<PAGE> 1
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 19, 1997
Registration No. 333-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S E C U R I T I E S A N D E X C H A N G E C O M M I S S I O N
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
THE LEARNING COMPANY, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 94-2562108
-------- ----------
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) Identification No.)
One Anthenaeum Street, Cambridge, MA 02142
------------------------------------------
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
MICROSYSTEMS SOFTWARE, INC. 1994 INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION PLAN,
SKILLS BANK CORPORATION INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION PLAN,
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT DATED APRIL 18, 1994 BETWEEN
SKILLS BANK CORPORATION AND DR. THOMAS SAMPH
--------------------------------------------
(Full title of the Plans)
Neal S. Winneg
Vice President and General Counsel
The Learning Company, Inc.
One Anthenaeum Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
------------------------------
(Name and address of agent for service)
(617) 494-1200
--------------
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title of Proposed Proposed
Securities Amount Maximum Maximum Amount of
to be to be Offering Price Aggregate Registration
Registered Registered(1) Per Share Offering Price (1) Fee
---------- ---------- --------------- ------------------ ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock, 394,838 shares (2) $1,537,695 $466
$.01 par value
per share
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
(1) Consists of (i) 191,840 shares issuable under the Microsystems Software,
Inc. 1994 Incentive Stock Plan, (ii) 198,645 shares issuable under the Skills
Bank Corporation Incentive Stock Option Plan and (iii) 4,353 shares issuable to
Dr. Thomas Samph.
(2) The offering price is computed pursuant to paragraph (h) of Rule 457 under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on the basis of the varying prices at
which the options may be exercised, with the maximum exercise price being
$6.3458.
<PAGE> 2
PART I. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
The information required by Part I is included in documents sent or
given to Dr. Thomas Samph and participants in Microsystems Software, Inc.'s 1994
Incentive Stock Option Plan and Skills Bank Corporation's Incentive Stock Option
Plan, pursuant to Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act").
PART II. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
The Learning Company, Inc. (the "Registrant") is subject to the
informational and reporting requirements of Sections 13(a), 14 and 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and in
accordance therewith files reports, proxy statements and other information with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. The following documents, which are on
file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are incorporated in this
Registration Statement by reference:
(a) The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant to
Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or the latest prospectus
filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act that contains,
either directly or by incorporation by reference, audited financial
statements for the Registrant's latest fiscal year for which such
statements have been filed.
(b) All other reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) or
15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by
the document referred to in (a) above.
(c) The description of the Common Stock, $.01 par value per
share ("Common Stock"), contained in a registration statement filed
under the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the
purpose of updating such description.
All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a
post-effective amendment which indicates that all shares of Common Stock offered
hereby have been sold or which deregisters all shares of Common Stock then
remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to
be part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents.
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
the Registrant by Neal S. Winneg, General Counsel of the Registrant. Mr. Winneg
owns options to purchase an aggregate of 98,750 shares of Common Stock, which
are or become exercisable in periodic installments through January 1999.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 102 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended, allows
a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors of a corporation
to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of
fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his duty of
loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or
knowingly violated a
<PAGE> 3
law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in
violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit.
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended,
provides that a corporation may indemnify any person 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), by reason of the
fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation
or is or was serving at its request in such capacity in another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses
(including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement
actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or
proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to
be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect
to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his
conduct was unlawful.
Section 8 of the Company's Restated Certificate of Incorporation
provides for elimination of directors' personal liability and indemnification as
follows:
"8. Limitation of Liability and Indemnification of Directors
8.1 Elimination of Certain Liabilities of Directors. A director of the
Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its
stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the
Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or
which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under
Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or (iv) for any transaction
from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the Delaware
General Corporation Law is amended after approval by the stockholders of this
Section to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the
personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the
Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by
the Delaware General Corporation Law, as so amended. Any repeal or modification
of this Section by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely
affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the
time of such repeal or modification.
