Exhibit 10.1

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

1.            Purpose. The purpose of the AudioEye, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to attract and retain the best available personnel for positions of responsibility with the Company, to provide additional incentives to them and align their interests with those of the Company’s stockholders, and to thereby promote the Company’s long-term business success.

2.            Definitions. In this Plan, the following definitions will apply.

(a)            “Affiliate” means any entity that is a Subsidiary or Parent of the Company.

(b)            “Award” means a grant made under the Plan in the form of Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Other Stock-Based Awards or Cash Incentive Awards.

(c)            “Award Agreement” means the written or electronic agreement, notice or other document containing the terms and conditions applicable to each Award granted under the Plan, including all amendments thereto. An Award Agreement is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

(d)            “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

(e)            “Cash Incentive Award” means a dollar-denominated performance-based Award as described in Section 11(b).

(f)             “Cause” with respect to any Participant shall have the meaning specified in the Participant’s Award Agreement. In the absence of any definition in the Award Agreement, “Cause” shall have the equivalent meaning or the same meaning as “cause” or “for cause” set forth in any employment, consulting, or other agreement for the performance of services between the Participant and the Company or an Affiliate or, in the absence of any such agreement or any such definition in such agreement, such term shall mean (i) Participant’s failure to substantially perform the fundamental duties and responsibilities associated with Participant’s position for any reason other than a physical or mental disability, including Participant’s failure or refusal to carry out reasonable instructions; (ii) Participant’s material breach of any material written Company policy; (iii) Participant’s gross misconduct in the performance of Participant’s duties for the Company; (iv) Participant’s material breach of the terms of his or her employment, consulting or other similar agreement with the Company or an Affiliate, if any; (v) being arrested or charged with any fraudulent or felony criminal offense or any other criminal offense which reflects adversely on the Company or reflects conduct or character that the Board reasonably concludes is inconsistent with continued employment; or (vi) any criminal conduct that is a “statutory disqualifying event” (as defined under federal securities laws, rules and regulations). 

(g)           “Change in Control” means, unless otherwise defined in a then-effective written agreement (including an Award Agreement) between a Participant and the Company or any Affiliate, one of the following:

(1)           An Exchange Act Person becomes the beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of securities of the Company representing more than 80% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities, except that the following will not constitute a Change in Control:

(A)            any acquisition of securities of the Company by an Exchange Act Person

from the Company for the purpose of providing financing to the Company;

(B)             any formation of a Group consisting solely of beneficial owners of the Company's Voting Securities as of the effective date of this Plan; or

(C)             any repurchase or other acquisition by the Company of its Voting Securities that causes any Exchange Act Person to become the beneficial owner of more than 80%.

If, however, an Exchange Act Person or Group referenced in clause (A), (B) or (C) above acquires beneficial ownership of additional Company Voting Securities after initially becoming the beneficial owner of more than 80% of the combined voting power of the Company’s Voting Securities by one of the means described in those clauses, then a Change in Control will be deemed to have occurred.

(2)           Individuals who are Continuing Directors cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the members of the Board.

(3)           A Corporate Transaction is consummated, unless, immediately following such Corporate Transaction: (A) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners of the Company's Voting Securities immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 80% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding Voting Securities of the surviving or acquiring entity resulting from such Corporate Transaction (including beneficial ownership through any Parent of such entity) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction, of the Company's Voting Securities; (B) no Exchange Act Person beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, more than 80% of the combined voting power of the Voting Securities of the entity resulting from such Corporate Transaction; and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or comparable governors) of the entity resulting from such Corporate Transaction were Continuing Directors at the time of the initial agreement, or the action of the Board, providing for such Corporate Transaction.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Award constitutes a deferral of compensation subject to Code Section 409A, and if that Award provides for a change in the time or form of payment upon a Change in Control, then no Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred upon an event described in this Section 2(g) unless the event would also constitute a change in ownership or effective control of, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of, the Company under Code Section 409A.

(h)            “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and in effect from time to time. For purposes of the Plan, references to sections of the Code shall be deemed to include any applicable regulations thereunder and any successor or similar statutory provisions.

(i)             “Committee” means two or more Non-Employee Directors designated by the Board to administer the Plan under Section 3, each member of which shall be (i) an independent director within the meaning of applicable stock exchange rules and regulations and (ii) a non-employee director within the meaning of Exchange Act Rule 16b-3.

(j)             “Company” means AudioEye, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto.

(k)          “Continuing Director” means an individual (i) who is, as of the effective date of the Plan, a director of the Company, or (ii) who becomes a director of the Company after the effective date hereof and whose initial election, or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders, was approved by at least a majority of the then Continuing Directors, but excluding, for purposes of this clause (ii), an individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as the result of an actual or threatened proxy contest involving the solicitation of proxies or consents by a person or Group other than the Board, or by reason of an agreement intended to avoid or settle an actual or threatened proxy contest.

(l)           “Corporate Transaction” means (i) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or (ii) a merger, consolidation, share exchange or similar transaction involving the Company, regardless of whether the Company is the surviving entity.

(m)         “Disability” means (A) any permanent and total disability under any long-term disability plan or policy of the Company or its Affiliates that covers the Participant, or (B) if there is no such long-term disability plan or policy, “total and permanent disability” within the meaning of Code Section 22(e)(3).

(n)          “Employee” means an employee of the Company or an Affiliate.

(o)         “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect from time to time.

(p)         “Exchange Act Person” means any natural person, entity or Group other than (i) the Company or any Affiliate; (ii) any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Affiliate; (iii) an underwriter temporarily holding securities in connection with a registered public offering of such securities; or (iv) an entity whose Voting Securities are beneficially owned by the beneficial owners of the Company’s Voting Securities in substantially the same proportions as their beneficial ownership of the Company’s Voting Securities.

(q)         “Fair Market Value” means the fair market value of a Share determined as follows:

(1)           If the Shares are readily tradable on an established securities market (as determined under Code Section 409A), then Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for a Share on the principal securities market on which it trades on the date for which it is being determined, or if no sale of Shares occurred on that date, on the next preceding date on which a sale of Shares occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable; or

(2)           If the Shares are not then readily tradable on an established securities market (as determined under Code Section 409A), then Fair Market Value will be determined by the Committee as the result of a reasonable application of a reasonable valuation method that satisfies the requirements of Code Section 409A.

(r)           “Full Value Award” means an Award other than an Option Award, Stock Appreciation Right Award or Cash Incentive Award.

(s)          “Good Reason” with respect to any Participant shall have the meaning specified in the Participant’s Award Agreement. In the absence of any definition in the Award Agreement, “Good Reason” shall have the equivalent meaning or the same meaning as “good reason” or “for good reason” set forth in any employment, consulting, or other agreement for the performance of services between the Participant and the Company or an Affiliate or, in the absence of any such agreement or any such definition in such agreement, such term shall mean (i) the assignment to the Participant of any duties inconsistent in any material respect with the Participant’s duties or responsibilities as assigned by the Company or an Affiliate, or any other action by the Company or an Affiliate which results in a material diminution in such duties or responsibilities, excluding for this purpose an isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent action not taken in bad faith and which is remedied by the Company or an Affiliate promptly after receipt of notice thereof given by the Participant; or (ii) any material failure by the Company or an Affiliate to comply with its obligations to the Participant as agreed upon, other than an isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent failure not occurring in bad faith and which is remedied by the Company or an Affiliate promptly after receipt of notice thereof given by the Participant. An event or action will not give the Participant grounds for Good Reason unless (A) the Participant gives the Company written notice within 60 days after the initial existence of the event or action that the Participant intends to resign for Good Reason due to such event or action; (B) the event or action is not reasonably cured by the Company within 30 days after the Company receives written notice from the Participant; and (C) the Participant terminates service within 30 days after the end of the cure period.

(t)             “Grant Date” means the date on which the Committee approves the grant of an Award under the Plan, or such later date as may be specified by the Committee on the date the Committee approves the Award.

(u)            “Group” means two or more persons who act, or agree to act together, as a partnership, limited partnership, syndicate or other group for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of securities of the Company.

(v)            “Non-Employee Director” means a member of the Board who is not an Employee.

(w)           “Option” means a right granted under the Plan to purchase a specified number of Shares at a specified price. An “Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means any Option designated as such and granted in accordance with the requirements of Code Section 422. A “Non-Qualified Stock Option” or “NQSO” means an Option other than an Incentive Stock Option.

(x)            “Other Stock-Based Award” means an Award described in Section 11(a) of this Plan.

(y)           “Parent” means a “parent corporation,” as defined in Code Section 424(e).

(z)            “Participant” means a Service Provider to whom a then-outstanding Award has been granted under the Plan.

(aa)         “Plan” means this AudioEye, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and in effect from time to time.

(bb)         “Restricted Stock” means Shares issued to a Participant that are subject to such restrictions on transfer, vesting conditions and other restrictions or limitations as may be set forth in this Plan and the applicable Award Agreement.

(cc)          “Service” means the provision of services by a Participant to the Company or any Affiliate in any Service Provider capacity. A Service Provider’s Service shall be deemed to have terminated either upon an actual cessation of providing services to the Company or any Affiliate or upon the entity to which the Service Provider provides services ceasing to be an Affiliate. Except as otherwise provided in this Plan or any Award Agreement, Service shall not be deemed terminated in the case of (i) any approved leave of absence; (ii) transfers among the Company and any Affiliates in any Service Provider capacity; or (iii) any change in status so long as the individual remains in the service of the Company or any Affiliate in any Service Provider capacity.

(dd)          “Service Provider” means an Employee, a Non-Employee Director, or any natural person who is a consultant or advisor, or is employed by a consultant or advisor retained by the Company or any Affiliate, and who provides services (other than in connection with (i) a capital-raising transaction or (ii) promoting or maintaining a market in Company securities) to the Company or any Affiliate.

(ee)          “Share” means a share of Stock.

(ff)            “Stock” means the common stock, $0.00001 par value per Share, of the Company.

(gg)          “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means the right to receive, in cash and/or Shares as determined by the Committee, an amount equal to the appreciation in value of a specified number of Shares between the Grant Date of the SAR and its exercise date.

(hh)          “Stock Unit” means a right to receive, in cash and/or Shares as determined by the Committee, the Fair Market Value of a Share, subject to such restrictions on transfer, vesting conditions and other restrictions or limitations as may be set forth in this Plan and the applicable Award Agreement.

(ii)            “Subsidiary” means a “subsidiary corporation,” as defined in Code Section 424(f), of the Company.

(jj)            “Substitute Award” means an Award granted upon the assumption of, or in substitution or exchange for, outstanding awards granted by a company or other entity acquired by the Company or any Affiliate or with which the Company or any Affiliate combines. The terms and conditions of a Substitute Award may vary from the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan to the extent that the Committee at the time of the grant may deem appropriate to conform, in whole or in part, to the provisions of the award in substitution for which it has been granted.

(kk)         “Voting Securities” of an entity means the outstanding equity securities (or comparable equity interests) entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of such entity.

3.            Administration of the Plan.

(a)            Administration. The authority to control and manage the operations and administration of the Plan shall be vested in the Committee in accordance with this Section 3.

(b)            Scope of Authority. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority, in its discretion, to take such actions as it deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan, including:

(1)           determining the Service Providers to whom Awards will be granted, the timing of each such Award, the type of and the number of Shares covered by each Award, the terms, conditions, performance criteria, restrictions and other provisions of Awards, and the manner in which Awards are paid or settled;

(2)           cancelling or suspending an Award, accelerating the vesting or extending the exercise period of an Award, or otherwise amending the terms and conditions of any outstanding Award, subject to the requirements of Sections 15(d) and 15(e);

(3)           adopting sub-plans or special provisions applicable to Awards, establishing, amending or rescinding rules to administer the Plan, interpreting the Plan and any Award or Award Agreement, reconciling any inconsistency, correcting any defect or supplying an omission in the Plan or any Award Agreement, and making all other determinations necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan;

(4)           granting Substitute Awards under the Plan;

(5)           taking such actions as are provided in Section 3(c) with respect to Awards to foreign Service Providers; and

(6)           requiring or permitting the deferral of the settlement of an Award, and establishing the terms and conditions of any such deferral.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board shall perform the duties and have the responsibilities of the Committee with respect to Awards made to Non-Employee Directors.

(c)            Awards to Foreign Service Providers. The Committee may grant Awards to Service Providers who are foreign nationals, who are located outside of the United States or who are not compensated from a payroll maintained in the United States, or who are otherwise subject to (or could cause the Company to be subject to) legal or regulatory requirements of countries outside of the United States, on such terms and conditions different from those specified in the Plan as may, in the judgment of the Committee, be necessary or desirable to comply with applicable foreign laws and regulatory requirements and to promote achievement of the purposes of the Plan. In connection therewith, the Committee may establish such subplans and modify exercise procedures and other Plan rules and procedures to the extent such actions are deemed necessary or desirable, and may take any other action that it deems advisable to obtain local regulatory approvals or to comply with any necessary local governmental regulatory exemptions.

