As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2017

Registration No.         

 
 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM F-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

     
Isle of Man 7822 Not Applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

550 County Avenue
Secaucus, New Jersey 07094
(201) 558-9021

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

Prem Parameswaran

550 County Avenue
Secaucus, New Jersey 07094
(201) 558-9021

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

Copy to:

   
Peter W. Wardle
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
333 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071
tel: (213) 229-7242
fax: (213) 229-6242
 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time on or after the effective date of this registration statement.

If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box:  

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box: 

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering:  

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering:  

If this form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box:  

If this form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box:  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.

Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act .

† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 
Title of Each Class of
Securities to be Registered
  Amount
to be
Registered(1)
  Proposed
Maximum
Offering Price
Per Unit(2)
  Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price(2)
  Amount of
Registration Fee
A ordinary shares, par value GBP 0.30 per share                
Warrants                
Debt Securities                
TOTAL           $350,000,000.00   $40,565.00
 
 

 

(1) There are being registered under this Registration Statement an indeterminate number of A ordinary shares, warrants, and debt securities as may be sold by the registrant from time to time, which together shall have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $350,000,000.00. Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as units with the other securities registered hereunder.  The proposed maximum offering price per unit will be determined from time to time by the registrant in connection with the issuance by the registrant of the securities registered hereunder.  Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the registrant is also registering such additional indeterminate number of A ordinary shares as may become issuable as a result of share splits, share dividends or similar transactions.  The proposed maximum aggregate offering price per class of security will be determined from time to time by the registrant in connection with the issuance by the registrant of the securities registered hereunder and is not specified as to each class of security pursuant to General Instruction II.C of Form F-3 under the Securities Act.
(2) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee under Rule 457(o) of the Securities Act.

The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may determine.

 

 

 

 

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Subject to Completion, Dated August 4, 2017

PROSPECTUS

 

 

EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC

 

A Ordinary Shares
Warrants
Debt Securities

_____________

 

We may offer to sell A ordinary shares, warrants or debt securities, and we may offer and sell these securities from time to time in one or more offerings. The aggregate initial offering price of all securities sold under this prospectus will not exceed $350,000,000.00.

Each time we sell securities hereunder, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the terms of the offering, including the price at which we are offering the securities to the public. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained or incorporated in this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated by reference, before buying any of the securities being offered.

The brokers or dealers through or to whom the securities may be sold may be deemed underwriters of the shares within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in which event all brokerage commissions or discounts and other compensation received by those brokers or dealers may be deemed to be underwriting compensation. To the extent required, the names of any underwriters and applicable commissions or discounts and any other required information with respect to any particular sale will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement. See “Plan of Distribution” for a further description of how the selling shareholder may dispose of the securities covered by this prospectus.

Our A ordinary shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “EROS.” We are an “emerging growth company” under federal securities laws and may elect to comply with reduced public company reporting requirements. On July 31, 2017, the last reported sales price of a share of our A ordinary shares on the New York Stock Exchange was $10.00. Our principal executive offices are located at 550 County Avenue, Secaucus, New Jersey 07094 and the telephone number of our principal executive offices is +1 (201) 558-9021.

 

 

 

This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell any securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. YOU SHOULD REVIEW CAREFULLY THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES DESCRIBED UNDER THE HEADING “RISK FACTORS” CONTAINED HEREIN ON PAGE 4 AND IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND ANY FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS, AND IN ANY OTHER DOCUMENT INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE HEREIN OR THEREIN.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

The date of this prospectus is                     , 2017.

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS 3
RISK FACTORS 4
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 4
COMPANY OVERVIEW 6
USE OF PROCEEDS 8
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES 9
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES 10
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES 14
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS 16
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION 17
LEGAL MATTERS 19
EXPERTS 19
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION 19
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE 19
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES 21

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The distribution of this prospectus may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. You should inform yourself about and observe any of these restrictions. If you are in a jurisdiction where offers to sell, or solicitations of offers to purchase, the securities offered by this document are unlawful, or if you are a person to whom it is unlawful to direct these types of activities, then the offer presented in this prospectus does not extend to you.

This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

This prospectus and any accompanying supplement to this prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate.

We have not authorized anyone to give any information or make any representation about us that is different from, or in addition to, that contained in this prospectus, including in any of the materials that we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement, and any free writing prospectus prepared or authorized by us. Therefore, if anyone does give you information of this sort, you should not rely on it as authorized by us. You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.

You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying supplement to this prospectus or free writing prospectus is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of the document or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus and any accompanying supplement to this prospectus is delivered or securities are sold on a later date.  Neither the delivery of this prospectus, nor any sale made hereunder, shall under any circumstances create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs since the date hereof or that the information incorporated by reference herein is correct as of any time subsequent to the date of such information.

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form F-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, offer and sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. The aggregate initial offering price of all securities sold under this prospectus will not exceed $350,000,000.00.

The types of securities that we may offer and sell, from time to time, pursuant to this prospectus are:

· A ordinary shares; 
· warrants; and 
· debt securities.

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time we sell securities pursuant to this prospectus, we will describe, in a prospectus supplement which we will deliver with this prospectus, specific information about the offering and the terms of the particular securities offered. In each prospectus supplement, we will include the following information, if applicable:

· the type and amount of securities that we propose to sell; 
· the initial public offering price per share of the securities; 
· the names of any underwriters, agents or dealers through or to whom the securities will be sold; 
· any compensation of those underwriters, agents or dealers; 
· any additional risk factors applicable to the securities or our business and operations; and 
· any other material information about the offering and sale of the securities.

In addition, the prospectus supplement may also add, update or change the information contained or incorporated in this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will supersede this prospectus to the extent it contains information that is different from, or that conflicts with, the information contained or incorporated in this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. You should read and consider all information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you) in making your investment decision. You should also read and consider the information contained in the documents identified under the heading “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference” and “Where You Can Find More Information” in this prospectus.

This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the heading “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” “Eros” and similar terms refer to Eros International, Plc, an Isle of Man private limited company, and its consolidated subsidiaries.

All references in this prospectus to “dollars” or “$” are to United States dollars.

All references in this prospectus to “pounds” or “£” are to British pound sterling.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks, uncertainties and other factors described in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, as supplemented and updated by subsequent Current Reports on Form 6-K that we have filed or will file with the SEC, and in other documents which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as well as the risk factors and other information contained in or incorporated by reference into any accompanying prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus.

If any of these risks were to occur, our business, affairs, prospects, assets, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. If this occurs, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. For more information about our SEC filings, please see “Where You Can Find More Information.”

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or any document incorporated by reference may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and such statements are subject to the safe harbors created thereby. These forward-looking statements relate to matters such as our industry, business strategy, goals and expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, capital expenditures, liquidity, capital resources and other financial and operating information. We have used the words “approximately,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will” and similar terms and phrases to identify forward-looking statements in this prospectus. All of our forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that we are expecting, including, without limitation:

· anonymous letters, to regulators or business associates or anonymous allegations on social media regarding our business practices, accounting practices and/or officers and directors;
· our ability to successfully defend class action law suits we are party to in the U.S.;
· our ability to successfully and cost-effectively source film content;
· our ability to maintain or raise sufficient capital;
· delays, cost overruns, cancellation or abandonment of the completion or release of our films;
· our ability to predict the popularity of our films, or changing consumer tastes;
· our dependence on our relationships with theater operators and other industry participants to exploit our film content;
· our ability to maintain existing rights, and to acquire new rights, to film content;
· our dependence on the Indian box office success of our Hindi and high budget Tamil and Telugu films;
· our ability to achieve the desired growth rate of Eros Now, our digital OTT entertainment service;
· our ability to recoup the full amount of box office revenues to which we are entitled due to underreporting of box office receipts by theater operators;
· our ability to mitigate risks relating to distribution and collection in international markets;
· fluctuation in the value of the Indian Rupee against foreign currencies;
· our ability to compete in the Indian film industry;
· our ability to compete with other forms of entertainment;
· the impact of a new amendment to accounting standards for the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers;
· our ability to combat piracy and to protect our intellectual property;
· our ability to achieve or maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting;
· contingent liabilities that may materialize, including our exposure to liabilities on account of unfavorable judgments/decisions in relation to legal proceedings involving us or our subsidiaries and certain of our directors and officers;
· our ability to successfully respond to technological changes;

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· regulatory changes in the Indian film industry and our ability to respond to them;
· our ability to satisfy debt obligations, fund working capital and pay dividends;
· the monetary and fiscal policies of India and other countries around the world, inflation, deflation, unanticipated turbulence in interest rates, foreign exchange rates, equity prices or other rates or prices;
· our ability to address the risks associated with acquisition opportunities; and
· our ability to respond to the challenges relating to international distribution of our films and related products.

The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and any document incorporated by reference are based on historical performance and management’s current plans, estimates and expectations in light of information currently available to us and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in global, regional or local political, economic, business, competitive, market, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. We believe that these factors include those described in “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and any document incorporated by reference. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove to be incorrect, our actual results may vary in material respects from what we may have expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We caution that you should not place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and any document incorporated by reference speaks only as of the date on which we make it. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

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COMPANY OVERVIEW

Our Company

Eros International Plc is a leading global company in the Indian film entertainment industry, which co-produces, acquires and distributes Indian language films in multiple formats worldwide. The Company was founded in 1977 and is one of the oldest companies in the Indian film industry to focus on international markets. We believe we are pioneers in our business. Our success is built on the relationships we have cultivated over the past 40 years with leading talent, production companies, exhibitors and other key participants in our industry. By leveraging these relationships, we have aggregated rights to over 3,000 films in our library, including recent and classic titles that span different genres, budgets and languages. Eros Now, our digital over-the-top entertainment service, has rights to over 10,000 films across Hindi and regional languages from Eros’s internal library and third party aggregated content, which we believe makes it one of the largest Indian movie offering platforms around the world.

Eros Now is focused on offering quality content, including Indian films, music and original shows, opening new markets, delivering consumer-friendly product features such as offline viewing and subtitles and adopting a platform agnostic distribution strategy on Android and iOS platforms across mobile, tablets, cable or internet, including through deals with original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs. Eros Now has over 60 million registered users across WAP, APP and Web and had 2.1 million paying subscribers at the end of fiscal year 2017. While a majority of registered users are from India, Eros Now has registered users in 135 different countries. Eros Now has rights to over 10,000 films, and 250,000 music tracks from 13 different labels. Eros Now’s service is integrated with some of India’s leading telecom operators, Bharti-Airtel, Idea Cellular, Reliance Jio, Vodafone and BSNL and has partnered with Micromax, Samsung and Smartron to pre-bundle Eros Now in smart phones to be sold in India. The focus for Eros Now is monetization of its global user base and it has a target to achieve 6 to 8 million paying subscribers by the end of fiscal year 2018.

Our portfolio of films over the last three completed fiscal years comprised 173 films. In fiscal year 2017 we released 45 films in total either in India, overseas or both. These comprised 12 Hindi films, 16 Tamil films and 17 regional language films. The Company’s strong portfolio of films drove theatrical, television and digital/ancillary revenues worldwide with Ki & Ka, Housefull 3, Baar Baar Dekho, Kahaani 2 (Overseas), Sardaar Gabbar Singh, 24 (Tamil), Janatha Garage and Dishoom . In addition to this, Srimanthudu , released in fiscal year 2016 was the second highest Telugu grossing film of all time, according to www.123telugu.com. For fiscal year 2017, our aggregate revenues were $253 million and were derived from theatrical, television syndication and digital and ancillary distribution channels, globally.

We won over 189 awards in fiscal year 2015, 2016 and 2017, including Best Studio of the Year 2016 and Excellence in International Distribution. Some of our films from fiscal year 2017 that won awards include – Dishoom , Baar Baar Dekho , Phobia , Nil Battey Sannata , Parktan , Olappeeppei . Further, our films won Best Film, Best Director, Best Story, Best Actor, Best Music, Best Special Effects and Best Child Actor awards, to name a few. Bajrangi Bhaijaan won 37 awards including the 63 rd National Award for Popular Film. Bajirao Mastani won over 78 award titles including National Award for Best Director. Tanu Weds Manu Returns won 18 awards including National Award for Best Female Actor in a Leading Role, Hero won seven awards and Badlapur won seven awards. Our Malayalam film Pathemari also won a National Award for Best Malayalam Film.

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Indian films have a global appeal and their popularity has been increasing in many countries that consume dubbed and subtitled foreign content in local languages. These markets include Germany, Poland, Russia, France, Italy, Spain, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, the Middle East, Latin America, among others. Additionally, there is a large established Indian diaspora in North America which has a strong interest in the content of the Indian film industry. In all these markets it is the locals who are neither English nor Hindi speaking who view Bollywood content in a dubbed or subtitled version in their language, just as they view Hollywood content. In markets with large South Asian populations, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, comScore reported our market share (as an average over the preceding six calendar years to 2016) as 31% of all theatrically released Indian language films in the United Kingdom and the United States, based on gross collections. China is increasingly becoming an important market and we expect to release select films from our slate for wider release into China. In fiscal year 2017, a Bollywood film Dangal was released in China across 9,000 screens and grossed about $180 million at the box office. As per information published by Campaign Asia-Pacific, based on data from PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Global Entertainment and Media Report 2016-2020, China is expected to overtake the U.S. box office this year. The China box office grew 49% in 2015 to $6.3 billion and was expected to have grown to $10.3 billion this year. In comparison the U.S. box office was expected to contract from $10.3 billion to $10 billion this year. Hollywood’s share of Chinese box office has slipped to 38.4% in 2015 from 45.5% in 2014. In early 2014 China had just under 19,000 screens and by end of 2015 that number grew to almost 32,000. Overall China is propelling Asia-Pacific’s growth (including Indonesia, Malaysia) with box office revenue across Asia-Pacific expected to grow to $21.11 billion in 2020 and this continues to emerge as an important growth market for the Indian film industry.

We formed Trinity Pictures in fiscal year 2015 as what we believe to be one of India’s first dedicated franchise studios that creates valuable intellectual property around powerful character and plot-driven franchises and monetizes these properties across films, merchandising, and gaming amongst others. Trinity Pictures has five franchises across new and diverse genres lined up in the next couple of years – a spy-superhero film, Sniff directed by Amole Gupte, a live action tri-lingual (Hindi, Telugu and Tamil) elephant film to be directed by multiple award winning Tamil director, Prabhu Solomon, ace director Krish’s buddy cop film which will be shot in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously, featuring popular lead actors from both South Indian and the Hindi film Industry and two Indo-China co-productions, a first for any Indian studio – Kabir Khan’s travel drama and Siddharth Anand’s cross-cultural romantic comedy currently titled Love in Beijing .

Our distribution capabilities enable us to target a majority of the 1.3 billion people in India, our primary market for Hindi language films, where, according to bollywoodhungama.com, we participated in two, seven and four films of the top fifteen grossing films in India, in calendar year 2016, 2015 and 2014 respectively. Our distribution capabilities further enable us to target consumers in over 50 countries internationally, including markets with large South Asian populations, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, where comScore reported our market share (as an average over the preceding six calendar years to 2016) as 31% of all theatrically released Indian language films in the United Kingdom and the United States, based on gross collections. Other international markets that exhibit significant demand for subtitled or dubbed Indian-themed entertainment include Europe and South East Asia. Depending on the film, the distribution rights we acquire may be global, international or confined to India only. Recently, as demand for regional film and other media has increased in India, our brand recognition in Hindi films has helped us to grow our non-Hindi film business by targeting regional audiences in India and overseas. With our distribution network for Hindi and Tamil films and additional distribution support through our majority owned subsidiary, Ayngaran, we believe we are well positioned to expand our offering of non-Hindi content.

We distribute our film content globally across the following distribution channels: theatrical, which includes multiplex chains and stand-alone theaters; television syndication, which includes satellite television broadcasting, cable television and terrestrial television; and digital and ancillary, which primarily includes music, inflight entertainment, home video, internet protocol television, or IPTV, video on demand, or VOD, internet channels and Eros Now.

Company Information

Eros International Plc is a company limited by shares incorporated in the Isle of Man, company number 007466V. We maintain our registered office at Victoria Road, Douglas, Isle of Man IM2 4DF, and our principal executive office in the U.S. is at 550 County Avenue, Secaucus, New Jersey 07094, and our telephone number is +1(201) 558-9021. We maintain a website at  www.erosplc.com . Information contained in our website is not a part of, and is not incorporated by reference into, this prospectus. You should only rely on the information contained in this prospectus when making a decision as to whether or not to invest in our securities.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We will retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the net proceeds from the sale of the securities will be used to fund new co-productions and acquisitions of Hindi and regional film library content and film-related content, to grow our digital distribution channel, and to maintain and further strengthen our other distribution channels.

 

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth our historical ratios of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated. This information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

    Year Ended
    March 31,
2017
  March 31,
2016
  March 31,
2015
  March 31,
2014
  March 31,
2013
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges   1.15x   1.90x   5.79x   5.04x   7.35x

We compute the ratio of earnings to fixed charges by dividing (i) earnings, which consists of income from continuing operations before income taxes plus fixed charges, by (ii) fixed charges, which consist of interest expense, capitalized interest, amortization of debt issue costs and discounting.

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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

Description of A Ordinary Shares

We were incorporated in the Isle of Man as Eros International Plc on March 31, 2006 under the 1931 Act, as a public company limited by shares. Effective as of September 29, 2011, we were de-registered under the 1931 Act and re-registered as a company limited by shares under the 2006 Act. The 2006 Act provides that re-registration does not prejudice or affect in any way the continuity or legal validity of a company.

Unless our board of directors shall otherwise direct, the share capital available for issue is GBP 25,000,000 divided into 83,333,333 ordinary shares designated as either A ordinary shares or B ordinary shares. The maximum number of B ordinary shares which may be issued is 13,712,715 B ordinary shares.

On August 1, 2017, 47,047,360 A ordinary shares and 13,712,715 B ordinary shares were issued and outstanding.

The following is a description of the material provisions of our ordinary shares and the other material terms of our articles of association and certain provisions of Isle of Man law. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of our articles of association, copies of which have been filed with the SEC.

Dividends

Holders of our A ordinary shares and B ordinary shares whose names appear on the register on the date on which a dividend is declared by our board of directors are entitled to such dividends according to the shareholders’ respective rights and interests in our profits and subject to the satisfaction of the solvency test contained in the 2006 Act. Any such dividend is payable on the date declared by our board of directors, or on any other date specified by our board of directors. Under the 2006 Act, a company satisfies the solvency test if (a) it is able to pay its debts as they become due in the normal course of its business and (b) the value of its assets exceeds the value of its liabilities. Under certain circumstances, if dividend payments are returned to us undelivered or left uncashed, we will not be obligated to send further dividends or other payments with respect to such ordinary shares until that shareholder notifies us of an address to be used for the purpose. In the discretion of our board of directors, all dividends unclaimed for a period of twelve months may be invested or otherwise used by our board of directors for our benefit until claimed (and we are not a trustee of such unclaimed funds) and all dividends unclaimed for a period of twelve years after having become due for payment may be forfeited and revert to us.

Voting Rights

Each A ordinary share is entitled to one vote on all matters upon which the ordinary shares are entitled to vote, and each B ordinary share is entitled to ten votes. In order to vote at any meeting of shareholders, a holder of B ordinary shares will first be required to certify that it is a permitted holder as defined in our articles.

General Meetings

Unless unanimously approved by all shareholders entitled to attend and vote at the meeting, all general meetings for the approval of a resolution appointing a director may be convened by our board of directors with at least 21 days’ notice (excluding the date of notice and the date of the general meeting), and any other general meeting may be convened by our board of directors with at least 14 days’ notice (excluding the date of notice and the date of the general meeting). A quorum required for any general meeting consists of shareholders holding at least 30% of our issued share capital. The concept of “ordinary,” “special” and “extraordinary” resolutions is not recognized under the 2006 Act, and resolutions passed at a meeting of shareholders only require the approval of shareholders present in person or by proxy, holding in excess of 50% of the voting rights exercised in relation thereto. However, as permitted under the 2006 Act, our articles of association incorporate the concept of a “special resolution” (requiring the approval of shareholders holding 75% or more of the voting rights exercised in relation thereto) in relation to certain matters, such as directing the management of our business (subject to the provisions of the 2006 Act and our articles), sanctioning a transfer or sale of the whole or part of our business or property to another company (pursuant to the relevant section of the 1931 Act) and allocating any shares or other consideration among the shareholders in the event of a winding up.

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Rights to Share in Dividends

Our shareholders have the right to a proportionate share of any dividends we declare.

Limitations on Right to Hold Shares

Our board of directors may determine that any person owning shares (directly or beneficially) constitutes a “prohibited person” and is not qualified to own shares if such person is in breach of any law or requirement of any country and, as determined solely by our board of directors, such ownership would cause a pecuniary or tax disadvantage to us, another shareholder or any of our other securities. Our board of directors may direct the prohibited person to transfer the shares to another person who is not a prohibited person. Any such determination made or action taken by our board of directors is conclusive and binding on all persons concerned, although in the event of such a transfer, the net proceeds of the sale of the relevant shares, after payment of our costs of the sale, shall be paid by us to the previous registered holders of such shares or, if reasonable inquiries failed to disclose the location of such registered holders, into a trust account at a bank designated by us, the associated costs of which shall be borne by such trust account. A prohibited person would have the right to apply to the Isle of Man Court if he or she felt that our board of directors had not complied with the relevant provisions of our articles of association.

Our articles also identify certain “permitted holders” of B ordinary shares. Any B ordinary shares transferred to a person other than a permitted holder will, immediately upon registration of such transfer, convert automatically into A ordinary shares. In addition, if, at any time, the aggregate number of B ordinary shares in issue constitutes less than 10% of the aggregate number of A ordinary shares and B ordinary shares in issue, all B ordinary shares in issue will convert automatically into A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis.

Untraceable Shareholders

Under certain circumstances, if any payment with respect to any ordinary shares has not been cashed and we have not received any communications from the holder of such ordinary shares, we may sell such ordinary shares after giving notice in accordance with procedures set out by our articles to the holder of the ordinary shares and any relevant regulatory authority.

Action Required to Change Shareholder Rights or Amend Our Memorandum or Articles of Association

All or any of the rights attached to any class of our ordinary shares may, subject to the provisions of the 2006 Act, be amended either with the written consent of the holders of 75% of the issued shares of that class or by a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of shares of that class. Furthermore, our memorandum and articles of association may be amended by a special resolution of the holders of 75% of the issued shares.

Liquidation Rights

On a return of capital on winding up, assets available for distribution among the holders of ordinary shares will be distributed among holders of our ordinary shares on a pro rata basis. If our assets available for distribution are insufficient to repay all of the paid-up capital, the assets will be distributed so that the losses are borne by our shareholders proportionately.

Minority Shareholder Protections

Under the 2006 Act, if a shareholder believes that the affairs of the company have been or are being conducted in a manner that is unfair to such shareholder or unfairly prejudicial or oppressive, the shareholder can seek a range of court remedies including winding up the company or setting aside decisions in breach of the 2006 Act or the company’s memorandum and articles of association. Further, if a company or a director of a company breaches or proposes to breach the 2006 Act or its memorandum or articles of association, then, in response to a shareholder’s application, the Isle of Man Court may issue an order requiring compliance with the 2006 Act or the memorandum or articles of association; alternatively, the Isle of Man Court may issue an order restraining certain action to prevent such a breach from occurring.

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The 2006 Act also contains provisions that enable a shareholder to apply to the Isle of Man Court for an order directing that an investigation be made of a company and any of its associated companies.

Anti-takeover Effects of Our Dual Class Structure

As a result of our dual class structure, the Founders Group and our executives and employees will have significant influence over all matters requiring shareholder approval, including the election of directors and significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or other sale of our company or its assets. This concentrated control could discourage others from initiating any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transaction that other shareholders may view as beneficial.

U.K. Code on Takeovers and Mergers

The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, or the City Code, will apply to us, if the UK Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, or the Panel, considers that our place of central management and control is in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. Under the City Code (amongst other rules designated to protect shareholders), if an acquisition of interests in the A ordinary shares and/or B ordinary shares were to increase the aggregate holding of an acquirer and persons acting in concert with it to an interest in the A ordinary shares and/or B ordinary shares carrying 30% or more of the voting rights exercisable at a general meeting of the Company, the acquirer and, depending upon the circumstances, persons acting in concert with it, would be required (except with the consent of the Panel) to make a cash offer (or an offer with a cash alternative) for the outstanding A ordinary shares and B ordinary shares and any other equity share capital we have issued at a price not less than the highest price paid for any interest in the A ordinary shares or B ordinary Shares (as applicable) by the acquirer or persons acting in concert with it during the 12 months prior to the announcement of the offer. Offers for different classes of equity share capital must be comparable and the Panel should be consulted in advance in such cases. A similar obligation to make such a mandatory offer would also arise on the acquisition of an interest in A ordinary shares and/or B ordinary shares by a person holding (together with persons acting in concert with it) an interest in A ordinary shares and/or B ordinary shares carrying between 30% and 50% of the voting rights in the Company if the effect of such acquisition was to increase the percentage of shares carrying voting rights in which it is interested.

Indian Takeover Regulations

The Takeover Regulations came into effect on October 22, 2011, superseding the earlier takeover regulations. For further discussion of these regulations, see the discussion in the section “Regulation—Material Indian Regulation—Indian Takeover Regulations” contained in our registration statement on Form F-1/A filed with the SEC on July 7, 2014, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating that description, and that is incorporated by reference.

Compulsory Acquisitions under the 2006 Act

Under the 2006 Act, where a scheme or contract involving the acquisition of a company’s shares has within sixteen weeks after the making of the offer been approved by the holders of not less than 90% in value of the shares affected, the acquiring party may, within eight weeks after the expiration of the sixteen-week period, by notice to the remaining shareholders compulsorily acquire their shares. The dissenting shareholders may, however, within one month of the date of the notice, apply to court for relief.

Differences in Corporate Law

A chart summarizing certain material differences between the rights of holders of our A ordinary shares and the rights of holders of the common stock of a typical corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware that result from differences in governing documents and the laws of Isle of Man and Delaware contained in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2017 is incorporated by reference.

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Changes in Capital

The conditions in our articles of association governing changes in capital are not more stringent than as required under the 2006 Act. Our articles of association provide that our directors may, by resolution, alter our share capital. The 2006 Act subjects any reduction of share capital to the statutory solvency test. The 2006 Act provides that a company satisfies the solvency test if it is able to pay its debts as they become due in the normal course of the company’s business and where the value of the company’s assets exceeds the value of its liabilities.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

New York Stock Exchange

Our A ordinary shares are listed on New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “EROS.”

Description of Other Securities

We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement a description and the particular terms of any debt securities or warrants that may be offered pursuant to this prospectus.

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

We may issue debt securities together with other securities or separately, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement, under an indenture to be entered into between Eros International PLC and the trustee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of the debt securities will include those stated in the indenture and those made part of the indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as in effect on the date of the indenture. The indenture will be subject to and governed by the terms of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.

We may issue the debt securities in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. We will describe the particular terms of each series of debt securities in a prospectus supplement relating to that series, which we will file with the SEC.

The prospectus supplement will set forth, to the extent required, the following terms of the debt securities in respect of which the prospectus supplement is delivered:

· the title of the series;
· the aggregate principal amount;
· the issue price or prices, expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities;
· any limit on the aggregate principal amount;
· the date or dates on which principal is payable;
· the interest rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates;
· the date or dates from and on which interest, if any, will be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable;
· the terms and conditions upon which we may, or the holders may require us to, redeem or repurchase the debt securities;
· the denominations in which such debt securities may be issuable, if $1,000 or other than a denomination of $1,000, or any integral multiple of that number;
· whether the debt securities are to be issuable in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities;
· the portion of principal amount that will be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date if other than the principal amount of the debt securities;
· the currency of denomination;
· the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of principal and, if applicable, premium and interest, will be made;
· if payments of principal and, if applicable, premium or interest, on the debt securities are to be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than the currency of denominations, the manner in which exchange rate with respect to such payments will be determined;
· if amounts of principal and, if applicable, premium and interest may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index, or financial index, then the manner in which such amounts will be determined;

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· any covenants applicable to such debt securities;
· the provisions, if any, relating to any collateral provided for such debt securities;
· any events of default;
· the terms and conditions, if any, for conversion into or exchange for ordinary shares;
· any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents, or other agents;
· the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the debt securities shall be subordinated in right of payment to other indebtedness of Eros International PLC; and
· any other material terms of such debt securities.

One or more debt securities may be sold at a substantial discount below their stated principal amount. We may also issue debt securities in bearer form, with or without coupons. If we issue discount debt securities or debt securities in bearer form, we will describe material U.S. federal income tax considerations and other material special considerations which apply to these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We may issue debt securities denominated in or payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units. If we do, we will describe the restrictions, elections, and general tax considerations relating to the debt securities and the foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The debt securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depositary identified in the prospectus supplement. Global securities will be issued in registered form and in either temporary or definitive form. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for individual debt securities, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary for such global security to a nominee of such depositary or by a nominee of such depositary to such depositary or another nominee of such depositary or by such depositary or any such nominee to a successor of such depositary or a nominee of such successor. The specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any debt securities of a series and the rights of and limitations upon owners of beneficial interests in a global security will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants to purchase our debt or equity securities. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any other securities and may be attached to, or separate from, such securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent. The terms of any warrants to be issued and a description of the material provisions of the applicable warrant agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. We expect that such terms will include, among others:

· the title of such warrants;
· the aggregate number of such warrants;
· the price or prices at which such warrants will be issued;
· the number and type of our securities purchasable upon exercise of such warrants;
· the price at which our securities purchasable upon exercise of such warrants may be purchased;
· the date on which the right to exercise such warrants shall commence and the date on which such right shall expire;
· if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of such warrants which may be exercised at any one time;
· if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which such warrants are issued and the number of such warrants issued with each such security;
· if applicable, the date on and after which such warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable;
· information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;
· if applicable, a discussion of any material United States federal income tax considerations; and
· any other terms of such warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of such warrants.

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

The securities being offered by this prospectus may be sold by us:

in privately negotiated transactions;
through broker-dealers, who may act as agents or principals;
in a block trade in which a broker-dealer will attempt to sell a block of shares of securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;
through one or more underwriters on a firm commitment or best-efforts basis;
directly to one or more purchasers;
through agents; or
in any combination of the above.

The distribution of securities may be effected, from time to time, in one or more transactions, including block transactions and transactions on the New York Stock Exchange or any other organized market where the securities may be traded. The securities may be sold at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices relating to the prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. The consideration may be cash or another form negotiated by the parties. Agents, underwriters or broker-dealers may be paid compensation for offering and selling the securities. That compensation may be in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions to be received from us or from the purchasers of the securities. Dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters, and compensation received by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts. If such dealers or agents were deemed to be underwriters, they may be subject to statutory liabilities under the Securities Act.

