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INDENTURE

Indenture Agreement

INDENTURE | Document Parties: ABITIBIBOWATER INC. | ABITIBI-CONSOLIDATED COMPANY OF CANADA | ABITIBI-CONSOLIDATED INC | WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION You are currently viewing:
This Indenture Agreement involves

ABITIBIBOWATER INC. | ABITIBI-CONSOLIDATED COMPANY OF CANADA | ABITIBI-CONSOLIDATED INC | WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

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Title: INDENTURE
Governing Law: New York     Date: 4/7/2008
Industry: Paper and Paper Products     Law Firm: Troutman Sanders     Sector: Basic Materials

INDENTURE, Parties: abitibibowater inc. , abitibi-consolidated company of canada , abitibi-consolidated inc , wells fargo bank  national association
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Exhibit 10.3

 

 

ABITIBI-CONSOLIDATED COMPANY OF CANADA

AND EACH OF THE GUARANTORS PARTY HERETO

15.5% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2010

 

 

INDENTURE

Dated as of April 1, 2008

 

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Trustee

 

 

 


CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE*

 

Trust Indenture

Act Section

   Indenture Section
310   (a)(1)    7.10
  (a)(2)    7.10
  (a)(3)    N.A.
  (a)(4)    N.A.
  (a)(5)    7.10
  (b)    7.10
  (c)    N.A.
311   (a)    7.11
  (b)    7.11
  (c)    N.A.
312   (a)    2.05
  (b)    12.03
  (c)    12.03
313   (a)    7.06
  (b)(2)    7.06; 7.07
  (c)    7.06;12.02
  (d)    7.06
314   (a)    4.03;12.02; 12.05
  (c)(1)    12.04
  (c)(2)    12.04
  (c)(3)    N.A.
  (e)    12.05
  (f)    N.A.
315   (a)    7.01
  (b)    7.05; 12.02
  (c)    7.01
  (d)    7.01
  (e)    6.11
316   (a) (last sentence)    2.09
  (a)(1)(A)    6.05
  (a)(1)(B)    6.04
  (a)(2)    N.A.
  (b)    6.07
  (c)    2.12
317   (a)(1)    6.08
  (a)(2)    6.09
  (b)    2.04
318   (a)    12.01
  (b)    N.A.
  (c)    12.01

N.A. means not applicable.

* This Cross Reference Table is not part of the Indenture.

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page
  

ARTICLE 1

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION

BY REFERENCE

  
     
     
Section 1.01    Definitions.    1
Section 1.02    Other Definitions.    29
Section 1.03    Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.    29
Section 1.04    Rules of Construction.    30
  

ARTICLE 2

THE NOTES

  
     
Section 2.01    Form and Dating.    30
Section 2.02    Execution and Authentication.    31
Section 2.03    Registrar and Paying Agent.    31
Section 2.04    Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.    31
Section 2.05    Holder Lists.    32
Section 2.06    Transfer and Exchange.    32
Section 2.07    Replacement Notes.    44
Section 2.08    Outstanding Notes.    44
Section 2.09    Treasury Notes.    44
Section 2.10    Temporary Notes.    45
Section 2.11    Cancellation.    45
Section 2.12    Defaulted Interest.    45
  

ARTICLE 3

REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT

  
     
Section 3.01    Notices to Trustee.    45
Section 3.02    Notice of Redemption.    46
Section 3.03    Effect of Notice of Redemption.    46
Section 3.04    Deposit of Redemption or Purchase Price.    46
Section 3.05    Tax Redemption.    47
Section 3.06    Mandatory Redemption.    48
Section 3.07    Offer to Purchase by Application of Excess Proceeds.    48
  

ARTICLE 4

COVENANTS

  
     
Section 4.01    Payment of Notes.    49
Section 4.02    Maintenance of Office or Agency.    50
Section 4.03    Reports.    50
Section 4.04    Compliance Certificate.    51
Section 4.05    Taxes.    52
Section 4.06    Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.    52
Section 4.07    Restricted Payments.    52
Section 4.08    Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries.    56
Section 4.09    Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Preferred Stock.    58
Section 4.10    Asset Sales.    63
Section 4.11    Transactions with Affiliates.    65

 