(d)            Acts of the Committee; Delegation. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for any meeting of the Committee, and any act of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present or any act unanimously approved in writing by all members of the Committee shall be the act of the Committee. Any such action of the Committee shall be valid and effective even if one or more members of the Committee at the time of such action are later determined not to have satisfied all of the criteria for membership in clauses (i) and (ii) of Section 2(i). To the extent not inconsistent with applicable law or stock exchange rules, the Committee may delegate all or any portion of its authority under the Plan to any one or more of its members or, as to Awards to Participants who are not subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, to one or more directors or executive officers of the Company or to a committee of the Board comprised of one or more directors of the Company. The Committee may also delegate non-discretionary administrative responsibilities in connection with the Plan to such other persons as it deems advisable.

(e)            Finality of Decisions. The Committee’s interpretation of the Plan and of any Award or Award Agreement made under the Plan and all related decisions or resolutions of the Board or Committee shall be final and binding on all parties with an interest therein.

(f)            Indemnification. Each person who is or has been a member of the Committee or of the Board, and any other person to whom the Committee delegates authority under the Plan, shall be indemnified by the Company, to the maximum extent permitted by law, against liabilities and expenses imposed upon or reasonably incurred by such person in connection with or resulting from any claims against such person by reason of the performance of the individual's duties under the Plan. This right to indemnification is conditioned upon such person providing the Company an opportunity, at the Company’s expense, to handle and defend the claims before such person undertakes to handle and defend them on such person’s own behalf. The Company will not be required to indemnify any person for any amount paid in settlement of a claim unless the Company has first consented in writing to the settlement. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such person or persons may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, as a matter of law, or otherwise.

4.            Shares Available Under the Plan.

(a)             Maximum Shares Available. Subject to Section 4(b) and to adjustment as provided in Section 12(a), the number of Shares that may be the subject of Awards and issued under the Plan shall be 1,000,000. No further awards may be made under the AudioEye, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan after the effective date of this Plan. Shares issued under the Plan may come from authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares. In determining the number of Shares to be counted against this share reserve in connection with any Award, the following rules shall apply:

(1)           Where the number of Shares subject to an Award is variable on the Grant Date, the number of Shares to be counted against the share reserve shall be the maximum number of Shares that could be received under that particular Award, until such time as it can be determined that only a lesser number of shares could be received.

(2)           Where two or more types of Awards are granted to a Participant in tandem with each other, such that the exercise of one type of Award with respect to a number of Shares cancels at least an equal number of Shares of the other, the number of Shares to be counted against the share reserve shall be the largest number of Shares that would be counted against the share reserve under either of the Awards.

(3)           Shares subject to Substitute Awards shall not be counted against the share reserve, nor shall they reduce the Shares authorized for grant to a Participant in any calendar year.

(4)           Awards that may be settled solely in cash shall not be counted against the share reserve, nor shall they reduce the Shares authorized for grant to a Participant in any calendar year.

(b)           Effect of Forfeitures and Other Actions. Any Shares subject to an Award that expires, is cancelled or forfeited or is settled for cash shall, to the extent of such cancellation, forfeiture, expiration or cash settlement, again become available for Awards under this Plan, and the share reserve under Section 4(a) shall be correspondingly replenished. The following Shares shall not, however, again become available for Awards or replenish the share reserve under Section 4(a): (i) Shares tendered (either actually or by attestation) by the Participant or withheld by the Company in payment of the exercise price of a stock option issued under this Plan, (ii) Shares tendered (either actually or by attestation) by the Participant or withheld by the Company to satisfy any tax withholding obligation with respect to an award under this Plan, (iii) Shares repurchased by the Company with proceeds received from the exercise of a stock option issued under this Plan, and (iv) Shares subject to a stock appreciation right award issued under this Plan that are not issued in connection with the stock settlement of that award upon its exercise.

(c)            Effect of Plans Operated by Acquired Companies. If a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines has shares available under a pre-existing plan approved by stockholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, the shares available for grant pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the holders of common stock of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall supplement the Share reserve under Section 4(a). Awards using such available shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan absent the acquisition or combination, and shall only be made to individuals who were not Employees or Non-Employee Directors prior to such acquisition or combination.

(d)            No Fractional Shares. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the number of Shares subject to an Award shall always be a whole number. No fractional Shares may be issued under the Plan, but the Committee may, in its discretion, adopt any rounding convention it deems suitable or pay cash in lieu of any fractional Share in settlement of an Award.

(e)            Limits on Awards to Non-Employee Directors. The maximum number of Shares subject to Awards granted to any Non-Employee Director during any calendar year, together with any cash fees paid to such Non-Employee Director during such calendar year, shall not exceed a total value of $400,000 (calculating the value of any Awards based on the grant date fair value for financial reporting purposes).

5.            Eligibility. Participation in the Plan is limited to Service Providers. Incentive Stock Options may only be granted to Employees.

6.            General Terms of Awards.

(a)           Award Agreement. Each Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement setting forth the amount of the Award together with such other terms and conditions applicable to the Award (and not inconsistent with the Plan) as determined by the Committee. An Award to a Participant may be made singly or in combination with any form of Award. Two types of Awards may be made in tandem with each other such that the exercise of one type of Award with respect to a number of Shares reduces the number of Shares subject to the related Award by at least an equal amount.

(b)           Vesting and Term. Each Award Agreement shall set forth the period until the applicable Award is scheduled to vest and, if applicable, expire (which shall not be more than ten years from the Grant Date), and the applicable vesting conditions and any applicable performance period. The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement for such vesting conditions and timing as it may determine.

(c)            Transferability. Except as provided in this Section 6(c), (i) during the lifetime of a Participant, only the Participant or the Participant’s guardian or legal representative may exercise an Option or SAR, or receive payment with respect to any other Award; and (ii) no Award may be sold, assigned, transferred, exchanged or encumbered, voluntarily or involuntarily, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Any attempted transfer in violation of this Section 6(c) shall be of no effect. The Committee may, however, provide in an Award Agreement or otherwise that an Award (other than an Incentive Stock Option) may be transferred pursuant to a domestic relations order or may be transferable by gift to any “family member” (as defined in General Instruction A.1(a)(5) to Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933) of the Participant. Any Award held by a transferee shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions that were applicable to that Award immediately before the transfer thereof. For purposes of any provision of the Plan relating to notice to a Participant or to acceleration or termination of an Award upon the death or termination of Service of a Participant, the references to “Participant” shall mean the original grantee of an Award and not any transferee.

(d)           Designation of Beneficiary. Each Participant under the Plan may from time to time name any beneficiary or beneficiaries by whom any right under the Plan is to be exercised in case of such Participant’s death. Each designation will revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, shall be in a form reasonably prescribed by the Committee and shall be effective only when filed by the Participant in writing with the Company during the Participant’s lifetime.

(e)             Termination of Service. Unless otherwise provided in an applicable Award Agreement or another then-effective written agreement between a Participant and the Company, and subject to Section 12 of this Plan, if a Participant’s Service with the Company and all of its Affiliates terminates, the following provisions shall apply (in all cases subject to the scheduled expiration of an Option or SAR Award, as applicable):

(1)           Upon termination of Service for Cause, all unexercised Option and SAR Awards and all unvested portions of any other outstanding Awards shall be immediately forfeited without consideration.

(2)           Upon termination of Service for any other reason, all unvested and unexercisable portions of any outstanding Awards shall be immediately forfeited without consideration.

(3)           Upon termination of Service for any reason other than Cause, death or Disability, the currently vested and exercisable portions of Option and SAR Awards may be exercised for a period of three months after the date of such termination. However, if a Participant thereafter dies during such three-month period, the vested and exercisable portions of the Option and SAR Awards may be exercised for a period of one year after the date of such termination.

(4)           Upon termination of Service due to death or Disability, the currently vested and exercisable portions of Option and SAR Awards may be exercised for a period of one year after the date of such termination.

(f)            Rights as Stockholder. No Participant shall have any rights as a stockholder with respect to any Shares covered by an Award unless and until the date the Participant becomes the holder of record of the Shares, if any, to which the Award relates.

(g)           Performance-Based Awards. Any Award may be granted as a performance-based Award if the Committee establishes one or more measures of corporate, business unit or individual performance which must be attained, and the performance period over which the specified performance is to be attained, as a condition to the grant, vesting, exercisability, lapse of restrictions and/or settlement in cash or Shares of such Award. In connection with any such Award, the Committee shall determine the extent to which performance measures have been attained and other applicable terms and conditions have been satisfied, and the degree to which the grant, vesting, exercisability, lapse of restrictions and/or settlement of such Award has been earned. The Committee shall also have the authority to provide, in an Award Agreement or otherwise, for the modification of a performance period and/or adjustments to or waivers of the achievement of performance goals under specified circumstances such as (i) the occurrence of events that are unusual in nature or infrequently occurring, such as a Change in Control, an equity restructuring (as described in Section 12(a)), acquisitions, divestitures, restructuring activities, recapitalizations, or asset write-downs, (ii) a change in applicable tax laws or accounting principles, or (iii) the Participant’s death or Disability.

(h)            Dividends and Dividend Equivalents. No dividends, dividend equivalents or distributions will be paid with respect to Shares subject to an Option or SAR Award. Any dividends or distributions payable with respect to Shares that are subject to the unvested portion of a Restricted Stock Award will be subject to the same restrictions and risk of forfeiture as the Shares to which such dividends or distributions relate. In its discretion, the Committee may provide in an Award Agreement for a Stock Unit Award or an Other Stock-Based Award that the Participant will be entitled to receive dividend equivalents, based on dividends actually declared and paid on outstanding Shares, on the units or other Share equivalents subject to the Stock Unit Award or Other Stock-Based Award, and such dividend equivalents will be subject to the same restrictions and risk of forfeiture as the units or other Share equivalents to which such dividend equivalents relate. The additional terms of any such dividend equivalents will be as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, including the time and form of payment and whether such dividend equivalents will be credited with interest or deemed to be reinvested in additional units or Share equivalents. Any Shares issued or issuable during the term of this Plan as the result of the reinvestment of dividends or the deemed reinvestment of dividend equivalents in connection with an Award shall be counted against, and replenish upon any subsequent forfeiture, the Plan’s share reserve as provided in Section 4.

(i)            Deferrals of Full Value Awards and Cash Incentive Awards. The Committee may, in its discretion, permit or require the deferral by a Participant of the issuance of Shares or payment of cash in settlement of any Full Value Award or Cash Incentive Award, subject to such terms, conditions, rules and procedures as it may establish or prescribe for such purpose and with the intention of complying with the applicable requirements of Code Section 409A. The terms, conditions, rules and procedures for any such deferral shall be set forth in writing in the relevant Award Agreement or in such other agreement, plan or document as the Committee may determine, or some combination of such documents. The terms, conditions, rules and procedures for any such deferral shall address, to the extent relevant, matters such as: (i) the amount of compensation that may or must be deferred (or the method for calculating the amount); (ii) the permissible time(s) and form(s) of payment of deferred amounts; (iii) the terms and conditions of any deferral elections by a Participant or of any deferral required by the Company; and (iv) the crediting of interest or dividend equivalents on deferred amounts.

7.            Stock Option Awards.

(a)            Type and Exercise Price. The Award Agreement pursuant to which an Option Award is granted shall specify whether the Option is an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option. The exercise price at which each Share subject to an Option Award may be purchased shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement, and shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date, except in the case of Substitute Awards (to the extent consistent with Code Section 409A and, in the case of Incentive Stock Options, Code Section 424).

(b)            Payment of Exercise Price. The purchase price of the Shares with respect to which an Option Award is exercised shall be payable in full at the time of exercise. The purchase price may be paid in cash or in such other manner as the Committee may permit, including by payment under a broker-assisted sale and remittance program, by withholding Shares otherwise issuable to the Participant upon exercise of the Option or by delivery to the Company of Shares (by actual delivery or attestation) already owned by the Participant (in either case, such Shares having a Fair Market Value as of the date the Option is exercised equal to the purchase price of the Shares being purchased).

(c)            Exercisability and Expiration. Each Option Award shall be exercisable in whole or in part on the terms provided in the Award Agreement. No Option Award shall be exercisable at any time after its scheduled expiration. When an Option Award is no longer exercisable, it shall be deemed to have terminated.

(d)            Incentive Stock Options.

(1)           An Option Award will constitute an Incentive Stock Option Award only if the Participant receiving the Option Award is an Employee, and only to the extent that (i) it is so designated in the applicable Award Agreement and (ii) the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the Option Award’s Grant Date) of the Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Option Awards held by the Participant first become exercisable in any calendar year (under the Plan and all other plans of the Company and its Affiliates) does not exceed $100,000 or such other amount specified by the Code. To the extent an Option Award granted to a Participant exceeds this limit, the Option Award shall be treated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option Award. The maximum number of Shares that may be issued upon the exercise of Incentive Stock Option Awards under the Plan shall be 1,000,000, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 12(a).