8.2 Indemnification and Insurance
8.2.1 Right to Indemnification. Each person who was or is made
a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any action,
suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative
(hereinafter a "proceeding"), by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person
of whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer,
of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation, as a
director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation or of a
partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, including service with
respect to employee benefit plans, whether the basis of such proceeding is
alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee, or
agent or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee,
or agent, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to its
fullest extent authorized by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as the same
exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only
to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader
indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior
to such amendment), against all expense, liability and loss (including
attorneys' fees, judgments, fines, Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974 excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement)
reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection therewith, and such
indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director,
officer, employee, or agent and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs,
executors, and
<PAGE> 4
administrators; provided, however, that the Corporation shall indemnify any such
person seeking indemnification in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof)
initiated by such person only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was
authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. The right to
indemnification conferred in this Section shall be a contract right and shall
include the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses incurred defending
any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however,
that, if the Delaware General Corporation Law requires, the payment of such
expenses incurred by a director or officer in his or her capacity as a director
or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by
such person while a director or officer, including, without limitation, service
to an employee benefit plan) in advance of the final disposition of a
proceeding, shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an
undertaking, by or on behalf of such director or officer, to repay all amounts
so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such director or officer
is not entitled to be indemnified under this Section or otherwise. The
Corporation may, by action of its Board of Directors, provide indemnification to
employees and agents of the Corporation with the same scope and effect as the
foregoing indemnification of directors and officers.
8.2.2 Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The right to indemnification
and the payment of expenses incurred in defending a proceeding in advance of its
final disposition conferred in this Section shall not be exclusive of any other
right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute,
provision of this Restated Certificate, Bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders,
or disinterested directors or otherwise.
8.2.3 Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at
its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee, or agent of
the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or
other enterprise against any such expense, liability or loss, whether or not the
Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense,
liability, or loss under the Delaware General Corporation Law."
The Registrant has purchased directors' and officers' liability
insurance which would indemnify the directors and officers of the Registrant
against damages arising out of certain kinds of claims which might be made
against them based on their negligent acts or omissions while acting in their
capacity as such.
Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.
Not applicable.
Item 8. Exhibits.
The Exhibit Index immediately preceding the exhibits attached hereto is
incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9. Undertakings.
1. The Registrant hereby undertakes:
(a) 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;
<PAGE> 5
(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; and
(iii) to include any material information with
respect to the plan of distribution not
previously disclosed in the Registration
Statement or any material change to such
information in the Registration Statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply if the
Registration Statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, 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 the
Registration Statement;
(b) that, for the purpose 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; and
(c) 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.
2. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes 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 Section 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 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 in the initial
bona fide offering thereof.
3. 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 foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission 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.
<PAGE> 6
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, 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 Cambridge, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on this
17th day of November, 1997.
THE LEARNING COMPANY, INC.
By:/s/ Michael J. Perik
----------------------------
Michael J. Perik
Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer
POWER OF ATTORNEY
We, the undersigned officers and directors of The Learning Company,
Inc. hereby severally constitute Michael J. Perik, R. Scott Murray and Neal S.
Winneg, and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power
to them, and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the
capacities indicated below, the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed
herewith and any and all pre-effective and post-effective amendments to said
Registration Statement, and generally to do all such things in our names and
behalf in our capacities as officers and directors to enable The Learning
Company, Inc. to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and all
requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and
confirming our signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of
them, to said Registration Statement and all amendments thereto.
