Date. The fair market value of a share of
the Company's Common Stock shall be determined as provided in Section 8 below.
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.
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For purposes of this Plan, the term "Fair Market Value" means, as of any
date, the value of a share of the Company's Common Stock determined as follows:
(a) if such Common Stock is then quoted on the Nasdaq National
Market, its closing price on the Nasdaq National Market on the
date of determination as reported in The Wall Street Journal;
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(b) if such Common Stock is publicly traded and is then listed on a
national securities exchange, its closing price on the date of
determination on the principal national securities exchange on
which the Common Stock is listed or admitted to trading as
reported in The Wall Street Journal;
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(c) if such Common Stock is publicly traded but is not quoted on the
Nasdaq National Market nor listed or admitted to trading on a
national securities exchange, the average of the closing bid and
asked prices on the date of determination as reported in The Wall
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Street Journal; or
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(d) if none of the foregoing is applicable, by the Board in good
faith, which in the case of the First Offering Date will be the
price per share at which shares of the Company's Common Stock are
initially offered for sale to the public by the Company's
underwriters in the initial public offering of the Company's
Common Stock pursuant to a registration statement filed with the
SEC under the Securities Act.
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 participant's compensation in one percent (1%) increments not
less than two percent (2%), nor greater than fifteen percent (15%) or such lower
limit set by the Committee. Compensation shall mean a participant's base salary
or wages, including, commissions, overtime, shift premiums and bonuses, plus
draws against commissions, provided, however, that such compensation shall not
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exceed an aggregate amount of $100,000 per calendar year; and provided, further,
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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 on the first payday of the
Offering Period and shall continue to the end of the Offering Period unless
sooner altered or terminated as provided in this Plan.
(b) A participant may increase or decrease the rate of payroll
deductions during an Offering Period by filing with the Human Resources
Department a new authorization for payroll deductions, in which case the new
rate shall become effective for the next payroll period commencing more than
fifteen (15) days after the Human Resources Department receipt of the
authorization and shall continue for the remainder of the Offering Period unless
changed as described below. Such change in the rate of payroll deductions may be
made at any time during an Offering Period, but not more than one (1) change may
be made effective during any Purchase Period. A participant may increase or
decrease the rate of payroll deductions for any subsequent Offering Period by
filing with the Human Resources Department a new authorization for payroll
deductions not later than fifteen (15) days before the beginning of such
Offering Period.
(c) A participant may reduce his or her payroll deduction percentage
to zero during an Offering Period by filing with the Human Resources Department
a request for cessation of payroll deductions. Such reduction shall be effective
beginning with the next payroll period commencing more than fifteen (15) days
after the Human Resources Department receipt of the request and no further
payroll deductions will be made for the duration of the Offering Period. Payroll
deductions credited to the participant's account prior to the effective date of
the request shall be used to purchase shares of Common Stock of the Company in
accordance with Section (e) below. A participant may not resume making payroll
deductions during the Offering Period in which he or she reduced his or her
payroll deductions to zero.
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(d) All payroll deductions made for a participant are credited to his or
her account under this 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
purpose, and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate such payroll
deductions.
(e) On each Purchase Date, so long as this 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 this 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 this Plan. Any cash remaining in a participant's account after such purchase
of shares shall be refunded to such participant in cash, without interest;
provided, however that any amount remaining in such participant's account on a
Purchase Date which is less than the amount necessary to purchase a full share
of Common Stock of the Company shall be carried forward, without interest, into
the next Purchase Period or Offering Period, as the case may be. In the event
that this 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 this Plan has terminated prior to such Purchase Date.
(f) As promptly as practicable after the Purchase Date, the Company
shall issue shares for the participant's benefit representing the shares
purchased upon exercise of his or her option.
(g) During a participant's lifetime, his or her 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.
10. Limitations on Shares to be Purchased.
(a) No participant shall be entitled to purchase stock under this 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 this Plan. The Company shall automatically suspend
the payroll deductions of any participant as necessary to enforce such limit
provided that when the Company automatically resumes such payroll deductions,
the Company must apply the rate in effect immediately prior to such suspension.
(b) No more than two hundred percent (200%) of the number of shares
determined by using eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of a
share of the Company's Common Stock on the Offering Date as the denominator may
be purchased by a participant on any single Purchase Date.
(c) No participant shall be entitled to purchase more than the Maximum
Share Amount (as defined below) on any single Purchase Date. Not less than
thirty (30) days prior to the commencement of any Offering Period, the Committee
may, in its sole discretion, set a maximum number of shares which may be
purchased by any employee at any single Purchase Date (hereinafter the "Maximum
Share Amount"). Until otherwise determined by the Committee, there will be no
Maximum Share Amount. In no event shall the Maximum Share Amount exceed the
amounts permitted under Section 10(b) above. If a new Maximum Share Amount is
set, then all participants must be notified of such Maximum Share Amount prior
to the commencement of the next Offering Period. The Maximum Share Amount shall
continue to apply with respect to all succeeding Purchase Dates and Offering
Periods unless revised by the Committee as set forth above.
(d) If the number of shares to be purchased on a Purchase Date by all
employees participating in this Plan exceeds the number of shares then available
for issuance under this Plan, then the Company will make a pro rata allocation
of the remaining shares in as uniform a manner as shall be reasonably
practicable and as the Committee
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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 participant affected.
(e) 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
applicable Purchase Period, without interest.
11. Withdrawal.
(a) Each participant may withdraw from an Offering Period under this
Plan by signing and delivering to the Human Resource Department a written notice
to that effect on a form provided for such purpose. Such withdrawal may be
elected at any time at least fifteen (15) days prior to the end of an Offering
Period.
