Exhibit 2.3
CANADIAN SOLAR INC.
AND
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON,
as Trustee
INDENTURE
Dated as of January 13, 2026
3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031
DEFINITIONS | ||
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Section 1.01 | Definitions | 1 |
Section 1.02 | References to Interest | 12 |
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Article 2 | ||
ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF NOTES | ||
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Section 2.01 | Designation and Amount | 12 |
Section 2.02 | Form of Notes | 12 |
Section 2.03 | Date and Denomination of Notes; Payments of Interest and Defaulted Amounts | 13 |
Section 2.04 | Execution, Authentication and Delivery of Notes | 14 |
Section 2.05 | Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Notes; Restrictions on Transfer; Depositary | 15 |
Section 2.06 | Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Notes | 22 |
Section 2.07 | Temporary Notes | 22 |
Section 2.08 | Cancellation of Notes Paid, Converted, Etc | 23 |
Section 2.09 | CUSIP Numbers | 23 |
Section 2.10 | Additional Notes; Repurchases | 23 |
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Article 3 | ||
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE | ||
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Section 3.01 | Satisfaction and Discharge | 24 |
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Article 4 | ||
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY | ||
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Section 4.01 | Payment of Principal and Interest | 24 |
Section 4.02 | Maintenance of Office or Agency | 24 |
Section 4.03 | Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustee’s Office | 25 |
Section 4.04 | Provisions as to Paying Agent | 25 |
Section 4.05 | Existence | 26 |
Section 4.06 | Rule 144A Information Requirement and Annual Reports | 26 |
Section 4.07 | Additional Amounts | 29 |
Section 4.08 | Stay, Extension and Usury Laws | 33 |
Section 4.09 | Compliance Certificate; Statements as to Defaults | 34 |
Section 4.10 | Further Instruments and Acts | 34 |
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Article 5 | ||
LISTS OF HOLDERS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY | ||
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Section 5.01 | Lists of Holders | 34 |
Section 5.02 | Preservation and Disclosure of Lists | 34 |
Article 6 | ||
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES | ||
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Section 6.01 | Events of Default | 35 |
Section 6.02 | Acceleration; Rescission and Annulment | 36 |
Section 6.03 | Additional Interest | 37 |
Section 6.04 | Payments of Notes on Default; Suit Therefor | 38 |
Section 6.05 | Application of Monies Collected by Trustee | 40 |
Section 6.06 | Proceedings by Holders | 40 |
Section 6.07 | Proceedings by Trustee | 41 |
Section 6.08 | Remedies Cumulative and Continuing | 41 |
Section 6.09 | Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by Majority of Holders | 42 |
Section 6.10 | Notice of Defaults and Events of Defaults | 43 |
Section 6.11 | Undertaking to Pay Costs | 43 |
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Article 7 | ||
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE | ||
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Section 7.01 | Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee | 43 |
Section 7.02 | Reliance on Documents, Opinions, Etc | 46 |
Section 7.03 | No Responsibility for Recitals, Etc | 48 |
Section 7.04 | [Reserved] | 48 |
Section 7.05 | Preservation of Information; Communication with Holders | 48 |
Section 7.06 | Trustee, Paying Agents, Conversion Agents or Note Registrar May Own Notes | 48 |
Section 7.07 | Monies to Be Held in Trust | 48 |
Section 7.08 | Compensation and Expenses of Trustee | 48 |
Section 7.09 | Officer’s Certificate as Evidence | 49 |
Section 7.10 | [Reserved] | 49 |
Section 7.11 | Eligibility of Trustee | 49 |
Section 7.12 | Resignation or Removal of Trustee | 50 |
Section 7.13 | Acceptance by Successor Trustee | 51 |
Section 7.14 | Succession by Merger, Etc | 51 |
Section 7.15 | Trustee’s Application for Instructions from the Company | 52 |
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Article 8 | ||
CONCERNING THE HOLDERS | ||
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Section 8.01 | Action by Holders | 52 |
Section 8.02 | Proof of Execution by Holders | 52 |
Section 8.03 | Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners | 53 |
Section 8.04 | Company-Owned Notes Disregarded | 53 |
Section 8.05 | Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound | 53 |
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Article 9 | ||
HOLDERS’ MEETINGS | ||
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Section 9.01 | Purpose of Meetings | 54 |
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Section 9.02 | Call of Meetings by Trustee | 54 |
Section 9.03 | Call of Meetings by Company or Holders | 54 |
Section 9.04 | Qualifications for Voting | 55 |
Section 9.05 | Regulations | 55 |
Section 9.06 | Voting | 55 |
Section 9.07 | No Delay of Rights by Meeting | 56 |
Section 9.08 | Depositary Procedures | 56 |
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Article 10 | ||
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES | ||
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Section 10.01 | Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders | 56 |
Section 10.02 | Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders | 57 |
Section 10.03 | Effect of Supplemental Indentures | 58 |
Section 10.04 | Notation on Notes | 59 |
Section 10.05 | Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental Indenture to Be Furnished Trustee | 59 |
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Article 11 | ||
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE | ||
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Section 11.01 | Company May Consolidate, Etc. on Certain Terms | 59 |
Section 11.02 | Successor Corporation to Be Substituted | 60 |
Section 11.03 | Opinion of Counsel to Be Given to Trustee | 60 |
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Article 12 | ||
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS | ||
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Section 12.01 | Indenture and Notes Solely Corporate Obligations | 60 |
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Article 13 | ||
INTENTIONALLY OMITTED | ||
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Article 14 | ||
CONVERSION OF NOTES | ||
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Section 14.01 | Conversion Privilege | 61 |
Section 14.02 | Conversion Procedure; Settlement Upon Conversion | 61 |
Section 14.03 | Increased Conversion Rate Applicable to Certain Notes Surrendered in Connection with Make-Whole Fundamental Changes or Notice of Redemption | 64 |
Section 14.04 | Adjustment of Conversion Rate | 66 |
Section 14.05 | Adjustments of Prices | 75 |
Section 14.06 | Shares to Be Fully Paid | 75 |
Section 14.07 | Effect of Recapitalizations, Reclassifications and Changes of the Common Shares | 75 |
Section 14.08 | Certain Covenants | 77 |
Section 14.09 | Responsibility of Trustee | 77 |
Section 14.10 | Notice to Holders Prior to Certain Actions | 78 |
Section 14.11 | Stockholder Rights Plans | 78 |
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Article 15 | ||
REPURCHASE OF NOTES AT OPTION OF HOLDERS | ||
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Section 15.01 | Intentionally Omitted | 78 |
Section 15.02 | Repurchase at Option of Holders Upon a Fundamental Change | 79 |
Section 15.03 | Withdrawal of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice | 82 |
Section 15.04 | Deposit of Fundamental Change Repurchase Price | 82 |
Section 15.05 | Covenant to Comply with Applicable Laws Upon Repurchase of Notes | 83 |
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Article 16 | ||
OPTIONAL REDEMPTION | ||
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Section 16.01 | Optional Redemption | 84 |
Section 16.02 | Notice of Optional Redemption; Selection of Notes | 84 |
Section 16.03 | Payment of Notes Called for Optional Redemption | 85 |
Section 16.04 | Restrictions on Optional Redemption | 86 |
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Article 17 | ||
REDEMPTION FOR TAXATION REASONS | ||
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Section 17.01 | Redemption for Taxation Reasons | 86 |
Section 17.02 | Notice of Tax Redemption | 86 |
Section 17.03 | Payment of Notes Called for Tax Redemption. | 88 |
Section 17.04 | Holders’ Right to Avoid Redemption | 88 |
Section 17.05 | Restrictions on Tax Redemption | 89 |
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Article 18 | ||
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS | ||
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Section 18.01 | Provisions Binding on Company’s Successors | 89 |
Section 18.02 | Official Acts by Successor Corporation | 89 |
Section 18.03 | Addresses for Notices, Etc | 89 |
Section 18.04 | [Reserved] | 91 |
Section 18.05 | Governing Law; Jurisdiction | 91 |
Section 18.06 | Submission to Jurisdiction; Service of Process | 91 |
Section 18.07 | Evidence Of Compliance With Conditions Precedent; Certificates And Opinions Of Counsel To Trustee | 92 |
Section 18.08 | Legal Holidays | 92 |
Section 18.09 | No Security Interest Created | 92 |
Section 18.10 | Benefits of Indenture | 92 |
Section 18.11 | Table of Contents, Headings, Etc | 92 |
Section 18.12 | Authenticating Agent | 93 |
Section 18.13 | Execution in Counterparts | 94 |
Section 18.14 | Severability | 94 |
Section 18.15 | Waiver of Jury Trial | 94 |
Section 18.16 | Force Majeure | 94 |
Section 18.17 | Calculations | 94 |
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Section 18.18 | USA PATRIOT Act | 94 |
Section 18.19 | Currency Indemnity | 95 |
Section 18.20 | Sanctions | 95 |
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Schedule I | ||
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CANADIAN SOLAR INC. | ||
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EXHIBIT | ||
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Exhibit A | Form of Note | A-1 |
Exhibit B | Form of Authorization Certificate | B-1 |
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INDENTURE dated as of January 13, 2026 between CANADIAN SOLAR INC., a Business Corporations Act (Ontario) corporation, as issuer (the “Company,” as more fully set forth in Section 1.01) and THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, a banking corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York with limited liability, as trustee (the “Trustee,” as more fully set forth in Section 1.01).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly authorized the issuance of its 3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 initially in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $230,000,000, subject to Section 2.10 (the “Notes”), and in order to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Notes are to be authenticated, issued and delivered, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture; and
WHEREAS, the Form of Note, the certificate of authentication to be borne by each Note, the Form of Notice of Conversion, the Form of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice and the Form of Assignment and Transfer to be borne by the Notes are to be substantially in the forms hereinafter provided; and
WHEREAS, all acts and things necessary to make the Notes, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or a duly authorized authenticating agent, as in this Indenture provided, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and this Indenture a valid agreement according to its terms, have been done and performed, and the execution of this Indenture and the issuance hereunder of the Notes have in all respects been duly authorized,
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
That in order to declare the terms and conditions upon which the Notes are, and are to be, authenticated, issued and delivered, and in consideration of the premises and of the purchase and acceptance of the Notes by the Holders thereof, the Company covenants and agrees with the Trustee for the equal and proportionate benefit of the respective Holders from time to time of the Notes (except as otherwise provided below), as follows:
Article 1
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.01Definitions. The terms defined in this Section 1.01 for all purposes of this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto (except as herein or therein otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) shall have the respective meanings specified in this Section 1.01. The words “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder” and words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision. The terms defined in this Article include the plural as well as the singular.
“2029 Notes” means the 6.00% Secured Convertible Notes due 2029 issued pursuant to the Indenture dated as of January 17, 2025 (and as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time), by and among the Company, The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee, and
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BNY Mellon Corporate Trustee Services Limited and The Bank of New York Mellon, Hong Kong Branch, as common security agents.
“Additional Amounts” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.07(a).
“Additional Interest” means all amounts, if any, payable pursuant to Section 4.06(d), Section 4.06(e) and Section 6.03, as applicable.
“Additional Shares” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(a).
“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 or cause the direction of 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.
“Agents” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.02.
“Applicable PRC Rate” means (i) in the case of deduction or withholding of People’s Republic of China income tax, 10%, (ii) in the case of deduction or withholding of People’s Republic of China value added tax (including any related local levies), 6.72%, calculated on the basis of the maximum combined rate for VAT and related local surcharges applicable in an urban district in the People’s Republic of China, or (iii) in the case of deduction or withholding of both People’s Republic of China income tax and People’s Republic of China value added tax (including any related local levies), 16.72%.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company or a committee of such board duly authorized to act for it hereunder.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution 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 Combination Event” shall have the meaning specified in Section 11.01.
“Business Day” means, with respect to any Note, any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banks in New York City are authorized or required by law or executive order to close or be closed.
“Capital Stock” means, for any entity, any and all shares, interests, rights to purchase, warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in (however designated) stock issued by that entity.
“Clause A Distribution” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).
“Clause B Distribution” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).
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“Clause C Distribution” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).
“close of business” means 5:00 p.m. (New York City time).
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Equity” of any Person means Capital Stock of such Person that is generally entitled (a) to vote in the election of directors of such Person or (b) if such Person is not a corporation, to vote or otherwise participate in the selection of the governing body, partners, managers or others that will control the management or policies of such Person.
“Common Shares” means the common shares of the Company, no par value, at the date of this Indenture, subject to Section 14.07.
“Company” shall have the meaning specified in the first paragraph of this Indenture, and subject to the provisions of Article 11, shall include its successors and assigns.
“Company Order” means a written order of the Company, signed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, President, Executive or Senior Vice President or any Vice President (whether or not designated by a number or numbers or word or words added before or after the title “Vice President”) and delivered to the Trustee.
“Conversion Agent” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.02.
“Conversion Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.02(c).
“Conversion Obligation” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.01.
“Conversion Price” means as of any date, $1,000, divided by the Conversion Rate as of such date.
“Conversion Rate” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.01.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the principal office of the Trustee at which at any time its corporate trust business shall be administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10286, USA, Attention: Global Corporate Trust -Canadian Solar Inc.; email: honctrmta@bny.com, and shall include a reference to the Specified Corporate Trust Office or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor trustee (or such other address as such successor trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).
“Custodian” means The Bank of New York Mellon, as custodian for The Depository Trust Company, with respect to the Global Notes, or any successor entity thereto.
“De-Legending Deadline Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.06(e).
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“Default” means any event that is, or after notice or passage of time, or both, would be, an Event of Default.
“Default Interest” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.03(c).
“Defaulted Amounts” means any amounts on any Note (including, without limitation, the Redemption Price, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, principal and interest) that are payable but are not punctually paid or duly provided for.
“Depositary” means, with respect to each Global Note, the Person specified in Section 2.05(c) as the Depositary with respect to such Notes, until a successor shall have been appointed and become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter, “Depositary” shall mean or include such successor.
“Distributed Property” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).
“Effective Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(c), except that, as used in Section 14.04, “Effective Date” means the first date on which Common Shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, reflecting the relevant share split or share combination, as applicable.
“Electronic Means” means the following communications methods: e-mail, secure electronic transmission containing applicable authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys issued by the Trustee and/or the Agents, or another method or system specified by the Trustee and/or the Agents as available for use in connection with its services hereunder.
“Event of Default” shall have the meaning specified in Section 6.01.
“Ex-Dividend Date” means, with respect to any issuance, dividend or distribution to holders of Common Shares, the first date on which Common Shares trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive the issuance, dividend or distribution in question, from the Company or, if applicable, from the seller of Common Shares on such exchange or market (in the form of due bills or otherwise) as determined by such exchange or market.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exempted Fundamental Change” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(f).
“FATCA” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.07(a)(i)(F).
“Form of Assignment and Transfer” means the “Form of Assignment and Transfer” attached as Attachment 3 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A.
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“Form of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice” means the “Form of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice” attached as Attachment 2 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A.
“Form of Note” means the “Form of Note” attached hereto as Exhibit A.
“Form of Notice of Conversion” means the “Form of Notice of Conversion” attached as Attachment 1 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A.
A “Fundamental Change” shall be deemed to have occurred at the time after the Notes are originally issued that any of the following occurs:
(a)a “person” or “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act), other than the Company, its Wholly Owned Subsidiaries and the employee benefit plans of the Company and its Wholly Owned Subsidiaries, files any report with the Commission indicating that such person or group has become the direct or indirect ultimate “beneficial owner,” as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, of the Company’s Common Equity representing more than 50% of the voting power of the Company’s Common Equity;
(b)the consummation of (A) any recapitalization, reclassification or change of the Common Shares (other than changes resulting from a subdivision or combination) as a result of which the Common Shares would be converted into, or exchanged for, stock, other securities, other property or assets; (B) any share exchange, consolidation, merger or similar transaction involving the Company pursuant to which the Common Shares will be converted into cash, securities or other property; or (C) any sale, lease or other transfer in one transaction or a series of transactions of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any Person other than one of the Company’s Wholly Owned Subsidiaries; provided, however, that a transaction of the type set forth in clauses (A) or (B) in which the holders of all classes of the Company’s Common Equity immediately prior to such transaction (each such holder, a “Pre-Transaction Holder”) own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of all classes of Common Equity of the continuing or surviving corporation or transferee or the direct or indirect parent thereof immediately after such event shall not be a Fundamental Change pursuant to this clause (b), so long as the proportion of the respective ownership of each Pre-Transaction Holder remains substantially the same relative to all other Pre-Transaction Holders;
(c)the shareholders of the Company approve any plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or
(d)the Common Shares (or other common stock underlying the Notes) ceases to be listed or quoted on any of the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market (or any of their respective successors);
provided, however, that a transaction or transactions that constitute a Fundamental Change as a result of solely clause (b) above shall not constitute a Fundamental Change if at least 90% of the consideration received or to be received by the common stockholders
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of the Company, excluding cash payments for fractional shares and cash payments made pursuant to dissenters’ statutory appraisal rights, in connection with such transaction or transactions consists of shares of common stock that are listed or quoted on any of the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market (or any of their respective successors) or will be so listed or quoted when issued or exchanged in connection with such transaction or transactions and as a result of such transaction or transactions the Notes become convertible into such consideration, excluding cash payments for fractional shares. The Trustee shall not be required to take any steps to ascertain whether a Fundamental Change or any event which could lead to a Fundamental Change has occurred and shall not be liable to any Person for any failure to do so.
For purposes of this definition of “Fundamental Change”, any transaction that constitutes a Fundamental Change pursuant to both clause (a) and clause (b) of this definition (whether or not the proviso to clause (b) applies to such transaction) shall be deemed a Fundamental Change solely under clause (b) of this definition (subject to the proviso therein).
If any transaction in which the Common Shares are replaced by the securities of another entity occurs, following completion of any related Make-Whole Fundamental Change Period (or, in the case of a transaction that would have been a Fundamental Change or a Make-Whole Fundamental Change but for the proviso immediately following clause (d) of this definition, following the effective date of such transaction), references to the Company in this definition shall instead be references to such other entity.
“Fundamental Change Company Notice” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(c).
“Fundamental Change Repurchase Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(a).
“Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(b)(i).
“Fundamental Change Repurchase Price” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(a).
“Global Note” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(b).
“Holder,” as applied to any Note, or other similar terms (but excluding the term “beneficial holder”), means any Person in whose name at the time a particular Note is registered on the Note Register.
“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or, if amended or supplemented as herein provided, as so amended or supplemented.
“Interest Payment Date” means each January 15 and July 15 of each year, beginning on July 15, 2026.
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“Issue Date” means January 13, 2026.
The “Last Reported Sale Price” of the Common Shares on any date means the closing sale price per share (or if no closing sale price is reported, the average of the bid and ask prices or, if more than one in either case, the average of the average bid and the average ask prices) on that date as reported in composite transactions for the principal U.S. national or regional securities exchange on which the Common Shares are traded. If the Common Shares are not listed for trading on any U.S. national or regional securities exchange on the relevant date, the “Last Reported Sale Price” shall be the last quoted bid price for the Common Shares in the over-the-counter market on the relevant date as reported by OTC Markets Group Inc. or a similar organization. If the Common Shares are not so quoted, the “Last Reported Sale Price” shall be the average of the mid-point of the last bid and ask prices for the Common Shares on the relevant date from each of at least three nationally recognized independent investment banking firms selected by the Company for this purpose.
For the avoidance of doubt, if a Fundamental Change described in clause (d) of the definition thereof has occurred and the Newly Listed Equity has been accepted for listing on a Permitted Exchange, the “Last Reported Sale Price” will be determined based on the closing sale price of the Newly Listed Equity on the principal Permitted Exchange, with such changes to the foregoing definition (including the deletion of the second sentence in the paragraph immediately above) as the Company’s Board of Directors determines in good faith are necessary to reflect the replacement of Common Shares (or other security) with the Newly Listed Equity as set forth in a supplemental indenture to be executed by the Company and the Trustee as described under Section 15.02(g).
“Make-Whole Fundamental Change” means any transaction or event that constitutes a Fundamental Change (as defined above and determined after giving effect to any exceptions to or exclusions from such definition, but without regard to the proviso in clause (b) of the definition thereof).
“Make-Whole Fundamental Change Period” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(a).
“Maturity Date” means January 15, 2031.
“Merger Event” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.07(a).
“New Listing Reference Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(g).
“Newly Listed Equity” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(g).
“Note” or “Notes” shall have the meaning specified in the first paragraph of the recitals of this Indenture.
“Note Register” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(a).
“Note Registrar” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(a).
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“Notice of Conversion” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.02(b).
“Offering Memorandum” means the preliminary offering memorandum dated January 7, 2026, as supplemented by the pricing term sheet dated January 8, 2026, relating to the offering and sale of the Notes.
“Officer” means, with respect to the Company, the President, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, the Secretary, any Executive or Senior Vice President or any Vice President (whether or not designated by a number or numbers or word or words added before or after the title “Vice President”).
“Officer’s Certificate,” when used with respect to the Company, means a certificate that is delivered to the Trustee and that is signed by one Officer of the Company. Each such certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 18.07 if and to the extent required by the provisions of such Section.
“open of business” means 9:00 a.m. (New York City time).
“Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion in writing signed by legal counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, or other counsel and such opinion shall be acceptable to the Trustee, that is delivered to the Trustee. Each such opinion shall include the statements provided for in Section 18.07 if and to the extent required by the provisions of such Section 18.07.
“Optional Redemption” shall have the meaning specified in Section 16.01.
“Optional Redemption Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 16.02.
“Optional Redemption Notice” shall have the meaning specified in Section 16.02.
“outstanding,” when used with reference to Notes, shall, subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, mean, as of any particular time, all Notes authenticated and delivered by the Trustee under this Indenture, except:
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“Paying Agent” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.02.
“Permitted Exchange” means the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange or the London Stock Exchange (or any of their respective successors).
“Person” means an individual, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a partnership, a joint venture, a joint stock company, a trust, an unincorporated organization or a government or an agency or a political subdivision thereof.
“Physical Notes” means permanent certificated Notes in registered form issued in denominations of $1,000 principal amount and integral multiples thereof.
“Predecessor Note” of any particular Note means every previous Note evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Note; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Note authenticated and delivered under Section 2.06 in lieu of or in exchange for a mutilated, lost, destroyed or stolen Note shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, lost, destroyed or stolen Note that it replaces.
“Qualified Successor Entity” means, with respect to a Business Combination Event, a corporation (or equivalent entity); provided, however, that a limited liability company, limited partnership or other similar entity will also constitute a Qualified Successor Entity with respect to such Business Combination Event if either (i) such Business Combination Event is an Exempted Fundamental Change or (ii) both of the following conditions are satisfied: (1) either (x) such limited liability company, limited partnership or other similar entity, as applicable, is treated as a corporation or is a direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary of, and disregarded as an entity separate from, a corporation, in each case for U.S. federal income tax purposes, or (y) the Company has received an opinion of a nationally recognized tax counsel to the effect that such Business Combination Event will not be treated as an exchange under Section 1001 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for Holders or beneficial owners of the Notes; and (2) such Business Combination Event constitutes a Merger Event whose Reference Property consists solely of any combination of cash in U.S. dollars and Common Shares or other corporate common equity interests of an entity that is (x) treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (y) duly organized and existing under the laws of Canada or any province or territory thereof, the United States of America or any State thereof or the District of Columbia, or the Cayman Islands, Singapore or Hong Kong and (z) the direct or indirect parent of such limited liability company, limited partnership or other similar entity.
“Record Date” means, with respect to any dividend, distribution or other transaction or event in which the holders of Common Shares have the right to receive any cash, securities or
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other property or in which the Common Shares are exchanged for or converted into any combination of cash, securities or other property, the date fixed for determination of shareholders entitled to receive such cash, securities or other property (whether such date is fixed by the Board of Directors, statute, contract or otherwise).
“Redemption Price” means, for any Notes to be redeemed pursuant to Section 16.01 or Section 17.01, 100% of the principal amount of such Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest (including any Additional Amounts in the case of a Tax Redemption), if any, to, but excluding, the Optional Redemption Date or the Tax Redemption Date, as the case may be (unless the Optional Redemption Date or Tax Redemption Date, as the case may be, falls after a Regular Record Date but on or prior to the immediately succeeding Interest Payment Date, in which case the Redemption Price will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of such Notes).
“Reference Property” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.07(a).
“Regular Record Date,” with respect to any Interest Payment Date, means the January 1 or July 1 (whether or not such day is a Business Day) immediately preceding the applicable January 15 or July 15 Interest Payment Date, respectively.
“Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.07(a).
“Resale Restriction Termination Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(c).
“Responsible Officer” means, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer within the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, including any director, vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee located at the Specified Corporate Trust Office who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such person's knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
“Restricted Securities” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(c).
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 as promulgated under the Securities Act.
“Rule 144A” means Rule 144A as promulgated under the Securities Act.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Significant Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary of the Company that meets the definition of “significant subsidiary” in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act.
“Specified Corporate Trust Office” means The Bank of New York Mellon, Hong Kong Branch located at Level 26, Three Pacific Place, 1 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong; Attention: Corporate Trust - Canadian Solar Inc.; email: honctrmta@bny.com.
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“Spin-Off” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).
“Stock Price” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(c).
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, association, partnership or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock or other interests (including partnership interests) entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers, general partners or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by (i) such Person; (ii) such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person; or (iii) one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.
“Successor Company” shall have the meaning specified in Section 11.01(a).
“Tax Act” means the Income Tax Act (Canada).
“Tax Redemption” shall have the meaning specified in Section 17.01.
“Tax Redemption Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 17.02(a).
“Tax Redemption Notice” shall have the meaning specified in Section 17.02(a).
“Trading Day” means a day on which (i) trading in the Common Shares (or other security for which a closing sale price must be determined) generally occurs on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or, if the Common Shares (or such other security) are not then listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, on the principal other U.S. national or regional securities exchange on which the Common Shares (or such other security) are then listed or, if the Common Shares (or such other security) are not then listed on a U.S. national or regional securities exchange, on the principal other market on which the Common Shares (or such other security) are then traded and (ii) a Last Reported Sale Price for the Common Shares (or closing sale price for such other security) is available on such securities exchange or market; provided that if the Common Shares (or such other security) are not so listed or traded, “Trading Day” means a Business Day.
“transfer” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(c).
“Transfer Agent” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.02.
“Trigger Event” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).
“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, as it was in force at the date of execution of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after the date hereof, the term “Trust Indenture Act” shall mean, to the extent required by such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as so amended.
“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions
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of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder.
“unit of Reference Property” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.07(a).
“Valuation Period” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).
“Wholly Owned Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any Subsidiary of such Person, except that, solely for purposes of this definition, the reference to “50%” in the definition of “Subsidiary” shall be deemed replaced by a reference to “100%”.