(2)           No Participant may receive an Incentive Stock Option Award under the Plan if, immediately after the grant of such Award, the Participant would own (after application of the rules contained in Code Section 424(d)) Shares possessing more than 10% of the total combined Voting Power of all classes of stock of the Company or an Affiliate, unless (i) the per Share exercise price for such Award is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date and (ii) such Award will expire no later than five years after its Grant Date.

(3)             For purposes of continued Service by a Participant who has been granted an Incentive Stock Option Award, no approved leave of absence may exceed three months unless reemployment upon expiration of such leave is provided by statute or contract. If reemployment is not so provided, then on the date six months following the first day of such leave, any Incentive Stock Option held by the Participant shall cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and shall be treated for tax purposes as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

(4)             If an Incentive Stock Option Award is exercised after the expiration of the exercise periods that apply for purposes of Code Section 422, such Option shall thereafter be treated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

(5)             The Award Agreement covering an Incentive Stock Option Award shall contain such other terms and provisions that the Committee determines necessary to qualify the Option Award as an Incentive Stock Option Award.

(e)           Extension if Exercise Prevented by Law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the exercise of an Option Award during the applicable post-termination of Service exercise period as set forth in Section 6(e) or in the applicable Award Agreement is prevented by Section 16(c), the Option shall remain exercisable until the later of (i) 30 days after the date the exercise of the Option would no longer be prevented by such provision, or (ii) the end of the applicable post-termination exercise period, but in no event later than the scheduled expiration date of the Option as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.

8.            Stock Appreciation Right Awards.

(a)           Nature of Award. An Award of Stock Appreciation Rights shall be subject to such terms and conditions as are determined by the Committee, and shall provide a Participant the right to receive upon exercise of the SAR Award all or a portion of the excess of (i) the Fair Market Value as of the date of exercise of the SAR Award of the number of Shares as to which the SAR Award is being exercised, over (ii) the aggregate exercise price for such number of Shares. The per Share exercise price for any SAR Award shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, and shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date, except in the case of Substitute Awards (to the extent consistent with Code Section 409A).

(b)           Exercise of SAR. Each SAR Award may be exercisable in whole or in part at the times, on the terms and in the manner provided in the Award Agreement. No SAR Award shall be exercisable at any time after its scheduled expiration. When a SAR Award is no longer exercisable, it shall be deemed to have terminated. Upon exercise of a SAR Award, payment to the Participant shall be made at such time or times as shall be provided in the Award Agreement in the form of cash, Shares or a combination of cash and Shares as determined by the Committee. The Award Agreement may provide for a limitation upon the amount or percentage of the total appreciation on which payment (whether in cash and/or Shares) may be made in the event of the exercise of a SAR Award.

9.            Restricted Stock Awards.

(a)             Vesting and Consideration. Shares subject to a Restricted Stock Award shall be subject to vesting and the lapse of applicable restrictions based on such conditions or factors and occurring over such period of time as the Committee may determine in its discretion. The Committee may provide whether any consideration other than Services must be received by the Company or any Affiliate as a condition precedent to the grant of a Restricted Stock Award, and may correspondingly provide for Company reacquisition or repurchase rights if such additional consideration has been required and some or all of a Restricted Stock Award does not vest.

(b)            Shares Subject to Restricted Stock Awards. Unvested Shares subject to a Restricted Stock Award shall be evidenced by a book-entry in the name of the Participant with the Company’s transfer agent or by one or more Stock certificates issued in the name of the Participant. Any such Stock certificate shall be deposited with the Company or its designee, together with an assignment separate from the certificate, in blank, signed by the Participant, and bear an appropriate legend referring to the restricted nature of the Restricted Stock evidenced thereby. Any book-entry shall be subject to comparable restrictions and corresponding stop transfer instructions. Upon the vesting of Shares of Restricted Stock, and the Company’s determination that any necessary conditions precedent to the release of vested Shares (such as satisfaction of tax withholding obligations and compliance with applicable legal requirements) have been satisfied, such vested Shares shall be made available to the Participant in such manner as may be prescribed or permitted by the Committee. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan or an applicable Award Agreement, a Participant with a Restricted Stock Award shall have all the rights of a shareholder, including the right to vote the Shares of Restricted Stock.

10.          Stock Unit Awards.

(a)           Vesting and Consideration. A Stock Unit Award shall be subject to vesting and the lapse of applicable restrictions based on such conditions or factors and occurring over such period of time as the Committee may determine in its discretion. If vesting of a Stock Unit Award is conditioned on the achievement of specified performance goals, the extent to which they are achieved over the specified performance period and the number of Stock Units that will be earned and eligible to vest shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee may provide whether any consideration other than Services must be received by the Company or any Affiliate as a condition precedent to the settlement of a Stock Unit Award.

(b)           Settlement of Award. Following the vesting of a Stock Unit Award, and the Company’s determination that any necessary conditions precedent to the settlement of the Award (such as satisfaction of tax withholding obligations and compliance with applicable legal requirements) have been satisfied, settlement of the Award and payment to the Participant shall be made at such time or times in the form of cash, Shares (which may themselves be considered Restricted Stock under the Plan) or a combination of cash and Shares as determined by the Committee.

11.          Other Awards.

(a)            Other Stock-Based Awards. The Committee may from time to time grant Shares and other Awards that are valued by reference to and/or payable in whole or in part in Shares under the Plan. The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards, which shall be consistent with the terms and purposes of the Plan. The Committee may direct the Company to issue Shares subject to restrictive legends and/or stop transfer instructions that are consistent with the terms and conditions of the Award to which the Shares relate.

(b)           Cash Incentive Awards. A Cash Incentive Award shall be considered a performance-based Award for purposes of, and subject to, Section 6(g), the payment of which shall be contingent upon the degree to which one or more specified performance goals have been achieved over the specified performance period. Cash Incentive Awards may be granted to any Participant in such dollar-denominated amounts and upon such terms and at such times as shall be determined by the Committee. Following the completion of the applicable performance period and the vesting of a Cash Incentive Award, payment of the settlement amount of the Award to the Participant shall be made at such time or times in the form of cash, Shares or other forms of Awards under the Plan (valued for these purposes at their grant date fair value) or a combination of cash, Shares and other forms of Awards as determined by the Committee and specified in the applicable Award Agreement.

12.          Changes in Capitalization, Corporate Transactions, Change in Control.

(a)            Adjustments for Changes in Capitalization. In the event of any equity restructuring (within the meaning of FASB ASC Topic 718) that causes the per share value of Shares to change, such as a stock dividend, stock split, spinoff, rights offering or recapitalization through an extraordinary dividend, the Committee shall make such adjustments as it deems equitable and appropriate to (i) the aggregate number and kind of Shares or other securities issued or reserved for issuance under the Plan, (ii) the number and kind of Shares or other securities subject to outstanding Awards, (iii) the exercise price of outstanding Options and SARs, and (iv) any maximum limitations prescribed by the Plan with respect to certain types of Awards or the grants to individuals of certain types of Awards. In the event of any other change in corporate capitalization, including a merger, consolidation, reorganization, or partial or complete liquidation of the Company, such equitable adjustments described in the foregoing sentence may be made as determined to be appropriate and equitable by the Committee to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights of Participants.  In either case, any such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes of the Plan.  No adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section 12(a) in connection with the conversion of any convertible securities of the Company, or in a manner that would cause Incentive Stock Options to violate Section 422(b) of the Code or cause an Award to be subject to adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code.

(b)           Corporate Transactions. Unless otherwise provided in an applicable Award Agreement or another written agreement between a Participant and the Company, the following provisions shall apply to outstanding Awards in the event of a Change in Control that involves a Corporate Transaction.

(1)           Continuation, Assumption or Replacement of Awards. In the event of a Corporate Transaction, then the surviving or successor entity (or its Parent) may continue, assume or replace Awards outstanding as of the date of the Corporate Transaction (with such adjustments as may be required or permitted by Section 12(a)), and such Awards or replacements therefor shall remain outstanding and be governed by their respective terms, subject to Section 12(b)(4) below. A surviving or successor entity may elect to continue, assume or replace only some Awards or portions of Awards. For purposes of this Section 12(b)(1), an Award shall be considered assumed or replaced if, in connection with the Corporate Transaction and in a manner consistent with Code Section 409A (and Code Section 424 if the Award is an ISO), either (i) the contractual obligations represented by the Award are expressly assumed by the surviving or successor entity (or its Parent) with appropriate adjustments to the number and type of securities subject to the Award and the exercise price thereof that preserves the intrinsic value of the Award existing at the time of the Corporate Transaction, or (ii) the Participant has received a comparable equity-based award that preserves the intrinsic value of the Award existing at the time of the

Corporate Transaction and contains terms and conditions that are substantially similar to those of the Award.

(2)           Acceleration. If and to the extent that outstanding Awards under the Plan are not continued, assumed or replaced in connection with a Corporate Transaction, then (i) all outstanding Option and SAR Awards shall become fully vested and exercisable for such period of time prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction as is deemed fair and equitable by the Committee, and shall terminate at the effective time of the Corporate Transaction, (ii) all outstanding Full Value Awards shall fully vest immediately prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction, and (iii) to the extent vesting of any Award is subject to satisfaction of specified performance goals, such Award shall be deemed “fully vested” for purposes of this Section 12(b)(2) if the performance goals are deemed to have been satisfied at the target level of performance and the vested portion of the Award at that level of performance is proportionate to the portion of the performance period that has elapsed as of the effective time of the Corporate Transaction. The Committee shall provide written notice of the period of accelerated exercisability of Option and SAR Awards to all affected Participants. The exercise of any Option or SAR Award whose exercisability is accelerated as provided in this Section 12(b)(2) shall be conditioned upon the consummation of the Corporate Transaction and shall be effective only immediately before such consummation.

(3)           Payment for Awards. If and to the extent that outstanding Awards under the Plan are not continued, assumed or replaced in connection with a Corporate Transaction, then the Committee may provide that some or all of such outstanding Awards shall be canceled at or immediately prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction in exchange for payments to the holders as provided in this Section 12(b)(3). The Committee will not be required to treat all Awards similarly for purposes of this Section 12(b)(3). The payment for any Award canceled shall be in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between (i) the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Committee) of the consideration that would otherwise be received in the Corporate Transaction for the number of Shares subject to the Award, and (ii) the aggregate exercise price (if any) for the Shares subject to such Award. If the amount determined pursuant to the preceding sentence is not a positive number with respect to any Award, such Award may be canceled pursuant to this Section 12(b)(3) without payment of any kind to the affected Participant. With respect to an Award whose vesting is subject to the satisfaction of specified performance goals, the number of Shares subject to such an Award for purposes of this Section 12(b)(3) shall be the number of Shares as to which the Award would have been deemed “fully vested” for purposes of Section 12(b)(2). Payment of any amount under this Section 12(b)(3) shall be made in such form, on such terms and subject to such conditions as the Committee determines in its discretion, which may or may not be the same as the form, terms and conditions applicable to payments to the Company’s stockholders in connection with the Corporate Transaction, and may, in the Committee’s discretion, include subjecting such payments to vesting conditions comparable to those of the Award canceled, subjecting such payments to escrow or holdback terms comparable to those imposed upon the Company’s stockholders under the Corporate Transaction, or calculating and paying the present value of payments that would otherwise be subject to escrow or holdback terms.

(4)         Termination After a Corporate Transaction. If and to the extent that Awards are continued, assumed or replaced under the circumstances described in Section 12(b)(1), and if within 12 months after the Corporate Transaction a Participant experiences an involuntary termination of Service for reasons other than Cause, or voluntarily terminates his or her Service for Good Reason, then (i) outstanding Option and SAR Awards issued to the Participant that are not yet fully exercisable shall immediately become exercisable in full and shall remain exercisable for one year following the Participant’s termination of Service, and (ii) any Full Value Awards that are not yet fully vested shall immediately vest in full (with vesting in full for a performance-based award determined as provided in Section 12(b)(2), except that the proportionate vesting amount will be determined with respect to the

portion of the performance period during which the Participant was a Service Provider).

(c)           Other Change in Control. Unless otherwise provided in an applicable Award Agreement or another written agreement between a Participant and the Company, in the event of a Change in Control that does not involve a Corporate Transaction, all Awards will continue in accordance with their terms; provided, however, if within 12 months after the Change in Control a Participant experiences an involuntary termination of Service for reasons other than Cause or voluntarily terminates his or her Service for Good Reason, then (i) outstanding Option and SAR Awards issued to the Participant that are not yet fully exercisable shall immediately become exercisable in full and shall remain exercisable for one year following the Participant’s termination of Service, (ii) subject to clause (iii) below, any Full Value Awards that are not yet fully vested shall immediately vest in full, and (iii) to the extent vesting of any Award is subject to satisfaction of specified performance goals, such Award shall be deemed “fully vested” for purposes of this Section 12(c) if the performance goals are deemed to have been satisfied at the target level of performance and the vested portion of the Award at that level of performance is proportionate to the portion of the performance period that has occurred up to the date of such Participant’s termination of Service.