(b) Upon withdrawal from this Plan, the accumulated payroll deductions
shall be returned to the withdrawn participant, without interest, and his or her
interest in this Plan shall terminate. In the event a participant voluntarily
elects to withdraw from this Plan, he or she may not resume his or her
participation in this Plan during the same Offering Period, but he or she may
participate in any Offering Period under this Plan which commences on a date
subsequent to such withdrawal by filing a new authorization for payroll
deductions in the same manner as set forth in Section 6 above for initial
participation in this Plan.
(c) If the Fair Market Value on the first day of the current Offering
Period in which a participant is enrolled is higher than the Fair Market Value
on the first day of any subsequent Offering Period, the Company will
automatically enroll such participant in the subsequent Offering Period. Any
funds accumulated in a participant's account prior to the first day of such
subsequent Offering Period will be applied to the purchase of shares on the
Purchase Date immediately prior to the first day of such subsequent Offering
Period, if any. A participant does not need to file any forms with the Company
to automatically be enrolled in the subsequent Offering Period.
12. Termination of Employment. Termination of a participant's employment for
any reason, including retirement, death or the failure of a participant to
remain an eligible employee of the Company or of a Participating Subsidiary,
immediately terminates his or her participation in this Plan. 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. For purposes of this Section 12, an employee will not be
deemed to have terminated employment or failed to remain in the continuous
employ of the Company or of a Participating Subsidiary in the case of sick
leave, military leave, or any other leave of absence approved by the Board;
provided that such leave is for a period of not more than ninety (90) days or
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reemployment upon the expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or
statute.
13. Return of Payroll Deductions. In the event a participant's interest in
this Plan is terminated by withdrawal, termination of employment or otherwise,
or in the event this Plan is terminated by the Board, the Company shall deliver
to the participant all payroll deductions credited to such participant's
account. No interest shall accrue on the payroll deductions of a participant in
this 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
this Plan which has not yet been exercised and the number of shares of Common
Stock which have been authorized for issuance under this Plan but have not yet
been placed under option (collectively, the "Reserves"), as well as the price
per share of Common Stock covered by each option under this Plan which has not
yet been exercised, shall be proportionately adjusted for any increase or
decrease in the number of issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of the
Company 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
issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock effected without receipt of any
consideration by the Company; provided, however, that conversion of any
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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 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.
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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 Committee. The Committee may,
in the exercise of its sole discretion in such instances, declare that this Plan
shall terminate as of a date fixed by the Committee and give each participant
the right to purchase shares under this Plan prior to such termination. In the
event of (i) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving
corporation (other than a merger or consolidation with a wholly-owned
subsidiary, a reincorporation of the Company in a different jurisdiction, or
other transaction in which there is no substantial change in the stockholders of
the Company or their relative stock holdings and the options under this Plan are
assumed, converted or replaced by the successor corporation, which assumption
will be binding on all participants), (ii) a merger in which the Company is the
surviving corporation but after which the stockholders of the Company
immediately prior to such merger (other than any stockholder that merges, or
which owns or controls another corporation that merges, with the Company in such
merger) cease to own their shares or other equity interest in the Company, (iii)
the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or (iv) the
acquisition, sale, or transfer of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the
Company by tender offer or similar transaction, the Plan will continue with
regard to Offering Periods that commenced prior to the closing of the proposed
transaction and shares will be purchased based on the Fair Market Value of the
surviving corporation's stock on each Purchase Date, unless otherwise provided
by the Committee consistent with pooling of interests accounting treatment.
The Committee may, if it so determines in the exercise of its sole
discretion, also make provision for adjusting the Reserves, as well as the price
per share of Common Stock covered by 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, or 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 this 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 below) by the participant. Any such
attempt at assignment, transfer, pledge or other disposition shall be void and
without effect.
16. Reports. Individual accounts will be maintained for each participant
in this Plan. Each participant shall receive promptly after the end of each
Purchase Period a report of his or her 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
Purchase Period or Offering Period, as the case may be.
17. Notice of Disposition. Each participant shall notify the Company in
writing 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 one (1) year from the Purchase Date on
which such shares were purchased (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 this 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 the 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 Participating Subsidiary, or restrict the right of
the Company or any Participating Subsidiary to terminate such employee's
employment.
19. Equal Rights And Privileges. All eligible employees shall have equal
rights and privileges with respect to this Plan so that this 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
this Plan which is inconsistent with Section 423 or any successor provision of
the Code shall, without further act or amendment by the Company, the Committee
or the Board, be reformed to comply with the requirements of Section 423. This
Section 19 shall take precedence over all other provisions in this Plan.
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20. Notices. All notices or other communications by a participant to the
Company under or in connection with this 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. After this Plan is adopted by the Board,
this Plan will become effective on the First Offering Date (as defined above).
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)
ten (10) years from the adoption of this Plan by the Board.
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 Purchase 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, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, 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 California.
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 above within twelve (12) months of the adoption of such amendment (or
earlier if required by Section 21) if such amendment would:
(a) increase the number of shares that may be issued under this Plan; or
(b) change the designation of the employees (or class of employees)
eligible for participation in this Plan.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may make such amendments to the
Plan as the Board determines to be advisable, if the continuation of the Plan or
any Offering Period would result in financial accounting treatment for the Plan
that is different from the financial accounting treatment in effect on the date
this Plan is adopted by the Board.
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1999 Employee Stock Purchase Plan - Homestore.com Inc.
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