Agents may, from time to time, solicit offers to purchase the securities. If required, we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities and set forth any compensation payable to the agent. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment. Any agent selling the securities covered by this prospectus may be deemed to be an underwriter, as that term is defined in the Securities Act, of the securities.

If underwriters are used in a sale, securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold, from time to time, in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or under delayed delivery contracts or other contractual commitments. Securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. If an underwriter or underwriters are used in the sale of securities, an underwriting agreement will be executed with the underwriter or underwriters at the time an agreement for the sale is reached. The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the managing underwriter or underwriters, as well as any other underwriter or underwriters, with respect to a particular underwritten offering of securities, and will set forth the terms of the transactions, including compensation of the underwriters and dealers and the public offering price, if applicable. The prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement will be used by the underwriters to resell the securities.

If a dealer is used in the sale of the securities, we or an underwriter will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. To the extent required, we will set forth in the prospectus supplement the name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions.

We may directly solicit offers to purchase the securities and we may make sales of securities directly to institutional investors or others. These persons may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any resale of the securities. To the extent required, the prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any such sales, including the terms of any bidding or auction process, if used.

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Agents, underwriters and dealers may be entitled under agreements which may be entered into with us to indemnification by us against specified liabilities, including liabilities incurred under the Securities Act, or to contribution by us to payments they may be required to make in respect of such liabilities. If required, the prospectus supplement will describe the terms and conditions of such indemnification or contribution. Some of the agents, underwriters or dealers, or their affiliates may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.

Under the securities laws of some states, the securities offered by this prospectus may be sold in those states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers.

Any person participating in the distribution of securities registered under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act, and the applicable SEC rules and regulations, including, among others, Regulation M, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of our securities by any such person. Furthermore, Regulation M may restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of our securities to engage in market-making activities with respect to our securities. These restrictions may affect the marketability of our securities and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to our securities.

Certain persons participating in an offering may engage in over-allotment, stabilizing transactions, short-covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the offered securities. If any such activities will occur, they will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

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LEGAL MATTERS

In connection with particular offerings of the securities in the future, and if stated in the applicable prospectus supplements, the validity of those securities will be passed upon for us by Cains Advocates Limited, and for any underwriters or agents, by counsel named in the applicable prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

The audited financial statements incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement have been so incorporated by reference in reliance upon the report of Grant Thornton India LLP, independent registered public accountants, upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

This prospectus is part of a registration statement we have filed with the SEC under the Securities Act. The registration statement, including the attached exhibits, contains additional relevant information about us and the securities described in this prospectus. The SEC’s rules and regulations allow us to omit certain information included in the registration statement from this prospectus. The registration statement may be inspected by anyone without charge at the SEC’s principal office at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.

In addition, we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC under the Exchange Act. You may read and copy this information at the following SEC location:

Public Reference Room

100 F Street, N.E.

Washington, D.C. 20549

You may also obtain copies of this information by mail from the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, at rates determined by the SEC. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You may also inspect reports, proxy statements and other information that we have filed electronically with the SEC at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov/.

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information we file with the SEC. This permits us to disclose important information to you by referencing these filed documents. Any information referenced in this way is considered part of this prospectus. Any subsequent information filed with the SEC will automatically be deemed to update and supersede the information in this prospectus and in our other filings with the SEC. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any filings made by us with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act from the initial filing of this registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part until all of the securities offered in this prospectus are sold; provided, however, we are not incorporating by reference any information furnished (but not filed) of any Current Report on Form 6-K:

· our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2017 filed with the SEC on July 31, 2017;
· the description of our A ordinary shares contained in our registration statement on Form F-1/A filed with the SEC on July 7, 2014, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating that description.

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Any statement contained in this prospectus, or in a document all or a portion of which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus, will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus modifies or supersedes the statement. Any such statement or document so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference into this prospectus, but not delivered with this prospectus, without charge to the requester, upon written or oral request. Requests for such copies should be directed to:

Eros International Plc

550 County Avenue

Secaucus, New Jersey 07094

(201) 558-9021

Publicly filed documents concerning our company which are referred to in this prospectus may be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the Commission at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of these materials can also be obtained from the Public Reference Room at the Commission’s principal office, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington D.C. 20549, after payment of fees at prescribed rates. Information may be obtained on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

The Commission maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that make electronic filings through its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval, or EDGAR, system. We have made all our filings with the Commission using the EDGAR system.

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ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

We are a limited company incorporated under the laws of the Isle of Man. The majority of our assets are located outside of the United States. Currently, one of the members of our board of directors is a citizen or resident of the United States.

Certain of our subsidiaries, including Eros India, are incorporated under the laws of India or other foreign jurisdictions. The majority of the directors and executive officers of such subsidiaries are not residents of the United States, and we believe that substantially all of the assets of such subsidiaries and their officers and directors may be located outside the United States.

As a result, it may not be possible for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us or such persons or to enforce outside the United States judgments obtained against us or such persons in the United States, except, with respect to us, by effecting service on our agent in the United States, including, without limitation, judgments based upon the civil liability provisions of the United States federal securities laws or the laws of any state or territory of the United States. In addition, awards of punitive damages in actions brought in the United States or elsewhere may be unenforceable outside the United States. Investors may also have difficulties enforcing, in original actions brought in courts in jurisdictions outside the United States, liabilities under U.S. securities laws.

We have been advised by Cains Advocates Limited, our Isle of Man counsel, that there is no statutory procedure in the Isle of Man for the recognition or enforcement of judgments of the U.S. courts. However, under Isle of Man common law, a judgment in personam given by a U.S. court may be recognized and enforced by an action for the amount due under it provided that the judgment: (i) is for a debt or definite sum of money (not being a sum payable in respect of taxes or other changes of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty); (ii) is final and conclusive; (iii) was not obtained by fraud; (iv) is not one whose enforcement would be contrary to public policy in the Isle of Man; and (v) was not obtained in proceedings which were opposed to natural justice in the Isle of Man.

A judgment or decree of a court in the United States may be enforced in India only by filing a fresh suit on the basis of the judgment or decree and not by proceedings in execution. Further, such enforcement would be subject to the restrictions set forth in the Indian Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, as amended, including under Section 13 thereof. Section 13 provides that a foreign judgment is conclusive as to any matter directly adjudicated upon except (i) where the judgment has not been pronounced by a court of competent jurisdiction, (ii) where the judgment has not been given on the merits of the case, (iii) where the judgment appears on the face of the proceedings to be founded on an incorrect view of international law or a refusal to recognize the law of India in cases where such law is applicable, (iv) where the proceedings in which the judgment was obtained were opposed to natural justice, (v) where the judgment has been obtained by fraud or (vi) where the judgment sustains a claim founded on a breach of any law in force in India.

A suit for enforcement of a foreign judgment is required to be filed in India within three years from the date of the judgment. It is difficult to predict whether a suit brought in an Indian court will be disposed of in a timely manner or be subject to untimely delay. Moreover, it is unlikely that a court in India would award damages on the same basis as a foreign court if an action were brought in India, or that an Indian court would enforce a foreign judgment if it viewed the amount of damages awarded as excessive or inconsistent with public policy in India. A party seeking to enforce a foreign judgment in India is also required to obtain prior approval from the Reserve Bank of India to repatriate any amount recovered pursuant to such enforcement, and any such amount may be subject to income tax in accordance with applicable laws. Any judgment in a foreign currency is required to be converted into Indian Rupees on the date of judgment and not on the date of payment.

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS

Item 8.     Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Subject to any contrary provision in a company’s articles, section 112 of the 2006 Act allows an Isle of Man company to indemnify its directors against all expenses and against all judgments, if such director acted honestly and in good faith and in what he believed to be in the best interests of the company, or where he had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was lawful. The articles of association will not contain any contradictory provisions to section 112 of the Act. Provided that the conditions contained under section 112 of the 2006 Act and our articles of association are satisfied, the Act and our articles of association provide for the indemnification of our directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to indemnify such person against all expenses and judgments arising under the Securities Act.

Our formation documents provide for indemnification of our officers, directors, employees and agents to the extent and under the circumstances permitted under Isle of Man law.

In addition to the indemnification to be provided by our formation documents, we have entered into agreements to indemnify our directors and executive officers. These agreements, subject to certain exceptions, require us to, among other things, indemnify these directors and executive officers for certain expenses, including attorney fees, witness fees and expenses, expenses of accountants and other advisors, and the premium, security for and other costs relating to any bond, arising out of that person’s services as a director or officer of us or any of our subsidiaries or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request.

Item 9.     Exhibits

See the Exhibit Index following the signature page.

Item 10.     Undertakings

A.       The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1)       To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i)       To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii)       To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.

(iii)       To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or any material change to such information in this registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) do not apply if the registration statement is on Form F-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this registration statement.

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(2)       That, for the purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3)       To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4)       To file a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act need not be furnished, provided that the Registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to Registration Statements on Form F-3, a post-effective amendment need not be filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act or Item 8.A of Form 20-F if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Form F-3.

(5)       For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

(A) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the Registration Statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the Registration Statement; and

(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(6) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i)       Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 (§230.424 of this chapter);

(ii)       Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

II- 2  

 

(iii)       The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv)       Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(6)       That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(7)       Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the indemnification provisions described herein, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

B.       The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to supplement the prospectus, after the expiration of the subscription period, to set forth the results of the subscription offer, the transactions by the underwriters during the subscription period, the amount of unsubscribed securities to be purchased by the underwriters, and the terms of any subsequent reoffering thereof. If any public offering by the underwriters is to be made on terms differing from those set forth on the cover page of the prospectus, a post-effective amendment will be filed to set forth the terms of such offering.

C.       The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to be delivered with the prospectus, to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the latest annual report to security holders that is incorporated by reference in the prospectus and furnished pursuant to and meeting the requirements of Rule 14a-3 or Rule 14c-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and, where interim financial information required to be presented by Article 3 of Regulation S-X are not set forth in the prospectus, to deliver, or cause to be delivered to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the latest quarterly report that is specifically incorporated by reference in the prospectus to provide such interim financial information.

D.       The undersigned registrant hereby further undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

II- 3  

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of London, England, on August 4, 2017.

 

   
EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC
   
By:

/s/ Jyoti Deshpande

 
Name: Jyoti Deshpande
Title: Group Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 KNOWN ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below does hereby constitutes and appoints Kishore Lulla, Jyoti Deshpande, and Prem Parameswaran, with full power of substitution and full power to act without the other, such person's true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent to act for him or her in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and any subsequent registration statement the Company may hereafter file with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 to register additional securities, and to file this Registration Statement and all amendments thereto, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in order to effectuate the same as fully, to all intents and purposes, as they, he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, may lawfully do to cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the following persons have signed this Registration Statement in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

     

/s/ Kishore Lulla

 

Kishore Lulla

Chairman August 4, 2017
     

/s/ Jyoti Deshpande

 

Jyoti Deshpande

Group Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
August 4, 2017
     

/s/ Prem Parameswaran

 

Prem Parameswaran

President of North America and Group Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
August 4, 2017
     

/s/ Vijay Ahuja

 

Vijay Ahuja

Director August 4, 2017
     

/s/ Shailendra Swarup

 

Shailendra Swarup

Director August 4, 2017
     

/s/ Dilip Thakkar

 

Dilip Thakkar

Director August 4, 2017
     

/s/ Sunil Lulla

 

Sunil Lulla

Director August 4, 2017
     

 

II- 4  

 

 

 

/s/ Rishika Lulla Singh

 

Rishika Lulla Singh

Director August 4, 2017
     

/s/ David Maisel

 

David Maisel

Director August 4, 2017
     

 

   

 

II- 5  

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

     

Exhibit No.

 

Description

 
Reference
     
1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement. *
     
3.1 Memorandum of Association (c)
     
3.2 Articles of Association (c)
     
4.1 Form of A Share Certificate (b)
     
4.2 Form of Warrant Agreement *
     
4.3 Form of Debt Security *
     
4.4 Form of Depositary Receipt *
     
4.5 Form of Indenture for Debt (c)
     
5.1 Opinion of Cains Advocates Limited (c)
     
23.1 Consent of Cains Advocates Limited (included in Exhibit 5.1) (c)
     
23.3 Consent of Grant Thornton India LLP (c)
     
23.4 Consent to Use of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry - KPMG Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Reports (a)
     
24.1 Powers of Attorney (included on the signature page hereto). (c)
     
25.1 Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility of Trustee under the Indenture for Debt.** **
     
 
* To be filed by amendment pursuant to a Current Report on Form 6-K to be incorporated herein by reference.
** To be incorporated herein by reference from a subsequent filing in accordance with Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
(a) Previously filed on July 31, 2017 as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F and incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Previously filed on October 29, 2013 as an exhibit to Amendment No. 5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-180469) and incorporated herein by reference.
(c) Filed herewith

 

II- 6  

 

Exhibit 3.1

THE COMPANIES ACT 2006

ISLE OF MAN

A COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION

OF

EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC

AS ADOPTED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION PASSED ON 28 SEPTEMBER 2011

 

1. The name of the Company is Eros International PLC .

 

2. The Company is a company limited by shares.

 

3. The address of the Company’s registered office is at:

Fort Anne, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 5PD

 

4. The Registered Agent of the Company is:

Cains Fiduciaries Limited

 

5. Neither the memorandum of association nor the articles of association may be amended except pursuant to a resolution approved by a majority of not less than three-fourths of such members as, being entitled so to do, vote in person or by proxy at the general meeting at which such resolution is proposed.

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE COMPANIES ACT 2006

ISLE OF MAN

A COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

OF

EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC

(adopted by resolution passed on 24 April 2012)

 

 

19th Floor

6 Battery Road

Singapore

 

 

   

 

 

Contents

 

A.      Preliminary      4   

1.

     Model articles not to apply      4   

2.

     Interpretation      4   

3.

     Registered office      8   
B.      Share capital      8   

4.

     Share capital amount      8   

5.

     Allotment      9   

6.

     Power to attach rights and issue redeemable shares      9   

7.

     Share warrants      9   

8.

     Commission and brokerage      9   

9.

     Trusts not to be recognised      9   

10.

     Renunciation of shares      10   

11.

     Increase, consolidation and sub division      10   

12.

     Fractions      10   

13.

     Reduction of capital      11   

14.

     Purchase of own shares      11   
C.      Variation of class rights      11   

15.

     Sanction to variation      11   

16.

     Class meetings      11   

17.

     Deemed variation      12   
D.      B Ordinary Shares & Share certificates      12   

18.

     B Ordinary Shares      12   

19.

     Right to certificates      12   

20.

     Replacement certificates      13   

21.

     Uncertificated shares      13   
E.      B Ordinary Shares      15   

22.

     B Ordinary Shares      15   
F.      Transfer of shares      16   

23.

     Form of transfer      16   

24.

     Right to refuse registration      17   

25.

     Notice of refusal      19   

26.

     Closing of register      19   

27.

     No fees on registration      19   

28.

     Recognition of renunciation of allotment of shares      19   
G.      Transmission of shares      20   

29.

     On death      20   

30.

     Election of person entitled by transmission      20   

31.

     Rights on transmission      20   
H.      General meetings      20   

32.

     Annual general meetings      20   

33.

     Extraordinary general meetings      21   

34.

     Convening of extraordinary general meeting      21   

35.

     Notice of general meetings      21   

36.

     Omission to send notice      21   
I.      Proceedings at general meetings      22   

37.

     Quorum      22   

38.

     If quorum not present      22   

39.

     Security and meeting place arrangements      22   

40.

     Chairman      23   

41.

     Director may attend and speak      23   

42.

     Power to adjourn      23   

43.

     Notice of adjourned meeting      23   

44.

     Business of adjourned meeting      23   
J.      Voting      24   

45.

     Method of voting      24   

 

1

 

46.

     Chairman’s declaration conclusive on show of hands      24   

47.

     Objection to error in voting      24   

48.

     Amendment to resolutions      24   

49.

     Procedure on a poll      25   

50.

     Votes of shareholders      25   

51.

     Casting vote      26   

52.

     Voting by proxy      26   

53.

     Form of proxy      26   

54.

     Deposit of proxy      27   

55.

     More than one proxy may be appointed      28   

56.

     Board may supply proxy cards      29   

57.

     Revocation of proxy      29   

58.

     Written resolutions      29   
K.      Untraced shareholders      30   

59.

     Power of sale      30   

60.

     Application of proceeds of sale      31   
L.      Appointment, term and removal of directors      31   

61.

     Number of Directors      31   

62.

     Power of Company to appoint Directors      31   

63.

     Power of Board to appoint Directors      32   

64.

     Eligibility of new Directors      32   

65.

     Share qualification      32   

66.

     Resolution for appointment      32   

67.

     No retirement on account of age      32   

68.

     Staggered Board terms      32   

69.

     Removal by resolution      33   

70.

     Vacation of office by Director      33   

71.

     Resolution as to vacancy conclusive      34   
M.      Directors’ remuneration, expenses and pensions      34   

72.

     Directors’ fees      34   

73.

     Expenses      34   

74.

     Remuneration      35   

75.

     Remuneration of executive Directors      35   

76.

     Pensions and other benefits      35   
N.      Powers and duties of the Board      35   

77.

     Powers of the Board      35   

78.

     Powers of Directors being less than minimum number      36   

79.

     Powers of executive Directors      36   

80.

     Delegation to committees      36   

81.

     Local management      37   

82.

     Power of attorney      37   

83.

     Associate Directors      37   

84.

     Exercise of voting power      37   

85.

     Provision for employees      38   

86.

     Borrowing powers      38   
O.      Proceedings of Directors and Committees      38   

87.

     Board meetings      38   

88.

     Notice of Board meetings      38   

89.

     Quorum      38   

90.

     Chairman of Board and other offices      38   

91.

     Voting      40   

92.

     Participation by telephone and electronic communication      40   

93.

     Resolution in writing      40   

94.

     Minutes of proceedings      40   

95.

     Validity of proceedings      41   
P.      Directors’ interests      41   

96.

     Related Person Transaction Policies      41   

2

 

97.

     Director may have interests      41   

98.

     Disclosure of interests to Board      41   

99.

     Director’s interest in own appointment      42   

100.

     Chairman’s ruling conclusive on Director’s interest      42   

101.

     Directors’ resolution conclusive on Chairman’s interest      43   

102.

     Exercise by Company of voting powers      43   
Q.      The Seal      43   

103.

     Application of Seal      43   

104.

     Deed without sealing      44   

105.

     Official seal for sealing share certificates      44   
R.      Dividends and other payments      44   

106.

     Declaration of dividends      44   

107.

     Interim dividends      44   

108.

     Entitlement to dividends      44   

109.

     Distribution in specie      44   

110.

     Dividends not to bear interest      45   

111.

     Method of payment      45   

112.

     Uncashed dividends      46   

113.

     Unclaimed dividends      46   

114.

     Waiver of dividends      47   

115.

     Payment of scrip dividends      47   

116.

     Reserves      47   

117.

     Capitalisation of reserves      48   

118.

     Record dates      48   
S.      Accounts      49   

119.

     Accounting records      49   

120.

     Inspection of records      49   

121.

     Accounts to be sent to shareholders      49   
T.      Destruction and authentication of documents      49   

122.

     Destruction of documents      49   

123.

     Authentication of documents      50   
U.      Notices      51   

124.

     Notice to be in writing      51   

125.

     Service of notice on shareholders      51   

126.

     Notice in case of death, bankruptcy or mental disorder      51   

127.

     Evidence of service      52   

128.

     Notice binding on transferees      52   

129.

     Notice by advertisement      52   

130.

     Suspension of postal services      52   
V.      Winding up      53   

131.

     Division of assets      53   

132.

     Transfer or sale under section 222 of the Companies Act 1931      53   
W.      Indemnity      54   

133.

     Right to indemnity      54   

134.

     Power to insure      54   
X.      AIM Rules      54   

135.

     Disclosure of interests in shares and suspension of interests      54   

3

 
A. Preliminary

 

1. Model articles not to apply

No regulations for management of a company set out in any statute concerning companies or contained in any regulations or instrument made pursuant to a statute shall apply to the Company. The following shall be the Articles of the Company.

 

2. Interpretation

 

2.1 Definitions

In these Articles, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions shall have the following meanings:

 

“A Ordinary Shares”    the A ordinary shares each of £0.10 par value in the capital of the Company;
“Act”    subject to Article 2.3 (Statutory provisions), the Companies Act 2006 and, where the context requires, every other statute of the Isle of Man from time to time in force concerning companies and affecting the Company;
“AIM”    the market of that name operated by London Stock Exchange plc;
“Articles”    these Articles of Association as altered or varied from time to time (and “ Article ” means any provision of these Articles);
“Auditors”    the auditors for the time being of the Company or, in the case of joint auditors, any of them;
“B Ordinary Shares”    the B ordinary shares each of £0.10 par value in the capital of the Company and which rank pari passu in all respects with the A Ordinary Shares save in respect of: (i) voting rights as set out in Article 50.1, all of which, as at the date of adoption of these Articles, are held by the B Shareholders; and (ii) their conversion into A Ordinary Shares as set out in Article 22;
“B Shareholders”    Beech Investments Limited and SG Hambros Trust Company (Channel Islands) Limited as trustee of the Olympus Trust (currently held through HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited);
“Board”    the board of Directors for the time being of the Company or the Directors present at a duly convened meeting of Directors at which a quorum is present;
“British Isles”    the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland and the Channel Islands;
certificated    in relation to a share, a share which is recorded in the Register as being held in certificated form;

4

 
“Chairman”    the chairman (if any) of the Board or, where the context requires, the chairman of a general meeting of the Company;
“clear days”    (in relation to the period of a notice) that period, excluding the day when the notice is given or deemed to be given and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect;
“communication”    includes a communication comprising sounds or images or both and a communication effecting a payment (and “ communications ” shall be construed accordingly);
“Company”    Eros International PLC;
“CREST”    a relevant system of which Crestco Limited is the Operator;
“Director”    a director for the time being of the Company (and “ Directors ” shall be construed accordingly);
“dividend”    a distribution or a bonus payable on the issued shares of the Company;
“Deputy Chairman”    the deputy chairman (if any) of the Board or, where the context requires, the deputy chairman of a general meeting of the Company;
“DTR”    as defined in Article 135.1 (Disclosure of substantial interests in shares);
“Electronic Communication”    has the meaning ascribed to the term “electronic communication” in the Electronic Transactions Act 2000 and includes, for the avoidance of doubt, e-mail (being a system for sending and receiving messages electronically over a computer network);
“Eligible Transferee”    as defined in Article 24.3 (Compulsory transfer of shares);
“employees’ share scheme”   

a scheme for encouraging or facilitating the holding of shares or debentures in the Company by or for the benefit of:

 

(a)     the bona fide employees or former employees (including any such employees or former employees who are or were also directors) of the Company, the Company’s subsidiary or holding company or a subsidiary of the Company’s holding company; or

 

(b)     the wives, husbands, widows, widowers or children or step-children under the age of 18 of such employees or former employees.

“execution”    any mode of execution (and “ executions ” and “ executed ” shall be construed accordingly);

5

 
“Family Controlled Entity”    (i) any company in which Permitted Holders or any Permitted Holder hold (collectively or individually) the power to elect all of the members of the board of directors of such entity and hold, collectively, at least a majority of the value of its issued shares; (ii) any partnership in which Permitted Holders or any Permitted Holder hold (collectively or individually) the sole right to direct the voting of the B Ordinary Shares held by such partnership and hold, collectively, at least a majority of the economic interest in the partnership interests in such partnership; and (iii) any limited liability or similar company if Permitted Holders or any Permitted Holder hold (collectively or individually) the sole right to direct the voting of the B Ordinary Shares held by such limited liability or similar company and hold, collectively, at least a majority of the economic interest of such limited liability or similar company;
“Family Trust”    trusts the sole beneficiaries of which are Arjan Lulla or Vijay Ahuja, the spouses of Arjan Lulla and Vijay Ahuja, Descendants, spouses of Descendants and their respective estates, guardians, or conservators;
“holder”    (in relation to any share) the shareholder whose name is entered in the Register as the holder or, where the context permits, the shareholders whose names are entered in the Register as the joint holders of that share;
“London Stock Exchange”    London Stock Exchange Plc or such other principal stock exchange in the United Kingdom for the time being;
“member”    a member of the Board or of any committee (and “ members ” shall be construed accordingly);
“Office”    the registered office for the time being of the Company;
Operator    the operator as defined in the Uncertificated Regulations of the relevant Uncertificated System;
“Ordinary Shares”    the A Ordinary Shares and the B Ordinary Shares;
“paid up”    paid up or credited as paid up;
“Participating Security”    subject to Article 18 (B Ordinary Shares), a share or class of shares or a renounceable right of allotment of a share, title to which is permitted to be transferred by means of an Uncertificated System in accordance with the Uncertificated Regulations;
“Permitted Holder”    as defined in Article 22.1 (Holding, transfer and conversion of B Ordinary Shares);

6

 
“person entitled by transmission”    a person whose entitlement to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a shareholder or of any other event giving rise to its transmission by operation of law has been noted in the Register;
“Prohibited Person”    as defined in Article 24.3 (Compulsory transfer of shares);
“recognised investment exchange”    as defined in section 285 of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (an Act of Parliament);
record date    as defined in Article 118 (Record dates);
“Register”    the register of shareholders of the Company to be kept pursuant to section 62 of the Act;
“Relevant Shares”    as defined in Article 24.3 (Compulsory transfer of shares)
“Seal”    the common seal of the Company;
“share”    a share in the capital of the Company being either an A Ordinary Share or a B Ordinary Share (and “ shares ” shall be construed accordingly);
“shareholder”    a holder of any shares;
“solvency test”    has that meaning set out in section 49 of the Act;
“special resolution”    shall mean a resolution passed or requiring to be passed by a majority of not less than three-fourths of such members as, being entitled so to do, vote in person or by proxy, at a general or class meeting (as the case may be);
“subsidiary”    has that meaning set out in section 220 of the Act;
“Transfer Notice”    as defined in Article 24.3 (Compulsory transfer of shares);
“uncertificated”    subject to Article 18 (B Ordinary Shares), in relation to a share, a share to which title may be transferred by means of an Uncertificated System in accordance with the Uncertificated Regulations;
“Uncertificated System”    a relevant system as defined in the Uncertificated Regulations (and including, in particular, at the date of adoption of these Articles the CREST UK system);
“Uncertificated Regulations”    the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2006 (as amended or replaced from time to time);
“UK 2006 Act”    subject to Article 2.3 (Statutory Provisions), the UK Companies Act 2006 (an act of Parliament) (as amended);
“United Kingdom” or “UK”    Great Britain and Northern Ireland;

7

 
“US”    the United States of America;
“Vendor”    as defined in Article 24.3 (Compulsory transfer of shares); and
“writing or written”    printing, typewriting, lithography, photography and any other mode or modes of representing or reproducing words in a legible and non-transitory form.

 

2.2 General interpretation

 

Unless the context otherwise requires:

 

  (a) words in the singular include the plural and vice versa;

 

  (b) words importing the masculine gender include the feminine gender;

 

  (c) a reference to a person includes a body corporate and an unincorporated body of persons; and

 

  (d) a reference to an Uncertificated System is a reference to the Uncertificated System in respect of which the particular share or class of shares or renounceable right of allotment of a share is a Participating Security.

 

2.3 Statutory provisions

 

A reference to any statute or provision of a statute shall include any orders, regulations or other subordinate legislation made under it and shall, unless the context otherwise requires, include any statutory modification or re-enactment of it for the time being in force.

 

2.4 The Act

 

Save as aforesaid, and unless the context otherwise requires, words or expressions contained in these Articles shall bear the same meaning as in the Act.

 

2.5 Headings

 

The headings are inserted for convenience only and shall not affect the construction of these Articles.

 

2.6 Company acts

 

Any reference in these Articles to action by the Company means an act which is approved by a resolution passed by the requisite majority of the shareholders.

 

3. Registered office

 

The Office shall be at such place in the Isle of Man as the Board shall from time to time appoint.

 

B. Share capital

 

4. Share capital amount

 

Unless the Board shall otherwise direct, the amount of share capital of the Company available for issue is £25,000,000 divided into 250,000,000 shares designated as either A Ordinary Shares or B Ordinary Shares. The maximum number of B Ordinary Shares which may be issued is 81,650,657 B Ordinary Shares.

8

 
5. Allotment

 

Unissued shares in the capital of the Company shall be allotted by the Directors generally on such terms as they think fit but all shares shall be paid in full prior to or at the time of issue.

 

6. Power to attach rights and issue redeemable shares

 

6.1 Rights attaching to shares

 

Subject to the provisions of the Act and to any special rights for the time being attached to any existing shares, any shares may be allotted or issued with or have attached to them such preferred, deferred or other special rights or restrictions whether in regard to dividends, voting, transfer, return of capital or otherwise as the Board may from time to time determine.

 

6.2 Redemption of Shares

 

Subject to any shares expressly being non-redeemable as a term of their issue, shares may be redeemed for any consideration provided that such redemption does not contravene section 60 of the Act or the solvency test; the process for redemption of shares shall be determined by the Directors in their absolute discretion and the Directors may, for the avoidance of doubt, permit an offer to one or more holders of shares in accordance with section 53(1)(b)(ii) of the Act, subject to section 54 of the Act.

 

6.3 Redemption dates

 

The date on which or by which, or dates between which, any redeemable shares are to be or may be redeemed may be fixed by the Directors and in such a case must be fixed by the Directors before the shares are issued. Unless otherwise specified in these Articles, the amount payable on redemption of any redeemable shares shall be the par value of such shares.

 

7. Share warrants

 

The Company shall have no power to issue any warrants stating that the bearer thereof is entitled to the shares specified therein. Subject to this, however, the Company shall have the power to issue warrants to subscribe for shares.

 

8. Commission and brokerage

 

The Company may exercise the powers conferred by the Act to pay commissions or brokerage to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe (whether absolutely or conditionally) for any shares, or procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions (whether absolute or conditional) for any shares in the Company to the full extent permitted by the Act. Any such commission or brokerage may be satisfied by the payment of cash, the allotment of fully paid shares, the grant of an option to call for an allotment of shares or any combination of such methods.

 

9. Trusts not to be recognised

 

Except as otherwise expressly provided by these Articles, as required by law or as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction, the Company shall not recognise any person as holding any share on any trust and (except as aforesaid) the Company shall not be bound by or recognise (even if having notice of it) any equitable, contingent, future, partial or other claim to or interest in any share or any interest in any fractional part of a share except an absolute right of the holder to the whole of the share.

