ARTISTDIRECT INC
S-8, 2001-01-04
BUSINESS SERVICES, NEC
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<PAGE>   1

    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 4, 2001

                                                 Registration No. 333-__________
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                ---------------

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                           The Securities Act of 1933

                                ---------------

                               ARTISTDIRECT, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


             DELAWARE                                            95-4760230
  (State or other jurisdiction                                 (IRS Employer
of incorporation or organization)                            Identification No.)

                       5670 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, SUITE 200
                              LOS ANGELES, CA 90036
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

                                ---------------

     AUDIO EXPLOSION, INC. 1998 STOCK OPTION PLAN, AS ASSUMED BY REGISTRANT
        MJUICE.COM, INC. 1999 STOCK OPTION PLAN, AS ASSUMED BY REGISTRANT
                            (Full title of the Plan)

                                ---------------

                                JAMES B. CARROLL
                             CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
                               ARTISTDIRECT, INC.
                       5670 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, SUITE 200
                              LOS ANGELES, CA 90036
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
                                 (323) 634-4000
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                ---------------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
===================================================================================================
                                                               Proposed
        Title of                                                Maximum
       Securities                       Amount                 Aggregate                Amount of
          to be                          to be                  Offering              Registration
       Registered                   Registered(1)               Price(2)                   Fee
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                <C>                        <C>                    <C>
Mjuice.com, Inc. 1999
  Stock Option Plan                 2,195 shares               $ 11,140                  $ 2.80
  Common Stock, $0.01 par value
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audio Explosion, Inc.
  1998 Stock Option Plan           18,712 shares               $ 53,310                  $13.34
  Common Stock, $0.01 par value
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Aggregate Registration Fee          $16.14
===================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)     This Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of
        Common Stock which become issuable under the Audio Explosion, Inc. 1998
        Stock Option Plan or the Mjuice.com, Inc. 1999 Stock Option Plan, each
        as assumed by the Registrant, by reason of any stock dividend, stock
        split, recapitalization or other similar transaction effected without
        the Registrant's receipt of consideration which results in an increase
        in the number of the outstanding shares of Registrant's Common Stock.

(2)     Calculated solely for purposes of this offering under Rule 457(h) of the
        Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on the basis of the weighted average
        exercise price of the outstanding options, as assumed by Registrant.

================================================================================

<PAGE>   2

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference

           ARTISTdirect, Inc. (the "Registrant") hereby incorporates by
reference into this Registration Statement the following documents previously
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"):

        (a)     The Registrant's prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant
                to Rule 424(b) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as
                amended (the "1933 Act") filed with the Commission on August 28,
                2000, in connection with the Registrant's Registration Statement
                No. 333-41630 on Form S-1;

        (b)     The Registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal
                quarters ended March 31, 2000, June 30, 2000 and September 30,
                2000, filed with the SEC on May 15, 2000, August 14, 2000 and
                November 14, 2000, respectively;

        (c)     The Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K for the period ended
                May 15, 2000, filed with the SEC on June 13, 2000; and

        (d)     The Registrant's Registration Statement No. 000-30063 on Form
                8-A12G filed with the Commission on March 22, 2000, pursuant to
                Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
                (the "1934 Act"), in which there is described the terms, rights
                and provisions applicable to the Registrant's outstanding Common
                Stock.

           All reports and definitive proxy or information statements filed
pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act after the date of
this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or
which de-registers all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement contained in a
document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be
deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement
to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed
document which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or
supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall
not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this
Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities

           Not Applicable

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

           The validity of the common stock offered hereby will be passed upon
for ARTISTdirect by Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP, Irvine, California. As of
September 30, 3000, Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP and a number of individuals
affiliated with Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP beneficially owned a total of
18,500 shares of our common stock.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

           Article VII of the Registrant's Amended & Restated Bylaws provides
that the Registrant may indemnify its officers and Directors to the full extent
permitted by law. Section 145 of the General Corporation Law



                                      II-1


<PAGE>   3

of the State of Delaware (the "GCL") provides that a Delaware corporation has
the power to indemnify its officers and directors in certain circumstances.

           Subsection (a) of Section 145 of the GCL empowers a corporation to
indemnify any director or officer, or former director or officer, who was or is
a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or
completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation),
against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid
in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action,
suit or proceeding provided that such director or officer acted in good faith
and in a manner such director or officer reasonably believed to be in or not
opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any
criminal action or proceeding, provided that such director or officer had no
reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

           Subsection (b) of Section 145 of the GCL empowers a corporation to
indemnify any director or officer, or former director or officer, who was or is
a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or
completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a
judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person acted in any of the
capacities set forth above, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred in
connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit, provided that
such director or officer acted in good faith and in a manner such director or
officer reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the
corporation, except that no indemnification may be made in respect of any claim,
issue or matter as to which such director or officer shall have been adjudged to
be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of
Chancery or the court in which such action was brought shall determine that
despite the adjudication of liability, but in view of all the circumstances of
the case, such director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnity for such expenses which the court shall deem proper.

           Section 145 of the GCL further provides that to the extent a director
or officer of a corporation has been successful in the defense of any action,
suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) or in the defense of
any claim, issue or matter therein, he or she shall be indemnified against
expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or
her in connection therewith; that indemnification provided for by Section 145
shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the indemnified party
may be entitled; and that the corporation shall have power to purchase and
maintain insurance on behalf of a director or officer of the corporation against
any liability asserted against him or her or incurred by him or her in any such
capacity or arising out of his or her status as such whether or not the
corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such
liabilities under Section 145. The Registrant carries directors' and officers'
liability insurance covering its directors and officers.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed

           Not Applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit
Number       Exhibit
-------      -------
<S>          <C>
  4          Instruments Defining the Rights of Stockholders. Reference is made
             to Registrant's Registration Statement No. 000-30063 on Form
             8-A12G, together with any exhibits thereto, which are incorporated
             herein by reference pursuant to Item 3(d) to this Registration
             Statement.