Section 1.02References to Interest. Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to interest on, or in respect of, any Note in this Indenture shall be deemed to include Additional Interest if, in such context, Additional Interest is, was or would be payable pursuant to any of Section 4.06(d), Section 4.06(e) and Section 6.03. Unless the context otherwise requires, any express mention of Additional Interest in any provision hereof shall not be construed as excluding Additional Interest in those provisions hereof where such express mention is not made.
Article 2
ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF NOTES
Section 2.01Designation and Amount. The Notes shall be designated as the “3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031.” The aggregate principal amount of Notes that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is initially limited to $230,000,000, subject to Section 2.10 and except for Notes authenticated and delivered upon registration or transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of other Notes pursuant to any express provision hereof.
Section 2.02Form of Notes. The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by such Notes shall be substantially in the respective forms set forth in Exhibit A, the terms and provisions of which shall constitute, and are hereby expressly incorporated in and made a part of this Indenture. To the extent applicable, the Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.
Any Global Note may be endorsed with or have incorporated in the text thereof such legends or recitals or changes not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture as may be required by the Custodian or the Depositary, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or any regulation thereunder or with the rules and regulations of any securities exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Notes may be listed or traded or designated for issuance or to conform with any usage with respect thereto, or to indicate any special limitations or restrictions to which any particular Notes are subject.
Any of the Notes may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such notations, legends or endorsements as the Officer executing the same may approve (execution thereof to be conclusive evidence of such approval) and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any securities exchange or
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automated quotation system on which the Notes may be listed or designated for issuance, or to conform to usage or to indicate any special limitations or restrictions to which any particular Notes are subject.
Each Global Note shall represent such principal amount of the outstanding Notes as shall be specified therein and shall provide that it shall represent the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby may from time to time be increased or reduced to reflect repurchases, redemptions, cancellations, conversions, transfers or exchanges permitted hereby. Any endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase or decrease in the amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby shall be made by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, in such manner and upon instructions given by the Holder of such Notes in accordance with this Indenture. Payment of principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, a Global Note shall be made to the Holder of such Note on the date of payment, unless a record date or other means of determining Holders eligible to receive payment is provided for herein.
Section 2.03Date and Denomination of Notes; Payments of Interest and Defaulted Amounts. (a) The Notes shall be issuable in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 principal amount and integral multiples thereof. Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication and shall bear interest from the date specified on the face of such Note. Accrued interest on the Notes shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months and, for partial months, on the basis of actual days elapsed in a 30-day month.
(b)The Person in whose name any Note (or its Predecessor Note) is registered on the Note Register at the close of business on any Regular Record Date with respect to any Interest Payment Date shall be entitled to receive the interest payable semi-annually in arrears on such Interest Payment Date. The principal amount of Physical Notes shall be payable upon presentation of the Physical Note at the office or agency of the Company maintained by the Company for such purposes in the contiguous United States of America, which shall initially be the Corporate Trust Office. The Company shall pay, or cause the Paying Agent to pay, (i) interest on any Physical Notes (A) to Holders holding Physical Notes having an aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000 or less, by check mailed to the Holders of these Notes at their address as it appears in the Note Register (in which case the Company will act as its own Paying Agent) and (B) to Holders holding Physical Notes having an aggregate principal amount of more than $5,000,000, either by check mailed to each Holder (in which case the Company will act as its own Paying Agent) or, upon application by such a Holder to the Note Registrar not later than the relevant Regular Record Date, by wire transfer in immediately available funds to that Holder’s account within the United States of America specified in such application, which application shall remain in effect until the Holder notifies, in writing, the Note Registrar to the contrary or (ii) the principal of, or interest on, any Global Note by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account of the Depositary or its nominee. For the avoidance of doubt, all payments made by The Bank of New York Mellon acting as the Paying Agent will be made by wire transfer only.
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(c)Any Defaulted Amounts shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant payment date but shall accrue interest per annum at the rate borne by the Notes plus 0.50% (such interest, if any, is referred to as “Default Interest”) subject to the enforceability thereof under applicable law, from, and including, such relevant payment date, and such Defaulted Amounts together with such interest thereon shall be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (i) or (ii) below:
(i)The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Amounts to the Persons in whose names the Notes (or their respective Predecessor Notes) are registered at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Amounts, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of the Defaulted Amounts proposed to be paid on each Note and the date of the proposed payment (which shall be not less than 25 days after the receipt by the Trustee of such notice, unless the Trustee shall consent to an earlier date), and the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Amounts at least one Business Day 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 Amounts as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Company shall fix a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Amounts 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 Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of such special record date and cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Amounts and the special record date therefor to be sent to each Holder at its address as it appears in the Note Register or, in the case of Global Notes, sent electronically in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary, not less than 10 days prior to such special record date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Amounts and the special record date therefor having been so sent, such Defaulted Amounts shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Notes (or their respective Predecessor Notes) are registered at the close of business on such special record date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (ii) of this Section 2.03(c).
(ii)The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Amounts to the Persons in whose names the Notes (or their respective Predecessor Notes) are registered in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Notes may be listed or designated for issuance, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange or automated quotation system.
Section 2.04Execution, Authentication and Delivery of Notes. The Notes shall be signed in the name and on behalf of the Company by the manual or facsimile signature of its Officer. With the delivery of this Indenture, the Company is furnishing, and from time to time thereafter may furnish, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B (an “Authorization Certificate”) identifying and certifying the incumbency and specimen (and/or facsimile) signatures of its active authorized Officers. Until the Trustee receives a subsequent Authorization Certificate, the Trustee shall be entitled to conclusively rely on the last
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Authorization Certificate delivered to it for purposes of determining the relevant authorized Officers. Typographical and other minor errors or defects in any signature shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any Note which has been duly authenticated and delivered by the Trustee.
At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Notes executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Notes, and the Trustee in accordance with such Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Notes, without any further action by the Company hereunder.
The Company Order shall specify the amount of Notes to be authenticated, the applicable rate at which interest (if any) will accrue on such Notes, the date on which the original issuance of such Notes is to be authenticated, the date from which interest (if any) will begin to accrue, the date or dates on which interest (if any) on such Notes will be payable and the date on which the principal of such Notes will be payable and other terms relating to such Notes. The Trustee shall thereupon authenticate and deliver said Notes to or upon the written order of the Company (as set forth in such Company Order).
Only such Notes as shall bear thereon a certificate of authentication substantially in the form set forth on the form of Note attached as Exhibit A hereto, executed manually or by facsimile by an authorized officer of the Trustee (or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee as provided by Section 18.12), shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose. Such certificate by the Trustee (or such an authenticating agent) upon any Note executed by the Company shall be conclusive evidence that the Note so authenticated has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the Holder is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
In case any Officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Notes shall cease to be such Officer before the Notes so signed shall have been authenticated and delivered by the Trustee, or disposed of by the Company, such Notes nevertheless may be authenticated and delivered or disposed of as though the person who signed such Notes had not ceased to be such Officer of the Company; and any Note may be signed on behalf of the Company by such persons as, at the actual date of the execution of such Note, shall be the Officers of the Company, although at the date of the execution of this Indenture any such person was not such an Officer.
Section 2.05Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Notes; Restrictions on Transfer; Depositary. (a) The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office a register (the register maintained in such office or in any other office or agency of the Company designated pursuant to Section 4.02, the “Note Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Notes and of transfers of Notes. Such register shall be in written form or in any form capable of being converted into written form within a reasonable period of time. The Bank of New York Mellon is hereby initially appointed the “Note Registrar” for the purpose of registering Notes and transfers of Notes as herein provided. The Company may appoint one or more co-Note Registrars in accordance with Section 4.02.
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Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Note to the Note Registrar or any co-Note Registrar, and satisfaction of the requirements for such transfer set forth in this Section 2.05, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Notes of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and bearing such restrictive legends as may be required by this Indenture.
Notes may be exchanged for other Notes of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Notes to be exchanged at any such office or agency maintained by the Company pursuant to Section 4.02. Whenever any Notes are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Notes that the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive, bearing registration numbers not contemporaneously outstanding.
All Notes presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange, repurchase or conversion shall (if so required by the Company, the Trustee, the Note Registrar or any co-Note Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and duly executed, by the Holder thereof or its attorney-in-fact duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be imposed by the Company, the Trustee, the Note Registrar, any co-Note Registrar or the Paying Agent for any exchange or registration of transfer of Notes, but the Company may require a Holder to pay a sum sufficient to cover any documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax required because the Holder requests Common Shares to be issued in a name other than the Holder’s name.
None of the Company, the Trustee, the Note Registrar or any co-Note Registrar shall be required to exchange or register a transfer of (i) any Notes surrendered for conversion or, if a portion of any Note is surrendered for conversion, such portion thereof surrendered for conversion, (ii) any Notes, or a portion of any Note, surrendered for repurchase (and not withdrawn) in accordance with Article 15 or (iii) in the event of any Optional Redemption in part of the Notes pursuant to Article 16, any Note so selected for redemption, except the unredeemed portion thereof, if applicable.
All Notes issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Notes in accordance with this Indenture shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as the Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
(b)So long as the Notes are eligible for book-entry settlement with the Depositary, unless otherwise required by law, subject to the fourth paragraph from the end of Section 2.05(c), all Notes shall be represented by one or more Notes in global form (each, a “Global Note”) registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary. The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in a Global Note that does not involve the issuance of a Physical Note shall be effected through the Depositary in accordance with this Indenture (including the restrictions on transfer set forth herein) and the procedures of the Depositary therefor.
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(c)Every Note that bears or is required under this Section 2.05(c) to bear any legend set forth in this Section 2.05(c) (together with any Common Shares issued upon conversion of the Notes that is required to bear any legend set forth in Section 2.05(d), collectively, the “Restricted Securities”) shall be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section 2.05(c) (including the legend set forth below), unless such restrictions on transfer shall be eliminated or otherwise waived by written consent of the Company, and the Holder of each such Restricted Security, by such Holder’s acceptance thereof, agrees to be bound by all such restrictions on transfer. As used in this Section 2.05(c) and Section 2.05(d), the term “transfer” encompasses any sale, pledge, transfer or other disposition whatsoever of any Restricted Security.
Until the date (the “Resale Restriction Termination Date”) that is the later of (1) the date that is one year after the Issue Date, or such shorter period of time as permitted by Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any successor provision thereto, and (2) such later date, if any, as may be required by applicable law, any certificate evidencing a Note (and all securities issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof, other than Common Shares, if any, issued upon conversion thereof, which shall bear the applicable legend set forth in Section 2.05(d), if applicable) shall bear a legend in substantially the following form (unless such Notes have been transferred pursuant to a registration statement that has become or been declared effective under the Securities Act and that continues to be effective at the time of such transfer, or sold pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 or any similar provision then in force under the Securities Act, or unless otherwise agreed by the Company in writing, with notice thereof to the Trustee):
THIS SECURITY AND THE COMMON SHARES DELIVERABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), ARE “RESTRICTED SECURITIES” WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR CONTRACTUALLY RESTRICTED SECURITIES, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF OR OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN, THE ACQUIRER:
(1)REPRESENTS THAT IT AND ANY ACCOUNT FOR WHICH IT IS ACTING IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” (WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) AND THAT IT EXERCISES SOLE INVESTMENT DISCRETION WITH RESPECT TO EACH SUCH ACCOUNT AND THAT IT AND ANY SUCH ACCOUNT IS NOT, AND HAS NOT BEEN FOR THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THREE MONTHS, AN AFFILIATE OF CANADIAN SOLAR INC. (THE “COMPANY”), AND
(2)AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMPANY THAT IT WILL NOT OFFER, SELL, PLEDGE OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY OR ANY BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THE LATER OF (X) ONE YEAR AFTER THE ISSUE DATE OR SUCH SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME AS PERMITTED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT
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OR ANY SUCCESSOR PROVISION THERETO AND (Y) SUCH LATER DATE, IF ANY, AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EXCEPT:
(A)TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, OR
(B)PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT WHICH HAS BECOME EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR
(C)TO A PERSON REASONABLY BELIEVED TO BE A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR
(D)PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (IF AVAILABLE).
PRIOR TO THE REGISTRATION OF ANY TRANSFER IN ACCORDANCE WITH CLAUSE (2)(D) ABOVE, THE COMPANY AND THE TRANSFER AGENT RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF SUCH LEGAL OPINIONS, CERTIFICATIONS OR OTHER EVIDENCE AS MAY REASONABLY BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. NO REPRESENTATION IS MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.
NO AFFILIATE (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) OF THE COMPANY OR PERSON THAT HAS BEEN AN AFFILIATE (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) OF THE COMPANY DURING THE THREE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING MONTHS MAY PURCHASE, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR OWN THIS NOTE OR THE COMMON SHARES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION THEREOF, OR A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN OR THEREIN.
No transfer of any Note prior to the Resale Restriction Termination Date will be registered by the Note Registrar unless the applicable box on the Form of Assignment and Transfer has been checked.
Any Note (or security issued in exchange or substitution therefor) as to which such restrictions on transfer shall have expired in accordance with their terms may, upon surrender of such Note for exchange to the Note Registrar in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.05, be exchanged for a new Note or Notes, of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, which shall not bear the restrictive legend required by this Section 2.05(c) and shall not be assigned a restricted CUSIP number. The Company shall be entitled to instruct the Custodian in writing to so surrender any Global Note as to which such restrictions on transfer shall have expired in accordance with their terms for exchange, and, upon such instruction, the Custodian shall so surrender such Global Note for exchange; and any new Global Note so exchanged therefor shall not bear the restrictive legend specified in this Section 2.05(c) and shall not be assigned a restricted CUSIP number. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee upon the occurrence of the Resale Restriction Termination Date and promptly after a registration statement, if any,
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with respect to the Notes or any Common Shares issued upon conversion of the Notes has been declared effective under the Securities Act.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture (other than the provisions set forth in this Section 2.05(c)), a Global Note may not be transferred as a whole or in part except (i) by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary and (ii) for transfers of portions of a Global Note in certificated form made upon request of a member of, or a participant in, the Depositary (for itself or on behalf of a beneficial owner) by written notice given to the Trustee by or on behalf of the Depositary in accordance with customary procedures of the Depositary and in compliance with this Section 2.05(c).
The Depositary shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act. The Company initially appoints The Depository Trust Company to act as Depositary with respect to each Global Note. Initially, each Global Note shall be issued to the Depositary, registered in the name of Cede & Co., as the nominee of the Depositary, and deposited with The Bank of New York Mellon as custodian for Cede & Co.
If (i) the Depositary notifies the Company at any time that the Depositary is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for the Global Notes and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days, (ii) the Depositary ceases to be registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days or (iii) an Event of Default with respect to the Notes has occurred and is continuing and a beneficial owner of any Note requests that its beneficial interest therein be issued as a Physical Note, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Officer’s Certificate and a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of Notes, shall authenticate and deliver (x) in the case of clause (iii), a Physical Note to such beneficial owner in a principal amount equal to the principal amount of such Note corresponding to such beneficial owner’s beneficial interest and (y) in the case of clause (i) or (ii), Physical Notes to each beneficial owner of the related Global Notes (or a portion thereof) in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of such Global Notes in exchange for such Global Notes, and upon delivery of the Global Notes to the Note Registrar such Global Notes shall be canceled.
Physical Notes issued in exchange for all or a part of the Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.05(c) shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. Upon execution and authentication, the Trustee shall deliver such Physical Notes to the Persons in whose names such Physical Notes are so registered.
At such time as all interests in a Global Note have been converted, canceled, repurchased, redeemed or transferred, such Global Note shall be, upon receipt thereof, canceled by the Note Registrar in accordance with standing procedures and existing instructions between the Depositary and the Custodian. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any interest in a Global Note is exchanged for Physical Notes, converted, canceled, repurchased, redeemed or transferred to a transferee who receives Physical Notes therefor or any Physical Note is exchanged or transferred for part of such Global Note, the principal amount of such Global Note shall, in
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accordance with the standing procedures and instructions existing between the Depositary and the Custodian, be appropriately reduced or increased, as the case may be, and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Note, by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, to reflect such reduction or increase.
None of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Global Note or maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests. Neither the Company nor the Trustee, the Paying Agent or Conversion Agent has any responsibility or liability for any act or omission of the Depositary.
(d)Until the Resale Restriction Termination Date, any stock certificate representing Common Shares issued upon conversion of a Note shall bear a legend in substantially the following form (unless the Note or such Common Shares have been transferred pursuant to a registration statement that has become or been declared effective under the Securities Act and that continues to be effective at the time of such transfer, or pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 or any similar provision then in force under the Securities Act, or such Common Shares have been issued upon conversion of Notes that have been transferred pursuant to a registration statement that has become or been declared effective under the Securities Act and that continues to be effective at the time of such transfer, or pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 or any similar provision then in force under the Securities Act, or unless otherwise agreed by the Company with written notice thereof to the Trustee and any transfer agent for the Common Shares):
THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF OR OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN, THE ACQUIRER:
(1)REPRESENTS THAT IT AND ANY ACCOUNT FOR WHICH IT IS ACTING IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” (WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) AND THAT IT EXERCISES SOLE INVESTMENT DISCRETION WITH RESPECT TO EACH SUCH ACCOUNT AND THAT IT AND ANY SUCH ACCOUNT IS NOT, AND HAS NOT BEEN FOR THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THREE MONTHS, AN AFFILIATE OF CANADIAN SOLAR INC. (THE “COMPANY”), AND
(2)AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMPANY THAT IT WILL NOT OFFER, SELL, PLEDGE OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY OR ANY BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THE LATER OF (X) ONE YEAR AFTER THE ISSUE DATE OF THE SERIES OF NOTES UPON THE CONVERSION OF WHICH THIS SECURITY WAS ISSUED OR SUCH SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME AS PERMITTED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY SUCCESSOR PROVISION THERETO AND (Y) SUCH
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LATER DATE, IF ANY, AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EXCEPT:
(A)TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, OR
(B)PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT THAT HAS BECOME EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR
(C)TO A PERSON REASONABLY BELIEVED TO BE A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR
(D)PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (IF AVAILABLE).
PRIOR TO THE REGISTRATION OF ANY TRANSFER IN ACCORDANCE WITH CLAUSE (2)(D) ABOVE, THE COMPANY AND THE TRANSFER AGENT FOR THE COMMON SHARES RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF SUCH LEGAL OPINIONS, CERTIFICATIONS OR OTHER EVIDENCE AS MAY REASONABLY BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. NO REPRESENTATION IS MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.
NO AFFILIATE (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) OF THE COMPANY OR PERSON THAT HAS BEEN AN AFFILIATE (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) OF THE COMPANY DURING THE THREE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING MONTHS MAY PURCHASE, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR OWN THIS SECURITY OR A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN.
Any such Common Shares as to which such restrictions on transfer shall have expired in accordance with their terms may, upon surrender of the certificates representing such Common Shares for exchange in accordance with the procedures of the transfer agent for the Common Shares, be exchanged for a new certificate or certificates for a like aggregate number of Common Shares, which shall not bear the restrictive legend required by this Section 2.05(d).
Any Note or Common Shares issued upon the conversion or exchange of a Note that is repurchased or owned by any Affiliate of the Company (or any Person who was an Affiliate of the Company at any time during the three months immediately preceding) may not be resold by such Affiliate (or such Person, as the case may be) unless registered under the Securities Act or resold pursuant to an exemption, or in a transaction not subject to, from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in a transaction that results in such Note or Common Shares, as the case may be, no longer being a “restricted security” (as defined under Rule 144 under the Securities Act). The Company shall cause any Note that is repurchased or owned by it to be surrendered to the Note Registrar for cancellation in accordance with Section 2.08.
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Section 2.06Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Notes. In case any Note shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company in its discretion may execute, and upon its written request the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, a new Note, bearing a registration number not contemporaneously outstanding, in exchange and substitution for the mutilated Note, or in lieu of and in substitution for the Note so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every case the applicant for a substituted Note shall furnish to the Company, to the Trustee and, if applicable, to such authenticating agent such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless from any loss, liability, cost or expense caused by or connected with such substitution, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, the applicant shall also furnish to the Company, to the Trustee and, if applicable, to such authenticating agent evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of such Note and of the ownership thereof.
The Trustee or such authenticating agent may authenticate any such substituted Note and deliver the same upon the receipt of such security or indemnity as the Trustee, the Company and, if applicable, such authenticating agent may require. No service charge shall be imposed by the Company, the Trustee, the Note Registrar, any co-Note Registrar or the Paying Agent upon the issuance of any substitute Note, but the Company may require a Holder to pay a sum sufficient to cover any documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax required in connection therewith as a result of the name of the Holder of the new substitute Note being different from the name of the Holder of the old Note that became mutilated or was destroyed, lost or stolen. In case any Note that has matured or as to which a Notice of Conversion or Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice has been duly delivered shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company may, in its sole discretion, instead of issuing a substitute Note, pay or authorize the payment of or convert or authorize the conversion of the same (without surrender thereof except in the case of a mutilated Note), as the case may be, if the applicant for such payment or conversion shall furnish to the Company, to the Trustee and, if applicable, to such authenticating agent such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless for any loss, liability, cost or expense caused by or connected with such substitution, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, evidence satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee and, if applicable, any Paying Agent or Conversion Agent evidence of their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of such Note and of the ownership thereof.
Every substitute Note issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 2.06 by virtue of the fact that any Note is destroyed, lost or stolen shall constitute an additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Note shall be found at any time, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of (but shall be subject to all the limitations set forth in) this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Notes duly issued hereunder. To the extent permitted by law, all Notes shall be held and owned upon the express condition that the foregoing provisions are exclusive with respect to the replacement, payment, redemption, conversion or repurchase of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes and shall preclude any and all other rights or remedies notwithstanding any law or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the replacement, payment, redemption, conversion or repurchase of negotiable instruments or other securities without their surrender.
Section 2.07Temporary Notes. Pending the preparation of Physical Notes, the Company may execute and the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee shall,
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upon written request of the Company, authenticate and deliver temporary Notes (printed or lithographed). Temporary Notes shall be issuable in any authorized denomination, and substantially in the form of the Physical Notes but with such omissions, insertions and variations as may be appropriate for temporary Notes, all as may be determined by the Company. Every such temporary Note shall be executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee or such authenticating agent upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with the same effect, as the Physical Notes. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall execute and deliver to the Trustee or such authenticating agent Physical Notes (other than any Global Note) and thereupon any or all temporary Notes (other than any Global Note) may be surrendered in exchange therefor, at each office or agency maintained by the Company pursuant to Section 4.02 and the Trustee or such authenticating agent shall authenticate and deliver in exchange for such temporary Notes an equal aggregate principal amount of Physical Notes. Such exchange shall be made by the Company at its own expense and without any charge therefor. Until so exchanged, the temporary Notes shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits and subject to the same limitations under this Indenture as Physical Notes authenticated and delivered hereunder.
Section 2.08Cancellation of Notes Paid, Converted, Etc. The Company shall cause all Notes surrendered for the purpose of payment, repurchase, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or conversion, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee (including any of the Company’s Agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates), to be surrendered to the Note Registrar for cancellation. All Notes delivered to the Note Registrar shall be canceled promptly by it, and no Notes shall be authenticated in exchange thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Indenture. The Note Registrar shall dispose of canceled Notes in accordance with its customary procedures and, after such disposition, shall deliver a certificate of such cancellation and disposition to the Company, at the Company’s written request in a Company Order.
Section 2.09CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing the Notes may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in all notices issued to Holders as a convenience to such Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or on such notice and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee and the Agents in writing of any change in the “CUSIP” numbers.
Section 2.10Additional Notes; Repurchases. The Company may, without the consent of, or notice to, the Holders and notwithstanding Section 2.01, reopen this Indenture and issue additional Notes hereunder with the same terms as the Notes issued hereunder (other than differences in the issue price, issue date and interest accrued, if any, and, if applicable restrictions on transfer in respect of such additional Notes) in an unlimited aggregate principal amount; provided that if any such additional Notes are not fungible with the Notes issued hereunder for U.S. federal securities law or income tax purposes, such additional Notes shall not have the same CUSIP, ISIN or other identifying number as the outstanding Notes. Prior to the issuance of any such additional Notes, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee a Company Order, an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, such Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel to cover such matters, in addition to those required by Section 18.07, as the
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Trustee shall reasonably request. In addition, the Company may from time to time itself or through its Subsidiaries and directly or indirectly repurchase Notes in open market repurchases, private or public tender or exchange offers or other negotiated transactions, including by cash-settled swaps or other derivatives, without the consent of, or prior notice to, the Holders. The Company shall cause any Notes so repurchased (other than any Notes repurchased pursuant to cash-settled swaps or other derivatives) to be surrendered to the Note Registrar for cancellation in accordance with Section 2.08.
Article 3
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 3.01Satisfaction and Discharge. This Indenture shall upon request of the Company contained in an Officer’s Certificate cease to be of further effect, and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when (a) (i) all Notes theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (x) Notes which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.06 and (y) Notes for which 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 trust as provided in Section 4.04) have been delivered to the Note Registrar for cancellation; or (ii) the Company has deposited with the Trustee or delivered to Holders, as applicable, after the Notes have become due and payable, whether on the Maturity Date, any Fundamental Change Repurchase Date or upon redemption or conversion or otherwise, cash or Common Shares, if any (solely to satisfy the Company’s Conversion Obligation, if applicable), sufficient to pay all of the outstanding Notes or to satisfy the Company’s Conversion Obligation, as the case may be, and to pay all other sums due and payable under this Indenture by the Company; and (b) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s 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. Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.08 shall survive.
Article 4
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
Section 4.01Payment of Principal and Interest. The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be paid the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, each of the Notes at the places, at the respective times and in the manner provided herein and in the Notes.
Section 4.02Maintenance of Office or Agency. The Company will maintain in the contiguous United States of America, an office or agency where the Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (“Transfer Agent”) or for presentation for payment or repurchase (“Paying Agent”) or for conversion (“Conversion Agent”) and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes 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
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presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office or the office or agency of the Trustee in the contiguous United States of America.
The Company may also from time to time designate as co-Note Registrars one or more other offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the contiguous United States of America, 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. The terms “Paying Agent” and “Conversion Agent” include any such additional or other offices or agencies, as applicable.
The Company hereby initially designates The Bank of New York Mellon as the Paying Agent, Note Registrar, Custodian, Conversion Agent, and Transfer Agent (collectively, the “Agents”) and the Corporate Trust Office as the office or agency in the contiguous United States of America, where Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange or for presentation for payment, redemption or repurchase or for conversion and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be served.
Section 4.03Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustee’s Office. The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 7.12, a Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.
