<PAGE> 1
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON APRIL 3, 1998
REGISTRATION NO. 333-47861
================================================================================
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
------------------------
AMENDMENT NO. 1
TO
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
------------------------
DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
DELAWARE 74-2487834
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization)
</TABLE>
ONE DELL WAY, ROUND ROCK, TEXAS 78682-2244
(512) 338-4400
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
of registrant's principal executive offices)
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
THOMAS J. MEREDITH Copies to:
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICER THOMAS H. WELCH, JR.
DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION GENERAL CORPORATE COUNSEL
ONE DELL WAY DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
ROUND ROCK, TEXAS 78682-2244 ONE DELL WAY
512-338-4400 ROUND ROCK, TEXAS 78682-2244
(Name and address, including zip code,
and telephone number of agent for service)
</TABLE>
------------------------
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 OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME
EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(a),
MAY DETERMINE.
================================================================================
<PAGE> 2
Information contained herein is subject to completion or amendment. A
registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. These securities may not be sold nor may
offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes
effective. This prospectus shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities
in any State in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to
registration or qualification under the securities laws of any State.
PROSPECTUS (Subject to Completion)
Issued April 3, 1998
[DELL LOGO]
Dell Computer Corporation
DEBT SECURITIES
------------------------
Dell Computer Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), from
time to time may offer its debt securities consisting of senior debentures,
notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness in one or more series ("Debt
Securities") with an aggregate initial public offering price of up to $500
million or the equivalent thereof in one or more foreign currencies or composite
currencies, including European Currency Units ("ECU"). The Debt Securities may
be offered in separate series in amounts, at prices and on terms to be set forth
in a supplement to this Prospectus (a "Prospectus Supplement").
The Debt Securities may be sold for U.S. Dollars, one or more foreign
currencies or composite currencies, and the principal of and any interest on the
Debt Securities may likewise be payable in U.S. Dollars, one or more foreign
currencies, composite currencies or amounts determined by reference to an index.
The Debt Securities will rank equally with all other unsubordinated and
unsecured indebtedness of the Company. See "Description of Debt Securities."
The specific terms of the Debt Securities with respect to which this
Prospectus is being delivered, such as (where applicable) the specific
designation, aggregate principal amount, currency, denomination, maturity,
premium, rate (or manner of calculation thereof) and time of payment of
interest, terms for redemption at the option of the Company or the holder or for
sinking fund payments, and the initial public offering price, will be set forth
in an accompanying Prospectus Supplement. See "Description of Debt Securities."
The Debt Securities may be sold through underwriting syndicates led by one
or more managing underwriters or through one or more underwriters acting alone.
The Debt Securities may also be sold directly by the Company or through agents
designated from time to time. If any underwriters or agents are involved in the
sale of the Debt Securities, their names, the principal amount of Debt
Securities to be purchased by them and any applicable fee, commission or
discount arrangements with them will be set forth in the Prospectus Supplement.
See "Plan of Distribution."
------------------------
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE
ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A
CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
------------------------
This Prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of Debt Securities
unless accompanied by a Prospectus Supplement.
April , 1998
<PAGE> 3
CERTAIN PERSONS PARTICIPATING IN AN OFFERING MAY ENGAGE IN TRANSACTIONS
THAT STABILIZE, MAINTAIN OR OTHERWISE AFFECT THE PRICE OF THE DEBT SECURITIES,
INCLUDING OVER-ALLOTMENT, STABILIZING AND SHORT-COVERING TRANSACTIONS IN SUCH
DEBT SECURITIES, AND THE IMPOSITION OF A PENALTY BID, DURING AND AFTER AN
OFFERING. FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THESE ACTIVITIES, SEE "PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION."
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), and in accordance therewith files
reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC"). Such reports, proxy statements and other information
filed by the Company can be inspected and copied at the public reference
facilities maintained by the SEC at Room 1024, 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20549, and at the SEC's Regional Offices located at Citicorp
Center, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1400, Chicago, Illinois 60661 and at 7
World Trade Center, Suite 1300, New York, New York 10048. Copies of such
material can be obtained from the Public Reference Section of the SEC, 450 Fifth
Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. The SEC maintains a
World Wide Web site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and
other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC.
The address of the World Wide Web site is http://www.sec.gov. Reports and other
information concerning the Company may be also inspected at the offices of The
Nasdaq Stock Market, 1735 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.
The Company has filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3
(together with all amendments and exhibits, the "Registration Statement") under
the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") with respect to the Debt
Securities. This Prospectus, which constitutes part of the Registration
Statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration
Statement, certain parts of which are omitted in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the SEC. For further information with respect to the Company and
the Debt Securities offered hereby, reference is made to the Registration
Statement and the exhibits and the financial statements, notes and schedules
filed as a part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, which may be
inspected at the public reference facilities of the SEC at the addresses set
forth above or through the SEC's World Wide Web site.
Statements contained in this Prospectus as to the contents of any contract
or other document referred to herein are not necessarily complete and in each
instance are qualified in all respects by reference to the copy of such contract
or document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The following documents have been filed by the Company with the SEC, are
incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and are deemed to be a part of
this Prospectus:
(a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
February 2, 1997; and
(b) The Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal
periods ended May 4, 1997, August 3, 1997 and November 2, 1997.
All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or
15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Prospectus and prior to the
termination of the offering of the Debt Securities offered hereby shall be
deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and be a part hereof
from the date of filing 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 Prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein,
in a Prospectus Supplement or in any other document subsequently filed with the
SEC that also is or 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
Prospectus.
2
<PAGE> 4
The Company will furnish without charge to each person, including any
beneficial owner, to whom this Prospectus is delivered, on the written or oral
request of such person, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by
reference, other than exhibits to such documents (unless such exhibits are
specifically incorporated by reference into such documents). Requests should be
directed to Dell Computer Corporation, Investor Relations, One Dell Way, Round
Rock, Texas 78682-2244 (telephone: (512) 338-4400).
THE COMPANY
Dell Computer Corporation (the "Company") is the world's leading direct
computer systems company and one of the top three computer vendors in the world.
The Company designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports a
wide range of computer systems, including desktops, notebooks, workstations and
network servers, and also markets software, peripherals and service and support
programs.
The Company is a Delaware corporation that was incorporated in 1987,
succeeding to the business of a predecessor Texas corporation that was
originally incorporated in 1984. Based in Round Rock, Texas, the Company
conducts operations worldwide through wholly-owned subsidiaries. Unless
otherwise specified, references herein to the "Company" are references to the
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries.
The Company's principal executive offices are located at One Dell Way,
Round Rock, Texas 78682-2244, and its telephone number at that location is (512)
338-4400. The Company's World Wide Web address is www.dell.com.
USE OF PROCEEDS
Unless otherwise indicated in an accompanying Prospectus Supplement, the
net proceeds to be received by the Company from the sale of the Debt Securities
will be used for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures.
Pending such uses, the Company intends to invest the net proceeds in marketable
securities.
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
Set forth below is the ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the
periods stated. For the purpose of calculating such ratios, "earnings" consist
of income from continuing operations before income taxes plus fixed charges, and
"fixed charges" consist of interest expense, amortization of debt expense and
discount or premium and the portion of rental expense deemed to be
representative of the interest component.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NINE
MONTHS FISCAL YEAR ENDED
ENDED -------------------------------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER 2, FEBRUARY 2, JANUARY 28, JANUARY 29, JANUARY 30, JANUARY 31,
1997 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Ratio of Earnings to
Fixed Charges.......... 99.2x 41.0x 16.7x 10.9x (a) 10.1x
</TABLE>
- ---------------
(a) Earnings were inadequate to cover fixed charges during the fiscal year
ended January 30, 1994. The amount of the deficiency was $19 million.
3
<PAGE> 5
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
The following selected financial data should be read in conjunction with
the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 2,
1997 and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal period ended November
2, 1997. The Company has adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.
128, "Earnings per Share" ("SFAS 128"). The basic and diluted earnings per
common share information presented below has been restated for SFAS 128.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NINE MONTHS ENDED TWELVE MONTHS ENDED
------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
NOVEMBER 2, OCTOBER 27, FEBRUARY 2, JANUARY 28, JANUARY 29, JANUARY 30, JANUARY 31,
1997 1996 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993
----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
(IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
DATA:
Net revenue............... $8,590 $5,347 $7,759 $5,296 $3,475 $2,873 $2,014
Gross margin.............. 1,899 1,142 1,666 1,067 738 433 449
Operating income (loss)... 919 464 714 377 249 (39) 139
Income (loss) before
extraordinary loss...... 659 343 531 272 149 (36) 102
Net income (loss)......... $ 659 $ 330 $ 518 $ 272 $ 149 $ (36) $ 102
Income (loss) before
extraordinary loss per
common share(a)(b):
Basic................... $ 1.00 $ 0.48 $ 0.75 $ 0.36 $ 0.23 $ (.07) $ 0.18
Diluted................. $ 0.89 $ 0.45 $ 0.68 $ 0.33 $ 0.19 $ (.07) $ 0.16
Weighted average shares
outstanding(a):
Basic................... 663 716 710 716 618 597 580
Diluted................. 738 775 782 790 750 597 628
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL
POSITION DATA:
Working capital......... $1,228 $1,023 $1,089 $1,018 $ 718 $ 510 $ 359
Total assets............ 3,921 2,724 2,993 2,148 1,594 1,140 927
Long-term debt.......... 18 18 18 113 113 100 48
Total stockholders'
equity................ $1,207 $ 851 $ 806 $ 973 $ 652 $ 471 $ 369
</TABLE>
- ---------------
(a) All share and per share information has been retroactively restated to
reflect the two-for-one split of the common stock paid in March 1998 and
the two-for-one split of the common stock paid in July 1997.
(b) Excludes extraordinary loss of $0.02 basic per common share and $0.02
diluted per common share for fiscal 1997.
4
<PAGE> 6
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following statements with respect to the Debt Securities are summaries
of, and are subject to, the detailed provisions of an indenture (the
"Indenture") to be entered into by the Company and one or more commercial banks,
as trustee (the "Trustee"), a copy of which is filed as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement. The following summary of certain provisions of the
Indenture does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in
its entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the Indenture, including
the definitions therein of certain terms. Wherever defined terms of the
Indenture are referred to herein or in a Prospectus Supplement, such defined
terms are incorporated herein or therein by reference.
The Debt Securities may be issued from time to time in one or more series.
The particular terms of each series of Debt Securities will be described in a
Prospectus Supplement relating to such series.
GENERAL
The Indenture does not limit the aggregate principal amount of Debt
Securities that can be issued thereunder. The Debt Securities may be issued in
one or more series as may be authorized from time to time by the Company. The
Debt Securities will be senior unsecured obligations of the Company.
The applicable Prospectus Supplement will describe the following terms of
the series of Debt Securities with respect to which this Prospectus is being
delivered:
(a) The title of the Debt Securities of the series;
(b) Any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities
of the series that may be authenticated and delivered under the Indenture;
(c) The person to whom any interest on a Debt Security shall be
payable, if other than the person in whose name that Debt Security is
registered on the Regular Record Date;
(d) The date or dates on which the principal and premium, if any, of
the Debt Securities of the series are payable;
(e) The rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) at which the
Debt Securities will bear interest, if any, or the method of determining
the rate or rates, the date or dates from which such interest will accrue,
the Interest Payment Dates on which any such interest will be payable or
the method by which the dates will be determined, the Regular Record Date
for any interest payable on any Interest Payment Date and the basis upon
which interest will be calculated if other than that of a 360-day year of
twelve 30-day months;
(f) The place or places where the principal of and any premium and
interest on the Debt Securities of the series will be payable if other than
the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York;
(g) The period or periods within which, the price or prices at which
and the terms and conditions upon which the Debt Securities of the series
may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company or
otherwise;
(h) The obligation of the Company, if any, to redeem, purchase or
repay the Debt Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or
analogous provisions or at the option of the holders and the period or
periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and
conditions upon which such Debt Securities shall be redeemed, purchased or
repaid, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation, and any
provisions for the remarketing of such Debt Securities;
(i) The terms, if any, upon which the Debt Securities of the series
may be convertible into or exchanged for other Debt Securities of the
Company and the terms and conditions upon which the conversion or exchange
shall be effected, including the initial conversion or exchange price or
rate, the conversion or exchange period and any other additional
provisions;
(j) The denominations in which any Debt Securities will be issuable,
if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;
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<PAGE> 7
(k) The currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of
principal of and any premium and interest on Debt Securities of the series
shall be payable if other than United States dollars;
(l) Any index, formula or other method used to determine the amount of
payments of principal of and any premium and interest on the Debt
Securities;
(m) If the principal amount payable at the stated maturity of Debt
Securities of the series will not be determinable as of any one or more
dates prior to the stated maturity, the amount that will be deemed to be
the principal amount as of any date for any purpose, including the
principal amount thereof which will be due and payable upon any maturity
other than the stated maturity or which will be deemed to be outstanding as
of any date (or, in any such case, the manner in which the deemed principal
amount is to be determined), and if necessary, the manner of determining
the equivalent thereof in United States currency;
(n) If the principal of or any premium or interest on any Debt
Securities is to be payable, at the election of the Company or the holders,
in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in
which such Debt Securities are stated to be payable, the currency,
currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and any
premium and interest on such Debt Securities shall be payable, and the
periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which such election
is to be made;
(o) If other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the
principal amount of the Debt Securities which will be payable upon
declaration of the acceleration of the maturity thereof or provable in
bankruptcy;
(p) The applicability of, and any addition to or change in, the
covenants and definitions then set forth in the Indenture or in the terms
then set forth in the Indenture relating to permitted consolidations,
mergers or sales of assets;
(q) Any changes or additions to the provisions of the Indenture
dealing with defeasance, including the addition of additional covenants
that may be subject to the Company's covenant defeasance option;
(r) Whether any of the Debt Securities are to be issuable in permanent
global form and, if so, the Depositary or Depositaries for such Global
Security and the terms and conditions, if any, upon which interests in such
Debt Securities in global form may be exchanged, in whole or in part, for
the individual Debt Securities represented thereby in definitive registered
form, and the form of any legend or legends to be borne by the Global
Security in addition to or in lieu of the legend referred to in the
Indenture;
(s) The Trustee and any authenticating or paying agents, transfer
agents or registrars;
(t) The terms, if any, of any guarantee of the payment of principal,
premium and interest with respect to Debt Securities of the series and any
corresponding changes to the provisions of the Indenture as then in effect;
(u) The terms, if any, of the transfer, mortgage, pledge or assignment
as security for the Debt Securities of the series of any properties,
assets, moneys, proceeds, securities or other collateral, including whether
certain provisions of the Trust Indenture Act are applicable and any
corresponding changes to provisions of the Indenture as then in effect;
(v) Any addition to or change in the Events of Default with respect to
the Debt Securities of the series and any change in the right of the
Trustee or the holders to declare the principal, premium and interest with
respect to the Debt Securities due and payable; and
(w) Any other terms of the Debt Securities not inconsistent with the
provisions of the Indenture.
Debt Securities may be issued as Original Issue Discount Securities to be
sold at a substantial discount from their principal amount. United States
federal income tax consequences and other special considerations applicable to
any such Original Issue Discount Securities will be described in the Prospectus
Supplement relating thereto.
If any of the Debt Securities are sold for any foreign currency or currency
unit or if principal of, premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any of the
Debt Securities is payable in any foreign currency or currency unit, the
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<PAGE> 8
restrictions, elections, tax consequences, specific terms and other information
with respect to such Debt Securities and such foreign currency or currency unit
will be specified in the Prospectus Supplement relating thereto.
EXCHANGE, REGISTRATION, TRANSFER AND PAYMENT
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, payment
of principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Debt Securities will
be payable, and the exchange of and the transfer of Debt Securities will be
registrable, at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose
in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York and at any other office or
agency maintained for such purpose. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable
Prospectus Supplement, the Debt Securities will be issued in denominations of
$1,000 or integral multiples thereof. No service charge will be made for any
registration of transfer or exchange of Debt Securities, but the Company may
require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental
charge imposed in connection therewith.
All moneys paid by the Company to a Paying Agent for the payment of
principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Debt Security which
remain unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium or interest has
become due and payable may be repaid to the Company, and thereafter the holder
of such Debt Security may look only to the Company for payment thereof.
In the event of any redemption, the Company shall not be required to (a)
issue, register the transfer of or exchange Debt Securities of any series during
a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the
mailing of a notice of redemption of Debt Securities of that series to be
redeemed and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing or (b)
register the transfer of or exchange any Debt Security, or portion thereof,
called for redemption, except the unredeemed portion of any Debt Security being
redeemed in part.
BOOK-ENTRY SYSTEM
The provisions set forth below in this section headed "Book-Entry System"
will apply to the Debt Securities of any series if the Prospectus Supplement
relating to such series so indicates.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the
Debt Securities of such series will be represented by one or more global
securities (collectively, a "Global Security") registered in the name of The
Depository Trust Company (the "Depositary") or a nominee of the Depositary
identified in the Prospectus Supplement relating to such series. Except as set
forth below, a Global Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part,
only to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary.
Upon the issuance of a Global Security, the Depositary will credit, on its
book-entry registration and transfer system, the respective principal amounts of
the Debt Securities represented by such Global Security to the accounts of
institutions that have accounts with the Depositary or its nominee
("participants"). The accounts to be credited will be designated by the
underwriters, dealers or agents. Ownership of beneficial interests in a Global
Security will be limited to participants or persons that may hold interests
through participants. Ownership of interests in such Global Security will be
shown on, and the transfer of those ownership interests will be effected only
through, records maintained by the Depositary (with respect to participants'
interests) and such participants (with respect to the owners of beneficial
interests in such Global Security). The laws of some jurisdictions may require
that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities
in definitive form. Such limits and laws may impair the ability to transfer
beneficial interests in a Global Security.
So long as the Depositary, or its nominee, is the registered holder and
owner of such Global Security, the Depositary or such nominee, as the case may
be, will be considered the sole owner and holder of the related Debt Securities
for all purposes of such Debt Securities and for all purposes under the
Indenture. Except as set forth below or as otherwise provided in the applicable
Prospectus Supplement, owners of beneficial interests in a Global Security will
not be entitled to have the Debt Securities represented by such Global Security
registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical
delivery of Debt Securities in definitive form and will not be considered to be
the owners or holders of any Debt Securities under the Indenture or such Global
Security. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a Global
Security must rely on the procedures
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<PAGE> 9
of the Depositary and, if such person is not a participant, on the procedures of
the participant through which such person owns its interest, to exercise any
rights of a holder of Debt Securities under the Indenture of such Global
Security. The Company understands that under existing industry practice, in the
event the Company requests any action of holders of Debt Securities or if an
owner of a beneficial interest in a Global Security desires to take any action
that the Depositary, as the holder of such Global Security is entitled to take,
the Depositary would authorize the participants to take such action, and that
the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through such
participants to take such action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of
beneficial owners owning through them.
The Depositary has advised the Company as follows: The Depositary is a
limited purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York,
a member of the Federal Reserve System, a "clearing corporation" within the
meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a "clearing agency"
registered under the Exchange Act. The Depositary was created to hold securities
of its participants and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities
transactions among its participants in such securities through electronic
book-entry changes in accounts of the participants, thereby eliminating the need
for physical movement of securities certificates. The Depositary's participants
include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing
corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (or their
representatives) own the Depositary. Access to the Depositary's book-entry
system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust
companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a
participant, either directly or indirectly. The Depositary agrees with and
represents to its participants that it will administer its book-entry system in
accordance with its rules and by-laws and requirements of law.
Payment of principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on Debt
Securities represented by a Global Security will be made to the Depositary or
its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner and holder of such
Global Security.
The Company expects that the Depositary, upon receipt of any payment of
principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any, in respect of a Global
Security, will credit immediately participants' accounts with payments in
amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the principal
amount of such Global Security as shown on the records of the Depositary. The
Company expects that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests
in a Global Security held through such participants will be governed by standing
instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held
for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in "street name," and
will be the responsibility of such participant. Neither the Company nor the
Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee will have any responsibility
or liability for any aspect of the records relating to, or payments made on
account of, beneficial ownership interests in a Global Security or for
maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial
ownership interests or for any other aspect of the relationship between the
Depositary and its participants or the relationship between such participants
and the owners of beneficial interests in such Global Security owning through
such participants.
Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for Debt Securities in
definitive form, a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by
the Depositary to a nominee of such Depositary or by a nominee of such
Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary.
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, Debt
Securities represented by a Global Security will be exchangeable for Debt
Securities in definitive form of like tenor as such Global Security in
denominations of $1,000 and in any greater amount that is an integral multiple
thereof if (a) the Depositary notifies the Company and the Trustee that it is
unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or if at
any time the Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the
Exchange Act and a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Company within
90 days, (b) the Company in its sole discretion determines not to have all of
the Debt Securities represented by a Global Security and notifies the Trustee
thereof or (c) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default
or an event which, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, or both, would
constitute an Event of Default with respect to the Debt Securities. Any Debt
Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence is exchangeable
for Debt Securities registered in such names as the Depositary shall instruct
the Trustee. It is expected that such instructions may be based upon directions
received by the Depositary from its participants with respect to ownership of
beneficial interests in
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<PAGE> 10
such Global Security. Subject to the foregoing, a Global Security is not
exchangeable except for a Global Security or Global Securities of the same
aggregate denominations to be registered in the name of the Depositary or its
nominee.
COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
Except as set forth below or as otherwise provided in the applicable
Prospectus Supplement with respect to any series of Debt Securities, the Company
is not restricted by the Indenture from incurring, assuming or becoming liable
for any type of debt or other obligations, from paying dividends or making
distributions on its capital stock or purchasing or redeeming its capital stock.
The Indenture does not require the maintenance of any financial ratios or
specified levels of net worth or liquidity. In addition, the Indenture does not
contain any provision that would require the Company to repurchase or redeem or
otherwise modify the terms of any of its Debt Securities upon a change in
control or other events involving the Company that may adversely affect the
creditworthiness of the Debt Securities.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, certain
covenants contained in the Indenture, which are summarized below, will be
applicable (unless waived or amended) to the series of Debt Securities to which
such Prospectus Supplement relates so long as any of the Debt Securities of such
series are outstanding.
Limitations on Liens. The Company covenants that it will not issue, incur,
create, assume or guarantee, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to
issue, incur, create, assume or guarantee, any debt for borrowed money secured
by a mortgage, security interest, pledge, lien, charge or other encumbrance
("liens") upon any Principal Property of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary or upon any shares of stock or indebtedness of any Restricted
Subsidiary (whether such Principal Property, shares or indebtedness are now
existing or owed or hereafter created or acquired) without in any such case
effectively providing concurrently with the issuance, incurrence, creation,
assumption or guaranty of any such secured debt that the Debt Securities
(together with, if the Company shall so determine, any other indebtedness of or
guarantee by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary ranking equally with the
Debt Securities) shall be secured equally and ratably with (or, at the option of
the Company, prior to) such secured debt. The preceding provisions shall not
require the Company to secure the Debt Securities if the liens consist of either
Permitted Liens or liens securing excepted indebtedness (as described below).
Limitations on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions. The Company covenants
that it will not, nor will it permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into
any Sale and Lease-Back Transaction with respect to any Principal Property
unless (a) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary would be entitled to incur
indebtedness secured by a lien on the Principal Property involved in such
transaction at least equal in amount to the Attributable Debt with respect to
such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction without equally and ratably securing the
Debt Securities pursuant to the limitation in the Indenture on liens, or (b) the
Company shall apply an amount equal to the Attributable Debt with respect to
such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction within six months of such sale to the
defeasance or retirement (other than any mandatory retirement, mandatory
prepayment or sinking fund payment or by payment at maturity) of Debt Securities
or other debt for borrowed money of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary that
matures more than one year after the creation of such debt or to the purchase,
construction or development of other comparable property.
Excepted Indebtedness. Notwithstanding the foregoing limitations on liens
and Sale and Lease-Back Transactions, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
will be permitted to issue, incur, create, assume or guarantee indebtedness
secured by a lien or may enter into a Sale and Lease-Back Transaction, in either
case, without regard to the restrictions contained in the preceding two
paragraphs if the sum of the aggregate principal amount of all such indebtedness
(or, in the case of a lien, the lesser of such principal amount and the fair
market value of the property subject to such lien, as determined in good faith
by the Company's Board of Directors) and the Attributable Debt of all such Sale
and Lease-Back Transactions, in each case not otherwise permitted in the
preceding two paragraphs, does not exceed the greater of 10% of the Consolidated
Net Tangible Assets of the Company or $350 million.
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Certain Definitions Applicable to Covenants. The term "Attributable Debt"
when used in connection with a Sale and Lease-Back Transaction involving a
Principal Property shall mean, at the time of determination, the lesser of (a)
the fair market value of such property (as determined in good faith by the
Company's Board of Directors), (b) the present value of the total net amount of
rent required to be paid under such lease during the remaining term thereof
(including any renewal term or period for which such lease has been extended),
discounted at the rate of interest set forth or implicit in the terms of such
lease or, if not practicable to determine such rate, the weighted average
interest rate per annum borne by the Debt Securities of each series outstanding
pursuant to the Indenture compounded semi-annually, or (c) if the obligation
with respect to the Sale and Lease-Back Transaction constitutes an obligation
that is required to be classified and accounted for as a capitalized lease for
financial reporting purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, the amount equal to the capitalized amount of such obligation
determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and
included in the financial statements of the lessee. For purposes of the
foregoing definition, rent shall not include amounts required to be paid by the
lessee, whether or not designated as rent or additional rent, on account of or
contingent upon maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water
rates and similar charges. In the case of any lease that is terminable by the
lessee upon the payment of a penalty, such net amount shall be the lesser of the
net amount determined assuming termination upon the first date such lease may be
terminated (in which case the net amount shall also include the amount of the
penalty, but no rent shall be considered as required to be paid under such lease
subsequent to the first date upon which it may be so terminated) or the net
amount determined assuming no such termination.
The term "Consolidated Net Tangible Assets" shall mean, as of any
particular time, the aggregate amount of assets (less applicable reserves and
other properly deductible items) after deducting therefrom (a) all current
liabilities, except for (1) notes and loans payable, (2) current maturities of
long-term debt and (3) current maturities of obligations under capital leases;
and (b) certain intangible assets, to the extent included in such aggregate
amount of assets, all as set forth on the most recent consolidated balance sheet
of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and computed in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles.
The term "Nonrecourse Obligation" shall mean indebtedness or other
obligations substantially related to (a) the acquisition of assets not
previously owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or (b) the
financing of a project involving the development or expansion of properties of
the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, as to which the obligee with respect
to such indebtedness or obligation has no recourse to the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary or any assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
other than the assets which were acquired with the proceeds of such transaction
or the project financed with the proceeds of such transaction (and the proceeds
thereof).
The term "Permitted Liens" shall mean (a) liens on property, shares of
stock, indebtedness or other assets of any corporation existing at the time such
corporation becomes a Restricted Subsidiary, provided that such liens are not
incurred in anticipation of such corporation becoming a Restricted Subsidiary;
(b)(i) liens on property, shares of stock, indebtedness or other assets existing
at the time of acquisition thereof by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, or
liens thereon to secure the payment of all or any part of the purchase price
thereof or (ii) liens on property, shares of stock, indebtedness or other assets
to secure any indebtedness for borrowed money incurred prior to, at the time of,
or within one year after, the latest of the acquisition thereof, or, in the case
of property, the completion of construction, the completion of improvements or
the commencement of substantial commercial operation of such property for the
purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price thereof, such
construction or the making of such improvements; (c) liens to secure
indebtedness owing to the Company or to a Restricted Subsidiary; (d) liens
existing at the date of the initial issuance of the Debt Securities of such
series; (e) liens on property or other assets of a corporation (which is not a
Subsidiary) existing at the time such corporation is merged into or consolidated
with the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or at the time of a sale, lease or
other disposition of the properties of a corporation as an entirety or
substantially as an entirety to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; (f)
liens in favor of the United States of America or any State, territory or
possession thereof (or the District of Columbia), or any department, agency,
instrumentality or political subdivision of the United States of America or any
State, territory or possession thereof (or the District of Columbia), to secure
partial, progress, advance or other payments pursuant to any contract or statute
or to secure any indebtedness incurred for the purpose of financing all or any
part of the purchase price or the cost of
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constructing or improving the property subject to such liens; (g) liens created
in connection with a project financed with, and created to secure, a Nonrecourse
Obligation; (h) liens on any property to secure bonds for the construction,
installation or financing of pollution control or abatement facilities, or other
forms of industrial revenue bond financing, or indebtedness issued or guaranteed
by the United States, any state or any department, agency or instrumentality
thereof; and (i) extensions, renewals or replacements of any lien referred to in
the foregoing clauses (a) through (h); provided, however, that any liens
permitted by any of the foregoing clauses (a) through (h) shall not extend to or
cover any property of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may
be, other than the property specified in such clauses and improvements thereto.
The term "Principal Property" shall mean the land, land improvements,
buildings and fixtures (to the extent they constitute real property interests)
(including any leasehold interest therein) constituting the principal corporate
office, any manufacturing plant or any manufacturing facility (whether now owned
or hereafter acquired) and the equipment located thereon which (a) is owned by
the Company or any Subsidiary; (b) is located within any of the present 50
States of the United States of America (or the District of Columbia); (c) has
not been determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company not
to be materially important to the total business conducted by the Company and
its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (d) has a net book value on the date as
of which the determination is being made in excess of 1% of Consolidated Net
Tangible Assets of the Company as most recently determined on or prior to such
date (including for purposes of such calculation the land, land improvements,
buildings and such fixtures compromising such office, plant or facilities, as
the case may be).
The term "Restricted Subsidiary" shall mean any Subsidiary that owns any
Principal Property; provided, however, that the term "Restricted Subsidiary"
shall not include (a) any Subsidiary that is principally engaged in financing
receivables or that is principally engaged in financing the Company's operations
outside the United States of America or (b) any Subsidiary less than 80% of the
voting stock of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or by one
or more other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more other Subsidiaries
if the common stock of such Subsidiary is traded on any national securities
exchange or quoted on The Nasdaq National Market or in the over-the-counter
market.
The term "Sale and Lease-Back Transaction" shall mean any arrangement with
any person providing for the leasing by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
of any Principal Property, which property has been or is to be sold or
transferred by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to such person, other
than (a) any such transaction involving a lease for a term of not more than
three years, (b) any such transaction between the Company and a Restricted
Subsidiary or between Restricted Subsidiaries, or (c) any such transaction
executed by the time of or within one year after the latest of the acquisition,
the completion of construction or improvement or the commencement of commercial
operation of such Principal Property.
The term "Subsidiary" shall mean (a) any corporation of which at least
66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock is at the time owned, directly or
indirectly, by the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries or (b) any other
person (other than a corporation) in which the Company or one or more other
Subsidiaries directly or indirectly has at least 66 2/3% equity ownership and
power to direct the policies, management and affairs thereof. "Voting stock"
means stock that ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors,
whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of stock has such voting
power by reason of any contingency.
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
The Indenture provides that, if such provision is made applicable to the
Debt Securities of any series pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture, the
Company may elect (a) to defease and be discharged from any and all obligations
in respect of such Debt Securities except for certain obligations to register
the transfer or exchange of such Debt Securities, to replace temporary,
destroyed, stolen, lost or mutilated Debt Securities, to maintain paying
agencies and to hold monies for payment in trust ("defeasance") or (b) (i) to
omit to comply with certain restrictive covenants (including the covenants
referred to above under "Covenants of the Company") and (ii) to deem the
occurrence of any event referred to in clauses (d) and (e) under "Events of
Default" below not to be or result in an Event of Default if, in each case with
respect to the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series on or after the date
certain conditions are satisfied ("covenant defeasance"), in either case upon
the deposit with the
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Trustee (or other qualifying trustee), in trust, of money or U.S. Government
Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal with respect
thereto in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount
sufficient to pay the principal of and any premium and interest on the Debt
Securities of such series on the respective stated maturities and any mandatory
sinking fund payments or analogous payments on the days payable, in accordance
with the terms of the Indenture and the Debt Securities of such series. Such a
trust may only be established if, among other things, the Company has delivered
to the Trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the
outstanding Debt Securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or
loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance or
covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same
amount, and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case
if such deposit, defeasance or covenant defeasance had not occurred. Such
opinion, in the case of defeasance under clause (a) above, must refer to and be
based upon a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or a change in applicable
federal income tax laws occurring after the date of the Indenture. The
Prospectus Supplement relating to a series may further describe the provisions,
if any, permitting such defeasance or covenant defeasance with respect to the
Debt Securities of a particular series.
EVENTS OF DEFAULT
The following events are defined in the Indenture as "Events of Default"
with respect to a series of Debt Securities (unless such event is specifically
inapplicable to a particular series as described in the Prospectus Supplement
relating thereto): (a) failure to pay any interest on any Debt Security of that
series when due, continued for 30 days; (b) failure to pay principal of or any
premium on any Debt Security of that series when due; (c) failure to deposit any
sinking fund payment, when due, in respect of any Debt Security of that series;
(d) with respect to each series of Debt Securities, failure to perform any other
covenant of the Company applicable to that series, continued for 90 days after
written notice to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee
by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Debt
Securities of that series specifying such failure, requiring it to be remedied
and stating that such notice is a "Notice of Default"; (e) (i) failure of the
Company to make any payment by the end of any applicable grace period after
maturity of indebtedness, which term as used in the Indenture means obligations
(other than Nonrecourse Obligations or the Debt Securities of such series) of
the Company for borrowed money or evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or
similar instruments ("Indebtedness") in an amount in excess of $50,000,000 and
continuance of such failure, or (ii) the acceleration of Indebtedness in an
amount in excess of $50,000,000 because of a default with respect to such
Indebtedness without such Indebtedness having been discharged or such
acceleration having been cured, waived, rescinded or annulled, in the case of
(i) or (ii) above, for a period of 30 days after written notice to the Company
by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the holders of at least 25%
in principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of that series specifying
such failure or acceleration, requiring it to be remedied and stating that such
notice is a "Notice of Default"; provided, however, that if any such failure or
acceleration referred to in (i) or (ii) above shall cease or be cured, waived,
rescinded or annulled, then the Event of Default by reason thereof shall be
deemed not to have occurred; (f) certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or
reorganization involving the Company; and (g) any other Event of Default
provided with respect to Debt Securities of that series.
Subject to the provisions of the Indenture relating to the duties of the
Trustee during default to act with the required standard of care, the Trustee
will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the
Indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders, unless such holders
shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity. Subject to such
provisions for the indemnification of the Trustee, the holders of a majority in
principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of any series will have the
right to 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
the Trustee, with respect to the Debt Securities of that series.
The Indenture provides that the Company will deliver to the Trustee, within
120 days after the end of each fiscal year, a brief certificate from the
principal executive, financial or accounting officer or treasurer of the Company
as to his or her knowledge of the Company's compliance (without regard to any
period of grace or requirement of notice) with all conditions and covenants of
the Indenture.
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If an Event of Default with respect to Debt Securities of any series at the
time outstanding occurs and is continuing, either the Trustee or the holders of
at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of that
series by notice as provided in the Indenture may declare the principal amount
(or, if the Debt Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount
Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the
terms of that series) of all the Debt Securities of that series to be due and
payable immediately. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with
respect to Debt Securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or
decree for payment of money has been obtained by the Trustee, the holders of a
majority in principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of that series
may, under certain circumstances, rescind and annul such acceleration.
No holder of any Debt Security of any series will have any right to
institute any proceeding with respect to the Indenture or for any remedy
thereunder, unless such holder shall have previously given to the Trustee
written notice of a continuing Event of Default and unless the holders of at
least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of that series
shall have made written request, and offered reasonable indemnity, to the
Trustee to institute such proceeding as trustee, and the Trustee shall not have
received from the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding
Debt Securities of that series a direction inconsistent with such request and
shall have failed to institute such proceeding within 60 days. Such limitations
generally do not apply, however, to a suit instituted by a holder of a Debt
Security for the enforcement of payment of the principal or interest on such
Debt Security on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Debt
Security.
MODIFICATION, WAIVER AND MEETINGS
The Company and the Trustee may enter into supplemental indentures without
the consent of the holders of Debt Securities for one or more of the following
purposes:
(a) To evidence the succession of another person to the Company
pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture relating to consolidations,
mergers and sales of assets and the assumption by the successor of the
covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company in the Indenture and
in the Debt Securities;
(b) To surrender any right or power conferred upon the Company by the
Indenture, to add to the covenants of the Company such further covenants,
restrictions, conditions or provisions for the protection of the holders of
all or any series of Debt Securities as the Board of Directors of the
Company shall consider to be for the protection of the holders of the Debt
Securities, and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance,
of a default in any of the additional covenants, restrictions, conditions
or provisions a default or an Event of Default under the Indenture
(provided, however, that with respect to any such additional covenant,
restriction, condition or provision, the supplemental indenture may provide
for a period of grace after default, which may be shorter or longer than
that allowed in the case of other defaults, may provide for an immediate
enforcement upon the default, may limit the remedies available to the
Trustee upon the default, or may limit the right of holders of a majority
in aggregate principal amount of any or all series of Debt Securities to
waive the default);
(c) To cure any ambiguity or omission or to correct or supplement any
provision contained in the Indenture, in any supplemental indenture or in
any Debt Securities that may be defective or inconsistent with any other
provision contained therein, to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or
pledge any property to or with the Trustee, or to make such other
provisions in regard to matters or questions arising under the Indenture,
in each case as shall not adversely affect the interests of any holders of
Debt Securities of any series in any material respect;
(d) To modify or amend the Indenture in such a manner as to permit the
qualification of the Indenture or any supplemental indenture under the
Trust Indenture Act as then in effect;
(e) To add guarantees with respect to any or all of the Debt
Securities or to secure any or all of the Debt Securities;
(f) To make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of
any holder;
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(g) To add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of the
Indenture with respect to one or more series of Debt Securities, so long as
any such addition, change or elimination not otherwise permitted under the
Indenture shall (1) neither apply to any Debt Security of any series
created prior to the execution of the supplemental indenture and entitled
to the benefit of the provision nor modify the rights of the holders of any
Debt Security with respect to the provision, or (2) become effective only
when there is no such Debt Security outstanding;
(h) To evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment by a
successor or separate Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of one or
more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the Indenture
as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of
the Indenture by more than one Trustee;
(i) To establish the form or terms of Debt Securities of any series;
and
(j) To provide for uncertificated Debt Securities in addition to or in
place of certificated Debt Securities (provided that the uncertificated
Debt Securities are issued in registered form for purposes of Section
163(f) of the Internal Revenue Code or in a manner such that the
uncertificated Debt Securities are described in Section 163(f)(2)(B) of
such code).
Modifications and amendments of the Indenture may be made by the Company
and the Trustee with the consent of the holders of a majority in principal
amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of each series affected by such
modification or amendment; provided, however, that no such modification or
amendment may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding Debt
Security affected thereby, (a) change the stated maturity of the principal of,
or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Debt Security, (b) reduce
the principal amount of, rate of interest on or any premium payable upon the
redemption of any Debt Security, (c) reduce the amount of principal of an
Original Issue Discount Security payable upon acceleration of the maturity
thereof, (d) change the place of payment where, or the coin or currency in
which, any Debt Security or any premium or interest thereon is payable, (e)
impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with
respect to any Debt Security after the stated maturity, redemption date or
repayment date, (f) reduce the percentage in principal amount of outstanding
Debt Securities of any series, the consent of whose holders is required for
modification or amendment of the Indenture or for waiver of compliance with
certain provisions of the Indenture or for waiver of certain defaults or (g)
modify any of the provisions set forth in this paragraph except to increase any
such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of the Indenture may
not be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each outstanding
Debt Security affected thereby.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Debt
Securities of each series may, on behalf of the holders of all the Debt
Securities of that series, waive, insofar as that series is concerned,
compliance by the Company with certain restrictive provisions of the Indenture.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities
of each series may, on behalf of all holders of Debt Securities of that series
and any coupons appertaining thereto, waive any past default under the Indenture
with respect to Debt Securities of that series, except a default (a) in the
payment of principal of or any premium or interest on any Debt Security of such
series or (b) in respect of a covenant or provision of the Indenture which
cannot be modified or amended without the consent of each holder of outstanding
Debt Securities of the affected series.