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          Page
Section 4.12    Liens.    67
Section 4.13    Business Activities.    67
Section 4.14    Corporate Existence.    67
Section 4.15    Offer to Repurchase Upon Change of Control.    67
Section 4.16    Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions.    69
Section 4.17    Limitation on Issuances and Sales of Equity Interests in Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiaries.    69
Section 4.18    Payments for Consent.    70
Section 4.19    Additional Note Guarantees.    70
Section 4.20    Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries.    70
Section 4.21    Additional Amounts.    71
Section 4.22    Secured Notes Exchange Offer to Exchange Notes for Secured Notes.    72
Section 4.23    Augusta Newsprint    73
  

ARTICLE 5

SUCCESSORS

  
     
Section 5.01    Merger, Consolidation, or Sale of Assets.    73
Section 5.02    Successor Corporation Substituted.    75
  

ARTICLE 6

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

  
     
Section 6.01    Events of Default.    75
Section 6.02    Acceleration.    77
Section 6.03    Other Remedies.    77
Section 6.04    Waiver of Past Defaults.    78
Section 6.05    Control by Majority.    78
Section 6.06    Limitation on Suits.    78
Section 6.07    Rights of Holders of Notes to Receive Payment.    79
Section 6.08    Collection Suit by Trustee.    79
Section 6.09    Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.    79
Section 6.10    Priorities.    79
Section 6.11    Undertaking for Costs.    80
  

ARTICLE 7

TRUSTEE

  
     
Section 7.01    Duties of Trustee.    80
Section 7.02    Rights of Trustee.    81
Section 7.03    Individual Rights of Trustee.    82
Section 7.04    Trustee’s Disclaimer.    82
Section 7.05    Notice of Defaults.    82
Section 7.06    Reports by Trustee to Holders of the Notes.    82
Section 7.07    Compensation and Indemnity.    82
Section 7.08    Replacement of Trustee.    83
Section 7.09    Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.    84
Section 7.10    Eligibility; Disqualification.    84
Section 7.11    Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Issuer. .    84
  

ARTICLE 8

LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

  
     
Section 8.01    Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.    85
Section 8.02    Legal Defeasance and Discharge.    85

 

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          Page
Section 8.03    Covenant Defeasance.    85
Section 8.04    Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance.    86
Section 8.05    Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.    87
Section 8.06    Repayment to Issuer.    87
Section 8.07    Reinstatement.    88
  

ARTICLE 9

AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER

  
     
Section 9.01    Without Consent of Holders of Notes.    88
Section 9.02    With Consent of Holders of Notes.    89
Section 9.03    Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.    90
Section 9.04    Revocation and Effect of Consents.    90
Section 9.05    Notation on or Exchange of Notes.    90
Section 9.06    Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.    91
  

ARTICLE 10

NOTE GUARANTEES

  
     
Section 10.01    Guarantee.    91
Section 10.02    Limitation on Guarantor Liability.    92
Section 10.03    Execution and Delivery of Note Guarantee.    92
Section 10.04    Guarantors May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms.    93
Section 10.05    Releases.    93
  

ARTICLE 11

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

  
     
Section 11.01    Satisfaction and Discharge.    94
Section 11.02    Application of Trust Money.    95
  

ARTICLE 12

MISCELLANEOUS

  
     
Section 12.01    Trust Indenture Act Controls.    96
Section 12.02    Notices.    96
Section 12.03    Communication by Holders of Notes with Other Holders of Notes.    97
Section 12.04    Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.    97
Section 12.05    Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.    97
Section 12.06    Rules by Trustee and Agents.    98
Section 12.07    No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders.    98
Section 12.08    Governing Law.    98
Section 12.09    No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.    98
Section 12.10    Successors.    98
Section 12.11    Severability.    98
Section 12.12    Counterpart Originals.    98
Section 12.13    Table of Contents, Headings, etc.    99
Section 12.14    Interest Act (Canada).    99
Section 12.15    Conversion of Currency.    99
Section 12.16    Joint and Several Obligations.    99
Section 12.17    Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process.    99

 

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EXHIBITS

 

           

Page

Exhibit A1

   FORM OF NOTE    A-1
Exhibit B    FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER    B-1
Exhibit C    FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF EXCHANGE    C-1
Exhibit D    FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF ACQUIRING INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR    D-1
Exhibit E    FORM OF NOTATION OF GUARANTEE    E-1
Exhibit F    FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE    F-1

 

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INDENTURE dated as of April 1, 2008 among Abitibi-Consolidated Company of Canada, a company amalgamated under the laws of the province of Quebec, Canada (the “ Issuer ”), Abitibi-Consolidated Inc., a company amalgamated under the laws of Canada (the “ Company ”), the other Guarantors (as defined herein) and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee” ).