Section 4.04Provisions as to Paying Agent. (a) If the Company shall appoint a Paying Agent other than the Trustee, the Company will cause such Paying Agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section 4.04:
(i)that it will hold all sums held by it as such agent for the payment of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes in trust for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes;
(ii)that it will give the Trustee prompt notice of any failure by the Company to make any payment of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes when the same shall be due and payable; and
(iii)that at any time during the continuance of an Event of Default, upon request of the Trustee, it will forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust.
The Company shall, on or before noon New York City time one Business Day prior to each due date of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, or accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes, deposit with the Paying Agent a sum in U.S. Dollars in immediately available funds sufficient to pay such principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) or accrued and unpaid interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of any failure to take such action; provided that if
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such deposit is made on the due date, such deposit must be received by the Paying Agent by 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on such date.
(b)If the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent, it will, on or before each due date of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes, set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes a sum sufficient to pay such principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) and accrued and unpaid interest so becoming due and will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any failure to take such action and of any failure by the Company to make any payment of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, or accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes when the same shall become due and payable. Upon an Event of Default under Section 6.01(i) or Section 6.01(j), the Trustee shall automatically become the Paying Agent.
(c)Anything in this Section 4.04 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may, at any time, for the purpose of obtaining a satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, or for any other reason, pay, cause to be paid or deliver to the Trustee all sums or amounts held in trust by the Company or any Paying Agent hereunder as required by this Section 4.04, such sums or amounts to be held by the Trustee upon the trusts herein contained and upon such payment or delivery by the Company or any Paying Agent to the Trustee, the Company or such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability but only with respect to such sums or amounts.
(d)Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, any Note and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal (including the Redemption Price and Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on request of the Company contained in an Officer’s Certificate, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Note 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; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day and of general circulation in The Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.
Section 4.05Existence. Subject to Article 11, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence.
Section 4.06Rule 144A Information Requirement and Annual Reports. (a) At any time the Company is not subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company shall, so long as any of the Notes or any Common Shares issuable upon conversion thereof shall, at such
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time, constitute “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the Securities Act, promptly provide to the Trustee and, upon written request, any Holder, beneficial owner or prospective purchaser of such Notes or any Common Shares issuable upon conversion of such Notes, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act to facilitate the resale of such Notes or Common Shares pursuant to Rule 144A. The Company shall take such further action as any Holder or beneficial owner of such Notes or such Common Shares may reasonably request to the extent from time to time required to enable such Holder or beneficial owner to sell such Notes or Common Shares in accordance with Rule 144A, as such rule may be amended from time to time.
(b)The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 15 days after the same are required to be filed with the Commission (giving effect to any applicable grace period provided by Rule 12b-25 under the Exchange Act), copies of any documents or reports that the Company is required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (excluding any such information, documents or reports, or portions thereof, with respect to which the Company has received (or is actively seeking in good faith and have not been denied), confidential treatment and any correspondence with the Commission). Any such document or report that the Company files with the Commission via the Commission’s EDGAR system (or any successor thereto) shall be deemed to be delivered to the Trustee for purposes of this Section 4.06(b) at the time such documents are filed via the EDGAR system (or any successor thereto).
(c)Delivery of the reports and documents described in subsection (b) above to the Trustee is for informational purposes only, and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute actual or constructive notice or knowledge of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to conclusively rely on an Officer’s Certificate). Notwithstanding the deemed delivery of the information, document or report to the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.06(b), the Trustee has no obligation to monitor the Company’s compliance with its reporting or other obligations and covenants and shall not be responsible for downloading any such information, document or report from the Commission’s EDGAR system (or any successor thereto) or otherwise and shall incur no liability to any person for not doing so.
(d)If, at any time during the six-month period beginning on, and including, the date that is six months after the Issue Date of the Notes, the Company fails to timely file any document or report that it is required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as applicable (after giving effect to all applicable grace periods thereunder and other than reports on Form 6-K to the extent that the Company continues to satisfy the “current public information” requirements of Rule 144), or the Notes are not otherwise freely tradable pursuant to Rule 144 by Holders other than the Company’s Affiliates or Persons that were the Company’s Affiliates at any time during the three months immediately preceding (as a result of restrictions pursuant to U.S. securities laws or the terms of this Indenture or the Notes), the Company shall pay or cause the Paying Agent to pay Additional Interest on the Notes. Such Additional Interest shall accrue on the Notes at the rate of 0.50% per annum of the principal amount of the Notes outstanding for each day during such period for which the Company’s failure to file has occurred and is continuing or the Notes are not otherwise so freely tradable pursuant to Rule 144 by Holders other than the Company’s Affiliates (or Holders that were the Company’s Affiliates at any time during the three months immediately preceding) as a result of
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restrictions pursuant to U.S. securities laws or the terms of this Indenture or the Notes. As used in this Section 4.06(d), documents or reports that the Company is required to “file” with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act does not include documents or reports that the Company furnishes to the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
(e)If, and for so long as, the restrictive legend on the Notes specified in Section 2.05(c) has not been removed (or deemed removed), the Notes are assigned a restricted CUSIP number or the Notes are not otherwise freely tradable pursuant to Rule 144 by Holders other than the Company’s Affiliates or Persons that were the Company’s Affiliates at any time during the three months immediately preceding (as a result of restrictions pursuant to U.S. securities laws or the terms of this Indenture or the Notes) as of the 380th day after the Issue Date of the Notes (the “De-Legending Deadline Date”), the Company shall pay or cause the Paying Agent to pay Additional Interest on the Notes at a rate equal to 0.50% per annum of the principal amount of Notes outstanding until the first date on which the restrictive legend on the Notes has been removed in accordance with Section 2.05(c), the Notes are assigned an unrestricted CUSIP number and the Notes are freely tradable pursuant to Rule 144 by Holders other than the Company’s Affiliates (or Holders that were the Company’s Affiliates at any time during the three months immediately preceding) (as a result of restrictions pursuant to U.S. securities laws or the terms of this Indenture or the Notes).
(f)Except as described below, any Additional Interest will be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date following accrual in the same manner as regular interest on the Notes.
(g)The Additional Interest that is payable in accordance with Section 4.06(d) or Section 4.06(e) shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any Additional Interest that may be payable as a result of the Company’s election pursuant to Section 6.03. In no event shall Additional Interest accrue on any day under the terms of this Indenture (taking any Additional Interest payable pursuant to Section 4.06(d) and Section 4.06(e) together with any Additional Interest payable pursuant to Section 6.03) at annual rate in excess of 0.50%, in the aggregate, regardless of the number of events or circumstances giving rise to the requirement to pay such Additional Interest, for any violation or Default caused by the Company’s failure to be current in respect of its Exchange Act reporting obligations.
(h)If Additional Interest is payable by the Company pursuant to Section 4.06(d) or Section 4.06(e), the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate to that effect stating (i) the amount of such Additional Interest that is payable and (ii) the date on which such Additional Interest is payable. Unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee receives at the Specified Corporate Trust Office such a certificate, the Trustee may assume without inquiry that no such Additional Interest is payable. If the Company has paid Additional Interest directly to the Persons entitled to it, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the particulars of such payment.
(i)The accrual of Additional Interest will be the exclusive remedy available to Holders of the Notes for a failure of their Notes to become freely tradable.
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(j)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, Additional Interest on any note for any period on or after the De-Legending Deadline Date of such Note will accrue, but will not be payable on any Interest Payment Date occurring on or after such De-Legending Deadline Date unless (i) a Holder (or an owner of a beneficial interest in a Global Note) has delivered to the Company (with a copy to the Trustee), before the Regular Record Date immediately before such Interest Payment Date, a written notice demanding payment of Additional Interest; or (ii) the Company, in its sole and absolute discretion, elects, by sending notice of such election to Holders before such Regular Record Date, to pay such Additional Interest on such Interest Payment Date.
Any accrued and unpaid Additional Interest that, in accordance with the provision described in Section 4.06(j) is not paid on such Interest Payment Date is referred to as “Deferred Additional Interest,” and without further action by the Company or any other Person, Additional Interest will automatically accrue on such Deferred Additional Interest from, and including, such Interest Payment Date at a rate per annum equal to the stated interest rate to, but excluding, the date on which such Deferred Additional Interest, together with interest thereon, is paid. Each reference in this Indenture to any accrued interest (including in the calculations of the Redemption Price and Fundamental Change Repurchase Price for any Note) or to any accrued Additional Interest includes, to the extent applicable, and without duplication, any Deferred Additional Interest, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon.
Once any accrued and unpaid Additional Interest becomes payable on an Interest Payment Date (whether as a result of the delivery of a written notice as described in Section 4.06(j) or, if earlier, the Company’s election to pay the same), Additional Interest will thereafter not be subject to deferral as described above. In addition, all accrued and unpaid Additional Interest, if any, will be paid on the Interest Payment Date occurring on the Maturity Date of the Notes, and no portion thereof may be deferred.
For the avoidance of doubt, the failure to pay any accrued and unpaid Additional Interest on an Interest Payment Date will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under this Indenture or the Notes if such payment is deferred in accordance with the provisions described above. Otherwise, such a failure to pay will be subject to Section 6.01(a).
The Company will send notice to the Holder of each Note (with a copy to the Trustee) of the commencement and termination of any period in which Additional Interest accrues on such Note, except that no such notice is required in respect of any Additional Interest that is deferred in accordance with this Section 4.06(j).
(k)The “grace periods” referred to in Section 4.06(b) and (d) above with respect to any report will include the maximum period afforded by Rule 12b-25 (or any successor rule thereto) under the Exchange Act regardless of whether the Company files, or indicates in the related Form 12b-25 (or any successor form thereto) that the Company expects to or will file, such report before the expiration of such maximum period.
Section 4.07Additional Amounts. (a) All payments and deliveries made by or on behalf of the Company or any Successor Company under the Notes, including, but not limited to, payments of principal (including, if applicable, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price or the
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Redemption Price), payments of interest and deliveries of Common Shares or other Reference Property (together with payment of cash in lieu of any fractional Common Shares) upon conversion, will be made without withholding or deduction for, or on account of, any present or future taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature imposed or levied by or within any jurisdiction in which the Company or any Successor Company is, for tax purposes, organized or resident or doing business or through which payment is made by or on behalf of the Company or any successor to the Company (or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein) (each, as applicable, a “Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction”), unless such withholding or deduction is required by law or by regulation or governmental policy having the force of law. In the event that any such withholding or deduction is so required with respect to any such payments or deliveries (but excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any payments or deliveries that are made upon conversion of the Notes, whether made in cash, Common Shares or other consideration (including any payments of cash for any fractional Common Shares or other consideration)), the Company or any Successor Company will pay to the Holder of each Note such additional amounts (the “Additional Amounts”) as may be necessary to ensure that the net amount received by the Holder after such withholding or deduction (and after deducting any taxes on the Additional Amounts) will equal the amounts that would have been received by such Holder had no such withholding or deduction been required; provided that no Additional Amounts will be payable:
(i)for or on account of:
(A)any tax, duty, assessment or other governmental charge that would not have been imposed but for:
(1)the existence of any present or former connection between the Holder or beneficial owner of such Note and the Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction, other than merely holding such Note or the receipt of payments thereunder, including, without limitation, such Holder or beneficial owner being or having been a national, domiciliary or resident of such Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction or treated as a resident thereof or being or having been physically present or engaged in a trade or business therein or having or having had a permanent establishment therein;
(2)the presentation of such Note (in cases in which presentation is required) more than 30 days after the later of the date on which the payment of the principal of (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price or the Redemption Price, in each case, if applicable) or interest became due and payable pursuant to the terms thereof or was made or duly provided for; or
(3)the failure of the Holder or beneficial owner to comply with a timely request from the Company or any successor of the Company, addressed to the Holder, to provide certification, information, documents or other evidence concerning such Holder’s or beneficial owner’s nationality, residence, identity or connection with the Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction, or to make any declaration or satisfy any other reporting
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requirement relating to such matters, if and to the extent that due and timely compliance with such request is required by statute, regulation or administrative practice of the Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction in order to reduce or eliminate any withholding or deduction as to which Additional Amounts would have otherwise been payable to such Holder or beneficial owner;
(B)any estate, inheritance, gift, sale, transfer, excise, personal property or similar tax, assessment or other governmental charge;
(C)any tax, duty, assessment or other governmental charge that is payable otherwise than by withholding from payments under or with respect to the Notes;
(D)any Canadian withholding tax (including any tax under Part XIII of the Tax Act or any successor provision thereto) that is withheld or required to be withheld on amounts payable to, credited to, or for the account of a Holder or beneficial owner of such Note arising as a result of:
(1)such Holder or beneficial owner not dealing at arm’s length (within the meaning of the Tax Act) with the Company;
(2)such Holder or beneficial owner being a “specified shareholder” (as that term is defined in subsection 18(5) of the Tax Act) of the Company or not dealing at arm’s length (within the meaning of the Tax Act) with any “specified shareholder” of the Company; or
(3)the Company being a “specified entity” (as defined in subsection 18.4(1) of the Tax Act) in respect of such Holder or owner,
other than where the non-arm’s length relationship arises, or where such Holder or beneficial owner is a “specified shareholder” or does not deal at arm’s length with a “specified shareholder” or is an entity in respect of which the Company is a “specified entity”, as applicable, solely as a result of such Holder or beneficial owner acquiring the Notes and/or exercising or enforcing its rights under the Notes;
(E)any tax, duty, assessment or other governmental charge that is imposed in connection with any payments or deliveries that are made upon conversion of the Notes, whether made in cash, Common Shares or other consideration, and including, for the avoidance of doubt, any payments of cash for any fractional Common Shares or other consideration;
(F)any tax, assessment, withholding or deduction required by sections 1471 through 1474 (or any amended or successor version of such sections) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“FATCA”), any current or future Treasury regulations or rulings promulgated thereunder, any law, regulation or other official guidance enacted or issued in any jurisdiction
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implementing FATCA, any intergovernmental agreement between the United States of America and any other jurisdiction to implement FATCA or any law enacted by such other jurisdiction to give effect to such agreement, or any agreement with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under FATCA; or
(G)any combination of taxes, duties, assessments or other governmental charges referred to in the preceding clauses (A), (B), (D),(F), (E) or (F); or
(ii)with respect to any payment of the principal of (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price or the Redemption Price, in each case, if applicable) or interest on such Note, if the Holder is a fiduciary, partnership or person other than the sole beneficial owner of that payment to the extent that such payment would be required to be included in the income under the laws of the Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction, for tax purposes, of a beneficiary or settlor with respect to the fiduciary, a partner or member of that partnership or a beneficial owner who would not have been entitled to such Additional Amounts had that beneficiary, settlor, partner, member or beneficial owner been the Holder thereof.
(b)If the Company or any Successor Company is required to make any deduction or withholding from any payments with respect to the Notes, the Company or such successor shall deliver to the Trustee official tax receipts evidencing the remittance to the relevant tax authorities of the amounts so withheld or deducted or, if official receipts are not obtainable, other relevant documentation evidencing the payment of the amounts so deducted or withheld.
(c)Each party to this Indenture shall, within ten business days of a written request by another party, supply to that other party such forms, documentation and other information relating to it, its operations, or the Notes as that other party reasonably requests for the purposes of that other party's compliance with Applicable Law and shall notify the relevant other party reasonably promptly in the event that it becomes aware that any of the forms, documentation or other information provided by such party is (or becomes) inaccurate in any material respect; provided, however, that no party shall be required to provide any forms, documentation or other information pursuant to this Section 4.07(c) to the extent that: (i) any such form, documentation or other information (or the information required to be provided on such form or documentation) is not reasonably available to such party and cannot be obtained by such party using reasonable efforts; or (ii) doing so would or might in the reasonable opinion of such party constitute a breach of any: (a) Applicable Law; (b) fiduciary duty; or (c) duty of confidentiality. For purposes of this Section 4.07(c), “Applicable Law” shall be deemed to include (i) any rule or practice of any Authority by which any party is bound or with which it is accustomed to comply; (ii) any agreement between any Authorities; and (iii) any agreement between any Authority and any party that is customarily entered into by institutions of a similar nature.
The Company shall notify the Trustee in the event that it determines that any payment to be made by the Trustee under the Notes is a payment which could be subject to FATCA Withholding if such payment were made to a recipient that is generally unable to receive payments free from FATCA Withholding, and the extent to which the relevant payment is so treated, provided, however, that the Company’s obligation under this Section 4.07(c) shall apply
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only to the extent that such payments are so treated by virtue of characteristics of the Company, the Notes, or both.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to make a deduction or withholding from any payment which it makes under the Notes for or on account of any Tax, if and only to the extent so required by Applicable Law, in which event the Trustee shall make such payment after such deduction or withholding has been made and shall account to the relevant Authority within the time allowed for the amount so deducted or withheld or, at its option, shall reasonably promptly after making such payment return to the Company the amount so deducted or withheld, in which case, the Company shall so account to the relevant Authority for such amount. For the avoidance of doubt, FATCA Withholding is a deduction or withholding which is deemed to be required by Applicable Law for the purposes of this Section 4.07(c).
For the purposes of this Section 4.07(c), capitalized terms shall have the following meanings:
“Applicable Law” means any law or regulation.
“Authority” means any competent regulatory, prosecuting, Tax or governmental authority in any jurisdiction.
“Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“FATCA Withholding” means any withholding or deduction required pursuant to an agreement described in section 1471(b) of the Code, or otherwise imposed pursuant to sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, any regulations or agreements thereunder, any official interpretations thereof, or any law implementing an intergovernmental approach thereto.
“Tax” means any present or future taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature imposed, levied, collected, withheld or assessed by or on behalf of any Authority having power to tax.
(d)Any reference in this Indenture or the Notes in any context to the payment of principal of (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price or the Redemption Price, in each case, if applicable) and interest (including Additional Interest) on, any Note or any other amount payable with respect to such Note, shall be deemed to include payment of Additional Amounts provided for in this Indenture to the extent that, in such context, Additional Amounts are, were or would be payable in respect thereof.
(e)The foregoing obligations shall survive termination or discharge of this Indenture.
Section 4.08Stay, Extension and Usury Laws. The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it shall not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law or other law that would prohibit or forgive the Company from paying all or any portion of the principal of or interest on the Notes as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company
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(to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, 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.
Section 4.09Compliance Certificate; Statements as to Defaults. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee (i) within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company (beginning with the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2026) and (ii) promptly after receiving a written request from the Trustee, an Officer’s Certificate stating whether the signers thereof have knowledge of any Default that occurred during the previous year that is continuing and, if so, specifying each such Default and the nature thereof.
In addition, the Company shall deliver to the Responsible Officer of the Trustee, as soon as possible, and in any event within 30 days after the Company becomes aware of the occurrence of any Event of Default or Default if the relevant events are then continuing, an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the details of such Event of Default or Default, its status and the action that the Company is taking or proposing to take in respect thereof.
Section 4.10Further Instruments and Acts. Upon request of the Trustee, the Company will execute and deliver such further instruments and do such further acts as may be reasonably necessary or proper to carry out more effectively the purposes of this Indenture.
Article 5
LISTS OF HOLDERS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY
Section 5.01Lists of Holders. The Company covenants and agrees that it will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee a list in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the Holders of the Notes:
(a)semiannually and not more than 15 days after the Regular Record Date for any Interest Payment Date; and
(b)at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after receipt by the Company of any such request (or such lesser time as the Trustee may reasonably request in order to enable it to timely provide any notice to be provided by it hereunder) as of a date not more than 15 days (or such other date as the Trustee may reasonably request in order to so provide any such notices) prior to the time such information is furnished, provided, that if and so long as the Trustee shall be the Note Registrar, such list shall not be required to be furnished.
Section 5.02Preservation and Disclosure of Lists. The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 or maintained by the Trustee in its capacity as Note Registrar, if so acting. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
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Article 6
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
Section 6.01Events of Default. Each of the following events shall be an “Event of Default” with respect to the Notes:
(a)default in any payment of interest on any Note when due and payable if the default continues for a period of 30 days;
(b)default in the payment of principal of any Note when due and payable on the Maturity Date, upon redemption, upon any required repurchase in connection with a Fundamental Change, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise;
(c)failure by the Company to comply with its obligation to convert the Notes in accordance with this Indenture upon exercise of a Holder’s conversion right and such failure continues for five Business Days or more;
(d)failure by the Company to comply with its obligations under Article 11;
(e)failure by the Company to issue a Fundamental Change Company Notice in accordance with Section 15.02(c) or a notice of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change in accordance with Section 14.03, in each case when due, and such failure continues for five Business Days or more;
(f)failure by the Company for 60 days after written notice from the Trustee or by the Trustee at the request of the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding has been received by the Company to comply with any of its other agreements contained in the Notes or this Indenture;
(g)default by the Company or, (x) any Subsidiary if any 2029 Notes are outstanding, or (y) any Significant Subsidiary of the Company if no 2029 Notes are outstanding, with respect to any mortgage, agreement or other instrument under which there may be outstanding, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any indebtedness for money borrowed in excess of $50 million (or its foreign currency equivalent) in the aggregate of the Company and/or any such Subsidiary, whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created (i) resulting in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable or (ii) constituting a failure to pay the principal of, or interest on, any such indebtedness when due and payable at its stated maturity, upon required repurchase, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise, in each case, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, if such default is not cured or waived, or such acceleration is not rescinded within 30 days after written notice to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding, in accordance with this Indenture;
(h)a final judgment for the payment of $50 million (or its foreign currency equivalent) or more rendered against the Company or, (x) any Subsidiary if any 2029 Notes are outstanding, or (y) any Significant Subsidiary of the Company if no 2029 Notes are outstanding, in each case, if such amount is not covered by insurance or an indemnity and such judgment is not discharged, bonded, paid, waived, stayed, satisfied or subject to a settlement agreement
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providing for payments and no enforcement within 60 days after (i) the date on which the right to appeal thereof has expired if no such appeal has commenced, or (ii) the date on which all rights to appeal have been extinguished;
(i)the Company or any Significant Subsidiary shall commence a voluntary case or other proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to the Company or any such Significant Subsidiary or its debts under any bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of the Company or any such Significant Subsidiary or any substantial part of its property, or shall consent to any such relief or to the appointment of or taking possession by any such official in an involuntary case or other proceeding commenced against it, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or shall fail generally to pay its debts as they become due; or
(j)a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law that:
(i)is for relief with respect to the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries in an involuntary case or other proceeding, or adjudicates the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiary bankrupt or insolvent;
(ii)appoints a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or similar official for the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries for all or substantially all of the property of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary;
(iii)related to the winding up or liquidation of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries;
(iv)and in the case of each of the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this Section 6.01(j), the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for at least 60 consecutive days.
Section 6.02Acceleration; Rescission and Annulment. If one or more Events of Default shall have occurred and be continuing (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), then, and in each and every such case (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(i) or Section 6.01(j) with respect to the Company), unless the principal of all of the Notes shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding determined in accordance with Section 8.04, by written notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), may, and the Trustee at the written request of such requisite number of Holders (accompanied by security and/or indemnity to its reasonable satisfaction) shall declare 100% of the principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, all the Notes to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration or acceleration, the same shall become and shall automatically be immediately due and payable, anything contained in this Indenture or in the Notes to the contrary notwithstanding. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(i) or
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Section 6.01(j) with respect to the Company occurs and is continuing, 100% of the principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on, all Notes shall become and shall automatically be immediately due and payable.
The immediately preceding paragraph, however, is subject to the conditions that if, at any time after the principal of the Notes shall have been so declared due and payable, and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the monies due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, the Company shall pay or shall deposit with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay installments of accrued and unpaid interest upon all Notes and the principal of any and all Notes that shall have become due otherwise than by acceleration (with interest on overdue installments of accrued and unpaid interest to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law, and on such principal at the rate per annum borne by the Notes plus Default Interest) and amounts due to the Trustee pursuant to Section 7.08, and if (1) rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction and (2) any and all existing Events of Default under this Indenture, other than the nonpayment of the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on Notes that shall have become due solely by such acceleration, shall have been cured or waived pursuant to Section 6.09, then and in every such case (except as provided in the immediately succeeding sentence) the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, by written notice to the Company and to the Trustee, may waive all Defaults or Events of Defaults with respect to the Notes and rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences and 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 or rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent Default or Event of Default, or shall impair any right consequent thereon. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no such waiver or rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any Default or Event of Default resulting from (i) the nonpayment of the principal of, or accrued and unpaid interest on, any Notes, (ii) a failure to pay the Redemption Price or any Fundamental Change Repurchase Price of any Note or (iii) a failure to deliver the consideration due upon conversion of the Notes.
Section 6.03Additional Interest. Notwithstanding anything in this Indenture or in the Notes to the contrary, if the Company so elects, the sole remedy for an Event of Default relating to the Company’s failure to comply with its obligations as set forth in Section 4.06(b) shall after the occurrence of such an Event of Default (which, with respect to an Event of Default described in Section 6.01(f)), shall be the 60th day after written notice is provided to the Company in accordance with Section 6.01(f)) consist exclusively of the right to receive Additional Interest on the Notes at a rate equal to(i) 0.25% per annum of the principal amount of the Notes outstanding for each day (x) during the 180-day period beginning on, and including, the date on which such an Event of Default first occurs and (y) on which such Event of Default is continuing and (ii) 0.50% per annum of the principal amount of the Notes outstanding for each day (x) during the 180-day period beginning on, and including, the 181st day following the date on which such an Event of Default first occurs and (y) on which such Event of Default is continuing.
Additional Interest payable pursuant to this Section 6.03 shall be in addition to, not in lieu of, any Additional Interest payable pursuant to Section 4.06(d) or Section 4.06(e). In no event shall Additional Interest accrue on the Notes on any day under this Indenture (taking any Additional Interest payable pursuant to this Section 6.03 together with any Additional Interest
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payable pursuant to Section 4.06(d) and Section 4.06(e)) at an annual rate accruing in excess of 0.50%, in the aggregate, for any violation or Default caused by the Company’s failure to be current in respect of its Exchange Act reporting obligations. With regard to any violation specified in the immediately preceding paragraph, no Additional Interest shall accrue, and no right to declare the principal or other amounts due and payable in respect of the Notes shall exist, after such violation has been cured. If the Company so elects, such Additional Interest shall be payable in the same manner and on the same dates as the stated interest payable on the Notes. On the 361st day after such Event of Default (if the Event of Default relating to the Company’s failure to file is not cured or waived prior to such 361st day), the Notes shall be immediately subject to acceleration as provided in Section 6.02. The provisions set forth in this Section 6.03 shall not affect the rights of Holders of the Notes in the event of the occurrence of any other Event of Default. In the event the Company does not elect to pay Additional Interest following an Event of Default in accordance with this Section 6.03 or the Company elected to make such payment but does not pay the Additional Interest when due, the Notes shall be immediately subject to acceleration as provided in Section 6.02.