The Indenture provides that in determining whether the holders of the
requisite principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities have given any
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver thereunder
or whether a quorum is present at a meeting of holders of Debt Securities (a)
the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that shall be deemed
to be outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due
and payable as of the date of such determination upon acceleration of the
maturity thereof, (b) the principal amount of a Debt Security denominated in
other than U.S. dollars shall be the U.S. dollar equivalent, determined on the
date of original issuance of such Debt Security, of the principal amount of such
Debt Security (or, in the case of an Original Issue Discount Security, the U.S.
dollar equivalent on the date of original issuance of such Debt Security of the
amount determined as provided in (a) above of such Debt Security) and (c) Debt
Securities owned by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company shall be
disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding.
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CONSOLIDATION, MERGER AND SALE OF ASSETS
The Company may not consolidate with or merge with or into any person, or
convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its assets, or permit any
person to consolidate with or merge into the Company, unless the following
conditions have been satisfied:
(a) Either (1) the Company shall be the continuing person in the case
of a merger or (2) the resulting, surviving or transferee person, if other
than the Company (the "Successor Company"), shall be a corporation
organized and existing under the laws of the United States, any State or
the District of Columbia and shall expressly assume all the obligations of
the Company under the Debt Securities and the Indenture;
(b) Immediately after giving effect to the transaction (and treating
any indebtedness that becomes an obligation of the Successor Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company as a result of the transaction as having been
incurred by the Successor Company or the Subsidiary at the time of the
transaction), no default, Event of Default or event that, after notice or
lapse of time, would become an Event of Default under the Indenture would
occur or be continuing; and
(c) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an officers'
certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that the consolidation,
merger, transfer or lease complies with the Indenture.
Upon any consolidation by the Company with, or merger by the Company into,
any other person or any conveyance, transfer or lease of the properties and
assets of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety as
described in the preceding paragraph, the Successor Company resulting from such
consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the transferee or lessee to
which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made, will succeed to, and be
substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under
the Indenture, and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the predecessor
(if still in existence) will be released from its obligations and covenants
under the Indenture and all outstanding Debt Securities.
NOTICES
Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, notices to holders of Debt
Securities will be given by mail to the addresses of such holders as they appear
in the Debt Security Register.
TITLE
Prior to due presentment of a Debt Security for registration of transfer,
the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat
the person in whose name such Debt Security is registered as the owner of such
Debt Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and any
premium and any interest (other than defaulted interest or as otherwise provided
in the applicable Prospectus Supplement) on such Debt Security and for all other
purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Debt Security be overdue, and neither
the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be
affected by notice to the contrary.
REPLACEMENT OF DEBT SECURITIES
Any mutilated Debt Security will be replaced by the Company at the expense
of the Holder upon surrender of such Debt Security to the Trustee. Debt
Securities that become destroyed, stolen or lost will be replaced by the Company
at the expense of the Holder upon delivery to the Trustee of the Debt Security
or evidence of the destruction, loss or theft thereof satisfactory to the
Company and the Trustee. In the case of a destroyed, lost or stolen Debt
Security, an indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee and the Company may be
required at the expense of the holder of such Debt Security before a replacement
Debt Security will be issued.
GOVERNING LAW
The Indenture and the Debt Securities will be governed by, and construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
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REGARDING THE TRUSTEE
The Company may appoint a separate Trustee for any series of Debt
Securities. As used herein in the description of a series of Debt Securities,
the term "Trustee" refers to the Trustee appointed with respect to the series of
Debt Securities.
The Indenture contains certain limitations on the right of the Trustee,
should it become a creditor of the Company, to obtain payment of claims in
certain cases or to realize for its own account on certain property received in
respect of any such claim as security or otherwise. The Trustee will be
permitted to engage in certain other transactions; however, if it acquires any
conflicting interest and there is a default under the Debt Securities of any
series for which the Trustee serves as trustee, the Trustee must eliminate such
conflict or resign.
The Trustee or its affiliate may provide certain banking and financial
services to the Company in the ordinary course of business.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The Company may sell the Debt Securities (a) to one or more underwriters or
dealers for public offering and sale by them and (b) to investors directly or
through agents. The distribution of the Debt Securities may be effected from
time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices (which may
be changed from time to time), at market prices prevailing at the time of sale,
at prices related to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. Each
Prospectus Supplement will describe the method of distribution of the Debt
Securities offered thereby.
In connection with the sale of the Debt Securities, underwriters, dealers
or agents may receive compensation from the Company or from purchasers of the
Debt Securities for whom they may act as agents, in the form of discounts,
concessions or commissions. The underwriters, dealers or agents which
participate in the distribution of the Debt Securities may be deemed to be
underwriters under the Securities Act and any discounts or commissions received
by them and any profit on the resale of the Debt Securities received by them may
be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions thereunder. Any such
underwriter, dealer or agent will be identified and any such compensation
received from the Company will be described in the Prospectus Supplement. Any
initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or
reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.
Under agreements that may be entered into with the Company, underwriters,
dealers and agents may be entitled to indemnification by the Company against
certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to
contribution with respect to payments that the underwriters, dealers or agents
may be required to make with respect thereto.
The Company may grant underwriters who participate in the distribution of
Debt Securities an option to purchase additional Debt Securities to cover
over-allotments, if any.
All Debt Securities will be new issues of securities with no established
trading market. Any underwriters to whom Debt Securities are sold by the Company
for public offering and sale may make a market in such Debt Securities, but such
underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market
making at any time without notice. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity
of the trading market for any such Debt Securities.
Certain of the underwriters or agents and their affiliates may be customers
of, engage in transactions with or perform services for the Company in the
ordinary course of business.
LEGAL OPINIONS
The validity of the Debt Securities is being passed upon for the Company by
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Dallas, Texas.
16
<PAGE> 18
EXPERTS
The financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to
the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended February 2, 1997,
have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of Price Waterhouse LLP,
independent accountants, given on the authority of said firm as experts in
auditing and accounting.
17
<PAGE> 19
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
ITEM 14 -- OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION
The following table sets forth expenses to be incurred by the registrant,
Dell Computer Corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the issuance and
distribution of the securities being registered, other than the underwriting
discount and commissions. Except for the Securities and Exchange Commission
registration fee, all amounts shown are estimates.
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Registration fee............................................ $147,500
Trustee's fees and expenses................................. 10,000
Accountant's fees and expenses.............................. 15,000
Printing and engraving expenses............................. 30,000
Blue sky and legal investment fees and expenses............. 3,000
Rating agencies' fees....................................... 180,000
Legal fees and expenses..................................... 50,000
Miscellaneous............................................... 10,000
--------
Total............................................. $445,500
========
</TABLE>
ITEM 15 -- INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Article Ninth of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company provides
that the Company must indemnify its officers and directors and may indemnify
certain other persons to the extent allowed by the Delaware General Corporation
Law (the "DGCL"). Pursuant to Section 145 of the DGCL, the Company generally has
the power to indemnify its present and former directors and officers against
expenses and liabilities incurred by them in connection with any suit to which
they are, or are threatened to be made, a party by reason of their serving in
those positions so long as they acted in good faith and in a manner they
reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the
Company, and with respect to any criminal action, they had no reasonable cause
to believe their conduct was unlawful. With respect to suits by or in the right
of the Company, however, indemnification is generally limited to attorneys' fees
and other expenses and is not available if the person is adjudged to be liable
to the Company unless the court determines that indemnification is appropriate.
The statute expressly provides that the power to indemnify authorized thereby is
not exclusive of any rights granted under any by-law, agreement, vote of
stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise. The Company also has the
power to purchase and maintain insurance for its directors and officers.
Reference is made to the Underwriting Agreement to be included as an
exhibit to this Registration Statement for provisions regarding indemnification
of the Company, officers, directors and controlling persons against certain
liabilities.
The preceding discussion of the Company's Certificate of Incorporation,
Section 145 of the DGCL and the Underwriting Agreement is not intended to be
exhaustive and is qualified in its entirety by the Certificate of Incorporation,
Section 145 of the DGCL and the Underwriting Agreement.
ITEM 16 -- EXHIBITS
There are filed with the Registration Statement the following exhibits:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
NUMBER DESCRIPTION
------- -----------
<C> <S>
*1.1 -- Underwriting Agreement
+4.1 -- Form of Indenture between the Registrant and one or more
commercial banks to be named, as trustee
*4.2 -- Form of Debt Security
+5.1 -- Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. as to the validity of
the Debt Securities
**12.1 -- Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
</TABLE>
II-1
<PAGE> 20
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
NUMBER DESCRIPTION
------- -----------
<C> <S>
+23.1 -- Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP
23.2 -- Consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (included in Exhibit
5.1)
**24.1 -- Powers of Attorney
*25.1 -- Form T-1, Statement of Eligibility and Qualification
under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 of Trustee
</TABLE>
- ---------------
* To be filed
** Previously filed
+ Filed herewith
ITEM 17 -- UNDERTAKINGS
The Company hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(a) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities Act.
(b) 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 a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering
price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
effective Registration Statement.
(c) 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 the undertakings set forth in clauses (a) and (b) above
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 Company
pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(the "Exchange Act") that are incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement.
(2) 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.
(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.
The Company hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any
liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Company's annual report
pursuant to Section 13(a) or 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 the initial bona
fide offering thereof.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Company
pursuant to the provisions referred to in Item 15 above, or otherwise, the
Company 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
II-2
<PAGE> 21
event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the
payment by the Company of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the Company 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 Company 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.
The Company hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the
information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this
Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of
prospectus filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h)
under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this Registration
Statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act,
each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus 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.
The Company hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of
determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of
Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and
regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust
Indenture Act.
II-3
<PAGE> 22
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
hereby certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of
the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Round Rock, Texas on April 3, 1998.
DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
By: /s/ MICHAEL S. DELL
----------------------------------
Michael S. Dell,
Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer
POWERS OF ATTORNEY
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SIGNATURE CAPACITY DATE
--------- -------- ----
<C> <S> <C>
/s/ MICHAEL S. DELL Chairman of the Board and Chief April 3, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------------- Executive Officer (principal
Michael S. Dell executive officer)
* Director April 3, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------
Donald J. Carty
* Director April 3, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------
Paul O. Hirschbiel, Jr.
* Director April 3, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------
Michael H. Jordan
* Director April 3, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------
Thomas W. Luce III
* Director April 3, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------
Klaus S. Luft
* Director April 3, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------
Claudine B. Malone
* Director April 3, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------
Alex J. Mandl
* Director April 3, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------
Michael A. Miles
</TABLE>
II-4
<PAGE> 23
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SIGNATURE CAPACITY DATE
--------- -------- ----
<C> <S> <C>
/s/ THOMAS J. MEREDITH Senior Vice President and Chief April 3, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------------- Financial Officer (principal
Thomas J. Meredith financial officer)
/s/ JAMES M. SCHNEIDER Vice President--Finance and Chief April 3, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------------- Accounting Officer (principal
James M. Schneider accounting officer)
*By: /s/ THOMAS J. MEREDITH April 3, 1998
------------------------------------------------
Attorney-in-Fact
</TABLE>
II-5
<PAGE> 24
EXHIBIT INDEX
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
NUMBER EXHIBIT
------- -------
<C> <S>
4.1 -- Form of Indenture between the Registrant and one or more
commercial banks to be named, as trustee
5.1 -- Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. as to the validity of
the Debt Securities
23.1 -- Consent of Price Waterhouse LLP
</TABLE>
<PAGE> 1
EXHIBIT 4.1
================================================================================
DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
AND
[NAME OF TRUSTEE],
AS TRUSTEE
--------------------
INDENTURE
DATED AS OF _______ __, 1998
--------------------
DEBT SECURITIES
AS MAY BE ISSUED FROM TIME TO TIME IN ONE OR MORE SERIES
================================================================================
<PAGE> 2
DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THIS INDENTURE RELATING TO
SECTIONS 310 THROUGH 318, INCLUSIVE,
OF THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Trust Indenture Indenture
Act Section Section
------------------- -----------
<S> <C>
Section 310(a)(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
(a)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
(a)(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(a)(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608
610
Section 311(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613
Section 312(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 701
702(a)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702(b)
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702(c)
Section 313(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(a)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(a)
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(a)
(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(b)
Section 314(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704
(a)(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1004
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(c)(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
(c)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
(c)(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Section 315(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601, 603(1)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514
Section 316(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
(a)(1)(A). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512
(a)(1)(B). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
(a)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104(e)
</TABLE>
i
<PAGE> 3
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Section 317(a)(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
(a)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1003
Section 318(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
</TABLE>
- -------------------------
This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed part of the
Indenture.
- -------------------------
ii
<PAGE> 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PAGE
----
ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
<S> <C> <C>
Section 101. Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Section 102. Certificates and Opinions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Section 103. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee. . . . . . . 11
Section 104. Acts of Holders; Record Dates. . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Section 105. Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company. . . . . . . . 13
Section 106. Notice to Holders; Waiver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Section 107. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act. . . . . . . . . . 14
Section 108. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents. . . . . . 14
Section 109. Successors and Assigns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Section 110. Separability Clause. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Section 111. Benefits of Indenture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Section 112. Governing Law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Section 113. Legal Holidays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Section 114. No Recourse Against Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
ARTICLE TWO
SECURITY FORMS
Section 201. Forms Generally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Section 202. Form of Face of Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Section 203. Form of Reverse of Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Section 204. Form of Legend for Global Securities . . . . . . . . 25
Section 205. Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication. . . 25
ARTICLE THREE
THE SECURITIES
Section 301. Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series . . . . . . . . 26
Section 302. Denominations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Section 303. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating . . . 29
Section 304. Temporary Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Section 305. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange. 31
Section 306. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities . . 33
Section 307. Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved . . . 34
Section 308. Persons Deemed Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Section 309. Cancellation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
</TABLE>
-i-
<PAGE> 5
<TABLE>
<S> <C> <C>
Section 310. Computation of Interest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Section 311. Wire Transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Section 312. CUSIP Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
ARTICLE FOUR
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 401. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture . . . . . . 37
Section 402. Application of Trust Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
ARTICLE FIVE
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE
AND HOLDERS IN EVENT OF DEFAULT
Section 501. Events of Default. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Section 502. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment . 41
Section 503. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement
by Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Section 504. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim . . . . . . . . . . 44
Section 505. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of
Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Section 506. Application of Money Collected . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Section 507. Limitation on Suits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Section 508. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal,
Premium and Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Section 509. Restoration of Rights and Remedies . . . . . . . . . 46
Section 510. Rights and Remedies Cumulative . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Section 511. Delay or Omission Not Waiver. . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Section 512. Control by Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Section 513. Waiver of Past Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Section 514. Undertaking for Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Section 515. Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws . . . . . . . . . . 49
ARTICLE SIX
THE TRUSTEE
Section 601. Certain Duties and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . 49
Section 602. Notice of Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Section 603. Certain Rights of Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Section 604. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance
of Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Section 605. May Hold Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Section 606. Money Held in Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Section 607. Compensation and Reimbursement . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Section 608. Disqualification; Conflicting Interests . . . . . . 51
Section 609. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility. . . . . . . 52
Section 610. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor . 53
Section 611. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor . . . . . . 54
Section 612. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession
to Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
</TABLE>
-ii-
<PAGE> 6
<TABLE>
<S> <C>
Section 613. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company. . . . . 56
Section 614. Appointment of Authenticating Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Section 615. Compliance with Tax Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
ARTICLE SEVEN
HOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY
Section 701. Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of . . . . 59
Section 702. Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders . . 59
Section 703. Reports by Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Section 704. Reports by Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
ARTICLE EIGHT
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
Section 801. Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms . . . 60
Section 802. Successor Substituted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
ARTICLE NINE
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 901. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders . . . . 61
Section 902. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders . . . . . 63
Section 903. Execution of Supplemental Indentures . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Section 904. Effect of Supplemental Indentures . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Section 905. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Section 906. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures . . . . 64
ARTICLE TEN
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
Section 1001. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest . . . . . . . . 65
Section 1002. Maintenance of Office or Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Section 1003. Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust . . . . 65
Section 1004. Statement by Officers as to Default . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Section 1005. Existence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Section 1006. Maintenance of Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Section 1007. Payment of Taxes and Other Claims . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Section 1008. Limitations on Liens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Section 1009. Limitations on Sale and LeaseBack Transactions . . . . . . 68
Section 1010. Waiver of Certain Covenants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
</TABLE>
-iii-
<PAGE> 7
<TABLE>
ARTICLE ELEVEN
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
<S> <C> <C>
Section 1101. Applicability of Article. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Section 1102. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee. . . . . . . . . . . 69
Section 1103. Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed . . . . 69
Section 1104. Notice of Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Section 1105. Deposit of Redemption Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Section 1106. Securities Payable on Redemption Date . . . . . . . . . . 71
Section 1107. Securities Redeemed in Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
ARTICLE TWELVE
SINKING FUNDS
Section 1201. Applicability of Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Section 1202. Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities . . 72
Section 1203. Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund . . . . . . . . 73
ARTICLE THIRTEEN
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
Section 1301. Company's Option to Effect Defeasance or
Covenant Defeasance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Section 1302. Defeasance and Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Section 1303. Covenant Defeasance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Section 1304. Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance . . . . . 74
Section 1305. Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held
in Trust; Indemnity for U.S. Government Obligations;
Repayment to Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Section 1306. Reinstatement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
ARTICLE FOURTEEN
REPAYMENT AT OPTION OF SECURITY HOLDERS
Section 1401. Applicability of Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Section 1402. Repayment of Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Section 1403. Exercise of Option; Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Section 1404. Securities Payable on the Repayment Date . . . . . . . . . 77
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INDENTURE, dated as of ______ __, 1998, between DELL COMPUTER
CORPORATION, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the
State of Delaware (herein called the "Company"), having its principal office at
One Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas 78682, and [NAME OF TRUSTEE], a national
banking association duly organized and existing under the laws of the United
States, as Trustee hereunder (herein called the "Trustee").
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this
Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its senior unsecured
debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (herein called the
"Securities"), unlimited as to principal amount, to bear such rates of
interest, to mature at such time or times, to be issued in one or more series
and to have such other provisions as shall be fixed as hereinafter provided.
All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the
Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the
Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and
proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of series thereof, as
follows:
ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
Section 101. Definitions.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly
provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings
assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the
singular;
(2) all other terms used herein which are defined in the
Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the
meanings assigned to them therein;
(3) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein
have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, and,
except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term "generally
accepted accounting principles" with respect to any computation
required or
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permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are
generally accepted at the date of such computation; and
(4) the words "herein", "hereof" and "hereunder" and
other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and
not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
"Act", when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified
in Section 104.
"Affiliate" of any specified Person means any other Person directly or
indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common
control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition,
"control" when used with respect to any specified Person means 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.
"Attributable Debt" when used in connection with a Sale and Lease-Back
Transaction involving a Principal Property means, at the time of determination,
the lesser of (a) the fair market value of such property (as determined in good
faith by the Company's Board of Directors), (b) the present value of the total
net amount of rent required to be paid under the lease during the remaining
term thereof (including any renewal term or period for which such lease has
been extended) computed by discounting from the respective due dates to such
date such total net amount of rent at the rate of interest set forth or
implicit in the terms of such lease or, if not practicable to determine such
rate, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average interest rate per annum
borne by the Securities of each series Outstanding pursuant to this Indenture
compounded semi-annually, or (c) if the obligation with respect to the Sale and
Lease-Back Transaction constitutes an obligation that is required to be
classified and accounted for as a capitalized lease for financial reporting
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, the
amount equal to the capitalized amount of such obligation determined in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and included in the
financial statements of the lessee. For purposes of the foregoing definition,
rent shall not include amounts required to be paid by the lessee, whether or
not designated as rent or additional rent, on account of or contingent upon
maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates and similar
charges. In the case of any lease that is terminable by the lessee upon the
payment of a penalty, such net amount shall be the lesser of the net amount
determined assuming termination upon the first date such lease may be
terminated (in which case the net amount shall also include the amount of the
penalty, but no rent shall be considered as required to be paid under such
lease subsequent to the first date upon which it may be so terminated) or the
net amount determined assuming no such termination.