(d)           Dissolution or Liquidation. Unless otherwise provided in an applicable Award Agreement, in the event of a proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company, the Committee will notify each Participant as soon as practicable prior to the effective date of such proposed transaction. An Award will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed action.

13.           Plan Participation and Service Provider Status. Status as a Service Provider shall not be construed as a commitment that any Award will be made under the Plan to that Service Provider or to eligible Service Providers generally. Nothing in the Plan or in any Award Agreement or related documents shall confer upon any Service Provider or Participant any right to continued Service with the Company or any Affiliate, nor shall it interfere with or limit in any way any right of the Company or any Affiliate to terminate the person’s Service at any time with or without Cause or change such person’s compensation, other benefits, job responsibilities or title.

14.           Tax Withholding. The Company or any Affiliate, as applicable, shall have the right to (i) withhold from any cash payment under the Plan or any other compensation owed to a Participant an amount sufficient to cover any required withholding taxes related to the grant, vesting, exercise or settlement of an Award, and (ii) require a Participant or other person receiving Shares under the Plan to pay a cash amount sufficient to cover any required withholding taxes before actual receipt of those Shares. In lieu of all or any part of a cash payment from a person receiving Shares under the Plan, the Committee may permit the Participant to satisfy all or any part of the required tax withholding obligations (but not to exceed the maximum individual statutory tax rate in each applicable jurisdiction) by authorizing the Company to withhold a number of the Shares that would otherwise be delivered to the Participant pursuant to the Award, or by transferring to the Company Shares already owned by the Participant, with the Shares so withheld or delivered having a Fair Market Value on the date the taxes are required to be withheld equal to the amount of taxes to be withheld.

15.           Effective Date, Duration, Amendment and Termination of the Plan.

(a)            Effective Date. The Plan shall become effective on the date it is approved by the Company’s stockholders, which shall be considered the date of its adoption for purposes of Treasury Regulation §1.422-2(b)(2)(i). No Awards shall be made under the Plan prior to its effective date.

(b)           Duration of the Plan. The Plan shall remain in effect until all Shares subject to it are distributed, all Awards have expired or terminated, the Plan is terminated pursuant to Section 15(c), or the tenth anniversary of the effective date of the Plan, whichever occurs first (the “Termination Date”). Awards made before the Termination Date shall continue to be outstanding in accordance with their terms and the terms of the Plan unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreements.

(c)            Amendment and Termination of the Plan. The Board may at any time terminate, suspend or amend the Plan. The Company shall submit any amendment of the Plan to its stockholders for approval only to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or the rules of any securities exchange on which the Shares may then be listed. No termination, suspension, or amendment of the Plan may materially impair the rights of any Participant under a previously granted Award without the Participant's consent, unless such action is necessary to comply with applicable law or stock exchange rules.

(d)           Amendment of Awards. Subject to Section 15(e), the Committee may unilaterally amend the terms of any Award Agreement evidencing an Award previously granted, except that no such amendment may materially impair the rights of any Participant under the applicable Award without the Participant's consent, unless such amendment is necessary to comply with applicable law or stock exchange rules or any compensation recovery policy as provided in Section 16(i).

(e)            No Option or SAR Repricing. Except as provided in Section 12(a), no Option or Stock Appreciation Right Award granted under the Plan may be (i) amended to decrease the exercise price thereof, (ii) cancelled in conjunction with the grant of any new Option or Stock Appreciation Right Award with a lower exercise price, (iii) cancelled in exchange for cash, other property or the grant of any Full Value Award at a time when the per share exercise price of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right Award is greater than the current Fair Market Value of a Share, or (iv) otherwise subject to any action that would be treated under accounting rules as a “repricing” of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right Award, unless such action is first approved by the Company’s stockholders.

16.           Other Provisions.

(a)           Unfunded Plan. The Plan shall be unfunded and the Company shall not be required to segregate any assets that may at any time be represented by Awards under the Plan. Neither the Company, its Affiliates, the Committee, nor the Board shall be deemed to be a trustee of any amounts to be paid under the Plan nor shall anything contained in the Plan or any action taken pursuant to its provisions create or be construed to create a fiduciary relationship between the Company and/or its Affiliates, and a Participant. To the extent any person has or acquires a right to receive a payment in connection with an Award under the Plan, this right shall be no greater than the right of an unsecured general creditor of the Company.

(b)           Limits of Liability. Except as may be required by law, neither the Company nor any member of the Board or of the Committee, nor any other person participating (including participation pursuant to a delegation of authority under Section 3(c) of the Plan) in any determination of any question under the Plan, or in the interpretation, administration or application of the Plan, shall have any liability to any party for any action taken, or not taken, in good faith under the Plan.

(c)            Compliance with Applicable Legal Requirements and Company Policies. No Shares distributable pursuant to the Plan shall be issued and delivered unless and until the issuance of the Shares complies with all applicable legal requirements, including compliance with the provisions of applicable state and federal securities laws, and the requirements of any securities exchanges on which the Company’s Shares may, at the time, be listed. During any period in which the offering and issuance of Shares under the Plan is not registered under federal or state securities laws, Participants shall acknowledge that they are acquiring Shares under the Plan for investment purposes and not for resale, and that Shares may not be transferred except pursuant to an effective registration statement under, or an exemption from the registration requirements of, such securities laws.  Any stock certificate or book-entry evidencing Shares issued under the Plan that are subject to securities law restrictions shall bear or be accompanied by an appropriate restrictive legend or stop transfer instruction. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, the acquisition, holding or disposition of Shares acquired pursuant to the Plan shall in all events be subject to compliance with any applicable Company policies, including those relating to insider trading, pledging or hedging transactions, minimum post-vesting holding periods and stock ownership guidelines, and to forfeiture or recovery of compensation as provided in Section 16(i).

(d)           Other Benefit and Compensation Programs. Payments and other benefits received by a Participant under an Award made pursuant to the Plan shall not be deemed a part of a Participant’s regular, recurring compensation for purposes of the termination, indemnity or severance pay laws of any country and shall not be included in, nor have any effect on, the determination of benefits under any other employee benefit plan, contract or similar arrangement provided by the Company or an Affiliate unless expressly so provided by such other plan, contract or arrangement, or unless the Committee expressly determines that an Award or portion of an Award should be included to accurately reflect competitive compensation practices or to recognize that an Award has been made in lieu of a portion of competitive cash compensation.

(e)           Governing Law. To the extent that federal laws do not otherwise control, the Plan and all determinations made and actions taken pursuant to the Plan shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to its conflicts-of-law principles and shall be construed accordingly.

(f)            Severability. If any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.

(g)           Code Section 409A. It is intended that (i) all Awards of Options, SARs and Restricted Stock under the Plan will not provide for the deferral of compensation within the meaning of Code Section 409A and thereby be exempt from Code Section 409A, and (ii) all other Awards under the Plan will either not provide for the deferral of compensation within the meaning of Code Section 409A, or will comply with the requirements of Code Section 409A, and Awards shall be structured and the Plan administered and interpreted in accordance with this intent. The Plan and any Award Agreement may be unilaterally amended by the Company in any manner deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee or Board in order to maintain such exemption from or compliance with Code Section 409A, and any such amendment shall conclusively be presumed to be necessary to comply with applicable law. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or any Award Agreement, with respect to any Award that constitutes a deferral of compensation subject to Code Section 409A:

(1)         If any amount is payable under such Award upon a termination of Service, a termination of Service will be deemed to have occurred only at such time as the Participant has experienced a “separation from service” as such term is defined for purposes of Code Section 409A;

(2)         If any amount shall be payable with respect to any such Award as a result of a Participant’s “separation from service” at such time as the Participant is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Code Section 409A, then no payment shall be made, except as permitted under Code Section 409A, prior to the first business day after the earlier of (i) the date that is six months after the Participant’s separation from service or (ii) the Participant’s death. Unless the Committee has adopted a specified employee identification policy as contemplated by Code Section 409A, specified employees will be identified in accordance with the default provisions specified under Code Section 409A.

None of the Company, the Board, the Committee nor any other person involved with the administration of this Plan shall (i) in any way be responsible for ensuring the exemption of any Award from, or compliance by any Award with, the requirements of Code Section 409A, (ii) have any obligation to design or administer the Plan or Awards granted thereunder in a manner that minimizes a Participant’s tax liabilities, including the avoidance of any additional tax liabilities under Code Section 409A, and (iii) shall have any liability to any Participant for any such tax liabilities.

(h)           Rule 16b-3. It is intended that the Plan and all Awards granted pursuant to it shall be administered by the Committee so as to permit the Plan and Awards to comply with Exchange Act Rule 16b-3. If any provision of the Plan or of any Award would otherwise frustrate or conflict with the intent expressed in this Section 16(h), that provision to the extent possible shall be interpreted and deemed amended in the manner determined by the Committee so as to avoid the conflict. To the extent of any remaining irreconcilable conflict with this intent, the provision shall be deemed void as applied to Participants subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent permitted by law and in the manner deemed advisable by the Committee.

(i)            Forfeiture and Compensation Recovery.

(1)         The Committee may specify in an Award Agreement that the Participant’s rights, payments, and benefits with respect to an Award will be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recovery by the Company upon the occurrence of certain specified events, in addition to any otherwise applicable vesting or performance conditions of an Award. Such events may include termination of Service for Cause; violation of any material Company or Affiliate policy; breach of noncompetition, non-solicitation or confidentiality provisions that apply to the Participant; a determination that the payment of the Award was based on an incorrect determination that financial or other criteria were met or other conduct by the Participant that is detrimental to the business or reputation of the Company or its Affiliates.

(2)         Awards and any compensation associated therewith may be made subject to forfeiture, recovery by the Company or other action pursuant to any compensation recovery policy adopted by the Board or the Committee at any time, including in response to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any implementing rules and regulations thereunder, or as otherwise required by law. Any Award Agreement may be unilaterally amended by the Committee to comply with any such compensation recovery policy.

Exhibit 10.2

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement

AudioEye, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), hereby grants an award of Restricted Stock Units to you, the Participant named below. The terms and conditions of this Award are set forth in this Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), consisting of this cover page and the Terms and Conditions on the following pages, and in the Plan document, a copy of which has been provided to you. Any capitalized term that is used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Plan as it currently exists or as it is amended in the future.

By signing below or otherwise evidencing your acceptance of this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all of the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and in the Plan document. You acknowledge that you have received and reviewed these documents and that they set forth the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding this Award of Restricted Stock Units.

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement

Terms and Conditions

1.       Grant of Restricted Stock Units. The Company hereby confirms the grant to you, as of the Grant Date and subject to the terms and conditions in this Agreement and the Plan, of the number of Restricted Stock Units specified on the cover page of this Agreement (the “Units”). Each Unit represents the right to receive one Share of the Company’s common stock. Prior to their settlement or forfeiture in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Units granted to you will be credited to an account in your name maintained by the Company. This account shall be unfunded and maintained for book-keeping purposes only, with the Units simply representing an unfunded and unsecured contingent obligation of the Company.

2.       Restrictions Applicable to Units. Neither this Award nor the Units subject to this Award may be sold, assigned, transferred, exchanged or encumbered, voluntarily or involuntarily, other than (i) a transfer upon your death in accordance with your will, by the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a beneficiary designation submitted in accordance with Section 6(d) of the Plan, or (ii) pursuant to a domestic relations order. Following any such transfer, this Award shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions that were applicable to this Award immediately prior to its transfer. Any attempted transfer in violation of this Section 2 shall be void and without effect. The Units and your right to receive Shares in settlement of the Units under this Agreement shall be subject to forfeiture as provided in Section 5 until satisfaction of the vesting conditions set forth in Section 4.

3.       No Shareholder Rights. The Units subject to this Award do not entitle you to any rights of a holder of the Company’s common stock. You will not have any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company in connection with the grant of Units subject to this Agreement unless and until Shares are issued to you upon settlement of the Units as provided in Section 6.

4.       Vesting of Units. For purposes of this Agreement, “Vesting Date” means any date, including the Scheduled Vesting Dates specified in the Vesting Schedule on the cover page of this Agreement, on which Units subject to this Agreement vest as provided in this Section 4.

(a)                Scheduled Vesting. If you remain a Service Provider continuously from the Grant Date specified on the cover page of this Agreement, then the Units will vest in the amounts and on the Scheduled Vesting Dates specified in the Vesting Schedule.

(b)                Accelerated or Continued Vesting. The vesting of outstanding Units will be accelerated or continued under the circumstances provided below:

(1)                Death. If your Service terminates prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date due to your death, then all of the unvested Units shall vest as of such termination date.