In order to elect to pay Additional Interest as the sole remedy during the first 360 days after the occurrence of any Event of Default described in the immediately preceding paragraph, the Company must notify all Holders of the Notes, the Trustee and the Paying Agent of such election prior to the beginning of such 360-day period. Upon the failure to timely give such notice, the Notes shall be immediately subject to acceleration as provided in Section 6.02.
Section 6.04Payments of Notes on Default; Suit Therefor. If an Event of Default described in clause (a) or (b) of Section 6.01 shall have occurred, the Company shall, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes, the whole amount then due and payable on the Notes for principal and interest, if any, with interest on any overdue principal and interest, if any, at the rate per annum borne by the Notes plus 0.50% at such time, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover any amounts due to the Trustee under Section 7.08. If the Company shall fail 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, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon the Notes and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon the Notes, wherever situated.
In the event there shall be pending proceedings for the bankruptcy or for the reorganization of the Company or any other obligor on the Notes under Title 11 of the United States Code, or any other applicable law, or in case a receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization, liquidator, sequestrator or similar official shall have been appointed for or taken possession of the Company or such other obligor, the property of the Company or such other obligor, or in the event of any other judicial proceedings relative to the Company or such other obligor upon the Notes, or to the creditors or property of the Company or such other obligor, the Trustee, irrespective of whether the principal of the Notes shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand pursuant to the provisions of this Section 6.04, shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceedings or otherwise, to file and prove a
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claim or claims for the whole amount of principal and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, in respect of the Notes, and, in case of any judicial proceedings, to file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents and to take such other actions as it may deem necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceedings relative to the Company or any other obligor on the Notes, its or their creditors, or its or their property, and to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims, and to distribute the same after the deduction of any amounts due to the Trustee under Section 7.08; and any receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization, liquidator, custodian or similar official is hereby authorized by each of the Holders to make such payments to the Trustee, as administrative expenses, 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 to it for reasonable compensation, expenses, advances and disbursements, including agents and counsel fees, and including any other amounts due to the Trustee under Section 7.08, incurred by it up to the date of such distribution. To the extent that such payment of reasonable compensation, expenses, advances and disbursements out of the estate in any such proceedings shall be denied for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, monies, securities and other property that the Holders of the Notes may be entitled to receive in such proceedings, whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise.
Nothing herein contained 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 such Holder 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.
All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture, or under any of the Notes, may be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Notes, or the production thereof at any trial or other proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or 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 Notes.
In any proceedings brought by the Trustee (and in any proceedings involving the interpretation of any provision of this Indenture to which the Trustee shall be a party) the Trustee shall be held to represent all the Holders of the Notes, and it shall not be necessary to make any Holders of the Notes parties to any such proceedings.
In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right under this Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned because of any waiver pursuant to Section 6.09 or any rescission and annulment pursuant to Section 6.02 or for any other reason or shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case the Company, the Holders and the Trustee shall, subject to any determination in such proceeding, be restored respectively to their several positions and rights hereunder, and all rights, remedies and powers
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of the Company, the Holders and the Trustee shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
Section 6.05Application of Monies Collected by Trustee. Any monies collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article 6 with respect to the Notes shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee for the distribution of such monies, upon presentation of the several Notes, and stamping thereon 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 7.08;
Second, in case the principal of the outstanding Notes shall not have become due and be unpaid, to the payment of interest on the Notes in default in the order of the date due of the payments of such interest with interest (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee) upon such overdue payments at the rate borne by the Notes at such time (including the additional 0.50% interest that accrues on Defaulted Amounts), such payments to be made ratably to the Persons entitled thereto;
Third, in case the principal of the outstanding Notes shall have become due, by declaration or otherwise, and be unpaid to the payment of the whole amount (including, if applicable, the payment of the Redemption Price, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price and any cash in lieu of fractional Common Shares upon conversion) then owing and unpaid upon the Notes for principal and interest, if any, with interest on the overdue principal and, to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee, upon overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by the Notes at such time (including the additional 0.50% interest that accrues on Defaulted Amounts), and in case such monies shall be insufficient to pay in full the whole amounts so due and unpaid upon the Notes, then to the payment of such principal (including, if applicable, the Redemption Price, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price and any cash in lieu of fractional Common Shares upon conversion) and interest without preference or priority of principal over interest, or of interest over principal or of any installment of interest over any other installment of interest, or of any Note over any other Note, ratably to the aggregate of such principal (including, if applicable, the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price) and accrued and unpaid interest; and
Fourth, to the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company.
Section 6.06Proceedings by Holders. Except to enforce the right to receive payment of principal (including, if applicable, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price and the Redemption Price) or interest when due, or to enforce the right to receive delivery of the consideration due upon conversion, no Holder of any Note shall have any right by virtue of or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute any suit, action or proceeding in equity or at law upon or under or with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver, trustee, liquidator, custodian or other similar official, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:
(a)such Holder previously shall have given to the Trustee written notice of an Event of Default and of the continuance thereof, as herein provided;
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(b)Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding shall have made written request upon the Trustee to institute such action, suit or proceeding or pursue such other remedy in its own name as Trustee hereunder;
(c)such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee such security and/or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense to be incurred therein or thereby;
(d)the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such written notice, written request and offer of security and/or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it, shall have neglected or refused to institute any such action, suit or proceeding; and
(e)no direction that, in the opinion of the Trustee, is inconsistent with such written request shall have been given to the Trustee by the Holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding within such 60-day period pursuant to Section 6.09, it being understood and intended, and being expressly covenanted by the taker and Holder of every Note with every other taker and Holder and the Trustee that no one or more 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 Holder, or to obtain or seek to obtain priority over or preference to any other such Holder, or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all Holders (except as otherwise provided herein). For the protection and enforcement of this Section 6.06, each and every Holder and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be given either at law or in equity.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture and any provision of any Note, the right of any Holder to receive payment or delivery, as the case may be, of (x) the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, (y) accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on, and (z) the consideration due upon conversion of, such Note, on or after the respective due dates expressed or provided for in such Note or in this Indenture, or to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment or delivery, as the case may be, on or after such respective dates against the Company shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.
Section 6.07Proceedings by Trustee. In case of an Event of Default, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings as are necessary to protect and enforce any of such rights, either by suit in equity or by action at law or by proceeding in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.
Section 6.08Remedies Cumulative and Continuing. Except as provided in the last paragraph of Section 2.06, all powers and remedies given by this Article 6 to the Trustee or to the Holders shall, to the extent permitted by law, be deemed cumulative and not exclusive of any thereof or of any other powers and remedies available to the Trustee or the Holders of the Notes, by judicial proceedings or otherwise, to enforce the performance or observance of the covenants
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and agreements contained in this Indenture, and no delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any of the Notes to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Default or Event of Default shall impair any such right or power, or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such Default or Event of Default or any acquiescence therein; and, subject to the provisions of Section 6.06, every power and remedy given by this Article 6 or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders.
Section 6.09Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by Majority of Holders. The Holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding determined in accordance with Section 8.04 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 Notes; provided, however, that (a) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture, (b) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with such direction, and (c) prior to taking any action under this Indenture upon any such direction from Holders of the Notes, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnification and/or security reasonably satisfactory to it against all losses and expenses caused by taking such action. The Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that it determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other Holder or that would involve the Trustee in personal liability. The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding determined in accordance with Section 8.04 may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive (including by way of consents obtained in connection with a repurchase of, or tender or exchange offer for, the Notes) any past Default or Event of Default hereunder and its consequences, other than a Default or Event of Default (i) in the payment of principal of, or interest on, any Note or, if applicable, in the payment of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price or the Redemption Price that has not been cured pursuant to Section 6.01, (ii) arising from a failure by the Company to deliver the consideration due upon conversion of the Notes in accordance with this Indenture or (iii) in respect of any provision hereof which under Article 10 cannot be modified or amended without the consent of each Holder of an outstanding Note affected. Upon any such waiver the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Notes shall be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon. Whenever any Default or Event of Default hereunder shall have been waived as permitted by this Section 6.09, said Default or Event of Default shall for all purposes of the Notes and this Indenture be deemed to have been cured and to be not continuing; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
For the avoidance of doubt, and without limiting the manner in which any “Default” can be cured,
(a)a Default consisting of a failure to send a notice in accordance with the terms of this Indenture will be cured upon the sending of such notice;
(b)a Default in making any payment on (or delivering any other consideration in respect of) any Note will be cured upon the delivery, in accordance with this Indenture, of such payment (or other consideration) together, if applicable, with Default Interest thereon; and
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(c)a Default that is or, after notice, passage of time or both, would be an Event of Default relating to the Company’s failure to comply with its obligations as set forth in Section 4.06(b) will be cured upon the filing of the relevant report(s) giving rise to such reporting Event of Default.
In addition, for the avoidance of doubt, (i) if a Default that is not an Event of Default is cured or waived before such Default would have constituted an Event of Default, then no Event of Default will result from such Default; (ii) the cure of any Event of Default will not affect any acceleration that has occurred before such cure; and (iii) the cure of any reporting Event of Default will not affect the accrual of any Additional Interest before such cure. Nothing in the immediately preceding two sentences will constitute a waiver of, or in any way limit, the right of the Trustee or any Holder to institute suit for any damages incurred as a result of any Default, even if such Default is subsequently cured.
Section 6.10Notice of Defaults and Events of Defaults. The Trustee shall, within 90 days after the occurrence, and during the continuance, of a Default or Event of Default of which a Responsible Officer has written notice thereof, deliver to all Holders as the names and addresses of such Holders appear upon the Note Register, notice of all Defaults or Events of Default, unless such Defaults or Events of Default shall have been cured or waived before the giving of such notice.
Section 6.11Undertaking to Pay Costs. All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Note by its acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may, in its discretion, require, 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 or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; provided that the provisions of this Section 6.11 (to the extent permitted by law) 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 Notes at the time outstanding determined in accordance with Section 8.04, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on any Note (including, but not limited to, the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) on or after the due date expressed or provided for in such Note or to any suit for the enforcement of the right to convert any Note, or receive the consideration due upon conversion, in accordance with the provisions of Article 14.
Article 7
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
Section 7.01Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee. The Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after the curing or waiver of all Events of Default that may have occurred, undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no implied covenants or obligations will be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. In the event an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee
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shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs, provided that if an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers under this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity and/or security and/or pre-funding satisfactory to it against the costs, liabilities or expenses that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own grossly negligent action, its own grossly negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(a)prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default that may have occurred:
(i)the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
(ii)in the absence of bad faith and willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of any mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein);
(b)the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was grossly negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;
(c)the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding determined as provided in Section 8.04 relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture;
(d)whether or not therein provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of, or affording protection to, the Trustee (including in any agency role) shall be subject to the provisions of this Section;
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(e)the Trustee shall not be liable in respect of any payment (as to the correctness of amount, entitlement to receive or any other matters relating to payment) or notice effected by the Company or any Paying Agent or any records maintained by any co-Note Registrar with respect to the Notes;
(f)if any party fails to deliver a notice relating to an event the fact of which, pursuant to this Indenture, requires notice to be sent to the Trustee, the Trustee may conclusively rely on its failure to receive such notice as reason to act as if no such event occurred, unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee had actual knowledge of such event;
(g)all cash received by the Trustee shall be placed in a non-interest bearing trust account and the Trustee shall have no liability for interest in the absence of a written executed agreement between the parties;
(h)in the event that the Trustee is also acting as Custodian, Note Registrar, Paying Agent, Conversion Agent or transfer agent hereunder, the rights, privileges, disclaimers, immunities and protections (including the right to receive compensation and be indemnified) afforded to the Trustee under this Indenture shall also be afforded to such Custodian, Note Registrar, Paying Agent, Conversion Agent or Transfer Agent;
(i)the Trustee shall be under no obligation to enforce any of the provisions of this Indenture if an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, unless it is instructed by Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding in accordance with this Indenture in writing and is provided with security and/or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it;
(j)before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel prepared and delivered at the cost of the Company conforming to Section 18.07 and the Trustee and the Agents may rely conclusively on such certificate or opinion and will not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel;
(k)in connection with the exercise by it of its trusts, powers, authorities or discretions (including, without limitation, any modification, waiver, authorization or determination), the Trustee shall have regard to the general interests of the Holders as a class but shall not have regard to any interests arising from circumstances particular to individual Holders (whatever their number) and in particular, but without limitation, shall not have regard to the consequences of the exercise of its trusts, powers, authorities or discretions for individual Holders (whatever their number) resulting from their being for any purpose domiciled or resident in, or otherwise connected with, or subject to the jurisdiction of, any country, state or territory; and
(l)the Trustee is not obliged to do or omit to do anything which in its reasonable opinion, would or may be illegal or would constitute a breach of any fiduciary duty or duty of confidentiality, or any law, rule, regulation, or any decree, order or judgment of any court, or practice, request, direction, notice, announcement or similar action (whether or not having the force of law) of any relevant government, government agency, regulatory authority, stock exchange or self-regulatory organization to which the Trustee is subject. The Trustee may without liability to do anything which is, in its reasonable opinion, necessary to comply with any
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such law, directive or regulations. None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers.
Section 7.02Reliance on Documents, Opinions, Etc. Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01:
(a)the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, bond, note, coupon or other paper or document believed by it in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(b)any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Officer’s Certificate (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed); and any Board Resolution may be evidenced to the Trustee by a copy thereof certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company;
(c)the Trustee may consult with counsel and require an Opinion of Counsel and any advice of such counsel or Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such advice or Opinion of Counsel;
(d)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 or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the expense of the Company and shall incur no liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation;
(e)the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents, custodians, nominees or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent, custodian, nominee or attorney appointed by it with due care hereunder;
(f)the permissive rights of the Trustee enumerated herein shall not be construed as duties;
(g)under no circumstances and notwithstanding any contrary provision included herein, the Trustee shall be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive, or consequential damages or loss of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action; this provision shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the discharge of the Notes, the termination of this Indenture or the resignation, replacement or removal of the Trustee;
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(h)the Company understands that The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation is a global financial organization that operates in and provides services and products to clients through its affiliates, branches, representative offices and/or subsidiaries located in multiple jurisdictions (collectively, the “BNY Group” and each a “BNY Entity”). The BNY Group may: (i) use and/or centralize in one or more BNY Entity in connection with its performance of the functions, duties and services provided and any other obligations under this Indenture and/or the Notes and in certain other activities (the “Centralized Functions”), including, without limitation, audit, accounting, tax, administration, risk management, credit, legal, compliance, operation, sales and marketing, product communication, relationship management, information technology, records and data storage, performance measurement, data aggregation and the compilation and analysis of information and data regarding the Company (which, for purposes of this sub-Section 7.02(i), includes the name and business contact information for the employees and representatives of the Company and any personal data) and the accounts established pursuant to the transactions contemplated in this Indenture and/or the Notes (“Client Information”); and (ii) use third party service providers to store, maintain and process Client Information (“Outsourced Functions”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained elsewhere in this Indenture and/or the Notes and solely in connection with the Centralized Functions and/or Outsourced Functions, the Company consents to the: (i) collection, use and storage of, and authorizes the BNY Group to collect, use and store, Client Information within and outside of any jurisdiction, including without limitation Australia, the European Economic Area, Hong Kong, the PRC, Japan, Singapore, India, the British Virgin Islands and the United States of America; and (ii) disclosure of, and authorizes the BNY Group to disclose, Client Information to: (A) any other BNY Entity (and their respective officers, directors and employees); and (B) third-party service providers (but solely in connection with Outsourced Functions) who are required to maintain the confidentiality of Client Information. In addition, the BNY Group may aggregate Client Information with other data collected and/or calculated by the BNY Group, and the BNY Group will own all such aggregated data, provided that the BNY Group shall not distribute the aggregated data in a format that identifies Client Information with the Company specifically. The Company represents to the BNY Group that it is authorized to consent to the foregoing and that the disclosure of Client Information in connection with the Centralized Functions and/or Outsourced Functions does not violate any relevant data protection legislation. The Company also consents to the disclosure of Client Information to governmental, tax, regulatory, law enforcement and other authorities in jurisdictions where the BNY Group operates and otherwise as required by law, rule, or guideline (including any tax and swap trade data reporting regulations);
(i)the Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers and duties hereunder;
(j)the Trustee may request that the Company deliver Officer’s Certificates setting forth the names of individuals and their titles and specimen signatures of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officer’s Certificates may be signed by any Person authorized to sign an Officer’s Certificate, as the case may be, including any Person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded; and
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(k)the Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it reasonably believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers.
Section 7.03No Responsibility for Recitals, Etc. The recitals contained herein and in the Notes (except in the Trustee’s certificate of authentication) shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the same. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Notes. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any Notes or the proceeds of any Notes authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture. Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, each Holder shall be solely responsible for making its own independent appraisal of, and investigation into, the financial condition, creditworthiness, condition, affairs, status and nature of the Company, and the Trustee shall not at any time have any responsibility for the same and each Holder shall not rely on the Trustee in respect thereof.
Section 7.04[Reserved]
Section 7.05Preservation of Information; Communication with Holders. (a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to it as provided in Section 4.06 and as to the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Notes Registrar (if acting in such capacity).
(b)The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it a provided in Section 4.06 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
Section 7.06Trustee, Paying Agents, Conversion Agents or Note Registrar May Own Notes. The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Conversion Agent or Note Registrar, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Notes with the same rights it would have if it were not the Trustee, Paying Agent, Conversion Agent or Note Registrar.
Section 7.07Monies to Be Held in Trust. All monies received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received. Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. Neither the Trustee nor the Paying Agent nor the Conversion Agent shall be under any liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder.
Section 7.08Compensation and Expenses of Trustee. The Company covenants and agrees to pay to the Trustee from time to time, and the Trustee shall be entitled to, reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder in any capacity (which shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust) and supplemental fees and reimbursement if extraordinary services are provided, including following a Default or Event of Default, as mutually agreed to in writing between the Trustee and the Company, and the Company will pay or reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances properly incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any of the provisions of this Indenture in any capacity thereunder (including the reasonable
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compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel and of all Persons not regularly in its employ) except any such expense, disbursement or advance as shall have been caused by its gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Company also covenants to indemnify the Trustee in any capacity under this Indenture and any other document or transaction entered into in connection herewith for, and to hold them harmless against, any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense incurred without gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee, its officers, directors, agents or employees, as the case may be, and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this Indenture or in any other capacity hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending themselves against any claim of liability in the premises. The obligations of the Company under this Section 7.08 to compensate or indemnify the Trustee and to pay or reimburse the Trustee for expenses, disbursements and advances shall be secured by a senior claim to which the Notes are hereby made subordinate on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except, subject to the effect of Section 6.05, funds held in trust herewith for the benefit of the Holders of particular Notes. The Trustee’s right to receive payment of any amounts due under this Section 7.08 shall not be subordinate to any other liability or indebtedness of the Company. The obligation of the Company under this Section 7.08 shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture and the earlier resignation or removal or the Trustee. The indemnification provided in this Section 7.08 shall extend to the officers, directors, agents and employees of the Trustee.
Without prejudice to any other rights available to the Trustee under applicable law, when the Trustee and its agents and any authenticating agent incur expenses or render services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(i) or Section 6.01(j) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws.
Section 7.09Officer’s Certificate as Evidence. Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01, whenever in the administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or omitting any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of gross negligence, willful misconduct and bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Trustee, and such Officer’s Certificate, in the absence of gross negligence, willful misconduct and bad faith on the part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.
Section 7.10[Reserved].
Section 7.11Eligibility of Trustee. There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be a Person that is eligible pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act (as if the Trust Indenture Act were applicable hereto) to act as such and has a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. If such Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of any 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.
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Section 7.12Resignation or Removal of Trustee. (a) The Trustee may at any time resign by giving 60 days written notice of such resignation to the Company and by sending notice thereof to the Holders at their addresses as they shall appear on the Note Register. Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to the successor trustee. If no successor trustee shall have been so appointed and have accepted appointment within 60 days after the sending of such notice of resignation to the Holders, the resigning Trustee may (on behalf of and at the sole expense of the Company) appoint its own successor who shall be a Person that is eligible to act as such in accordance with Section 7.11 or upon ten Business Days’ notice to the Company and the Holders, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee. Any Holder who has been a bona fide holder of a Note or Notes for at least six months may, subject to the provisions of Section 6.11, on behalf of himself or herself and all others similarly situated, petition any such court described in the immediately preceding sentence for the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor trustee.
(b)In case at any time any of the following shall occur:
(i)the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.11 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Holder, or
(ii)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 either case, the Company may by a Board Resolution remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor trustee, or, subject to the provisions of Section 6.11, any Holder who has been a bona fide holder of a Note or Notes for at least six months may, on behalf of himself or herself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee.
(c)The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding, as determined in accordance with Section 8.04, may at any time remove the Trustee and nominate a successor trustee that shall be deemed appointed as successor trustee unless within ten days after notice to the Company of such nomination the Company objects thereto, in which case the Trustee so removed or any Holder, upon the terms and conditions and otherwise as in Section 7.12(a) provided, may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for an appointment of a successor trustee.
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(d)Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor trustee pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section 7.12 shall become effective upon acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee as provided in Section 7.13.
Section 7.13Acceptance by Successor Trustee. Any successor trustee appointed as provided in Section 7.12 shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to its predecessor trustee an instrument accepting such appointment hereunder, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the predecessor trustee shall become effective and such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as Trustee herein; but, nevertheless, on the written request of the Company or of the successor trustee, the trustee ceasing to act shall, upon payment of any amounts then due to it pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.08, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor trustee all the rights and powers of the trustee so ceasing to act. Upon request of any such successor trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments in writing for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor trustee all such rights and powers. Any trustee ceasing to act shall, nevertheless, retain a senior claim to which the Notes are hereby made subordinate on all money or property held or collected by such trustee as such, except for funds held in trust for the benefit of Holders of particular Notes, to secure any amounts then due to it pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.08.
No successor trustee shall accept appointment as provided in this Section 7.13 unless at the time of such acceptance such successor trustee shall be eligible under the provisions of Section 7.11.
Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as provided in this Section 7.13, each of the Company and the successor trustee, at the written direction and at the expense of the Company shall send or cause to be sent notice of the succession of such trustee hereunder to the Holders at their addresses as they shall appear on the Note Register. If the Company fails to send such notice within ten days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be sent at the expense of the Company.
Section 7.14Succession by Merger, Etc. Any corporation or other entity into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation or other entity resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation or other entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee (including the administration of this Indenture), shall be the successor to the Trustee hereunder without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that in the case of any corporation or other entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee such corporation or other entity shall be eligible under the provisions of Section 7.11.
In case at the time such successor to the Trustee shall succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture, any of the Notes shall have been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee or authenticating agent appointed by such predecessor trustee, and deliver such Notes so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Notes shall not have been authenticated, any
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successor to the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by such successor trustee may authenticate such Notes either in the name of any predecessor trustee hereunder or in the name of the successor trustee; and in all such cases such certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Notes or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have; provided, however, that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee or to authenticate Notes in the name of any predecessor trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.
Section 7.15Trustee’s Application for Instructions from the Company. Any application by the Trustee for written instructions from the Company (other than with regard to any action proposed to be taken or omitted to be taken by the Trustee that affects the rights of the Holders of the Notes under this Indenture) may, at the option of the Trustee, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Trustee under this Indenture and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Trustee in accordance with a proposal included in such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than three Business Days after the date any officer that the Company has indicated to the Trustee should receive such application actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to any earlier date), unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of any omission), the Trustee shall have received written instructions in accordance with this Indenture in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.
Article 8
CONCERNING THE HOLDERS
Section 8.01Action by Holders. Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the Holders of a specified percentage of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action), the fact that at the time of taking any such action, the Holders of such specified percentage have joined therein may be evidenced (a) by any instrument or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by Holders in person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing, or (b) by the record of the Holders voting in favor thereof at any meeting of Holders duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article 9, or (c) by a combination of such instrument or instruments and any such record of such a meeting of Holders. Whenever the Company or the Trustee solicits the taking of any action by the Holders of the Notes, the Company or the Trustee may, but shall not be required to, fix in advance of such solicitation, a date as the record date for determining Holders entitled to take such action. The record date if one is selected shall be not more than fifteen days prior to the date of commencement of solicitation of such action.
Section 8.02Proof of Execution by Holders. Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, Section 7.02 and Section 9.05, proof of the execution of any instrument by a Holder or its agent or proxy shall be sufficient if made in accordance with such reasonable rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Trustee or in such manner as shall be satisfactory to the Trustee. The holding of Notes shall be proved by the Note Register or by a certificate of the Note Registrar. The record of any Holders’ meeting shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 9.06.
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Section 8.03Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners. The Company, the Trustee, any authenticating agent, any Paying Agent, any Conversion Agent and any Note Registrar may deem the Person in whose name a Note shall be registered upon the Note Register to be, and may treat it as, the absolute owner of such Note (whether or not such Note shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing thereon made by any Person other than the Company or any Note Registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal of and (subject to Section 2.03) accrued and unpaid interest on such Note, for conversion of such Note and for all other purposes; and neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any Paying Agent nor any Conversion Agent nor any Note Registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. The sole registered holder of a Global Note shall be the Depositary or its nominee. All such payments or deliveries so made to any Holder for the time being, or upon its order, shall be valid, and, to the extent of the sums or Common Shares so paid or delivered, effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for monies payable or Common Shares deliverable upon conversion of any such Note. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Indenture or the Notes following an Event of Default, any Holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note may directly enforce against the Company, without the consent, solicitation, proxy, authorization or any other action of the Depositary or any other Person, such Holder’s right to exchange such beneficial interest for a Note in certificated form in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture.
Section 8.04Company-Owned Notes Disregarded. In determining whether the Holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of Notes have concurred in any direction, consent, waiver or other action under this Indenture, Notes that are owned by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company shall be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding for the purpose of any such determination; provided that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, consent, waiver or other action only Notes in respect of which a Responsible Officer has received written notice that such Notes are so owned shall be so disregarded. Notes so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as outstanding for the purposes of this Section 8.04 if the pledgee shall establish the pledgee’s right to so act with respect to such Notes and that the pledgee is not the Company or any Affiliate of the Company. In the case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee. Upon request of the Trustee, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee promptly an Officer’s Certificate listing and identifying all Notes, if any, known by the Company to be owned or held by or for the account of any of the above described Persons; and, subject to Section 7.01, the Trustee shall be entitled to conclusively rely on and accept such Officer’s Certificate as conclusive evidence of the facts therein set forth and of the fact that all Notes not listed therein are outstanding for the purpose of any such determination.