"Authenticating Agent" means any Person authorized by the Trustee
pursuant to Section 614 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate
Securities of one or more series.
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"Basis Point Amount" has the meaning specified in Section 1108.
"Board of Directors" means either the board of directors of the
Company or any committee of that board duly authorized to act for it in respect
thereof.
"Board Resolution" means a copy of one or more resolutions 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 on the
date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
"Business Day", when used with respect to any Place of Payment, means
each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on
which banking institutions in that Place of Payment are authorized or obligated
by law or executive order to close, except as may otherwise be provided in the
form of Securities of any particular series pursuant to the provisions of this
Indenture.
"Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from
time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time
after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and
performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then
the body performing such duties at such time.
"Company" means the Person named as the "Company" in the first
paragraph of this instrument until a successor Person shall have become such
pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter
"Company" shall mean such successor Person.
"Company Request" or "Company Order" means a written request or order
signed in the name of the Company by its Chairman, its Vice Chairman, its
President or a Vice President, and by its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer,
its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.
"Consolidated Net Tangible Assets" means, as of any particular time,
the aggregate amount of assets (less applicable reserves and other properly
deductible items) after deducting therefrom: (a) all current liabilities except
for (1) notes and loans payable, (2) current maturities of long-term debt and
(3) current maturities of obligations under capital leases; and (b) to the
extent included in such aggregate amount of assets, all goodwill, trade names,
trademarks, patents, organization expenses, unamortized debt discount and
expenses (other than capitalized unamortized product development costs, such
as, without limitation, capitalized hardware and software development costs),
all as set forth on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Company
and its consolidated subsidiaries and computed in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the principal office of the Trustee at
which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be conducted,
which office, at the date of execution of this Indenture, is located at
________________________.
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"Corporation" means a corporation, association, company, joint-stock
company or business trust.
"Covenant Defeasance" has the meaning specified in Section 1303.
"Debt" has the meaning specified in Section 1008.
"Defaulted Interest" has the meaning specified in Section 307.
"Defeasance" has the meaning specified in Section 1302.
"Depositary" means, with respect to Securities of any series issuable
in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, a clearing
agency registered under the Exchange Act that is designated to act as
Depositary for such Securities as contemplated by Section 301.
"Event of Default" has the meaning specified in Section 501.
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
"Global Security" means a Security that evidences all or part of the
Securities of any series and is authenticated and delivered to, and registered
in the name of, the Depositary for such Securities or a nominee thereof.
"H.15 Statistical Release" has the meaning specified in Section 1108.
"Holder" means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the
Security Register.
"Indenture" means this instrument as originally executed or as it may
from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures
supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof,
including, for all purposes of this instrument and any such supplemental
indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a
part of and govern this instrument and any such supplemental indenture,
respectively. The term "Indenture" shall also include the terms of the
particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 301;
provided, however, that if at any time more than one Person is acting as
Trustee under this Indenture due to the appointment of one or more separate
Trustees for any one or more separate series of Securities, "Indenture" shall
mean, with respect to such series of Securities for which any such Person is
Trustee, this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time
be supplemented or amended by one or more
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indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable
provisions hereof and shall include the terms of particular series of
Securities for which such Person is Trustee established as contemplated by
Section 301, exclusive, however, of any provisions or terms which relate solely
to other series of Securities for which such Person is not Trustee, regardless
of when such terms or provisions were adopted, and exclusive of any provisions
or terms adopted by means of one or more indentures supplemental hereto
executed and delivered after such Person had become such Trustee, but to which
such Person, as such Trustee, was not a party; provided further that in the
event that this indenture is supplemented or amended by one or more indentures
supplemental hereto which are only applicable to certain series of Securities,
the term "Indenture" for a particular series of Securities shall only include
the supplemental indentures applicable thereto.
"Independent Investment Banker" has the meaning specified in Section
1108.
"Interest", when used with respect to an Original Issue Discount
Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest
payable after Maturity.
"Interest Payment Date", when used with respect to any Security, means
the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
"Lien" and "liens", have the respective meanings specified in Section
1008.
"Make-Whole Premium" has the meaning specified in Section 1108.
"Maturity", when used with respect to any Security, means the date on
which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due
and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by
declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, exercise of option for
repayment or otherwise.
"Nonrecourse Obligation" means indebtedness or other obligations
substantially related to (a) the acquisition of assets not previously owned by
the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or (b) the financing of a project
involving the development or expansion of properties of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary, as to which the obligee with respect to such
indebtedness or obligation has no recourse to the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary or any assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary other than
the assets which were acquired with the proceeds of such transaction or the
project financed with the proceeds of such transaction (and the proceeds
thereof).
"Notice of Default" means a written notice of the kind specified in
Sections 501(4), 501(5) and (501)(6).
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by the Chairman,
any Vice Chairman, the President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an
Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of the Company,
and delivered to the Trustee.
"Opinion of Counsel" means a written opinion of counsel, who may be
counsel for the Company (and who may be an employee of the Company), or other
counsel acceptable to the Trustee.
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"Original Issue Discount Security" means any Security which provides
for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon
a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502.
"Outstanding", when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the
date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered
under this Indenture, except:
(1) Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or delivered to
the Trustee for cancellation;
(2) Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the
necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying
Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by
the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders
of such Securities; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed,
notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or
provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;
(3) Securities as to which Defeasance has been effected pursuant
to Section 1302; and
(4) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 306 or in
exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and
delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect
of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to
it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such
Securities are valid obligations of the Company; provided, however, that in
determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization,
direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder or are present at a meeting of
Holders for quorum purposes, (a) the principal amount of an Original Issue
Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of
the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such
determination upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section
502, (b) the principal amount of a Security denominated in one or more foreign
currencies or currency units shall be the U.S. dollar equivalent, determined in
the manner provided as contemplated by Section 301 on the date of original
issuance of such Security, of the principal amount (or, in the case of an
Original Issue Discount Security, the U.S. dollar equivalent on the date of
original issuance of such Security of the amount determined as provided in (a)
above) of such Security, and (c) Securities owned by the Company or any other
obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other
obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in
determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver or upon
any such determination as to the presence of a quorum, only Securities which
the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned
which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the
pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee's right so
to act with respect to such Securities and that the
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pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any
Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor.
"Paying Agent" means any Person authorized by the Company to pay the
principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities on behalf of the
Company.
"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or
political subdivision thereof.
"Permitted Liens" means (a) liens on property, shares of stock,
indebtedness or other assets of any corporation existing at the time such
corporation becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that such liens are not
incurred in anticipation of such corporation becoming a Restricted Subsidiary;
(b)(i) liens on property, shares of stock, indebtedness or other assets
existing at the time of acquisition thereof by the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary or liens thereon to secure the payment of all or any part of the
purchase price thereof, or (ii) liens on property, shares of stock,
indebtedness or other assets to secure any Debt incurred prior to, at the time
of, or within one year after, the latest of the acquisition thereof, or, in the
case of property, the completion of construction, the completion of
improvements or the commencement of substantial commercial operation of such
property for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price
thereof, such construction or the making of such improvements; (c) liens
securing Debt owing to the Company or to a Restricted Subsidiary; (d) liens
existing on the date of initial issuance of the Securities of such series; (e)
liens on property or other assets of a corporation (which is not a Subsidiary)
existing at the time such corporation is merged into or consolidated with the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or at the time of a sale, lease or other
disposition of the properties of a corporation as an entirety or substantially
as an entirety to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; (f) liens in favor of
the United States of America or any State, territory or possession thereof (or
the District of Columbia), or any department, agency, instrumentality or
political subdivision of the United States of America or any State, territory
or possession thereof (or the District of Columbia), to secure partial,
progress, advance or other payments pursuant to any contract or statute or to
secure any Debt incurred for the purpose of financing all or any part of the
purchase price or the cost of constructing or improving the property subject to
such liens; (g) liens created in connection with a project financed with, and
created to secure, a Nonrecourse Obligation; (h) liens on any property to
secure bonds for the construction, installation or financing of pollution
control or abatement facilities, or other forms of industrial revenue bond
financing, or indebtedness issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state
or any department, agency or instrumentality thereof; and (i) any extension,
renewal or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements), in
whole or in part, of any lien referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) to (h),
inclusive, without increase of the principal of the Debt secured thereby;
provided, however, that any lien permitted by any of the foregoing clauses (a)
through (h) shall not extend to or cover any property of the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, other than the property specified in
such clauses and improvements thereto.
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"Place of Payment", when used with respect to the Securities of any
series, means the place or places where the principal of and any premium and
interest on the Securities of that series are payable as specified as
contemplated by Section 301.
"Predecessor Security" of any particular Security means every previous
Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such
particular Security and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security
authenticated and delivered under Section 306 in exchange for or in lieu of a
mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the
same debt as the mutilated destroyed, lost or stolen Security.
"Principal Property" means the land, land improvements, buildings and
fixtures (to the extent they constitute real property interests) (including any
leasehold interest therein) constituting the principal corporate office, any
manufacturing plant or any manufacturing facility (whether owned at the date of
this Indenture or thereafter acquired) and any equipment located thereon which
(a) is owned by the Company or any Subsidiary; (b) is located within any of the
present 50 states of the United States of America (or the District of
Columbia); (c) has not been determined in good faith by the Board of Directors
not to be materially important to the total business conducted by the Company
and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (d) has a net book value on the date
as of which the determination is being made in excess of 1% of Consolidated Net
Tangible Assets of the Company as most recently determined on or prior to such
date (including for purposes of such calculation the land, land improvements,
buildings and such fixtures comprising such office, plant or facility, as the
case may be).
"Redemption Date", when used with respect to any Security to be
redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this
Indenture.
"Redemption Price", when used with respect to any Security to be
redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this
Indenture.
"Regular Record Date" for the interest payable on any Interest Payment
Date on the Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose
as contemplated by Section 301.
"Remaining Term" has the meaning specified in Section 1108.
"Repayment Date", when used with respect to any Security to be repaid
upon exercise of option for repayment by the Holders, means the date fixed for
such repayment by or pursuant to this Indenture.
"Repayment Price", when used with respect to any Security to be repaid
upon exercise of option for repayment by the Holder, means the price at which
it is to be repaid pursuant to this Indenture.
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"Responsible Officer", when used with respect to the Trustee, means
the chairman or any vice-chairman of the board of directors, the chairman or
any vice-chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors, the
chairman of the trust committee, the president, any vice president, the
secretary, any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any assistant treasurer, the
cashier, any assistant cashier, any trust officer or assistant trust officer,
the controller or any assistant controller or any other officer of the Trustee
customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above
designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate
trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his
knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
"Restricted Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary which owns any Principal
Property, provided, however, that the term "Restricted Subsidiary" shall not
include (a) any Subsidiary that is principally engaged in financing
receivables, or that is principally engaged in financing the Company's
operations outside the United States of America; or (b) any Subsidiary less
than 80% of the voting stock of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the
Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more
other Subsidiaries if the common stock of such Subsidiary is traded on any
national securities exchange or quoted on the Nasdaq National Market or in the
over-the-counter market. For purposes of this definition, "voting stock" has
the meaning specified in the definition of "Subsidiary" below.
"Sale and Lease-Back Transaction" means any arrangement with any
Person providing for the leasing by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of
any Principal Property, which property has been or is to be sold or transferred
by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to such Person, other than (a) any
such transaction involving a lease for a term of not more than three years, (b)
any such transaction between the Company and a Restricted Subsidiary or between
Restricted Subsidiaries, or (c) any such transaction executed by the time of or
within one year after the latest of the acquisition, the completion of
construction or improvement or the commencement of commercial operation of such
Principal Property.
"Security" or "Securities" has the meaning stated in the first recital
of this Indenture and more particularly means any Security or Securities
authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
"Security Register" and "Security Registrar" have the respective
meanings specified in Section 305.
"Special Record Date" for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means
a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.
"Stated Maturity", when used with respect to any Security or any
installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified
in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or
such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.
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"Subsidiary" means (a) any corporation of which at least 66 2/3% of
the outstanding voting stock is at the time owned, directly or indirectly, by
the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or (b) any other Person
(other than a corporation) in which the Company or one or more other
Subsidiaries directly or indirectly has at least 66 2/3% equity ownership and
power to direct the policies, management and affairs thereof. For the purposes
of this definition, "voting stock" means stock that ordinarily has voting power
for the election of directors, whether at all times or only so long as no
senior class of stock has such voting power by reason of any contingency.
"Treasury Yield" has the meaning specified in Section 1108.
"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in
force at the date as of which this instrument was executed, except as provided
in Section 905; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of
1939 is amended after such date, "Trust Indenture Act" means, to the extent
required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
"Trustee" means the Person named as the "Trustee" in the first
paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such
pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter
"Trustee" shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder,
and if at any time there is more than one such Person, "Trustee" as used with
respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to
Securities of that series.
"U.S. Government Obligations" means securities that are (a) direct
obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full
faith and credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a Person controlled or
supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States
of America, the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full
faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either
case under clauses (a) or (b) are not callable or redeemable at the option of
the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a
bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933) as custodian
with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of
interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such
custodian for the account of the holder of a depository 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 depository receipt from
any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government
Obligation or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the U.S.
Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.
"Vice President", when used with respect to the Company, means any
vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added
before or after the title "vice president".
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Section 102. Certificates and Opinions.
Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take
any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to
the Trustee such certificates and opinions as may be required under the Trust
Indenture Act. Each such certificate or opinion shall be given in the form of
an Officers' Certificate, if to be given by an officer of the Company, or an
Opinion of Counsel, if to be given by counsel, and shall comply with the
requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and any other requirements set forth in
this Indenture.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a
condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than those provided
for in Section 1004) shall include:
(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate
or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions
herein related thereto;
(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 each such individual,
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, in the opinion of each such
individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 103. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.
In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or
covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all
such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such
Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one
such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one
or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify
or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based,
insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or
representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of
reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations
with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are
erroneous. Any such certificate or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as
it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or
representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the
information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of
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the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care
should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to
such matters are erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more
applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other
instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and
form one instrument.
Section 104. Acts of Holders; Record Dates.
(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction,
notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to
be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one
or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such
Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing; and,
except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall
become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to
the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the
Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied
therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the
"Act" of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of
execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such
agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and
(subject to Section 601) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the
Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.
(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of
any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a
witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or
other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds,
certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing
acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by
a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such
certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his
authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument
or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may
also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient.
(c) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the
Security Register.
(d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction,
notice, consent, waiver or other Act of the Holder of any Security
shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of
every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in
exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done,
omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in
reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon
such Security.
(e) The Company may, in the circumstances permitted by
the Trust Indenture Act, fix any day as the record date for the
purpose of determining the Holders of
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<PAGE> 20
Securities of any series entitled to give or take any request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, or
to vote on any action, authorized or permitted to be given or taken by
Holders of Securities of such series. If not set by the Company prior
to the first solicitation of a Holder of Securities of such series
made by any Person in respect of any such action, or, in the case of
any such vote, prior to such vote, the record date for any such action
or vote shall be the 30th day (or, if later, the date of the most
recent list of Holders required to be provided pursuant to Section
701) prior to such first solicitation or vote, as the case may be.
With regard to any record date for action to be taken by the Holders
of one or more series of Securities, only the Holders of Securities of
such series on such date (or their duly designated proxies) shall be
entitled to give or take, or vote on, the relevant action. With
regard to any record date set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders
of Outstanding Securities of the relevant series on such record date
(or their duly appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be
entitled to give or take the relevant action, whether or not such
Holders remain Holders after such record date. With regard to any
action that may be given or taken hereunder only by Holders of a
requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of any series (or
their duly appointed agents) and for which a record date is set
pursuant to this paragraph, the Company may, at its option, set an
expiration date after which no such action purported to be given or
taken by any Holder shall be effective hereunder unless given or taken
on or prior to such expiration date by Holders of the requisite
principal amount of Outstanding Securities of such series on such
record date (or their duly appointed agents). On or prior to any
expiration date set pursuant to this paragraph, the Company may, on
one or more occasions at its option, extend such date to any later
date. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent any Holder (or any duly
appointed agent thereof) from giving or taking, after any expiration
date, any action identical to, or, at any time, contrary to or
different from, any action given or taken, or purported to have been
given or taken, hereunder by a Holder on or prior to such date, in
which event the Company may set a record date in respect thereof
pursuant to this paragraph. Notwithstanding the foregoing or the
Trust Indenture Act, the Company shall not set a record date for, and
the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply with respect to, any
action to be given or taken by Holders pursuant to Section 501, 502 or
512.
(f) Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled
hereunder to give or take any action hereunder with regard to any
particular Security may do so with regard to all or any part of the
principal amount of such Security or by one or more duly appointed
agents each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with
regard to all or any different part of such principal amount.
Section 105. Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver
or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to
be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,
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<PAGE> 21
(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be
sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or
filed in writing to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office,
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration, or
(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be
sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein
expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage
prepaid, to the Company addressed to the attention of the Treasurer
at the address of the Company's principal office specified in the
first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously
furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company; provided, however,
that such notice shall not be deemed to be given until received by the
Company.
Section 106. Notice to Holders; Waiver.
Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such
notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided)
if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected
by such event, at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not later
than the latest date (if any), and not earlier than the earliest date (if any),
prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders
is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in
any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of
such notice with respect to other Holders. Where this Indenture provides for
notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person
entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such
waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders
shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition
precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by
reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by
mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee
shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.
Section 107. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a
provision of the Trust Indenture Act that is required under such Act to be a
part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any
provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust
Indenture Act that may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall
be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the
case may be.
Section 108. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.
The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of
Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the
construction hereof.
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<PAGE> 22
Section 109. Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall
bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 110. Separability Clause.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be
invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of
the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 111. Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied,
shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors
hereunder, any Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Security Registrar and the
Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under
this Indenture.
Section 112. Governing Law.
This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of New York (without reference to
principles of conflicts of law).
Section 113. Legal Holidays.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date,
Repayment Date or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day
at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this
Indenture or the Securities (other than a provision of the Securities of any
series which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of
this Section)) payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) need not
be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next
succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect
as if made on the Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Repayment Date or at
the Stated Maturity, provided that no interest shall accrue for the period from
and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Repayment Date or Stated
Maturity, as the case may be.
Section 114. No Recourse Against Others.
An incorporator or any past, present or future 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 this Indenture or
for any claim based on or otherwise in respect of the Securities or the
Indenture. By accepting a Security, each Holder shall waive and release all
15
<PAGE> 23
such liability. The waiver and release shall be part of the consideration for
the issue of the Securities.
ARTICLE TWO
SECURITY FORMS
Section 201. Forms Generally.
The Securities of each series shall be in substantially the form set
forth in this Article, or in such other form as shall be established by or
pursuant to a Board Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental
hereto, in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions
and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may
have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or
endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any
securities exchange or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the
officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of the
Securities. If the form of Securities of any series is established by action
taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such
action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the
Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company
Order contemplated by Section 303 for the authentication and delivery of such
Securities.
The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved
on steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all as
determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their
execution of such Securities.
Section 202. Form of Face of Security.
[INSERT ANY LEGEND REQUIRED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE AND THE
REGULATIONS THEREUNDER.]
DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
------------------------------------------
No._____________ $_______________
DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION, a corporation duly organized and existing
under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the "Company", which
term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred
to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to _____________, or registered
assigns, the principal sum of _______________ Dollars on _________________ [IF
THE SECURITY IS TO BEAR INTEREST PRIOR TO
16
<PAGE> 24
MATURITY, INSERT--, and to pay interest thereon from _______________ or from
the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly
provided for, semiannually on ______________ and ___________________ in each
year, commencing _______________, at the rate of __% per annum, until the
principal hereof is paid or made available for payment [IF APPLICABLE,
INSERT--, and (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally
enforceable) at the rate of __% per annum on any overdue principal and premium
and on any overdue installment of interest]. The interest so payable, and
punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as
provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security
(or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business
on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the ________ or
__________ (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding
such Interest Payment Date. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly
provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular
Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security
(or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business
on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed
by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this
series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at
any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of
any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed,
and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully
provided in said Indenture.]