(2)                Disability. If your Service terminates prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date due to your Disability, then a pro rata portion (based on the number of days during which you were a Service Provider since the most recent Scheduled Vesting Date (or since the Grant Date if there was no previous Scheduled Vesting Date) as a percentage of 365) of the Units scheduled to vest as of the next Scheduled Vesting Date shall vest as of such termination date.

(3)                Change in Control. If a Change in Control occurs while you continue to be a Service Provider and prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date, the following provisions shall apply:

(i)                 If, within 12 months after a Change of Control (A) described in paragraphs (1) or (2) of Section 2(g) of the Plan or (B) that constitutes a Corporate Transaction as defined in paragraph (3) of Section 2(g) of the Plan and in connection with which the surviving or acquiring entity (or its parent entity) has continued, assumed or replaced this Award, you cease to be a Service Provider due either to an involuntary termination for reasons other than Cause or a resignation for Good Reason, then all unvested Units shall immediately vest in full.

(ii)               If this Award is not continued, assumed or replaced in connection with a Change in Control that constitutes a Corporate Transaction, then all unvested Units shall immediately vest in full upon the occurrence of the Change in Control.

(iii)             For purposes of this Section 4(b)(3), this Award will be considered assumed or replaced under the circumstances specified in Section 12(b)(1) of the Plan.

5.       Effect of Termination of Service. Except as otherwise provided in accordance with Section 4(b) above, if you cease to be a Service Provider, you will forfeit all unvested Units.

6.       Settlement of Units. After any Units vest pursuant to Section 4, the Company shall, as soon as practicable (but no later than the 15^th day of the third calendar month following the Vesting Date), cause to be issued and delivered to you (or to your personal representative or your designated beneficiary or estate in the event of your death, as applicable) one Share in payment and settlement of each vested Unit. Delivery of the Shares shall be effected by the issuance of a stock certificate to you, by an appropriate entry in the stock register maintained by the Company’s transfer agent with a notice of issuance provided to you, or by the electronic delivery of the Shares to a brokerage account you designate, and shall be subject to the tax withholding provisions of Section 8 and compliance with all applicable legal requirements as provided in Section 16(c) of the Plan, and shall be in complete satisfaction and settlement of such vested Units. The Company will pay any original issue or transfer taxes with respect to the issue and transfer of Shares to you pursuant to this Agreement, and all fees and expenses incurred by it in connection therewith.

7.       Dividend Equivalents. If the Company pays cash dividends on its Shares while any Units subject to this Agreement are outstanding, then on each dividend payment date a dividend equivalent dollar amount equal to the number of Units credited to your account pursuant to this Agreement as of the dividend record date times the dollar amount of the cash dividend per Share shall be deemed reinvested in additional Units as of the dividend payment date and such additional Units shall be credited to your account. The number of additional Units so credited shall be determined based on the Fair Market Value of a Share on the dividend payment date. Any additional Units so credited will be subject to the same terms and conditions, including the timing of vesting and settlement, applicable to the underlying Units to which the dividend equivalents relate.

8.       Tax Consequences and Withholding. No Shares will be delivered to you in settlement of vested Units unless you have made arrangements acceptable to the Company for payment of any federal, state, local or foreign withholding taxes that may be due as a result of the delivery of the Shares. You hereby authorize the Company (or any Affiliate) to withhold from payroll or other amounts payable to you any sums required to satisfy such withholding tax obligations, and otherwise agree to satisfy such obligations in accordance with the provisions of Section 14 of the Plan. You may elect to satisfy such withholding tax obligations by having the Company withhold a number of Shares that would otherwise be issued to you in settlement of the Units and that have a fair market value equal to the amount of such withholding tax obligations by notifying the Company of such election prior to the Vesting Date.

9.       Notices. Every notice or other communication relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be mailed to or delivered (including electronically) to the party for whom it is intended at such address as may from time to time be designated by it in a notice mailed or delivered to the other party as herein provided. Unless and until some other address is so designated, all notices or communications by you to the Company shall be mailed or delivered to the Company, to the attention of its Chief Executive Officer, at its office at 5210 E. Williams Circle, Suite 750, Tucson, Arizona 85711, [e-mail address], and all notices or communications by the Company to you may be given to you personally or may be mailed or, if you are still a Service Provider, emailed to you at the address indicated in the Company's records as your most recent mailing or email address.

10.       Additional Provisions.

(a)       No Right to Continued Service. This Agreement does not give you a right to continued Service with the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any such Affiliate may terminate your Service at any time and otherwise deal with you without regard to the effect it may have upon you under this Agreement.

(b)       Governing Plan Document. This Agreement and the Award are subject to all the provisions of the Plan, and to all interpretations, rules and regulations which may, from time to time, be adopted and promulgated by the Committee pursuant to the Plan. If there is any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and the Plan, the provisions of the Plan will govern.

(c)       Governing Law.  This Agreement, the parties’ performance hereunder, and the relationship between them shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the choice of law principles thereof.

(d)       Severability. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable and if any provision of this Agreement is found by any court to be unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remainder of this Agreement shall nevertheless be enforceable and binding on the parties. You also agree that any trier of fact may modify any invalid, overbroad or unenforceable provision of this Agreement so that such provision, as modified, is valid and enforceable under applicable law.

(e)       Binding Effect. This Agreement will be binding in all respects on your heirs, representatives, successors and assigns, and on the successors and assigns of the Company.

(f)       Section 409A of the Code. The Units as provided in this Agreement and any issuance of Shares or payment pursuant to this Agreement are intended to either be exempt from or comply with Section 409A of the Code so as not to subject you to payment of any additional tax, penalty or interest imposed under Section 409A of the Code. The provisions of this Award shall be construed and interpreted to avoid the imputation of any such additional tax, penalty or interest under Section 409A of the Code yet preserve (to the nearest extent reasonably possible) the intended benefit payable to you.

(g)       Compensation Recovery Policy. To the extent that any compensation paid or payable pursuant to this Agreement is considered “incentive-based compensation” within the meaning and subject to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act, such compensation shall be subject to potential forfeiture or recovery by the Company in accordance with any compensation recovery policy adopted by the Board or any committee thereof in response to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any implementing rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the SEC or any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed. This Agreement may be unilaterally amended by the Company to comply with any such compensation recovery policy.

(h)       Electronic Delivery and Acceptance. The Company may deliver any documents related to this Restricted Stock Unit Award by electronic means and request your acceptance of this Agreement by electronic means. You hereby consent to receive all applicable documentation by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line (and/or voice activated) system established and maintained by the Company or the Company’s third-party stock plan administrator.

By signing the cover page of this Agreement or otherwise accepting this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all the terms and conditions described above and in the Plan document.

Exhibit 10.3

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

Restricted Stock Unit Agreement

(Non-Employee Director Awards)

AudioEye, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), hereby grants an award of Restricted Stock Units to you, the Participant named below. The terms and conditions of this Award are set forth in this Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), consisting of this cover page and the Terms and Conditions on the following pages, and in the Plan document, a copy of which has been provided to you. Any capitalized term that is used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Plan as it currently exists or as it is amended in the future.

By signing below or otherwise evidencing your acceptance of this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all of the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and in the Plan document. You acknowledge that you have received and reviewed these documents and that they set forth the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding this Award of Restricted Stock Units.

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement

Terms and Conditions

1.       Grant of Restricted Stock Units. The Company hereby confirms the grant to you, as of the Grant Date and subject to the terms and conditions in this Agreement and the Plan, of the number of Restricted Stock Units specified on the cover page of this Agreement (the “Units”). Each Unit represents the right to receive one Share of the Company’s common stock. Prior to their settlement or forfeiture in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Units granted to you will be credited to an account in your name maintained by the Company. This account shall be unfunded and maintained for book-keeping purposes only, with the Units simply representing an unfunded and unsecured contingent obligation of the Company.

2.       Restrictions Applicable to Units. Neither this Award nor the Units subject to this Award may be sold, assigned, transferred, exchanged or encumbered, voluntarily or involuntarily, other than (i) a transfer upon your death in accordance with your will, by the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a beneficiary designation submitted in accordance with Section 6(d) of the Plan, or (ii) pursuant to a domestic relations order. Following any such transfer, this Award shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions that were applicable to this Award immediately prior to its transfer. Any attempted transfer in violation of this Section 2 shall be void and without effect.

3.       No Shareholder Rights. The Units subject to this Award do not entitle you to any rights of a holder of the Company’s common stock. You will not have any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company in connection with the grant of Units subject to this Agreement unless and until Shares are issued to you upon settlement of the Units as provided in Section 5.

4.       Vesting of Units. [The Units subject to this Agreement are 100% vested as of the Grant Date.] [For purposes of this Agreement, “Vesting Date” means any date, including the Scheduled Vesting Date specified in the Vesting Schedule on the cover page of this Agreement, on which Units subject to this Agreement vest as provided in this Section 4.

(a)                Scheduled Vesting. If you remain a Service Provider continuously from the Grant Date specified on the cover page of this Agreement, then the Units will vest in the amount and on the Scheduled Vesting Date specified in the Vesting Schedule.

(b)                Accelerated or Continued Vesting. The vesting of outstanding Units will be accelerated or continued under the circumstances provided below:

(1)                Death. If your Service terminates prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date due to your death, then all of the unvested Units shall vest as of such termination date.

(2)                Disability. If your Service terminates prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date due to your Disability, then a pro rata portion (based on the number of days during which you were a Service Provider since the most recent Scheduled Vesting Date (or since the Grant Date if there was no previous Scheduled Vesting Date) as a percentage of 365) of the Units scheduled to vest as of the next Scheduled Vesting Date shall vest as of such termination date.

(3)                Change in Control. If a Change in Control occurs while you continue to be a Service Provider and prior to the Scheduled Vesting Date, the following provisions shall apply:

(i)                 If, within 12 months after a Change of Control (A) described in paragraphs (1) or (2) of Section 2(g) of the Plan or (B) that constitutes a Corporate Transaction as defined in paragraph (3) of Section 2(g) of the Plan and in connection with which the surviving or acquiring entity (or its parent entity) has continued, assumed or replaced this Award, you cease to be a Service Provider, then all unvested Units shall immediately vest in full.

(ii)               If this Award is not continued, assumed or replaced in connection with a Change in Control that constitutes a Corporate Transaction, then all unvested Units shall immediately vest in full upon the occurrence of the Change in Control.

(iii)             For purposes of this Section 4(b)(3), this Award will be considered assumed or replaced under the circumstances specified in Section 12(b)(1) of the Plan.

Except as otherwise provided in accordance with Section 4(b) above, if you cease to be a Service Provider, you will forfeit all unvested Units.]

5.       Settlement of Units. The Company shall cause to be issued and delivered to you, or to your designated beneficiary or estate in the event of your death, one Share in payment and settlement of each vested Unit subject to this Agreement upon the earlier of:

(a) [___________ ANNIVERSARY OF GRANT DATE]; or

(b) immediately prior to the closing of a Change in Control, but in no case later than 90 days following the Change in Control; or

(c) the calendar year following the year of your death, with payment being made in no case later than the end of the year following the year of death.

Delivery of Shares in settlement of a RSU Grant subject to this Agreement shall be effected by an appropriate entry in the stock register maintained by the Company’s transfer agent with a notice of issuance provided to you, or by the electronic delivery of the Shares to a brokerage account you designate, and shall be subject to compliance with all applicable legal requirements, including compliance with the requirements of applicable federal and state securities laws.

6.       Dividend Equivalents. If the Company pays cash dividends on its Shares while any Units subject to this Agreement are outstanding, then on each dividend payment date a dividend equivalent dollar amount equal to the number of Units credited to your account pursuant to this Agreement as of the dividend record date times the dollar amount of the cash dividend per Share shall be deemed reinvested in additional Units as of the dividend payment date and such additional Units shall be credited to your account. The number of additional Units so credited shall be determined based on the Fair Market Value of a Share on the dividend payment date. Any additional Units so credited will be subject to the same terms and conditions, including the timing of vesting and settlement, applicable to the underlying Units to which the dividend equivalents relate.

7.       Notices. Every notice or other communication relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be mailed to or delivered (including electronically) to the party for whom it is intended at such address as may from time to time be designated by it in a notice mailed or delivered to the other party as herein provided. Unless and until some other address is so designated, all notices or communications by you to the Company shall be mailed or delivered to the Company, to the attention of its Chief Executive Officer, at its office at 5210 E. Williams Circle, Suite 750, Tucson, Arizona 85711, [e-mail address], and all notices or communications by the Company to you may be given to you personally or may be mailed or, if you are still a Service Provider, emailed to you at the address indicated in the Company's records as your most recent mailing or email address.

8.       Additional Provisions.

(a)       No Right to Continued Service. This Agreement does not give you a right to continued Service with the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any such Affiliate may terminate your Service at any time and otherwise deal with you without regard to the effect it may have upon you under this Agreement.

