UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
(X) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Butler, David R.
c/o State of the Art, Inc.
56 West Technology Drive
Irvine, California 92618-2301
United States
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
State of the Art, Inc., a California corporation
SOTA
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
March 31, 1998
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
Vice President of Sales
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
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Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
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1. Title of Security |2. |3. |4.Securities Acquired (A) |5.Amount of |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect |
| Transaction | or Disposed of (D) | Securities |ect | Beneficial Ownership |
| | | | Beneficially |(D)or | |
| | | | | A/| | Owned at |Indir | |
| Date |Code|V| Amount | D | Price | End of Month |ect(I)| |
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<S> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common stock, no par value |03/02/|U | |357 |D |22.0000 |0 | | |
|98 | | | | | | | | |
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Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
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1.Title of Derivative |2.Con- |3. |4. |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount |8.Price|9.Number |10.|11.Nature of|
Security |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and| of Underlying |of Deri|of Deriva |Dir|Indirect |
|or Exer | | | rities Acqui |Expiration | Securities |vative |tive |ect|Beneficial |
|cise | | | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/| |Secu |Securities |(D)|Ownership |
|Price of| | | posed of(D) |Day/Year) | |rity |Benefi |or | |
|Deriva- | | | |Date |Expir| | |ficially |Ind| |
|tive | | | | A/|Exer-|ation| Title and Number | |Owned at |ire| |
|Secu- | | | | | D |cisa-|Date | of Shares | |End of |ct | |
|rity |Date |Code|V| Amount | |ble | | | |Month |(I)| |
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<S> <C> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Option: right to purc|12.375 |03/30|J | |3,203 |D |02/25|02/24|Common stock|1 |0 |3,047 |D | |
hase | |/98 | | | | |/98 |/02 | | | | | | |
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Option: right to purc|12.375 |03/30|J | |3,203 |D |02/25|02/24|Common stock|1 |0 |3,047 |D | |
hase | |/98 | | | | |/99 |/02 | | | | | | |
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Option: right to purc|12.375 |03/30|J | |3,203 |D |02/25|02/24|Common stock|1 |0 |3,047 |D | |
hase | |/98 | | | | |/00 |/02 | | | | | | |
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Option: right to purc|12.375 |03/30|J | |3,203 |D |02/25|02/24|Common stock|1 |0 |3,047 |D | |
hase | |/98 | | | | |/01 |/02 | | | | | | |
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Option: right to purc|12.000 |03/30|J | |33,073 |D |(1) |04/08|Common stock|1 |0 |16,927 |D | |
hase | |/98 | | | | | |/01 | | | | | | |
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Explanation of Responses:
J: Cancellation and cashout of options pursuant to acquisition of the issuer
by the Sage Group plc. The reporting person received a payment for each
option equal to the difference between Sage's tender offer price of $22.00 per
share and the option exercise price.
(1) These options vest at the rate of 1/48 (approximately 1,042) per month,
beginning April 9, 1996. The reporting person could not exercise any
options before October 9, 1996.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
David R. Butler
DATE
10 April 1998