  5          Opinion and consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP.

  23.1       Consent of KPMG LLP, Independent Auditors.

  23.2       Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP is contained in Exhibit
             5.

  24         Power of Attorney. Reference is made to page II-4 of this
             Registration Statement.

  99.1       Mjuice.com, Inc. 1999 Stock Option Plan, as assumed by Registrant.

  99.2       Audio Explosion, Inc. 1998 Stock Option Plan, as assumed by
             Registrant.
</TABLE>



                                      II-2

<PAGE>   4

Item 9. 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 1933 Act, (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or
events arising after the effective date of this 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 this
Registration Statement and (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 clauses (1)(i) and (1)(ii) shall
not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective
amendment by those clauses is contained in periodic reports filed by the
Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act that are
incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement; (2) that, for the
purpose of determining any liability under the 1933 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; and (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 Mjuice.com, Inc.
1999 Stock Option Plan or the Audio Explosion, Inc. 1998 Stock Purchase Plan,
each as assumed by the Registrant.

           B. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each filing of the Registrant's
annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act that is
incorporated by reference into this 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.

           C. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 1933
Act may be permitted to directors, officers or controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that, in the opinion of the Commission, such indemnification is
against public policy as expressed in the 1933 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 1933 Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.


                                      II-3

<PAGE>   5

                                   SIGNATURES


           Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that
it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8, and has duly caused
this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Los Angeles, State of California on
this third day of January 2001.


                                       ARTISTDIRECT, INC.


                                       By         /s/ MARC P. GEIGER
                                         --------------------------------------
                                         Marc P. Geiger
                                         Chief Executive Officer and
                                         Chairman of the Board of Directors



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS:

           That the undersigned officers and directors of ARTISTdirect, Inc., a
Delaware corporation, do hereby constitute and appoint Marc P. Geiger and James
B. Carroll, and each of them, the lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full
power and authority to do any and all acts and things and to execute any and all
instruments which said attorneys and agents, and any one of them, determine may
be necessary or advisable or required to enable said corporation to comply with
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules or regulations or
requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with this
Registration Statement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing power
and authority, the powers granted include the power and authority to sign the
names of the undersigned officers and directors in the capacities indicated
below to this Registration Statement, to any and all amendments, both
pre-effective and post-effective, and supplements to this Registration
Statement, and to any and all instruments or documents filed as part of or in
conjunction with this Registration Statement or amendments or supplements
thereof, and each of the undersigned hereby ratifies and confirms that all said
attorneys and agents, or any one of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof. This Power of Attorney may be signed in several counterparts.

           IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has executed this Power
of Attorney as of the date indicated.

           Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following
persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Signature                               Title                                           Date
---------                               -----                                           ----
<S>                                     <C>                                       <C>
/s/ MARC P. GEIGER                      Chief Executive Officer and               January 3, 2001
------------------------------------    Chairman of the Board of Directors
Marc P. Geiger                          (Principal Executive Officer)


/s/ DONALD P. MULLER                    President, ARTISTdirect Agency            January 3, 2001
------------------------------------    and Kneeling Elephant Records, and
Donald P. Muller                        Director


/s/ KEITH YOKOMOTO                      Chief Operating Officer,                  January 3, 2001
------------------------------------    President and Director
Keith Yokomoto
</TABLE>


                                      II-4

<PAGE>   6

<TABLE>
<S>                                    <C>                                       <C>
/s/ JAMES B. CARROLL                    Executive Vice President and             January 3, 2001
------------------------------------    Chief Financial Officer (Principal
James B. Carroll                        Financial and Accounting Officer)


/s/ ALLEN D. LENARD                     Director                                 December 8, 2000
------------------------------------
Allen D. Lenard



/s/ CLIFFORD H. FRIEDMAN                Director                                 December 22, 2000
------------------------------------
Clifford H. Friedman



/s/ STEPHEN KRUPA                       Director                                 January 3, 2001
------------------------------------
Stephen Krupa



/s/ RICK RUBIN                         Director                                  December 20, 2000
------------------------------------
Rick Rubin



                                        Director                                 ___________, 2000
------------------------------------
Carlos E. Cisneros



/s/ DARA KHOSROWSHAHI                   Director                                 December 11, 2000
------------------------------------
Dara Khosrowshahi
</TABLE>


                                      II-5


<PAGE>   7

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit
Number       Exhibit
-------      -------
<S>         <C>
  4          Instruments Defining the Rights of Stockholders. Reference is made
             to Registrant's Registration Statement No. 000-30063 on Form
             8-A12G, together with any exhibits thereto, which are incorporated
             herein by reference pursuant to Item 3(d) to this Registration
             Statement.

  5          Opinion and consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP.

  23.1       Consent of KPMG LLP, Independent Auditors.

  23.2       Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP is contained in Exhibit
             5.

  24         Power of Attorney. Reference is made to page II-4 of this
             Registration Statement.

  99.1       Mjuice.com, Inc. 1999 Stock Option Plan, as assumed by Registrant.

  99.2       Audio Explosion, Inc. 1998 Stock Option Plan, as assumed by
             Registrant.
</TABLE>





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