Section 8.05Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound. At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 8.01, of the taking of any action by the Holders of the percentage of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes specified in this Indenture in connection with such action, any Holder of a Note that is shown by the evidence to be included in the Notes the Holders of which have consented to such action may, by filing written notice with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office and upon proof of holding as provided in Section 8.02, revoke such action so far as concerns such Note. Except as aforesaid, any such action taken by the Holder of any Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such
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Holder and upon all future Holders and owners of such Note and of any Notes issued in exchange or substitution therefor or upon registration of transfer thereof, irrespective of whether any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Note or any Note issued in exchange or substitution therefor or upon registration of transfer thereof.
Article 9
HOLDERS’ MEETINGS
Section 9.01Purpose of Meetings. A meeting of Holders may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Article 9 for any of the following purposes:
(a)to give any notice to the Company or to the Trustee or to give any directions to the Trustee permitted under this Indenture, or to consent to the waiving of any Default or Event of Default hereunder (in each case, as permitted under this Indenture) and its consequences, or to take any other action authorized to be taken by Holders pursuant to any of the provisions of Article 6;
(b)to remove the Trustee and nominate a successor trustee pursuant to the provisions of Article 7;
(c)to consent to the execution of an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.02; or
(d)to take any other action authorized to be taken by or on behalf of the Holders of any specified aggregate principal amount of the Notes under any other provision of this Indenture or under applicable law.
Section 9.02Call of Meetings by Trustee. The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Holders to take any action specified in Section 9.01, to be held at such time and at such place as the Trustee shall determine. Notice of every meeting of the Holders, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting and the establishment of any record date pursuant to Section 8.01, shall be sent to Holders of such Notes at their addresses as they shall appear on the Note Register. Such notice shall also be sent to the Company. Such notices shall be sent not less than 20 nor more than 90 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
Any meeting of Holders shall be valid without notice if the Holders of all Notes then outstanding are present in person or by proxy or if notice is waived before or after the meeting by the Holders of all Notes then outstanding, and if the Company and the Trustee are either present by duly authorized representatives or have, before or after the meeting, waived notice.
Section 9.03Call of Meetings by Company or Holders. In case at any time the Company, pursuant to a Board Resolution, or the Holders of at least 25% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, shall have requested the Trustee to call a meeting of Holders, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have sent the notice of such meeting within 20 days after receipt of such request, then the Company or such Holders may determine the time
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and the place for such meeting and may call such meeting to take any action authorized in Section 9.01, by mailing notice thereof as provided in Section 9.02.
Section 9.04Qualifications for Voting. To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders a Person shall (a) be a Holder of one or more Notes on the record date pertaining to such meeting or (b) be a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy by a Holder of one or more Notes on the record date pertaining to such meeting. The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of Holders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel and any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.
Section 9.05Regulations. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of Holders, in regard to proof of the holding of Notes and of the appointment of proxies, and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it shall think fit.
The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders as provided in Section 9.03, in which case the Company or the Holders calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by vote of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes represented at the meeting and entitled to vote at the meeting.
Subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, at any meeting of Holders each Holder or proxyholder shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount of Notes held or represented by him or her; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Note challenged as not outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote other than by virtue of Notes held by it or instruments in writing as aforesaid duly designating it as the proxy to vote on behalf of other Holders. Any meeting of Holders duly called pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.02 or Section 9.03 may be adjourned from time to time by the Holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of Notes represented at the meeting, whether or not constituting a quorum, and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.
Minutes shall be made of all resolutions and proceedings at every meeting and, if purporting to be signed by the chairman of that meeting or of the next succeeding meeting of Holders of the Notes, shall be conclusive evidence of the matters in them. Until the contrary is proved every meeting for which minutes have been so made and signed shall be deemed to have been duly convened and held and all resolutions passed or proceedings transacted at it to have been duly passed and transacted.
Section 9.06Voting. The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Holders shall be by written ballot on which shall be subscribed the signatures of the Holders or of their representatives by proxy and the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Notes held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two
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inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports in duplicate of all votes cast at the meeting. A record in duplicate of the proceedings of each meeting of Holders shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one or more Persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was sent as provided in Section 9.02. The record shall show the aggregate principal amount of the Notes voting in favor of or against any resolution. The record shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one of the duplicates shall be delivered to the Company and the other to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached thereto the ballots voted at the meeting.
Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.
Section 9.07No Delay of Rights by Meeting. Nothing contained in this Article 9 shall be deemed or construed to authorize or permit, by reason of any call of a meeting of Holders or any rights expressly or impliedly conferred hereunder to make such call, any hindrance or delay in the exercise of any right or rights conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders under any of the provisions of this Indenture or of the Notes.
Section 9.08Depositary Procedures. For the avoidance of doubt, for as long as the Notes are in global form, consents may be obtained through applicable procedures of the Depositary.
Article 10
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 10.01Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders. The Company, when authorized by the resolutions of the Board of Directors and the Trustee, at the Company’s expense, may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for one or more of the following purposes:
(a)to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency in a manner that does not individually or in the aggregate adversely affect the rights of any Holder of the Notes in any respect;
(b)to provide for the assumption by a Successor Company of the obligations of the Company under this Indenture pursuant to Article 11;
(c)to add guarantees with respect to the Notes;
(d)to secure the Notes;
(e)to add to the covenants or Events of Default of the Company for the benefit of the Holders or surrender any right or power conferred upon the Company under this Indenture;
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(f)to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder in any material respect, as determined by the Company in good faith;
(g)to increase the Conversion Rate as provided in this Indenture;
(h)to provide for the acceptance of appointment by of a successor Trustee or facilitate the administration of the trusts under this Indenture by more than one Trustee;
(i)in connection with any Merger Event, provide that the Notes are convertible into Reference Property, subject to the provisions of Section 14.02, and make related changes to the terms of the Notes, in each case to the extent expressly required by Section 14.07; or
(j)comply with the rules of the Depositary, so long as such amendment does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder;
(k)to make changes in connection with an acceptance for listing on a Permitted Exchange, as contemplated in Section 15.02(g);
(l)to conform the provisions of this Indenture or the Notes to the “Description of Notes” section of the Offering Memorandum.
Upon the written request of the Company, the Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to, but may in its discretion, enter into any supplemental indenture that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section 10.01 may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent of the Holders of any of the Notes at the time outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 10.02.
Section 10.02Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders. With the consent (evidenced as provided in Article 8) of the Holders of at least a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding (determined in accordance with Article 8 and including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a repurchase of, or tender or exchange offer for, Notes), the Company, when authorized by the resolutions of the Board of Directors and the Trustee, at the Company’s expense, may from time to time and at any time 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 any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders; provided, however, that, without the consent of each Holder of an outstanding Note affected, no such supplemental indenture shall:
(a)reduce the percentage in aggregate principal amount of Notes whose Holders must consent to an amendment of the Indenture or to waive any past Default;
(b)reduce the rate of or change the stated time for payment of interest on any Note;
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(c)reduce the principal of or change the Maturity Date of any Note;
(d)make any change that impairs or adversely affects the conversion rights of any Notes;
(e)reduce the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price of any Note or amend or modify in any manner adverse to the Holders the Company’s obligation to make such payments, whether through an amendment or waiver of provisions in the covenants, definitions or otherwise;
(f)make any Note payable in a currency other than that stated in the Note;
(g)change the ranking of the Notes in a manner that is adverse to the Holders of the Notes;
(h)impair the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of and interest on such Holder’s Notes on or after the due dates therefor (including the Redemption Price, if applicable) or to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to such Holder’s Notes;
(i)make any change to the provisions in Section 4.07; or
(j)make any change in this proviso or in the waiver provisions in Section 6.09.
Upon the written request of the Company, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of Holders as aforesaid and subject to Section 10.05, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into such supplemental indenture.
Holders do not need under this Section 10.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture. It shall be sufficient if such Holders approve the substance thereof. After any such supplemental indenture becomes effective, the Company shall send or cause to be sent to the Holders a notice briefly describing such supplemental indenture. However, the failure to give such notice to all the Holders, or any defect in the notice, will not impair or affect the validity of the supplemental indenture.
Section 10.03Effect of Supplemental Indentures. Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article 10, this Indenture shall be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith and the respective rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the Holders shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments and all the terms and conditions of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.
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Section 10.04Notation on Notes. Notes authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article 10 may, at the Company’s expense, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company or the Trustee shall so determine, new Notes so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Board of Directors, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may, at the Company’s expense, be prepared and executed by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee (or an authenticating agent duly appointed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 18.07) and delivered in exchange for the Notes then outstanding, upon surrender of such Notes then outstanding.
Section 10.05Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental Indenture to Be Furnished Trustee. In addition to the documents required by Section 18.07, the Trustee shall receive an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant hereto complies with the requirements of this Article 10, is legal, valid, binding and enforceable against the Company, that all conditions precedent for entering into a supplemental indenture have been satisfied and it is permitted or authorized by this Indenture.
Article 11
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE
Section 11.01Company May Consolidate, Etc. on Certain Terms. Subject to the provisions of Section 11.02, the Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into, or sell, convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, another Person (other than any such sale, conveyance, transfer, or lease to one or more of the Company’s direct or indirect Subsidiaries) (each, a “Business Combination Event”), unless:
(a)the resulting, surviving or transferee Person is the Company or, if not the Company, is a Qualified Successor Entity (such Qualified Successor Entity, the “Successor Company”) duly organized and existing under the laws of Canada or any province or territory thereof, the United States of America or any State thereof or the District of Columbia, the Cayman Islands, Singapore or Hong Kong that expressly assume, by supplemental indenture all of the obligations of the Company under the Notes and this Indenture (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to pay Additional Amounts pursuant to Section 4.07); and
(b)immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing under this Indenture.
For purposes of this Section 11.01, the sale, conveyance, transfer or lease of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of one or more Subsidiaries of the Company to another Person, which properties and assets, if held by the Company instead of such Subsidiaries, would constitute all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, shall be deemed to be the sale, conveyance, transfer or lease of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to another Person.
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Section 11.02Successor Corporation to Be Substituted. In case of any such Business Combination Event and upon the assumption by the Successor Company, by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of the due and punctual payment of the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest on all of the Notes, the due and punctual delivery of any consideration due upon conversion of the Notes and the due and punctual performance of all of the covenants and conditions of this Indenture to be performed by the Company, such Successor Company (if not the Company) shall succeed to and, except in the case of a lease of all or substantially all of the Company’s properties and assets, shall be substituted for the Company, with the same effect as if it had been named herein as the party of the first part. Such Successor Company thereupon may cause to be signed, and may issue either in its own name or in the name of the Company any or all of the Notes issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed by the Company and delivered to the Trustee; and, upon the order of such Successor Company instead of the Company and subject to all the terms, conditions and limitations in this Indenture prescribed, the Trustee shall authenticate and shall deliver, or cause to be authenticated and delivered, any Notes that previously shall have been signed and delivered by the Officers of the Company to the Trustee for authentication, and any Notes that such Successor Company thereafter shall cause to be signed and delivered to the Trustee for that purpose. All the Notes so issued shall in all respects have the same legal rank and benefit under this Indenture as the Notes theretofore or thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of this Indenture as though all of such Notes had been issued at the date of the execution hereof. In the event of any Business Combination Event (but not in the case of a lease), upon compliance with this Article 11 the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture (or any successor that shall thereafter have become such in the manner prescribed in this Article 11) may be dissolved, wound up and liquidated at any time thereafter and, except in the case of a lease, such Person shall be released from its liabilities as obligor and maker of the Notes and from its obligations under this Indenture and the Notes.
In case of any Business Combination Event, such changes in phraseology and form (but not in substance) may be made in the Notes thereafter to be issued as may be appropriate.
Section 11.03Opinion of Counsel to Be Given to Trustee. No such Business Combination Event shall be effective unless the Trustee shall receive an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any such Business Combination Event and any such assumption and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture, complies with the provisions of this Article 11.
Article 12
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Section 12.01Indenture and Notes Solely Corporate Obligations. No recourse for the payment of the principal of or accrued and unpaid interest on any Note, nor for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of the Company in this Indenture or in any supplemental indenture or in any Note, nor because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, employee, agent, Officer or director or Subsidiary, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of
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law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issue of the Notes.
Article 13
INTENTIONALLY OMITTED
Article 14
CONVERSION OF NOTES
Section 14.01Conversion Privilege. Subject to and upon compliance with the provisions of this Article 14, each Holder of a Note shall have the right, at such Holder’s option, to convert all or any portion (if the portion to be converted is $1,000 principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) of such Note at any time prior to the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the Maturity Date at an initial conversion rate of 36.1916 Common Shares (subject to adjustment as provided in this Article 14, the “Conversion Rate”) per $1,000 principal amount of Notes (subject to, and in accordance with, the settlement provisions of Section 14.02, the “Conversion Obligation”).
Section 14.02Conversion Procedure; Settlement Upon Conversion.
(a)Upon conversion of any Note, the Company shall cause to be delivered to the converting Holder, in respect of each $1,000 principal amount of Notes being converted, a number of Common Shares equal to the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the relevant Conversion Date, together with a cash payment, if applicable, in lieu of delivering any fractional Common Share in accordance with subsection (j) of this Section 14.02, on the third Business Day immediately following the relevant Conversion Date provided that, if a Conversion Date occurs (i) following the Regular Record Date immediately preceding the Maturity Date, subject to clause (ii) below, the Company shall cause such delivery (and payment, if applicable) to be made on the Maturity Date or (ii) after the Common Shares have been replaced by the Reference Property consisting solely of cash in accordance with Section 14.07, the Company shall cause the consideration due in respect of the conversion to be paid to the converting Holder on the tenth Business Day immediately following the related Conversion Date.
(b)Subject to Section 14.02(e), before any Holder of a Note shall be entitled to convert a Note as set forth above, such Holder shall (i) in the case of a Global Note, comply with the procedures of the Depositary in effect at that time and, if required, pay funds equal to interest payable on the next Interest Payment Date to which such Holder is not entitled as set forth in Section 14.02(h) and, if required, pay all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax, if any, and (ii) in the case of a Physical Note (1) complete, manually sign and deliver an irrevocable notice that is duly completed to the Conversion Agent as set forth in the Form of Notice of Conversion (a “Notice of Conversion”) at the office of the Conversion Agent and state in writing therein the principal amount of Notes to be converted and the name or names (with addresses) in which such Holder wishes the certificate or certificates for any Common Shares to be delivered upon settlement of the Conversion Obligation to be registered, (2) surrender such Notes, duly endorsed to the Company or in blank (and accompanied by appropriate endorsement
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and transfer documents), at the office of the Conversion Agent, (3) if required, furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents, (4) if required, pay all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer taxes and (5) if required, pay funds equal to interest payable on the next Interest Payment Date to which such Holder is not entitled as set forth in Section 14.02(h). The Trustee (and if different, the Conversion Agent) shall notify the Company of any conversion pursuant to this Article 14 on the Conversion Date for such conversion. No Notice of Conversion with respect to any Notes may be surrendered by a Holder thereof if such Holder has also delivered a Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice to the Company in respect of such Notes and has not validly withdrawn such Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice in accordance with Section 15.03. If a Holder submits Notes for repurchase, such Holder’s rights to withdraw the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice and convert the Notes subject to repurchase will terminate at the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the relevant Fundamental Change Repurchase Date.
If more than one Note shall be surrendered for conversion at one time by the same Holder, the Conversion Obligation with respect to such Notes shall be computed on the basis of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes (or specified portions thereof to the extent permitted thereby) so surrendered.
(c)A Note shall be deemed to have been converted immediately prior to the close of business on the date (the “Conversion Date”) that the Holder has complied with the requirements set forth in subsection (b) above. The Company shall issue or cause to be issued, and deliver or cause to be delivered to such Holder, or such Holder’s nominee or nominees, certificates or a book-entry transfer through the Depositary for the full number of Common Shares to which such Holder shall be entitled in satisfaction of the Company’s Conversion Obligation.
(d)In case any Physical Note shall be surrendered for partial conversion, the Company shall execute and instruct the Trustee who shall authenticate and deliver to or upon the written order of the Holder of the Note so surrendered a new Note or Notes in authorized denominations in an aggregate principal amount equal to the unconverted portion of the surrendered Note, without payment of any service charge by the converting Holder but, if required by the Company or the Trustee, with payment of a sum sufficient to cover any documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax or similar governmental charge required by law or that may be imposed in connection therewith as a result of the name of the Holder of the new Notes issued upon such conversion being different from the name of the Holder of the old Notes surrendered for such conversion.
(e)If a Holder submits a Note for conversion, the Company shall pay any documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax due on the issue of the Common Shares upon conversion, unless the tax is due because the Holder requests such shares to be issued in a name other than the Holder’s name, in which case the Holder shall pay that tax. The Company may refuse to deliver the certificates representing the Common Shares being issued in a name other than the Holder’s name until the Company receives a sum sufficient to pay any tax that is due by such Holder in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence.
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(f)Except as provided in Section 14.04, no adjustment shall be made for dividends on any Common Shares issued upon the conversion of any Note as provided in this Article 14.
(g)Upon the conversion of an interest in a Global Note, the Trustee, or the Custodian at the direction of the Trustee, shall make a notation on such Global Note as to the reduction in the principal amount represented thereby. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of any conversion of Notes effected through any Conversion Agent other than the Trustee.
(h)Upon conversion, a converting Holder shall not receive any additional cash payment or additional shares representing accrued and unpaid interest, if any, except as set forth below and the Company will not adjust the Conversion Rate for any accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes. The Company’s settlement of the full Conversion Obligation shall be deemed to satisfy in full its obligation to pay the principal amount of the Note and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the relevant Conversion Date. As a result, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the relevant Conversion Date shall be deemed to be paid in full rather than cancelled, extinguished or forfeited. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Notes are converted after the close of business on a Regular Record Date and prior to the open of business on the corresponding Interest Payment Date, Holders of such Notes as of the close of business on such Regular Record Date will receive the full amount of interest payable on such Notes on the corresponding Interest Payment Date notwithstanding the conversion. However, Notes surrendered for conversion during the period from the close of business on any Regular Record Date to the open of business on the immediately following Interest Payment Date must be accompanied by funds equal to the amount of interest payable on the Notes so converted; provided that no such payment shall be required (1) if the Notes are surrendered for conversion after the close of business on the Regular Record Date immediately preceding the Maturity Date; (2) if the Company has delivered an Optional Redemption Notice pursuant to Article 16 and has specified therein an Optional Redemption Date that is after a Regular Record Date and on or prior to the Business Day immediately following the date on which the corresponding interest amount is paid; (3) if the Company has delivered a Tax Redemption Notice pursuant to Article 17 and has specified therein a Tax Redemption Date that is after a Regular Record Date and on or prior to the Business Day immediately following the date on which the corresponding interest amount is paid; (4) if the Company has specified a Fundamental Change Repurchase Date that is after a Regular Record Date and on or prior to the Business Day immediately following the date on which the corresponding interest amount is paid; or (5) to the extent of any Defaulted Amounts, if any Defaulted Amounts exist at the time of conversion with respect to such Note. Therefore, for the avoidance of doubt, all Holders of record as of the close of business on the Regular Record Date immediately preceding the Maturity Date, any Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, Optional Redemption Date or Tax Redemption Date in each case as described above shall receive the full interest payment due on the corresponding Interest Payment Date regardless of whether their Notes have been converted following such Regular Record Date.
(i)Any conversion of Notes shall be deemed to have been effected on the Conversion Date for such Notes. The Person in whose name the Common Shares shall be issuable upon conversion shall be treated as a stockholder of record as of the close of business on the relevant Conversion Date. Upon a conversion of Notes, such Person shall no longer be a Holder of such Notes surrendered for conversion other than for purposes of receiving the
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consideration due upon conversion and, if such Person was the record Holder as of a Regular Record Date, receiving the related interest payment.
(j)The Company shall not issue any fractional Common Share upon conversion of the Notes and shall instead pay cash in lieu of delivering any fractional Common Share issuable upon conversion based on the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Shares on the relevant Conversion Date (or if such Conversion Date is not a Trading Day, the immediately preceding Trading Day).
Section 14.03Increased Conversion Rate Applicable to Certain Notes Surrendered in Connection with Make-Whole Fundamental Changes or Notice of Redemption.
(a) If (i) the Effective Date of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change occurs prior to the Maturity Date, (ii) the Company delivers an Optional Redemption Notice or (iii) the Company delivers a Tax Redemption Notice and, in each case, a Holder elects to convert its Notes in connection with such Make-Whole Fundamental Change or such Optional Redemption or such Tax Redemption, as the case may be, the Company shall, under the circumstances described below, increase the Conversion Rate for the Notes so surrendered for conversion by a number of additional Common Shares (the “Additional Shares”), as described below. A conversion of Notes shall be deemed for these purposes to be “in connection with” a Make-Whole Fundamental Change if the relevant Conversion Date occurs during the period from, and including, the Effective Date of the Make-Whole Fundamental Change up to, and including, the third Business Day immediately prior to the related Fundamental Change Repurchase Date (or, in the case of an Exempted Fundamental Change or a Make-Whole Fundamental Change that would have been a Fundamental Change but for the proviso in clause (b) of the definition thereof, the 35th Trading Day immediately following the Effective Date of such Exempted Fundamental Change or Make-Whole Fundamental Change, as applicable) (such period, the “Make-Whole Fundamental Change Period”). The Company shall notify the Holders of Notes of the Effective Date of any Make-Whole Fundamental Change no later than five Business Days after such Effective Date. A conversion of Notes will be deemed for these purposes to be “in connection with” an Optional Redemption or Tax Redemption, as the case may be, if the Notes are called for redemption and the relevant Conversion Date occurs during the period from, and including, the date the Company delivers an Optional Redemption Notice or a Tax Redemption Notice, as the case may be, to, and including, the third Business Day immediately prior to the related Optional Redemption Date or Tax Redemption Date, as the case may be. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company will only adjust the Conversion Rate with respect to any Notes called for Optional Redemption or Tax Redemption, as the case may be, and not with respect to the Notes not called for Optional Redemption. If the Company elects to redeem less than all of the outstanding Notes, then Holders of the Notes not called for Optional Redemption will not be entitled to an increased Conversion Rate for such Notes as described in this Section 14.03 on account of the redemption.
(b)Upon surrender of Notes for conversion in connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, an Optional Redemption or a Tax Redemption, as the case may be, the Company shall cause to be delivered Common Shares, including the Additional Shares, due upon conversion in accordance with Section 14.02; provided, however, that if the consideration for the
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Common Shares in any Make-Whole Fundamental Change described in clause (b) of the definition of Fundamental Change is comprised entirely of cash, for any conversion of Notes following the Effective Date of such Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the Conversion Obligation shall be calculated based solely on the Stock Price for the transaction and shall be deemed to be an amount of cash per $1,000 principal amount of converted Notes equal to the Conversion Rate (including any adjustment for Additional Shares), multiplied by such Stock Price. In such event, the Conversion Obligation will be determined and paid to the Holders of the Notes in cash on the tenth Business Day following the relevant Conversion Date
(c)The number of Additional Shares, if any, by which the Conversion Rate shall be increased shall be determined by reference to the table below, based on the date on which the Make-Whole Fundamental Change occurs or becomes effective or, in the case of an Optional Redemption or a Tax Redemption, the date on which the Company delivers an Optional Redemption Notice or a Tax Redemption Notice (in each case, the “Effective Date”) and the price paid (or deemed to be paid) per Common Share in the Make-Whole Fundamental Change or, in the case of either an Optional Redemption or a Tax Redemption, the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Shares over the five consecutive Trading Days ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the relevant Effective Date, as the case may be (in each case, the “Stock Price”). If the holders of the Common Shares receive in exchange for their Common Shares only cash in a Make-Whole Fundamental Change described in clause (b) of the definition of Fundamental Change, the Stock Price shall be the cash amount paid per share. In the case of any other Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the Stock Price shall be the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Shares over the five consecutive Trading Days ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the Effective Date of the Make-Whole Fundamental Change. In the event that a conversion during the period from, and including, the date of an Optional Redemption Notice or Tax Redemption Notice, as the case may be, up to, and including, the third Business Day immediately prior to the related Optional Redemption Date or the Tax Redemption Notice, as the case may be, would also be deemed to be a conversion in connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, a Holder of the Notes to be converted will be entitled to a single increase to the Conversion Rate with respect to the first to occur of the earliest applicable Redemption Notice Date and the Effective Date of any applicable Make-Whole Fundamental Change, and the later event(s) will be deemed not to have occurred for purposes of this Section 14.03 with respect to such conversion.
(d)The Stock Prices set forth in the column headings of the table below shall be adjusted as of any date on which the Conversion Rate of the Notes is otherwise adjusted. The adjusted Stock Prices shall equal the Stock Prices applicable immediately prior to such adjustment, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the Conversion Rate immediately prior to such adjustment giving rise to the Stock Price adjustment and the denominator of which is the Conversion Rate as so adjusted. The number of Additional Shares set forth in the table below shall be adjusted in the same manner and at the same time as the Conversion Rate as set forth in Section 14.04.
(e)The following table sets forth the number of Additional Shares by which the Conversion Rate shall be increased per $1,000 principal amount of Notes pursuant to this Section 14.03 for each Stock Price and Effective Date set forth below:
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Stock Price | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Effective Date | | $19.39 | | $22.50 | | $25.00 | | $27.63 | | $30.00 | | $32.50 | | $35.92 | | $40.00 | | $50.00 | | $60.00 | | $80.00 | | $100.00 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
January 13, 2026.. | | 15.3813 | | 11.3169 | | 8.9752 | | 7.1089 | | 5.8043 | | 4.7135 | | 3.5690 | | 2.5748 | | 1.1432 | | 0.4582 | | 0.0071 | | 0.0000 |
January 15, 2027.. | | 15.3813 | | 11.1702 | | 8.7476 | | 6.8364 | | 5.5147 | | 4.4212 | | 3.2890 | | 2.3220 | | 0.9714 | | 0.3560 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 |
January 15, 2028.. | | 15.3813 | | 10.8089 | | 8.2980 | | 6.3467 | | 5.0197 | | 3.9400 | | 2.8460 | | 1.9378 | | 0.7298 | | 0.2232 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 |
January 15, 2029.. | | 15.3813 | | 10.2542 | | 7.6060 | | 5.5986 | | 4.2723 | | 3.2268 | | 2.2088 | | 1.4075 | | 0.4362 | | 0.0878 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 |
January 15, 2030.. | | 15.3813 | | 9.3382 | | 6.4160 | | 4.3109 | | 3.0127 | | 2.0680 | | 1.2411 | | 0.6743 | | 0.1258 | | 0.0018 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 |
January 15, 2031.. | | 15.3813 | | 8.2528 | | 3.8084 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 | | 0.0000 |
The exact Stock Prices and Effective Dates may not be set forth in the table above, in which case:
(i)if the Stock Price is between two Stock Prices in the table above or the Effective Date is between two Effective Dates in the table, the number of Additional Shares shall be determined by a straight-line interpolation between the number of Additional Shares set forth for the higher and lower Stock Prices and the earlier and later Effective Dates based on a 365 or 366-day year, as applicable;
(ii)if the Stock Price is greater than $100.00 per share (subject to adjustment in the same manner as the Stock Prices set forth in the column headings of the table above pursuant to subsection (d) above), no Additional Shares shall be added to the Conversion Rate; and
(iii)if the Stock Price is less than $19.39 per share (subject to adjustment in the same manner as the Stock Prices set forth in the column headings of the table above pursuant to subsection (d) above), no Additional Shares shall be added to the Conversion Rate.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the total number of Common Shares issuable upon Conversion exceed 51.5729 Common Shares per $1,000 principal amount of Notes, subject to adjustment in the same manner as the Conversion Rate pursuant to Section 14.04.