In this Indenture, except where otherwise indicated, all references to “dollars” and “$” are to the lawful currency of the United States.

The Issuer, the Guarantors and the Trustee agree as follows for the benefit of each other and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders (as defined) of the 15.5% Senior Notes due 2010 (the “ Notes ”):

ARTICLE 1

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION

BY REFERENCE

Section 1.01 Definitions.

“144A Global Note” means a Global Note substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private Placement Legend and deposited with or on behalf of, and registered in the name of, the Depositary or its nominee that will be issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes sold in reliance on Rule 144A.

“AbitibiBowater Inc.” means AbitibiBowater Inc., a Delaware corporation.

“Abitibi-Consolidated Finance L.P.” means Abitibi-Consolidated Finance L.P., a Delaware limited partnership.

“Acquired Debt” means, with respect to any specified Person:

(1) Indebtedness of any other Person existing at the time such other Person is consolidated, amalgamated or merged with or into or became a Subsidiary of such specified Person (or, if the specified Person is the Issuer and Donohue Corp. is, at such time, a Guarantor, of Donohue Corp. or any of its Subsidiaries), whether or not such Indebtedness is incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such other Person consolidating, amalgamating or merging with or into, or becoming a Restricted Subsidiary of, such specified Person; and

(2) Indebtedness secured by a Lien encumbering any asset acquired by such specified Person.

“Additional Notes” means additional Notes (other than the Initial Notes) issued under this Indenture in accordance with Sections 2.02 and 4.09 hereof, as part of the same series as the Initial Notes.

“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 purposes of this definition, “control,” as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise. For purposes of this definition, the terms “ controlling, ” “ controlled by ” and “ under common control with ” have correlative meanings. No Person (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or, if Donohue Corp. is, at such time, a Guarantor, Donohue Corp. or any Subsidiary of Donohue Corp.) in whom a Receivables Entity makes an

 

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Investment in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction will be deemed to be an Affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or, if Donohue Corp. is, at such time, a Guarantor, Donohue Corp. or any Subsidiary of Donohue Corp. solely by reason of such Investment.

“Agent” means any Registrar, co-registrar, Paying Agent or additional paying agent.

“Applicable Procedures” means, with respect to any transfer or exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Note, the rules and procedures of the Depositary, Euroclear and Clearstream that apply to such transfer or exchange.

“Asset Sale” means:

(1) the sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of any assets or rights; provided that the sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole will be governed by the provisions of the Indenture described under Section 4.15 hereof and/or the provisions described under Section 5.01 hereof and not by the provisions of Section 4.10 hereof; and

(2) the issuance of Equity Interests by any of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries or the sale of Equity Interests in any of the Company’s Subsidiaries, including, if Donohue Corp. is, at such time, a Guarantor, Donohue Corp. and its Subsidiaries (other than directors’ qualifying Equity Interests or Equity Interests required by applicable law to be held by a Person other than the Company or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries).

Notwithstanding the preceding, none of the following items will be deemed to be an Asset Sale:

(1) any single transaction or series of related transactions that involves assets having a Fair Market Value of less than $10.0 million;

(2) a transfer of assets between or among the Company and Restricted Subsidiaries;

(3) an issuance of Equity Interests by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to the Company or to a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;

(4) the sale or lease of products, services or accounts receivable in the ordinary course of business and any sale or other disposition of damaged, worn-out or obsolete assets in the ordinary course of business;

(5) the sale or other disposition of Cash Equivalents;

(6) sales of accounts receivable and related assets to a Receivables Entity in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction;

(7) the Donohue Sale and the other Permitted Reorganization Transactions;

(8) the Joint Venture Transactions;

(9) a Restricted Payment that does not violate Section 4.07 hereof or a Permitted Investment;

 

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(10) the licensing of intellectual property or other general intangibles to third persons on customary terms in the ordinary course of business;

(11) the sale, lease, sub-lease, license, sub-license, consignment, conveyance or other disposition of inventory in the ordinary course of business, including leases with respect to facilities that are temporarily not in use or pending their disposition, or accounts receivable in connection with the compromise, settlement or collection thereof; and

(12) the creation of a Lien to the extent that the granting of such Lien was not in violation of Section 4.12 hereof.