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10. Renunciation of shares

 

Subject to the provisions of the Act and of these Articles, the Directors may at any time after the allotment of any share but before any person has been entered in the Register as the holder recognise a renunciation of it by the allottee in favour of some other person and may accord to any allottee of a share the right to effect such renunciation upon and subject to such terms and conditions as the Directors may think fit to impose.

 

11. Increase, consolidation and sub division

 

To the extent that the shares in the capital of the Company comprise shares with a par value, the Board may from time to time:

 

  (a) increase the Company’s share capital by such sum to be divided into shares of such amount as the Board prescribes;

 

  (b) consolidate and/or divide, re-designate or redenominate or convert all or any of the Company’s share capital into shares of larger or smaller par value, into shares having a purchase price of another currency; and

 

  (c) sub-divide shares or any of them into shares of smaller par value.

 

12. Fractions

 

12.1 Power to deal with fractional entitlements

 

Whenever as the result of any consolidation, division or sub-division of shares any shareholder would become entitled to fractions of a share, the Board may deal with the fractions as it thinks fit and in particular (but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing):

 

  (a) the Board may determine which of the shares of such holder are to be treated as giving rise to such fractional entitlement and may decide that any of those shares shall be consolidated with any of the shares of any other holder or holders which are similarly determined by it to be treated as giving rise to a fractional entitlement for such other holder or holders into a single consolidated share and the Board may on behalf of all such holders, sell such consolidated share for the best price reasonably obtained to any person (including the Company) and distribute the net proceeds of sale after deduction of the expenses of sale in due proportion among those holders (except that any amount otherwise due to a holder, being less than £3 (or US Dollar equivalent) or such other sum as the Board may from time to time determine may be retained for the benefit of the Company); or

 

  (b) provided that the necessary unissued shares are available, the Board may issue to such holder, credited as fully paid, by way of capitalisation the minimum number of shares required to round up his holding to an exact multiple of the number of shares to be consolidated into a single share (such issue being deemed to have been effected prior to consolidation), and the amount required to pay up such shares shall be appropriated at the Board’s discretion from any of the sums standing to the credit of any of the Company’s reserve accounts (including share premium account and capital redemption reserve) or to the credit of profit and loss account and capitalised by applying the same in paying up the share.

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12.2 Sale of fractions

 

For the purposes of any sale of consolidated shares pursuant to Article 12.1 (Power to deal with fractional entitlements), the Board may in the case of certificated shares authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the shares to or in accordance with the directions of the purchaser, and the transferee shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money in respect of any such sale, nor shall his title to the shares be affected by any irregularity in or invalidity of the proceedings in reference to the sale or transfer and any instrument or exercise shall be effective as if it had been executed or exercised by the holder of the shares to which it relates.

 

13. Reduction of capital

 

Subject to compliance with the solvency test and to any rights for the time being attached to any shares, the Company may by resolution of the Board reduce its paid up share capital in any manner.

 

14. Purchase of own shares

 

Shares may be purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company for any consideration provided that such purchase does not contravene section 60 of the Act or the solvency test; the terms and process for purchase or acquisition of shares shall be determined by the Directors in their absolute discretion and the Directors may, for the avoidance of doubt, permit an offer to one or more holders of shares in accordance with section 53(1)(b)(ii) of the Act, subject only to section 54 of the Act.

 

C. Variation of class rights

 

15. Sanction to variation

 

Subject to the provisions of the Act, if at any time the share capital of the Company is divided into shares of different classes, any of the rights for the time being attached to any issued and outstanding share or class of shares in the Company (and notwithstanding that the Company may be or be about to be in liquidation) may (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class) be varied or abrogated in such manner (if any) as may be provided by such rights or, in the absence of any such provision, either with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than three quarters in par value of the issued shares of the class or with the sanction of a resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of shares of the class duly convened and held as provided in these Articles (but not otherwise). The foregoing provisions of this Article shall apply also to the variation or abrogation of the special rights attached to only some of the issued and outstanding shares of any class as if each group of shares of the class differently treated formed a separate class the separate rights of which are to be varied. Subject to the terms of issue or the rights attached to any shares the rights or privileges attached to any class of shares shall be deemed not to be varied or abrogated by the Board resolving that a class of shares is to become or to cease to be a Participating Security.

 

16. Class meetings

 

All the provisions in these Articles as to general meetings shall mutatis mutandis apply to every meeting of the holders of any class of shares save that:

 

  (a) the quorum at every such meeting shall be one or more persons holding or representing by proxy at least one-third of the par value paid up on the issued shares of the class;

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  (b) every holder of shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll;

 

  (c) each such holder shall on a poll be entitled to one vote for every share of the class held by him; and

 

  (d) if at any adjourned meeting of such holders, such quorum as aforesaid is not present, not less than one person holding shares of the class who is present in person or by proxy shall be a quorum.

 

17. Deemed variation

 

Subject to the terms on which any shares may be issued, the rights or privileges attached to any class of shares shall be deemed to be varied or abrogated by the reduction of the capital paid up on such shares or by the allotment of further shares ranking in priority for the payment of a dividend or in respect of capital or howsoever or which confer on the holders voting rights more favourable than those conferred by such first mentioned shares but shall not be deemed to be varied or abrogated by the creation or issue of any new shares ranking pari passu in all respects (save as to the date from which such new shares shall rank for dividend) with or subsequent to those already issued or by the purchase or redemption by the Company of its own shares in accordance with the provisions of the Act and these Articles.

 

D. B Ordinary Shares & Share certificates

 

18. B Ordinary Shares

 

All B Ordinary Shares shall be held as certificated shares; no B Ordinary Share shall be capable of being a Participating Security.

 

19. Right to certificates

 

19.1 Issue of certificates

 

On becoming the holder of any certificated share every person shall be entitled without charge to have issued within two months after allotment or fourteen days after lodgement of a transfer (unless the terms of issue of the shares provide otherwise or the transfer is one which the Company is for any reason entitled to refuse to register and does not register) one certificate for all the certificated shares of any one class registered in his name and to a separate certificate for each class of certificated shares so registered. Such certificate shall specify the number, class and distinguishing numbers (if any) of the shares in respect of which it is issued and the amount or respective amounts paid up on them and shall be issued either under the Seal (which may be affixed to it or printed on it) or in such other manner having the same effect as if issued under a seal and, having regard to the rules and regulations applicable to the recognised investment exchange(s) to which any shares are admitted, as the Board may approve.

 

19.2 Distinguishing numbers

 

If and so long as all the issued shares of the Company or all the issued shares of a particular class are fully paid up and rank pari passu for all purposes then none of those shares shall bear a distinguishing number. In all other cases each share shall bear a distinguishing number.

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19.3 Joint holders

 

The Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate in respect of certificated shares held jointly by two or more persons. Delivery of a certificate to the person first named on the register shall be sufficient delivery to all joint holders.

 

19.4 Balancing certificates

 

Where a shareholder has transferred part only of the shares comprised in a certificate he shall be entitled without charge to a certificate for the balance of such certificated shares.

 

19.5 Restrictions on certificates

 

No certificate shall be issued representing certificated shares of more than one class.

 

20. Replacement certificates

 

20.1 Consolidation of certificates

 

Any two or more certificates representing shares of any one class held by any shareholder may at his request be cancelled and a single new certificate for such shares issued in lieu, subject to the payment of such reasonable fee (if any) as the Board may determine, on surrender of the original certificates for cancellation.

 

20.2 Splitting share certificates

 

If any shareholder shall surrender for cancellation a share certificate representing certificated shares held by him and request the Company to issue in lieu two or more share certificates representing such certificated shares in such proportions as he may specify, the Board may, if it thinks fit, comply with such request subject to the payment of such reasonable fee (if any) as it may determine.

 

20.3 Renewal or replacement

 

Share certificates may be renewed or replaced on such terms as to provision of evidence and indemnity (with or without security) and to payment of any exceptional out of pocket expenses (including those incurred by the Company in investigating such evidence and preparing such indemnity and security) as the Board may decide, and on surrender of the original certificate (where it is defaced or worn out) but without any further charge.

 

20.4 Joint holders

 

In the case of shares held jointly by several persons, any such request as is mentioned in this Article 20 (Replacement certificates) may be made by any one of the joint holders.

 

21. Uncertificated shares

 

21.1 Participating security

 

The Board may, subject to Article 18 (B Ordinary Shares), resolve that a class of shares is to become, or is to cease to be, a Participating Security and may implement such arrangements as it thinks fit in order for any class of shares to be admitted to settlement by means of an Uncertificated System. Shares of a class shall not be treated as forming a separate class from other shares of the same class as a consequence only of such shares being held in uncertificated form. Any share of a class which is a Participating Security may be changed from an uncertificated share to a certificated share and from a certificated share to an uncertificated share in accordance with the Uncertificated Regulations. For any purpose under these Articles, the Company may treat a shareholder’s holding of uncertificated shares and of certificated shares of the same class as if they were separate holdings, unless the Board otherwise decides.

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21.2 Application of Articles

 

These Articles apply to uncertificated shares of a class which is a Participating Security only to the extent that these Articles are consistent with the holding of such shares in uncertificated form, with the transfer of title to such shares by means of the Uncertificated System and with the Uncertificated Regulations.

 

21.3 Board regulations

 

The Board may lay down regulations not included in these Articles which:

 

  (a) apply to the issue, holding or transfer of uncertificated shares (in addition to or in substitution for any provisions in these Articles);

 

  (b) set out (where appropriate) the procedures for conversion, redemption and/or purchase of uncertificated shares; and/or

 

  (c) the Board considers necessary or appropriate to ensure that these Articles are consistent with the Uncertificated Regulations and/or the Operator’s rules and practices.

 

Such regulations will apply instead of any relevant provisions in these Articles which relate to certificates and the transfer, conversion, redemption and purchase of shares or which are not consistent with the Uncertificated Regulations, in all cases to the extent (if any) stated in such regulations. If the Board makes any such regulations, Article 20.2 (Splitting share certificates) will (for the avoidance of doubt) continue to apply to these Articles, when read in conjunction with those regulations.

 

21.4 Instructions via an uncertificated system

 

Any instruction given by means of an Uncertificated System as referred to in these Articles shall be a dematerialised instruction given in accordance with the Uncertificated Regulations, the facilities and requirements of the Uncertificated System and the Operator’s rules and practices.

 

21.5 Forfeiture and sale

 

Where the Company is entitled under the Operator’s rules and practices, these Articles or otherwise to dispose of, forfeit, enforce a lien over or sell or otherwise procure the sale of any shares of a class which is a Participating Security which are held in uncertificated form, the Board may take such steps (subject to the Uncertificated Regulations and to such rules and practices) as may be required or appropriate, by instruction by means of an Uncertificated System or otherwise, to effect such disposal, forfeiture, enforcement or sale including by (without limitation):

 

  (a) requesting or requiring the deletion of any computer-based entries in the Uncertificated System relating to the holding of such shares in uncertificated form;

 

  (b) altering such computer-based entries so as to divest the holder of such shares of the power to transfer such shares other than to a person selected or approved by the Company for the purpose of such transfer;

 

  (c) requiring any holder of such shares, by notice in writing to him, to change his holding of such uncertificated shares into certificated form within any specified period;

14

 
  (d) requiring any holder of such shares to take such steps as may be necessary to sell or transfer such shares as directed by the Company;

 

  (e) otherwise rectify or change the Register in respect of any such shares in such manner as the Board considers appropriate (including, without limitation, by entering the name of a transferee into the Register as the next holder of such shares);

 

  (f) appointing any person to take any steps in the name of any holder of such shares as may be required to change such shares from uncertificated form to certificated form and/or to effect the transfer of such shares (and such steps shall be effective as if they had been taken by such holder); and/or

 

  (g) taking such other action as may be necessary to enable such shares to be registered in the name of the person to whom the shares have been sold or disposed of.

 

E. B Ordinary Shares

 

22. B Ordinary Shares

 

22.1 Holding, transfer and conversion of B Ordinary shares

 

B Ordinary Shares may only be held by or transferred to the following persons: (i) Beech Investments Limited; (ii) the trustees for the time being of the Olympus Trust; (iii) Arjan Lulla and Vijay Ahuja and their respective estates, guardians, or conservators; (iv) the spouses of Arjan Lulla and Vijay Ahuja and their estates, guardians, or conservators; (v) each descendant of Arjan Lulla and Vijay Ahuja (each, a “ Descendant ”) and their respective estates, guardians, or conservators; (vi) any Family Controlled Entity; (vii) the trustees, solely in their respective capacities as such, of any Family Trust; and (viii) any custodian or bare nominee for any person within (i) – (vii) inclusive (each, a “ Permitted Holder ”), and a transfer to any person other than a Permitted Holder shall, immediately upon the registration of such transfer, result in the relevant B Ordinary Shares being converted automatically into A Ordinary Shares.

 

22.2 Ceasing to be a Permitted Holder

 

A person which was a Permitted Holder shall notify the Directors forthwith if it ceases to meet the requirements to be a Permitted Holder and on such notification (including in response to a request for certification under Articles 22.3, 50.4 and 58.2) each B Ordinary Share held by such person shall convert automatically into one fully paid A Ordinary Share.

 

22.3 Certification in respect of B Ordinary Shares

 

The Directors may from time to time by notice in writing request the registered holders or any holder of B Ordinary Shares to certify in writing that they continue to be a Permitted Holder. A failure by any such holder to deliver to the Company such a certification within a period of 20 business days shall result in the B Ordinary Shares held by such holder being converted by resolution of the Directors into A Ordinary Shares.

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22.4 Transfer of B Ordinary Shares

 

A transfer of B Ordinary Shares shall not include: (i) the granting of a proxy to officers or Directors of the Company at the request of its board in connection with actions to be taken at a meeting of shareholders; or (ii) the mortgage or charge of B Ordinary Shares by a Permitted Holder pursuant to a bona fide loan or indebtedness transaction providing that the relevant Permitted Holder continues to be able to exercise all powers of voting in respect of such B Ordinary Shares and providing further that enforcement by the relevant mortgagee or chargee in respect of such B Ordinary Shares shall constitute a transfer.

 

22.5 Voluntary Conversion of B Ordinary Shares

 

At any time and from time to time a holder of B Ordinary Shares shall have the right to convert any or all of the B Ordinary Shares which it holds into an equivalent number of fully paid A Ordinary Shares. Such right shall be exercised by the holder of the B Ordinary Shares serving a notice in writing on the Company to that effect which notice shall set out the number of B Ordinary Shares which it wishes to convert and which shall be accompanied by the share certificate(s) in respect of such B Ordinary Shares and such other documents as the Company may reasonably require. Upon receipt of such notice, the Directors shall arrange for such conversion to be effected forthwith.

 

22.6 Automatic Conversion of B Ordinary Shares

 

If at any time the aggregate number of B Ordinary Shares in issue constitutes less than 10 per cent of the aggregate number of A Ordinary Shares and B Ordinary Shares in issue, all such B Ordinary Shares shall convert automatically and with immediate effect into A Ordinary Shares on the basis of one A Ordinary Share for each B Ordinary Share held. Upon such conversion, the Company shall inform the holders who held the converted B Ordinary Shares by notice in writing of the conversion and that, upon the return of the share certificate(s) issued in respect of the converted B Ordinary Shares, the Company will issue a new share certificate, without charge, in respect of the relevant number of A Ordinary Shares.

 

22.7 Reservation of Shares

 

The Company shall at all times ensure that there are sufficient authorised A Ordinary Shares available for issue so that it is able to convert all of the B Ordinary Shares then in issue under Article 22.2 (Ceasing to be a Permitted Holder), Article 22.5 (Voluntary Conversion of B Ordinary Shares) or Article 22.6 (Automatic Conversion of B Ordinary Shares) if required.

 

F. Transfer of shares

 

23. Form of transfer

 

Subject to Article 22 (Transfer of B Ordinary Shares), each shareholder may transfer all or any of his shares in the case of certificated shares by instrument of transfer in writing in any usual form or in any form approved by the Board or in the case of uncertificated shares without a written instrument in accordance with the Uncertificated Regulations. Any written instrument shall contain the business or residential address of the transferee and be executed by or on behalf of the transferor. The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of such share until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register in respect of it.

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24. Right to refuse registration

 

24.1 Registration of certificated share transfer

 

The Board may in its absolute discretion and without giving any reason refuse to register any transfer of a certificated share unless:

 

  (a) it is in respect of only one class of shares;

 

  (b) it is in favour of a single transferee or not more than four joint transferees;

 

  (c) it is duly stamped (if so required);

 

  (d) it is delivered for registration to the registered agent of the Company, or such other person as the Board may from time to time appoint, accompanied (except in the case of a transfer where a certificate has not been required to be issued) by the certificate for the shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the Board may reasonably require to prove the title of the transferor and the due execution by him of the transfer or if the transfer is executed by some other person on his behalf, the authority of that person to do so; and

 

  (e) the holding of such share would not result in a regulatory, pecuniary, legal, taxation or material administrative disadvantage for the Company or its shareholders as a whole including, but not limited to, where such a disadvantage would arise out of the transfer of any share to a Prohibited Person,

 

provided that where such share is listed on the New York Stock Exchange such discretion may not be exercised in such a way as to prevent dealings in such shares from taking place on an open and proper basis.

 

24.2 Registration of an uncertificated share transfer

 

The Board shall register a transfer of title to any uncertificated share or the renunciation or transfer of any renounceable right of allotment of a share which is a Participating Security held in uncertificated form in accordance with the Uncertificated Regulations, except that the Board may refuse (subject to any relevant requirements applicable to the recognised investment exchange(s) to which the shares of the Company are admitted) to register any such transfer or renunciation which is in favour of more than four persons jointly or in any other circumstance permitted by the Uncertificated Regulations.

 

24.3 Compulsory transfer of shares

 

  (a)

If it shall come to the notice of the Board that any shares are or may be owned or held directly or beneficially by any person in breach of any law or requirement of any country or by virtue of which such person is not qualified to own those shares and, in the sole and conclusive determination of the Board, such ownership or holding or continued ownership or holding of those shares (whether on its own or in conjunction with any other circumstance appearing to the Board to be relevant) would in the reasonable opinion of the Board, cause a pecuniary or tax disadvantage to the Company or any other holder of shares or other securities of the Company which it or they might not otherwise have suffered or incurred (collectively, a “ Prohibited Person ”), the Board may serve written notice (hereinafter called a “ Transfer Notice ”) upon the person (or any one of such persons whose shares are registered in joint names) appearing in the register as the holder (the “ Vendor ”) of any of the shares concerned (the “ Relevant Shares ”) requiring the Vendor within ten

17

 
  days (or such extended time as in all the circumstances the Board consider reasonable) to transfer (and/or procure the disposal of interests in) the Relevant Shares to another person who, in the sole and conclusive determination of the Board, would not be a Prohibited Person) (such a person being hereinafter called an “ Eligible Transferee ”). On and after the date of such Transfer Notice, and until registration of a transfer of the Relevant Shares to which it relates pursuant to the provisions referred to in this paragraph or Article 24.3(b), the rights and privileges attaching to the Relevant Shares will be suspended and not capable of exercise.

 

  (b) If within ten days after the giving of a Transfer Notice (or such extended time as in the circumstances the Board consider reasonable) the Transfer Notice has not been complied with to the satisfaction of the Board, the Company may sell the Relevant Shares on behalf of the holder thereof by instructing a London Stock Exchange member firm (if the Relevant Shares are listed on AIM) or any licensed stockbroker under US laws (if the Relevant Shares are listed on any US stock exchange) to sell them at the market price reasonably obtainable at the time of sale to any one or more Eligible Transferees. To give effect to a sale the Board may authorise in writing any officer or employee of the Company to transfer the Relevant Shares on behalf of the holder thereof (or any person who is automatically entitled to the shares by transmission or by law) or to cause the transfer of the Relevant Shares to the purchaser and in relation to an uncertificated share may require the Operator to convert the share into certificated form and an instrument of transfer executed by that person shall be as effective as if it had been executed by the holder of, or the person entitled by transmission to, the Relevant Shares. The Eligible Transferee is not bound to see to the application of the purchase money and the title of the Eligible Transferee is not affected by any irregularity in or invalidity of the proceedings connected to the sale. The net proceeds of the sale of the Relevant Shares, after payment of the Company’s costs of the sale, shall be paid by the Company to the Vendor or, if reasonable enquiries have failed to establish the location of the Vendor, into a trust account at a bank designated by the Company, the associated costs of which shall be borne by such trust account. The Company may register or cause the registration of the Eligible Transferee as holder of the Relevant Shares and thereupon the Eligible Transferee shall become absolutely entitled thereto.

 

  (c) A person who becomes aware that he falls, or is likely to fall, within Article 24.3 (a), shall forthwith, unless he has already received a Transfer Notice pursuant to the provisions referred to in this Article 24.3, either transfer the shares to one or more Eligible Transferees or give a request in writing to the Board for the issue of a Transfer Notice in accordance with the provisions referred to in this Article 24.3. Every such request shall, in the case of certificated shares, be accompanied by the certificate(s) for the shares to which it relates.

 

  (d)

Subject to the provisions of the Articles, the Board shall, unless any Director has reason to believe otherwise, be entitled to assume without enquiry that none of the shares are held in such a way as to entitle the Board to serve a Transfer Notice in respect thereof. The Board may, however, at any time and from time to time call upon any holder (or any one of joint holders or a person who is automatically entitled to the shares by transmission or by law) of shares by notice in writing to provide such information and evidence as the Board may require upon any matter connected with or in relation to such holders of shares. In the event of such information and evidence not being so provided within such reasonable period (not being less than ten clear days after service of the notice requiring the same) as may be specified by

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  the Board in the said notice, the Board may, in its absolute discretion, treat any share held by such a holder or joint holders or person who is automatically entitled to the shares by transmission or by law as being held in such a way as to entitle them to service a Transfer Notice in respect thereof.

 

  (e) The Board will not be required to give any reasons for any decision, determination or declaration taken or made in accordance with these provisions and such actions by the Board shall be conclusive and binding on all persons concerned and shall not be open to challenge. The exercise of the powers conferred by the provisions referred to in Article 24.3(a), (b) or (d) may not be questioned or invalidated in any case on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence of direct or indirect beneficial ownership or holding of shares by any person or that the true direct or beneficial owner or holder of any shares was otherwise than as appeared to the Board at the relevant date provided that the said powers have been exercised in good faith.

 

24.4 Neither the Company nor the Board shall be liable to indemnify, reimburse or compensate any shareholder in respect of any cost, liability or expense (including, without limitation, any taxes or duties imposed, paid or suffered under the laws of the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or any other jurisdiction) arising from or by reference to any sale or forfeiture of any shares pursuant to this Article 24.

 

25. Notice of refusal

 

If the Board refuses to register a transfer of a share it shall, within two months after the date on which the transfer was lodged with the Company, send notice of the refusal to the transferee. Any instrument of transfer which the Board refuses to register shall (except in the case of suspected fraud) be returned to the person depositing it. All instruments of transfer which are registered may be retained by the Company.

 

26. Closing of register

 

The registration of transfers of shares or of any class of shares may be suspended at such times and for such periods (not exceeding thirty days in any year) as the Board in its absolute discretion may from time to time determine following the giving of notice by advertisement in not less than two newspapers circulating generally in the Isle of Man (subject to the Uncertificated Regulations in the case of any shares of a class which is a Participating Security).

 

27. No fees on registration

 

No fee shall be charged for registration of a transfer or on the registration of any probate, letters of administration, certificate of death or marriage, power of attorney, notice or other instrument relating to or affecting the title to any shares or otherwise for making any entry in the Register affecting the title to any shares.

 

28. Recognition of renunciation of allotment of shares

 

Nothing in these Articles shall preclude the Board from recognising a renunciation of the allotment of any share by the allottee in favour of some other person.

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G. Transmission of shares

 

29. On death

 

If a shareholder dies the survivors or survivor where he was a joint holder and his executors or administrators where he was a sole or the only survivor of joint holders, shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to his shares. Nothing in these Articles shall release the estate of a deceased shareholder from any liability in respect of any share which has been solely or jointly held by him.

 

30. Election of person entitled by transmission

 

Any person entitled to a share by transmission, may, on such evidence as to his title being produced as the Board may reasonably require, elect either to become registered as a shareholder or to have some person nominated by him registered as a shareholder. If he elects to become registered himself he shall give written notice signed by him to the Company to that effect. If he elects to have some other person registered he shall, in the case of a certificated share, execute an instrument of transfer of such shares to that person and, in the case of an uncertificated share, either procure that all appropriate instructions are given by means of the Uncertificated System to effect the transfer of such share to such person or change the uncertificated share to certificated form and then execute an instrument of transfer of such share to such person. All the provisions of these Articles relating to the transfer of shares shall apply to the notice, instrument of transfer or instructions (as the case may be) as if it were an instrument of transfer executed or instructions given by the shareholder and his death, bankruptcy or other event had not occurred and any notice or transfer were executed by such shareholder. Where the entitlement of a person to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a shareholder or of any other event giving rise to its transmission by operation of law is proved to the satisfaction of the Board, the Board shall, within two months after proof, cause the entitlement of that person to be noted in the Register.

 

31. Rights on transmission

 

Where a person is entitled to a share by transmission, the rights of the holder in relation to such share shall cease. However, the person so entitled may give a good discharge for any dividends and other moneys payable in respect of it and shall have the same rights to which he would be entitled if he were the holder of the share except that he shall not before he is registered as the holder of the share be entitled in respect of it to give notice of or to attend or vote at any meeting of the Company or at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares of the Company. The Board may at any time give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to transfer the share. If the notice is not complied with within sixty days the Board may thereafter withhold payment of all dividends and other moneys payable in respect of such share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with.

 

H. General meetings

 

32. Annual general meetings

 

The Board shall convene in each year a general meeting of the shareholders of the Company called the annual general meeting; any annual general meeting so convened shall be held at such time and place and consider such business as the Board may determine.

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33. Extraordinary general meetings

 

All general meetings other than annual general meetings, shall be called extraordinary general meetings.

 

34. Convening of extraordinary general meeting

 

The Board may convene an extraordinary general meeting whenever it thinks fit. At any meeting convened by the Board or any meeting requisitioned pursuant to section 67(2) of the Act, no business shall be transacted except that stated by the requisition or proposed by the Board. If there are not sufficient members of the Board to convene a general meeting, any Director or any shareholder of the Company may call a general meeting.

 

35. Notice of general meetings

 

35.1 Length of notice

 

Any annual general meeting and any extraordinary general meeting convened for the passing of a resolution appointing a person as a Director shall be convened by not less than twenty-one clear days’ notice in writing. Other extraordinary general meetings shall be convened by not less than fourteen clear days’ notice in writing. Notwithstanding that a meeting is convened by shorter notice than that specified in this Article, it shall be deemed to have been properly convened if it is so agreed by all the shareholders entitled to attend and vote at the meeting.

 

35.2 Form of notice

 

Every notice convening a general meeting shall specify:

 

  (a) whether the meeting is an annual general meeting or an extraordinary general meeting;

 

  (b) the place, the day and the time of the meeting;

 

  (c) with reasonable prominence that a shareholder entitled to attend and vote is entitled to appoint one or more proxies to attend and, on a poll, vote instead of him and that a proxy need not also be a shareholder, and the place where instruments of proxy are to be deposited if the Board determines that place to be other than the Office.

 

35.3 Entitlement to receive notice

 

The notice shall be given to the shareholders (other than any who under the provisions of these Articles are not entitled to receive notice from the Company), to the Directors and to the Auditors and if more than one for the time being, to each of them.

 

36. Omission to send notice

 

The accidental omission to send a notice of meeting or, in cases where it is intended that it be sent out with the notice, an instrument of proxy, to, or the non-receipt of either by, any person entitled to receive the same shall not invalidate the proceedings at that meeting.

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I. Proceedings at general meetings

 

37. Quorum

 

No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present when the meeting proceeds to business but the absence of a quorum shall not preclude the choice or appointment of a Chairman which shall not be treated as part of the business of the meeting. Subject to the provisions of Article 38 (If quorum not present), a shareholder or shareholders entitled to attend and to vote on the business to be transacted holding not less than thirty per cent of the issued share capital of the Company and being present in person or by proxy, shall be a quorum. The provisions of section 67(4) of the Act are hereby excluded.

 

38. If quorum not present

 

If within fifteen minutes (or such longer interval not exceeding one hour as the Chairman in his absolute discretion thinks fit) from the time appointed for the holding of a general meeting a quorum is not present, or if during a meeting such a quorum ceases to be present, the meeting, if convened on the requisition of shareholders, shall be dissolved. In any other case, the meeting shall stand adjourned to later on the same day, to the same day in the next week at the same time and place, or to such other day and at such time and place as the Chairman (or, in default, the Board) may determine, being not less than fourteen nor more than twenty-eight days thereafter. If at such adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes from the time appointed for holding the meeting one shareholder present in person or by proxy or (being a corporation) by a duly authorised representative shall be a quorum. If no such quorum is present or, if during the adjourned meeting a quorum ceases to be present, the adjourned meeting shall be dissolved. The Company shall give at least seven clear days’ notice of any meeting adjourned through lack of quorum (where such meeting is adjourned to a day being not less than fourteen nor more than twenty-eight days thereafter).

 

39. Security and meeting place arrangements

 

39.1 Searches

 

The Board may direct that shareholders or proxies wishing to attend any general meeting should submit to such searches or other security arrangements or restrictions as the Board shall consider appropriate in the circumstances and shall be entitled in its absolute discretion to refuse entry to such general meeting to any shareholder or proxy who fails to submit to such searches or otherwise to comply with such security arrangements or restrictions.

 

39.2 Inadequate meeting place

 

If it appears to the Chairman that the meeting place specified in the notice convening the meeting is inadequate to accommodate all shareholders entitled and wishing to attend, the meeting shall nevertheless be duly constituted and its proceedings valid provided that the Chairman is satisfied that adequate facilities are available to ensure that any shareholder who is unable to be accommodated is nonetheless able to participate in the business for which the meeting has been convened and to hear and see all persons present who speak (whether by the use of microphones, loud-speakers, audio-visual communications equipment or otherwise), whether in the meeting place or elsewhere, and to be heard and seen by all other persons so present in the same manner.

 

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40. Chairman

 

The Chairman of the Board shall preside as Chairman at every general meeting of the Company. If there be no such Chairman or if at any meeting he shall not be present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting or shall be unwilling to act as Chairman, the Deputy Chairman (if any) of the Board shall if present and willing to act preside as Chairman at such meeting. If no Chairman or Deputy Chairman shall be so present and willing to act, the Directors present shall choose one of their number to act or, if there be only one Director present, he shall be Chairman if willing to act. If no Director is willing to act as Chairman of the meeting or, if no Director is present within fifteen minutes of the time appointed for holding the meeting, the shareholders present and entitled to vote shall choose one of their number to be Chairman of the meeting.