(f)Nothing in this Section 14.03 shall prevent an adjustment to the Conversion Rate pursuant to Section 14.04.
Section 14.04Adjustment of Conversion Rate. The Conversion Rate shall be adjusted from time to time by the Company if any of the following events occurs, except that the Company shall not make any adjustments to the Conversion Rate if Holders of the Notes participate (other than in the case of (x) a share split or share combination or (y) a tender or exchange offer), at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of the Common Shares and solely as a result of holding the Notes, in any of the transactions described in this Section 14.04, without having to convert their Notes, as if they held a number of Common Shares equal to the Conversion Rate, multiplied by the principal amount (expressed in thousands) of Notes held by such Holder.
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(a)If the Company exclusively issues Common Shares as a dividend or distribution on Common Shares, or if the Company effects a share split or share combination of Common Shares, the Conversion Rate shall be adjusted based on the following formula:

where,
CR0=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the Record Date of such dividend or distribution, or immediately prior to the open of business on the effective date of such share split or share combination, as applicable;
CR1=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the close of business on such Record Date or immediately after the open of business on such effective date, as applicable;
OS0=the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to the close of business on such Record Date or immediately prior to the open of business on such effective date, as applicable; and
OS1=the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such dividend, distribution, share split or share combination.
Any adjustment made under this Section 14.04(a) shall become effective immediately after the close of business on the Record Date for such dividend or distribution, or immediately after the open of business on the effective date for such share split or share combination, as applicable. If any dividend or distribution of the type described in this Section 14.04(a) is declared but not so paid or made, the Conversion Rate shall be immediately readjusted, effective as of the date the Board of Directors determines not to pay such dividend or distribution, to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such dividend or distribution had not been declared.
(b)If the Company distributes to all or substantially all holders of Common Shares of any rights, options or warrants entitling such holders for a period of not more than 45 calendar days after the announcement date of such distribution to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares at a price per share that is less than the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Company’s Common Shares for the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement of such issuance, the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

where,
CR0=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the Record Date for such distribution;
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CR1=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the close of business on such Record Date;
OS0=the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to the close of business on such Record Date;
X=the total number of Common Shares issuable pursuant to such rights, options or warrants; and
Y=the number of Common Shares equal to the aggregate price payable to exercise such rights, options or warrants, divided by the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Shares over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement of the distribution of such rights, options or warrants.
Any increase made under this Section 14.04(b) shall be made successively whenever any such rights, options or warrants are issued and shall become effective immediately after the close of business on the Record Date for such distribution. To the extent that Common Shares are not delivered after the expiration of such rights, options or warrants, the Conversion Rate shall be decreased to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect had the increase with respect to the distribution of such rights, options or warrants been made on the basis of delivery of only the number of Common Shares actually delivered. If such rights, options or warrants are not so distributed, the Conversion Rate shall be decreased to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such Record Date for such distribution had not occurred.
For purposes of this Section 14.04(b), in determining whether any rights, options or warrants entitle the holders of Common Shares to subscribe for or purchase Common Shares at less than such average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Shares for the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement of such issuance, and in determining the aggregate offering price of such Common Shares, there shall be taken into account any consideration received by the Company for such rights, options or warrants and any amount payable on exercise or conversion thereof, the value of such consideration, if other than cash, to be determined by the Board of Directors.
(c)If the Company distributes shares of its Capital Stock, evidences of its indebtedness, other assets or property of the Company or rights, options or warrants to acquire its Capital Stock or other securities, to all or substantially all holders of the Common Shares, excluding (i) dividends, distributions or issuances as to which an adjustment is effective (or would be effected) pursuant to Section 14.04(a) or Section 14.04(b), (ii) dividends or distributions paid exclusively in cash as to which an adjustment is required pursuant to Section 14.04(d), (iii) distributions of Reference Property in exchange for, or upon conversion of, Common Shares in a Merger Event, (iv) Spin-Offs as to which the provisions set forth below in this Section 14.04(c) shall apply and (v) a tender offer or an exchange offer for Common Shares as to which the provisions set forth below in this Section 14.04(c) shall apply (any of such shares of Capital Stock, evidences of indebtedness, other assets or property or rights, options or
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warrants to acquire Capital Stock or other securities of the Company, the “Distributed Property”), then the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

where,
CR0=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the Record Date for such distribution;
CR1=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the close of business on such Record Date;
SP0=the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Shares over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution; and
FMV=the fair market value (as determined by the Board of Directors) of the Distributed Property with respect to each outstanding Common Share on the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution.
Any increase made under the portion of this Section 14.04(c) above shall become effective immediately after the close of business on the Record Date for such distribution. If such distribution is not so paid or made, the Conversion Rate shall be decreased, effective as of the date the Board of Directors determines not to make or pay such distribution, to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect had the adjustment been made on the basis of only such amount of such distribution, if any, actually paid or made. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if “FMV” (as defined above) is equal to or greater than “SP0” (as defined above), in lieu of the foregoing increase, each Holder of a Note shall receive, in respect of each $1,000 principal amount thereof, at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of the Common Shares receive the Distributed Property, the amount and kind of Distributed Property such Holder would have received if such Holder owned a number of Common Shares equal to the Conversion Rate in effect on the Record Date for the distribution. If the Board of Directors determines the “FMV” (as defined above) of any distribution for purposes of this Section 14.04(c) by reference to the actual or when-issued trading market for any securities, it shall in doing so consider the prices in such market over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution.
With respect to an adjustment pursuant to this Section 14.04(c) where there has been a payment of a dividend or other distribution on the Common Shares of shares of Capital Stock of any class or series, or similar equity interest, of or relating to a Subsidiary or other business unit of the Company, where such Capital Stock or similar equity interest is listed or quoted (or will be listed or quoted upon consummation of the Spin-Off) on a U.S. national or regional securities exchange (a “Spin-Off”), the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:
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where,
CR0=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the end of the Valuation Period for such Spin-Off;
CR1=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the end of the Valuation Period;
FMV0=the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Capital Stock or similar equity interest distributed to holders of the Common Shares applicable to one Common Share (determined by reference to the definition of Last Reported Sale Price as set forth in Section 1.01 as if references therein to Common Shares were to such Capital Stock or similar equity interest) over the first 10 consecutive Trading Day period beginning on, and including, the Ex-Dividend Date of the Spin-Off (the “Valuation Period”); and
MP0=the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Shares over the Valuation Period.
The increase to the Conversion Rate under the preceding paragraph shall be determined on the last Trading Day of the Valuation Period; provided that in respect of any conversion of Notes during the Valuation Period, references in the portion of this Section 14.04(c) related to Spin-Offs with respect to 10 Trading Days shall be deemed to be replaced with such lesser number of Trading Days as have elapsed from, and including, the Ex-Dividend Date of such Spin-Off to, and including, the Conversion Date in determining the applicable Conversion Rate.
For purposes of this Section 14.04(c) (and subject in all respect to Section 14.11), rights, options or warrants distributed by the Company to all holders of the Common Shares entitling them to subscribe for or purchase shares of the Company’s Capital Stock, including Common Shares (either initially or under certain circumstances), which rights, options or warrants, until the occurrence of a specified event or events (“Trigger Event”): (i) are deemed to be transferred with such Common Shares; (ii) are not exercisable; and (iii) are also issued in respect of future issuances of the Common Shares, shall be deemed not to have been distributed for purposes of this Section 14.04(c) (and no adjustment to the Conversion Rate under this Section 14.04(c) will be required) until the occurrence of the earliest Trigger Event, whereupon such rights, options or warrants shall be deemed to have been distributed and an appropriate adjustment (if any is required) to the Conversion Rate shall be made under this Section 14.04(c). If any such right, option or warrant, including any such existing rights, options or warrants distributed prior to the date of this Indenture, are subject to events, upon the occurrence of which such rights, options or warrants become exercisable to purchase different securities, evidences of indebtedness or other assets, then the date of the occurrence of any and each such event shall be deemed to be the date of distribution and Record Date with respect to new rights, options or warrants with such rights (in which case the existing rights, options or warrants shall be deemed to terminate and expire on such date without exercise by any of the holders thereof). In addition, in the event of any distribution (or deemed distribution) of rights, options or warrants, or any Trigger Event or other event (of the type described in the immediately preceding sentence) with respect thereto that was
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counted for purposes of calculating a distribution amount for which an adjustment to the Conversion Rate under this Section 14.04(c) was made, (1) in the case of any such rights, options or warrants that shall all have been redeemed or purchased without exercise by any holders thereof, upon such final redemption or purchase (x) the Conversion Rate shall be readjusted as if such rights, options or warrants had not been issued and (y) the Conversion Rate shall then again be readjusted to give effect to such distribution, deemed distribution or Trigger Event, as the case may be, as though it were a cash distribution, equal to the per share redemption or purchase price received by a holder or holders of Common Shares with respect to such rights, options or warrants (assuming such holder had retained such rights, options or warrants), made to all holders of Common Shares as of the date of such redemption or purchase, and (2) in the case of such rights, options or warrants that shall have expired or been terminated without exercise by any holders thereof, the Conversion Rate shall be readjusted as if such rights, options and warrants had not been issued.
For purposes of Section 14.04(a), Section 14.04(b) and this Section 14.04(c), if any dividend or distribution to which this Section 14.04(c) is applicable also includes one or both of:
(A)a dividend or distribution of Common Shares to which Section 14.04(a) is applicable (the “Clause A Distribution”); or
(B)a dividend or distribution of rights, options or warrants to which Section 14.04(b) is applicable (the “Clause B Distribution”), then, in either case, (1) such dividend or distribution, other than the Clause A Distribution and the Clause B Distribution, shall be deemed to be a dividend or distribution to which this Section 14.04(c) is applicable (the “Clause C Distribution”) and any Conversion Rate adjustment required by this Section 14.04(c) with respect to such Clause C Distribution shall then be made, and (2) the Clause A Distribution and Clause B Distribution shall be deemed to immediately follow the Clause C Distribution and any Conversion Rate adjustment required by Section 14.04(a) and Section 14.04(b) with respect thereto shall then be made, except that, if determined by the Company (I) the “Record Date” of the Clause A Distribution and the Clause B Distribution shall be deemed to be the Record Date of the Clause C Distribution and (II) any shares of Common Shares included in the Clause A Distribution or Clause B Distribution shall be deemed not to be “outstanding immediately prior to the close of business on such Record Date or immediately after the open of business on such effective date, as applicable” within the meaning of Section 14.04(a) or “outstanding immediately prior to the close of business on such Record Date” within the meaning of Section 14.04(b).
(d)If any cash dividend or distribution is made to all or substantially all holders of the Common Shares, the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

where,
CR0=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the Record Date for such dividend or distribution;
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CR1=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the close of business on the Record Date for such dividend or distribution;
SP0=the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Shares on the Trading Day immediately preceding the Ex-Dividend Date for such dividend or distribution; and
C=the amount in cash per share the Company distributes to all or substantially all holders of the Common Shares.
Any increase pursuant to this Section 14.04(d) shall become effective immediately after the close of business on the Record Date for such dividend or distribution. If such dividend or distribution is not so paid, the Conversion Rate shall be decreased, effective as of the date the Board of Directors determines not to make or pay such dividend or distribution to be the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such dividend or distribution had not been declared. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if “C” (as defined above) is equal to or greater than “SP0” (as defined above), in lieu of the foregoing increase, each Holder of a Note shall receive, for each $1,000 principal amount of Notes, at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of Common Shares, the amount of cash that such Holder would have received if such Holder owned a number of Common Shares equal to the Conversion Rate on the Ex-Dividend Date for such cash dividend or distribution.
(e)If the Company or any of its Subsidiaries makes a payment in respect of a tender offer or exchange offer for the Common Shares, and the cash and value of any other consideration included in the payment per Common Share exceeds the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Shares over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period commencing on, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the last date on which tenders or exchanges may be made pursuant to such tender or exchange offer, the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

where,
CR0=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the 10th Trading Day immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the date such tender or exchange offer expires;
CR1=the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the close of business on the 10th Trading Day immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the date such tender or exchange offer expires;
AC=the aggregate value of all cash and any other consideration (as determined by the Board of Directors) paid or payable for shares purchased in such tender or exchange offer;
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OS0=the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to the date such tender or exchange offer expires (prior to giving effect to the purchase of all shares accepted for purchase or exchange in such tender or exchange offer);
OS1=the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after the date such tender or exchange offer expires (after giving effect to the purchase of all shares accepted for purchase or exchange in such tender or exchange offer); and
SP1=the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Shares over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period beginning on, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the date such tender or exchange offer expires.
The adjustment to the Conversion Rate under this Section 14.04(e) shall be determined at the close of business on the 10th Trading Day immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the date such tender or exchange offer expires; provided that in respect of any conversion of Notes within the 10 Trading Days immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the expiration date of any tender or exchange offer, references in this Section 14.04(e) with respect to 10 Trading Days shall be deemed replaced with such lesser number of Trading Days as have elapsed from, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the expiration date of such tender or exchange offer to, and including, the Conversion Date in determining the applicable Conversion Rate.
(f)Except as stated herein, the Company shall not adjust the Conversion Rate for the issuance of Common Shares or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares or the right to purchase Common Shares or such convertible or exchangeable securities. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, if any Conversion Rate adjustment set forth in clauses (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this Section 14.04 becomes effective as described above, and a Holder that has converted any Notes with a Conversion Date occurring on or after the date such Conversion Rate adjustment becomes effective will participate (other than in the case of a share split or combination), at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of the Common Shares and solely as a result of holding the Common Shares issuable upon conversion of such Notes, in the transaction or event giving rise to such Conversion Rate adjustment, then such Conversion Rate adjustment will not be made with respect to such Notes.
(g)In addition to those adjustments required by clauses (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this Section 14.04, and to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to the applicable rules of the Nasdaq Global Select Market or any other securities exchange on which any of the Company’s securities are then listed, (i) the Company may increase the Conversion Rate by any amount for a period of at least 20 Business Days if the Board of Directors determines that such increase would be in the Company’s best interest, which determination shall be conclusive, and (ii) the Company may (but is not required to) increase the Conversion Rate to avoid or diminish any income tax to holders of Common Shares or rights to purchase Common Shares in connection with a dividend or distribution of Common Shares (or rights to acquire Common Shares) or similar event. Whenever the Conversion Rate is increased pursuant to the preceding sentence, the Company shall mail to the Holder of each Note at its last address appearing on the Note Register a notice of the increase at least 15 days prior to the date the increased Conversion
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Rate takes effect, and such notice shall state the increased Conversion Rate and the period during which it will be in effect.
(h)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article 14, the Conversion Rate shall not be adjusted:
(i)upon the issuance of any Common Shares at a price below the Conversion Price or otherwise (other than in connection with a transaction described in clauses (a) through (c) of this Section 14.04 above);
(ii)upon the issuance of any Common Shares pursuant to any present or future plan providing for the reinvestment of dividends or interest payable on the Company’s securities and the investment of additional optional amounts in Common Shares under any plan;
(iii)upon the issuance of any Common Shares or options or rights to purchase those shares pursuant to any present or future employee, director or consultant benefit plan or program of or assumed by the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries;
(iv)upon the issuance of any Common Shares pursuant to any option, warrant, right or exercisable, exchangeable or convertible security not described in clause (iii) of this subsection and outstanding as of the date the Notes were first issued;
(v)upon the repurchase of any of Common Shares pursuant to an open market share repurchase program or other buy-back transaction that is not a tender offer or exchange offer of the nature described under clause (c) of this Section 14.04 above;
(vi)for a change solely in the par value (or lack of par value) of the Common Shares; or
(vii)for accrued and unpaid interest, if any.
(i)All calculations and other determinations under this Article 14 shall be made by the Company and shall be made to the nearest one-ten thousandth (1/10,000th) of a share. The Company shall not be required to make an adjustment to the Conversion Rate unless the adjustment (taken together with all carried forward adjustments) would require a change of at least 1% in the Conversion Rate. However, the Company shall carry forward any adjustments that are less than 1% of the Conversion Rate and make such carried-forward adjustments, regardless of whether the aggregate adjustment is less than 1%, on (x) December 31 of each calendar year and (y) the Conversion Date for any conversion of Notes.
(j)Whenever the Conversion Rate is adjusted as herein provided, the Company shall promptly file with the Trustee (and the Conversion Agent if not the Trustee) an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the Conversion Rate after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment. Unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received such Officer’s Certificate, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any adjustment of the Conversion Rate and may assume without inquiry that the last Conversion Rate of which it has knowledge is still in effect. Promptly after delivery of such
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certificate, the Company shall prepare a notice of such adjustment of the Conversion Rate setting forth the adjusted Conversion Rate and the date on which each adjustment becomes effective and shall mail such notice of such adjustment of the Conversion Rate to each Holder at its last address appearing on the Note Register of this Indenture. Failure to deliver such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of any such adjustment.
(k)For purposes of this Section 14.04, the number of Common Shares at any time outstanding shall not include Common Shares held in the treasury of the Company so long as the Company does not pay any dividend or make any distribution on Common Shares held in the treasury of the Company, but shall include Common Shares issuable in respect of scrip certificates issued in lieu of fractions of Common Shares.
Section 14.05Adjustments of Prices. Whenever any provision of this Indenture requires the Company to calculate prices or values over a span of multiple days, including the Last Reported Sale Prices, the Company shall make appropriate adjustments in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner to account for any adjustment to the Conversion Rate that becomes effective, or any event requiring an adjustment to the Conversion Rate where the Ex-Dividend Date, effective date or expiration date of the event occurs at any time during the relevant calculation period.
Section 14.06Shares to Be Fully Paid. The Company shall provide, free from preemptive rights, out of its authorized but unissued shares or shares held in treasury, sufficient Common Shares to provide for conversion of the Notes from time to time as such Notes are presented for conversion (assuming that at the time of computation of such number of shares, all such Notes would be converted by a single Holder, and including the maximum number of Additional Shares that would be issuable upon conversion in connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, an Optional Redemption or a Tax Redemption).
Section 14.07Effect of Recapitalizations, Reclassifications and Changes of the Common Shares.
(a)In the case of:
(i)any recapitalization, reclassification or change of the Common Shares (other than changes resulting from a subdivision or combination),
(ii)any consolidation, merger or combination involving the Company,
(iii)any sale, lease or other transfer to a third party of all or substantially all of the Company’s property or assets; or
(iv)any statutory share exchange,
in each case, as a result of which the Common Shares would be converted into, or exchanged for, stock, other securities or other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof) (any such event, a “Merger Event”), then, prior to or at the effective time of such Merger Event, the Company or the successor or purchasing corporation, as the case may be, shall execute with the Trustee a supplemental indenture permitted under Section 10.01(g) providing that, at and
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after the effective time of such Merger Event, the right to convert each $1,000 principal amount of Notes shall be changed into a right to convert such principal amount of Notes into the kind and amount of shares of stock, other securities or other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof) that a holder of a number of Common Shares equal to the Conversion Rate immediately prior to such Merger Event would have owned or been entitled to receive (the “Reference Property,” with each “unit of Reference Property” meaning the kind and amount of Reference Property that a holder of one Common Share is entitled to receive) upon such Merger Event. However, at and after the effective time of the Merger Event, the number of Common Shares otherwise deliverable upon conversion of the Notes as set forth under Section 14.01 will instead be deliverable in the amount and type of Reference Property that a holder of that number of Common Shares would have received in such Merger Event.
If the Merger Event causes the Common Shares to be converted into, or exchanged for, the right to receive more than a single type of consideration (determined based in part upon any form of stockholder election), then (i) the Reference Property into which the Notes will be convertible shall be deemed to be the weighted average of the types and amounts of consideration actually received by the holders of Common Shares, and (ii) the unit of Reference Property for purposes of the immediately preceding paragraph shall refer to the consideration referred to in clause (i) attributable to one Common Share. The Company shall notify Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) in writing of such weighted average as soon as practicable after such determination is made. If the holders of Common Shares receive only cash in such Merger Event, then for all conversions that occur after the effective date of such Merger Event (i) the consideration due upon conversion of each $1,000 principal amount of Notes shall be solely cash in an amount equal to the Conversion Rate in effect on the Conversion Date (as may be increased as described under Section 14.03), multiplied by the price paid per Common Share in such Merger Event and (ii) the Company shall satisfy its Conversion Obligation by paying cash to converting Holders on the tenth Business Day immediately following the Conversion Date. The Company shall provide written notification of such Merger Event to Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) no later than the Business Day after the effective date of such Merger Event.
Such supplemental indenture described in the second immediately preceding paragraph shall not required the consent of the Holders and shall provide for anti-dilution and other adjustments that shall be as nearly equivalent as possible to the adjustments provided for in this Article 14. If, in the case of any Merger Event, the Reference Property includes shares of stock, securities or other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof) of a Person other than the successor or purchasing corporation, as the case may be, in such Merger Event, then such supplemental indenture shall also be executed by such other Person and shall contain such additional provisions to protect the interests of the Holders of the Notes as the Board of Directors shall reasonably consider necessary by reason of the foregoing, including the provisions providing for the purchase rights set forth in Article 15.
(b)When the Company executes a supplemental indenture pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 14.07, the Company shall promptly file with the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate briefly stating the reasons therefor, the kind or amount of cash, securities or property or asset that will comprise a unit of Reference Property after any such Merger Event, any adjustment to be made with respect thereto and that all conditions precedent have been complied with, and shall
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promptly provide notice thereof to all Holders. The Company shall cause notice of the execution of such supplemental indenture to be provided to each Holder, at its address appearing on the Note Register provided for in this Indenture, within 20 days after execution thereof. Failure to deliver such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of such supplemental indenture.
(c)The Company shall not become a party to any Merger Event unless its terms are consistent with this Section 14.07. None of the foregoing provisions shall affect the right of a Holder of Notes to convert its Notes into Common Shares as set forth in Section 14.01 and Section 14.02 prior to the effective date of such Merger Event.
(d)The above provisions of this Section shall similarly apply to successive Merger Events.
Section 14.08Certain Covenants. (a) The Company covenants that all Common Shares issued upon conversion of Notes will be fully paid and non-assessable by the Company and free from all taxes, liens and charges with respect to the issue thereof.
(b)The Company covenants that, if any Common Shares to be issued upon conversion of Notes hereunder require registration with or approval of any governmental authority under any federal or state law before such Common Shares may be validly issued upon conversion, the Company will, to the extent then permitted by the rules and interpretations of the Commission, secure such registration or approval, as the case may be.
(c)The Company further covenants that if at any time the Common Shares shall be listed on any national securities exchange or automated quotation system the Company will list and keep listed, so long as the Common Shares shall be so listed on such exchange or automated quotation system, any Common Shares issuable upon conversion of the Notes.
Section 14.09Responsibility of Trustee. The Trustee and any other Conversion Agent shall not at any time be under any duty or responsibility to any Holder to determine the Conversion Rate (or any adjustment thereto) or whether any facts exist that may require any adjustment (including any increase) of the Conversion Rate, or with respect to the nature or extent or calculation of any such adjustment when made, or with respect to the method employed, or herein or in any supplemental indenture provided to be employed, in making the same. The Trustee and any other Conversion Agent shall not be accountable with respect to the validity or value (or the kind or amount) of any Common Shares, or of any securities, property or cash that may at any time be issued or delivered upon the conversion of any Note; and the Trustee and any other Conversion Agent make no representations with respect thereto. Neither the Trustee nor any Conversion Agent shall be responsible for any failure of the Company to issue, transfer or deliver any Common Shares or stock certificates or other securities or property or cash upon the surrender of any Note for the purpose of conversion or to comply with any of the duties, responsibilities or covenants of the Company contained in this Article. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, neither the Trustee nor any Conversion Agent shall be under any responsibility to determine the correctness of any provisions contained in any supplemental indenture entered into pursuant to Section 14.07 relating either to the kind or amount of shares of stock or securities or property (including cash) receivable by Holders upon the conversion of their Notes after any event referred to in such Section 14.07 or to any
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adjustment to be made with respect thereto, but, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, may accept (without any independent investigation) as conclusive evidence of the correctness of any such provisions, and shall be protected in relying upon, the Officer’s Certificate (which the Company shall be obligated to file with the Trustee prior to the execution of any such supplemental indenture) with respect thereto.
Section 14.10Notice to Holders Prior to Certain Actions. In case of any:
(a)action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries that would require an adjustment in the Conversion Rate pursuant to Section 14.04 or Section 14.11;
(b)Merger Event; or
(c)voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding-up of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries;
then, in each case (unless prior notice of such event is otherwise required pursuant to another provision of this Indenture), the Company shall cause to be filed with the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) and to be mailed to each Holder at its address appearing on the Note Register, as promptly as possible but in any event at least 20 days prior to the applicable date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (i) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries or, if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of Common Shares of record are to be determined for the purposes of such action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries, or (ii) the date on which such Merger Event, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up is expected to become effective or occur, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of Common Shares of record shall be entitled to exchange their Common Shares for securities or other property deliverable upon such Merger Event, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up. Failure to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of such action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries, Merger Event, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up.
Section 14.11Stockholder Rights Plans. If the Company has a stockholder rights plan in effect upon conversion of the Notes, Holders of the Notes shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the Common Share issued upon such conversion, the appropriate number of rights, if any, and the certificates representing the Common Shares issued upon such conversion shall bear such legends, if any, in each case as may be provided by the terms of any such stockholder rights plan, as the same may be amended from time to time. However, if, prior to any conversion of Notes, the rights have separated from the Common Shares in accordance with the provisions of the applicable stockholder rights plan so that the Holders would not be entitled to receive any rights in respect of Common Shares issuable upon conversion of the Notes, the Conversion Rate shall be adjusted at the time of separation as if the Company distributed to all or substantially all holders of the Common Share Distributed Property as provided in Section 14.04(c), subject to readjustment in the event of the expiration, termination or redemption of such rights.
Article 15
REPURCHASE OF NOTES AT OPTION OF HOLDERS
Section 15.01Intentionally Omitted.