(b)       Governing Plan Document. This Agreement and the Award are subject to all the provisions of the Plan, and to all interpretations, rules and regulations which may, from time to time, be adopted and promulgated by the Committee pursuant to the Plan. If there is any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and the Plan, the provisions of the Plan will govern.

(c)       Governing Law.  This Agreement, the parties’ performance hereunder, and the relationship between them shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the choice of law principles thereof.

(d)       Severability. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable and if any provision of this Agreement is found by any court to be unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remainder of this Agreement shall nevertheless be enforceable and binding on the parties. You also agree that any trier of fact may modify any invalid, overbroad or unenforceable provision of this Agreement so that such provision, as modified, is valid and enforceable under applicable law.

(e)       Binding Effect. This Agreement will be binding in all respects on your heirs, representatives, successors and assigns, and on the successors and assigns of the Company.

(f)       Section 409A of the Code. The Units as provided in this Agreement and any issuance of Shares or payment pursuant to this Agreement are intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code so as not to subject you to payment of any additional tax, penalty or interest imposed under Section 409A of the Code. The provisions of this Award shall be construed and interpreted to avoid the imputation of any such additional tax, penalty or interest under Section 409A of the Code yet preserve (to the nearest extent reasonably possible) the intended benefit payable to you.

(g)       Electronic Delivery and Acceptance. The Company may deliver any documents related to this Restricted Stock Unit Award by electronic means and request your acceptance of this Agreement by electronic means. You hereby consent to receive all applicable documentation by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line (and/or voice activated) system established and maintained by the Company or the Company’s third-party stock plan administrator.

By signing the cover page of this Agreement or otherwise accepting this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all the terms and conditions described above and in the Plan document.

Exhibit 10.4

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

Performance Stock Unit Agreement

AudioEye, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), hereby grants an award of Performance Stock Units to you, the Participant named below. The terms and conditions of this Award are set forth in this Performance Stock Unit Agreement (the “Agreement”), consisting of this cover page, the Terms and Conditions on the following pages and the attached Exhibit A, and in the Plan document, a copy of which has been provided to you. Any capitalized term that is used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Plan as it currently exists or as it is amended in the future.

By signing below or otherwise evidencing your acceptance of this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all of the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and in the Plan document. You acknowledge that you have received and reviewed these documents and that they set forth the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding this Award of Performance Stock Units.

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

Performance Stock Unit Agreement

Terms and Conditions

1.                   Award of Performance Stock Units. The Company hereby confirms the grant to you, as of the Grant Date and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan, of an award of Performance Stock Units (the “Units”) in an amount initially equal to the Target Number of Performance Stock Units specified on the cover page of this Agreement. The number of Units that may actually be earned and become eligible to vest pursuant to this Award can be between 0% and [___]% of the Target Number of Units, but may not exceed the Maximum Number of Performance Stock Units specified on the cover page of this Agreement. Each Unit that is earned as a result of the performance goals specified in Exhibit A to this Agreement having been satisfied and which thereafter vests represents the right to receive one Share of the Company’s common stock. Prior to their settlement or forfeiture in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Units granted to you will be credited to a performance stock unit account in your name maintained by the Company. This account will be unfunded and maintained for book-keeping purposes only, with the Units simply representing an unfunded and unsecured contingent obligation of the Company.

2.       Restrictions Applicable to Units. Neither this Award nor the Units subject to this Award may be sold, assigned, transferred, exchanged or encumbered, voluntarily or involuntarily, other than (i) a transfer upon your death in accordance with your will, by the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a beneficiary designation submitted in accordance with Section 6(d) of the Plan, or (ii) pursuant to a domestic relations order. Following any such transfer, this Award shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions that were applicable to the Award immediately prior to its transfer. Any attempted transfer in violation of this Section 2 shall be void and without effect. The Units and your right to receive Shares in settlement of any Units under this Agreement shall be subject to forfeiture except to extent the Units have been earned and thereafter vest as provided in Sections 4 and 5.

3.       No Shareholder Rights. The Units subject to this Award do not entitle you to any rights of a holder of the Company’s common stock. You will not have any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company in connection with any Units granted or earned pursuant to this Agreement unless and until Shares are issued to you in settlement of earned and vested Units as provided in Section 6.

4.       Vesting and Forfeiture of Units. The Units shall vest at the earliest of the following times and to the degree specified.

(a)                Scheduled Vesting. The number of Units that have been earned during the Performance Period, as determined by the Committee in accordance with Exhibit A, will vest on the Scheduled Vesting Date[s], so long as your Service has been continuous from the Grant Date to the Scheduled Vesting Date. For these purposes, the “Scheduled Vesting Date[s]” means [the date the Committee certifies (i) the degree to which the applicable performance goals for the Performance Period have been satisfied, and (ii) the number of Units that have been earned during the Performance Period as determined in accordance Exhibit A, which certification shall occur no later than March 10 of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year during which the Performance Period ended] [DESCRIBE OTHER VESTING PROVISIONS].

(b)       Disability. If your Service terminates by reason of your Disability prior to the Scheduled Vesting Date, then you will be entitled to have vest on the Scheduled Vesting Date a pro rata portion of the Units that would otherwise have been determined to have been earned during the Performance Period in accordance with Exhibit A if your Service had been continuous until the Scheduled Vesting Date. The pro rata portion shall be determined by multiplying the number of Units that would otherwise have been determined to have been earned by a fraction whose numerator is the number of days during the Performance Period prior to your employment termination date and whose denominator is the number of days in the Performance Period.

(c)       Death. If your Service terminates by reason of your death prior to the Scheduled Vesting Date, then you will be entitled to have vest on the date your Service terminates a pro rata portion of the Target Number of Units specified on the cover page of this Agreement. The pro rata portion shall be determined in the same manner as provided in Section 4(b) above.

(d)       Change in Control. If a Change in Control occurs while you continue to be a Service Provider and prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date, the following provisions shall apply:

(i)                 If, within 12 months after a Change of Control (A) described in paragraphs (1) or (2) of Section 2(g) of the Plan or (B) that constitutes a Corporate Transaction as defined in paragraph (3) of Section 2(g) of the Plan and in connection with which the surviving or acquiring entity (or its parent entity) has continued, assumed or replaced this Award, you cease to be a Service Provider due either to an involuntary termination for reasons other than Cause or a resignation for Good Reason, then the Units shall be deemed to have been earned and vested as of such termination date to the degree and in the manner provided in Section 4(d)(iii).

(ii)               If this Award is not continued, assumed or replaced in connection with a Change in Control that constitutes a Corporate Transaction, then he Units shall be deemed to have been earned and vested immediately prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction to the degree and in the manner provided in Section 4(d)(iii).

(iii)             The number of Units that would be deemed earned and vested pursuant to Section 4(d)(i) and Section 4(d)(ii) will be equal to the number of Units if the performance goals are deemed to have been satisfied at the target level of performance and the vested portion of the Units at that level of performance is proportionate to the portion of the Performance Period that has elapsed as of the date of the Change in Control or the termination of Service, as applicable,

(iv)              For purposes of this Section 4(d), this Award will be considered assumed or replaced under the circumstances specified in Section 12(b)(1) of the Plan.

(e)       Forfeiture of Unvested Units. To the extent any of Sections 4(a) through (d) is applicable to this Award, any Units that do not vest on the applicable vesting date as provided therein shall immediately be forfeited. If your employment terminates prior to the Scheduled Vesting Date under circumstances other than as set forth in Sections 4(b) through (d), all unvested Units shall immediately be forfeited.

5.       Settlement of Units. As soon as practicable after any date on which Units vest (but no later than the 15^th day of the third calendar month following the vesting date), the Company shall cause to be issued and delivered to you (or to your personal representative or your designated beneficiary or estate in the event of your death, as applicable) one Share in payment and settlement of each vested Unit. Delivery of the Shares shall be effected by the issuance of a stock certificate to you, by an appropriate entry in the stock register maintained by the Company’s transfer agent with a notice of issuance provided to you, or by the electronic delivery of the Shares to a brokerage account you designate, and shall be subject to the tax withholding provisions of Section 7 and compliance with all applicable legal requirements as provided in Section 16(c) of the Plan, and shall be in complete satisfaction and settlement of such vested Units. The Company will pay any original issue or transfer taxes with respect to the issue and transfer of Shares to you pursuant to this Agreement, and all fees and expenses incurred by it in connection therewith. If the Units that vest include a fractional Unit, the Company shall round the number of vested Units to the nearest whole Unit prior to issuance of Shares as provided herein.

6.       Dividend Equivalents. If the Company pays cash dividends on its Shares while any Units subject to this Agreement are outstanding, then on the date this Award vests pursuant to Section 4 above, a Total Dividend Equivalent amount will be credited to your performance stock unit account and shall be deemed reinvested in additional Units (“Dividend Equivalent Units”). The Total Dividend Equivalent amount will be determined by multiplying the number of underlying Units determined to have vested by the per share amount of each cash dividend paid on the Company’s common stock with a record date and payment date occurring between the Grant Date and the applicable vesting date, and adding those products together. Each of those products is referred to as a “Dividend Equivalent Amount.” The number of Dividend Equivalent Units to be credited to your performance stock unit account pursuant to this deemed reinvestment will be determined by dividing each Dividend Equivalent Amount by the Fair Market Value of a share of the Company’s common stock on the applicable dividend payment date, and adding those quotients together. Any Dividend Equivalent Units so credited will be fully vested and subject to settlement with the underlying Units as provided in Section 5 above.

7.       Tax Consequences and Withholding. No Shares will be delivered to you in settlement of vested Units unless you have made arrangements acceptable to the Company for payment of any federal, state, local or foreign withholding taxes that may be due as a result of the delivery of the Shares. You hereby authorize the Company (or any Affiliate) to withhold from payroll or other amounts payable to you any sums required to satisfy such withholding tax obligations, and otherwise agree to satisfy such obligations in accordance with the provisions of Section 14 of the Plan. You may elect to satisfy such withholding tax obligations by having the Company withhold a number of Shares that would otherwise be issued to you in settlement of the Units and that have a fair market value equal to the amount of such withholding tax obligations by notifying the Company of such election prior to the Vesting Date.

8.       Notices. Every notice or other communication relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be mailed to or delivered (including electronically) to the party for whom it is intended at such address as may from time to time be designated by it in a notice mailed or delivered to the other party as herein provided. Unless and until some other address is so designated, all notices or communications by you to the Company shall be mailed or delivered to the Company, to the attention of its Chief Executive Officer, at its office at 5210 E. Williams Circle, Suite 750, Tucson, Arizona 85711, [e-mail address], and all notices or communications by the Company to you may be given to you personally or may be mailed or, if you are still a Service Provider, emailed to you at the address indicated in the Company's records as your most recent mailing or email address.

9.       Additional Provisions.

(a)       No Right to Continued Service. This Agreement does not give you a right to continued Service with the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any such Affiliate may terminate your Service at any time and otherwise deal with you without regard to the effect it may have upon you under this Agreement.

(b)       Governing Plan Document. This Agreement and the Award are subject to all the provisions of the Plan, and to all interpretations, rules and regulations which may, from time to time, be adopted and promulgated by the Committee pursuant to the Plan. If there is any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and the Plan, the provisions of the Plan will govern.

(c)       Governing Law.  This Agreement, the parties’ performance hereunder, and the relationship between them shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the choice of law principles thereof.

(d)       Severability. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable and if any provision of this Agreement is found by any court to be unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remainder of this Agreement shall nevertheless be enforceable and binding on the parties. You also agree that any trier of fact may modify any invalid, overbroad or unenforceable provision of this Agreement so that such provision, as modified, is valid and enforceable under applicable law.

(e)       Binding Effect. This Agreement will be binding in all respects on your heirs, representatives, successors and assigns, and on the successors and assigns of the Company.

(f)       Section 409A of the Code. The Units as provided in this Agreement and any issuance of Shares or payment pursuant to this Agreement are intended to either be exempt from or comply with Section 409A of the Code so as not to subject you to payment of any additional tax, penalty or interest imposed under Section 409A of the Code. The provisions of this Award shall be construed and interpreted to avoid the imputation of any such additional tax, penalty or interest under Section 409A of the Code yet preserve (to the nearest extent reasonably possible) the intended benefit payable to you.

(g)       Compensation Recovery Policy. To the extent that any compensation paid or payable pursuant to this Agreement is considered “incentive-based compensation” within the meaning and subject to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act, such compensation shall be subject to potential forfeiture or recovery by the Company in accordance with any compensation recovery policy adopted by the Board or any committee thereof in response to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any implementing rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the SEC or any national securities exchange on which the Stock is then listed. This Agreement may be unilaterally amended by the Company to comply with any such compensation recovery policy.