 

41. Director may attend and speak

 

A Director shall notwithstanding that he is not a shareholder be entitled to attend and speak at any general meeting and at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares of the Company. The Chairman may invite any person to attend and speak at any general meeting of the Company whom the Chairman considers to be equipped by knowledge or experience of the Company’s business to assist in the deliberations of the meeting.

 

42. Power to adjourn

 

The Chairman of the general meeting may, with the consent of a meeting at which a quorum is present, and shall if so directed by the meeting, adjourn any meeting from time to time (or indefinitely) and from place to place as he shall determine. However, without prejudice to any other power which he may have under these Articles or at common law the Chairman may, without the need for the consent of the meeting, interrupt or adjourn any meeting from time to time and from place to place or for an indefinite period if he is of the opinion that it has become necessary to do so in order to secure the proper and orderly conduct of the meeting or to give all persons entitled to do so a reasonable opportunity of attending, speaking and voting at the meeting or to ensure that the business of the meeting is otherwise properly disposed of.

 

43. Notice of adjourned meeting

 

Where a meeting is adjourned indefinitely the Board shall fix the time and place for the adjourned meeting. Whenever a meeting is adjourned for fourteen days or more or indefinitely, seven clear days’ notice at the least, specifying the place, the day and time of the adjourned meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted, shall be given in the same manner as in the case of an original meeting. Save as aforesaid, no shareholder shall be entitled to any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at any adjourned meeting.

 

44. Business of adjourned meeting

 

No business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business which might properly have been transacted at the meeting from which the adjournment took place.

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J. Voting

 

45. Method of voting

 

At any general meeting a resolution put to a vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless (before or immediately after the declaration of the result of the show of hands or on the withdrawal of any other demand for a poll) a poll is duly demanded. Subject to the provisions of the Act, a poll may be demanded by:

 

  (a) the Chairman of the meeting; or

 

  (b) by at least two shareholders present in person or by proxy having the right to vote at the meeting; or

 

  (c) by a person present in person or by proxy who is the holder of B Ordinary Shares;

 

  (d) shareholder or shareholders present in person or by proxy representing not less than one tenth of the voting rights of all the shareholders having the right to vote at the meeting,

 

and a demand for a poll by a person as proxy for a shareholder shall be as valid as if the demand were made by the shareholder himself.

 

46. Chairman’s declaration conclusive on show of hands

 

Unless a poll is duly demanded and the demand is not withdrawn a declaration by the Chairman of the meeting that a resolution has on a show of hands been carried or carried unanimously or by a particular majority or lost or not carried by a particular majority shall be conclusive, and an entry to that effect in the book containing the minutes of proceedings of the Company shall be conclusive evidence thereof, without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against such resolution.

 

47. Objection to error in voting

 

No objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter or to the counting of or failure to count any vote except at the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered or at which the error occurs. Any objection or error shall be referred to the Chairman of the meeting and shall only vitiate the decision of the meeting on any resolution if the Chairman decides that it is of sufficient magnitude to vitiate the resolution or may otherwise have affected the decision of the meeting. The decision of the Chairman on such matters shall be final and conclusive.

 

48. Amendment to resolutions

 

If an amendment shall be proposed to any resolution under consideration but shall in good faith be ruled out of order by the Chairman of the meeting, any error in such ruling shall not invalidate the proceedings on the substantive resolution. No amendment to a resolution (other than a mere clerical amendment to correct a manifest error) may be considered or voted upon unless notice of such proposed amendment is given to the Office at least forty-eight hours prior to the time appointed for holding the relevant meeting or adjourned meeting and the Chairman of the meeting in his absolute discretion rules that the amendment is fit for consideration at the meeting.

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49. Procedure on a poll

 

49.1 Timing of poll

 

Any poll duly demanded on the election of a Chairman of a meeting or on any question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll duly demanded on any other matter shall be taken in such manner (including the use of ballot or voting papers or tickets) and at such time and place, not being more than thirty days from the date of the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the poll was demanded, as the Chairman shall direct. The Chairman may, and if so directed by the meeting shall, appoint scrutineers who need not be shareholders and may adjourn the meeting to some place and time fixed by him for the purpose of declaring the result of the poll. No notice need be given of a poll not taken immediately if the time and place at which it is to be taken are announced at the meeting at which it is demanded. In any other case at least seven clear days’ notice shall be given specifying the time and place at which the poll is to be taken. The result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded.

 

49.2 Continuance of the meeting

 

The demand for a poll shall not prevent the continuance of the meeting for the transaction of any business other than the question on which a poll has been demanded. If a poll is demanded before the declaration of the result on a show of hands and the demand is duly withdrawn the meeting shall continue as if the demand had not been made.

 

49.3 Withdrawal of demand for a poll

 

The demand for a poll may before the poll is taken, be withdrawn, but only with the consent of the Chairman. A demand so withdrawn shall validate the result of a show of hands declared before the demand was made. If a demand is withdrawn, the persons entitled in accordance with Article 45 (Method of voting) may demand a poll.

 

49.4 Voting on a poll

 

On a poll votes may be given in person or by proxy of (in the case of a corporate shareholder) by a duly appointed representative. A shareholder entitled to more than one vote need not, if he votes, use all his votes or cast all the votes he uses in the same way.

 

50. Votes of shareholders

 

50.1 Number of votes

 

Subject to any suspension or abrogation of voting rights pursuant to these Articles, at any general meeting (whether an annual general meeting or an extraordinary general meeting):

 

  (a) every shareholder present in person or by proxy or (in the case of a corporate shareholder) by duly authorised representative, shall on a poll have one vote for each A Ordinary Share of which he is the holder; and

 

  (b) every shareholder present in person or by proxy or (in the case of a corporate shareholder) by duly authorised representative, shall on a poll have ten votes for each B Ordinary Share of which he is the holder.

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50.2 Joint holders

 

If two or more persons are joint holders of a share, then in voting on any question the vote of the senior who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders. For this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names of the holders stand in the Register.

 

50.3 Receivers and other persons

 

Where in the Isle of Man or elsewhere a receiver or other person (by whatever name called) has been appointed by any court claiming jurisdiction in that behalf to exercise powers with respect to the property or affairs of any shareholder on the ground (however formulated) of mental disorder, the Board may in its absolute discretion on or subject to production of such evidence of the appointment as the Board may require, permit such receiver or other person authorised by a court or official, to vote in person or, on a poll, by proxy on behalf of such shareholder at any general meeting. Evidence to the satisfaction of the Board of the authority of the person claiming to exercise the right to vote shall be deposited at the Office or at such other place as is specified in accordance with these Articles for the deposit of instruments of proxy not less than forty-eight hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the right to vote is to be exercised and in default the right to vote shall not be exercisable.

 

50.4 Certification in respect of B Ordinary Shares

 

Without prejudice to the generality of Article 22.2, prior to any general meeting (whether an annual general meeting or an extraordinary general meeting), the Directors shall require that any holder of B Ordinary Shares voting thereat (including by proxy) certify in writing, prior to such meeting, that they continue to be a Permitted Holder. A failure by any such holder to deliver to the Company such certification within the period determined shall result in the B Ordinary Shares held by such holder being unable to vote at such meeting.

 

50.5 Indemnity in respect of Continuation as a Permitted Person

 

The certification referred to in Article 50.4 and 58.2 shall include an indemnity in such form as the Directors may determine in favour of the Company, the Directors and each shareholder (other than the registered holder or holder of B Ordinary Shares providing the certification) jointly and severally, against any loss which such person may suffer as a result of such certification not being true and correct in every respect.

 

51. Casting vote

 

In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the Chairman of the meeting at which the show of hands takes place or at which the poll was demanded shall be entitled to a second or casting vote in addition to any other vote that he may have.

 

52. Voting by proxy

 

Any person (whether a shareholder of the Company or not) may be appointed to act as a proxy. Deposit of an instrument of proxy shall not preclude a shareholder from attending and voting in person at the meeting in respect of which the proxy is appointed or at any adjournment of it.

 

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53. Form of proxy

 

The appointment of a proxy shall:

 

  (a) be in any common form or in such other form as the Board may approve under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised in writing or if the appointor is a corporation under its common seal or under the hand of some officer or attorney duly authorised in that behalf or shall be contained in an Electronic Communication sent to such address (if any) as may for the time being be notified by or on behalf of the Company for that purpose, provided that the Electronic Communication is received in accordance with Article 54.1(b);

 

  (b) be deemed (subject to any contrary direction contained in the same) to confer authority to demand or join in demanding a poll and to vote on any resolution or amendment of a resolution put to the meeting for which it is given, as the proxy thinks fit, but shall not confer any further right to speak at the meeting except with the permission of the Chairman;

 

  (c) unless the contrary is stated in it be valid as well for any adjournment of the meeting as for the meeting to which it relates; and

 

  (d) where it is stated to apply to more than one meeting, be valid for all such meetings as well as for any adjournment of any such meetings.

 

54. Deposit of proxy

 

54.1 The instrument appointing a proxy and the power of attorney or other authority (if any) under which it is signed, or a copy of such authority certified notarially or in some other way approved by the Board shall:

 

  (a) in the case of an instrument in writing, be deposited by personal delivery, post or facsimile transmission at the Office or at such other place within the Isle of Man or elsewhere as is specified in the notice convening the meeting or in any instrument of proxy sent out by the Company in relation to the meeting not less than forty-eight hours before the time of the holding of the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the instrument proposes to vote; or

 

  (b) in the case of an appointment contained in an Electronic Communication, where an address has been specified for the purpose of receiving Electronic Communications:

 

  (i) in the notice convening the meeting; or

 

  (ii) in any instrument of proxy sent out by the Company in relation to the meeting; or

 

  (iii) in any invitation contained in an Electronic Communication to appoint a proxy issued by the Company in relation to the meeting

be received at such address not less than forty-eight hours before the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote; or

 

  (c) in the case of a poll taken more than forty-eight hours after it is demanded be deposited as aforesaid after the poll has been demanded and not less than twenty-four hours before the time appointed for the taking of the poll; or

 

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  (d) where the poll is not taken forthwith but is taken not more than forty-eight hours after it was demanded, be delivered at the meeting at which the poll was demanded to the Chairman of the meeting;

 

and an appointment of a proxy not deposited, delivered or received in a manner so permitted shall be invalid. The Board may at its discretion treat a faxed or other machine made copy of a written instrument appointing a proxy as such an appointment for the purpose of this Article.

 

54.2 Without limiting the foregoing, in relation to any shares which are held in uncertificated form, the Board may from time to time permit appointments of a proxy to be made by means of an Electronic Communication in the form of an uncertificated proxy instruction (that is, a properly authenticated dematerialised instruction, and/or other instruction or notification, which is sent by means of an Uncertificated System and received by such participant in the Uncertificated System acting on behalf of the Company as the Directors may prescribe, in such form and subject to such terms and conditions as may from time to time be prescribed by the Directors (subject always to the facilities and requirements of the Uncertificated System)); and may in a similar manner permit supplements to, or amendments or revocations of, any such uncertificated proxy instruction to be made by like means. The Board may in addition prescribe the method of determining the time at which any such properly authenticated dematerialised instruction (and/or other instruction or notification) is to be treated as received by the Company or such participant. The Board may treat any such uncertificated proxy instruction which purports to be or is expressed to be sent on behalf of a holder of a share as sufficient evidence of the authority of the person sending that instruction to send it on behalf of that holder.

 

54.3 For the purposes of Articles 53(a), 54.1(b) and 57 the term “address” in relation to Electronic Communications includes any number or address (including, in the case of any uncertificated proxy instruction permitted pursuant to Article 54.2, an identification number of a participant in the relevant Uncertificated System concerned) used for the purposes of such communications.

 

54.4 No appointment of a proxy shall be valid after the expiry of twelve months from the date named in it as the date of its execution except at an adjourned meeting or on a poll demanded at a meeting or an adjourned meeting in cases where the meeting was originally held within twelve months from such date.

 

54.5 The proceedings at a general meeting shall not be invalidated where an appointment of a proxy in respect of that meeting is delivered in a manner permitted by these Articles by Electronic Communication, but because of a technical problem it cannot be read by the recipient.

 

55. More than one proxy may be appointed

 

A shareholder may appoint more than one proxy to attend on the same occasion. When two or more valid but differing appointments of proxy are delivered in respect of the same share for use at the same meeting and in respect of the same matter, the one which is last validly delivered (regardless of its date or of the date of its execution) shall be treated as replacing and revoking the other or others as regards that share. If the Company is unable to determine which appointment was last validly delivered, none of them shall be treated as valid in respect of that share.

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56. Board may supply proxy cards

 

The Board shall at the expense of the Company send by post or otherwise forms of appointment of proxy (reply-paid or otherwise) with the notice convening any general meeting to shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting. Such forms of appointment of proxy shall provide for at least three-way voting on all resolutions to be proposed at the meeting other than the resolutions relating to the procedure of the meeting. The accidental omission to send an appointment of proxy or the non receipt of it by any shareholder entitled to attend and vote at a meeting shall not invalidate the proceedings at that meeting.

 

57. Revocation of proxy

 

A vote given or poll demanded in accordance with the terms of an appointment of a proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the death or mental disorder of the principal or the revocation of the appointment of the proxy, or of the authority under which the appointment of the proxy was executed or the transfer of the share in respect of which the appointment of the proxy is given unless notice of such death, mental disorder, revocation or transfer shall have been delivered to or received by the Company not later than the latest time at which the proxy should have been delivered to or received by the Company in order to be valid for use at the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the proxy is used, or (in the case of a poll taken otherwise than at or on the same day as the meeting or adjourned meeting) not later than twenty-four hours before the time of the taking of the poll at which the vote is cast. Such notice of determination shall be either by means of an instrument delivered to the Office or to such other place within the Isle of Man or elsewhere as may be specified by or on behalf of the Company in accordance with Article 54.1(a) or contained in an Electronic Communication received at the address (if any) specified by or on behalf of the Company in accordance with Article 54.1(b), regardless of whether any relevant proxy appointment was effected by means of an instrument or contained in an Electronic Communication. For the purpose of this Article, an Electronic Communication which contained such notice of determination need not be in writing if the Board has determined that the Electronic Communication which contains the relevant proxy appointment need not be in writing.

 

58. Written resolutions

 

58.1 Written Resolutions

 

Any action that may be taken by the shareholders at a general meeting may also be taken by a resolution consented to in writing by shareholders holding in excess of fifty per cent of the rights to vote on such resolution or seventy-five per cent in the case of a special resolution conferred on such shareholders according to the rights attached to the shares held. The consent may be in the form of counterparts, each counterpart being signed by one or more shareholders. If the consent is in one or more counterparts, and the counterparts bear different dates, then the resolution or special resolution (as applicable) shall take effect on the earliest date upon which shareholders holding a sufficient number of votes to constitute a resolution or special resolution (as applicable) of shareholders have consented to the resolution by signed counterparts. If any written resolution of the shareholders is adopted otherwise than by the unanimous written consent of all shareholders, a copy of such resolution shall be sent to all shareholders not consenting to such resolution forthwith upon it taking effect.

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58.2 Certification in respect of B Ordinary Shares

 

Without prejudice to the generality of Article 22.2, where it is proposed to pass a resolution by written consent pursuant to Article 58.1, the Directors shall require that any holder of B Ordinary Shares signing such consent certify in writing that they continue to be a Permitted Holder. Such written consent shall not take effect unless and until shareholders holding a sufficient number of votes to pass a resolution or special resolution (as applicable) of shareholders (including, if necessary, registered holders or holders of B Ordinary Shares who have certified in writing that they continue to be a Permitted Holder) have consented to the resolution by signed counterparts.

 

K. Untraced shareholders

 

59. Power of sale

 

59.1 Untraceable shareholders

 

The Company shall be entitled to sell at the market price reasonably obtainable any share of a shareholder or any share to which a person is entitled by transmission if and provided that:

 

  (a) during the period of twelve years prior to the date of the publication of the advertisements referred to in paragraph (b) (or if published on different dates, the earlier or earliest of them) no cheque, order or warrant in respect of such share sent by the Company through the post in a pre-paid envelope addressed to the shareholder or to the person entitled by transmission to the share at his address on the Register or other last known address given by the shareholder or person to which cheques, orders or warrants in respect of such share are to be sent has been cashed and the Company has received no communications in respect of such share from such shareholder or person provided that during such period of twelve years at least three cash dividends (whether interim or final) in respect of the shares in question have become payable and no such dividend during that period has been claimed by the person entitled to it;

 

  (b) on or after expiry of the said period of twelve years the Company has given notice of its intention to sell such share by advertisements in a national daily newspaper published in the United Kingdom and a national daily newspaper published in the US and (if the last known address of such shareholder or person is not in the United Kingdom or the US) in a newspaper circulating in the area of the last known address of such shareholder or person;

 

  (c) the said advertisements, if not published on the same day, shall have been published within thirty days of each other;

 

  (d) during the further period of three months following the date of publication of the said advertisements (or, if published on different dates the later or latest of them) and prior to the exercise of the power of sale the Company has not received any communication in respect of such share from the shareholder or person entitled by transmission; and

 

  (e) the Company has given notice, if required, in accordance with the regulations of the relevant regulatory authority of its intention to make such sale and shall, if appropriate, have obtained the approval of the relevant regulatory authority to the proposed form of the said advertisement, if shares of the class concerned are admitted to a securities list and/or a recognised investment exchange.

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59.2 Perfection of transfer

 

To give effect to any sale of shares pursuant to this Article 59 (Power of sale) the Board may in the case of certificated shares authorise some person to transfer the shares in question and may enter the name of the transferee in respect of the transferred shares in the Register notwithstanding the absence of any share certificate being lodged in respect of it and may issue a new certificate to the transferee and in the case of uncertificated shares exercise any power conferred on it by Article 21.5 (Forfeiture and sale) to effect a transfer of the shares. The purchaser shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase moneys in respect of any such sale nor shall his title to the shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating to the sale or transfer. Any instrument or exercise shall be effective as if it had been executed or exercised by the holder of or the person entitled by transmission to the shares to which it relates.

 

59.3 Additional shares

 

If during the period of twelve years referred to in Article 59.1 (Untraceable shareholders) or during any period ending on the date when all the requirements of paragraphs (a) to (d) of Article 59.1 have been satisfied, any additional shares have been issued in respect of those held at the beginning of such period or of any previously so issued during such period and all the requirements of paragraphs (b) to (d) of Article 59.1 have been satisfied in regard to such additional shares the Company shall also be entitled to sell the additional shares.

 

60. Application of proceeds of sale

 

Subject to compliance with the solvency test, the Company shall account to the shareholder or other person entitled to such share or shares for the net proceeds of such sale by carrying all moneys in respect of it to a separate account. The Company shall be deemed to be a debtor to and not a trustee for such shareholder or other person in respect of such moneys. Moneys carried to such separate account may either be employed in the business of the Company or invested in such investments as the Board may from time to time think fit. No interest shall be payable to such shareholder or other person in respect of such moneys and the Company shall not be required to account for any money earned on them.

 

L. Appointment, term and removal of directors

 

61. Number of Directors

 

Unless and until otherwise determined by the Board the number of Directors shall be not less than three or more than twelve, with the exact number to be set from time to time by the Board. A majority of the Directors shall at all times be resident outside the United Kingdom.

 

62. Power of Company to appoint Directors

 

Subject to the provisions of these Articles, the Company may by resolution appoint a person who is willing to act to be a Director, either to fill a vacancy, or as an addition to the existing Board, but the total number of Directors shall not exceed any maximum number fixed in accordance with these Articles. Any Director so appointed shall hold office in accordance with Article 68.2 (re-election of Directors).

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63. Power of Board to appoint Directors

 

Without prejudice to the power of the Company to appoint any person to be a Director pursuant to these Articles, the Board shall have power at any time to appoint any person who is willing to act as a Director, either to fill a vacancy or as an addition to the existing Board, but the total number of Directors shall not exceed any maximum number fixed in accordance with these Articles. Any Director so appointed shall hold office in accordance with Article 68.2 (Re-election of directors).

 

64. Eligibility of new Directors

 

No person other than a Director whose term expires at the meeting (pursuant to Article 68.1 (Number of directors)) shall be appointed or re-appointed a Director at any general meeting unless:

 

  (a) he is recommended by the Board; or

 

  (b) not less than seven nor more than thirty-five clear days before the date appointed for the meeting, notice duly executed by a shareholder (other than the person to be proposed) qualified to vote at the meeting has been given to the Company (by being lodged at the Office) stating the particulars which would if that person were so appointed or re-appointed be required to be included in the Company’s register of directors together with notice executed by that person of his willingness to be appointed or re-appointed.

 

65. Share qualification

 

A Director shall not be required to hold any shares.

 

66. Resolution for appointment

 

A resolution for the appointment of two or more persons as Directors by a single resolution shall not be moved unless a resolution that it shall be so proposed has first been agreed to by the meeting without any vote being given against it and any resolution moved in contravention of this provision shall be void. For the purpose of this Article, a resolution for approving a person’s appointment or for nominating a person for appointment as a Director shall be treated as a resolution for his appointment.

 

67. No retirement on account of age

 

No person shall be or become incapable of being appointed or re-appointed a Director by reason of his having attained the age of eighty or any other age, nor shall any special notice be required in connection with the appointment, re-appointment or the approval of the appointment of such person. No Director shall vacate his office at any time by reason of the fact that he has attained the age of eighty or any other age.

 

68. Staggered Board terms

 

68.1 Number of Directors

 

The Board shall be divided into three classes, each as nearly equal in number as possible, designated Class A Directors, Class B Directors and Class C Directors. Class A Directors shall initially hold office until the first annual general meeting following adoption of these Articles; Class B Directors shall initially hold office until the second annual general meeting following adoption of these Articles; and Class C Directors shall initially hold office until the third annual general meeting following adoption of these Articles. At each annual general meeting, each of the Directors of

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the relevant class the term of which shall then expire shall be eligible for re-election to the Board for a period of three years. In the case of any increase or decrease in the number of Directors, the Board shall apportion the number of Directors in each class equally or, if this is not possible, as nearly as equal as possible. The Board shall assign the members of the Board as at the date of adoption of these Articles to Class A, Class B or Class C.

 

68.2 Re-election of Directors

 

Subject to the requirement of these Articles that a majority of the Directors shall at all times be resident outside the United Kingdom, a Director whose term is to expire shall be eligible for re-election and may, if willing to act, be re-appointed. A Director who is re-elected will continue in office without a break. A Director appointed to fill a vacancy (other than at an annual general meeting) shall initially serve the remainder of the term of the Director he replaces. No decrease in the number of Directors will shorten the term of any Director.

 

69. Removal by resolution

 

The Company may by resolution remove any Director before the expiration of his period of office notwithstanding anything in these Articles or in any agreement between the Company and such Director and, without prejudice to any claim for damages which he may have for breach of any contract of service between him and the Company, may (subject to these Articles) by resolution appoint another person who is willing to act to be a Director in his place.

 

70. Vacation of office by Director

 

Without prejudice to any provisions for the term of office contained in these Articles the office of a Director shall be vacated if:

 

  (a) he resigns by notice in writing delivered to the Company’s registered agent or the Office or tendered at a Board meeting in which event he shall vacate that office on the service of that notice on the Company or at such later time as is specified in the notice or he offers in writing to resign from his office and the Directors resolve to accept such offer; or

 

  (b) he ceases to be a Director by virtue of any provision of the Act, is removed from office pursuant to these Articles or becomes prohibited by law from being a Director (including, without limitation, by virtue of section 93 of the Act); or

 

  (c) he has an interim receiving order made against him, makes any arrangement or compounds with his creditors generally; or

 

  (d) an order is made by any court of competent jurisdiction (whether in the Isle of Man, the United Kingdom or elsewhere) on the ground (howsoever formulated) of mental disorder for his detention or for the appointment of a guardian or receiver or other person to exercise powers with respect to his property or affairs or he is admitted to hospital in pursuance of an application for admission for treatment under any statute for the time being in force in the Isle of Man or the United Kingdom relating to mental disorder or, in any other territory, in pursuance of an application for admission under analogous legislation or regulations and the Board resolves that his office be vacated; or

 

  (e) he shall be absent, without the permission of the Board from Board meetings for six consecutive months and the Board resolves that his office be vacated; or

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  (f) he is requested to resign by notice in writing addressed to him at his address as shown in the register of Directors and signed by all the other Directors (without prejudice to any claim for damages which he may have for breach of any contract between him and the Company) provided that the vacation does not cause a majority of the Directors to be resident in the United Kingdom; or

 

  (g) he is convicted of an indictable offence and the Directors shall resolve that it is undesirable in the interests of the Company that he remains a Director of the Company; or

 

  (h) the conduct of that Director (whether or not concerning the affairs of the Company) is the subject of either (i) an application to the High Court pursuant to section 3 of the Company Officers (Disqualification) Act 2009 to the Isle of Man High Court or (ii) an investigation by the police of any jurisdiction and the Board shall resolve that it is undesirable that he remains a Director; or

 

  (i) notice is given to terminate his contract of employment or engagement with the Company where he is in breach of such contract; or

 

  (j) he has been disqualified from acting as a director; or

 

  (k) subsequent to his appointment, he becomes resident in the United Kingdom and as a result thereof the majority of the Directors are resident in the United Kingdom.

 

71. Resolution as to vacancy conclusive

 

A resolution of the Board declaring a Director to have vacated office under the terms of Article 70 (Vacation of office by Director) shall be conclusive as to the fact and grounds of vacation stated in the resolution.

 

M. Directors’ remuneration, expenses and pensions

 

72. Directors’ fees

 

The Directors shall be entitled to receive by way of fees for their services as Directors such sum as the Board may from time to time determine. Such sum shall be divided among the Directors in such proportions and in such manner as the Board may determine or in default of such determination, equally (except that in such event any Director holding office for less than the whole of the relevant period in respect of which the fees are paid shall only rank in such division in proportion to the time during such period for which he holds office). Any fees payable pursuant to this Article shall be distinct from any salary, remuneration or other amounts payable to a Director pursuant to any other provisions of these Articles and shall accrue from day to day but any Director who is also an officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries shall not be entitled to any fees hereunder although such Director may be paid a salary and/or remuneration in accordance with Article 75 (Remuneration of executive Directors).

 

73. Expenses

 

Each Director shall be entitled to be repaid all reasonable travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by him in or about the performance of his duties as Director, including any expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board or any committee of the Board or general meetings or separate meetings of the holders of any class of shares or of debentures of the Company.

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74. Remuneration

 

If by arrangement with the Board any Director shall perform or render any special duties or services outside his ordinary duties as a Director and not in his capacity as a holder of employment or executive office, he may be paid such reasonable additional remuneration (whether by way of a lump sum or by way of salary, commission, participation in profits or otherwise) as the Board may from time to time determine.

 

75. Remuneration of executive Directors

 

The salary or remuneration of any Director appointed to hold any employment or executive office in accordance with the provisions of these Articles may be either a fixed sum of money or may altogether or in part be governed by business done or profits made or otherwise determined by the Board.

 

76. Pensions and other benefits

 

The Board may exercise all the powers of the Company to provide pensions or other retirement or superannuation benefits and to provide death or disability benefits or other allowances or gratuities (whether by insurance or otherwise) for or to institute and maintain any institution, association, society, club, trust, other establishment or profit sharing, share incentive, share purchase or employees’ share scheme calculated to advance the interests of the Company or to benefit any person who is or has at any time been a Director of the Company or any company which is a subsidiary company of or allied to or associated with the Company or any such subsidiary or any predecessor in business of the Company or of any such subsidiary and for any member of his family (including a spouse or former spouse) and any person who is or was dependent on him. For such purpose the Board may establish, maintain, subscribe and contribute to any scheme, institution, association, club, trust or fund and pay premiums and, subject to the provisions of the Act, lend money or make payments to, guarantee or give an indemnity in respect of, or give any financial or other assistance in connection with, any of the aforesaid matters or bodies. The Board may procure any of such matters to be done by the Company either alone or in conjunction with any other person. Any Director or former Director shall be entitled to receive and retain for his own benefit any pension or other benefit provided under this Article and shall not be obliged to account for it to the Company.

 

N. Powers and duties of the Board

 

77. Powers of the Board

 

The management and control of the business of the Company shall be in and from the Isle of Man or such other place outside the United Kingdom as the Board may determine from time to time. Subject to the provisions of the Act, the memorandum of association of the Company and these Articles and to any directions given by special resolution of the Company, the business of the Company shall be managed by the Board, which may exercise all the powers of the Company whether relating to the management of the business or not. No alteration of the memorandum of association, or of these Articles and no such direction given by the Company shall invalidate any prior act of the Board which would have been valid if such alteration had not been made or such direction had not been given. Provisions contained elsewhere in these Articles as to any specific power of the Board shall not be deemed to limit the general powers given by this Article.

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78. Powers of Directors being less than minimum number

 

If the number of Directors is less than the minimum for the time being prescribed by these Articles, the remaining Director or Directors shall act only for the purposes of appointing an additional Director or Directors to make up such minimum or of convening a general meeting of the Company for the purpose of making such appointment. If there are no Director or Directors able or willing to act, any two shareholders may summon a general meeting for the purpose of appointing Directors. Subject to the provisions of these Articles, any additional Director so appointed shall hold office only until the dissolution of the annual general meeting of the Company next following such appointment unless he is re-elected during such meeting.

 

79. Powers of executive Directors

 

The Board may from time to time:

 

  (a) delegate or entrust to and confer on any Director holding executive office (including a Managing Director) such of its powers, authorities and discretions (with power to sub-delegate) for such time on such terms and subject to such conditions as it thinks fit; and

 

  (b) revoke, withdraw, alter or vary all or any of such powers.

 

80. Delegation to committees

 

80.1 Constituting committees

 

The Board may delegate any of its powers, authorities and discretions (with power to sub-delegate) for such time on such terms and subject to such conditions as it thinks fit to any committee consisting of one or more Directors and (if thought fit) one or more other persons provided that:

 

  (a) a majority of the members of a committee shall be Directors;

 

  (b) no resolution of a committee shall be effective unless a majority of those present when it is passed are Directors; and

 

  (c) the committee may meet in such places as the members thereof may from time to time determine providing, however, that the Board shall ensure that the Company does not become, and is not deemed to be, resident for taxation purposes in any jurisdiction other than the Isle of Man.

 

Any committee so formed may exercise its power to sub-delegate by sub-delegating to any person or persons (whether or not a member or members of the Board or of the committee).

 

80.2 Powers of committee

 

The Board may confer such powers either collaterally with or to the exclusion of and in substitution for all or any of the powers of the Board in that respect and may from time to time revoke, withdraw, alter or vary any of such powers and discharge any such committee in whole or in part. Insofar as any power, authority or discretion is so delegated any reference in these Articles to the exercise by the Board of such power, authority or discretion shall be construed as if it were a reference to the exercise of such power, authority or discretion by such committee. Subject to any terms and conditions expressly imposed by the Board, the proceedings of a committee with two or more members shall be governed by such of these Articles as regulate the proceedings of the Board so far as they are capable of applying.