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Section 15.02Repurchase at Option of Holders Upon a Fundamental Change. (a) If a Fundamental Change occurs at any time, each Holder shall have the right, at such Holder’s option, to require the Company to repurchase for cash all of such Holder’s Notes, or any portion of the principal amount thereof that is equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000, on the Business Day (the “Fundamental Change Repurchase Date”) notified in writing by the Company as set forth in Section 15.02(c) that is not less than 20 Business Days or more than 35 Business Days following the date of the Fundamental Change Company Notice at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date (the “Fundamental Change Repurchase Price”), unless the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date falls after a Regular Record Date but on or prior to the Interest Payment Date to which such Regular Record Date relates, in which case the Company shall instead pay on such Interest Payment Date the full amount of accrued and unpaid interest to Holders of record as of such Regular Record Date, and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price shall be equal to 100% of the principal amount of Notes to be repurchased pursuant to this Article 15.
(b)Repurchases of Notes under this Section 15.02 shall be made, at the option of the Holder thereof, upon:
(i)delivery to the Paying Agent (or other agent appointed for such purpose) by a Holder of a duly completed notice (the “Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice”) in the form set forth in Attachment 2 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A, if the Notes are Physical Notes, or in compliance with the Depositary’s procedures to exercise the repurchase right, if the Notes are Global Notes, in each case on or before the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date; and
(ii)delivery of the Notes, if the Notes are Physical Notes, to the Paying Agent (or other agent appointed for such purpose) at any time after delivery of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice (together with all necessary endorsements for transfer) at the Corporate Trust Office of the Paying Agent, or book-entry transfer of the Notes, if the Notes are Global Notes, in compliance with the procedures of the Depositary, in each case such delivery being a condition to receipt by the Holder of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price therefor.
The Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice in respect of any Notes to be repurchased shall state:
(i)in the case of Physical Notes, the certificate numbers of the Notes to be delivered for repurchase;
(ii)the portion of the principal amount of Notes to be repurchased, which must be $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof; and
(iii)that the Notes are to be repurchased by the Company pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Notes and this Indenture; provided, however, that if the
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Notes are Global Notes, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice must comply with appropriate Depositary procedures.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any Holder delivering to the Paying Agent the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice contemplated by this Section 15.02 shall have the right to withdraw, in whole or in part, such Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice at any time prior to the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date by delivery of a written notice of withdrawal to the Paying Agent in accordance with Section 15.03.
The Paying Agent shall promptly notify the Company of the receipt by it of any Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice or written notice of withdrawal thereof.
(c)On or before the 20th calendar day after the occurrence of the effective date of a Fundamental Change, the Company shall provide to all Holders of Notes and the Trustee, the Conversion Agent and the Paying Agent (in the case of a Paying Agent other than the Trustee) a notice (the “Fundamental Change Company Notice”) of the occurrence of the effective date of the Fundamental Change and of the repurchase right at the option of the Holders arising as a result thereof. In the case of Physical Notes, such notice shall be by mail or, in the case of Global Notes, such notice shall be delivered in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary. Simultaneously with providing such notice, the Company shall issue a press release containing the information set forth in the Fundamental Change Company Notice or publish such information on the Company’s website or through such other public medium as the Company may use at that time. Each Fundamental Change Company Notice shall specify:
(i)the events causing the Fundamental Change and whether such transaction or event is also a Make-Whole Fundamental Change;
(ii)the effective date of the Fundamental Change;
(iii)the last date on which a Holder may exercise the repurchase right pursuant to this Article 15;
(iv)the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price;
(v)the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date;
(vi)the name and address of the Paying Agent and the Conversion Agent or any other agent appointed for the repurchase, if applicable;
(vii)if applicable, the Conversion Rate and any adjustments to the Conversion Rate as a result of such Fundamental Change if it is a Make-Whole Fundamental Change;
(viii)if applicable, that the Notes with respect to which a Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice has been delivered by a Holder may be converted only if the Holder validly withdraws the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice in accordance with the terms of this Indenture; and
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(ix)the procedures that Holders must follow to require the Company to repurchase their Notes.
No failure of the Company to give the foregoing notices and no defect therein shall limit the Holders’ repurchase rights or affect the validity of the proceedings for the repurchase of the Notes pursuant to this Section 15.02.
At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give such notice in the Company’s name and at the Company’s expense; provided, however, that, in all cases, the text of such Fundamental Change Company Notice shall be prepared by the Company.
(d)Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Notes may be repurchased by the Company on any date at the option of the Holders upon a Fundamental Change if the principal amount of the Notes has been accelerated, and such acceleration has not been rescinded, on or prior to such date (except in the case of an acceleration resulting from a Default by the Company in the payment of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price with respect to such Notes). The Paying Agent will promptly return to the respective Holders thereof any Physical Notes held by it during the acceleration of the Notes (except in the case of an acceleration resulting from a Default by the Company in the payment of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price with respect to such Notes), or any instructions for book-entry transfer of the Notes in compliance with the procedures of the Depositary shall be deemed to have been cancelled, and, upon such return or cancellation, as the case may be, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice with respect thereto shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.
(e)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Indenture, the Company shall be deemed to satisfy its obligations to repurchase Notes upon a Fundamental Change pursuant to this Section 15.02 if one or more third parties conduct the repurchase offer and repurchase tendered Notes in a manner that would have satisfied the Company’s obligations to do the same if conducted directly by the Company.
(f)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Indenture, the Company shall not be required to send a Fundamental Change Company Notice, or offer to repurchase or repurchase any Notes pursuant to this Section 15.02, in connection with a Fundamental Change occurring pursuant to clause (b)(A) or (b)(B) (or pursuant to clause (a) that also constitutes a Fundamental Change pursuant to clause (b)(A) or (b)(B)) of the definition thereof, if:
(i)such Fundamental Change constitutes a Merger Event whose Reference Property consists entirely of cash in U.S. dollars;
(ii)immediately after such Fundamental Change, the Notes become convertible (pursuant to the provisions described in Section 14.07 and, if applicable, Section 14.03) into consideration that consists solely of U.S. dollars in an amount per US$1,000 principal amount of Notes that equals or exceeds the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price per US$1,000 principal amount of Notes (calculated assuming that such Fundamental Change Repurchase Price includes accrued and unpaid Additional Interest, if any, to, but excluding, the latest possible Fundamental Change Repurchase Date for such Fundamental Change); and
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(iii)the Company timely sends the notice relating to such Fundamental Change pursuant to Section 14.07.
Any Fundamental Change with respect to which, in accordance with the provisions described in this Section 15.02(f), the Company is not required to offer to repurchase any Notes is referred to as herein as an “Exempted Fundamental Change.”
(g)If a Fundamental Change described in clause (d) of the definition thereof has occurred and the Common Shares, other common equity underlying the Notes or the Reference Property have been accepted for listing on a Permitted Exchange (such shares, other common equity or the Reference Property, the “Newly Listed Equity”), then, from and after the later to occur of (x) the date of such acceptance for listing on a Permitted Exchange or (y) the effective date of such Fundamental Change (the “New Listing Reference Date”), Section 14.07 will be deemed to apply mutatis mutandis as if the Reference Property for the Notes were the Newly Listed Equity. No later than five (5) Business Days after the New Listing Reference Date, the Company will execute with the Trustee a supplemental indenture to the relevant indenture containing such provisions that the Board of Directors determines in good faith are appropriate to preserve the economic interests of the Holders and are necessary to reflect the replacement of the Common Shares (or other common equity or Reference Property then underlying the Notes) with the Newly Listed Equity. The Company will notify Holders and the Conversion agent (if other than the Trustee) in writing as promptly as reasonably practicable following the date the Company executes such supplemental indenture and will substantially concurrently with such notice either post such supplemental indenture on the Company’s website or disclose the same in a current report on Form 6-K (or any successor form) that is filed with the Commission.
Section 15.03Withdrawal of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice. (a) A Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice may be withdrawn (in whole or in part) by means of a duly completed written notice of withdrawal delivered to the Corporate Trust Office of the Paying Agent and the Trustee in accordance with this Section 15.03 at any time prior to the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, specifying:
(i)the principal amount of the Notes with respect to which such notice of withdrawal is being submitted, which must be $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof,
(ii)in the case of Physical Notes, the certificate number of the Note in respect of which such notice of withdrawal is being submitted, and
(iii)the principal amount, if any, of such Note that remains subject to the original Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice, which portion must be in principal amounts of $1,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000; provided, however, that if the Notes are Global Notes, the notice must comply with appropriate procedures of the Depositary.
Section 15.04Deposit of Fundamental Change Repurchase Price. (a) The Company will deposit with the Trustee (or other Paying Agent appointed by the Company, or if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, set aside, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 4.04) on or prior to 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Business Day immediately
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prior to the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date an amount of money sufficient to repurchase all of the Notes to be repurchased at the appropriate Fundamental Change Repurchase Price. Subject to receipt of funds and/or Notes by the Trustee (or other Paying Agent appointed by the Company), payment for Notes surrendered for repurchase (and not withdrawn prior to the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date) will be made on the later of (i) the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date (provided the Holder has satisfied the conditions in Section 15.02) and (ii) the time of book-entry transfer or the delivery of such Note to the Trustee (or other Paying Agent appointed by the Company) by the Holder thereof in the manner required by Section 15.02 by mailing checks for the amount payable to the Holders of such Notes entitled thereto as they shall appear in the Note Register; provided, however, that payments to the Depositary shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account of the Depositary or its nominee. The Trustee shall, promptly after such payment and upon written demand by the Company, return to the Company any funds in excess of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price.
(b)If by 11:00 a.m. New York City time, on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, the Trustee (or other Paying Agent appointed by the Company) holds money sufficient to make payment on all the Notes or portions thereof that are to be repurchased on such Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, then, with respect to the Notes that have been properly surrendered for repurchase and have not been validly withdrawn, (i) such Notes will cease to be outstanding, (ii) interest will cease to accrue on such Notes (whether or not book-entry transfer of the Notes has been made or the Notes have been delivered to the Trustee or Paying Agent) and (iii) all other rights of the Holders of such Notes will terminate (other than the right to receive the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price upon delivery or transfer of the Notes and, if applicable, accrued and unpaid interest).
(c)Upon surrender of a Note that is to be repurchased in part pursuant to Section 15.02, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder a new Note in an authorized denomination equal in principal amount to the unrepurchased portion of the Note surrendered.
Section 15.05Covenant to Comply with Applicable Laws Upon Repurchase of Notes. In connection with any repurchase offer, the Company will, if required:
(a)comply with the provisions of Rule 13e-4, Rule 14e-1 and any other tender offer rules under the Exchange Act that may be applicable;
(b)file a Schedule TO or any other required schedule under the Exchange Act; and
(c)otherwise comply with all federal and state securities laws in connection with any offer by the Company to repurchase the Notes;
in each case, so as to permit the rights and obligations under this Article 15 to be exercised in the time and in the manner specified in this Article 15. To the extent that the provisions of any applicable securities laws or regulations adopted subsequent to January 7, 2026 conflict with the provisions of this Indenture relating to the Company’s obligations to purchase the Notes upon a Fundamental Change, the Company will comply with the applicable securities laws and
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regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under such provisions of this Indenture by virtue of such conflict.
Article 16
OPTIONAL REDEMPTION
Section 16.01Optional Redemption. No sinking fund is provided for the Notes. The Notes shall not be redeemable by the Company prior to January 22, 2029, except pursuant to Section 17.01. On or after January 22, 2029, the Company may redeem (an “Optional Redemption”) for cash all or part of the Notes, at its option, at the Redemption Price, if the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Shares has been at least 130% of the Conversion Price then in effect for at least 20 Trading Days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive Trading Day period (including the last Trading Day of such period) ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date on which the Company provides the Optional Redemption Notice in accordance with Section 16.02.
Section 16.02Notice of Optional Redemption; Selection of Notes. (a) In case the Company exercises its right to redeem all or any part of the Notes pursuant to Section 16.01, it shall fix a date for redemption (each, an “Optional Redemption Date”) and it shall mail or cause to be delivered a written notice of such Optional Redemption (an “Optional Redemption Notice”) not less than 14 nor more than 60 calendar days prior to the Optional Redemption Date to each Holder of Notes so to be redeemed as a whole or in part at its last address as the same appears on the Note Register; provided that the Company shall also give such written notice of the Optional Redemption Date to the Trustee, the Conversion Agent and the Paying Agent. The Optional Redemption Date must be a Business Day. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Optional Redemption Date falls after a Regular Record Date but on or prior to the immediately succeeding Interest Payment Date, interest accrued to the Interest Payment Date will be paid to Holders of record of the Notes on such Regular Record Date.
(b)The Optional Redemption Notice, if delivered in the manner herein provided, shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to give such Optional Redemption Notice in the manner herein provided or any defect in the Optional Redemption Notice to the Holder of any Note designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Note.
(c)Each Optional Redemption Notice shall specify:
(i)the Optional Redemption Date;
(ii)the Redemption Price;
(iii)that on the Optional Redemption Date, the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each Note to be redeemed, and that interest thereon, if any, shall cease to accrue on and after the Optional Redemption Date;
(iv)the place or places where such Notes are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price;
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(v)that Holders may surrender their Notes for conversion at any time prior to the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the Optional Redemption Date;
(vi)the procedures a converting Holder must follow to convert its Notes;
(vii)the Conversion Rate;
(viii)the CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers, if any, assigned to such Notes; and
(ix)in case any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed and on and after the Optional Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Note, a new Note in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof shall be issued.
An Optional Redemption Notice shall be irrevocable.
(d)If fewer than all of the outstanding Notes are to be redeemed, the Notes called for redemption (in principal amounts of $1,000 or multiples thereof) shall be selected by lot, on a pro rata basis or by another method the Trustee shall deem to be fair and appropriate in its sole and absolute discretion or as otherwise required by applicable law. In the case of a Global Note, the beneficial interests therein to be redeemed shall be selected in accordance with applicable procedures of the Depositary. If any Note selected for partial redemption is submitted for conversion in part after such selection, the portion of the Note submitted for conversion shall be deemed (so far as may be possible) to be the portion selected for redemption. In the case of an Optional Redemption, a Holder may convert its Notes at any time until the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the Optional Redemption Date.
Section 16.03Payment of Notes Called for Optional Redemption. (a) If any Optional Redemption Notice has been given in respect of the Notes in accordance with Section 16.02, the Notes shall become due and payable on the Optional Redemption Date at the place or places stated in the Optional Redemption Notice and at the applicable Redemption Price. On presentation and surrender of the Notes at the place or places stated in the Optional Redemption Notice, the Notes shall be paid and redeemed by the Company at the applicable Redemption Price.
(b)Prior to the open of business on the Business Day immediately prior to the Optional Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent or, if the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company is acting as the Paying Agent, shall segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 7.07 an amount of cash (in immediately available funds if deposited on the Optional Redemption Date), sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of all of the Notes to be redeemed on such Optional Redemption Date. Subject to receipt of funds by the Paying Agent, payment for the Notes to be redeemed shall be made on the Optional Redemption Date for such Notes. The Paying Agent shall, promptly after such payment and upon written demand by the Company, return to the Company any funds in excess of the Redemption Price.
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Section 16.04Restrictions on Optional Redemption. The Company may not redeem any Notes on any date if the principal amount of the Notes has been accelerated in accordance with the terms of this Indenture, and such acceleration has not been rescinded, on or prior to the Optional Redemption Date (except in the case of an acceleration resulting from a Default by the Company in the payment of the Redemption Price with respect to such Notes).
Article 17
REDEMPTION FOR TAXATION REASONS
Section 17.01Redemption for Taxation Reasons.
The Notes may be redeemed, for cash, at the Company’s option or at the option of any Successor Company, as a whole but not in part (a “Tax Redemption”), at the Redemption Price if, as a result of:
(a)any change in, or amendment to, the laws or treaties (or any regulations or rulings promulgated thereunder) of a Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction affecting taxation; or
(b)any change in, or amendment to, the interpretation, administration, practice, enforcement or application of such laws, treaties, rules or regulations, in each case having the force of law, by any legislative body, court, governmental agency, taxing authority or regulatory or administrative authority (including the enactment of any legislation and the announcement or publication of any judicial decision or official regulatory or administrative interpretation or determination),
which change or amendment becomes effective or, in the case of a change in the interpretation, administration, practice, enforcement or application of such laws or treaties, is announced (i) with respect the Company, on or after the date hereof, or (ii) with respect to any Successor Company, on or after the date such successor becomes a Successor Company, with respect to any payment due or to become due under the Notes or this Indenture, the Company or any Successor Company is, or on the next Interest Payment Date would be, required to pay Additional Amounts, and such requirement cannot be avoided by the taking of reasonable measures (provided that changing the jurisdiction of the Company or any Successor Company is not a reasonable measure for purpose of this Section) by the Company or any Successor Company.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article 17, neither the Company nor any Successor Company may redeem any of the Notes in the case that Additional Amounts are payable in respect of People’s Republic of China withholding tax at the Applicable PRC Rate or less solely as a result of the Company or its Successor Company being considered a People’s Republic of China tax resident.
Section 17.02Notice of Tax Redemption.
(a)In case the Company exercises its Tax Redemption right pursuant to Section 17.01, it shall fix a date for redemption (the “Tax Redemption Date”) and it shall mail or cause to be mailed a written notice of such Tax Redemption (a “Tax Redemption Notice”) not less than 14 nor more than 60 calendar days prior to the Tax Redemption Date to each Holder of
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Notes so to be redeemed at its last address as the same appears on the Note Register; provided that the Company shall also give such written notice of the Tax Redemption Date to the Trustee and the Paying Agent; provided further that no such Tax Redemption Notice shall be given earlier than 90 days prior to the earliest date on which the Company or any Successor Company would be obligated to pay such Additional Amounts if a payment in respect of the Notes were then due. The Tax Redemption Date must be a Business Day. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Tax Redemption Date falls after a Regular Record Date but on or prior to the immediately succeeding Interest Payment Date, interest accrued to the Interest Payment Date will be paid to Holders of record of the Notes on such Regular Record Date.
(b)Prior to the delivery of any Tax Redemption Notice, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee (i) a certificate signed by two of the Company’s Officers stating that the requirement to pay Additional Amounts as provided in Section 17.01 cannot be avoided by the taking of reasonable measures by the Company or any Successor Company and (ii) an opinion of independent legal or tax advisors of recognized standing to the effect that such change or amendment has occurred (irrespective of whether such amendment or change is then effective). The Trustee shall accept and conclusively rely upon such certificate and opinion (without further investigation or enquiry) and it shall be conclusive and binding on the Holders, and the Trustee shall be protected and shall have no liability to any Holder or any person for so accepting and relying on such certificate or opinion.
(c)The Tax Redemption Notice, if mailed in the manner herein provided, shall be conclusively presumed to have been given duly, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to give such Tax Redemption Notice by mail or any defect in the Tax Redemption Notice to the Holder of any Note designated for redemption shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Note.
(d)Each Tax Redemption Notice shall specify:
(i)the Tax Redemption Date;
(ii)the Redemption Price;
(iii)the place or places where such Notes are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price;
(iv)that on the Tax Redemption Date, the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each Note to be redeemed, and that the interest thereon, if any, shall cease to accrue on and after the Tax Redemption Date;
(v)that Holders may surrender their Notes for conversion at any time prior to the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the Tax Redemption Date;
(vi)the procedures a converting Holder must follow to convert its Notes;
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(vii)that Holders have the right to elect not to have their Notes redeemed by delivery to the Trustee written notice to that effect not later than the 15th calendar day prior to the Tax Redemption Date;
(viii)that Holders who wish to elect not to have their Notes redeemed must satisfy the requirements set forth herein and in the Indenture;
(ix)that, at and after the Tax Redemption Date, Holders who elect not to have their Notes redeemed will not receive any Additional Amounts on any payments with respect to such Notes solely as a result of the change or amendment in the tax laws of the Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction that caused such Additional Amounts to be paid (whether upon repurchase, maturity or otherwise, and whether in cash, Common Shares or otherwise), and all future payments with respect to the Notes will be subject to the deduction or withholding of such Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction taxes required by law to be deducted or withheld as a result of such change or amendment;
(x)the Conversion Rate and, if applicable, the number of Common Shares added to the Conversion Rate in accordance with Section 14.03; and
(xi)the CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers, if any, assigned to such Notes.
A Tax Redemption Notice shall be irrevocable. In the case of a Tax Redemption, a Holder may convert its Notes at any time until the close of business on the third Business Day preceding the Tax Redemption Date.
Section 17.03Payment of Notes Called for Tax Redemption.
(a)If any Tax Redemption Notice has been given in respect of the Notes in accordance with Section 17.02, the Notes shall become due and payable on the Tax Redemption Date at the place or places stated in the Tax Redemption Notice and at the applicable Redemption Price. On presentation and surrender of the Notes at the place or places stated in the Tax Redemption Notice, the Notes shall be paid and redeemed by the Company and the applicable Redemption Price.
(b)Prior to the open of business on the Business Day immediately prior to the Tax Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent or, if the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company is acting as the Paying Agent, shall segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 7.07 an amount of cash (in immediately available funds if deposited on the Tax Redemption Date), sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of all of the Notes to be redeemed on such Tax Redemption Date. Subject to receipt of funds by the Paying Agent, payment for the Notes to be redeemed shall be made on the Tax Redemption Date for such Notes.
The Trustee (or other Paying Agent appointed by the Company) shall, promptly after such payment and upon written demand by the Company, return to Company any funds in excess of the Redemption Price.
Section 17.04Holders’ Right to Avoid Redemption. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article 17, if the Company or any Successor Company has given a Tax
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Redemption Notice as described in Section 17.02, each Holder of Notes will have the right to elect that such Holder’s Notes will not be subject to Tax Redemption. If a Holder elects not to be subject to a Tax Redemption, the Company or any Successor Company will not be required to pay Additional Amounts with respect to payments made in respect of such Holder’s Notes following the Tax Redemption Date, and all subsequent payments in respect of such Holder’s Notes will be subject to any tax required to be withheld or deducted under the laws of a Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction, in each case, as a result of the change or amendment in the tax laws of the Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction that caused such Additional Amounts to be paid. The obligation to pay Additional Amounts to any electing Holder for periods up to the Tax Redemption Date shall remain subject to the exceptions set forth under Section 4.07. Holders must exercise their option to elect to avoid a Tax Redemption by written notice to the Trustee no later than the 15th calendar day prior to the Tax Redemption Date.
Section 17.05Restrictions on Tax Redemption. The Company may not redeem any Notes on any date if the principal amount of the Notes has been accelerated in accordance with the terms of this Indenture, and such acceleration has not been rescinded, on or prior to the Tax Redemption Date (except in the case of an acceleration resulting from a Default by the Company in the payment of the Redemption Price with respect to such Notes).
Article 18
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 18.01Provisions Binding on Company’s Successors. All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements of the Company contained in this Indenture shall bind its successors and assigns whether so expressed or not.
Section 18.02Official Acts by Successor Corporation. Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture authorized or required to be done or performed by any board, committee or Officer of the Company shall and may be done and performed with like force and effect by the like board, committee or officer of any corporation or other entity that shall at the time be the lawful sole successor of the Company.
Section 18.03Addresses for Notices, Etc. Any notice or demand that by any provision of this Indenture is required or permitted to be given or served by the Trustee or by the Holders on the Company shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes if it is in writing, in the English language, given or served by electronic mail, or by being deposited postage prepaid by registered or certified mail in a post office letter box addressed (until another address is filed by the Company with the Trustee) to Canadian Solar Inc., 4273 King Street East, Suite 102, Kitchener, Ontario, N2P 2E9, Canada, Attention: Chief Financial Officer, email: xinbo.zhu@canadiansolar.com. Any notice, direction, request or demand hereunder to or upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if given or served by being deposited postage prepaid by registered or certified mail in a post office letter box addressed to 240 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10286, USA; Attention: Global Corporate Trust - Canadian Solar Inc., e-mail: honctrmta@bnymellon.com, with a copy to The Bank of New York Mellon, Hong Kong Branch, Level 26, Three Pacific Place, 1 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong; email: honctrmta@bny.com; Attention: Corporate Trust - Canadian Solar Inc.
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The Trustee or the Agents, by notice to the Company, may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
Any notice or communication mailed to a Holder shall be mailed to it by mail at its address as it appears on the Note Register or, in the case of a Global Note, transmitted in accordance with the Depositary’s applicable procedures, and shall be sufficiently given to it if so mailed or so transmitted within the time prescribed. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary herein, in any instance where notice is required to be mailed to Holders, in the case of a Global Note, such notice shall instead be delivered to the Depositary in accordance with its applicable procedures.
Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders. If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.
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 to Holders by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.
The Trustee and the Agents shall have the right to accept and act upon instructions, including funds transfer instructions (“Instructions”) given pursuant to this Indenture and delivered using Electronic Means; provided, however, that the Company shall provide to the Trustee and the Agents an Authorization Certificate listing the authorized officers and containing specimen signatures of such authorized officers, which Authorization Certificate shall be amended by the Company whenever a person is to be added or deleted from the list. If the Company elects to give the Trustee and the Agents Instructions using Electronic Means and the Trustee and the Agents in their discretion elect to act upon such Instructions, the Trustee’s and the Agents’ understanding of such Instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Company understands and agrees that the Trustee and the Agents cannot determine and shall have no duty or obligation to verify the identity of the actual sender of such Instructions and that the Trustee and the Agents shall conclusively presume that directions that purport to have been sent by an authorized officer listed on the Authorization Certificate provided to the Trustee and the Agents have been sent by such authorized officer. The Company shall be responsible for ensuring that only authorized officers transmit such Instructions to the Trustee and the Agents and that the Company and all authorized officers are solely responsible to safeguard the use and confidentiality of applicable user and authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys upon receipt by the Company. The Trustee and the Agents shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s and the Agents’ reliance upon and compliance with such Instructions notwithstanding such Instructions’ conflict or inconsistency with a subsequent written instruction. The Company agrees: (i) to assume all risks arising out of the use of Electronic Means to submit Instructions to the Trustee and the Agents, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee and the Agents acting on unauthorized Instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties; (ii) that it is fully informed of the protections and risks associated with the various methods of transmitting Instructions to the Trustee and the Agents and that there may be more secure methods of transmitting Instructions than the method(s) selected by the Company; (iii) that the security procedures (if
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any) to be followed in connection with its transmission of Instructions provide to it a commercially reasonable degree of protection in light of its particular needs and circumstances; and (iv) to notify the Trustee and the Agents immediately upon learning of any compromise or unauthorized use of the security procedures.
The Company shall use all reasonable endeavors to ensure that any such notices, instructions, directions or other communications transmitted to the Trustee and the Agents using Electronic Means pursuant to this Indenture are complete and correct. Any such notices, instructions, directions or other communications shall be conclusively deemed to be valid instructions from the Company to the Trustee and the Agents for the purposes of this Indenture.
