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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section
17(a) of the Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of
1940
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FORM 4
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OMB APPROVAL
[ ] Check this box if no longer OMB Number 3235-0287
subject to Section 16. Form 4 Expires: September 30, 1998
or Form 5 obligations may Estimated average burden
continue. See Instruction 1(b). hours per response 0.5
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(Print or Type Responses)
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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s)
to Issuer (Check all applicable)
Carnahan Ellen - Desktop Data, Inc. DTOP
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(Last) (First) (Middle) 3. IRS or Social Security 4. Statement for _x_ Director ___ 10% Owner
Number of Reporting Month/Year ___ Officer (give ___ Other (specify
Person (Voluntary) 03/96 title below)
below)
William Blair Venture Management Co.
222 West Adams Street
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(Street) ###-##-#### 5. If Amendment, 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing
Date of Original (Check Applicable Line)
(Month/Year)
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Chicago, IL 60606 __Form filed by One Reporting Person
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(City) (State) (Zip) TABLE I - NON-DERIVATIVE SECURITIES
ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR __Form filed by More than One Reporting
BENEFICIALLY OWNED Person
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1. Title of Security 2. Trans- 3. Trans- 4. Securities 5. Amount of 6. Owner- 7. Nature
(Instr. 3) action action Acquired (A) Securities ship of In-
Date Code or Disposed of (D) Beneficially Form: direct
(Instr. 8) Owned at Direct Bene-
(Month/ (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) End of (D) or ficial
Day/ Month Indirect Owner-
Year) (I) ship
(Instr. 3 and 4)
(Instr. 4) (Instr.4)
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Code V Amount (A) or Price
(D)
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Common Stock 4/24/96 S 50,000 D 38 3/8 241,620 I *
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Common Stock 4/25/96 S 83,000 D 38 5/8 241,620 I *
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Common Stock 7/26/96 S 1,000 D 26 240,620 I *
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Common Stock 8/2/96 S 7,500 D 26 233,120 I *
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Common Stock 10/24/96 S 20,000 D 25 1/8 213,120 I *
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Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
owned directly or indirectly. (Over)
*If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see instruction 4(b) SEC 1474 (7-96)
(v).
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FORM 4 (continued) Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
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1. Title of 2.Conver- 3. Trans- 4. Transac- 5. Number of Deriv- 6. Date Exer-
Derivative sion or action tion Code ative Securities Ac- cisable and Ex-
Securit) Exercise Date (Instr. 8) quired (A) or Dis- piration Date
(Instr. 3) Price of posed of (D) (Month/Day/
Deriv- (Month/ (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) Year)
ative Day/
Security Year)
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Date Expira
Exer- -tion
cisable Date
Code V (A) (D)
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7. Title and Amount 8. Price 9. Number 10. Owner- 11. Na-
of Under- of of Deriv- ship ture
lying Securities Derivative ative Form of In-
(Instr. 3 and 4) Secur- Secur- of De- direct
ity ities rivative Bene-
Benef- Security ficial
(Instr. ically Direct Own-
Title Amount or 5) Owned at (D) or ership
Number of End of Indi- (Instr. 4)
Shares Month rect (I)
Date (Instr. 4) Instr. 4)
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Explanation of Responses:
* Shares are owned beneficially and of record by William Blair Venture Partners III
Limited Partnership, of which Reporting Person is a general partner.
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations.
See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained
in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently
valid OMB number.
WILLIAM BLAIR VENTURE PARTNERS III LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
By: William Blair Venture Management Co.
Its: General Partner
Ellen Carnahan 4/2/97
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**Signature of Reporting Person Date
Ellen Carnahan Page 2
General Partner SEC 1474 (7-96)
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