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81. Local management

 

The Board may establish any local group or divisional boards or agencies for managing any of the affairs of the Company in any specified locality either in the Isle of Man or elsewhere outside the United Kingdom and may appoint any persons to be members of such local or divisional board or any managers or agents, may fix their remuneration and remove any person so appointed. The Board may delegate to any local group or divisional board manager or agent so appointed any of its powers, authorities and discretions other than the power to borrow (with power to sub-delegate) and may authorise the members for the time being of any such local or divisional board or any of them to fill any vacancies and to act notwithstanding vacancies, and any such appointment or delegation may be made for such time on such terms and subject to such conditions as the Board may think fit. The Board may confer such powers either collectively with or to the exclusion of and in substitution for all or any of the powers of the Board in that respect and may from time to time revoke, withdraw, alter or vary all or any of such powers. Subject to any terms and conditions expressly imposed by the Board, the proceedings of any local group or divisional board or agency with two or more members shall be governed by such of these Articles as regulate the proceedings of the Board so far as they are capable of applying.

 

82. Power of attorney

 

The Board may by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any company, firm, person or persons (including registrars) to be the agent or attorney of the Company and may delegate to any such agent or attorney or any fluctuating body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, any of its powers, authorities and discretions (with power to sub-delegate), in each case for such purposes and for such time, on such terms (including as to remuneration) and subject to such conditions as it thinks fit. The Board may confer such powers either collaterally with, or to the exclusion of and in substitution for, all or any of the powers of the Board in that respect and may from time to time revoke, withdraw, alter or vary any of such powers. Any such appointment or power of attorney may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such agent or attorney as the Board may think fit and may also authorise any such agent or attorney to sub-delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in him.

 

83. Associate Directors

 

The Board may appoint any person (not being a Director) to any office or employment having a designation or title including the word “director” or attach to any existing office or employment with the Company such designation or title and may define, limit, vary or restrict the powers, authorities and discretions of persons so appointed and may terminate any such appointment subject to any contract between him and the Company or the use of such designation or title. The inclusion of the word “director” in the designation or title of any such office or employment shall not imply that such person is or is deemed to be or is empowered in any respect to act as a Director or a member of any committee of the Board of Directors for any of the purposes of the Act or these Articles.

 

84. Exercise of voting power

 

The Board may exercise or cause to be exercised the voting power conferred by the shares in any other company held or owned by the Company or any power of appointment to be exercised by the Company in such manner in all respects as it thinks fit (including the exercise of the voting power or power of appointment in favour of the appointment of any Director as a director or other officer or employee of such company or in favour of the payment of remuneration to the directors, officers or employees of such company).

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85. Provision for employees

 

The Board may exercise any power conferred on the Company by the Act to make provision for the benefit of persons employed or formerly employed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries in connection with the cessation or the transfer to any person of the whole or part of the undertaking of the Company or that subsidiary.

 

86. Borrowing powers

 

Subject as herein provided and to the provisions of the Act, the Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money, to guarantee, to indemnify and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property, assets (present and future) and uncalled capital or any part or parts thereof and to issue debentures and other securities, whether outright or as collateral security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party.

 

O. Proceedings of Directors and Committees

 

87. Board meetings

 

Subject to the provisions of these Articles, the Board may meet for the despatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate its proceedings as it thinks fit. Board meetings shall be held in such places as the Board may from time to time determine providing, however, that the Board shall ensure that the Company does not become, and is not deemed to be, resident for taxation purposes in any jurisdiction other than the Isle of Man.

 

88. Notice of Board meetings

 

One Director may summon a Board meeting at any time on reasonable notice. Notice of a Board meeting shall be deemed to be properly given to a Director if it is given to him personally or by word of mouth or sent in writing to him at his last known address or any other address given by him to the Company for that purpose or by Electronic Communication. A Director may waive the requirement that notice be given to him of any Board meeting either prospectively or retrospectively.

 

89. Quorum

 

The quorum necessary for the transaction of business may be determined by the Board and until otherwise determined shall be a majority in number of the members of the Board, provided that if a majority of the Directors present at the meeting are resident in the United Kingdom the Directors present, irrespective of their number, shall not constitute a quorum and the Directors may not meet. A duly convened meeting of the Board at which a quorum is present shall be competent to exercise all or any of the authorities, powers and discretions for the time being vested in or exercisable by the Board. Any Director who ceases to be a Director at a meeting of the Directors may continue to be present and to act as a Director and be counted in the quorum until the termination of the meeting of the Directors if no Director objects and if otherwise a quorum of Directors would not be present.

 

90. Chairman of Board and other offices

 

90.1 Appointment of Chairman

 

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The Board shall appoint one or more of its body as Chairman, joint Chairman or Deputy Chairman of the Board and shall determine the period for which he is or they are to hold office and may at any time remove him or them from office. If no such Chairman or Deputy Chairman is elected or if at any meeting neither a Chairman nor a Deputy Chairman is present within five minutes of the time appointed for holding it, the Directors present shall choose one of their number to be Chairman of such meeting. In the event of two or more Joint Chairmen or in the absence of a Chairman, two or more Deputy Chairmen being present, the Joint Chairman or Deputy Chairman to act as Chairman of the meeting shall be decided by those Directors present. Any Chairman or Deputy Chairman may also hold executive office under the Company

 

90.2 Chief Executive

 

The Directors may appoint one or more of their number to any office or employment under the Company (including, but without limitation, that of Chief Executive, Managing Director or Joint Managing Director but not including that of auditor), and may enter into an agreement or arrangement with any Director for his employment by the Company or for the provision by him of any services outside the scope of the ordinary duties of a Director and may also permit any person appointed to be a Director to continue in any office or employment held by him before he was so appointed. Any such appointment, agreement or arrangement may be made for such period and upon such terms as the Directors determine.

 

90.3 Delegation of powers

 

Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing the Directors may entrust to and confer upon any Director holding any such office or employment any of the powers exercisable by them as Directors with power to sub-delegate upon such terms and conditions and with such restrictions as they think fit and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers, authorities and discretions, and may from time to time revoke, withdraw, alter or vary all or any of such powers but no person dealing in good faith and without notice of the revocation or variation shall be affected by it. The power to delegate contained in this Article shall be effective in relation to the powers, authorities and discretions of the Board generally and shall not be limited by the fact that in certain Articles, but not in others, express reference is made to particular powers, authorities or discretions being exercised by the Board or by a committee authorised by the Board.

 

90.4 Removal from position

 

The Directors may also (without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of any agreement between the Director and the Company) remove a Director from any such office and appoint another in his place.

 

90.5 Cessation of position on ceasing to be a director

 

A Director appointed to the office of Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Managing Director, Chief Executive or any other executive office shall automatically and immediately cease to hold that office if he ceases to hold the office of Director from any cause, but he shall not (unless any agreement between him and the Company shall otherwise provide) cease to hold his office as a Director by reason only of his ceasing to be Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Managing Director, Chief Executive of the Company or to hold any other such executive office, as the case may be.

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91. Voting

 

Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes the Chairman of that meeting shall have a second or casting vote but only if the effect of the exercise of such a vote is not to render a decision or vote in question one which is reached or passed by a majority of Directors who are resident in the United Kingdom.

 

92. Participation by telephone and electronic communication

 

Any Director may validly participate in a meeting of the Board or a committee of the Board through the medium of conference telephone or other electronic means of communication provided that all persons participating in the meeting are able to hear and speak to each other throughout such meeting. A person so participating shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting and shall accordingly be counted in a quorum and be entitled to vote. Such a meeting shall be deemed to take place where the Chairman of the meeting is located, but meetings shall not take place regularly in any jurisdiction other than the Isle of Man. Subject to these Articles, all business transacted in such manner by the Board or a committee of the Board shall for the purpose of these Articles be deemed to be validly and effectively transacted at a meeting of the Board or a committee of the Board notwithstanding that two or fewer than two Directors are physically present at the same place.

 

93. Resolution in writing

 

A resolution in writing executed by all the Directors for the time being entitled to receive notice of a Board meeting and not being less than a quorum or by all the members of a committee of the Board for the time entitled to receive notice of such committee meeting and not being less than a quorum of that committee shall be as valid and effective for all purposes as a resolution duly passed at a meeting of the Board (or committee as the case may be). Such a resolution may consist of several documents in the same form each executed by one or more of the Directors or members of the relevant committee, including executions evidenced by means of facsimile transmission.

 

94. Minutes of proceedings

 

94.1 Contents of minutes

 

The Board shall cause minutes to be made in books kept for the purpose of recording all orders, resolutions and proceedings of every meeting of the Board, of a committee of the Board, of the Company or of the holders of any class of shares or debentures of the Company including:

 

  (a) all appointments of officers and committees made by the Board and of any such officer’s salary or remuneration; and

 

  (b) the names of Directors present at every such meeting.

 

94.2 Evidence of proceedings

 

Any such minutes if purporting to be signed by the Chairman of the meeting at which the proceedings were held or by the Chairman of the next succeeding meeting, shall be prima facie evidence of the matters stated in such minutes without any further proof.

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95. Validity of proceedings

 

All acts done by a meeting of the Board or of any committee of the local board or agency or by any person acting as a Director or member of a committee, local board or agency shall, as regards all persons dealing in good faith with the Company notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any person or persons acting as aforesaid or that they or any of them were or was disqualified from holding office or not entitled to vote or had in any way vacated their or his office or that the delegation to such committee, local board or agency had been annulled, varied or revoked, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed, and was duly qualified and had continued to be a Director or member and had been entitled to vote or as if the delegation had continued in full force and effect.

 

P. Directors’ interests

 

96. Related Person Transaction Policies

 

The provisions in these Articles relating to Directors’ interests are subject to the Company’s Related Person Transaction Policies as approved by the Board from time to time.

 

97. Director may have interests

 

Subject to the provisions of section 104 of the Act and provided that Article 98 (Disclosure of interests to Board) is complied with, a Director, notwithstanding his office:

 

  (a) may be a party to or otherwise be interested in any contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal with the Company or in which the Company is otherwise interested, either in regard to his tenure of any office or place of profit or as vendor, purchaser or otherwise;

 

  (b) may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (except that of Auditor or of auditor of a subsidiary of the Company) in conjunction with the office of Director and may act by itself or through his firm in a professional capacity for the Company and in any such case on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as the remuneration committee may arrange either in addition to or in lieu of any remuneration provided for by any other Article;

 

  (c) may be a shareholder of or a director or other officer, or employed by, or a party to any transaction or arrangement with or otherwise interested in, any body corporate promoted by or promoting the Company or in which the Company is otherwise interested or as regards which the Company has any powers of appointment; and

 

  (d) shall not, by reason of his office, be liable to account to the Company for any dividend, profit, remuneration, superannuation payment or other benefit which he derives from any such office, employment, contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal or from any interest in any such body corporate,

 

and no such contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal shall be avoided on the grounds of any such interest or benefit.

 

98. Disclosure of interests to Board

 

98.1 Notification of interest

 

A Director who to his knowledge is in any way (directly or indirectly) interested in any contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal with the Company shall declare the nature of his interest at the meeting of the Board at which the question of entering into the contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal is first considered if he knows his interest then exists or, in any other case, at the first meeting of the Board after he knows that he is or has become so interested.

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98.2 Adequacy of notice

 

For the purposes of this Article:

 

  (a) a general notice given to the Board by a Director that he is to be regarded as having an interest (of the nature and extent specified in the notice) in any contract, transaction, arrangement or proposal in which a specified firm, company, person or class of persons is interested shall be deemed to be a sufficient disclosure under this Article in relation to such contract, transaction, arrangement or proposal of the nature and extent thereof as so specified provided that no such notice shall be effective unless either it is given at a meeting of the Directors or the Director takes reasonable steps to secure that it is brought up and read at the next meeting of the Directors after it is given; and

 

  (b) an interest of which a Director has no knowledge and of which it is unreasonable to expect him to have knowledge shall not be treated as an interest of his until such time as such Director has, or reasonably could be expected to have, such knowledge.

 

98.3 Interested Director not to vote or count for quorum

 

A Director shall not vote on or be counted in the quorum in relation to any resolution of the Board or of a committee of the Board concerning any contract, arrangement, transaction or proposal whatsoever to which the Company is to be a party and in which he has an interest.

 

99. Director’s interest in own appointment

 

A Director shall not vote or be counted in the quorum on any resolution of the Board or committee of the Board concerning his own appointment (including fixing or varying the terms of his appointment or its termination) as the holder of any office or place of profit with the Company or any company in which the Company is interested. Where proposals are under consideration concerning the appointment (including fixing or varying the terms of appointment or termination) of two or more Directors to offices or places of profit with the Company or any company in which the Company is interested, such proposals may be divided and a separate resolution considered in relation to each Director. In such case each of the Directors concerned (if not otherwise debarred from voting under these Articles) shall be entitled to vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of each resolution except that concerning his own appointment.

 

100. Chairman’s ruling conclusive on Director’s interest

 

If any question arises at any meeting of the Board or any committee of the Board as to the materiality of a Director’s interest (other than the Chairman’s interest) or as to the entitlement of any Director (other than the Chairman) to vote or be counted in a quorum and such question is not resolved by his voluntarily agreeing to abstain from voting or being counted in the quorum such question (unless the Director concerned is the Chairman in which case Article 101 (Director’s resolution conclusive on Chairman’s interest) shall apply) shall before the conclusion of the meeting be referred to the Chairman of the meeting. The Chairman’s ruling in relation to the Director concerned shall be final and conclusive except in a case where the nature or extent of the interest of the Director has not been fairly disclosed and provided that any such question shall, for the purposes of disclosure of such interests in the accounts of the company, be finally and conclusively decided by a majority of the Directors (other than the Director concerned).

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101. Directors’ resolution conclusive on Chairman’s interest

 

If any question arises at any meeting of the Board or any committee of the Board as to the materiality of the Chairman’s interest or as to the entitlement of the Chairman to vote or be counted in a quorum and such question is not resolved by his voluntarily agreeing to abstain from voting or being counted in the quorum, such question shall before the conclusion of the meeting be decided by resolution of the Directors or committee members present at the meeting (excluding the Chairman) whose majority vote shall be final and conclusive except in a case where the nature or extent of the interest of the Director has not been fairly disclosed and provided that any such question shall, for the purposes of disclosure of such interests in the accounts of the company, be finally and conclusively decided by a majority of the Directors (other than the Director concerned).

 

102. Exercise by Company of voting powers

 

The Board may exercise the voting power conferred by the shares in any company held or owned by the Company in such manner in all respects as it thinks fit (including the exercise thereof in favour of any resolution appointing the Directors or any of them directors of such company, or voting or providing for the payment of remuneration to the directors of such company).

 

Q. The Seal

 

103. Application of Seal

 

103.1 Use of seal

 

The Seal shall be used only by the authority of a resolution of the Board or of a committee of the Board so authorised. The Board may determine whether any instrument to which the Seal is affixed shall be signed and if it is to be signed who shall sign it. Unless otherwise so determined:

 

  (a) share certificates and, subject to the provisions of any instrument constituting them, certificates issued under the Seal in respect of any debentures or other securities but excluding letters of allotment or scrip certificates shall be executed by a Director or by two Directors but the Board may by resolution determine that any signatures may be affixed to or printed (including by means of a facsimile of the signature of any person to be applied by any mechanical or electronic means in place of that person’s actual signature) on any such certificate by any means approved by the Board or that such certificates need not bear any signature; and

 

  (b) every other instrument to which the Seal is affixed shall be signed by a Director or by two Directors or by any other person appointed by the Board for the purpose.

 

103.2 Certificates

 

Every certificate shall be issued under the Seal or in such other manner as the Board having regard to the terms of issue and the regulations applicable to the securities list(s) and recognised investment exchange(s) to which the shares of the Company are admitted. All references in these Articles to the Seal shall be construed accordingly.

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104. Deed without sealing

 

A document signed by one or more Directors and expressed (in whatever form of words) to be executed by the Company as a deed shall have the same effect as if it were executed under the Seal, provided that no instrument shall be so signed which makes it clear on its face that it is intended by the person or persons making it not to have effect as a deed without the authority of a resolution of the Board or of a committee of the Board authorised in that behalf. An instrument or document which is executed by the Company as a deed shall not be deemed to be delivered by the Company solely as a result of it having been executed by the Company.

 

105. Official seal for sealing share certificates

 

The Company may have, for use for sealing securities issued by the Company and for sealing documents creating or evidencing securities so issued, an official seal which is a facsimile of the Seal with the addition on its face of the word “Securities”. The official seal when duly affixed to a document by or on behalf of the Company has the same effect as the Seal.

 

R. Dividends and other payments

 

106. Declaration of dividends

 

Subject to the provisions of these Articles, the Board may, subject to the satisfaction of the solvency test, declare and pay dividends out of the Company’s profits to shareholders according to their respective rights and interests in the profits of the Company.

 

107. Interim dividends

 

The Board may, subject to the satisfaction of the solvency test, declare and pay such interim dividends (including any dividend payable at a fixed rate) as appear to the Board to be justified by the profits of the Company and the position of the Company.

 

108. Entitlement to dividends

 

108.1 Payment of dividends

 

All dividends and interest shall be paid (subject to any lien of the Company) to those shareholders whose names shall be on the Register at the date at which such dividend shall be declared or at the date at which such interest shall be payable respectively, or at such other date as the Company by resolution or the Board may determine, notwithstanding any subsequent transfer or transmission of shares.

 

108.2 Shares passing by transmission

 

The Board may pay the dividends or interest payable on shares in respect of which any person is by transmission entitled to be registered as holder to such person upon production of such certificate and evidence as would be required if such person desired to be registered as a shareholder in respect of such shares.

 

109. Distribution in specie

 

The Company in general meeting may, on the recommendation of the Board, by resolution direct that payment of any dividend declared may be satisfied wholly or partly by the distribution of assets, and in particular, of fully paid up shares or debentures of any other company or in any one or more of such ways. Where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution the Board may settle it as it thinks fit. In particular, the Board may:

 

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  (a) issue fractional certificates or, subject to the law and, in the case of shares held in uncertificated form, the rules of the Uncertificated System, authorise and instruct any person to sell and transfer any fractions or disregard fractions altogether;

 

  (b) fix the value for distribution of such assets or any part of them and determine that cash payments may be made to any shareholders on the footing of the value so fixed, in order to adjust the rights of shareholders; and

 

  (c) vest any such assets in trustees on trust for the persons entitled to the dividend.

 

110. Dividends not to bear interest

 

Unless otherwise provided by the rights attached to the share no dividend or other moneys payable by the Company or in respect of a share shall bear interest as against the Company.

 

111. Method of payment

 

111.1 General provisions

 

The Company may pay any dividend, interest or other sum payable in respect of a share in cash or by direct debit, bank transfer, cheque, dividend warrant or money order (or in respect of any uncertificated share through the Uncertificated System) and may send it by post or other delivery service to the registered address of the shareholder or person entitled to it (or if two or more persons are holders of the share or are jointly entitled to it by reason of the death or bankruptcy of the shareholder or otherwise by operation of law to the registered address of such of those persons as is first named in the Register) or to such person and such address as such shareholder or person or persons may direct in writing. Every cheque, warrant or order is sent at the risk of the person entitled to the money represented by it and shall be made payable to the order of the person or persons entitled or, where an authority in that behalf shall have been received by the Company in such form as the Company shall consider sufficient, to such other person as the person or persons entitled may direct in writing. Payment of the cheque, warrant or order to the person entitled or the person specified in such authority shall be a good discharge to the Company. If any such cheque, warrant or order has or shall be alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed the Board may at the request of the person entitled to it issue a replacement cheque, warrant or order, subject to compliance with such conditions as to evidence and indemnity and the payment of out of pocket expenses of the Company in connection with the request as the Board may think fit. Any joint holder or other person jointly entitled to a share may give an effective receipt for any dividend or other moneys payable in respect of such share. Any such dividend, interest or other sum may also be paid by any other method as the Board considers appropriate. If the payment is made on behalf of the Company through the Uncertificated System the Company shall not be responsible for any default in accounting for such payment to the shareholder or other person entitled to such payment by a bank or other financial intermediary of which the shareholder or other person is a customer for settlement purposes in connection with the Uncertificated System.

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111.2 Payment in currencies other than sterling

 

The Board may, at its discretion, make provisions to enable such shareholder as the Board shall from time to time determine to receive dividends duly declared in a currency or currencies other than sterling. For the purposes of the calculation of the amount receivable in respect of any dividend, the rate of exchange to be used to determine the foreign currency equivalent of any sum payable as a dividend shall be such market rate selected by the Board as it shall consider appropriate at the close of business in London on the date which is the business day last preceding the date on which the Board publicly announces its intention to pay that specific dividend, provided that where the Board considers the circumstances to be appropriate it shall determine such foreign currency equivalent by reference to such market rate or rates or the mean of such market rates prevailing at such time or times or on such other date or dates, in each case falling before the time of the relevant announcement, as the Board may select.

 

111.3 Payments through the uncertificated system

 

The Board may:

 

  (a) lay down procedures for making any payments in respect of uncertificated shares through the Uncertificated System;

 

  (b) allow any holder of uncertificated shares to elect to receive or not to receive any such payment through the Uncertificated System; and

 

  (c) lay down procedures to enable any such holder to make, vary or revoke any such election;

 

The Company may make, or procure the making of, any payment in respect of a shareholder’s uncertificated shares through the Uncertificated System in accordance with any authority given to the Company to do so (whether in writing, through the Uncertificated System or otherwise) by or on behalf of the shareholder in a form satisfactory to the Board. The making of such payment in accordance with such authority shall be a good discharge to the Company.

 

112. Uncashed dividends

 

If cheques, warrants or orders for dividends or other sums payable in respect of a share sent by the Company to the person entitled thereto by post are returned to the Company undelivered or left uncashed on two consecutive occasions or, following one occasion, reasonable enquiries have failed to establish any new address to be used for the purpose, the Company shall not be obliged to send any further dividends or other moneys payable in respect of that share due to that person until he notifies the Company of an address to be used for the purpose.

 

113. Unclaimed dividends

 

All dividends, interest or other sum payable and unclaimed for twelve months after having become payable may be invested or otherwise made use of by the Board for the benefit of the Company until, subject to compliance with the solvency test, claimed and the Company shall not be constituted a trustee in respect thereof. Any dividends claimed by a member shall require the Company to satisfy the solvency test at the point of claim. All dividends unclaimed for a period of twelve years after having become due for payment shall (if the Board so resolves) be forfeited and shall revert to the Company.

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114. Waiver of dividends

 

The waiver in whole or in part of any dividend on any share by any document (whether or not under seal) shall be effective only if such document is signed by the shareholder (or the person entitled to the share in consequence of the death, bankruptcy or mental disorder of the holder or otherwise by operation of law) and delivered to the Company and only if or to the extent that the same is accepted as such or acted upon by the Company.

 

115. Payment of scrip dividends

 

115.1 Authority to pay scrip dividends

 

The Board may with the prior authority of a resolution of the Company and subject to such conditions as the Board may determine, provided that the Company has sufficient unissued shares and undistributed profits or reserves to give effect to it, offer to any holders of Ordinary Shares (whether the holder of A Ordinary Shares or of B Ordinary Shares) the right to elect to receive A Ordinary Shares credited as fully paid instead of cash in respect of the whole or some part (to be determined by the Board) of any dividend specified by the resolution.

 

115.2 Election mandates

 

The Board may also from time to time establish or vary a procedure for election mandates, under which a holder of Ordinary Shares may elect to receive Ordinary Shares of the same class held by him credited as fully paid instead of cash in respect of all or certain future rights offered to that holder under this Article until the election mandate is revoked in accordance with any such procedure.

 

115.3 Admission of shares

 

If the A Ordinary Shares are admitted to listing or trading on any recognised investment exchange, the Company shall apply to the relevant regulatory authority for additional A Ordinary Shares so allotted to be admitted to the recognised investment exchange(s) and securities list(s) to which the Company’s existing issued A Ordinary Shares are admitted.

 

115.4 Directors’ powers

 

The Directors shall have power to do all acts and things as they consider necessary or expedient to give effect to this Article 115.

 

116. Reserves

 

The Board may, before recommending any dividend (whether preferential or otherwise) carry to reserves out of the profits of the Company such sums as it thinks fit. All sums standing to reserves may be applied from time to time, at the discretion of the Board, for any other purpose to which the profits of the Company may properly be applied and pending such application may either be employed in the business of the Company or be invested in such investments as the Board thinks fit and so that it shall not be necessary to keep any investment constituting the reserve separate or distinct from any other investment of the Company. The Board may divide the reserve into such special funds as it thinks fit and may consolidate into one fund any special fund or any part of any special fund into which the reserve may have been divided as it thinks fit. Any sum which the Board may carry to reserve out of the unrealised profit of the Company shall not be mixed with any reserve to which profits available for distribution have been carried. The Board may also, without placing the same to reserve, carry forward any profit which it may think prudent not to distribute.

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117. Capitalisation of reserves

 

The Board may:

 

  (a) subject as provided in this Article, resolve to capitalise any profits of the Company not required for paying any preferential dividend (whether or not they are available for distribution) or any sum standing to the credit of any reserve or fund of the Company which is available for distribution;

 

  (b) appropriate the sum resolved to be capitalised on the date specified in the resolution to the holders of Ordinary Shares in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them respectively which would entitle them to participate in a distribution of that sum if the sum were then distributable and were distributed by way of dividend and apply such sum on their behalf in paying up in full unissued shares of the Company at a price equal to that sum and allot A Ordinary Shares or B Ordinary Shares (as appropriate to existing holders of such shares) credited as fully paid to such holders or as they may direct in those proportions or partly in one way and partly in the other;

 

  (c) make such provision by the issue of fractional certificates (or by ignoring fractions or by accruing the benefit of it to the Company rather than to the holders of Ordinary Shares concerned) or by payment in cash or otherwise as it thinks fit in the case of shares or debentures becoming distributable in fractions; authorise any person to enter on behalf of all the holders of Ordinary Shares concerned into an agreement with the Company providing for the allotment to them respectively, credited as fully paid up, of any shares or debentures to which they may be entitled on such capitalisation (any agreement made under such authority being effective and binding on all such holders); and

 

  (d) generally do all acts and things required to give effect to such resolution.

 

118. Record dates

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles but without prejudice to the rights attached to any shares, the Board may fix any date (the “ record date ”) as the date at the close of business (or such other time as the Board may determine) on which persons registered as the holders of shares or other securities shall be entitled to receipt of any dividend, distribution, interest, allotment, issue, notice, information, document or circular. Such record date may be on or at any time within sixty (60) days before any date on which such dividend, distribution, interest, allotment, issue, notice, information, document or circular is declared, paid or made but without prejudice to the rights inter se in respect of the same of transfers and transferees of any such shares or other securities. In the absence of a record date being fixed, entitlement to any dividend, distribution, allotment or issue shall be determined by reference to the date on which the dividend is declared or the distribution, allotment or issue is made.

 

S. Accounts

 

119. Accounting records

 

The Board shall cause accounting records to be kept in accordance with the Act and shall keep such other books and registers as are necessary to comply with the Act.

 

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120. Inspection of records

 

The accounting records shall be kept at the Office or (subject to the Act) at such other place as the Board thinks fit. No shareholder (other than a Director) shall have any right to inspect any accounting record or other document of the Company unless he is authorised to do so by statute, by order of the Court, by the Board or by resolution of the Company. Such records shall always be open for inspection by officers of the Company.

 

121. Accounts to be sent to shareholders

 

A printed copy of the Directors’ and Auditors’ reports accompanied by printed copies of the annual accounts (including every document required by law to be comprised in them or annexed or attached to them) shall not less than twenty-one clear days before the meeting before which they are to be laid, be delivered or sent by post to every shareholder and holder of debentures of the Company and to the Auditors and to every other person who is entitled to receive notice of general meetings. However, this Article shall not require a copy of those documents to be sent to any person who under the provisions of these Articles is not entitled to receive notices from the Company or of whose address the Company is unaware or to any holder of debentures of whose address the Company is unaware or to more than one of the joint holders of any shares or debentures. Any shareholder to whom such documents are sent shall be entitled to receive a further copy, free of charge, on application at the office. If all or any of the shares in or debentures of the Company are listed or dealt in on any stock exchange, there shall at the same time be forwarded to the secretary of that stock exchange such number of copies of each of those documents as the regulations of that stock exchange may require.

 

T. Destruction and authentication of documents

 

122. Destruction of documents

 

122.1 Documents which may be destroyed

 

Subject to the Act, the Company may destroy:

 

  (a) any instrument of transfer after six years from the date on which it is registered;

 

  (b) any dividend mandate or any variation or cancellation thereof or any notification of change of name or address after two years from the date on which it is recorded;

 

  (c) any registered certificate for debentures or representing any other form of securities after one year from the date on which it is cancelled;

 

  (d) any other document on the basis of which any entry in the Register is made after six years from the date on which an entry was first made in the Register in respect of it;

 

  (e) all paid dividend warrants and cheques at any time after the expiration of one year from the date of actual payment thereof; and

 

  (f) all instruments of proxy which have been used for the purpose of a poll at any time after the expiration of one year from the date of such use and all instruments of proxy which have not been used for the purpose of a poll at any time after one month from the end of the meeting to which the instrument of proxy relates and at which no poll was demanded.

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Provided that the Company may destroy any such type of document after such shorter period as the Board may determine if a copy of such document is retained on microfilm or other similar means which shall not be destroyed before the expiration of the relevant period and provided that adequate precautions against falsification and to share reproduction are taken.

 

122.2 Presumption in respect of destroyed documents

 

It shall be conclusively presumed in favour of the Company that every entry in the Register purporting to have been made on the basis of a document so destroyed was duly and properly made, that every instrument of transfer so destroyed was duly registered, that every share certificate so destroyed was a valid and effective certificate duly cancelled, that every other document so destroyed had been properly dealt with in accordance with its terms and was valid and effective in accordance with the particulars in the records of the Company, provided that:

 

  (a) this Article 122 shall apply only to the destruction of a document in good faith and without notice of any claim (regardless of the parties to it) to which the document might be relevant;

 

  (b) nothing in this Article 122 shall be construed as imposing on the Company any liability in respect of the destruction of any such document or otherwise than as provided for in this Article 122 which would not attach to the Company in the absence of this Article 122; and

 

  (c) references in this Article 122 to the destruction of any document include references to the disposal of it in any manner.