Section 18.04[Reserved].
Section 18.05Governing Law; Jurisdiction. THIS INDENTURE AND EACH NOTE, AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS INDENTURE AND EACH NOTE, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
Each of the parties hereto and each Holder (by its acceptance of any Note) hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Indenture or the Notes or any transaction contemplated hereby or thereby. The Company, the Trustee and each Holder (by its acceptance of any Note) irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any of the aforesaid actions, suits or proceedings arising out of or in connection with this Indenture brought in the courts of the State of New York or the courts of the United States located in the Borough of Manhattan, New York City, New York and hereby further irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such action, suit or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
Section 18.06Submission to Jurisdiction; Service of Process. The Company irrevocably appoints Corporation Service Company as its authorized agent in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding, and agrees that service of process upon such agent, and written notice of said service to the Company by the person serving the same to Corporation Service Company at 19 West 44th Street, Suite 200, New York, NY 10036, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of five and a half years from the date of this Indenture. If for any reason such agent shall cease to be such agent for service of process, the Company shall forthwith appoint a new agent of recognized standing for service of process in the State of New York and deliver to the Trustee a copy of the new agent’s acceptance of that appointment within 30 days of such acceptance. Nothing herein shall affect the right of the Trustee, any agent or any Holder to serve process in any other manner permitted by law or to commence legal proceedings or otherwise proceed against the Company in any other court of competent jurisdiction.
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Section 18.07Evidence Of Compliance With Conditions Precedent; Certificates And Opinions Of Counsel To Trustee. Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall, if requested by the Trustee, furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and/or Opinion of Counsel stating that such action is permitted by the terms of this Indenture.
Each Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel provided for, by or on behalf of the Company in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with this Indenture (other than the Officer’s Certificates provided for in Section 4.09) shall include (a) a statement that the person signing such certificate is familiar with the requested action and the covenants and conditions in this Indenture, including definitions; (b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statement contained in such certificate is based; (c) a statement that, in the judgment of such person, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him or her to express an informed judgment as to whether or not such action is permitted by this Indenture and all conditions precedent have been satisfied; and (d) a statement as to whether or not, in the judgment of such person, such action is permitted by this Indenture and all conditions precedent have been satisfied.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 18.07, if any provision in this Indenture specifically provides that the Trustee shall or may receive an Opinion of Counsel in connection with any action to be taken by the Trustee or the Company hereunder, the Trustee shall be entitled to, or entitled to request, such Opinion of Counsel.
Section 18.08Legal Holidays. In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, Optional Redemption Date, Tax Redemption Date, Conversion Date or Maturity Date is not a Business Day, then any action to be taken on such date need not be taken on such date, but may be taken on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if taken on such date, and no interest shall accrue or other amounts shall be payable in respect of the delay.
Section 18.09No Security Interest Created. Nothing in this Indenture or in the Notes, expressed or implied, shall be construed to constitute a security interest under the Uniform Commercial Code or similar legislation, as now or hereafter enacted and in effect, in any jurisdiction.
Section 18.10Benefits of Indenture. Nothing in this Indenture or in the Notes, expressed or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the Holders (and to the extent specified in the last sentence of Section 8.03, beneficial owners of the Notes), the parties hereto, any Paying Agent, any Conversion Agent, any authenticating agent, any Note Registrar and their successors hereunder, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
Section 18.11Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. The table of contents and the titles and headings of the articles and sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
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Section 18.12Authenticating Agent. The Trustee at the sole expense of the Company may appoint an authenticating agent that shall be authorized to act on its behalf and subject to its direction in the authentication and delivery of Notes in connection with the original issuance thereof and transfers and exchanges of Notes hereunder, as fully to all intents and purposes as though the authenticating agent had been expressly authorized by this Indenture to authenticate and deliver Notes. For all purposes of this Indenture, the authentication and delivery of Notes by the authenticating agent shall be deemed to be authentication and delivery of such Notes “by the Trustee” and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an authenticating agent shall be deemed to satisfy any requirement hereunder or in the Notes for the Trustee’s certificate of authentication. Such authenticating agent shall at all times be a Person eligible to serve as trustee hereunder pursuant to Section 7.11.
Any corporation or other entity into which any authenticating agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation or other entity resulting from any merger, consolidation or conversion to which any authenticating agent shall be a party, or any corporation or other entity succeeding to the corporate trust business of any authenticating agent, shall be the successor of the authenticating agent hereunder, if such successor corporation or other entity is otherwise eligible under this Section 18.12, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the parties hereto or the authenticating agent or such successor corporation or other entity.
Any authenticating agent may at any time resign by giving written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of any authenticating agent by giving written notice of termination 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 any authenticating agent shall cease to be eligible under this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor authenticating agent (which may be the Trustee), shall give written notice of such appointment to the Company and shall mail notice of such appointment to all Holders as the names and addresses of such Holders appear on the Note Register.
The Company agrees to pay to the authenticating agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services although the Company may terminate the authenticating agent, if it determines such agent’s fees to be unreasonable.
The provisions of Section 7.02, Section 7.03, Section 8.03 and this Section 18.12 shall be applicable to any authenticating agent.
If an authenticating agent is appointed pursuant to this Section 18.12, the Notes may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternative certificate of authentication in the following form:
| , |
| |
as Authenticating Agent, certifies that this is one of the Notes described in the within-named Indenture. | |
| | |
By: | | |
Authorized Officer | | |
| | |
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Section 18.13Execution in Counterparts. This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by email transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by email shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
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Section 18.14Severability. In the event any provision of this Indenture or in the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, then (to the extent permitted by law) the validity, legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired.
Section 18.15Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, AND THE HOLDERS BY ACCEPTING THE NOTES IRREVOCABLY WAIVE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS INDENTURE OR THE NOTES.
Section 18.16Force Majeure. In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts that are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
Section 18.17Calculations. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the Company shall be responsible for making all calculations called for under this Indenture and the Notes. These calculations include, but are not limited to, determinations of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Shares, accrued interest payable on the Notes, the number of Additional Shares to be added to the Conversion Rate for conversions in connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, an Optional Redemption or a Tax Redemption (if any) and the Conversion Rate of the Notes. The Company shall make all these calculations in good faith and, absent manifest error, the Company’s calculations shall be final and binding on Holders of Notes, the Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Conversion Agent. The Company shall provide a schedule of its calculations to each of the Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Conversion Agent, and each of the Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Conversion Agent is entitled to rely conclusively upon the accuracy of the Company’s calculations without independent verification. The Trustee will forward the Company’s calculations to any Holder of Notes upon the prior written request and satisfactory proof of holding of that Holder at the sole cost and expense of the Company.
Section 18.18USA PATRIOT Act. The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in
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order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Section 18.19Currency Indemnity. U.S. dollars are the sole currency of account and payment for all sums payable by the Company under or in connection with the Notes or this Indenture, including damages. Any amount received or recovered in a currency other than U.S. dollars (whether as a result of, or through the enforcement of, a judgment or order of a court of any jurisdiction, in the Company’s winding-up or dissolution or otherwise) by any Holder of a Note or the Trustee in respect of any sum expressed to be due to it from the Company will only constitute a discharge to the Company to the extent of the U.S. dollar amount that the recipient is able to purchase with the amount so received or recovered in that other currency on the date of that receipt or recovery (or, if it is not practicable to make that purchase on that date, on the first date on which it is practicable to do so.) If that U.S. dollar amount is less than the U.S. dollar amount expressed to be due to the recipient under any Note or this Indenture, the Company will indemnify such Holder and/or the Trustee against any loss sustained by it as a result; and if the amount of U.S. dollars so purchased is greater than the sum originally due to such Holder or the Trustee, such Holder or the Trustee will, by accepting a Note, be deemed to have agreed to repay such excess. In any event, the Company will indemnify the recipient against the cost of making any such purchase.
For the purposes of the preceding paragraph, it will be sufficient for the Holder of a Note or the Trustee to certify in a satisfactory manner (indicating the sources of information used) that it would have suffered a loss had an actual purchase of U.S. dollars been made with the amount so received in that other currency on the date of receipt or recovery (or, if a purchase of U.S. dollars on such date had not been practicable, on the first date on which it would have been practicable, it being required that the need for a change of date be certified in the manner mentioned above). These indemnities constitute a separate and independent obligation from the Company’s other obligations, will give rise to a separate and independent cause of action, will apply irrespective of any indulgence granted by any Holder of a Note and will continue in full force and effect despite any other judgment, order, claim or proof for a liquidated amount in respect of any sum due under any Note.
Section 18.20Sanctions. The Company covenants and represents that:
(a)neither it nor any of its Affiliates, Subsidiaries, directors or officers are the target or subject of any sanctions enforced by the US government, (including the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union or HM Treasury (collectively “Sanctions”); and
(b)neither it nor any of its Affiliates, or Subsidiaries, will knowingly use any payments made pursuant to this Indenture, (i) to fund or facilitate any prohibited activities of or business with any person who, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any prohibited activities of or business with any country or
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territory that is the target or subject of Sanctions, or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions applicable to the Company.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.
| CANADIAN SOLAR INC. | |
| | |
| By: | |
| Name: | Shawn (Xiaohua) Qu |
| Title: | Chairman and Chief |
| Executive Officer | |
[Signature Page - Indenture]
| THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Trustee | ||
| | ||
| | ||
| | ||
| By: | ||
| | Name: | |
| | Title: | |
[Signature Page - Indenture]
Exhibit A
[FORM OF FACE OF NOTE]
[INCLUDE FOLLOWING LEGEND IF A GLOBAL NOTE]
[THIS IS A GLOBAL NOTE WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY, WHICH MAY BE TREATED BY THE COMPANY, THE TRUSTEE AND ANY AGENT THEREOF AS THE OWNER AND HOLDER OF THIS NOTE FOR ALL PURPOSES.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT HEREUNDER IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.]
[INCLUDE FOLLOWING LEGEND IF A RESTRICTED SECURITY]
[THIS SECURITY AND THE COMMON SHARES DELIVERABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), ARE
“RESTRICTED SECURITIES” WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR CONTRACTUALLY RESTRICTED SECURITIES, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF OR OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN, THE ACQUIRER:
(1)REPRESENTS THAT IT AND ANY ACCOUNT FOR WHICH IT IS ACTING IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” (WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) AND THAT IT EXERCISES SOLE INVESTMENT DISCRETION WITH RESPECT TO EACH SUCH ACCOUNT AND THAT IT AND ANY SUCH ACCOUNT IS NOT, AND HAS NOT BEEN FOR THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THREE MONTHS, AN AFFILIATE OF CANADIAN SOLAR INC. (“THE COMPANY”), AND
(2)AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMPANY THAT IT WILL NOT OFFER, SELL, PLEDGE OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY, THE COMMON SHARES DELIVERABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY OR ANY BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN OR THEREIN PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THE LATER OF (X) ONE YEAR AFTER THE ISSUE DATE OR SUCH SHORTER PERIOD OF
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TIME AS PERMITTED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY SUCCESSOR PROVISION THERETO AND (Y) SUCH LATER DATE, IF ANY, AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EXCEPT:
(A)TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, OR
(B)PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT THAT HAS BECOME EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR
(C)TO A PERSON REASONABLY BELIEVED TO BE A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR
(D)PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (IF AVAILABLE).
PRIOR TO THE REGISTRATION OF ANY TRANSFER IN ACCORDANCE WITH CLAUSE (2)(D) ABOVE, THE COMPANY AND THE TRANSFER AGENT RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF SUCH LEGAL OPINIONS, CERTIFICATIONS OR OTHER EVIDENCE AS MAY REASONABLY BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. NO REPRESENTATION IS MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.
NO AFFILIATE (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) OF THE COMPANY OR PERSON THAT HAS BEEN AN AFFILIATE (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) OF THE COMPANY DURING THE THREE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING MONTHS MAY PURCHASE, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR OWN THIS NOTE, THE COMMON SHARES DELIVERABLE UPON CONVERSION HEREOF, OR A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN OR THEREIN.]
A-2
CANADIAN SOLAR INC.
3.25% Convertible Senior Note due 2031
No. [ ] | [Initially]1 $[ ] |
CUSIP No. [ ] |
CANADIAN SOLAR INC., a Business Corporations Act (Ontario) corporation (the “Company,” which term includes any successor corporation or other entity under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received hereby promises to pay to [CEDE & CO.]2 [_______]3, or registered assigns, the principal sum [as set forth in the “Schedule of Exchanges of Notes” attached hereto]4 [of $[_______]]5, which amount, taken together with the principal amounts of all other outstanding Notes, shall not, unless permitted by the Indenture, exceed $230,000,000 in the aggregate at any time [, in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Depositary,]6 on January 15, 2031, and interest thereon as set forth below.
This Note shall bear interest at the rate of 3.25% per year from January 13, 2026, or from the most recent date to which interest had been paid or provided for to, but excluding, the next scheduled Interest Payment Date until January 15, 2031. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on each January 15 and July 15, commencing on July 15, 2026, to Holders of record at the close of business on the preceding January 1 and July 1 (whether or not such day is a Business Day), respectively. Additional Interest will be payable as set forth in the within mentioned Indenture, and any reference to interest on, or in respect of, any Note therein shall be deemed to include Additional Interest if, in such context, Additional Interest is, was or would be payable pursuant to any provision of the Indenture, and any express mention of the payment of Additional Interest in any provision therein shall not be construed as excluding Additional Interest in those provisions thereof where such express mention is not made.
Any Defaulted Amounts shall accrue interest per annum at the rate borne by the Notes plus 0.50%, subject to the enforceability thereof under applicable law, from, and including, the relevant payment date to, but excluding, the date on which such Defaulted Amounts shall have been paid by the Company, at its election, in accordance with the Indenture. Such interest, if any, is referred to as “Default Interest.”
The Company shall pay or cause the Paying Agent to pay the principal of and interest on this Note, if and so long as such Note is a Global Note, in immediately available funds to the
1 | Include if a global note. |
2 | Include if a global note. |
3 | Include if a physical note. |
4 | Include if a global note. |
5 | Include if a physical note. |
6 | Include if a global note. |
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Depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered Holder of such Note. As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Company shall pay the principal of any Notes (other than Notes that are Global Notes) at the office or agency designated by the Company for that purpose. The Company has initially designated The Bank of New York Mellon as its Paying Agent, Transfer Agent and Note Registrar in respect of the Notes and its agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, as a place where Notes may be presented for payment or for registration of transfer and exchange.
Reference is made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, including, without limitation, provisions giving the Holder of this Note the right to convert this Note into Common Shares on the terms and subject to the limitations set forth in the Indenture. Such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Note, and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Note, shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New York.
In the case of any conflict between this Note and the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall control and govern.
This Note shall not be valid or become obligatory for any purpose until the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been signed manually or by facsimile by the Trustee or a duly authorized authenticating agent under the Indenture.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
A-4
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Note to be duly executed.
| CANADIAN SOLAR INC. | |
| ||
| ||
| By: | |
| | Name: |
| | Title: |
[Signature Page - Global Note]
Dated: | | ||
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION | | ||
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON | | ||
as Trustee, certifies that this is one of the Notes | | ||
| | ||
| | ||
By: | | ||
Name: | | ||
Title: | | ||
[Signature Page - Global Note]
[FORM OF REVERSE OF NOTE]
CANADIAN SOLAR INC.
3.25% Convertible Senior Note due 2031
This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Notes of the Company, designated as its 3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 (the “Notes”), limited to the aggregate principal amount of $230,000,000, subject to Section 2.10 of the Indenture, all issued or to be issued under and pursuant to an Indenture dated as of January 13, 2026 (the “Indenture”), between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Trustee, the Company and the Holders of the Notes. Additional Notes may be issued in an unlimited aggregate principal amount, subject to certain conditions specified in the Indenture. Capitalized terms used in this Note and not defined in this Note shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Indenture.
In case certain Events of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on, all Notes may be declared, by either the Trustee (subject to receiving indemnity and/or security to its reasonable satisfaction) or Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding, and upon said declaration shall become, due and payable, in the manner, with the effect and subject to the conditions and certain exceptions set forth in the Indenture. In the case of certain Events of Default relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or similar events with respect to the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes then outstanding shall automatically become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Holders or the Trustee.
Subject to the terms and conditions of the Indenture, the Company will make or cause the Paying Agent to make all payments and deliveries in respect of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date to the Holder who surrenders a Note to a Paying Agent to collect such payments in respect of the Note. The Company will pay or cause the Paying Agent to pay cash amounts in money of the United States of America that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.
The Indenture contains provisions permitting the Company and the Trustee in certain circumstances, without the consent of the Holders of the Notes, and in certain other circumstances, with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding, evidenced as in the Indenture provided, to execute supplemental indentures modifying the terms of the Indenture and the Notes as described therein. It is also provided in the Indenture that, subject to certain exceptions, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding may, on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive, subject to certain exemptions, any past Default or Event of Default under the Indenture and its consequences.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay
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or cause to be delivered, as the case may be, the principal (including the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price or the Redemption Price, in each case, if applicable) of, accrued and unpaid interest on, and the consideration due upon conversion of, this Note at the place, at the respective times, at the rate and in the lawful money herein prescribed.
The Notes are issuable in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 principal amount and integral multiples thereof. At the office or agency of the Company referred to on the face hereof, and in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture, Notes may be exchanged for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of other authorized denominations, without payment of any service charge but, if required by the Company or Trustee, with payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer or similar tax that may be imposed in connection therewith as a result of the name of the Holder of the new Notes issued upon such exchange of Notes being different from the name of the Holder of the old Notes surrendered for such exchange.
No sinking fund is provided for the Notes. Under certain circumstances specified in the Indenture, the Notes will be subject to redemption by the Company at the Redemption Price.
Upon the occurrence of a Fundamental Change, the Holder has the right, at such Holder’s option, to require the Company to repurchase for cash all of such Holder’s Notes or any portion thereof (in principal amounts of $1,000 or integral multiples thereof) on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date at a price equal to the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price.
Subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Holder hereof has the right, at its option, prior to the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the Maturity Date, to convert any Notes or portion thereof that is $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof, into Common Shares at the Conversion Rate specified in the Indenture, as adjusted from time to time as provided in the Indenture.
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ABBREVIATIONS
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription of the face of this Note, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
TEN COM = as tenants in common
UNIF GIFT MIN ACT = Uniform Gifts to Minors Act
CUST = Custodian
TEN ENT = as tenants by the entireties
JT TEN = joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
A-9
SCHEDULE A7
SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF NOTES
CANADIAN SOLAR INC.
3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031
The initial principal amount of this Global Note is UNITED STATES DOLLARS ($[ ]). The following increases or decreases in this Global Note have been made:
Date of exchange | | Amount of decrease in | | Amount of increase in | | Principal amount of this |
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7 | Include if a global note. |
A-10
ATTACHMENT 1
[FORM OF NOTICE OF CONVERSION]
To: The Bank of New York Mellon
240 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10286
Attention: Global Corporate Trust - Canadian Solar Inc.
Email: honctrmta@bny.com
With a copy to:
The Bank of New York Mellon, Hong Kong Branch
Level 26, Three Pacific Place
1 Queen’s Road East
Hong Kong
Attention: Corporate Trust - Canadian Solar Inc.
Email: honctrmta@bny.com
The undersigned registered owner of this Note hereby exercises the option to convert this Note, or the portion hereof (that is $1,000 principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) below designated, into Common Shares in accordance with the terms of the Indenture referred to in this Note, and directs that any Common Shares issuable and deliverable upon such conversion, together with any cash for any fractional share, and any Notes representing any unconverted principal amount hereof, be issued and delivered to the registered Holder hereof unless a different name has been indicated below. If any Common Shares or any portion of this Note not converted are to be issued in the name of a Person other than the undersigned, the undersigned will pay all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer taxes, if any in accordance with the Indenture. Any amount required to be paid to the undersigned on account of interest accompanies this Notice. Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Indenture.
In connection with the conversion of this Note, or the portion hereof below designated, the undersigned acknowledges, represents to and agrees with the Company that the undersigned is not an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act) of the Company and has not been an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act) during the three months immediately preceding the date hereof.
[The undersigned further certifies:
1.The undersigned acknowledges (and if the undersigned is acting for the account of another person, that person has confirmed that it acknowledges) that the Restricted Securities received upon conversion of this Note (or securities represented thereby) have not been and are not expected to be registered under the Securities Act.
A-11
2.The undersigned is a qualified institutional buyer (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) acting for its own account or for the account of one or more qualified institutional buyers and the undersigned is (or such account or accounts are) the sole beneficial owner(s) of the Common Shares to be received upon conversion of the Notes.
3.The undersigned acknowledges that the undersigned (and any such other account) may not continue to hold or retain any interest in Restricted Securities received upon conversion of this Note if the undersigned (or such other account) becomes an Affiliate of the Company.
4.The undersigned agrees (and if the undersigned is acting for the account of another person, that person has confirmed that it agrees) that, unless and until the undersigned (or such other account) is notified by the Depositary that the restrictive legend on such Restricted Security has been removed from such security, the undersigned (and such other account) will not offer, sell, pledge or otherwise transfer the Restricted Security (or securities represented by such Restricted Security) except in accordance with the restrictions set forth in that legend and any applicable securities laws of the United States and any state thereof.]8
[The undersigned hereby instructs the Common Shares to be registered in the name of:
1. Name of Beneficial Owner to receive Common Shares | |
(English): | |
| |
2. Address of Beneficial Owner to receive Common Shares | |
(English): | |
| |
3. Name of Registered Holder of the Common Shares | |
(English): | |
| |
4. Number of Common Shares to be issued: | |
| |
5. Beneficial Owner’s Tax ID Number: | |
| |
6. Contact Name and Tel No/email address: | |
]9
[The undersigned instructs the Common Shares to be delivered to the following account: Receiving Broker ( * are mandatory fields):
a) DTC Broker Name*: | |
| |
b) DTC Broker’s Participant Account with DTC *: | |
| |
c) DTC Broker Contact Name: | |
8 | Include if a Restricted Security. |
9 | Include if a Restricted Security that is not DTC eligible. |
A-12
d) DTC Broker Contact Tel No/email: | |
| |
e) Beneficial Owner’s Account # with DTC Broker*: | |
OR
e) Local Broker Name (have account with DTC Broker)*: | |
| |
Local Broker Sub-Account # with DTC Broker*: | |
| |
Local Broker Contact Name: | |
| |
Local Broker Contact Tel No/email: | |
]10
Dated: | | | |
| | | |
| | Signature(s) | |
| |
Signature Guarantee | |
| |
Signature(s) must be guaranteed by an | |
| |
Fill in for registration of Common Shares if | |
10 | Include if DTC eligible. |
A-13
| |
(Name) | |
| |
(Street Address) | |
| |
(City, State and Zip Code) Please print name and address | |
| Principal amount to be converted (if less than all): |
| NOTICE: The above signature(s) of the Holder(s) |
| |
| Social Security or Other Taxpayer |
A-14
ATTACHMENT 2
[FORM OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE REPURCHASE NOTICE]
To: The Bank of New York Mellon
240 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10286
Attention: Global Corporate Trust - Canadian Solar Inc.
Email: honctrmta@bny.com
With a copy to:
The Bank of New York Mellon, Hong Kong Branch
Level 26, Three Pacific Place
1 Queen’s Road East
Hong Kong
Attention: Corporate Trust - Canadian Solar Inc.
Email: honctrmta@bny.com
The undersigned registered owner of this Note hereby acknowledges receipt of a notice from Canadian Solar Inc. (the “Company”) as to the occurrence of a Fundamental Change with respect to the Company and specifying the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date and requests and instructs the Company to pay to the registered Holder hereof in accordance with the Indenture referred to in this Note (1) the entire principal amount of this Note, or the portion thereof (that is $1,000 principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) below designated, and (2) if such Fundamental Change Repurchase Date does not fall during the period after a Regular Record Date and on or prior to the corresponding Interest Payment Date, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon to, but excluding, such Fundamental Change Repurchase Date. Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Indenture.
In the case of Physical Notes, the certificate numbers of the Notes to be repurchased are as set forth below:
Dated: | | | |
| | Signature(s) | |
| | | |
| | Social Security or Other Taxpayer | |
| | | |
| | Principal amount to be repaid (if less than all): | |
| | | |
| | NOTICE: The above signature(s) of the Holder(s) | |
A-15
ATTACHMENT 3
[FORM OF ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFER]
For value received hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto (Please insert social security or Taxpayer Identification Number of assignee) the within Note, and hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints attorney to transfer the said Note on the books of the Company, with full power of substitution in the premises.
In connection with any transfer of the within Note occurring prior to the Resale Restriction Termination Date, as defined in the Indenture governing such Note, the undersigned confirms that such Note is being transferred:
☐To Canadian Solar Inc. or a subsidiary thereof; or
☐Pursuant to a registration statement that has become or been declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
☐To a transferee that the undersigned reasonably believes is a “qualified institutional buyer” (within the meaning of Rule 144A) that is purchasing for its own account or for the account of another qualified institutional buyer and the undersigned has provided such transferee notice that the transfer is being made in reliance on Rule 144A, all in compliance with Rule 144A; or
☐Pursuant to and in compliance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (if available).
| Dated: | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
Signature(s) | | |
| | |
| | |
Signature Guarantee | | |
| | |
Signature(s) must be guaranteed by an program pursuant to Securities and | | |
A-16
Exchange Commission Rule 17Ad-15 | |
NOTICE: The signature on the assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the Note in every particular without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.
A-17
EXHIBIT B
[FORM OF AUTHORIZATION CERTIFICATE]
I, [Name], [Title], acting on behalf of Canadian Solar Inc. (the “Company”) and without personal liability (except for malfeasance), hereby certify that:
1. | the persons listed in Schedule I hereto are (i) authorized Officers of the Company for purposes of the Indenture (the “Indenture”) dated as of January 13, 2026 between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee, (ii) duly elected or appointed, qualified and acting as the holder of the respective office or offices set forth opposite their names and (iii) the duly authorized persons who executed or will execute the Indenture and the Notes by their manual or facsimile signatures and were at the time of such execution, duly elected or appointed, qualified and acting as the holder of the offices set forth opposite their names; |
2. | each signature appearing next to the persons listed in Schedule I is the person’s genuine signature; and |
3. | each of the individuals listed below have the authority to receive call backs at the telephone numbers noted below upon request of The Bank of New York Mellon in connection with the Notes issued pursuant to the Indenture: |
B-1
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto executed and delivered this certificate on behalf of the Company as of the date indicated.
Dated: | | | |
| | ||
| CANADIAN SOLAR INC. | ||
| | ||
| By: | | |
| | Name: | |
| | Title: | |
B-2
Schedule I
CANADIAN SOLAR INC.
B-3