[IF THE SECURITY IS NOT TO BEAR INTEREST PRIOR TO MATURITY, INSERT--
The principal of this Security shall not bear interest except in the case of a
default in payment of principal upon acceleration, upon redemption, upon
repayment or at Stated Maturity and in such case the overdue principal of this
Security shall bear interest at the rate of __ % per annum (to the extent that
the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which shall accrue
from the date of such default in payment to the date payment of such principal
has been made or duly provided for. Interest on any overdue principal shall be
payable on demand. Any such interest on any overdue principal that is not so
paid on demand shall bear interest at the rate of __% per annum (to the extent
that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which shall
accrue from the date of such demand for payment to the date payment of such
interest has been made or duly provided for, and such interest shall also be
payable on demand.]
Payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and [IF APPLICABLE,
INSERT--any such] interest on this Security will be made at the office or
agency of the Trustee maintained for that purpose in ____________, in such coin
or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal
tender for payment of public and private debts. In the event the Global
Security representing the Securities becomes exchangeable for definitive
Securities pursuant to the terms of the Indenture, at the option of the Company
payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person
entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register.
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<PAGE> 25
[IF APPLICABLE, INSERT--So long as all of the Securities of this
series are represented by Global Securities, the principal of, premium, if any,
and interest, if any, on this Global Security shall be paid in same day funds
to the Depositary, or to such name or entity as is requested by an authorized
representative of the Depositary. If at any time the Securities of this series
are no longer represented by the Global Securities and are issued in definitive
form ("Certificated Securities"), then the principal of, premium, if any, and
interest, if any, on each Certificated Security at Maturity shall be paid in
same day funds to the Holder upon surrender of such Certificated Security at
the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, or at such other place or places as
may be designated in or pursuant to the Indenture, provided that such
Certificated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, acting as Paying Agent, in
time for the Paying Agent to make such payments in such funds in accordance
with its normal procedures. Payments of interest with respect to Certificated
Securities other than at Maturity may, at the option of the Company, be made by
check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as it appears on the
Security Register on the relevant Regular or Special Record Date or by wire
transfer in same day funds to such account as may have been appropriately
designated to the Paying Agent by such Person in writing not later than such
relevant Regular or Special Record Date.]
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security
set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all
purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereof has been executed by
the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this
Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid
or obligatory for any purpose.
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<PAGE> 26
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly
executed under its corporate seal.
Dated:
DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
By:
-----------------------------
Attest:
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<PAGE> 27
Section 203. Form of Reverse of Security.
This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the
Company (herein called the "Securities"), issued and to be issued in one or
more series under an Indenture, dated as of ______, 1998 (herein called the
"Indenture"), between the Company and [Name of Trustee], as Trustee (herein
called the "Trustee", which term includes any successor trustee under the
Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto
reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations
of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the
Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and
are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series
designated on the face hereof [, limited in aggregate amount to $__________].
[IF APPLICABLE, INSERT--The Securities of this series are subject to
redemption upon not less than 30 days' notice by mail, [IF APPLICABLE,
INSERT--(1) on _____________ in any year commencing with the year and ending
with the year _________ through operation of the sinking fund for this series
at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount, and (2)] at any
time [on or after __________, ____ ], as a whole or in part, at the election of
the Company, at the following Redemption Prices (expressed as percentages of
the principal amount): If redeemed [on or before _______________, _________%,
and if redeemed] during the 12 month period beginning __________________ of the
years indicated, and thereafter at a Redemption Price equal to _______ % of the
principal amount, together in the case of any such redemption [IF APPLICABLE,
INSERT--(whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise) ] with
accrued interest to the Redemption Date, but interest installments whose Stated
Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders
of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the
close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof,
all as provided in the Indenture.]
<TABLE>
YEAR REDEMPTION PRICE YEAR REDEMPTION PRICE
---- ---------------- ---- ----------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
</TABLE>
[IF APPLICABLE, INSERT--The Securities of this series are subject to
redemption upon not less than 30 days' notice by mail, (1) on _______________in
any year commencing with the year ________ and ending with the year
______________ through operation of the sinking fund for this series at the
Redemption Prices for redemption through operation of the sinking fund
(expressed as percentages of the principal amount) set forth in the table
below, and (2) at any time [on or after ________], as a whole or in part, at
the election of the Company, at the Redemption Prices for redemption otherwise
than through operation of the sinking fund (expressed as percentages of the
principal amount) set forth in the table below: If redeemed during the
12-month period beginning _____________ of the years indicated, and thereafter
at a Redemption Price equal to _____ % of the principal amount, together in the
case of any such
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<PAGE> 28
redemption (whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise) with
accrued interest to the Redemption Date, but interest installments whose Stated
Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders
of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the
close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof,
all as provided in the Indenture.]
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
REDEMPTION PRICE FOR
REDEMPTION PRICE FOR REDEMPTION REDEMPTION OTHERWISE
THROUGH OPERATION OF THE SINKING THAN THROUGH OPERATION
YEAR SINKING FUND FUND OF THE SINKING FUND
- ---- ------------ -------------------------------- ----------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
</TABLE>
[Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may not, prior to
___________, redeem any Securities of this series as contemplated by [Clause
(2) of] the preceding paragraph as a part of, or in anticipation of, any
refunding operation by the application, directly or indirectly, of moneys
borrowed having an interest cost to the Company (calculated in accordance with
generally accepted financial practice) of less than _____ % per annum. ]
[The sinking fund for this series provides for the redemption on
________________ in each year beginning with the year ________ and ending with
the year _________ of [not less than $___________ ("mandatory sinking fund")
and not more than] $_________ aggregate principal amount of Securities of this
series. Securities of this series acquired or redeemed by the Company otherwise
than through [mandatory] sinking fund payments may be credited against
subsequent [mandatory] sinking fund payments otherwise required to be made [in
the inverse order in which they become due].]
[IF THE SECURITY IS TO BE SUBJECT TO REPAYMENT AT THE OPTION OF THE
HOLDER, INSERT--To be repaid at the option of the Holder, the Company must
receive this Security, with the form of "Option to Elect Repayment" hereon duly
completed, at an office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in
__________________ (or at such other place of which the Company shall from time
to time notify the Holder of this Security) not less than ________________ nor
more than __________ days prior to the Repayment Date. The exercise of the
repayment option by the Holder shall be irrevocable.]
[IF THE SECURITY IS SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, INSERT--In the event of
redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this
series and of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in
the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.]
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<PAGE> 29
[IF THE SECURITY IS NOT AN ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT SECURITY,
INSERT--If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall
occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be
declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the
Indenture.]
[IF THE SECURITY IS AN ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT SECURITY, INSERT--If an
Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be
continuing, an amount of principal of the Securities of this series may be
declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the
Indenture. Such amount shall be equal to--INSERT FORMULA FOR DETERMINING THE
AMOUNT. Upon payment (i) of the amount of principal so declared due and
payable and (ii) of interest on any overdue principal and overdue interest (in
each case to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally
enforceable), all of the Company's obligations in respect of the payment of the
principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of this series shall
terminate.]
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided,
the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the
Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be
affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with
the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities
at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also
contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in
principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on
behalf of the Holders of Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the
Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain defaults under the
Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of
this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all
future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the
registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof,
whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.
[IF APPLICABLE, INSERT--Each of the defeasance and covenant defeasance
provisions of Article Thirteen of the Indenture shall apply to this Security.]
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security
or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which
is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and any premium and
interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or
currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations
therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security
Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the
office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and any
premium and interest on this Security are payable, duly endorsed by, or
accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the
Company and the Security Registrar, duly executed by the Holder hereof or his
attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one
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<PAGE> 30
or more new Securities of this series and of like tenor, of authorized
denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to
the designated transferee or transferees.
The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form
without coupons in denominations of $__________ and any integral multiple
thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations
therein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like
aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series and of like tenor of a
different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the
same.
No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer
or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover
any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of
transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee
may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner
hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither
the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the
contrary.
This Security shall for all purposes be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York (without reference to
principles of conflicts of law).
The terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture
shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
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<PAGE> 31
[Form of Option to Elect Repayment.]
OPTION TO ELECT REPAYMENT
The undersigned hereby irrevocably requests and instructs the Company
to repay the within Security (or portion thereof specified below) pursuant to
its terms at a price equal to the principal amount thereof, together with
interest to the Repayment Date, to the undersigned, at
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Printed or Typewritten Name and Address of the Undersigned)
For this Security to be repaid, the Company must receive this
Security, with this "Option to Elect Repayment" form duly completed, at an
office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in __________, or
at such other place of which the Company shall from time to time notify the
Holder, no less than _______ days nor more than ________ days prior to
[_________, or _______________] [the_____________ or______________ (commencing
on _________)].
If less than the entire principal amount of the within Security is to
be repaid, specify the portion thereof (which shall be $___________, or an
integral multiple of $_____________) which the Holder elects to have repaid:
$_____________.
Dated:
- ----------------------
Note: The signature must correspond with the name as written upon the face
of the Security in every particular without alteration or enlargement
24
<PAGE> 32
Section 204. Form of Legend for Global Securities.
Any Global Security authenticated and delivered hereunder may bear any
legend required to comply with the requirements of any Depositary.
Section 205. Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustee's certificates of authentication on all Securities
authenticated by the Trustee shall be in substantially the following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein
referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
Dated:
[NAME OF TRUSTEE],
As Trustee
By:
--------------------------
Authorized Officer
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<PAGE> 33
ARTICLE THREE
THE SECURITIES
Section 301. Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be issued,
executed, authenticated, delivered and Outstanding under this Indenture is
unlimited.
The Securities may be issued from time to time in one or more series
as may be authorized from time to time by the Company's Board of Directors.
There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution and, subject to
Section 303, set forth, or determined in a manner provided, in an Officers'
Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto,
prior to the issuance of Securities of any series any or all of the following:
(a) the title of the Securities of the series (which
shall distinguish the Securities of the series from all other
Securities);
(b) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the
Securities of the series that may be authenticated and delivered under
this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon
registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other
Securities of the series pursuant to Section 304, 305, 306, 906, 1107
or 1404 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 303,
are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);
(c) the Person to whom any interest on a Security of the
series shall be payable, if other than the Person in whose name that
Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the
close of business on the Regular Record Date;
(d) the date or dates on which the principal and premium,
if any, of the Securities of the series are payable;
(e) the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) at
which the Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, or the
method of determining the rate or rates, the date or dates from which
such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which any
such interest shall be payable or the method by which the dates will
be determined, the Regular Record Date for any interest payable on any
Interest Payment Date and the basis upon which interest shall be
calculated if other than that of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day
months;
(f) the place or places where the principal of and any
premium and interest on Securities of the series shall be payable, if
other than the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York;
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<PAGE> 34
(g) the period or periods within which and the terms and
conditions upon which the Securities of the series may be redeemed, in
whole or in part, at the option of the Company or otherwise, if other
than or in addition to those set forth in Section 1108, and, unless
the Board Resolution provides that Section 1108 shall not apply to the
Securities of the series, the Make-Whole Premium and Basis Point
Amount with respect to such series;
(h) the obligation of the Company, if any, to redeem,
purchase or repay the Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking
fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and
the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and
the terms and conditions upon which such Securities of the series
shall be redeemed, purchased or repaid, in whole or in part, pursuant
to such obligation, and any provisions for the remarketing of such
Securities;
(i) the terms, if any, upon which Securities of the
series may be convertible into or exchanged for other securities of
the Company and the terms and conditions upon which the conversion or
exchange shall be effected, including the initial conversion or
exchange price or rate, the conversion or exchange period and any
other additional provisions;
(j) if other than denominations of $1,000 and any
integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities
of the series shall be issuable;
(k) the currency, currencies or currency units in which
payment of principal of and any premium and interest on Securities of
the series shall be payable, if other than the currency of the United
States of America;
(l) any index, formula or other method used to determine
the amount of payments of principal of or any premium or interest on
the Securities;
(m) if the principal amount payable at the stated
maturity of the Securities of the series will not be determinable as
of any one or more dates prior to the stated maturity, the amount that
will be deemed to be the principal amount as of any date for any
purpose, including the principal amount thereof which will be due and
payable upon any maturity other than the stated maturity or which will
be deemed to be outstanding as of any date (or, in any such case, the
manner in which the deemed principal amount is to be determined), and,
if necessary, the manner of determining the equivalent thereof in
United States currency;
(n) if the principal of or any premium or interest on any
Securities of the series is to be payable, at the election of the
Company or the Holders thereof, in one or more currencies or currency
units other than that or those in which the Securities are stated to
be payable, the currency, currencies or currency units in which
payment of the principal
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of and any premium and interest on Securities of such series shall be
payable, and the periods within which and the terms and conditions
upon which such election is to be made;
(o) if other than the principal amount thereof, the
portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which
shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity
thereof pursuant to Section 502 or provable in bankruptcy;
(p) the applicability of, and any addition to or change
in, the covenants and definitions then set forth in this Indenture or
in terms then set forth herein relating to permitted consolidations,
mergers or sale of assets;
(q) any changes or additions to the provisions provided
in Article Thirteen of this Indenture dealing with defeasance,
including the addition of additional covenants that may be subject to
the Company's covenant defeasance option;
(r) whether any of the Securities of such series shall be
issuable in permanent global form and, if so, the Depositary or
Depositaries for such Global Security or Global Securities and the
terms and conditions, if any, other than those set forth in Section
305, upon which interests in such Global Security may be exchanged, in
whole or in part, for the individual Securities represented thereby in
definitive registered form, and the form of any legend or legends to
be borne by the Global Security in addition to or in lieu of the
legend referred to in this Indenture;
(s) the Trustee and any authenticating agents, Paying
Agents, transfer agents or registrars;
(t) the terms, if any, of any guarantee of the payment of
principal, premium and interest with respect to Securities of the
series and any corresponding changes to the provisions of this
Indenture as then in effect;
(u) the terms, if any, of the transfer, mortgage, pledge
or assignment as security for the Securities of the series of any
properties, assets, moneys, proceeds, securities or other collateral,
including whether certain provisions of the Trust Indenture Act are
applicable and any corresponding changes to provisions of this
Indenture as then in effect;
(v) any addition to or change in the Events of Default
with respect to the Securities of the series and any change in the
right of the Trustee or the holders to declare the principal, premium
and interest with respect to the Securities due and payable; and
(w) any other terms of the Securities of such series
(which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this
Indenture, except as permitted by Section 901(5)).
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All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical
except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or
pursuant to the Board Resolution referred to above and (subject to Section 303)
set forth, or determined in the manner provided in the Officers' Certificate
referred to above or in any such indenture supplemental hereto. All Securities
of any 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.
If any of the terms of the Securities of any series are established by
action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of
such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of
the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the
Officers' Certificate setting forth the terms of the series.
Section 302. Denominations.
The Securities of each series shall be issuable in registered form
without coupons in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated by
Section 301. In the absence of any such provisions with respect to the
Securities of any series, the Securities of such series shall be issuable in
denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.
Section 303. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its
Chairman, any Vice Chairman, its President, one of its Vice Presidents or its
Treasurer, under its corporate seal reproduced thereon attested by its
Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries. The signature of any of these
officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.
Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals
who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company,
notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such
offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not
hold such offices at the date of such Securities.
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, together with a Company Order
for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in
accordance with the Company Order (which may provide that Securities that are
the subject thereof will be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee from
time to time upon the telephonic or written order of Persons designated in said
Company Order and that such Persons are authorized to determine such terms and
conditions of said Securities as are specified in the Company Order) shall
authenticate and deliver such Securities. If the form or terms of the
Securities of the series have been established in or pursuant to one or more
Board Resolutions as permitted by Sections 201 and 301, in authenticating such
Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture
in relation to such Securities, the
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Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 601) shall be
fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating:
(1) if the form such Securities has been established by
or pursuant to a Board Resolution as permitted by Section 201, that
such form has been established in conformity with the provisions of
this Indenture;
(2) if the terms of such Securities have been established
by or pursuant to a Board Resolution as permitted by Section 301, that
such terms have been established in conformity with the provisions of
this Indenture; and
(3) that such Securities, when authenticated and
delivered by the 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, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and
similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting
creditors' rights and to general equity principles and to such other
matters as counsel may specify.
If such form or terms have been so established, the Trustee shall not
be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities
pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee's own rights, duties or
immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner
which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 301 and of the preceding
paragraph, if all Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at one
time, it shall not be necessary to deliver the Officers' Certificate otherwise
required pursuant to Section 301 or the Company Order and Opinion of Counsel
otherwise required pursuant to such preceding paragraph at or prior to the time
authentication of each Security of such series if such documents are delivered
at or prior to the authentication upon original issuance of the first Security
of such series to be issued and contemplate issuance of all Securities of such
series.
Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or
be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a
certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein
executed by the Trustee by manual signature, and such certificate upon any
Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such
Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered
hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall
deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section
309, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to
have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to
the benefits of this Indenture.
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Section 304. Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the
Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and
deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten,
mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination,
substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they
are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and
other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as
evidenced by their execution of such Securities.
If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will
cause definitive Securities of that series to be prepared without unreasonable
delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities of such series, the
temporary Securities of such series shall be exchangeable for definitive
Securities of such series upon surrender of the temporary Securities of such
series at the office or agency of the Company maintained pursuant to Section
1002 in a Place of Payment for that series for the purpose of exchanges of
Securities of such series, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for
cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities of any series the Company
shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange
therefor one or more definitive Securities of the same series, of any
authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and tenor.
Until so exchanged the temporary Securities of any series shall in all respects
be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities
of such series and tenor.
Section 305. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.
The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office a
register (the register maintained in such office and in any office or agency of
the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes collectively referred
to as the "Security Register") in which, subject to such reasonable regulations
as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of
Securities and of transfers of Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed
"Security Registrar" for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of
Securities as herein provided.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of any
series at the office or agency maintained pursuant to Section 1002 for such
purpose in a Place of Payment for that series, the Company shall execute, and
the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated
transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series, of
any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and
tenor.
At the option of the Holder, Securities of any series may be exchanged
for other Securities of the same series of any authorized denominations and of
a like aggregate principal amount and tenor, upon surrender of the Securities
to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so
surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the
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Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making
the exchange is entitled to receive.
All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of
Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same
debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities
surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer
or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee) be duly
endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form
satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by the
Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or
exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient
to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection
with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than
exchanges pursuant to Section 304, 906, 1107 or 1404 not involving any
transfer.
In the event of any redemption, the Company shall not be required to
(a) issue, register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any series during
a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the
mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that series selected for
redemption under Section 1103 and ending at the close of business on the day of
such mailing, or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security, or
portion thereof called for redemption, except the unredeemed portion of any
Security being redeemed in part.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, any Global
Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to this Section 305 for Securities
registered in the names of Persons other than the Depositary for such Global
Security or its nominee only when (a) such Depositary notifies the Company and
the Trustee in writing that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary
for such Global Security or if at any time such Depositary ceases to be a
clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor Depositary
is not appointed by the Company within 90 days, (b) the Company in its sole
discretion determines that Securities shall no longer be represented by a
Global Security and executes and delivers to the Trustee a Company Order that
such Global Security shall be so exchangeable, (c) there shall have occurred
and be continuing an Event of Default or an event which, with the giving of
notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default with
respect to the Securities represented by such Global Security or (d) there
shall exist such other circumstances, if any, as shall be specified for this
purpose as contemplated by Section 301. Any Global Security that is
exchangeable pursuant to clause (a), (b), (c) or (d) above, shall be
surrendered by the Depositary, or such other depositary as shall be specified
in the Company Order with respect thereto, to the Trustee, as the agent for
such purpose, to be exchanged, in whole or in part, for definitive Securities
without charge, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in exchange for
each portion of such permanent Global Security, an equal aggregate principal
amount of definitive Securities,
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executed by the Company, of the same series of authorized denominations and of
like tenor as the portion of such Global Security to be exchanged, which shall
be in the form of registered Securities as provided in the Company Order.