“Attributable Debt” in respect of a sale and leaseback transaction means, at the time of determination, the present value of the obligation of the lessee for net rental payments during the remaining term of the lease included in such sale and leaseback transaction including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended. Such present value shall be calculated using a discount rate equal to the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, determined in accordance with GAAP; provided, however , that if such sale and leaseback transaction results in a Capital Lease Obligation, the amount of Indebtedness represented thereby will be determined in accordance with the definition of “Capital Lease Obligation.”

“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code, the BIA, the CCAA, the WURA, the Insolvency Act or any similar federal, provincial, or state law for the relief or bankruptcy of debtors.

“Beneficial Owner” has the meaning assigned to such term in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that in calculating the beneficial ownership of any particular “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), such “person” will be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such “person” has the right to acquire by conversion or exercise of other securities, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only after the passage of time. The terms “Beneficially Owns” and “Beneficially Owned” have a corresponding meaning.

“BIA” means the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada).

“Board of Directors” means:

(1) with respect to a corporation, the board of directors of the corporation or any committee thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of such board;

(2) with respect to a partnership, the Board of Directors of the general partner of the partnership;

(3) with respect to a limited liability company, the managing member or members or any controlling committee of managing members thereof; and

(4) with respect to any other Person, the board or committee of such Person serving a similar function.

“Borrowing Base” means, as of any date, an amount equal to:

(1) 85% of the face amount of all accounts receivable owned by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter preceding such date that were not more than 180 days past due; plus

 

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(2) 75% of the book value of all inventory, net of reserves, owned by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter preceding such date;

provided that any accounts receivable or inventory that are utilized in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction will be excluded from the Borrowing Base to the extent of the Indebtedness outstanding with respect to such Qualified Receivables Transaction.

“Bowater Incorporated” means Bowater Incorporated, a Delaware corporation.

“Broker-Dealer” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

“Business Day” means any day other than a Legal Holiday.

“Canadian Subsidiary” means with respect to any Person, any Subsidiary of such Person that is organized or existing under the laws of Canada or any province or territory thereof.

“Capital Lease Obligation” means, at the time any determination is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital lease that would at that time be required to be capitalized on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP, and the Stated Maturity thereof shall be the date of the last payment of rent or any other amount due under such lease prior to the first date upon which such lease may be prepaid by the lessee without payment of a penalty.

“Capital Stock” means:

(1) in the case of a corporation, corporate stock;

(2) in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock;

(3) in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, partnership interests (whether general or limited) or membership interests; and

(4) any other interest or participation that confers on a Person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing Person, but excluding from all of the foregoing any debt securities convertible into Capital Stock, whether or not such debt securities include any right of participation with Capital Stock.

“Cash Equivalents” means:

(1) United States dollars and Canadian dollars;

(2) securities issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the Canadian or United States government or any agency or instrumentality of the Canadian or United States government ( provided that the full faith and credit of Canada or United States is pledged in support of those securities) having maturities of not more than six months from the date of acquisition;

(3) certificates of deposit and eurodollar time deposits with maturities of six months or less from the date of acquisition, bankers’ acceptances with maturities not exceeding six months and overnight bank deposits, in each case, with any lender party to the Term Loan Facility or with any Canadian or United States commercial bank having capital and surplus in excess of $500.0 million and a Thomson Bank Watch Rating of “B” or better;

 

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(4) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than seven days for underlying securities of the types described in clauses (2) and (3) above entered into with any financial institution meeting the qualifications specified in clause (3) above;

(5) commercial paper having one of the two highest ratings obtainable from Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor’s Rating Services and, in each case, maturing within nine months after the date of acquisition;

(6) securities issued by any state of the United States of America, any province of Canada or any political subdivision or any public instrumentality of any such state or province maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof and at the time of acquisition thereof, having one of the two highest ratings obtainable from either Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s;

(7) money market funds at least 95% of the assets of which constitute Cash Equivalents of the kinds described in clauses (1) through (6) of this definition; and

(8) local currencies held by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, from time to time in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice.

“CCAA” means the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada).