<PAGE> 7
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the
date indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Signatures Capacity Date
---------- -------- ----
<S> <C> <C>
/s/ Michael J. Perik Chairman of the Board November 17, 1997
- ----------------------------- and Chief Executive Officer
Michael J. Perik (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ R. Scott Murray Executive Vice President November 17, 1997
- ----------------------------- and Chief Financial Officer
R. Scott Murray (Principal Financial and
Accounting Officer)
/s/ Kevin O'Leary Director and President November 17, 1997
- -----------------------------
Kevin O'Leary
/s/ Lamar Alexander Director November 17, 1997
- -----------------------------
Lamar Alexander
/s/ Michael A. Bell Director November 17, 1997
- -----------------------------
Michael A. Bell
/s/ James C. Dowdle Director November 17, 1997
- -----------------------------
James C. Dowdle
Director
- -----------------------------
Robert Gagnon
/s/ Charles L. Palmer Director November 17, 1997
- -----------------------------
Charles L. Palmer
Director
- -----------------------------
Carolynn N. Reid-Wallace
/s/ Robert A. Rubinoff Director November 17, 1997
- ------------------------------
Robert A. Rubinoff
/s/ Scott M. Sperling Director November 17, 1997
- -------------------------------
Scott M. Sperling
</TABLE>
<PAGE> 8
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
Number
4.1 Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as
amended(1)
4.2 By-Laws, as amended(1)
5 Opinion of Neal S. Winneg, Esq.
23.1 Consent of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P.,
Independent Accountants
23.2 Consent of Neal S. Winneg, Esq.
(included in Exhibit 5).
24 Power of Attorney (included in the signature
pages of this Registration Statement).
- --------
(1) Incorporated herein by reference to exhibits filed with the Registrant's
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended July 6, 1996.
<PAGE> 1
Exhibit 5
November 17, 1997
The Learning Company, Inc.
One Athenaeum Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am Vice President and General Counsel of The Learning Company, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and am issuing this opinion in
connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-8 being filed by the
Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on the
date hereof (the "Registration Statement") for the purpose of registering with
the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"),
394,838 shares (the "Shares") of common stock of the Company, par value $.01 per
share, issuable upon the exercise of options granted under the Microsystems
Software, Inc. 1994 Incentive Stock Option Plan (the "Microsystems Plan"), the
Skills Bank Corporation Incentive Stock Option Plan (the "Skills Bank Plan") and
the Stock Option Agreement dated April 18, 1994 between Skills Bank Corporation
and Dr. Thomas Samph (the "Samph Option Agreement").
In this connection, I have examined and am familiar with originals or
copies, certified or otherwise identified to my satisfaction, of (i) the
Registration Statement, (ii) the Microsystems Plan, (iii) the Skills Bank Plan,
(iv) the Samph Option Agreement, (v) the Restated Certificate of Incorporation
and the Bylaws of the Company, as amended, each as currently in effect, (vi)
certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company relating to
the issuance of the Shares and certain related matters, and such other
documents, certificates and records as I have deemed necessary or appropriate as
a basis for the opinions set forth herein. In such examination, I have assumed
the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the
authenticity of all documents submitted to me as originals, the conformity to
original documents of all documents submitted to me as certified, conformed or
photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such copies. As to
any facts material to the opinions expressed herein which I have not
independently established or verified, I have relied upon statements and
representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others.
I am admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and do
not purport to be an expert on, or express any opinion concerning, any law other
than the substantive law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing, I am of the opinion that the
Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and, when the Shares have been
paid for and certificates therefor have been issued and delivered upon exercise
of options in accordance with the terms of the Microsystems Plan, the Skills
Bank Plan and the Samph Option Agreement as contemplated by the Registration
Statement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement. In giving such consent, I do not thereby admit that I am
in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the 1933
Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
<PAGE> 2
This opinion is furnished by me, as counsel to the Company, in
connection with the filing of the Registration Statement and, except as provided
in the immediately preceding paragraph, is not to be used, circulated, quoted
for any other purpose or otherwise referred to or relied upon by any other
person without the express written permission of the Company.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Neal S. Winneg
Neal S. Winneg
General Counsel
<PAGE> 1
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statement of
The Learning Company, Inc. (formerly known as SoftKey International Inc.) on
Form S-8 of our report dated March 27, 1997, on our audits of the consolidated
financial statements and financial statement schedule of valuation and
qualifying accounts of The Learning Company, Inc. as of January 4, 1997 and
January 6, 1996 and for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended
January 4, 1997, which report is included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K.
COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P.
Boston, Massachusetts
November 17, 1997