 

123. Authentication of documents

 

Any Director or any person appointed by the Directors for the purpose shall have power to authenticate any documents affecting the constitution of the Company and any resolutions passed by the Company or the Directors or any committee and any books, records, documents and accounts relating to the business of the Company and to certify copies of them or extracts from them as true copies or extracts and where any books, records, documents or accounts are elsewhere than at the Office, the local manager or other officer of the Company having the custody of them shall be deemed to be a person appointed by the Directors as aforesaid. A document purporting to be a copy of a resolution, or an extract from the minutes of a meeting, of the Company or of the Directors or any committee which is certified as aforesaid shall be conclusive evidence in favour of all persons dealing with the Company in reliance on them that such resolution has been duly passed or, as the case may be, that any minute so extracted is a true and accurate record of proceedings at a duly constituted meeting.

 

U. Notices

 

124. Notice to be in writing

 

Any notice to be given to or by any person pursuant to these Articles shall be in writing (except that a notice convening a Board meeting need not be in writing) or shall be given using Electronic Communication to an address for the time being notified for that purpose to the person giving the notice. Nothing in Part U of these Articles shall affect any requirements of the Act that any particular offer, notice or other document be served in any particular manner.

 

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In this Part U of these Articles, “address” in relation to Electronic Communications includes any number, electronic mail address or other address used for the purposes of such communications

 

125. Service of notice on shareholders

 

125.1 Method of service

 

The Company may give any notice or document (including a share certificate) to a shareholder, either personally or by sending it by post or other delivery service in a first-class prepaid envelope addressed to the shareholder at his registered address or by leaving it at that address. In the case of a shareholder registered on an overseas branch register any such notice or document may be posted either in the British Isles or in the territory in which such branch register is maintained. The Company may give any notice or document to any shareholder by using Electronic Communication to an address for the time being notified to the Company by the shareholder.

 

125.2 Joint holders

 

In the case of joint holders of a share all notices or documents shall be given to the joint holder whose name stands first in the Register in respect of the joint holding. Notice so given shall be sufficient notice to all the joint holders.

 

125.3 Shareholders outside the British Isles

 

Where a shareholder (or in the case of joint holders the person first named in the Register) has a registered address outside the British Isles but has notified the Company of an address within the British Isles at which notices or other documents may be given to him or an address to which notices may be sent using Electronic Communication, he shall be entitled to have notices given to him at that address, but otherwise no such shareholder shall be entitled to receive any notice or document from the Company.

 

125.4 Record date

 

Any notice to be given to a shareholder may be given by reference to the register as it stands at any time within the period of fifteen days before the notice is given (subject to the Uncertificated Regulations if the Company is then a participating issuer for the purposes of the Uncertificated Regulations) and no change in the Register after that time shall invalidate the giving of the notice.

 

126. Notice in case of death, bankruptcy or mental disorder

 

The Company may, on receipt of such evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show title to that share, give notice to the person entitled to a share in consequence of the death, bankruptcy or mental disorder of a shareholder or otherwise by operation of law, by sending or delivering it in any manner authorised by these Articles for the giving of notice to a shareholder, addressed to that person by name, or by the title of representative of the deceased or trustee of the bankrupt or representative by operation of law or by any like description at the address (if any) within the British Isles supplied for the purpose by the person claiming to be so entitled. Until such an address has been so supplied a notice may be given in any manner in which it might have been given if the death, bankruptcy, operation of law or other event had not occurred. Such service of notice shall for all purposes be deemed a sufficient service of such notice on all persons interested in the share.

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127. Evidence of service

 

127.1 Present at meeting

 

Any shareholder present, in person or by proxy at any meeting of the Company or of the holders of any class of shares of the Company, shall be deemed to have received due notice of such meeting and, where requisite, of the purposes for which such meeting was called.

 

127.2 Deemed service

 

Any notice, certificate or other document, addressed to a shareholder at his registered address or address for service in the British Isles shall, if sent by post, be deemed to have been given at the expiration of twenty-four hours after the envelope was posted and, if sent by Electronic Communication, be deemed to have been given at the expiration of twenty-four hours after the Electronic Communication was sent. In proving such service or delivery it shall be sufficient to prove that the envelope containing the notice or document was properly addressed and put into the post as a prepaid letter or, in the case of a notice sent by Electronic Communication, to prove that it was sent in accordance with guidance issued by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries or Administrators. Any notice, certificate or other document not sent by post but delivered or left at a registered address or address for service in the British Isles shall be deemed to have been served or delivered on the day on which it was so delivered or left.

 

128. Notice binding on transferees

 

Every person who, by operation of law, transfers or by any other means becomes entitled to a share shall be bound by any notice in respect of that share which, before his name is entered in the Register, has been duly given to a person from whom he derives his title.

 

129. Notice by advertisement

 

Any notice to be given by the Company to the shareholders or any of them and not otherwise provided for by these Articles shall be sufficiently given if given by advertisement in at least one daily national newspaper published in the United Kingdom and at least one daily national newspaper published in the US and, where the Company keeps an overseas branch register, in at least one leading daily newspaper published in the territory in which such register is maintained. Any notice given by advertisement shall be deemed to have been served at noon on the day on which the advertisement first appears.

 

130. Suspension of postal services

 

If at any time by reason of the threat of or of the suspension, interruption or curtailment of postal services within the British Isles, the Company is or would be unable effectively to convene a general meeting by notices sent through the post, a general meeting may be convened by a notice advertised in at least two leading daily national newspapers (at least one of which shall be published in London) and, where the Company keeps an overseas branch register, in at least one leading daily newspaper published in the territory in which such register is maintained. Such notice shall be deemed to have been duly served on all shareholders entitled thereto at noon on the day on which the first of such advertisements appears. In any such case the Company shall send confirmatory copies of the notice by post if at least seven days prior to the meeting the posting of notices to addresses throughout the British Isles again becomes practicable.

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V. Winding up

 

131. Division of assets

 

131.1 Power to present a petition

 

The Board shall have power in the name and on behalf of the Company to present a petition to the court for the Company to be wound up.

 

131.2 Distribution of assets

 

If the Company is wound up, the surplus assets remaining after payment of all creditors are to be divided among the shareholders in proportion to the capital which at the commencement of the winding up is paid up on the shares held by them respectively and, if such surplus assets are insufficient to repay the whole of the paid up capital, they are to be distributed so that as nearly as may be the losses are borne by the shareholders in proportion to the capital paid up at the commencement of the winding up on the shares held by them respectively. This Article 131.2 is subject to the rights attached to any shares which may be issued on special terms or conditions.

 

131.3 Distribution in specie

 

If the Company is wound up the liquidator may, with the sanction of a resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by law, divide among the shareholders in specie the whole or any part of the assets of the Company and may for that purpose value any assets and determine how the division shall be carried out as between the shareholders or different classes of shareholders. Any such division may be otherwise than in accordance with the existing rights of the shareholders but if any division is resolved otherwise than in accordance with such rights the shareholders shall have the same right of dissent and consequential rights as if such resolution were a special resolution passed pursuant to section 222 of the Companies Act 1931 (which provision applies to the Company (with statutory modification) pursuant to the Act). The liquidator may with the like sanction vest the whole or any part of the whole of the assets in trustees on such trusts for the benefit of the shareholders as he with the like sanction shall determine but no shareholder shall be compelled to accept any assets on which there is a liability.

 

132. Transfer or sale under section 222 of the Companies Act 1931

 

A special resolution sanctioning a transfer or sale to another company duly passed pursuant to section 222 of the Companies Act 1931 (which provision applies to the Company (with statutory modification) pursuant to the Act) may in the like manner authorise the distribution of any shares or other consideration receivable by the liquidator among the shareholders otherwise than in accordance with their existing rights and any such determination shall be binding on all the shareholders, subject to the right of dissent and consequential rights conferred by the said section.

 

W. Indemnity

 

133. Right to indemnity

 

Subject to the provisions of the Act, the Company may indemnify every Director or other officer of the Company (other than an Auditor) to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

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134. Power to insure

 

Subject to the provisions of the Act, the Board may purchase and maintain insurance at the expense of the Company for the benefit of any person who is or was at any time a Director or other officer or employee of the Company or of any other company which is a subsidiary, subsidiary undertaking or holding company of the Company or in which the Company has an interest whether direct or indirect or which otherwise is in any way allied to or associated with the Company or of any subsidiary undertaking or holding company of the Company or of any such company or who is or was at any time a trustee of any pension fund or employee benefits trust in which any employee of the Company or of any such other company or subsidiary undertaking is or has been interested indemnifying such person against any liability which may attach to him or loss or expenditure which he may incur in relation to anything done or alleged to have been done or omitted to be done as a Director, officer, employee or trustee.

 

X. AIM Rules

 

(Articles 135.1 to 135.6 (inclusive) shall apply only if and for so long as the Company is subject to the AIM Rules.)

 

135. Disclosure of interests in shares and suspension of interests

 

135.1 Disclosure of substantial interests in shares

 

  (a) Shareholders of the Company are required under the AIM Rules (being the rules from time to time of AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange) to notify the Company of substantial interests in the Company’s voting shares. As an Isle of Man incorporated company, the Company and its shareholders are not required by statutory law to comply with all of the notification requirements of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules (the “ DTR ”) published by the UK Listing Authority. However the Company is required by the AIM Rules to use all reasonable endeavours to comply with the notification of the requirements of DTR 5.3.1. which extends the disclosure requirements to include certain financial instruments which entitle the holder to acquire voting shares or have similar economic effect.

 

  (b) For as long as the Company is subject to the AIM Rules, every person who, at any time after the date on which this Article comes into force, to his knowledge becomes interested, or becomes aware that he is or has become interested, in three per cent. or more of the shares for the time being in issue of any relevant class of shares of the Company, shall be under an obligation to give to the Company notice in writing of that fact, specifying the information required under Article 135.1(e).

 

  (c) For as long as the Company is subject to the AIM Rules, every person who, at any time after the date on which this Article comes into force, ceases to be interested, or becomes aware that he has ceased to be interested, in three per cent. or more of the shares for the time being in issue of any relevant class of shares of the Company, shall be under an obligation to give to the Company notice in writing of that fact, specifying the information required under Article 135.1(e).

 

  (d) For as long as the Company is subject to the AIM Rules, where:

 

  (i) a person is to his knowledge, interested in three per cent. or more of the shares for the time being in issue of any relevant class of shares of the Company; and

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  (ii) there occurs to his knowledge, or he becomes aware that there has occurred, an integer change in his percentage interest in the shares of that class for the time being in issue;

that person shall be under an obligation to give to the Company notice in writing of the change, specifying the information required under Article 135.1(e).

 

  (e) The information referred to in Article 135.1(b) – (d) is as follows:

 

  (i) the number of shares of the relevant class in which he was to his knowledge interested immediately after the obligation arose and the percentage of voting rights in the Company held through those shares (and/or any other direct or indirect holding of Relevant Financial Instruments in such shares);

 

  (ii) the chain of controlled undertakings through which voting rights are effectively held, if applicable;

 

  (iii) the date on which the threshold was reached or crossed;

 

  (iv) the identity and address of each registered holder of such shares and of any person entitled to exercise voting rights on behalf of that holder; and

 

  (v) in respect of any notification of voting rights arising from the holding of Relevant Financial Instruments, the following shall be required:

 

  (A) the resulting situation in terms of voting rights;

 

  (B) if applicable, the chain of controlled undertakings through which financial instruments are effectively held;

 

  (C) the date on which the threshold was reached or crossed;

 

  (D) for instruments with an exercise period, an indication of that date or time period where shares will or can be acquired, if applicable;

 

  (E) date of maturity or expiration of the instrument; and

 

  (F) identity of the holder.

 

  (f) An obligation to give a notice to the Company under Article 135.1(b), 135.1(c) or 135.1(d) of this Article shall be fulfilled without delay and in any event before the end of the second working day after the day on which it arises.

 

  (g)

Every person who is to his knowledge interested in three per cent. or more of the shares for the time being in issue of any relevant class of shares of the Company under Article 135.1(d) shall for as long as he remains so interested be under a continuing obligation to give to the Company notice in writing of the particulars in relation to those shares specified in Article 135.1(e) and of any change in those particulars, of which he becomes aware at any time after the event (or if more than one the most recent event) by virtue of which he became obliged by the preceding provisions of this Article to give notice to the Company of his interest. A notice given under this Article shall be given without delay and in any event before the end of the second working day after the day on which the person giving the notice becomes aware of the relevant facts.

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  (h) A notice given to the Company under any of the preceding provisions of this Article by a person who is for the time being a party to an agreement to which Article 135.3(c) applies shall:

 

  (i) state that he is a party to such an agreement;

 

  (ii) include the names and (so far as known to him) the addresses of the other parties to the agreement, identifying them as such; and

 

  (iii) state whether any of the shares to which the notice relates are shares in which he is interested by virtue of 135.3(c) and, if so, the amount of such share.

 

  (i) Where a person gives a notice to the Company under Article 135.1(c) in consequence of his having ceased to be interested in any shares by virtue of the fact that he or any other person has ceased to be a party to an agreement to which 135.3(c) applies, the notice shall include a statement that he or that other person has ceased to be a party to the agreement (as the case may require) and also (in the latter case) the name and (if known to him) the address of that other person.

 

135.2 Register of substantial interests

 

  (a) For as long as the Company is subject to the AIM Rules, the Directors shall keep a register for the purposes of Article 135.1 (in this Article hereafter referred to as “ the Register of Substantial Interests ”) and shall procure that, whenever the Company receives information from a person in consequence of the fulfilment of an obligation imposed on him by that Article, that information is within three working days thereafter inscribed in the Register of Substantial Interests against that person’s name, together with the date of the inscription.

 

  (b) Unless the Register of Substantial interests is in such a form as to constitute an index, the Directors shall ensure that the Register of Substantial Interests is made up in such a way that the entries against the respective names entered in it appear in chronological order.

 

  (c) The Directors shall cause to be maintained an index of the names entered in the Register of Substantial Interests, containing in relation to each such name a sufficient indication to enable the information entered against it to be readily found, and shall procure that within ten days after the date on which a name is entered in the Register of Substantial Interests any necessary alteration is made in the index.

 

  (d) The Register of Substantial Interests shall be kept at the Office.

 

  (e) The Register of Substantial Interests shall be open to inspection in the same manner as the Register in accordance with these Articles.

 

135.3 Interpretation of Articles 135.1 to 135.2

 

  (a) In Articles 135.1 to 135.2 of these Articles and this Article:

56

 

 

  (i) working day ” means a day which is not a Saturday, a Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday or a bank holiday in the Isle of Man;

 

  (ii) a person’s percentage interest in shares of any class is to be determined by expressing the aggregate nominal value of the shares of that class in which that person is for the time being interested as a percentage of the nominal value of the shares of that class then in issue and rounding that figure down, if it is not a whole number, to the nearest whole number;

 

  (iii) shares of a relevant class ” means:

 

  (A) shares of a class carrying the right to vote in all circumstances at general meetings of the Company; and

 

  (B) shares of a class which, whether presently or at a future date or contingently, is convertible into, or carries any right to subscribe for, share falling within (A) above;

and it is for this purpose irrelevant that the holders of some or all of the shares of a class are for the time being not entitled, as a result of the service of a disenfranchisement notice under Article 135.4, to vote at general meetings of the Company;

 

  (iv) Relevant Financial Instrument ” means a financial instrument relating to the Company’s securities in respect of which disclosure would be required under DTR 5.3.1. if the Company were incorporated in England; and

 

  (v) controlled undertakings ” shall be construed in accordance with the DTR.

 

  (b) For the purposes of Articles 135.1 to 135.2 a person is to be treated as interested in a share if, but only if:

 

  (i) he would be treated as so interested for the purposes of Part VI of the UK 2006 Act if section 203, section 208 and section 209 (but not section 205) of the UK 2006 Act applied to the Company; or

 

  (ii) he is to be so treated by virtue of Article 135.3(c); or

 

  (iii) he otherwise holds a Relevant Financial Instrument, and shall include any indirect interest to the extent that person is so interested.

 

  (c) For the purposes of any obligation of any person to give a notice to the Company under Article 135.1 (Disclosure of substantial interests in shares), or to give to the Directors any information under Article 135.4 (Disenfranchisement notice):

 

  (i) any person who is a party to an agreement to which this paragraph applies is to be treated as interested in shares in which any other party to that agreement is interested apart from the agreement (whether or not the interest of the other party in question was acquired, in pursuance of the agreement); and

57

 
  (ii) an interest of the party to such an agreement in shares is an interest apart from the agreement if he has or is treated as having that interest otherwise than by virtue of the application of this paragraph in relation to that agreement (and accordingly includes an interest which he is treated as having by virtue of the reference to section 203 or section 208 of the UK 2006 Act in Article 135.3(b) or by virtue of the application of this paragraph in relation to another such agreement).

 

  (d) Article 135.3(c) applies to any agreement between two or more persons which obliges them to adopt, by concerted exercise of the voting rights they hold, a lasting common policy towards the management of the Company.

 

  (e) The Company shall not by virtue of anything done for the purposes of Articles 135.1 to 135.2 or this Article be deemed to be affected with notice of, or put upon enquiry as to, the rights of any person in relation to any shares.

 

  (f) References in this Article to any enactment include any statutory modification, replacement, or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force.

 

135.4 Disenfranchisement notice

 

The Board may at any time serve an Information Notice upon a member. If a member has been issued with an Information Notice and has failed in relation to any shares the subject of the Information Notice ( “notice shares” ) to furnish any information required by such notice within the time period specified therein, then the Board may at any time following fourteen days from the expiry of the date on which the information required to be furnished pursuant to the relevant Information Notice is due to be received by the Board, serve on the relevant holder a notice (in this Article called a “ disenfranchisement notice ”) whereupon the following sanctions shall apply:

 

  (a) Voting

the member shall not with effect from the service of the disenfranchisement notice be entitled in respect of the notice shares to attend or to vote (either in person or by representative or proxy) at any general meeting of the Company or at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares of the Company or on any poll or to exercise any other right conferred by membership in relation to any such meeting or poll; and

 

  (b) Dividends and transfers

where the notice shares represent at least 0.25 per cent. in par value of their class:

 

  (i) any dividend or other money payable in respect of the notice shares shall be withheld by the Company, which shall not have any obligation to pay interest on it and the member shall not be entitled to elect pursuant to Article 115 (Payment of scrip dividends) to receive shares instead of that dividend; and

 

  (ii)

subject in the case of uncertificated shares to the Uncertificated Regulations no transfer, other than an approved transfer, of any notice shares held by the member shall be registered unless the member is not himself in default as regards supplying the information required pursuant to the relevant Information Notice and the member proves to the satisfaction of the Board that no person in default as regards supplying such information is interested in any of the shares the subject of the transfer.

58

 

 

135.5 Withdrawal notice

 

The Company may at any time withdraw a disenfranchisement notice by serving on the holder of the shares to which the same relates a notice in writing to that effect (a “withdrawal notice ”).

 

135.6 Cessation of sanctions

 

Where the sanctions under Article 135.4 (Disenfranchisement notice) apply in relation to any shares they shall cease to have effect:

 

  (a) if the shares are transferred by means of an approved transfer;

 

  (b) at the end of the period of one week (or such shorter period as the Board may determine) following receipt by the Company of the information required by the notice mentioned in Article 135.4 (Disenfranchisement notice) and the Board being fully satisfied that such information is full and complete; or

 

  (c) on the date on which a withdrawal notice is served by the Company.

 

 

 

59

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 4.5

 

EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC

Debt Securities

Indenture

Dated as of [ ]

[_____________________],

as Trustee

 

 

 

 

CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE

This Cross-Reference Table is not a part of the Indenture

TIA Section Indenture Section
310(a)(1) 7.10
(a)(2) 7.10
(a)(3) N.A.
(a)(4) N.A.
(b) 7.08; 7.10; 12.02
   
311(a) 7.11
(b) 7.11
(c) N.A.
   
312(a) 2.05
(b) 12.03
(c) 12.03
   
313(a) 7.06
(b)(1) N.A.
(b)(2) 7.06
(c) 12.02
(d) 7.06
   
314(a) 4.03; 12.02
(b) N.A.
(c)(1) 12.04
(c)(2) 12.04
(c)(3) N.A.
(d) N.A.
(e) 12.05
   
315(a) 7.01(b)
(b) 7.05; 12.02
(c) 7.01(a)
(d) 7.01(c)
(e) 6.11
   
316(a)(last sentence) 12.06
(a)(1)(A) 6.05
(a)(1)(B) 6.04
(a)(2) N.A.
(b) 6.07
   
317(a)(1) 6.08
(a)(2) 6.09
(b)d 2.04
   
318(a) 12.01

N.A. means Not Applicable.

 

i  

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

This Table of Contents is not a part of the Indenture

 

ARTICLE ONE

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Section 1.01 Definitions. - 1 -
Section 1.02 Other Definitions. - 5 -
Section 1.03 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act. - 5 -
Section 1.04 Rules of Construction. - 5 -
ARTICLE TWO
THE SECURITIES
Section 2.01 Form and Dating. - 6 -
Section 2.02 Execution and Authentication. - 8 -
Section 2.03 Registrar and Paying Agent. - 8 -
Section 2.04 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust. - 9 -
Section 2.05 Securityholder Lists. - 9 -
Section 2.06 Transfer and Exchange. - 9 -
Section 2.07 Replacement Securities. - 9 -
Section 2.08 Outstanding Securities. - 10 -
Section 2.09 Temporary Securities. - 10 -
Section 2.10 Cancellation. - 10 -
Section 2.11 Defaulted Interest. - 10 -
Section 2.12 Treasury Securities. - 10 -
Section 2.13 CUSIP/ISIN Numbers. - 11 -
Section 2.14 Deposit of Moneys. - 11 -
Section 2.15 Book-Entry Provisions for Global Security. - 11 -
Section 2.16 No Duty to Monitor. - 12 -
ARTICLE THREE
REDEMPTION
Section 3.01 Notices to Trustee. - 13 -
Section 3.02 Selection of Securities to be Redeemed. - 13 -
Section 3.03 Notice of Redemption. - 13 -
Section 3.04 Effect of Notice of Redemption. - 14 -
Section 3.05 Deposit of Redemption Price. - 14 -
Section 3.06 Securities Redeemed in Part. - 14 -
ARTICLE FOUR
COVENANTS
Section 4.01 Payment of Securities. - 15 -
Section 4.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency. - 15 -
Section 4.03 Compliance Certificate. - 15 -
Section 4.04 Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws. - 15 -

ii  

 

 

ARTICLE FIVE
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
Section 5.01 When Company May Merge, etc. - 15 -
ARTICLE SIX
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
     
Section 6.01 Events of Default. - 16 -
Section 6.02 Acceleration. - 17 -
Section 6.03 Other Remedies. - 18 -
Section 6.04 Waiver of Existing Defaults. - 18 -
Section 6.05 Control by Majority. - 18 -
Section 6.06 Limitation on Suits. - 18 -
Section 6.07 Rights of Holders to Receive Payment. - 19 -
Section 6.08 Collection Suit by Trustee. - 19 -
Section 6.09 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. - 19 -
Section 6.10 Priorities. - 19 -
Section 6.11 Undertaking for Costs. - 19 -
ARTICLE SEVEN
TRUSTEE
     
Section 7.01 Duties of Trustee. - 20 -
Section 7.02 Rights of Trustee. - 20 -
Section 7.03 Individual Rights of Trustee. - 22 -
Section 7.04 Trustee’s Disclaimer. - 22 -
Section 7.05 Notice of Defaults. - 22 -
Section 7.06 Reports by Trustee to Holders. - 22 -
Section 7.07 Compensation and Indemnity. - 22 -
Section 7.08 Replacement of Trustee. - 23 -
Section 7.09 Successor Trustee by Merger, etc. - 23 -
Section 7.10 Eligibility; Disqualification. - 23 -
Section 7.11 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company. - 24 -
ARTICLE EIGHT
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE
     
Section 8.01 Defeasance upon Deposit of Moneys or Government Obligations. - 24 -
Section 8.02 Survival of the Company’s Obligations. - 26 -
Section 8.03 Application of Trust Money. - 26 -
Section 8.04 Repayment to the Company. - 26 -
Section 8.05 Reinstatement. - 26 -

iii  

 

 

ARTICLE NINE
RESERVED
ARTICLE TEN
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS
     
Section 10.01 Without Consent of Holders. - 27 -
Section 10.02 With Consent of Holders. - 27 -
Section 10.03 Compliance with Trust Indenture Act. - 28 -
Section 10.04 Revocation and Effect of Consents. - 28 -
Section 10.05 Notation on or Exchange of Securities. - 29 -
Section 10.06 Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc. - 29 -
ARTICLE ELEVEN
SECURITIES IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES
Section 11.01 Applicability of Article. - 29 -
ARTICLE TWELVE
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 12.01 Trust Indenture Act Controls. - 30 -
Section 12.02 Notices. - 30 -
Section 12.03 Communications by Holders with Other Holders. - 31 -
Section 12.04 Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent. - 31 -
Section 12.05 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. - 31 -
Section 12.06 Rules by Trustee and Agents. - 31 -
Section 12.07 Legal Holidays. - 31 -
Section 12.08 Governing Law. - 32 -
Section 12.09 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements. - 32 -
Section 12.10 No Recourse Against Others. - 32 -
Section 12.11 Successors and Assigns. - 32 -
Section 12.12 Duplicate Originals. - 32 -
Section 12.13 Severability. - 32 -
Section 12.14 Waiver of Jury Trial. - 32 -
     
SIGNATURES    
     
EXHIBIT A – Form of Security  

 

iv  

 

INDENTURE dated as of [              ], (the “ Base Indenture ”), by and among EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC , an Isle of Man public company limited by shares (the “ Company ”) and [__________________], as trustee (the “ Trustee ”).

Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Company’s debt securities issued under this Base Indenture:

Article One
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Section 1.01      Definitions.

Affiliate ” means, when used with reference to a specified person, any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Person specified.

Agent ” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or co-Registrar or agent for service of notices and demands.

Authorizing Resolution ” means a resolution adopted by the Board of Directors or by an Officer or committee of Officers pursuant to Board delegation authorizing a Series of Securities.

Bankruptcy Law ” means Title 11 of the United States Code, as amended, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors.

Board of Directors ” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.

Capital Stock ” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of or in such Person’s capital stock or other equity interests.

Capitalized Lease Obligations ” of any Person means, at the time any determination thereof is to be made, the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under a lease that is required to be capitalized for financial reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP, and the amount of such obligations will be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.

Company ” means the party named as such in this Indenture until a successor replaces it pursuant to the Indenture and thereafter means the successor.

control ” means, when used with respect to any Person, the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “ controlling ” and “ controlled ” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

Currency Agreement ” of any Person means any foreign exchange contract, currency swap agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement designed to protect such Person or any of its Subsidiaries against fluctuations in currency values.

Default ” means any event, act or condition that is, or after notice or the passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.

Definitive Security ” means a certificated Security registered in the name of the Securityholder thereof.

Depositary ” means, with respect to Securities of any Series which the Company shall determine will be issued in whole or in part as a Global Security, DTC, another clearing agency, or any successor registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act, and any other applicable U.S. or foreign statute or regulation, which, in each case, shall be designated by the Company pursuant to Section 2.01 .

 - 1 -

 

 

Dollars ” and “ $ ” mean United States Dollars.

DTC ” means The Depository Trust Company.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Foreign Currency ” means any currency, currency unit or composite currency, including, without limitation, the euro, issued by the government of one or more countries other than the United States of America or by any recognized confederation or association of such governments.

GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the accounting standards codification of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such or any other entity as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession of the United States, as in effect on the date of this Base Indenture.

Global Security ” means, with respect to any Series of Securities, a Security executed by the Company and delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction, all in accordance with the Indenture, which shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee.

Government Obligations ” means securities which are (i) direct obligations of the United States or the other government or governments in the confederation which issued the Foreign Currency in which the principal of or any interest on the Security of the applicable Series shall be payable, in each case for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States or such other government or governments, in each case the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States or such other government or governments, which, in either case are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer or issuers thereof, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such Government Obligations or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depositary receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal of the Government Obligation evidenced by such depositary receipt.

Holder ” or “ Securityholder ” means the Person in whose name a Security is registered on the Registrar’s books.

Indebtedness ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any indebtedness of such Person, whether or not contingent:

(1) in respect of borrowed money;
(2) evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments;
(3) in respect of letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof) or banker’s acceptances;
(4) representing Capitalized Lease Obligations;
(5) in respect of the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property, except (i) any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade payable, or (ii) any obligation to pay a contingent purchase price as long as such obligation remains contingent; or
(6) in respect of any Interest Protection Agreement or Currency Agreement,

 - 2 -

 

 

if and to the extent any of the preceding items (other than letters of credit and any Interest Protection Agreement or Currency Agreement) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of the specified Person prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, the term “Indebtedness” includes all Indebtedness of others secured by a Lien on any asset of the specified Person (whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by the specified Person) and, to the extent not otherwise included, the guarantee by such Person of any indebtedness of any other Person.

Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture, the amount of any Indebtedness outstanding as of any date shall be:

(a) with respect to contingent obligations, the maximum liability upon the occurrence of the contingency giving rise to the obligation;
(b) with respect to any Interest Protection Agreement or Currency Agreement, the net amount payable thereunder if such agreement were terminated at that time due to default by such Person;
(c) the accreted value thereof, in the case of any Indebtedness issued at a discount to par; or
(d) except as provided above, the principal amount or liquidation preference thereof, in the case of any other Indebtedness.

Indenture ” means this Base Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time, including pursuant to any Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture pertaining to any Series, and including, for all purposes of this instrument and any such Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture, the provisions of the TIA that are deemed to be a part of and govern this Base Indenture and any such Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture, respectively.

Interest Protection Agreement ” of any Person means any interest rate swap agreement, interest rate collar agreement, option or futures contract or other similar agreement or arrangement designed to protect such Person or any of its Subsidiaries against fluctuations in interest rates with respect to Indebtedness.

Issue Date ” means, with respect to any Series of Securities, the date on which the Securities of such Series are originally issued under this Indenture.

Lien ” means, with respect to any Property, any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, charge, hypothecation, security interest or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such Property. For purposes of this definition, a Person shall be deemed to own, subject to a Lien, any Property which it has acquired or holds subject to the interest of a vendor or lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or other title retention agreement relating to such Property.

Non-Recourse Indebtedness ” with respect to any Person means Indebtedness of such Person for which (i) the sole legal recourse for collection of principal and interest on such Indebtedness is against the specific Property identified in the instruments evidencing or securing such Indebtedness (and any accessions thereto and proceeds thereof) and such Property was acquired with the proceeds of such Indebtedness or such Indebtedness was incurred within 180 days after the acquisition of such Property and (ii) no other assets of such Person may be realized upon in collection of principal or interest on such Indebtedness. Indebtedness which is otherwise Non-Recourse Indebtedness will not lose its character as Non-Recourse Indebtedness because there is recourse to the borrower, any guarantor or any other Person for (i) environmental or tax warranties and indemnities and such other representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities as are customarily required in such transactions, or (ii) indemnities for and liabilities arising from fraud, misrepresentation, misapplication or non-payment of rents, profits, insurance and condemnation proceeds and other sums actually received by the borrower from secured assets to be paid to the lender, waste and mechanics’ liens.