“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following:

(1) the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger, amalgamation or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries (including if Donohue Corp. is, at such time, a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, Donohue Corp. and its Subsidiaries) taken as a whole to any “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) other than AbitibiBowater Inc., a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of AbitibiBowater Inc. or a Permitted Holder;

(2) the adoption of a plan relating to the liquidation or dissolution of the Company or AbitibiBowater Inc. (other than a plan of liquidation of the Company that is a liquidation for tax purposes only);

(3) the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger, amalgamation or consolidation), the result of which is that any “person” (as defined above) other than the Permitted Holders, becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of AbitibiBowater Inc., measured by voting power rather than number of shares;

(4) AbitibiBowater Inc. consolidates, amalgamates or merges with or into, any Person, or any Person consolidates, amalgamates, or merges with or into, AbitibiBowater Inc., in any such event pursuant to a transaction in which any of the outstanding Voting Stock of AbitibiBowater Inc. or such other Person is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, other than any such transaction where the Voting Stock of AbitibiBowater Inc. outstanding immediately prior to such transaction constitutes or is converted into or exchanged for a majority of the outstanding shares of the Voting Stock of such surviving or transferee Person (immediately after giving effect to such transaction);

 

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(5) the first day on which the Company ceases to be a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of AbitibiBowater Inc.;

(6) the first day on which the Issuer ceases to be a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Company; or

(7) the first day on which a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of AbitibiBowater Inc. are not Continuing Directors;

provided that for purposes of this definition, the exchangeable shares issued by AbitibiBowater Canada Inc. (f/k/a as Bowater Canada, Inc.) outstanding on the date of the Indenture shall be deemed to have been exchanged for shares of Capital Stock of AbitibiBowater Inc.

“Clearstream” means Clearstream Banking, S.A.

“Collateral Trust Agreement” means that certain collateral trust agreement, dated the date of this Indenture, among the Issuer, the Company, other Guarantors from time to time party thereto, the Trustee and the collateral trustee, to secure the Secured Notes and future Fixed Asset Debt, as amended, supplemented, restated, modified, renewed or replaced (whether upon or after termination or otherwise), in whole or in part from time to time, or any other successor agreement and whether among the same or any other parties.

“collateral trustee” means Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, in its capacity as collateral trustee under the Collateral Trust Agreement, together with its successors in such capacity.

“Company” means Abitibi-Consolidated Inc., and any and all successors thereto.

“Consolidated Cash Flow” means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the Consolidated Net Income of such Person for such period plus , without duplication:

(1) an amount equal to any extraordinary loss plus any net loss realized by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with an Asset Sale, to the extent such losses were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(2) provision for taxes based on income or profits of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent that such provision for taxes was deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(3) the Fixed Charges of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent that such Fixed Charges were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(4) depreciation, amortization (including amortization of intangibles, deferred financing fees, debt incurrence costs, commissions, fees and expenses, but excluding amortization of prepaid cash expenses that were paid in a prior period) and other non-cash expenses or charges (including any write-offs of debt issuance or deferred financing costs or fees and impairment charges and the impact on depreciation and amortization of purchase accounting), but excluding any such non-cash expense to the extent that it represents an accrual

 

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of or reserve for cash expenses in any future period or amortization of a prepaid cash expense that was paid in a prior period) of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period to the extent that such depreciation, amortization and other non-cash expenses or charges were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; minus

(5) nonrecurring charges or expenses made or incurred in connection with any restructuring, and transaction costs incurred in connection with any acquisition, in each case to the extent deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; minus

(6) non-cash items increasing such Consolidated Net Income for such period, other than the accrual of revenue in the ordinary course of business,

in each case, on a consolidated basis and determined in accordance with GAAP; provided that for so long as Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries that are required to do so under the indenture continue to provide Note Guarantees, Consolidated Cash Flow will be determined on a consolidated combined basis (including Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries as if they were actually Subsidiaries of the Company).

Notwithstanding the preceding, the provision for taxes based on the income or profits of, and the depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses of, a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company (other than Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries) will be added to Consolidated Net Income to compute Consolidated Cash Flow of the Company only to the extent that a corresponding amount would be permitted at the date of determination to be dividended to the Company by such Restricted Subsidiary without prior governmental approval (that has not been obtained), and without direct or indirect restriction pursuant to the terms of its charter and all agreements, instruments, judgments, decrees, orders, statutes, rules and governmental regulations applicable to that Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders.