(h)       Electronic Delivery and Acceptance. The Company may deliver any documents related to this Restricted Stock Unit Award by electronic means and request your acceptance of this Agreement by electronic means. You hereby consent to receive all applicable documentation by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line (and/or voice activated) system established and maintained by the Company or the Company’s third-party stock plan administrator.

By signing the cover page of this Agreement or otherwise accepting this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all the terms and conditions described above and in the Plan document.

EXHIBIT A

PERFORMANCE GOALS

Exhibit 10.5

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

Incentive Stock Option Award Agreement

AudioEye, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), hereby grants an Option to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock to you, the Participant named below. The terms and conditions of the Option Award are set forth in this Incentive Stock Option Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), consisting of this cover page and the Terms and Conditions on the following pages, and in the Plan document, a copy of which has been provided to you. Any capitalized term that is used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Plan as it currently exists or as it is amended in the future.

By signing below or otherwise evidencing your acceptance of this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all of the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and in the Plan document. You acknowledge that you have received and reviewed these documents and that they set forth the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding your right to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock pursuant to this Option.

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

Incentive Stock Option Award Agreement

Terms and Conditions

1.       Incentive Stock Option. This Option is intended to be an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and will be interpreted accordingly. To the extent that, for any reason, the Option does not qualify as an incentive stock option under Code Section 422, the Option will be treated as a non-statutory stock option, subject to the tax consequences applicable to such options.

(a)       Scheduled Vesting. This Option will vest and become exercisable as to the number of shares of Common Stock (“Shares”) and on the dates specified in the Vesting and Exercise Schedule on the cover page to this Agreement, so long as you remain a Service Provider on such dates. The Vesting and Exercise Schedule is cumulative, meaning that to the extent the Option has not already been exercised and has not expired or been terminated or cancelled, you or the person otherwise entitled to exercise the Option as provided in this Agreement may at any time purchase all or any portion of the Shares subject to the vested portion of the Option.

(b)       Accelerated or Continued Vesting. The vesting of outstanding Options will be accelerated or continued under the circumstances provided below:

(1)                Death. If your Service terminates prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date due to your death, then all of the unvested Options shall vest as of such termination date.

(2)                Disability. If your Service terminates prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date due to your Disability, then a pro rata portion (based on the number of days during which you were a Service Provider since the most recent Scheduled Vesting Date (or since the Grant Date if there was no previous Scheduled Vesting Date) as a percentage of 365) of the Options scheduled to vest as of the next Scheduled Vesting Date shall vest as of such termination date.

(3)                Change in Control. If a Change in Control occurs while you continue to be a Service Provider and prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date, the following provisions shall apply:

(a)             If, within 12 months after a Change of Control (A) described in paragraphs (1) or (2) of Section 2(g) of the Plan or (B) that constitutes a Corporate Transaction as defined in paragraph (3) of Section 2(g) of the Plan and in connection with which the surviving or acquiring entity (or its parent entity) has continued, assumed or replaced this Option, you cease to be a Service Provider due either to an involuntary termination for reasons other than Cause or a resignation for Good Reason, then all unvested Options shall immediately vest in full.

(b)             If this Option is not continued, assumed or replaced in connection with a Change in Control that constitutes a Corporate Transaction, then all unvested Options shall immediately vest in full upon the occurrence of the Change in Control.

(c)             For purposes of this Section 2(b)(3), this Option will be considered assumed or replaced under the circumstances specified in Section 12(b)(1) of the Plan.

(d)             In addition, vesting of this Option may be accelerated during the term of the Option under the circumstances described in Sections 12(b) and 12(c) of the Plan.

3.       Expiration. This Option will expire and will no longer be exercisable at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the earliest of:

(a)                The expiration date specified on the cover page of this Agreement;

(b)                Upon your Termination Date if you are terminated for Cause;

(c)                Upon the expiration of any applicable period specified in Sections 2 and 4 of this Agreement during which this Option may be exercised after your termination of service; or

(d)       The date (if any) fixed for termination or cancellation of this Option pursuant to Section 6(b) of the Plan.

4.       Service Requirement. Except as otherwise provided in Section 6(e) of the Plan or Section 2 of this Agreement, this Option may be exercised only while you continue to provide Service to the Company or any Affiliate, and only if you have continuously provided such Service since the Grant Date of this Option.

5.       Exercise of Option. Subject to Section 4, the vested and exercisable portion of this Option may be exercised in whole or in part at any time during the Option term by delivering a written or electronic notice of exercise to the person or entity designated by the Company, and by providing for payment of the exercise price of the Shares being acquired and any related withholding taxes. The notice of exercise must be in a form approved by the Company and state the number of Shares to be purchased, the method of payment of the aggregate exercise price and the directions for the delivery of the Shares to be acquired, and must be signed or otherwise authenticated by the person exercising the Option. If you are not the person exercising the Option, the person submitting the notice also must submit appropriate proof of his/her right to exercise the Option.

6.       Payment of Exercise Price. When you submit your notice of exercise, you must include payment of the exercise price of the Shares being purchased through one or a combination of the following methods:

(a)                Cash or by promissory note;

(b)                By means of a broker-assisted cashless exercise in which you irrevocably instruct your broker to deliver proceeds of a sale of all or a portion of the Shares to be issued pursuant to the exercise to the Company in payment of the exercise price of such Shares; or

(c)                By delivery to the Company of Shares (by actual delivery or attestation of ownership in a form approved by the Company) already owned by you that are not subject to any security interest and that have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the exercise price of the Shares being purchased.

7.       Tax Consequences. You hereby acknowledge that if any Shares received pursuant to the exercise of any portion of this Option are sold within two years from the Grant Date or within one year from the effective date of exercise of this Option, or if certain other requirements of the Code are not satisfied, such Shares will be deemed under the Code not to have been acquired by you pursuant to an “incentive stock option” as defined in the Code. You agree to promptly notify the Company if you sell any Shares received upon the exercise of this Option within the time periods specified in the previous sentence. The Company shall not be liable to you if this Option for any reason is deemed not to be an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of the Code.

8.       Delivery of Shares. As soon as practicable after the Company receives the notice of exercise and payment of the exercise price as provided above, and has determined that all other conditions to exercise, including compliance with applicable laws, have been satisfied, it shall deliver to the person exercising the Option, in the name of such person, the Shares being purchased, as evidenced by issuance of a stock certificate or certificates, electronic delivery of such Shares to a brokerage account designated by such person, or book-entry registration of such Shares with the Company’s transfer agent. The Company shall pay any original issue or transfer taxes with respect to the issue or transfer of the Shares and all fees and expenses incurred by it in connection therewith. All Shares so issued shall be fully paid and nonassessable.

9.       Transfer of Option. During your lifetime, only you may exercise this Option except in the case of a transfer described below. You may not assign or transfer this Option except for (a) a transfer upon your death in accordance with your will, by the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a beneficiary designation submitted in accordance with Section 6(d) of the Plan, or (b) pursuant to a domestic relations order. The Option held by any such transferee will continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions that were applicable to the Option immediately prior to its transfer and may be exercised by such transferee as and to the extent that the Option has become exercisable and has not terminated in accordance with the provisions of the Plan and this Agreement.

10.       No Stockholder Rights Before Exercise. Neither you nor any permitted transferee of this Option will have any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company with respect to any Shares subject to this Option until a certificate evidencing such Shares has been issued, electronic delivery of such Shares has been made to your designated brokerage account, or an appropriate book entry in the Company's stock register has been made. No adjustments shall be made for dividends or other rights if the applicable record date occurs before your stock certificate has been issued, electronic delivery of your Shares has been made to your designated brokerage account, or an appropriate book entry in the Company’s stock register has been made, except as otherwise described in the Plan.

11.       Notices. Every notice or other communication relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be mailed to or delivered (including electronically) to the party for whom it is intended at such address as may from time to time be designated by it in a notice mailed or delivered to the other party as herein provided. Unless and until some other address is so designated, all notices or communications by you to the Company shall be mailed or delivered to the Company, to the attention of its Chief Executive Officer, at its office at 5210 E. Williams Circle, Suite 750, Tucson, Arizona 85711, [e-mail address], and all notices or communications by the Company to you may be given to you personally or may be mailed or, if you are still a Service Provider, emailed to you at the address indicated in the Company's records as your most recent mailing or email address.

12.       Additional Provisions.

(a)                No Right to Continued Service. This Agreement does not give you a right to continued service with the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any such Affiliate may terminate your Service at any time and otherwise deal with you without regard to the effect it may have upon you under this Agreement.

(b)                Governing Plan Document. This Agreement and Option are subject to all the provisions of the Plan, and to all interpretations, rules and regulations which may, from time to time, be adopted and promulgated by the Committee pursuant to the Plan. If there is any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and the Plan, the provisions of the Plan will govern.

(c)                Governing of Law. This Agreement, the parties’ performance hereunder, and the relationship between them shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the choice of law principles thereof.

(d)                Severability. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable and if any provision of this Agreement is found by any court to be unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remainder of this Agreement shall nevertheless be enforceable and binding on the parties. You also agree that any trier of fact may modify any invalid, overbroad or unenforceable provision of this Agreement so that such provision, as modified, is valid and enforceable under applicable law.

(e)                Binding Effect. This Agreement will be binding in all respects on your heirs, representatives, successors and assigns, and on the successors and assigns of the Company.

(f)                 Other Agreements. You agree that in connection with the exercise of this Option, you will execute such documents as may be necessary to become a party to any stockholder, voting or similar agreements as the Company may require.

(g)                Compensation Recovery Policy. To the extent that any compensation paid or payable pursuant to this Agreement is considered “incentive-based compensation” within the meaning and subject to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act, such compensation shall be subject to potential forfeiture or recovery by the Company in accordance with any compensation recovery policy adopted by the Board or any committee thereof in response to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any implementing rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the SEC or any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed. This Agreement may be unilaterally amended by the Company to comply with any such compensation recovery policy.

(h)                Electronic Delivery and Acceptance. The Company may deliver any documents related to this Option Award by electronic means and request your acceptance of this Agreement by electronic means. You hereby consent to receive all applicable documentation by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line (and/or voice activated) system established and maintained by the Company or the Company’s third-party stock plan administrator.

By signing the cover page of this Agreement or otherwise accepting this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all the terms and conditions described above and in the Plan document.

Exhibit 10.6

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

Non-Qualified Stock Option Award Agreement

AudioEye, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), hereby grants an Option to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock to you, the Participant named below. The terms and conditions of the Option Award are set forth in this Non-Qualified Stock Option Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), consisting of this cover page and the Terms and Conditions on the following pages, and in the Plan document, a copy of which has been provided to you. Any capitalized term that is used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Plan as it currently exists or as it is amended in the future.

By signing below or otherwise evidencing your acceptance of this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all of the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and in the Plan document. You acknowledge that you have received and reviewed these documents and that they set forth the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding your right to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock pursuant to this Option.

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

Non-Qualified Stock Option Award Agreement

Terms and Conditions

1.       Non-Qualified Stock Option. This Option is not intended to be an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code and will be interpreted accordingly.

(a)       Scheduled Vesting. This Option will vest and become exercisable as to the number of shares of Common Stock (“Shares”) and on the dates specified in the Vesting and Exercise Schedule on the cover page to this Agreement, so long as you remain a Service Provider on such dates. The Vesting and Exercise Schedule is cumulative, meaning that to the extent the Option has not already been exercised and has not expired or been terminated or cancelled, you or the person otherwise entitled to exercise the Option as provided in this Agreement may at any time purchase all or any portion of the Shares subject to the vested portion of the Option.

(b)       Accelerated or Continued Vesting. The vesting of outstanding Options will be accelerated or continued under the circumstances provided below:

(1)                Death. If your Service terminates prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date due to your death, then all of the unvested Options shall vest as of such termination date.

(2)                Disability. If your Service terminates prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date due to your Disability, then a pro rata portion (based on the number of days during which you were a Service Provider since the most recent Scheduled Vesting Date (or since the Grant Date if there was no previous Scheduled Vesting Date) as a percentage of 365) of the Options scheduled to vest as of the next Scheduled Vesting Date shall vest as of such termination date.

(3)                Change in Control. If a Change in Control occurs while you continue to be a Service Provider and prior to the final Scheduled Vesting Date, the following provisions shall apply:

(a)             If, within 12 months after a Change of Control (A) described in paragraphs (1) or (2) of Section 2(g) of the Plan or (B) that constitutes a Corporate Transaction as defined in paragraph (3) of Section 2(g) of the Plan and in connection with which the surviving or acquiring entity (or its parent entity) has continued, assumed or replaced this Option, you cease to be a Service Provider due either to an involuntary termination for reasons other than Cause or a resignation for Good Reason, then all unvested Options shall immediately vest in full.

(b)             If this Option is not continued, assumed or replaced in connection with a Change in Control that constitutes a Corporate Transaction, then all unvested Options shall immediately vest in full upon the occurrence of the Change in Control.

(c)             For purposes of this Section 2(b)(3), this Option will be considered assumed or replaced under the circumstances specified in Section 12(b)(1) of the Plan.