Every Security authenticated and delivered upon registration of
transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, a Global Security other than
pursuant to clauses (a), (b), (c) or (d) in the preceding paragraph, whether
pursuant to this Section, Sections 304, 306, 906, 1107 or 1404 or otherwise,
shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global
Security.
Section 306. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company
shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange
therefor a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal
amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (a)
evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any
Security and (b) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save
each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of
notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a
bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall
authenticate and deliver in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen
Security, a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal
amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has
become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion
may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company
may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other
governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other
expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in
lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original
additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed,
lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall
be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately
with any and all other Securities of that series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to
the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the
replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
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Section 307. Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with
respect to any series of Securities, interest on any Security which is payable,
and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall
be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor
Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date
for such interest.
In the case of Securities represented by a Global Security registered
in the name of or held by a Depositary or its nominee, unless otherwise
specified by Section 301, payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest,
if any, will be made to the Depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as
the registered owner or Holder of such Global Security. None of the Company,
the Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Authenticating Agent nor the Security
Registrar for such Securities will have any responsibility or liability for any
aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of a beneficial
ownership interest in a Global Security or for maintaining, supervising or
reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
Any interest on any Security of any series which is payable, but is
not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (herein
called "Defaulted Interest") shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder
on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and
such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each
case, as provided in Clause (1) or (2) below:
(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any
Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of
such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are
registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the
payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the
following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of
the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security
of such series and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same
time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money
equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such
Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the
Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment,
such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the
Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this Clause
provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for
the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15
days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed
payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of
the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify
the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the
expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of
such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be
mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of Securities of
such series at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not
less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the
proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special
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Record Date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest
shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the securities of such
series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at
the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer
be payable pursuant to the following Clause (2).
(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted
Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner
not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on
which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be
required by such exchange, if, after notice is given by the Company to
the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this Clause, such
manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
At the option of the Company, interest on Securities of any series
that bear interest may be paid by mailing a check to the address of the Person
entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register, except
as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 301.
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 308. Persons Deemed Owners.
Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer,
the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat
the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such
Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and any premium
and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301(3) and
subject to Section 307) any interest on such Security and for all other
purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the
Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be
affected by notice to the contrary.
In the case of a Global Security, so long as the Depositary for such
Global Security, or its nominee, is the registered owner of such Global
Security, such Depositary or such nominee, as the case may be, will be
considered the sole owner or Holder of the Securities represented by such
Global Security for all purposes under this Indenture. Except as provided in
Section 305, owners of beneficial interests in a Global Security will not be
entitled to have Securities that are represented by such Global Security
registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical
delivery of such Securities in definitive form and will not be considered the
owners or Holders thereof under this Indenture.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Global Security,
nothing herein shall (a) 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 a Depositary or (b)
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impair, as between a Depositary and holders of beneficial interests in any
Global Security, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of
the rights of the Depositary as Holder of such Global Security.
None of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Security
Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the
records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership
interests of a Security issued in global form or for maintaining, supervising
or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
Section 309. Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of
transfer or exchange or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if
surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee
and shall be promptly canceled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to
the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and
delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner
whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery
to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated
hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so
delivered shall be promptly canceled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be
authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities canceled as provided
in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All canceled
Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of by the Trustee in
accordance with its customary practices, and the Trustee shall from time to
time, or upon request by the Company, deliver to the Company certificates of
destruction with respect thereto.
Section 310. Computation of Interest.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for
Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be
computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
Section 311. Wire Transfers.
Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary in this Indenture,
the Company may make any payment of moneys required to be deposited with the
Trustee on account of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the
Securities (whether pursuant to optional or mandatory redemption payments,
interest payments or otherwise) by wire transfer in immediately available funds
to an account designated by the Trustee on or before the date and time such
moneys are to be paid to the Holders of the Securities in accordance with the
terms hereof.
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Section 312. CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use "CUSIP" numbers (if then
generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use "CUSIP" numbers in notices
of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may
state that no representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either
as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and
that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on
the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in
or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee of
any change in the "CUSIP" numbers.
ARTICLE FOUR
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 401. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further
effect (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or
exchange of Securities herein expressly provided for), and the Trustee, at the
expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging
satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when
(1) either
(A) all Securities theretofore authenticated and
delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost
or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section
306 and (ii) 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, as
provided in Section 1003) have been delivered to the Trustee for
cancellation; or
(B) all such Securities not theretofore delivered
to the Trustee for cancellation
(i) have become due and payable, or
(ii) will become due and payable at their
Stated Maturity within one year and are not repayable at the
option of the Holder prior thereto, or
(iii) are to be called for redemption
within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee
for the giving of notice of redemption by
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the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company
and are not repayable at the option of the Holder prior
thereto,
and the Company, in the case of (i), (ii) or (iii) above, has deposited or
caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the
purpose, lawful money of the United States or U.S. Government Obligations which
through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance
with their terms will provide lawful money not later than the due dates of
principal (and premium, if any) or interest, or any combination thereof, in an
amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such
Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for
principal and any premium and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case
of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated 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; and
(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions
precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and
discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.
In the event there are Securities of two or more series hereunder, the
Trustee shall be required to execute an instrument acknowledging satisfaction
and discharge of this Indenture only if requested to do so with respect to the
Securities of all series to which it is Trustee and if the other conditions
thereto are met. In the event there are two or more Trustees hereunder, then
the effectiveness of any such instrument shall be conditioned upon receipt of
such instruments from all Trustees hereunder.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the
obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 607, the obligations of
the Trustee to any Authenticating Agent under Section 614 and, if money shall
have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of Clause (1) of
this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 402 and the last
paragraph of Section 1003 shall survive.
Section 402. Application of Trust Money.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all
money and U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to
Section 401 shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the
provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either
directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own
Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto as
set forth in the Securities Register, of the principal and any premium and
interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee.
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ARTICLE FIVE
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE
AND HOLDERS IN EVENT OF DEFAULT
Section 501. Events of Default.
"Event of Default", wherever used herein with respect to a series of
Securities, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such
Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be
effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of
any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or
governmental body), except to the extent such event is specifically deleted or
modified as contemplated by Section 301 for the Securities of that series:
(1) failure to pay any interest upon any Security of that
series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such
default for a period of 30 days; or
(2) failure to pay the principal of (or any premium on,)
any Security of that series at its Maturity; or
(3) failure to deposit any sinking fund payment, when and
as due by the terms of a Security of that series; or
(4) with respect to a series of Securities, failure to
perform, or the breach of, any other covenant or warranty of the
Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default
in whose performance or whose breach is specifically dealt with
elsewhere in this Section or which has expressly been included in this
Indenture solely for the benefit of a series of Securities other than
that series or which has been included in this Indenture but not made
applicable to the Securities of such series), and continuance of such
default or breach for a period of 90 days after there has been given a
written notice specifying such failure or breach and requiring it to
be remedied and stating that such notice is a "Notice of Default"
hereunder, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the
Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least
25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series;
or
(5) failure by the Company to make any payment by the end
of any applicable grace period after maturity of indebtedness, which
term as used herein means obligations (other than Nonrecourse
Obligations or the Securities of such series) of the Company for
borrowed money or evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other
similar instruments ("Indebtedness") in an amount in excess of
$50,000,000 or the equivalent thereof in any other currency or
composite currency and such failure shall have continued for a period
of 30 days after written notice thereof shall have been given to the
Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the
Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of
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the Outstanding Securities of that series a written notice specifying
such failure and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such
notice is a "Notice of Default" hereunder; or
(6) the acceleration of Indebtedness in an amount in
excess of $50,000,000 or the equivalent thereof in any other currency
or composite currency without such Indebtedness having been discharged
or such acceleration having been cured, waived, rescinded or annulled
for a period of 30 days after written notice thereof shall have been
given to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee
by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of that series a written notice specifying acceleration and
requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a "Notice
of Default" hereunder; or
(7) the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the
premises of (a) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company
in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or
State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or
(b) a decree or order adjudging the Company a bankrupt or insolvent,
or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization,
arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company
under any applicable Federal or State law, or appointing a custodian,
receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar
official of the Company or of any substantial part of its properties,
or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the
continuance of any such decree or order for relief or any such other
decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 90 consecutive
days; or
(8) the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case or
proceeding under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case or
proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by
the Company to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of
the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable
Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other
similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case
or proceeding against the Company, or the filing by the Company of a
petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under
any applicable Federal or State law, or the consent by the Company to
the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking
possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee,
sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of any
substantial part of its properties, or the making by the Company of an
assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by the
Company in writing its inability to pay its debts generally as they
become due, or the taking of corporate action by the Company in
furtherance of any such action; or
(9) any other Event of Default established as contemplated
by Section 301 with respect to Securities of that series; provided that
if any such failure or acceleration referred to in clauses (5) or (6)
above shall cease or be cured, waived, rescinded or annulled, then the
Event of Default hereunder by reason thereof shall be deemed not to
have occurred.
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Upon receipt by the Trustee of any Notice of Default pursuant to this
Section 501 with respect to Securities of any series, a record date shall
automatically and without any other action by any Person be set for the purpose
of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series entitled to
join in such Notice of Default, which record date shall be the close of
business on the day the Trustee receives such Notice of Default. Promptly
after the establishment of a record date pursuant to the provisions of this
Section 501, the Trustee shall notify the Company and the Holders of
Outstanding Securities of such series of the establishment of such record date.
The Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or
their duly appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to join
in such Notice of Default, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after
such record date; provided that, unless such Notice of Default shall have
become effective by virtue of Holders of the requisite principal amount of
Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly
appointed agents) having joined therein on or prior to the 90th day after such
record date, such Notice of Default shall automatically and without any action
by any Person be canceled and of no further effect. Nothing in this paragraph
shall prevent a Holder (or a duly appointed agent thereof) from giving, before
or after the expiration of such 90-day period, a Notice of Default contrary to
or different from, or, after the expiration of such period, identical to, a
Notice of Default that has been canceled pursuant to the proviso to the
preceding sentence, in which event a new record date in respect thereof shall
be set pursuant to this paragraph.
Section 502. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series at the
time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then in every such case either the
Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of that series may declare the principal amount (or, if the
Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion
of the principal amount of such Securities as may be specified in the terms of
that series) of all of the Securities of that series to be due and payable
immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given
by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified
amount) shall become immediately due and payable.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to
Securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for
payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee, as hereinafter in
this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company and the
Trustee, may rescind and annul such acceleration and its consequences if:
(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a
sum sufficient to pay
(A) all overdue interest on all Securities of
that series,
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(B) the principal of (and premium, if any, on)
any Securities of that series which have
become due otherwise than by such declaration
of acceleration and any interest thereon at
the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such
Securities, to the extent that payment of
such interest is lawful,
(C) to the extent that payment of such interest
is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at
the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such
Securities, and
(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee
hereunder and the reasonable compensation,
expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Trustee, its agents and counsel;
and
(2) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of
that series, other than the non-payment of the principal of Securities
of that series which have become due solely by such declaration of
acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 513.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any
right consequent thereon.
Upon receipt by the Trustee of any declaration of acceleration, or any
rescission and annulment of any such declaration, pursuant to this Section 502
with respect to Securities of any series, a record date shall automatically and
without any other action by any Person be set for the purpose of determining
the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series entitled to join in such
declaration, or rescission or annulment, as the case may be, which record date
shall be the close of business on the day the Trustee receives such
declaration, or rescission and annulment, as the case may be. Promptly after
the establishment of a record date pursuant to the provisions of this Section
502, the Trustee shall notify the Company and the Holders of Outstanding
Securities of such series of the establishment of such record date. The
Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their
duly appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to join in
such declaration, or rescission and annulment, as the case may be, whether or
not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that, unless
such declaration, or rescission and annulment, as the case may be, shall have
become effective by virtue of Holders of the requisite principal amount of
Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly
appointed agents) having joined therein on or prior to the 90th day after such
record date, such declaration or rescission and annulment, as the case may be,
shall automatically and without any action by any Person be canceled and of no
further effect. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent a Holder (or a duly
appointed agent thereof) from giving, before or after the expiration of such
90-day period, a declaration of acceleration, or a rescission and annulment of
any such declaration, contrary to or different from, or, after the expiration
of such
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period, identical to, a declaration, or rescission and annulment, as the case
may be, that has been canceled pursuant to the proviso to the preceding
sentence, in which event a new record date in respect thereof shall be set
pursuant to this paragraph.
Section 503. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by
Trustee.
The Company covenants that if
(1) default is made in the payment of any interest on any
Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default
continues for a period of 30 days, or
(2) default is made in the payment of the principal of
(or premium, if any, on) any Security at the Maturity thereof, or
(3) default is made in the payment of any sinking or
purchase fund or analogous obligation when the same becomes due by the
terms of the Securities of any series, and any such default continues
for any period of grace provided with respect to the Securities of
such series,
the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the
Holder of any such Security (or the Holders of any such series in the case of
clause (3) above), the whole amount then due and payable on any such Security
(or on the Securities of any such series in the case of clause (3) above) for
principal and any premium and interest and, to the extent that payment of such
interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and
premium and on any overdue interest, at the rate or rates prescribed therefor
by the terms of any such Security (or of Securities of any such series in the
case of clause (3) above); and, in addition thereto, such further amount as
shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including
the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Trustee, its agents and counsel.
If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand,
the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute
a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may
prosecute such proceedings to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the
same against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities of such
series and collect the money adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner
provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon
such Securities, wherever situated.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs
and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and
enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series
by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most
effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific
enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the
exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
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Section 504. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of any judicial proceeding relative to the Company (or any
other obligor upon the Securities), its property or its creditors, the Trustee
shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or
otherwise, to take any and all actions authorized under the Trust Indenture Act
in order to have claims of the Holders and the Trustee allowed in any such
proceeding. In particular, the Trustee shall be authorized to collect and
receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims
and to distribute the same; and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee,
liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial
proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the
Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such
payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the
making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any
amount due it for reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances
of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee
under Section 607.
No provision of this Indenture shall be deemed to authorize the
Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder
any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting
the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee
to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
Section 505. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.
All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities
may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of
the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto,
and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own
name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after
provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the
ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such
judgment has been recovered.
Section 506. Application of Money Collected
Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be
applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and,
in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or any
premium or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation
thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if
fully paid:
FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section
607;
SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for
principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities in
respect of which or for the
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benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably,
without preference or priority of any kind, according to the
amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and
any premium and interest, respectively; and
THIRD: The balance, if any, to the Company or any other Person or
Persons entitled thereto.
In any case where Securities are outstanding which are denominated in
more than one currency, or in a composite currency and at least one other
currency, and the Trustee is directed to make ratable payments under this
Section to Holders of Securities, the Trustee shall calculate the amount of
such payments as follows: (i) as of the day the Trustee collects an amount
under this Article, the Trustee shall, as to each Holder of a Security to whom
an amount is due and payable under this Section which is denominated in a
foreign currency or a composite currency, determine that amount of U.S. Dollars
that would be obtained for the amount owing such Holder, using the rate of
exchange at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee
could purchase in The City of New York U.S. Dollars with such amount owing,
(ii) calculate the sum of all U.S. Dollar amounts determined under (i) and add
thereto any amounts due and payable in U.S. Dollars; and (iii) using the
individual amounts determined in (i) or any individual amounts due and payable
in U.S. Dollars, as the case may be, as a numerator and the sum calculated in
(ii) as a denominator, calculate as to each Holder of a Security to whom an
amount is owed under this Section the fraction of the amount collected under
this Article payable to such Holder. Any expenses incurred by the Trustee in
actually converting amounts owing Holders of Securities denominated in a
currency or composite currency other than that in which any amount is collected
under this Article shall be likewise (in accordance with this paragraph) borne
ratably by all Holders of Securities to whom amounts are payable under this
Section.
To the fullest extent allowed under applicable law, if for the purpose
of obtaining judgment against the Company in any court it is necessary to
convert the sum due in respect of the principal of, or any premium or interest
on the Securities of any series (the "Required Currency") into a currency in
which judgment will be rendered (the "Judgment Currency"), the rate of exchange
used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures
the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with
the Judgment Currency on the New York Business Day preceding that on which
final judgment is given. The Company shall not be liable for any shortfall nor
shall it benefit from any windfall in payments to Holders of Securities under
this Section caused by a change in exchange rates between the time the amount
of a judgment against it is calculated as above and the time the Trustee
converts the Judgment Currency into the Required Currency to make payments
under this Section to Holders of Securities, but payment of such judgment shall
discharge all amounts owed by the Company on the claim or claims underlying
such judgment.
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Section 507. Limitation on Suits.
No Holder of any Security of any series shall have any right to
institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this
Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other
remedy hereunder, unless:
(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to
the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the
Securities of that series;
(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount
of the Outstanding Securities of that series shall have made written
request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such
Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;
(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee
reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be
incurred in compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee for 60 days after receipt of such notice,
request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such
proceeding; and
(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request
has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders
of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of
that series;
it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have
any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision
of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of
such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any
other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in
the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such
Holders.
Section 508. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium
and Interest.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the Holder of
any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to
receive payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and (except as specified
as contemplated by Section 301(3) and subject to Section 307) any interest on
such Security on the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Security
(or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit
for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired
without the consent of such Holder.
Section 509. Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce
any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been
discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or
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has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in
every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company,
the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to
their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the
Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been
instituted.
Section 510. Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or
payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last
paragraph of Section 306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved
to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right
or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be
cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or
now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or
employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent
the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or
remedy.
Section 511. Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities
to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair
any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or
an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by
law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as
often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case
may be.
Section 512. Control by Holders.
The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of any series shall have the right to 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 the Trustee, with respect to the
Securities of such series, provided that
(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule
of law or with this Indenture,
(2) the Trustee shall not determine (it being understood
that the Trustee shall have no obligation to make such determination)
that the action so directed would be unjustly prejudicial to Holders
of Securities of that series, or any other series, not taking part in
such direction, and
(3) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper
by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.
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Upon receipt by the Trustee of any Notice of Default pursuant to this
Section 512 with respect to Securities of any series, a record date shall
automatically and without any other action by any Person be set for the purpose
of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series entitled to
join in such Notice of Default, which record date shall be the close of
business on the day the Trustee receives such Notice of Default. Promptly
after the establishment of a record date pursuant to the provisions of this
Section 512, the Trustee shall notify the Company and the Holders of
Outstanding Securities of such series of the establishment of such record date.
The Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or
their duly appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to join
in such Notice of Default, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after
such record date; provided that, unless such Notice of Default shall have
become effective by virtue of Holders of the requisite principal amount of
Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly
appointed agents) having joined therein on or prior to the 90th day after such
record date, such Notice of Default shall automatically and without any action
by any Person be canceled and of no further effect. Nothing in this paragraph
shall prevent a Holder (or a duly appointed agent thereof) from giving, before
or after the expiration of such 90-day period, a Notice of Default contrary to
or different from, or, after the expiration of such period, identical to, a
Notice of Default that has been canceled pursuant to the proviso to the
preceding sentence, in which event a new record date in respect thereof shall
be set pursuant to this paragraph.
Section 513. Waiver of Past Defaults.
The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of any series may on behalf of the Holders of all the
Securities of such series waive any past default hereunder with respect to such
series and its consequences, except a default
(1) in the payment of the principal of or any premium or
interest on any Security of such series, or
(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which
under Article Nine cannot be modified or amended without the consent
of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event
of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every
purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or
other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 514. 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, suffered or
omitted by it as Trustee, a court may require any party litigant in such suit
to file an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and may assess costs
against any such party litigant, in the manner and to the extent provided in
the Trust
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Indenture Act; provided that neither this Section nor the Trust Indenture Act
shall be deemed to authorize any court to require such an undertaking and that
the provisions of this Section 514 shall not apply to any suit instituted by
the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding
in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of that series or to any suit instituted by any Holder in each case
for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or
interest on, any Security on or after the due date for such payment.