“Consolidated Net Income” means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the aggregate of the net income (loss) of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, on a consolidated basis determined in accordance with GAAP and without any reduction in respect of preferred stock dividends; provided that:

(1) all extraordinary gains and losses and all gains and losses realized in connection with any Asset Sale or the disposition of securities or the early extinguishment of Indebtedness, together with any related provision for taxes on any such gain, will be excluded;

(2) the net income (but not loss) of any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary or that is accounted for by the equity method of accounting will be included only to the extent of the amount of dividends or similar distributions paid in cash to the specified Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Person;

(3) the net income (but not loss) of any Restricted Subsidiary will be excluded to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by that Restricted Subsidiary of that net income is not at the date of determination permitted without any prior governmental approval (that has not been obtained) or, directly or indirectly, by operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to that Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders;

(4) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles will be excluded;

 

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(5) notwithstanding clause (1) above, the net income of any Unrestricted Subsidiary will be excluded, whether or not distributed to the specified Person or one of its Subsidiaries; and

(6) for so long as Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries that are required to do so under the indenture continue to provide Note Guarantees, Consolidated Net Income will be determined on a consolidated combined basis (including Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries as if they were actually Subsidiaries of the Company).

“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” means the total amount of assets of any Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, including deferred pension costs, after deducting therefrom:

(1) all current liabilities (excluding any indebtedness classified as a current liability);

(2) all goodwill, tradenames, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discount and financing costs and all similar intangible assets;

(3) appropriate adjustments on account of minority interests of other Persons holding shares of the Restricted Subsidiaries of such Person;

(4) so long as Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries that are required to do so under the indenture continue to provide Note Guarantees, Consolidated Net Income will be determined on a consolidated combined basis (including Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries as if they were actually Subsidiaries of the Company);

all as set forth in the most recent consolidated (and, in the case of clause (4) above, combined) balance sheet of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries (but, in any event as of a date within 150 days of the date of determination), determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

“Continuing Directors” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Board of Directors of AbitibiBowater Inc. who:

(1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the date of this Indenture; or

(2) was nominated for election or elected to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board of Directors at the time of such nomination or election.

“Convertible Notes” means the 8.0% convertible debentures due 2013 issued by AbitibiBowater Inc. on the date of this Indenture.

“Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee” will be at the address of the Trustee specified in Section 12.02 hereof or such other address as to which the Trustee may give notice to the Issuer.

“Credit Facilities” means, one or more debt facilities (including, without limitation, the Term Loan Facility) or commercial paper facilities, in each case, with banks or other lenders or credit providers or a trustee providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, receivables financing (including through the sale of receivables to such lenders or to special purpose entities formed to borrow from such lenders against such receivables), bankers acceptances, letters of credit or issuances of senior secured notes, including any related notes, guarantees, collateral documents, instruments, documents and agreements

 

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executed in connection therewith and in each case, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced in any manner (whether upon or after termination or otherwise) or refinanced (including by means of sales of debt securities to institutional investors) in whole or in part from time to time.

“Current Debt” means Indebtedness and other Obligations under the Term Loan Facility and any other Credit Facility (including letters of credit and reimbursement obligations with respect thereto) incurred pursuant to clauses (1), (3) or (21) of the definition of “Permitted Debt.”

“Custodian” means the Trustee, as custodian with respect to the Notes in global form, or any successor entity thereto.

“Default” means any event that is, or with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default.

“Definitive Note” means a certificated Note registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 2.06 hereof, substantially in the form of Exhibit A1 hereto except that such Note shall not bear the Global Note Legend and shall not have the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto.

“Depositary” means, with respect to the Notes issuable or issued in whole or in part in global form, the Person specified in Section 2.03 hereof as the Depositary with respect to the Notes, and any and all successors thereto appointed as depositary hereunder and having become such pursuant to the applicable provision of this Indenture.

“Designated Non-cash Consideration” means the Fair Market Value of non-cash consideration received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with an Asset Sale that is so designated as Designated Non-cash Consideration pursuant to an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee, setting forth the basis of such valuation.