(d)             In addition, vesting of this Option may be accelerated during the term of the Option under the circumstances described in Sections 12(b) and 12(c) of the Plan.

3.       Expiration. This Option will expire and will no longer be exercisable at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the earliest of:

(a)                The expiration date specified on the cover page of this Agreement;

(b)                Upon your Termination Date if you are terminated for Cause;

(c)                Upon the expiration of any applicable period specified in Sections 2 and 4 of this Agreement during which this Option may be exercised after your termination of service; or

(d)       The date (if any) fixed for termination or cancellation of this Option pursuant to Section 6(b) of the Plan.

4.       Service Requirement. Except as otherwise provided in Section 6(e) of the Plan or Section 2 of this Agreement, this Option may be exercised only while you continue to provide Service to the Company or any Affiliate, and only if you have continuously provided such Service since the Grant Date of this Option.

5.       Exercise of Option. Subject to Section 4, the vested and exercisable portion of this Option may be exercised in whole or in part at any time during the Option term by delivering a written or electronic notice of exercise to the person or entity designated by the Company, and by providing for payment of the exercise price of the Shares being acquired and any related withholding taxes. The notice of exercise must be in a form approved by the Company and state the number of Shares to be purchased, the method of payment of the aggregate exercise price and the directions for the delivery of the Shares to be acquired, and must be signed or otherwise authenticated by the person exercising the Option. If you are not the person exercising the Option, the person submitting the notice also must submit appropriate proof of his/her right to exercise the Option.

6.       Payment of Exercise Price. When you submit your notice of exercise, you must include payment of the exercise price of the Shares being purchased through one or a combination of the following methods:

(a)                Cash or by promissory note;

(b)                By means of a broker-assisted cashless exercise in which you irrevocably instruct your broker to deliver proceeds of a sale of all or a portion of the Shares to be issued pursuant to the exercise to the Company in payment of the exercise price of such Shares;

(c)                By delivery to the Company of Shares (by actual delivery or attestation of ownership in a form approved by the Company) already owned by you that are not subject to any security interest and that have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the exercise price of the Shares being purchased; or

(d)                By authorizing the Company to retain, from the total number of Shares as to which the Option is being exercised, that number of Shares having a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the exercise price for the total number of Shares as to which the Option is being exercised.

7.       Withholding Taxes. You may not exercise this Option in whole or in part unless you make arrangements acceptable to the Company for payment of any federal, state, local or foreign withholding taxes that may be due as a result of the exercise of this Option. You hereby authorize the Company (or its Affiliates) to withhold from payroll or other amounts payable to you any sums required to satisfy such withholding tax obligations, and otherwise agree to satisfy such obligations in accordance with the provisions of Section 10(b) of the Plan. You may satisfy such withholding tax obligations by delivering Shares you already own or by having the Company retain a portion of the Shares being acquired upon exercise of the Option, provided you notify the Company in advance of any exercise of your desire to pay withholding taxes in this manner. Delivery of Shares upon exercise of this Option is subject to the satisfaction of applicable withholding tax obligations.

8.       Delivery of Shares. As soon as practicable after the Company receives the notice of exercise and payment of the exercise price as provided above, and has determined that all other conditions to exercise, including satisfaction of any withholding obligations and compliance with applicable laws, have been satisfied, it shall deliver to the person exercising the Option, in the name of such person, the Shares being purchased, as evidenced by issuance of a stock certificate or certificates, electronic delivery of such Shares to a brokerage account designated by such person, or book-entry registration of such Shares with the Company’s transfer agent. The Company shall pay any original issue or transfer taxes with respect to the issue or transfer of the Shares and all fees and expenses incurred by it in connection therewith. All Shares so issued shall be fully paid and nonassessable.

9.       Transfer of Option. During your lifetime, only you may exercise this Option except in the case of a transfer described below. You may not assign or transfer this Option except for (a) a transfer upon your death in accordance with your will, by the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a beneficiary designation submitted in accordance with Section 6(d) of the Plan, or (b) pursuant to a domestic relations order. The Option held by any such transferee will continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions that were applicable to the Option immediately prior to its transfer and may be exercised by such transferee as and to the extent that the Option has become exercisable and has not terminated in accordance with the provisions of the Plan and this Agreement.

10.       No Stockholder Rights Before Exercise. Neither you nor any permitted transferee of this Option will have any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company with respect to any Shares subject to this Option until a certificate evidencing such Shares has been issued, electronic delivery of such Shares has been made to your designated brokerage account, or an appropriate book entry in the Company's stock register has been made. No adjustments shall be made for dividends or other rights if the applicable record date occurs before your stock certificate has been issued, electronic delivery of your Shares has been made to your designated brokerage account, or an appropriate book entry in the Company’s stock register has been made, except as otherwise described in the Plan.

11.       Notices. Every notice or other communication relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be mailed to or delivered (including electronically) to the party for whom it is intended at such address as may from time to time be designated by it in a notice mailed or delivered to the other party as herein provided. Unless and until some other address is so designated, all notices or communications by you to the Company shall be mailed or delivered to the Company, to the attention of its Chief Executive Officer, at its office at 5210 E. Williams Circle, Suite 750, Tucson, Arizona 85711, [e-mail address], and all notices or communications by the Company to you may be given to you personally or may be mailed or, if you are still a Service Provider, emailed to you at the address indicated in the Company's records as your most recent mailing or email address.

12.       Additional Provisions.

(a)                No Right to Continued Service. This Agreement does not give you a right to continued service with the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any such Affiliate may terminate your Service at any time and otherwise deal with you without regard to the effect it may have upon you under this Agreement.

(b)                Governing Plan Document. This Agreement and Option are subject to all the provisions of the Plan, and to all interpretations, rules and regulations which may, from time to time, be adopted and promulgated by the Committee pursuant to the Plan. If there is any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and the Plan, the provisions of the Plan will govern.

(c)                Governing of Law. This Agreement, the parties’ performance hereunder, and the relationship between them shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the choice of law principles thereof.

(d)                Severability. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable and if any provision of this Agreement is found by any court to be unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remainder of this Agreement shall nevertheless be enforceable and binding on the parties. You also agree that any trier of fact may modify any invalid, overbroad or unenforceable provision of this Agreement so that such provision, as modified, is valid and enforceable under applicable law.

(e)                Binding Effect. This Agreement will be binding in all respects on your heirs, representatives, successors and assigns, and on the successors and assigns of the Company.

(f)                 Other Agreements. You agree that in connection with the exercise of this Option, you will execute such documents as may be necessary to become a party to any stockholder, voting or similar agreements as the Company may require.

(g)                Compensation Recovery Policy. To the extent that any compensation paid or payable pursuant to this Agreement is considered “incentive-based compensation” within the meaning and subject to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act, such compensation shall be subject to potential forfeiture or recovery by the Company in accordance with any compensation recovery policy adopted by the Board or any committee thereof in response to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any implementing rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the SEC or any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed. This Agreement may be unilaterally amended by the Company to comply with any such compensation recovery policy.

(h)                Electronic Delivery and Acceptance. The Company may deliver any documents related to this Option Award by electronic means and request your acceptance of this Agreement by electronic means. You hereby consent to receive all applicable documentation by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line (and/or voice activated) system established and maintained by the Company or the Company’s third-party stock plan administrator.

By signing the cover page of this Agreement or otherwise accepting this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all the terms and conditions described above and in the Plan document.

Exhibit 10.7

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

Other Stock-Based Award Agreement

AudioEye, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), hereby grants an Other Stock-Based Award of Common Stock to you, the Participant named below. The terms and conditions of this Award are set forth in this Other Stock-Based Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), consisting of this cover page and the Terms and Conditions on the following pages, and in the Plan document, a copy of which has been provided to you. Any capitalized term that is used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Plan as it currently exists or as it is amended in the future.

By signing below or otherwise evidencing your acceptance of this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all of the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and in the Plan document. You acknowledge that you have received and reviewed these documents and that they set forth the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding this Award of Common Stock.

AUDIOEYE, INC.

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

Other Stock-Based Award Agreement

Terms and Conditions

1.       Grant of Common Stock. The Company hereby confirms the grant to you, as of the Grant Date and subject to the terms and conditions in this Agreement and the Plan, of the number of shares of Common Stock specified on the cover page of this Agreement (the “Shares”).

2.       Issuance of Shares. The Company shall, as soon as practicable (but no later than the 15^th day of the third calendar month following the Grant Date), cause to be issued and delivered to you (or to your personal representative or your designated beneficiary or estate in the event of your death, as applicable) the Shares. Delivery of the Shares shall be effected by the issuance of a stock certificate to you, by an appropriate entry in the stock register maintained by the Company’s transfer agent with a notice of issuance provided to you, or by the electronic delivery of the Shares to a brokerage account you designate, and shall be subject to the tax withholding provisions of Section 3 and compliance with all applicable legal requirements as provided in Section 16(c) of the Plan, and shall be in complete satisfaction and payment of such Shares. The Company will pay any original issue or transfer taxes with respect to the issue and transfer of Shares to you pursuant to this Agreement, and all fees and expenses incurred by it in connection therewith.

3.       Tax Consequences and Withholding. No Shares will be delivered to you unless you have made arrangements acceptable to the Company for payment of any federal, state, local or foreign withholding taxes that may be due as a result of the delivery of the Shares. You hereby authorize the Company (or any Affiliate) to withhold from payroll or other amounts payable to you any sums required to satisfy such withholding tax obligations, and otherwise agree to satisfy such obligations in accordance with the provisions of Section 14 of the Plan. You may elect to satisfy such withholding tax obligations by having the Company withhold a number of Shares that would otherwise be issued to you in settlement of this Award and that have a fair market value equal to the amount of such withholding tax obligations by notifying the Company of such election on the Grant Date.

4.       Notices. Every notice or other communication relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be mailed to or delivered (including electronically) to the party for whom it is intended at such address as may from time to time be designated by it in a notice mailed or delivered to the other party as herein provided. Unless and until some other address is so designated, all notices or communications by you to the Company shall be mailed or delivered to the Company, to the attention of its Chief Executive Officer, at its office at 5210 E. Williams Circle, Suite 750, Tucson, Arizona 85711, [e-mail address], and all notices or communications by the Company to you may be given to you personally or may be mailed or, if you are still a Service Provider, emailed to you at the address indicated in the Company's records as your most recent mailing or email address.

5.       Additional Provisions.

(a)       No Right to Continued Service. This Agreement does not give you a right to continued Service with the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any such Affiliate may terminate your Service at any time and otherwise deal with you without regard to the effect it may have upon you under this Agreement.

(b)       Fractional Shares. In lieu of issuing a fraction of a share of Common Stock pursuant to this Award, the Company shall round up to the nearest whole share.

(c)       Governing Plan Document. This Agreement and the Award are subject to all the provisions of the Plan, and to all interpretations, rules and regulations which may, from time to time, be adopted and promulgated by the Committee pursuant to the Plan. If there is any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and the Plan, the provisions of the Plan will govern.

(d)       Governing Law.  This Agreement, the parties’ performance hereunder, and the relationship between them shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the choice of law principles thereof.

(e)       Severability. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable and if any provision of this Agreement is found by any court to be unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remainder of this Agreement shall nevertheless be enforceable and binding on the parties. You also agree that any trier of fact may modify any invalid, overbroad or unenforceable provision of this Agreement so that such provision, as modified, is valid and enforceable under applicable law.

(f)       Binding Effect. This Agreement will be binding in all respects on your heirs, representatives, successors and assigns, and on the successors and assigns of the Company.

(g)       Section 409A of the Code. The Shares as provided in this Agreement and any issuance of Shares or payment pursuant to this Agreement are intended to either be exempt from or comply with Section 409A of the Code so as not to subject you to payment of any additional tax, penalty or interest imposed under Section 409A of the Code. The provisions of this Award shall be construed and interpreted to avoid the imputation of any such additional tax, penalty or interest under Section 409A of the Code yet preserve (to the nearest extent reasonably possible) the intended benefit payable to you.

(h)       Compensation Recovery Policy. To the extent that any compensation paid or payable pursuant to this Agreement is considered “incentive-based compensation” within the meaning and subject to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act, such compensation shall be subject to potential forfeiture or recovery by the Company in accordance with any compensation recovery policy adopted by the Board or any committee thereof in response to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any implementing rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the SEC or any national securities exchange on which the Stock is then listed. This Agreement may be unilaterally amended by the Company to comply with any such compensation recovery policy.

(i)       Electronic Delivery and Acceptance. The Company may deliver any documents related to this Other Stock-Based Award by electronic means and request your acceptance of this Agreement by electronic means. You hereby consent to receive all applicable documentation by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line (and/or voice activated) system established and maintained by the Company or the Company’s third-party stock plan administrator.

By signing the cover page of this Agreement or otherwise accepting this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all the terms and conditions described above and in the Plan document.