Section 515. Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that
it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever
claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law wherever
enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants
or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it
may lawfully do so) hereby 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 SIX
THE TRUSTEE
Section 601. Certain Duties and Responsibilities.
The duties and responsibilities of the Trustee shall be as provided by
the Trust Indenture Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing (but subject to Section
107), no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or
risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its
rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that
repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is
not reasonably assured to it. Whether or not therein expressly so provided,
every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the
liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the
provisions of this Section.
Section 602. Notice of Defaults.
If a default occurs hereunder with respect to Securities of any
series, the Trustee shall give the Holders of Securities of such series notice
of such default known to the Trustee as and to the extent provided by the Trust
Indenture Act and in the manner provided in Section 106; provided, however,
that in the case of any default of the character specified in Sections 501(4),
501(5) and 501(6) with respect to Securities of such series, no such notice to
Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof.
For the purpose of this Section, the term
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"default" means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both
would become, an Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series.
Section 603. Certain Rights of Trustee.
Subject to the provisions of Section 601:
(1) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the
Trustee, the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or
refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement,
instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent,
order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other
paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed
or presented by the proper party or parties;
(2) any request or direction of the Company mentioned
herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company
Order and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently
evidenced by a Board Resolution;
(3) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the
Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established
prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the
Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may,
in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officers'
Certificate;
(4) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written
advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and
complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken,
suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance
thereon;
(5) 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
(including, without limitation, under Section 512), unless such
Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or
indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be
incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;
(6) 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, unless requested in writing
to do so by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of
Outstanding Securities of a series affected by such matter; and
(7) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers
hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or
through agents or attorneys.
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Section 604. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.
The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the
Trustee's certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of
the Company, and the Trustee or any Authenticating Agent assumes no
responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as
to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities, if any,
of any series, except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to
execute and deliver this Indenture, authenticate the Securities and perform its
obligations hereunder, and that the statements made by it or to be made by it
in a Statement of Eligibility and Qualification on Form T-1 supplied to the
Company are true and accurate. The Trustee or any Authenticating Agent shall
not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or
the proceeds thereof.
Section 605. May Hold Securities.
The Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, any Security
Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other
capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to
Sections 608 and 613, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights
it would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent,
Security Registrar or such other agent.
Section 606. Money Held in Trust.
Subject to the provisions of Section 1305(c) and the last paragraph of Section
1003, all moneys received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as
herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were
received, but need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent
required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for investment of or
interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with
the Company. Except for amounts deposited pursuant to Article Thirteen, so
long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, all
interest allowed on any such moneys shall be paid from time to time to the
Company upon a Company Order.
Section 607. Compensation and Reimbursement.
The Company agrees
(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which
compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to
the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);
(2) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to
reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses,
disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in
accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the
reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its
agents and counsel),
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except to the extent any such expense, disbursement or advance may be
attributable to its negligence or bad faith; and
(3) to indemnify the Trustee for, and to hold it harmless
against, any loss, liability or expense, arising out of or in
connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or
trusts hereunder or the performance of its duties hereunder, including
the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or
liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its
powers or duties hereunder, except to the extent any such loss,
liability or expense may be attributable to its negligence, willful
misconduct or bad faith.
As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company
under this Section the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities upon
all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds
held in trust for payment of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest,
if any, on particular Securities.
"Trustee", for purposes of this Section 607, includes any predecessor
Trustee, provided that the negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of any
Trustee shall not affect the rights under this Section 607 of any other Trustee.
Section 608. Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.
If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the
meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such
interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to
the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture, and the Company
shall take prompt action to have a successor Trustee appointed in the manner
provided herein. For purposes of Section 301(b)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act,
no Trustee hereunder will be deemed to have a conflicting interest solely by
reason of being Trustee in respect of more than one series of Securities.
Section 609. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder with respect to the
Securities of each series, which shall be a Person that is eligible pursuant to
the Trust Indenture Act to act as such, has a combined capital and surplus of
at least $50,000,000, and be subject to supervision or examination by Federal
or State authority. If such Person publishes reports of condition at least
annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or
examining authority, then, for the purposes of this Section, the combined
capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital
and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published.
If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the
provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with
the effect hereinafter specified in this Article. No obligor upon the
Securities of a particular series or Person directly or
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indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such obligor
shall serve as Trustee upon the Securities of such series.
Section 610. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no
appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall
become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor
Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 611.
(b) The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to
the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof
to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor
Trustee required by Section 611 shall not have been delivered to the
Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation,
the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction
for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the
Securities of such series.
(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect
to the Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series,
delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.
(d) If at any time:
(A) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section
608 after written request therefor by the Company or by any
Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at
least six months, or
(B) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under
Section 609 and shall fail to resign after written request
therefor by the Company or by any such Holder, or
(C) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting
or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of
the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any
public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or
of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation,
conservation or liquidation,
then, in any such case, (i) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the
Trustee with respect to all Securities, or (ii) subject to Section 514, any
Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months
may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court
of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to all
Securities and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.
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(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become
incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of
Trustee for any cause, with respect to the Securities of one or more
series, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a
successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of that
or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee
may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all
of such series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee
with respect to the Securities of any particular series) and shall
comply with the applicable requirements of Section 611. If, within
six months after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the
occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the
Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a
majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such
series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the
successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of
such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of
Section 611, become the successor Trustee with respect to the
Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor
Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with
respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed
by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner
required by Section 611, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of
a Security of such series for at least six months may, on behalf of
himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of
competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with
respect to the Securities of such series.
(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and
each removal of the Trustee with respect to Securities of any series
and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to Securities
of any series to all Holders of Securities of such series in the
manner provided in Section 106. Each notice shall include the name of
the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series
and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.
Section 611. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.
(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor
Trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor Trustee
so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and
to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and
thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall
become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act,
deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers,
trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the
Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon
payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring
to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the
retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such
successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee
hereunder.
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(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor
Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all)
series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee
with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and
deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor
Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (i) shall contain such
provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm
to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers,
trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the
Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such
successor Trustee relates, (ii) if the retiring Trustee is not
retiring with respect to all Securities, shall contain such provisions
as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the
rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect
to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring
Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring
Trustee, and (iii) shall add to or change any of the provisions of
this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the
administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it
being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture
shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust and that
each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder
separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by
any other such Trustee; and upon the execution and delivery of such
supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring
Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each
such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance,
shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of
the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those
series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates;
but, on request of the Company or any successor Trustee, such retiring
Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor
Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder
with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the
appointment of such successor Trustee relates.
(c) Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the
Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and
certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such
rights, powers and trusts referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this
Section, as the case may be.
(d) No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment
unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be
qualified and eligible under this Article.
Section 612. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or
with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any
merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or
any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust
business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder,
provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this
Article, without the
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execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the
parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not
delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion
or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication
and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such
successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities. In the event any
Securities shall not have been authenticated by such predecessor Trustee, any
such successor Trustee may authenticate and deliver such Securities, in either
its own name or that of its predecessor Trustee, with the full force and effect
which this Indenture provides for the certificate of authentication of the
Trustee.
Section 613. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
The Trustee shall comply with Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture
Act, excluding any creditor relationship listed in Section 311(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act. A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to
Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act to the extent indicated therein.
Section 614. Appointment of Authenticating Agent.
The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect
to one or more series of Securities which shall be authorized to act on behalf
of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon original
issue and upon exchange, registration of transfer or partial redemption thereof
or pursuant to Section 306, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled
to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all
purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is
made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the
Trustee or the Trustee's certificate of authentication, such reference shall be
deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an
Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of
the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent. Each Authenticating Agent shall be
acceptable to the Company and shall at all times be a corporation organized and
doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State
thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as
Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than
$50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State
authority. If such Authenticating Agent publishes reports of condition at
least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or
examining authority, then, for the purposes of this Section, the combined
capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent shall be deemed to be its
combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of
condition so published. If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to
be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, such
Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect
specified in this Section.
Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or
converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting
from any merger, conversion or
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consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any
corporation succeeding to the corporate agency or corporate trust business of
an Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided
such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the
execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee
or the Authenticating Agent.
An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written
notice thereof to the Trustee and the Company. The Trustee may at any time
terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice
thereof to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a
notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such
Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the
provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating
Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall mail written notice of
such appointment by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to all Holders of
Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will
serve, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Any
successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder
shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor
hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent.
No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the
provisions of this Section.
The Trustee agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to
time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section, and the
Trustee shall be entitled to be reimbursed for such payments, subject to the
provisions of Section 607.
If an appointment with respect to one or more series is made pursuant
to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in
addition to the Trustee's certificate of authentication, an alternative
certificate of authentication in the following form:
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This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein
referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
Dated:
[NAME OF TRUSTEE],
As Trustee
By:
---------------------------------------
As Authenticating Agent
By:
---------------------------------------
Authorized Officer
Section 615. Compliance with Tax Laws.
The Trustee hereby agrees to comply with all U.S. Federal income tax
information reporting and withholding requirements applicable to it with
respect to payments of premium (if any) and interest on the Securities of any
series, whether acting as Trustee, Security Registrar, Paying Agent or
otherwise with respect to the Securities of any series.
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ARTICLE SEVEN
HOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY
Section 701. Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.
The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee
(1) semi-annually, not later than 15 days after the
Regular Record Date for each series of Securities, a list, in such
form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses
of the Holders of Securities as of such Regular Record Date (unless
the Trustee has such information), or if there is no Regular Record
Date for interest for such series of Securities, semi-annually, upon
such dates as are set forth in the Board Resolution or indenture
supplemental hereto authorizing such series, and
(2) at such other times as the Trustee may request in
writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such
request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than
15 days prior to the time such list is furnished,
provided, however, that so long as the Trustee is the Security Registrar, no
such list shall be required to be furnished.
Section 702. Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as
is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders of
Securities (i) contained in the most recent list furnished to the
Trustee for each series as provided in Section 701 and (ii) received
by the Trustee for each series in the capacity as Security Registrar
if the Trustee is acting in such capacity. The Trustee may destroy
any list furnished to it as provided in Section 701 upon receipt of a
new list so furnished.
(b) The rights of Holders to communicate with other
Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the
Securities, and the corresponding rights and privileges of the
Trustee, shall be as provided by the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding
the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the
Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held
accountable by reason of any disclosure of information as to the names
and addresses of Holders made pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.
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Section 703. Reports by Trustee.
(a) The Trustee shall transmit to Holders of Securities,
as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register, such
reports, if any, concerning the Trustee and its actions under this
Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at
the times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto. Any such
reports required pursuant to Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act
shall be transmitted on or about ______, 1998 and on or about each
______ thereafter and shall be dated not more than 60 days before such
________.
(b) A copy of such report shall, at the time of such
transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock
exchange upon which any Securities are listed, with the Commission and
with the Company. The Company will notify the Trustee when any
Securities are listed on any stock exchange.
Section 704. Reports by Company.
The Company shall file with the Trustee and the Commission, and
transmit to Holders, such information, documents and other reports, if any, and
such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act
at the times and in the manner provided pursuant to such Act; provided that any
such information, documents or reports required to be filed with the Commission
pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act shall be filed with the
Trustee within 15 days after the same is so required to be filed with the
Commission.
ARTICLE EIGHT
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
Section 801. Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.
The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into any
Person, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its assets, or
permit any Person to consolidate with or merge into the Company, unless the
following conditions have been satisfied:
(a) either (1) the Company shall be the continuing Person
in the case of a merger or (2) the resulting, surviving or transferee
Person, if other than the Company (the "Successor Company"), shall be
a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United
States, any State or the District of Columbia and shall expressly
assume all the obligations of the Company under the Securities and the
Indenture.
(b) immediately after giving effect to the transaction
(and treating any indebtedness that becomes an obligation of the
Successor Company or any Subsidiary of
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the Company as a result of the transaction as having been incurred by
the Successor Company or the Subsidiary at the time of the
transaction), no default, Event of Default or event that, after notice
or lapse of time, would become an Event of Default under this
Indenture would occur or be continuing; and
(c) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that the
consolidation, merger, transfer or lease complies with this Indenture.
Section 802. Successor Substituted.
Upon any consolidation by the Company with, or merger by the Company
into, any other Person or any conveyance, transfer or lease of the properties
and assets of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety as
described in the preceding paragraph, the Successor Company resulting from such
consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the transferee or lessee
to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made, will succeed to, and be
substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under
this Indenture, and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the predecessor
(if still in existence) will be released from its obligations and covenants
under this Indenture and all Outstanding Securities.
ARTICLE NINE
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 901. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.
Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a
Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter
into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the
Trustee, for any of the following purposes:
(a) to evidence the succession of another Person to the
Company pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture relating to
consolidations, mergers and sales of assets and the assumption by the
successor of the covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company
herein and in the Securities;
(b) to surrender any right or power conferred upon the
Company by this Indenture, to add to the covenants of the Company such
further covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the
protection of the Holders of all or any series of Securities as the
Board of Directors of the Company shall consider to be for the
protection of the Holders of the Securities, and to make the
occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance of a default in any of
the additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions a
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default or an Event of Default under this Indenture (provided,
however, that with respect to any such additional covenant,
restriction, condition or provision, the supplemental indenture may
provide for a period of grace after default, which may be shorter or
longer than that allowed in the case of other defaults, may provide
for an immediate enforcement upon the default, may limit the remedies
available to the Trustee upon the default, or may limit the right of
Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of any or all
series of Securities to waive the default);
(c) to cure any ambiguity or omission or to correct or
supplement any provision contained in this Indenture, in any
supplemental indenture or in any Securities that may be defective or
inconsistent with any other provision contained therein, to convey,
transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any property to or with the
Trustee, or to make such other provisions in regard to matters or
questions arising under this Indenture, in each case as shall not
adversely affect the interests of any Holders of Securities of any
series in any material respect;
(d) to modify or amend this Indenture in such a manner as
to permit the qualification of this Indenture or any supplemental
indenture under the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect;
(e) to add guarantees with respect to any or all of the
Securities or to secure any or all of the Securities;
(f) to make any change that does not adversely affect the
rights of any Holder;
(g) to add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions
of this Indenture with respect to one or more series of Securities, so
long as any such addition, change or elimination not otherwise
permitted hereunder shall (1) neither apply to any Security of any
series created prior to the execution of the supplemental indenture
and entitled to the benefit of the provision nor modify the rights of
the Holders of any Security with respect to the provision, or (2)
become effective only when there is no such Security outstanding;
(h) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of
appointment by a successor or separate Trustee with respect to the
Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the
provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or
facilitate the administration of this Indenture by more than one
Trustee;
(i) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any
series; and
(j) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition
to or in place of certificated Securities (provided that the
uncertificated Securities are issued in registered form for purposes
of Section 163(f) of the Internal Revenue Code or in a manner such
that the uncertificated Securities are described in Section
163(f)(2)(B) of such code).
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Section 902. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such
supplemental indenture, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the
Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee
may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose
of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the
provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the
Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however,
that no such supplemental indenture shall without the consent of the Holder of
each Outstanding Security affected thereby,
(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or
any installment of principal of or interest on, any Security, or
reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or
any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount
of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be
due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity
thereof pursuant to Section 502, or change any Place of Payment where,
or the coin or currency in which, any Security or any premium or
interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for
the enforcement of any payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof
(or, in the case of redemption or repayment, on or after the
Redemption Date or Repayment Date, as the case may be), or
(2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is
required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose
Holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain
provisions of this Indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their
consequences) provided for in this Indenture, or
(3) modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section
513 or Section 1010, except to increase any such percentage or to
provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be
modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each
Outstanding Security affected thereby, provided, however, that this
clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with
respect to changes in the references to "the Trustee" and concomitant
changes in this Section and Section 1010, or the deletion of this
proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 611(b) and
901(8).
A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or
other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for
the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies
the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such
covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under
this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.
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It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to
approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it
shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.
Section 903. Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any
supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby
of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to
receive, and (subject to Section 601) shall be fully protected in relying upon,
an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture
is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not
be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the
Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Section 904. Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article,
this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental
indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every
Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered
hereunder shall be bound thereby.
Section 905. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall
conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
Section 906. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.
Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the
execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall
if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as
to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company
shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in
the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any such supplemental indenture
may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by
the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series.
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ARTICLE TEN
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
Section 1001. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of
Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and any
premium and interest on the Securities of that series in accordance with the
terms of the Securities and this Indenture.
Section 1002. Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of
Securities an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented
or surrendered for payment, where Securities of that series may be surrendered
for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or
upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture
may be served. The Company will give prompt 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
Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the
Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and
demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other
offices or agencies where the Securities of one or more series may be presented
or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind
such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission
shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office
or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such
purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any
such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such
other office or agency.
Section 1003. Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.
If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with
respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the
principal of or any premium or interest on any of the Securities of that
series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled
thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal and any premium and interest so
becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise
disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its
action or failure so to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any
series of Securities, it will, on or prior to each due date of the principal of
or any premium or interest on any Securities of that series, deposit with a
Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such amount,
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such sum to be held as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, and (unless such
Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of
its action or failure so to act.
The Company will cause each Paying Agent for any series of Securities
other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in
which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions
of this Section, that such Paying Agent will (a) comply with the provisions of
the Trust Indenture Act applicable to it as a Paying Agent and (b) during the
continuance of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the
Securities of that series) in the making of any payment in respect of the
Securities of that series, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith
pay to the Trustee all sums held in trust by such Paying Agent for payment in
respect of the Securities of that series.
The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the
satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or
by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held
in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the
Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the
Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the
Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with
respect to such money.
All monies deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then
held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of or any
premium or interest on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for
two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable
shall be paid to the Company on Company Request (including interest income on
such funds, if any), or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from
such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured
general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all
liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money,
and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease.
Section 1004. Statement by Officers as to Default.
The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end
of each fiscal year of the Company ending after the date hereof, a brief
certificate from the principal executive, financial or accounting officer or
treasurer of the Company as to his or her knowledge of the Company's compliance
(without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided
hereunder) with all conditions and covenants hereof.
Section 1005. Existence.
Subject to Article Eight, the Company will do or cause to be done all
things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate
existence, rights (charter and statutory) and franchises; provided, however,
that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise
if the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer
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desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that the loss
thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.
Section 1006. Maintenance of Properties.
The Company will cause all material properties used or useful in the
conduct of its business or the business of any Subsidiary to be maintained and
kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all
necessary equipment and will cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals,
replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as (and to the extent)
in the judgment of the Company may be necessary or appropriate in connection
with its business; provided, however, that nothing in this Section shall
prevent the Company from discontinuing the operation or maintenance of any of
such properties if such discontinuance is, in the judgment of the Company,
desirable in the conduct of its business or the business of any Subsidiary and
not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.
Section 1007. Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.
The Company will pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged,
within 30 days after the Company shall have received notice that the same has
become delinquent (1) all material taxes, assessments and governmental charges
levied or imposed upon the Company or any Subsidiary or upon the income,
profits or property of the Company or any Subsidiary, and (2) all lawful claims
for labor, materials and supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a
material lien upon the property of the Company or any Subsidiary; provided,
however, that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to
be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount,
applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings; provided, further, that the Company shall not be required to pay
or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge
or claim unless the failure to pay or discharge such tax, assessment, charge or
claim would, individually or in the aggregate with all such failures, have a
material adverse effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole.
Section 1008. Limitations on Liens.