NYUCC ” means the New York Uniform Commercial Code, as in effect from time to time.

 - 3 -

 

 

Officer ” means the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Controller or the Secretary of the Company.

Officers’ Certificate ” means a certificate signed by two Officers or by an Officer and an Assistant Treasurer or an Assistant Secretary of the Company.

Opinion of Counsel ” means a written opinion, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, from legal counsel. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company. Each such opinion shall include the statements provided for in Section 12.05 if and to the extent required by the provisions of such Section.

Person ” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

principal ” of a debt security means the principal of the security plus , when appropriate, the premium, if any, on the security.

Property ” of any Person means all types of real, personal, tangible, intangible or mixed property owned by such Person, whether or not included in the most recent consolidated balance sheet of such Person and its Subsidiaries under GAAP.

Restricted Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Company which is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

SEC ” means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor agency performing the duties now assigned to it under the TIA.

Securities ” means any Securities that are issued under this Base Indenture.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Series ” means a series of Securities established under this Base Indenture.

Significant Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Company which would constitute a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1.02 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

Subsidiary ” of any Person means any corporation or other entity of which a majority of the Capital Stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors of such entity or other persons performing similar functions is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person.

TIA ” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as in effect from time to time, except as otherwise provided herein.

Trustee ” means the party named as such in this Base Indenture until a successor replaces it pursuant to this Base Indenture and thereafter means the successor serving hereunder; provided , however , that if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean only the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.

Trust Officer ” means, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, senior associate, associate, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

 - 4 -

 

 

United States ” means the United States of America.

Unrestricted Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Series, any Subsidiary of the Company (1) so designated by a resolution adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company as provided below and (2) any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary, subject, in each case, to such conditions as may be stated in the supplemental indenture or specified in the Authorizing Resolution with respect to such Series.

Section 1.02      Other Definitions.

Term Defined in Section
Agent Members 2.15
Base Indenture Preamble
Business Day 12.07
Covenant Defeasance 8.01
Custodian 6.01
Event of Default 6.01
Legal Defeasance 8.01
Legal Holiday 12.07
Paying Agent 2.03
Payment Default 6.01
Registrar 2.03
Security Register 2.03
Successor 5.01

Section 1.03      Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.

Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

“Commission” means the SEC.

“indenture securities” means the Securities of a particular Series.

“indenture security holder” means a Securityholder.

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.

“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of a Series.

All other TIA terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule have the meanings so assigned to them.

Section 1.04      Rules of Construction.

Unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) a term has the meaning assigned to it herein;
(2) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP and all accounting determinations shall be made in accordance with GAAP;
(3) “or” is not exclusive and “including” means “including without limitation”;

 - 5 -

 

 

(4) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;
(5) “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and other words of similar import, refer to this Indenture as a whole (including any Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture relating to the relevant Series) and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision;
(6) all exhibits are incorporated by reference herein and expressly made a part of this Indenture; and
(7) any transaction or event shall be considered “permitted by” or made “in accordance with” or “in compliance with” this Indenture or any particular provision thereof if such transaction or event is not expressly prohibited by this Indenture or such provision, as the case may be.

Article Two
THE SECURITIES

Section 2.01      Form and Dating.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be issued under this Base Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued from time to time in one or more Series. Each Series shall be created by an Authorizing Resolution or a supplemental indenture that establishes the terms of the Series, which may include the following:

(1) the title of the Series;
(2) the aggregate principal amount (or any limit on the aggregate principal amount) of the Series and, if any Securities of a Series are to be issued at a discount from their face amount, the method of computing the accretion of such discount;
(3) the interest rate or method of calculation of the interest rate;
(4) the date from which interest will accrue;
(5) the record dates for interest payable on Securities of the Series;
(6) the dates when, places where and manner in which principal and interest are payable;
(7) the Registrar and Paying Agent;
(8) the terms of any mandatory (including any sinking fund requirements) or optional redemption by the Company;
(9) the terms of any redemption at the option of Holders;
(10) the permissible denominations in which Securities of such Series are issuable, if different from $2,000 and multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof;
(11) whether Securities of such Series will be issued in registered or bearer form and the terms of any such forms of Securities;
(12) whether the Securities of the Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a Global Security or Securities, the terms and conditions, if different from those contained in this Base Indenture, upon which such Global Security or Securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for Definitive Securities; the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities; the form of any legend or legends, if any, to be borne by any such Global Security or Securities in addition to or in lieu of the legends referred to in Section 2.15 ;

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(13) the currency or currencies (including any composite currency) in which principal or interest or both may be paid;
(14) if payments of principal or interest may be made in a currency other than that in which Securities of such Series are denominated, the manner for determining such payments, including the time and manner of determining the exchange rate between the currency in which such Securities are denominated and the currency in which such Securities or any of them may be paid, and any deletions from or modifications of or additions to the terms of this Indenture to provide for or to facilitate the issuance of Securities denominated or payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof or otherwise, in a Foreign Currency;
(15) provisions for electronic issuance of Securities or issuance of Securities of such Series in uncertificated form;
(16) any Events of Default, covenants and/or defined terms in addition to or in lieu of those set forth in this Base Indenture;
(17) whether and upon what terms Securities of such Series may be defeased or discharged if different from the provisions set forth in this Base Indenture;
(18) the form of the Securities of such Series, which, unless the Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture otherwise provides, shall be in the form of Exhibit A ;
(19) any terms that may be required by or advisable under applicable law;
(20) the percentage of the principal amount of the Securities of such Series which is payable if the maturity of the Securities of such Series is accelerated in the case of Securities issued at a discount from their face amount;
(21) whether Securities of such Series will or will not have the benefit of guarantees and the Company’s Subsidiaries that will be the initial guarantors of such Series and, if applicable, the terms and conditions upon which such guarantees may be subordinated to other indebtedness of the respective guarantors;
(22) whether the Securities of such Series are senior or subordinated debt securities, and if subordinated debt securities, the terms of such subordination;
(23) whether the Securities of the Series will be convertible into or exchangeable for other Securities, common shares or other securities of any kind of the Company or another obligor, and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, including the initial conversion or exchange price or rate or the method of calculation, how and when the conversion price or exchange ratio may be adjusted, whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at the Company’s option, the conversion or exchange period, and any other provision in relation thereto; and
(24) any other terms in addition to or different from those contained in this Base Indenture applicable to such Series.

All Securities of one Series need not be issued at the same time and, unless otherwise provided, a Series may be reopened for issuances of additional Securities of such Series pursuant to an Authorizing Resolution, an Officers’ Certificate or in any indenture supplemental hereto.

The creation and issuance of a Series and the authentication and delivery thereof are not subject to any conditions precedent.

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Section 2.02      Execution and Authentication.

One Officer shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates the Security, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.

A Security shall not be valid until the Trustee manually signs the certificate of authentication on the Security. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Base Indenture.

At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication. The Trustee shall authenticate Securities for original issue upon receipt of, and shall be fully protected in relying upon:

(a)        An order to the Trustee signed by an officer of the Company directing the Trustee to authenticate the Securities;

(b)        a copy of the resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors in or pursuant to which the terms and form of the Securities were established, certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect as of the date of such certificate, and if the terms and form of such Securities are established by an Officers’ Certificate pursuant to general authorization of the Board of Directors, such Officers’ Certificate;

(c)        an Officers’ Certificate of the Company delivered in accordance with Section 12.04; and

(d)        an Opinion of Counsel delivered in accordance with Section 12.04, and that states that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.

The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities under this Section if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken or if the Trustee in good faith shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to existing Holders.

Section 2.03      Registrar and Paying Agent.

The Company shall maintain an office or agency where Securities may be presented for registration of transfer or where Securities of a Series that are convertible or exchangeable may be surrendered for conversion or exchange (“ Registrar ”), an office or agency where Securities may be presented for payment (“ Paying Agent ”) and an office or agency where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Registrar shall keep a register of the Securities and of their transfer and exchange (the “ Security Register ”). The Company may have one or more co-Registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent.

The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Agent not a party to this Base Indenture. The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such Agent. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any such Agent and the Trustee shall have the right to inspect the Securities Register at all reasonable times to obtain copies thereof, and the Trustee shall have the right to rely upon such register as to the names and addresses of the Holders and the principal amounts and certificate numbers thereof. If the Company fails to maintain a Registrar or Paying Agent or fails to give the foregoing notice, the Trustee shall act as such.

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The Company initially appoints the Trustee as Registrar and Paying Agent.

Section 2.04      Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.

Each Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of Securityholders and the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Securities, and shall notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment. If the Company or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate the money and hold it as a separate trust fund. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon doing so the Paying Agent shall have no further liability for the money.

Section 2.05      Securityholder Lists.

The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders. If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at least five (5) Business Days before each semiannual interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Securityholders.

Section 2.06      Transfer and Exchange.

Where a Security is presented to the Registrar or a co-Registrar with a request to register a transfer, the Registrar shall register the transfer as requested if the requirements of Section 8-401(a) of the NYUCC are met and the other provisions of this Section 2.06 are satisfied. Where Securities are presented to the Registrar or a co-Registrar with a request to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of other denominations, the Registrar shall make the exchange as requested if the same requirements are met. To permit transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request. The Registrar need not transfer or exchange any Security selected for redemption or repurchase, except the unredeemed or repurchased part thereof if the Security is redeemed or repurchased in part, or transfer or exchange any Securities for a period of 15 days before a selection of Securities to be redeemed or repurchased. Any exchange or transfer shall be without charge, except that the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto except in the case of exchanges pursuant to 2.09 , 3.06 , or 10.05 not involving any transfer.

Any Holder of a Global Security shall, by acceptance of such Global Security, agree that transfers of beneficial interests in such Global Security may be effected only through a book entry system maintained by the Holder of such Global Security (or its agent), and that ownership of a beneficial interest in the Security shall be required to be reflected in a book entry.

Section 2.07      Replacement Securities.

If the Holder of a Security claims that the Security has been lost, destroyed, mutilated or wrongfully taken, the Company shall issue and execute a replacement security and, upon written request of any Officer of the Company, the Trustee shall authenticate such replacement Security, provided , in the case of a lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken Security, that the requirements of Section 8-405 of the NYUCC are met. If any such lost, destroyed, mutilated or wrongfully taken Security shall have matured or shall be about to mature, the Company may, instead of issuing a substitute Security therefor, pay such Security without requiring (except in the case of a mutilated Security) the surrender thereof. An indemnity bond must be sufficient in the judgment of the Company and the Trustee to protect the Company, the Trustee and any Agent from any loss which any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced, including the acquisition of such Security by a bona fide purchaser. The Company and the Trustee may charge for its expenses in replacing a Security.

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Section 2.08      Outstanding Securities.

Securities outstanding at any time are all Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those cancelled by it and those described in this Section. A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or one of its Affiliates holds the Security.

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07 , it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a “protected purchaser” (as such term is defined in the NYUCC).

If the Paying Agent holds on a redemption date, purchase date or maturity date money sufficient to pay Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

Section 2.09      Temporary Securities.

Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and, upon surrender for cancellation of the temporary Security, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate definitive Securities in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities authenticated and delivered hereunder.

Section 2.10      Cancellation.

The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange, redemption, purchase or payment. The Trustee and no one else shall cancel and dispose of such cancelled or tendered securities, or retain in accordance with its standard retention policy, all Securities surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, redemption, purchase, payment or cancellation. Unless the Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture so provides, the Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that it has previously paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

Section 2.11      Defaulted Interest.

If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Securities of any Series, it shall pay the defaulted interest plus any interest payable on the defaulted interest to the persons who are Securityholders of such Series on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix such special record date and a payment date which shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee. At least 15 days before such special record date, the Company shall send to each Securityholder of the relevant Series a notice that states the record date, the payment date and the amount of defaulted interest to be paid. On or before the date such notice is sent, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the amount of defaulted interest to be so paid. The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

Section 2.12      Treasury Securities.

In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any direction, waiver, consent or notice, Securities owned by the Company or any of its Affiliates shall be considered as though they are not outstanding, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Securities which a Trust Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so considered.

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Section 2.13      CUSIP/ISIN Numbers.

The Company in issuing the Securities of any Series may use a “CUSIP” and/or “ISIN” or other similar number, and if so, the Trustee shall use the CUSIP and/or ISIN or other similar number in notices of redemption or exchange as a convenience to Holders of such Securities; provided that no representation is hereby deemed to be made by the Trustee as to the correctness or accuracy of any such CUSIP and/or ISIN or other similar number printed in the notice or on such Securities, and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on such Securities. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any change in any CUSIP and/or ISIN or other similar number.

Section 2.14      Deposit of Moneys.

Prior to 11:00 a.m. New York City time on each interest payment date and maturity date with respect to each Series of Securities, the Company shall have deposited with the Paying Agent in immediately available funds money in the applicable currency sufficient to make cash payments due on such interest payment date or maturity date, as the case may be, in a timely manner which permits the Paying Agent to remit payment to the Holders of such Series on such interest payment date or maturity date, as the case may be.

Section 2.15      Book-Entry Provisions for Global Security.

(a)        Any Global Security of a Series initially shall (i) be registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of such Depositary, (ii) be delivered to the Trustee as custodian for such Depositary and (iii) bear any required legends.

Members of, or participants in, the Depositary (“ Agent Members ”) shall have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by the Depositary, or the Trustee as its custodian, or under the Global Security, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner of the Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a Holder of any Security.

(b)        Transfers of any Global Security shall be limited to transfers in whole, but not in part, to the Depositary, its successors or their respective nominees. Interests of beneficial owners in the Global Security may be transferred or exchanged for Definitive Securities in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Depositary. In addition, Definitive Securities shall be transferred to all beneficial owners in exchange for their beneficial interests in a Global Security if (i) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for the Global Security and a successor depository is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of such notice or (ii) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Registrar has received a request from the Depositary to issue Definitive Securities.

(c)        In connection with any transfer or exchange of a portion of the beneficial interest in any Global Security to beneficial owners pursuant to paragraph (b) , the Registrar shall (if one or more Definitive Securities are to be issued) reflect on its books and records the date and a decrease in the principal amount of the Global Security in an amount equal to the principal amount of the beneficial interest in the Global Security to be transferred, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, one or more Definitive Securities of like Series and amount.

(d)        In connection with the transfer of an entire Global Security to beneficial owners pursuant to paragraph (b) , the Global Security shall be deemed to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, to each beneficial owner identified by the Depositary in exchange for its beneficial interest in the Global Security, an equal aggregate principal amount of Definitive Securities of the same Series in authorized denominations.

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(e)        The Holder of any Global Security may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any person, including Agent Members and persons that may hold interests through Agent Members, to take any action which a Holder is entitled to take under this Indenture or the Securities of such Series.

(f)        Unless otherwise provided in the Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture for a particular Series of Securities, each Global Security of such Series shall bear legends in substantially the following forms:

“THIS GLOBAL SECURITY IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS SECURITY) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE HOLDERS OF BENEFICIAL INTERESTS HEREIN, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (I) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE ANY SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO THE INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL SECURITY MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06 OF THE INDENTURE, (III) THIS GLOBAL SECURITY MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO THE INDENTURE AND (IV) THIS GLOBAL SECURITY MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE COMPANY.”

“UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR SECURITIES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR TO ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation (“DTC”), to Issuer or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange, or payment, any certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or in such other name as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC (and any payment is made to Cede & Co. or to such other entity as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.

Section 2.16      No Duty to Monitor.

The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Security (including any transfers between or among Agent Members or beneficial owners of interests in any Global Security) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.

Neither the Trustee nor any Agent shall have any responsibility for any actions taken or not taken by the Depositary.

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Article Three
REDEMPTION

Section 3.01      Notices to Trustee.

Securities of a Series that are redeemable prior to maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and, unless the Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture provides otherwise, in accordance with this Article Three .

If the Company wants to redeem Securities pursuant to Paragraph 4 of the Securities, it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed. Any such notice may be cancelled at any time prior to notice of such redemption being sent to Holders. Any such cancelled notice shall be void and of no effect.

If the Company wants to credit any Securities previously redeemed, retired or acquired against any redemption pursuant to Paragraph 5 of the Securities, it shall notify the Trustee of the amount of the credit and it shall deliver any Securities not previously delivered to the Trustee for cancellation with such notice.

The Company shall give each notice provided for in this Section 3.01 at least 15 days before the notice of any such redemption is to be delivered to Holders (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee).

Section 3.02      Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.

If fewer than all of the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the Trustee (or depository, as applicable) shall select the Securities to be redeemed pro rata, by lot, or such other method the Trustee (or depository, as applicable) considers fair and appropriate and in a manner that complies with applicable requirements of the Depositary. The Trustee (or depository, as applicable) shall make the selection from Securities outstanding not previously called for redemption and shall promptly notify the Company of the serial numbers or other identifying attributes of the Securities so selected. The Trustee (or depository, as applicable) may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities that have denominations larger than the minimum denomination for the Series. Securities and portions of them it selects shall be in amounts equal to a permissible denomination for the Series. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called for redemption.

Unless otherwise provided in the Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture relating to a Series, if any Security selected for partial redemption is converted into or exchanged for Common Stock or other securities, cash or other property in part before termination of the conversion or exchange right with respect to the portion of the Security so selected, the converted portion of such Security shall be deemed (so far as may be) to be the portion selected for redemption. Securities which have been converted or exchanged during a selection of Securities to be redeemed shall be treated by the Trustee as outstanding for the purpose of such selection.

Section 3.03      Notice of Redemption.

At least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail, postage prepaid (or in the case of Global Securities, deliver electronically in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary), to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed.

The notice shall identify the Securities to be redeemed and shall state:

(1) the redemption date;
(2) the redemption price or the formula pursuant to which such price will be calculated;
(3) if any Security is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Security to be redeemed and that, after the redemption date, upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion shall be issued upon cancellation of the original Security;

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(4) in the case of Securities of a Series that are convertible or exchangeable into shares of the Company’s common stock or other securities, cash or other property, the conversion or exchange price or rate, the date or dates on which the right to convert or exchange the principal of the Securities of such Series to be redeemed will commence or terminate and the place or places where such Securities may be surrendered for conversion or exchange;
(5) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(6) that Securities called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;
(7) that interest on Securities called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;
(8) that the Securities are being redeemed pursuant to the mandatory redemption or the optional redemption provisions, as applicable; and
(9) the CUSIP number and that no representation is hereby deemed to be made be made by the Trustee as to the correctness or accuracy of any such CUSIP and/or ISIN or other similar number printed in the notice or on such Securities, and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on such Securities.

At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense; provided , however , that the Company shall deliver to the Trustee at least 15 days prior to the date on which notice of redemption is to be sent or such shorter period as may be satisfactory to the Trustee, an Officers’ Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice as provided in the preceding paragraph.

Section 3.04      Effect of Notice of Redemption.

Once notice of redemption is sent, Securities called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price as set forth in the notice of redemption. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date. Notices of redemption may be subject to one or more conditions. In the event that any such conditions are not satisfied the Company may amend or revoke such notice of redemption by sending notice to Securityholders (with a copy to the Trustee) in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depository.

Section 3.05      Deposit of Redemption Price.

On or before the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent immediately available funds in the applicable currency sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.

Section 3.06      Securities Redeemed in Part.

Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate for each Holder a new Security of the same Series equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.

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Article Four
COVENANTS

Section 4.01      Payment of Securities.

The Company shall pay the principal of and interest on a Series on the dates, in the currency and in the manner provided in the Securities of the Series. An installment of principal or interest shall be considered paid on the date it is due if the Paying Agent holds on that date money in the applicable currency designated for and sufficient to pay the installment.

The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal at the rate borne by the Series; it shall pay interest on overdue installments of interest at the same rate.

Section 4.02      Maintenance of Office or Agency.

The Company shall maintain the office or agency required under Section 2.03 . The Company shall give prior written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the address of the Trustee.

Section 4.03      Compliance Certificate.

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company an Officers’ Certificate stating whether or not the signers know of any continuing Default by the Company in performing any of its obligations under this Indenture. If they do know of such a Default, the certificate shall describe the Default. In addition, the Company will notify the Trustee within 5 business days upon the Company’s knowledge of a Default.

Section 4.04      Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws.

The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law or any usury law or other law that would prohibit or forgive the Company from paying all or any portion of the principal of or interest on the Securities of any Series as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) the Company expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

Article Five
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION

Section 5.01      When Company May Merge, etc.

The Company will not consolidate or merge with or into, or sell, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets (including by way of liquidation or dissolution) to, any Person (in each case other than in a transaction in which the Company is the survivor of a consolidation or merger, or the transferee in a sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition) unless:

(1) the Person formed by or surviving such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company), or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition will be made (collectively, the “ Successor ”), is a corporation or other legal entity organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and the Successor assumes by supplemental indenture in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee all of the obligations of the Company under the Securities, as the case may be, and the Indenture, and

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(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.

The foregoing provisions shall not apply to a transaction the purpose of which is to change the state of incorporation of the Company.

Upon any such consolidation, merger, sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition, the Successor will be substituted for the Company under the Indenture. The Successor may then exercise every power and right of the Company under this Indenture, and except in the case of a lease, the Company will be released from all of its liabilities and obligations in respect of the Securities and the Indenture. If the Company leases all or substantially all of its assets the Company will not be released from its obligations to pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities.

Article Six
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

Section 6.01      Events of Default.

An “ Event of Default ” on a Series occurs if, voluntarily or involuntarily, whether by operation of law or otherwise, any of the following occurs:

(1) the failure by the Company to pay interest on any Security of such Series when the same becomes due and payable and the continuance of any such failure for a period of 30 days;
(2) the failure by the Company to pay the principal of any Security of such Series when the same becomes due and payable at maturity, upon acceleration, redemption or otherwise;
(3) the failure by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to comply with any of its agreements or covenants in, or provisions of, the Securities of such Series or this Indenture (as they relate thereto) and such failure continues for the period and after the notice specified below (except in the case of a default with respect to Article Five (or any other provision specified in the applicable supplemental indenture or Authorizing Resolution), which will constitute Events of Default with notice but without passage of time);
(4) default under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any Indebtedness (other than Non-Recourse Indebtedness) for money borrowed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries), whether such Indebtedness or guarantee now exists or is created after the Issue Date, if that default:
(A) is caused by a failure to pay at final stated maturity the principal amount of such Indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace period provided in such Indebtedness on the date of such default (a “Payment Default”); or
(B) results in the acceleration of such Indebtedness prior to its express maturity without such Indebtedness having been discharged or such acceleration having been cured, waived, rescinded or annulled for the period and after the notice specified below,

and, in each case, the principal amount of any such Indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such Indebtedness under which there has been a Payment Default or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregates $50 million or more;

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(5) the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:
(A) commences a voluntary case,
(B) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,
(C) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its Property, or
(D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;
(6) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
(A) is for relief against the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary as debtor in an involuntary case,
(B) appoints a Custodian of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary or a Custodian for all or substantially all of the Property of the Company, or
(C) orders the liquidation of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days.

A Default as described in subclause (3) or (4)(B) above will not be deemed an Event of Default until the Trustee notifies the Company, or the Holders of at least 25 percent in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of the applicable Series notify the Company and the Trustee, of the Default and (except in the case of a default with respect to Article Five (or any other provision specified in the applicable supplemental indenture or Authorizing Resolution)) the Company does not cure the Default within (a) with respect to in subclause (3) , 60 days after receipt of the notice and (b) with respect to subclause (4)(B) , 30 days after receipt of the notice. The notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that the notice is a “Notice of Default.” If such a Default is cured within such time period, it ceases to exist, without any action by the Trustee or any other Person.

The term “ Custodian ” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator, custodian or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

Section 6.02      Acceleration.

If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default with respect to the Company resulting from subclause (5) or (6) above), shall have occurred and be continuing under the Indenture, the Trustee by notice to the Company, or the Holders of at least 25 percent in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series then outstanding by notice to the Company and the Trustee, may declare all Securities of such Series to be due and payable immediately. Upon such declaration of acceleration, the amounts due and payable on the Securities of such Series will be due and payable immediately. If an Event of Default with respect to the Company specified in subclauses (5) or (6) above occurs, all amounts due and payable on the Securities of such Series will ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration, notice or other act on the part of the Trustee and the Company or any Holder.

Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of such Series may rescind an acceleration with respect to such Series and its consequence (except an acceleration due to nonpayment of principal or interest) if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree and if all existing Events of Default (other than the non-payment of accelerated principal) have been cured or waived.

No such rescission shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent Event of Default, or shall impair any right or power consequent thereon.

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Section 6.03      Other Remedies.

If an Event of Default on a Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy by proceeding at law or in equity to collect the payment of principal of or interest on the Series or to enforce the performance of any provision in the Securities or this Indenture applicable to the Series.

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Securities or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Securityholder in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. No remedy is exclusive of any other remedy. All available remedies are cumulative.

Section 6.04      Waiver of Existing Defaults.

Subject to Section 10.02 , the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of a Series on behalf of all the Holders of the Series by notice to the Trustee may waive an existing Default on such Series and its consequences. When a Default is waived, it is cured and stops continuing, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 6.05      Control by Majority.

The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of a Series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on it with respect to such Series. The Trustee, however, may refuse to follow any direction (i) that conflicts with law or this Indenture, (ii) that, subject to Section 7.01 , the Trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Securityholders, (iii) that would involve the Trustee in personal liability, if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that adequate indemnity against such liability is not reasonably assured to it, or (iv) if the Trustee shall not have been provided with indemnity satisfactory to it.

Section 6.06      Limitation on Suits.

A Securityholder of a Series may not pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Series unless:

(1) the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default on the Series;
(2) the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of the Series make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;
(3) such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense;
(4) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity; and
(5) no written request inconsistent with such written request shall have been given to the Trustee pursuant to this Section 6.06 .

A Securityholder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder of Securities of the same Series or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder of Securities of the same Series (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances by such Holder are unduly prejudicial to another Holder).

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Section 6.07      Rights of Holders to Receive Payment.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of and interest on any Security, on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Security, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, is absolute and unconditional and shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of the Holder.

Section 6.08      Collection Suit by Trustee.

If an Event of Default in payment of interest or principal specified in Section 6.01(1) or (2) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company for the whole amount of principal and interest remaining unpaid.

Section 6.09      Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

The Trustee may file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements, and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Securityholders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company or its creditors or Property, and unless prohibited by applicable law or regulation, may vote on behalf of the Holders in any election of a Custodian, and shall be entitled and empowered to collect and receive any moneys or other Property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same and any Custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Securityholder to make such payments to the Trustee. Nothing herein shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or vote for or accept or adopt on behalf of any Securityholder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder except as aforesaid for the election of the Custodian.

Section 6.10      Priorities.

If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article with respect to Securities of any Series, it shall pay out the money in the following order:

First : to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.07 ;
Second : to Securityholders of the Series for amounts due and unpaid on the Series for principal and interest, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Series for principal and interest, respectively; and
Third : to the Company or as a court of competent jurisdiction shall direct.

The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Securityholders pursuant to this Section 6.10 .

Section 6.11      Undertaking for Costs.

In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in the suit, having the due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.07 or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in principal amount of the Series.

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Article Seven
TRUSTEE

Section 7.01      Duties of Trustee.

(a)        If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall, prior to the receipt of directions from the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of the Series, exercise its rights and powers and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.

(b)        Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

(1)        The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee.

(2)        In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. The Trustee, however, in the case of certificates or opinions specifically required by any provision hereof to be furnished to it, shall examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts or matters stated therein.

(c)        The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(1)        This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section.

(2)        The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Trust Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.

(3)        The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.05 or any other direction of the Holders permitted hereunder.

(d)        Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a) , (b) and (c) of this Section.

(e)        The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.

(f)        The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

(g)        None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that the repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such liability is not reasonably assured to it.

Section 7.02      Rights of Trustee.

Subject to Section 7.01 :

(a)        The Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting on any document, resolution, certificate, instrument, report, or direction believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document, resolution, certificate, instrument, report, or direction.

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(b)        Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both, which shall conform to Sections 12.04 and 12.05 hereof and containing such other statements as the Trustee reasonably deems necessary to perform its duties hereunder. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on the Officers’ Certificate, Opinion of Counsel or any other direction of the Company permitted hereunder.

(c)        The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care.

(d)        The Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.

(e)        The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection, and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel as to matters of law shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, omitted or suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel.

(f)        Unless otherwise specifically provided in the Indenture, any demand, request, direction or notice from the Company shall be sufficient if signed by an Officer of the Company.

(g)        For all purposes under this Indenture, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice or knowledge of any Event of Default unless written notice of any Event of Default is received by the Trustee at its address specified in Section 12.02 hereof and such notice references the Securities generally, the Company and this Indenture.

(h)        The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

(i)        The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Company and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation.

(j)        In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

(k)        The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.

(l)        The Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture.

(m)        In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

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Section 7.03      Individual Rights of Trustee.

The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or its affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee, however, must comply with Sections 7.10 and 7.11 .

Section 7.04      Trustee’s Disclaimer.

The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture, the Securities or of any prospectus used to sell the Securities of any Series; it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities; it shall not be accountable for any money paid to the Company, or upon the Company’s direction, if made under and in accordance with any provision of this Indenture; it shall not be responsible for the use or application of any money received by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee; and it shall not be responsible for any statement of the Company in this Indenture or in the Securities other than its certificate of authentication.

Section 7.05      Notice of Defaults.

If a Default on a Series occurs and is continuing and if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall deliver to each Securityholder of the Series notice of the Default (which shall specify any uncured Default known to it) within 90 days after the Trustee obtains such knowledge. Except in the case of a default in payment of principal of or interest on a Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as the board of directors of the Trustee, the executive or any trust committee of such directors and/or responsible officers of the Trustee in good faith determine(s) that withholding the notice is in the interests of Holders of the Series.

Section 7.06      Reports by Trustee to Holders.

Within 60 days after each May 15 beginning with the May 15 following the date of this Base Indenture, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder a brief report dated as of such May 15 that complies with TIA § 313(a) (but if no event described in TIA § 313(1) through (8) has occurred within the twelve months preceding the reporting date no report in relation thereto need be transmitted). The Trustee also shall comply with TIA § 313(b).

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders shall be delivered to the Company and filed by the Trustee with the SEC and each national securities exchange on which the Securities are listed. The Company agrees to notify the Trustee of each national securities exchange on which the Securities are listed.

Section 7.07      Compensation and Indemnity.

The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for its services subject to any written agreement between the Trustee and the Company (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust). The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel. The Company shall indemnify the Trustee, its officers, directors, employees and agents and hold it harmless against any loss, liability or expense incurred or made by or on behalf of it in connection with the administration of this Indenture or the trust hereunder and its duties hereunder including the costs and expenses of defending itself against or investigating any claim in the premises. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim of which it has received written notice and for which it may seek indemnity. The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee through the Trustee’s, or its officers’, directors’, or employees’ negligence or willful misconduct.

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Unless otherwise provided in any supplemental indenture or Authorizing Resolution relating to any Series, to ensure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a claim prior to the Securities of all Series on all money or Property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of or interest on particular Securities. When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01 or in connection with Article Six hereof, the expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for services in connection therewith are to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law. Section 7.07 shall survive the discharge of the Indenture or resignation of Trustee.

Section 7.08      Replacement of Trustee.

The Trustee may resign with respect to Securities of any or all Series by so notifying the Company. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities (or of the relevant Series) may remove the Trustee by so notifying the removed Trustee in writing and may appoint a successor trustee with the Company’s consent. Such resignation or removal shall not take effect until the appointment by the Securityholders of the relevant Series or the Company as hereinafter provided of a successor trustee and the acceptance of such appointment by such successor trustee. The Company may remove the Trustee and any Securityholder may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor trustee for any or no reason, including if:

(1) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10 after written request by the Company or any bona fide Securityholder who has been a Securityholder for at least six months;
(2) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent;
(3) a receiver or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its Property; or
(4) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor trustee with respect to the Securities of the relevant Series. If a successor trustee does not take office within 30 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee at the expense of the Company, the Company or any Holder may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee.

A successor trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges hereunder, transfer all Property held by it as Trustee to the successor trustee, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. A successor trustee shall mail notice of its succession to each Securityholder.

Section 7.09      Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.

If the Trustee consolidates with, merges with or into or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor trustee.

Section 7.10      Eligibility; Disqualification.

This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA § 310(a)(1). The Trustee shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $10,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA § 310(b).

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Section 7.11      Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.

The Trustee shall comply with TIA § 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA § 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA § 311(a) to the extent indicated therein.

Article Eight
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE

Section 8.01      Defeasance upon Deposit of Moneys or Government Obligations.

(a)        The Company may, at its option and at any time, elect to have either paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) below be applied to the outstanding Securities of any Series upon compliance with the applicable conditions set forth in paragraph (d) .

(b)        Upon the Company’s exercise under paragraph (a) of the option applicable to this paragraph (b) with respect to any Series, the Company shall be deemed to have been released and discharged from its obligations with respect to the outstanding Securities of the Series on the date the applicable conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, “ Legal Defeasance ”). For this purpose, such Legal Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by the outstanding Securities of a Series, which shall thereafter be deemed to be “outstanding” only for the purposes of the Sections and matters under this Indenture referred to in (i) and (ii) below, and the Company shall be deemed to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities are concerned, except for the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (i) the rights of Holders of outstanding Securities of a Series to receive solely from the trust fund described in paragraph (d) below and as more fully set forth in such paragraph, payments in respect of the principal of and interest on such Securities when such payments are due and (ii) obligations listed in Section 8.02 , subject to compliance with this Section 8.01 . The Company may exercise its option under this paragraph (b) with respect to a Series notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under paragraph (c) below with respect to the Securities of the Series.

(c)        Upon the Company’s exercise under paragraph (a) of the option applicable to this paragraph (c) with respect to a Series, the Company shall be released and discharged from the obligations under any covenant contained in Articles Four and Five and any other covenant contained in or referenced in the Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture relating to such Series (to the extent such release and discharge shall not be prohibited thereby), on and after the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, “ Covenant Defeasance ”), and the Securities of such Series shall thereafter be deemed to be not “outstanding” for the purpose of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed “outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder. For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Securities of a Series, the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 6.01(3) or otherwise, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities shall be unaffected thereby.

(d)        The following shall be the conditions to application of either paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) above to the outstanding Securities of the applicable Series:

(1)        The Company shall have irrevocably deposited in trust with the Trustee (or another qualifying trustee), pursuant to an irrevocable trust and security agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, money in the currency in which the Securities of such Series are payable or Government Obligations or a combination thereof in such amounts and at such times as are sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants, to pay the principal of and interest on the outstanding Securities of such Series to maturity or redemption; provided , however , that the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) shall have received an irrevocable written order from the Company instructing the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) to apply such money or the proceeds of such Government Obligations to said payments with respect to the Securities of such Series to maturity or redemption;

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(2)        No Default or Event of Default (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from non-compliance with any covenant from which the Company is released upon effectiveness of such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) hereof, as applicable) shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or result therefrom;

(3)        Such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other material instrument or agreement to which the Company or any of any of its Restricted Subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of their Property is bound;

(4)        (i) In the event the Company elects paragraph (b) hereof, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, to the effect that (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (B) since the Issue Date pertaining to such Series, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall state that, or (ii) in the event the Company elects paragraph (c) hereof, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, to the effect that, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii) , and subject to customary assumptions and exclusions, Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and the defeasance contemplated hereby and will be subject to federal income tax in the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had not occurred;

(5)        The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate, stating that the deposit under clause (1) was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of the Securities of such Series over any other creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company or others; and

(6)        The Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent specified herein relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section 8.01 have been complied with.

In the event all or any portion of the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed through such irrevocable trust, the Company must make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee, at the time of such deposit, for the giving of the notice of such redemption or redemptions by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company.

(e)        In addition to the Company’s rights above under this Section 8.01 , the Company may terminate all of its obligations under this Indenture with respect to a Series, when:

(1)        All Securities of such Series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.07 and Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation or all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (A) have become due and payable, (B) will become due and payable at maturity within one year or (C) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, and in each such case, the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another qualifying trustee) as trust funds in trust solely for that purpose an amount of money in the currency in which the Securities of such Series are payable or Government Obligations or a combination thereof sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants, to pay and discharge the entire Indebtedness on the Securities of such Series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal of and interest on the Securities of such Series, on the date of such deposit or to the maturity or redemption date, as the case may be;

(2)        The Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company;

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(3)        The Company has delivered irrevocable instructions to the Trustee (or such other qualifying trustee), to apply the deposited money toward the payment of the Securities of such Series at maturity or redemption, as the case may be; and

(4)        The Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, stating that all conditions precedent specified in this Section 8.01(e) relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

Section 8.02      Survival of the Company’s Obligations.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture under Section 8.01 , the Company’s obligations in Paragraph 8 of the Securities and Sections 2.03 through 2.07 , 4.01 , 7.07 , 7.08 , 8.04 and 8.05 , however, shall survive until the Securities of an applicable Series are no longer outstanding. Thereafter, the Company’s obligations in Paragraph 8 of the Securities of such Series and Sections 7.02, 7.07 , 8.04 and 8.05 shall survive (as they relate to such Series) such satisfaction and discharge.

Section 8.03      Application of Trust Money.

The Trustee shall hold in trust money or Government Obligations deposited with it pursuant to Section 8.01 . It shall apply the deposited money and the money from Government Obligations in accordance with this Indenture to the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities of the defeased Series.

Section 8.04      Repayment to the Company.

The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall promptly pay to the Company upon request any excess money or securities held by them at any time. The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal or interest that remains unclaimed for two years, provided , however , that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of New York or send to each such Holder notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication or mailing, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company. After payment to the Company, Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless applicable abandoned property law designates another person and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such money shall cease.

Section 8.05      Reinstatement.

If the Trustee is unable to apply any money or Government Obligations in accordance with Section 8.01 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities relating to the Series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.01 until such time as the Trustee is permitted to apply all such money or Government Obligations in accordance with Section 8.01 ; provided , however , that (a) if the Company has made any payment of interest on or principal of any Securities of the Series because of the reinstatement of its obligations hereunder, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money or Government Obligations held by the Trustee and (b) unless otherwise required by any legal proceeding or any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority, the Trustee shall return all such money or Government Obligations to the Company promptly after receiving a written request therefor at any time, if such reinstatement of the Company’s obligations has occurred and continues to be in effect.

Article Nine
RESERVED

 

 - 26 -

 

 

Article Ten
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS

Section 10.01      Without Consent of Holders.

The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of a Series without notice to or consent of any Securityholder of such Series:

(1) to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency;
(2) to comply with Article Five ;
(3) to provide that specific provisions of this Indenture shall not apply to a Series not previously issued or to make a change to specific provisions of this Indenture that only applies to any Series not previously issued or to additional Securities of a Series not previously issued;
(4) to create a Series and establish its terms;
(5) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;
(6) to release a guarantor in respect of any Series which, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture applicable to the particular Series, ceases to be liable in respect of its guarantee;
(7) to add a guarantor in respect of any Series;
(8) to secure any Series;
(9) to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA;
(10) to make any other change that does not adversely affect the rights of Securityholders; and
(11) to conform the provisions of the Indenture to the final offering memorandum in respect of any Series.

After an amendment under this Section 10.01 becomes effective, the Company shall deliver notice of such amendment to the Securityholders.

Section 10.02      With Consent of Holders.

The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of a Series without notice to any Securityholder of such Series but with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series affected by the amendment (including consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, Securities of such Series). Each such Series shall vote as a separate class. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of the Securities of such Series or of this Indenture relating to such Series without notice to any Securityholder (including any waiver granted in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, Securities of such Series). Without the consent of each Holder of a Security affected thereby, however, an amendment, supplement or waiver, including a waiver pursuant to Section 6.04 , may not:

(1)        reduce the amount of Securities of the relevant Series whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

 - 27 -

 

 

(2)        reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest, including defaulted interest, on any Security;

(3)        reduce the principal of or extend the fixed maturity of any Security or alter the provisions (including related definitions) with respect to redemption of any Security pursuant to Article Three hereof or with respect to any obligations on the part of the Company to offer to purchase or to redeem Securities of a Series pursuant to the Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture pertaining to such Series (it being understood that only the consent of the Holders of a majority of the principal amount of the applicable Series of Securities will be required in connection with the waiver or modification of any obligation by the Company to make an offer to purchase the Securities of such Series as a result of a change of control prior to the occurrence of a change of control);

(4)        make any change that adversely affects any right of a Holder to convert or exchange any Security into or for shares of the Company’s common stock or other securities, cash or other property in accordance with the terms of such Security;

(5)        modify the ranking or priority of the Securities of the relevant Series or any guarantee thereof;

(6)        release any guarantor of any Series from any of its obligations under its guarantee or this Indenture otherwise than in accordance with the terms of this Indenture;

(7)        make any change in Sections 6.04 , 6.07 or this Section 10.02 ;

(8)        waive a continuing Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security; or

(9)        make any Security payable at a place or in money other than that stated in the Security, or impair the right of any Securityholder to bring suit as permitted by Section 6.07 .

An amendment of a provision included solely for the benefit of one or more Series does not affect the interests of Securityholders of any other Series.

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplement, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.

Section 10.03      Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.

Every amendment to or supplement of this Indenture or any Securities shall comply with the TIA as then in effect.

Section 10.04      Revocation and Effect of Consents.

A consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver by a Holder shall bind the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. Unless otherwise provided in the consent or the consent solicitation statement or other document describing the terms of the consent, any Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to its Security or portion of a Security. Any revocation of a consent by the Holder of a Security or any such subsequent Holder shall be effective only if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date on which the Trustee receives an Officers’ Certificate from the Company certifying that the requisite number of consents have been received.

 - 28 -

 

 

The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Securities of any Series entitled to consent to any amendment, supplement or waiver, which record date shall be at least 10 days prior to the first solicitation of such consent. If a record date is fixed, and if Holders otherwise have a right to revoke their consent under the consent or the consent solicitation statement or other document describing the terms of the consent, then notwithstanding the second to last sentence of the immediately preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those Persons, shall be entitled to revoke any consent previously given, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than 90 days after such record date.

An amendment, supplement or waiver with respect to a Series becomes effective upon the (i) receipt by the Company or the Trustee of the requisite consents, (ii) satisfaction of any conditions to effectiveness as set forth in this Indenture or any indenture supplemental hereto containing such amendment, supplement or waiver and (iii) execution of such amendment, supplement or waiver (or the related supplemental indenture) by the Company and the Trustee. After an amendment, supplement or waiver with respect to a Series becomes effective, it shall bind every Holder of such Series, unless it makes a change described in any of clauses (1) through (9) of Section 10.02 , in which case, the amendment, supplement or waiver shall bind a Holder of a Security who is affected thereby only if it has consented to such amendment, supplement or waiver and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security; provided that no such waiver shall impair or affect the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of and interest on a Security, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates without the consent of such Holder.

Section 10.05      Notation on or Exchange of Securities.

If an amendment, supplement or waiver changes the terms of a Security, the Company may require the Holder of the Security to deliver it to the Trustee, at which time the Trustee shall place an appropriate notation on the Security about the changed terms and return it to the Holder. Alternatively, if the Company or the Trustee so determines, the Company in exchange for the Security shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a new Security that reflects the changed terms.

Section 10.06      Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.

Subject to Section 7.02(b) , the Trustee shall sign any amendment, supplement or waiver authorized pursuant to this Article if the amendment, supplement or waiver does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. If it does, the Trustee may but need not sign it. In signing or refusing to sign such amendment or supplemental indenture, the Trustee shall be provided with and shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that such amendment, supplement or waiver is authorized or permitted by this Indenture, and (solely with respect to such Opinion of Counsel) that it will be valid and binding upon the Company and enforceable in accordance with its terms.

Article Eleven
SECURITIES IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES

Section 11.01      Applicability of Article.

Whenever this Indenture provides for (i) any action by, or the determination of any of the rights of, Holders of Securities of any Series in which not all of such Securities are denominated in the same currency, or (ii) any distribution to Holders of Securities, in the absence of any provision to the contrary pursuant to this Indenture or the Securities of any particular Series, any amount in respect of any Security denominated in a Foreign Currency shall be treated for any such action or distribution as that amount of Dollars that could be obtained for such amount on such reasonable basis of exchange and as of the record date with respect to Securities of such Series (if any) for such action, determination of rights or distribution (or, if there shall be no applicable record date, such other date reasonably proximate to the date of such action, determination of rights or distribution) as the Company may specify in a written notice to the Trustee or, in the absence of such written notice, as the Trustee may determine.

 - 29 -

 

 

Article Twelve
MISCELLANEOUS

Section 12.01      Trust Indenture Act Controls.

If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision which is required to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, the required provision shall control.

Section 12.02      Notices.

Any order, consent, notice or communication shall be sufficiently given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first class mail, postage prepaid, or delivered by commercial courier service, addressed as follows:

if to the Company:

Eros International PLC
550 County Avenue
Secaucus, New Jersey 07094
Attention: Chief Financial Officer

if to the Trustee:

[_____________________]

[_____________________]

[_____________________]

The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

Any notice or communication mailed to a Securityholder shall be mailed to him by first class mail, or delivered by commercial courier service, at his address as it appears on the registration books of the Registrar, or, in the case of Global Securities sent electronically in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary, and shall be sufficiently given to him if so sent within the time prescribed.

Failure to send a notice or communication to a Securityholder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders. If a notice or communication is sent in the manner provided above, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it except that notice to the Trustee shall only be effective upon receipt thereof by the Trustee.

If the Company sends notice or communications to the Securityholders, it shall send a copy to the Trustee at the same time.

In addition to the foregoing, the Trustee agrees to accept and act upon notice, instructions or directions pursuant to this Indenture sent by unsecured e-mail, facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods. If the party elects to give the Trustee e-mail or facsimile instructions (or instructions by a similar electronic method) and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such instructions notwithstanding such instructions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The party providing electronic instructions agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit instructions and directions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Security, where this Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event to a Holder of a Global Security (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depositary (or its designee) pursuant to the standing instructions from the Depositary or its designee.

 - 30 -

 

 

Section 12.03      Communications by Holders with Other Holders.

Securityholders may communicate pursuant to TIA § 312(b) with other Securityholders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA § 312(c).

Section 12.04      Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.

Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

(1) an Officers’ Certificate (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 12.05 ) stating that, in the opinion of the signers (who may rely upon an Opinion of Counsel with respect to matters of law), all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and
(2) an Opinion of Counsel (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 12.05 ) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel (who may rely upon an Officers’ Certificate or certificates of public officials as to matters of fact), all such conditions precedent and covenants, compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action or inaction, have been complied with.

Section 12.05      Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.

Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:

(1) a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

Section 12.06      Rules by Trustee and Agents.

The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Securityholders. The Registrar or Paying Agent may make reasonable rules for its functions.

Section 12.07      Legal Holidays.

A “ Legal Holiday ” is a Saturday, a Sunday, a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York or in the place of payment are not required to be open. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday, payment may be made on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period. If this Indenture provides for a time period that ends or requires performance of any non-payment obligation by a day that is not a Business Day, then such time period shall instead be deemed to end on, and such obligation shall instead be performed by, the next succeeding Business Day. A “ Business Day ” is any day other than a Legal Holiday.

 - 31 -

 

 

Section 12.08      Governing Law.

The laws of the State of New York shall govern this Indenture and the Securities of each Series.

Section 12.09      No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.

This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

Section 12.10      No Recourse Against Others.

All liability described in Paragraph 12 of the Securities of any director, officer, employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company is, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, waived and released.

Section 12.11      Successors and Assigns.

All covenants and agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successors and assigns. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successors and assigns.

Section 12.12      Duplicate Originals.

The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or other electronic transmission shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

Section 12.13      Severability.

In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Indenture or in the Securities of a Series shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Indenture or of such Securities.

Section 12.14      Waiver of Jury Trial.

EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

 - 32 -

 

SIGNATURES

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, all as of the date first above written.

EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC

By: _______________________________________
Name:
Title:

 

[_______________], as Trustee

By: _______________________________________
Name:
Title:

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

No. ___________ CUSIP/ISIN No.:  ________

[Title of Security]

EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC
an Isle of Man public company limited by shares

 

promises to pay to __________________________________________________ or registered assigns the principal sum of ________________________________________________ [Dollars]* on ___________________________.

Interest Payment Dates: _____________________________ and _____________________________

Record Dates: _____________________________ and _____________________________

Authenticated: _____________________________               Dated: _____________________________

 

EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC

By: _______________________________________
Name:
Title:

[___________________],
as Trustee, certifies that this is one of the Securities
referred to in the within mentioned Indenture.

By:   ________________________________
Authorized Signatory

 

*     Or other currency. Insert corresponding provisions on reverse side of Security in respect of foreign currency denomination or interest payment requirement.

 

 A- 1

 

 

EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC

[Title of Security]

EROS INTERNATIONAL PLC, an Isle of Man public company limited by shares (together with its successors and assigns, the “ Company ”), issued this Security under an Indenture dated as of _____________________, (as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance therewith, the “ Base Indenture ”), as supplemented by the Supplemental Indenture dated as of _____________________, (the “ Supplemental Indenture ” and together with the Base Indenture, the “ Indenture ”), by and among the Company and [______________], as trustee (in such capacity, the “ Trustee ”), to which reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authorized and delivered. All terms used in this Security that are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them therein.

1.         Interest . The Company promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Security at the rate per annum shown above. The Company will pay interest semiannually on _____________________ and _____________________ of each year, commencing _____________________, ______, until the principal is paid or made available for payment. Interest on the Securities will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for or, if no interest has been paid, from _____________________, ________, provided that, if there is no existing default in the payment of interest, and if this Security is authenticated between a record date referred to on the face hereof and the next succeeding interest payment date, interest shall accrue from such interest payment date. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

2.         Method of Payment . The Company will pay interest on the Securities (except defaulted interest, if any, which will be paid on such special payment date to Holders of record on such special record date as may be fixed by the Company) to the persons who are registered Holders of Securities at the close of business on the [Insert record dates] immediately preceding the interest payment date. Holders must surrender Securities to a Paying Agent to collect principal payments. The Company will pay principal and interest in money of [Insert applicable country or currency] that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.

3.         Paying Agent and Registrar . Initially, the Trustee will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The Company may change or appoint any Paying Agent, Registrar or co-Registrar without notice. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates may act as Paying Agent, Registrar or co-Registrar.

4.         Optional Redemption . [1] The Company may redeem the Securities at any time on or after _____________________, in whole or in part, at the following redemption prices (expressed as a percentage of their principal amount) together with interest accrued and unpaid to the date fixed for redemption:

If redeemed during the twelve-month period
commencing on_______________ and ending on
_______________ in each of the following years
Percentage
   
   

[Insert provisions relating to redemption at option of Holders, if any]

Notice of redemption will be sent at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed at its registered address. Securities in denominations larger than _____________________ [2] may be redeemed in part. On and after the redemption date interest ceases to accrue on Securities or portions of them called for redemption, provided that if the Company shall default in the payment of such Securities at the redemption price together with accrued interest, interest shall continue to accrue at the rate borne by the Securities.

 A- 2

 

 

5.         Mandatory Redemption . [3] The Company shall redeem [________]% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities originally issued under the Indenture on each of [________________], which redemptions are calculated to retire [_____]% of the Securities originally issued prior to maturity. Such redemptions shall be made at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, together with accrued interest to the redemption date. The Company may reduce the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed pursuant to this Paragraph 5 by the principal amount of any Securities previously redeemed, retired or acquired, otherwise than pursuant to this Paragraph 5 , that the Company has delivered to the Trustee for cancellation and not previously credited to the Company’s obligations under this Paragraph 5 . Each such Security shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the redemption price and the amount of such mandatory redemption payment shall be reduced accordingly.

6.         Denominations, Transfer, Exchange . The Securities are in registered form only without coupons in denominations of ________________ [4] and integral multiples of ________________ in excess thereof. [5] A Holder may transfer or exchange Securities by presentation of such Securities to the Registrar or a co-Registrar with a request to register the transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of other denominations. The Registrar may require a Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. The Registrar need not transfer or exchange any Security selected for redemption or purchase, except the unredeemed or unpurchased part thereof if the Security is redeemed or purchased in part, or transfer or exchange any Securities for a period of 15 days before a selection of Securities to be redeemed or purchased.

7.         Persons Deemed Owners . The registered Holder of this Security shall be treated as the owner of it for all purposes.

8.         Unclaimed Money . Subject to any applicable abandoned property law, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon written request any money held by them for the payment of principal or interest that remains unclaimed for two years, and thereafter, Holders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors.

9.         Amendment, Supplement, Waiver . Subject to certain exceptions, the Indenture or the Securities may be amended or supplemented with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series affected by the amendment and any past default or compliance with any provision relating to any Series of the Securities may be waived in a particular instance with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series. [6] Without the consent of any Securityholder, the Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement the Indenture or the Securities in certain respects as specified in the Indenture.

10.         Successor Corporation . When a successor corporation assumes all the obligations of its predecessor under the Securities and the Indenture, the predecessor corporation will be released from those obligations.

11.         Trustee Dealings With Company . Subject to certain limitations imposed by the TIA, the Trustee under the Indenture, in its individual or any other capacity, may make loans to, accept deposits from, and perform services for the Company or its affiliates, and may otherwise deal with the Company or its affiliates, as if it were not Trustee, including owning or pledging the Securities.

 A- 3

 

 

12.         No Recourse Against Others . A director, officer, employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities. The waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the federal securities laws.

13.         Discharge of Indenture . The Indenture contains certain provisions pertaining to defeasance and discharge, which provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth herein.

14.         Authentication . This Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee signs the certificate of authentication on the other side of this Security.

15.         Abbreviations . Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gift to Minors Act).

16.         GOVERNING LAW . THIS SECURITY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

17.         CUSIP and ISIN Numbers . Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused CUSIP and ISIN numbers to be printed on the Securities and has directed the Trustee to use CUSIP and ISIN numbers in notices of repurchase as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of repurchase and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon.

18.         Copies . The Company will furnish to any Holder upon written request and without charge a copy of the Indenture and the applicable Authorizing Resolution or supplemental indenture. Requests may be made to: Eros International PLC, 550 County Avenue, Secaucus, New Jersey 07094, Attention: [Chief Financial Officer].

 A- 4

 

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

If you the Holder want to assign this Security, fill in the form below:

I or we assign and transfer this Security to ___________________________________________ (insert assignee’s social security or tax ID number)

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________
(Print or type assignee’s name, address, and zip code)

and irrevocably appoint _________________________________________________________________________ agent to transfer this Security on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

 

Date: _______________________________ _______________________________________
  Your signature
  (Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Security)

Signature Guarantee:

__________________________________________

 

[1] If applicable.
[2] Insert applicable denominations and multiples.
[3] If applicable.
[4] Insert applicable denominations and multiples.
[5] Insert applicable denominations and multiples.
[6] If different terms apply, insert a brief summary thereof.

 

 

 A- 5

 

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

Your Ref:

Our Ref:  26411.0026/61674163

Tel No:   +44 20 7367 0030

Fax No:   +44 20 7367 0031

Please Respond To:  Stephanie Chew

Direct Dial:             +44 20 7367 0035

Email:                   stephanie.chew@cains.com

 

 

 

Eros International PLC

Fort Anne

Douglas

Isle of Man

IM1 5PD

British Isles

 

1 August 2017
 

 

Dear Sirs,

 

The offer (the “Offer”) by Eros International PLC (the “Company”) of A Ordinary Shares of £0.30 each (the “Shares”), warrants (the “Warrants”) or debt securities (the “Debt Securities” and together with the Shares and the Warrants the “Securities”)

 

Preliminary

 

1. We are a firm of advocates practising the laws of the Isle of Man and are qualified to give you this legal opinion under Isle of Man law.

 

Documents Examined

 

2. For the purposes of this legal opinion, we have examined and relied upon copies of the following documents:

 

2.1 a final form registration statement on Form F-3, issued by the Company in respect of the Offer including a prospectus (the “ Registration Statement ”);

 

2.2 the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company appearing on the file of the Company maintained by the Registrar of Companies appointed pursuant to the Companies Act 2006 on 1 August 2017; and

 

2.3 the minutes of a meeting of the board of directors of the Company held on 31 July 2017 (the “ Board Minutes ”).

 

In this legal opinion, “ non-assessable ” means that the subscription price for which the Company agreed to issue the Share, has been paid in full to the Company so that no further sum is payable to the Company by any holder of that Share in respect of the subscription price and the holder of that Share is not liable, solely because of its holder status, for additional assessments or calls on the Share by the Company or its creditors.

 

Isle of Man Law

 

3. We have not investigated the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Isle of Man and this opinion is given only with respect to the currently applicable laws of the Isle of Man and is given on the basis that it will be governed by and construed in accordance with such laws.

 

 

 

 

Assumptions

 

4.       For the purposes of giving this legal opinion, we have assumed:

 

4.1 the genuineness of all signatures; the capacity of all signatories; the authenticity and completeness of all documents submitted to us as originals; the conformity with original documents and completeness of all documents submitted to us as copies; and the correctness of all facts stated in the Registration Statement;

 

4.2 that no provisions of the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Isle of Man would be contravened by the issue of the Registration Statement, the Securities or the performance by the Company of its obligations;

 

4.3 that, insofar as any obligation under the Registration Statement falls to be performed in any jurisdiction outside the Isle of Man, its performance would not be unlawful by virtue of the laws of that jurisdiction;

 

4.4 that no laws (other than of the Isle of Man) which may apply with respect to the Registration Statement, the Securities or the transactions and matters contemplated thereby would be such as to affect any of the opinions stated herein;

 

4.5 that all filings, recordals, publications, notifications and registrations as are necessary to permit the issue of the Registration Statement and the Securities or for the purposes of protecting or preserving any rights, duties, obligations or interests or as may be required to permit the performance thereof by any person have been or will be made or obtained within the time permitted, or will have been made or obtained within the time permitted, in all jurisdictions other than the Isle of Man;

 

4.6 that all necessary consents or approvals of, and all necessary registrations, filings, submissions or other action by or with, any regulatory authority or any other person or entity outside the Isle of Man have been or will be obtained, performed or taken in relation to the issue of the Registration Statement and the Securities;

 

4.7 that, as at the Search Date, the file maintained by the Registrar in relation to the Company accurately and completely recorded and reflected all resolutions passed and other actions or events in relation to the Company which give rise to an obligation on the part of the Company or any other party to deliver forms or documents to the Registrar;

 

4.8 that the resolutions set out in the Board Minutes were duly passed at a properly convened and held meeting of duly appointed directors of the Company at which all such directors declared their interests in the transaction or transactions under consideration as required by law and/or by the Company’s Articles of Association and that such resolutions have not been varied, amended or revoked and remain in full force and effect at the date of this legal opinion;

 

4.9 that, prior to issue, the terms and issue of the Securities and the entry into any relevant documents (the “ Relevant Documents ”) will have been duly, appropriately and comprehensively approved by the board of directors of the Company at a properly convened and held meeting of duly appointed directors of the Company at which all such directors will declare their interests in the transaction or transactions under consideration as required by law and/or by the Company’s Articles of Association; and

 

 

 

 

4.10 that, if any Shares and/or Warrants are to be issued, the total number of A Ordinary Shares which would result therefrom will not exceed the existing share capital available for issue as described in paragraph 5.1.

 

Opinions

 

5. On the basis of the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

 

5.1 As at the date of this legal opinion, the share capital of the Company available for issue is £25,000,000 divided into 83,333,333 shares designated as either A Ordinary Shares or B Ordinary Shares. The maximum number of B Ordinary Shares which may be issued is 13,712,715.

 

5.2 The Securities will have been duly created and their issue and allotment will have been duly authorised.

 

5.3 Once issued in accordance with the relevant terms of the Registration Statement and any Relevant Documents, the Shares will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

5.4 Once issued in accordance with the relevant terms of the Registration Statement and any Relevant Documents, the Warrants and/or the Debt Securities will be valid, binding and enforceable obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms.

 

5.5 The statements contained in the section of the Registration Statement entitled “Description of Securities”, insofar as these statements relate to the laws of the Isle of Man or matters governed by Isle of Man law (and to no other matters whatsoever) at the date of the Registration Statement and at the time and date of delivery of this legal opinion, are accurate in all material respects.

 

Consent

 

6.1 This opinion is addressed to the Company in connection with the registration of the Shares in the Company under the Securities Act.

 

6.2 We consent to the filing of a copy of this legal opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to reference to us being made in the paragraph of the Registration Statement headed Legal Matters. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act.

 

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

 

 

Cains Advocates Limited

Exhibit 23.3

 

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

 

We have issued our report dated July 31, 2017 with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Eros International Plc included in the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2017, which are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement. We consent to the incorporation by reference of the aforementioned report in this Registration Statement, and to use of our name as it appears under the caption “Experts.”

 

 

/s/ Grant Thornton India LLP

 

Mumbai, India

August 4, 2017