Unless the terms of a particular series of Securities otherwise
provide, so long as any Securities of such series remain Outstanding, the
Company will not, nor will it permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, issue,
incur, create, assume or guarantee any debt for borrowed money (hereinafter
referred to as "Debt"), secured by a mortgage, security interest, pledge, lien,
charge or other encumbrance (mortgages, security interests, pledges, liens,
charges and other encumbrances being hereinafter in this Article Ten referred
to as "lien" or "liens") upon any Principal Property of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary or upon any shares of stock or indebtedness of any
Restricted Subsidiary (whether such Principal Property, shares of stock or
indebtedness are now existing or owed or hereafter created or acquired) without
in any such case effectively providing concurrently with the issuance,
incurrence, creation, assumption or guaranty
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of any such Debt that the Securities of such series (together with, if the
Company shall so determine, any other indebtedness of or guarantee by the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary ranking equally with the Securities of
such series and then existing or thereafter created) shall be secured equally
and ratably with (or, at the Company's option, prior to) such secured Debt
until such time as such Debt is no longer secured by a lien. The preceding
sentence shall not require the Company to secure any Securities of such series
if the lien consists of either of the following:
(a) Permitted Liens; or
(b) liens securing Debt if, after giving pro forma effect
to the incurrence, creation, assumption or guaranty of such Debt (and
the receipt and application of the proceeds thereof) or the securing
of outstanding Debt, the sum of (without duplication) (i) the
aggregate principal amount of all such Debt of the Company and its
Subsidiaries secured by liens (other than Permitted Liens) upon
Principal Property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or upon
any shares of stock or indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary or,
if less, the fair market value of the property subject to such lien,
as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors and (ii) all
Attributable Indebtedness in respect of Sale and Lease-Back
Transactions not otherwise permitted under Section 1009, at the time
of determination does not exceed the greater of 10% of Consolidated
Net Tangible Assets or $350,000,000.
Section 1009. Limitations on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions.
Unless the terms of a particular series of Securities otherwise
provide, so long as any Securities of such series remain Outstanding, the
Company will not, nor will it permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into
any Sale and Lease-Back Transaction unless (a) the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary would be entitled to incur Debt secured by a lien on such Principal
Property in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Indebtedness with
respect to such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction without equally and ratably
securing the Securities of such series pursuant to Section 1008 or (b) the
Company, within six months after the effective date of such Sale and Lease-Back
Transaction, applies an amount equal to the Attributable Indebtedness in
respect of such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction to the defeasance or retirement
(other than any mandatory retirement, mandatory prepayment or sinking fund
payment or by way of payment at maturity) of Securities or other Debt of the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary that matures more than one year after the
creation of such Debt or to the purchase, construction or development of other
comparable property.
Section 1010. Waiver of Certain Covenants.
The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any
term, provision or condition set forth in Sections 1008 and 1009 with respect
to the Securities of any series if before the time for such compliance the
Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such
compliance
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in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or
condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or
condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver
shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the
Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in
full force and effect.
ARTICLE ELEVEN
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
Section 1101. Applicability of Article.
Securities of any series which are redeemable before their Stated
Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as
otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any
series) in accordance with this Article.
Section 1102. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be
evidenced by a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of
the Company of less than all the Securities of any series of the same tenor,
the Company shall, at least 60 days (45 days in the case of redemption of all
Securities of any series or of any series with the same (i) Stated Maturity,
(ii) period or periods within which, price or prices at which and terms and
conditions upon which such Securities may or shall be redeemed or purchased, in
whole or in part, at the option of the Company or pursuant to any sinking fund
or analogous provision or repayable at the option of the Holder and (iii) rate
or rates at which the Securities bear interest, if any, or formula pursuant to
which such rate or rates accrue (collectively, the "Equivalent Principal
Terms")) prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter
notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such
Redemption Date of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be
redeemed and, if applicable, of the tenor of the Securities to be redeemed. In
the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any
restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or
elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an
Officers' Certificate evidencing compliance with such restriction.
Section 1103. Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.
If less than all the Securities with Equivalent Principal Terms of any
series are to be redeemed (unless all of the Securities of such series and of a
specified tenor are to be redeemed), the particular Securities to be redeemed
shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the
Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such series not previously called
for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate
and which
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may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum
authorized denomination for Securities of that series with Equivalent Principal
Terms or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities
of such series with Equivalent Principal Terms of a denomination larger than
the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series. Unless
otherwise provided in the terms of a particular series of Securities, the
portions of the principal of Securities so selected for partial redemption
shall be equal to the minimum authorized denomination of the Securities of such
series, or an integral multiple thereof, and the principal amount which remains
outstanding shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination for
Securities of such series.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the
Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected
for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise
requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate,
in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the
portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be
redeemed.
Section 1104. Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption shall be given by first-class mail, postage
prepaid, mailed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption
Date, unless a shorter period is specified in the Securities to be redeemed, to
each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at his address appearing in the
Security Register.
Any notice that is mailed to the Holder of any Securities in the
manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given,
whether or not such Holder receives the notice.
All notices of redemption shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date,
(2) the Redemption Price and the amount of accrued
interest, if any, to be paid,
(3) if less than all the Outstanding Securities of any
series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial
redemption of any Securities, the principal amounts) of the particular
Securities to be redeemed,
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(4) in case any Security is to be redeemed in part only,
the notice which relates to such Security shall state that on and after the
Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Security, the Holder of such Security
will receive, without charge, a new Security or Securities of authorized
denominations for the principal amount thereof remaining unredeemed,
(5) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will
become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if
applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date,
(6) the place or places where such Securities are to be
surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price, and
(7) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is
the case.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of
the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company's request, by the
Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company and shall be irrevocable.
Section 1105. Deposit of Redemption Price.
On or prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the
Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying
Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 1003) an amount of
money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption
Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on, all the Securities
which are to be redeemed on that date.
Section 1106. Securities Payable on Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so
to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the
Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless the
Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued
interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any
such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security
shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued
interest to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that, unless otherwise
specified as contemplated by Section 301, installments of interest whose Stated
Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders
of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such
at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates according to their terms
and the provisions of Section 307.
If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon
surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and any premium shall, until
paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in
the Security.
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Section 1107. Securities Redeemed in Part.
Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered
at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so
requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form
satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder
thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall
execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such
Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same
series and of like tenor, of any authorized denomination as requested by such
Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the
unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.
ARTICLE TWELVE
SINKING FUNDS
Section 1201. Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund
for the retirement of Securities of a series except as otherwise specified as
contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of such series.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the
terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a "mandatory sinking
fund payment", and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by
the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an "optional
sinking fund payment". The cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be
subject to reduction as provided in Section 1202. Each sinking fund payment
shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for
by the terms of Securities of such series.
Section 1202. Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company (a) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series (other
than any previously called for redemption) and (b) may apply as a credit
Securities of a series which have been redeemed either at the election of the
Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of
permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such
Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund
payment with respect to the Securities of such series required to be made
pursuant to the terms of such Securities as provided for by the terms of such
Series; provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited.
Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee
at the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through
operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall
be reduced accordingly.
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Section 1203. Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 60 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any
series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for
that series pursuant to the terms of that series, the portion thereof, if any,
which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any,
which is to be satisfied by delivering the crediting Securities of that series
pursuant to Section 1202 and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to
be so delivered. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment
date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking
fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 1103 and cause notice of
the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the
Company in the manner provided in Section 1104. Such notice having been duly
given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in
the manner stated in Sections 1106 and 1107.
ARTICLE THIRTEEN
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
Section 1301. Company's Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
Section 1302 and/or Section 1303 shall apply to the Outstanding
Securities of any series to the extent specified as contemplated by Section 301
for Securities of such series.
Section 1302. Defeasance and Discharge.
The Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its
obligations with respect to the Outstanding Securities of such series as
provided in this Section on and after the date the conditions set forth in
Section 1304, in the case if defeasance are satisfied (hereinafter called
"Defeasance"). For this purpose, such Defeasance means that the Company shall
be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by
the Outstanding Securities of such series and to have satisfied all of its
other obligations under the Securities of such series and this Indenture
insofar as the Securities of such series are concerned (and the Trustee, at the
expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the
same), subject to the following which shall survive until all the Securities of
such series have been paid in full: (a) the rights of Holders of Securities of
such series to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 1304
and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in respect of the
principal of and any premium and interest on such Securities of such series
when payments are due, and (b) the Company's obligations with respect to the
Securities of such series under Sections 304, 305, 306, 1002 and 1003.
Thereafter, the Company's obligations set forth in Sections 607 and 1305 shall
survive.
Subject to compliance with this Article Thirteen, the Company may
defease the Outstanding Securities of any series pursuant to this Section 1302
notwithstanding the prior
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Defeasance of the Outstanding Securities of such series pursuant to Section
1303. If the Company exercises its defeasance option, payment of the
Securities of the defeased series may not be accelerated because of an Event of
Default.
Section 1303. Covenant Defeasance.
The Company shall be released from its obligations under Sections 1005
through 1009, inclusive, and the occurrence of any event specified in Sections
501(4) (with respect to any of Sections 1005 through 1009 inclusive) and 501(9)
shall be deemed not to be or result in an Event of Default, in each case with
respect to Outstanding Securities of any series as provided in this Section on
and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 1304 are satisfied
(hereinafter called "Covenant Defeasance"). For this purpose, such Covenant
Defeasance means that 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
specified Section (to the extent so specified in the case of Section 501(4)),
whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to
any such Section or by reason of any reference in any such Section to any other
provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture
and the Securities of such series shall be unaffected thereby.
Section 1304. Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The following shall be the conditions to Defeasance pursuant to
Section 1302 or Covenant Defeasance pursuant to Section 1303 of the Outstanding
Securities of any series:
(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or
caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee that
satisfies the requirements contemplated by Section 609 and agrees to
comply with the provisions of this Article Thirteen applicable to it)
as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following
payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely
to, the benefit of the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such
series, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations
that through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in
respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later
than the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a
combination thereof, in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a
nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed
in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay
and discharge each installment of principal (including mandatory
sinking fund payments and amounts that may be payable at the option of
the Holder on any Repayment Date) of, and premium (not relating to
optional redemption), if any, and interest on, the Outstanding
Securities of such series on the dates such installments of principal
of, and premium (not relating to optional redemption), if any, or
interest are due.
(2) In the case of Defeasance under Section 1302, the
Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel
stating that (A) the Company has received
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from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a
ruling or (B) since the date first set forth hereinabove, there has
been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case
(A) or (B) to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall
confirm that, the Holders of the Oustanding Securities of such series
will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a
result of the deposit, Defeasance and discharge to be effected with
respect to the Securities of such series and will be subject to
Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the
same times as would be the case if such deposit, Defeasance and
discharge were not to occur.
(3) In the case of Covenant Defeasance under Section
1303, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of
Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Outstanding Securities
of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal
income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and Covenant Defeasance
to be effected with respect to the Securities of such series and will
be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same
manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit and
Covenant Defeasance were not to occur.
(4) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
Officers' Certificate to the effect that the Securities of such
series, if then listed on any securities exchange, will not be
delisted as a result of such deposit.
(5) No Event of Default or event that (after notice or
lapse of time or both) would become an Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing at the time of such deposit or, with regard
to any Event of Default or any such event specified in Sections 501(7)
and (8), at any time on or prior to the 90th day after the date of
such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be
deemed satisfied until after such 90th day).
(6) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance (including the
deposit pursuant to such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance) shall not
result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, the
Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is
a party or by which it is bound.
(7) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all
conditions precedent with respect to such Defeasance or Covenant
Defeasance have been complied with.
(8) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not
result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an
investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of
1940, unless such trust shall be qualified under such Act or exempt
from regulation thereunder.
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Section 1305. Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held in
Trust; Indemnity for U.S. Government Obligations; Repayment to
Company.
(a) Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of
Section 1003, all money and U.S. Government Obligations (including the
proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee or other qualifying
trustee (solely for purposes of this Section and Section 1306, the
Trustee and any such other trustee are referred to collectively as the
"Trustee") pursuant to Section 1304 in respect of the Securities of
any series shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in
accordance with the provisions of the Securities of such series and
this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any such
Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as
the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of Securities of such
series, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of
principal and any premium and interest, but money so held in trust
need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required
by law.
(b) The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee
against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against
the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 1304 or
the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any
such tax, fee or other charge that by law is for the account of the
Holders of Outstanding Securities.
(c) Anything in this Article Thirteen to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Trustee and any Paying Agent shall promptly
deliver or pay to the Company upon Company Request any money or U.S.
Government Obligations held by them as provided in Section 1304 with
respect to Securities of any series that, in the opinion of a
nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed
in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in
excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be
deposited to effect an equivalent Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance
with respect to the Securities of such series.
Section 1306. Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in
accordance with this Article Thirteen with respect to the Securities of any
series by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental
authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application,
then the Company's obligations under this Indenture and the Securities of such
series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred
pursuant to this Article Thirteen with respect to Securities of such series
until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all money
held in trust pursuant to Section 1305 with respect to Securities of such
series in accordance with this Article Thirteen; provided, however, that if the
Company makes any payment of principal of or any premium or interest on any
Security of such series following the reinstatement of its obligations, the
Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of Securities of such
series to receive such payment from the money so held in trust.
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ARTICLE FOURTEEN
REPAYMENT AT OPTION OF SECURITY HOLDERS
Section 1401. Applicability of Article.
Securities of any series which are repayable at the option of the
Holders thereof before their Stated Maturity shall be repaid in accordance with
their terms and (except as otherwise contemplated by Section 301 for Securities
of such series) in accordance with this Article.
Section 1402. Repayment of Securities.
Each Security which is subject to repayment in whole or in part at the
option of the Holder thereof on a Repayment Date shall be repaid at the
applicable Repayment Price together with interest accrued to such Repayment
Date as specified pursuant to Section 301.
Section 1403. Exercise of Option; Notice.
Each Holder desiring to exercise his option for repayment shall, as
conditions to such repayment, surrender the Security to be repaid together with
all coupons, if any, appertaining thereto maturing after the Repayment Date and
with written notice of the exercise of such option at any office or agency of
the Company in a Place of Payment, not less than 15 nor more than 30 days prior
to the Repayment Date. Such notice, which shall be irrevocable, shall identify
the Security to be repaid and shall specify the principal amount of such
Security to be repaid, which shall be not less than the minimum authorized
denomination for such Security or an integral multiple thereof and, in the case
of a partial repayment of the Security, the denomination or denominations of
the Security or Securities with Equivalent Principal Terms to be issued to the
Holder for the portion of the principal of the Security surrendered which is
not to be repaid.
Any Security which is to be repaid only in part shall be surrendered
at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so
requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form
satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder
thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall
execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such
Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities with Equivalent
Principal Terms, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in
aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion
of the principal of the Security so surrendered.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise
requires, all provisions relating to the repayment of Securities shall relate,
in the case of any Security repaid or to be repaid only in part, to the portion
of the principal of such Security which has been or is to be repaid.
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Section 1404. Securities Payable on the Repayment Date.
Notice of exercise of the option of repayment having been given and
the Securities so to be repaid having been surrendered as aforesaid, such
Securities shall, on the Repayment Date, become due and payable at the
Repayment Price therein specified and from and after such date (unless the
Company shall default in the payment of Repayment Price and accrued interest)
such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such
Security for repayment in accordance with Section 1403, such Security shall be
paid by the Company at the Repayment Price, together with accrued interest to
the Repayment Date; provided, however, that, installments of interest on
Securities whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Repayment Date shall be
payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor
Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Record
Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 307.
If any Security duly surrendered for repayment shall not be so paid,
the principal and any premium shall, until paid, bear interest from the
Repayment Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.
This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts
shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to
be duly executed, and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed
and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
By:
----------------------------------------
Name:
--------------------------------------
Title:
-------------------------------------
[NAME OF TRUSTEE]
By:
----------------------------------------
Name:
--------------------------------------
Title:
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EXHIBIT 5.1
[LETTERHEAD OF VINSON & ELKINS L.L.P.]
(214) 220-7700 (214) 220-7716
April 3, 1998
Dell Computer Corporation
One Dell Way
Round Rock, Texas 78682
Re: Dell Computer Corporation
Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-47861)
Debt Securities
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel for Dell Computer Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the registration under the
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") on a Registration Statement on
Form S-3 (No. 333-47861) (the "Registration Statement") of the offer and sale
from time to time pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of debt
securities of the Company ("Debt Securities") for an aggregate initial offering
price not to exceed $500,000,000.
We have reviewed those agreements, records, documents, and matters of law
as we have deemed relevant in order to render the opinion set forth herein,
including but not limited to (a) the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws
of the Company, (b) resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the
Company, and (c) the form of Indenture filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration
Statement to be executed by the Company and the trustee (the "Indenture"),
pursuant to which Debt Securities may be issued.
As to certain questions of fact material to our opinion, we have relied
upon certificates from officers of the Company and other persons, as
appropriate, and upon certificates of public officials.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing and subject further to the
assumptions, exceptions and qualifications hereinafter stated, we express the
following opinion:
<PAGE> 2
Dell Computer Corporation
April 3, 1998
Page 2
With respect to Debt Securities to be issued under the Indenture, when (A)
the Indenture has been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered to the
trustee by the Company, (B) the Indenture has been duly qualified under the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939, (C) the Board has taken all necessary corporate
action to approve the issuance and terms of such Debt Securities, the terms of
the offering thereof and related matters, and (D) such Debt Securities have been
duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in accordance with the
provisions of the Indenture and the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting
or similar agreement approved by the Board upon payment of the consideration
therefor provided for therein, such Debt Securities will be legally issued and
will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable
against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as such enforcement
is subject to any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other law
relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and general principles of
equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding
in equity or at law).
The opinion expressed above is subject in all respects to the following
assumptions, exceptions and qualifications:
a. We have assumed (i) all information contained in all documents
reviewed by us is true and correct, (ii) all signatures on all documents
reviewed by us are genuine, (iii) all documents submitted to us as originals are
authentic and complete, (iv) all documents submitted to us as certified or
photostatic copies conform to authentic originals thereof, (v) each natural
person signing any document reviewed by us had the legal capacity to do so, (vi)
each person signing in a representative capacity any document reviewed by us had
authority to sign in such capacity, and (vii) the laws of any jurisdiction other
than Texas that govern any of the documents reviewed by us or referenced in this
opinion letter (other than the Company's Certificate of Incorporation and
Bylaws) do not modify the terms that appear in any such document.
b. We have assumed that (i) the Registration Statement and any
amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) will have become
effective and comply with all applicable laws; (ii) the Registration Statement
will be effective and will comply with all applicable laws at the time the Debt
Securities are offered or issued as contemplated by the Registration Statement
(if such offering or issuance requires the delivery of a prospectus under the
Securities Act or pursuant to any other law); (iii) a Prospectus Supplement
will have been prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
describing the Debt Securities offered thereby and will comply with all
applicable laws; (iv) all Debt Securities will be issued and sold in compliance
with applicable federal and state securities laws and in the manner stated in
the Registration Statement and the appropriate Prospectus Supplement; and (v) a
definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement with respect to any Debt
Securities offered or issued will have been duly authorized and validly
executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto.
<PAGE> 3
Dell Computer Corporation
April 3, 1998
Page 3
c. In rendering this opinion, we have assumed that the trustee is or, at
the time the Indenture is signed, will be qualified to act as trustee under the
Indenture and that the trustee has or will have duly executed and delivered the
Indenture.
d. We express no opinion with respect to (i) the enforceability of
provisions in the Indenture or any other agreement or instrument with respect
to delay or omission of enforcement of rights or remedies, or waivers of
defenses, or waivers of benefits of stay, extension, moratorium, redemption,
statutes of limitation, or other nonwaivable benefits bestowed by operation of
law; or (ii) the enforceability of indemnification or contribution provisions
to the extent they purport to relate to liabilities resulting from or based
upon negligence or any violation of federal or state securities or blue sky
laws.
e. We express no opinion as to the requirements of or compliance with
federal or state securities laws or regulations.
f. The opinion expressed in this letter is limited to the laws of the
State of Texas, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and the
federal laws of the United States of America. You should be aware that we are
not admitted to the practice of law in the State of Delaware.
We consent to the filing of this opinion of counsel as Exhibit 5.1 to the
Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to this firm under the
heading "Legal Opinions" in the Prospectus forming a part of the Registration
Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that this firm is in the
category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities
Act or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
promulgated thereunder.
We disclaim any duty to advise you regarding any changes in, or otherwise
communicate with you with respect to, the matters addressed herein.
Very truly yours,
/s/ VINSON & ELKINS L.L.P.
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EXHIBIT 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
----------------------------------
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Prospectus
constituting part of this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated
February 25, 1997 appearing on Page 24 of Dell Computer Corporation's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended February 2, 1997. We also consent to the
reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Prospectus.
/s/ PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
Austin, Texas
April 3, 1998