“Disqualified Stock” means any Capital Stock that, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible, or for which it is exchangeable, in each case, at the option of the holder of the Capital Stock), or upon the happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or redeemable at the option of the holder of the Capital Stock, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date that is 91 days after the date on which the Notes mature. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, any Capital Stock that would constitute Disqualified Stock solely because the holders of the Capital Stock have the right to require the Company to repurchase such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of a change of control or an asset sale will not constitute Disqualified Stock if the terms of such Capital Stock provide that the Company may not repurchase or redeem any such Capital Stock pursuant to such provisions unless such repurchase or redemption complies with section 4.07 hereof; provided, further , that if the Capital Stock is issued to any plan for the benefit of employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries or, if Donohue Corp. is, at such time, a Guarantor, Donohue Corp. or any of its Subsidiaries or by any such plan to those employees, that Capital Stock shall not constitute Disqualified Stock solely because it may be required to be repurchased by the Company in order to satisfy applicable statutory or regulatory obligations. The amount of Disqualified Stock deemed to be outstanding at any time for purposes of this Indenture will be the maximum amount that the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may become obligated to pay upon the maturity of, or pursuant to any mandatory redemption provisions of, such Disqualified Stock, exclusive of accrued dividends.

“Donohue Corp.” means Donohue Corp., a Delaware corporation.

 

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“Donohue Sale” means (i) the recapitalization of certain of the preferred stock of Donohue Corp. into common stock of Donohue Corp. and (ii) the sale by the Issuer of all or a majority of the common stock of Donohue Corp. to AbitibiBowater Inc. or a Subsidiary thereof in exchange for the assumption by AbitibiBowater Inc. or such Subsidiary of approximately C$142.0 million of indebtedness (and any accrued and unpaid interest thereon) owing by the Issuer to Donohue Corp.

“Equity Interests” means Capital Stock and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock).

“Euroclear” means Euroclear Bank, S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear system.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Exchange Notes” means the Notes issued in the Exchange Offer pursuant to Section 2.06(f) hereof.

“Exchange Offer” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

“Exchange Offer Registration Statement” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

“Excluded Proceeds” means (a) the net proceeds from the sale by Abitibi Consolidated Sales Corporation, a Delaware corporation, to Catalyst Paper Corporation of (i) all of the capital stock of The Apache Railway Company and (ii) certain assets related to the production of newsprint pursuant to the Asset and Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of February 10, 2008 between such parties and (b) the net proceeds received in connection with the Donohue Sale and the other Permitted Reorganization Transactions.

“Existing Indebtedness” means all Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Donohue Corp. and its Subsidiaries (other than Indebtedness under the Term Loan Facility or under the Securitization Agreement) in existence on the date of this Indenture, until such amounts are repaid.

“Fair Market Value” means the value that would be paid by a willing buyer to an unaffiliated willing seller in a transaction not involving distress or necessity of either party, determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company (unless otherwise provided in this Indenture).

“Fixed Asset Debt” means:

(1) the Secured Notes (including any related exchange notes) and the related guarantees thereof, and all other Obligations of the Issuer or the Guarantors under the indenture governing the Secured Notes and all related security documents; and

(2) any other Indebtedness of the Issuer (including additional Secured Notes), which may be guaranteed by the Guarantors, that is secured (equally and ratably with the Secured Notes if any remain outstanding) by the Liens created pursuant to the Collateral Trust Agreement; provided that:

(a) the net proceeds are used to refund, refinance, replace, defease, discharge or otherwise acquire or retire other Fixed Asset Debt; or

 

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(b) on the date of incurrence of such Indebtedness, after giving pro forma effect to the incurrence thereof and the application of the proceeds therefrom, the aggregate principal amount of Fixed Asset Debt then outstanding would not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company; and

(3) Hedging Obligations of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries incurred in the ordinary course of business.

“Fixed Asset Debt Obligations” means Fixed Asset Debt and all other Obligations in respect thereof.

“Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” means with respect to any specified Person for any period, the ratio of the Consolidated Cash Flow of such Person for such period to the Fixed Charges of such Person for such period. In the event that the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries incurs, assumes, guarantees, repays, repurchases, redeems, defeases or otherwise discharges any Indebtedness (other than ordinary working capital borrowings) or issues, repurchases or redeems preferred stock subsequent to the commencement of the period for which the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is being calculated and on or prior to the date on which the event for which the calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is made (the “ Calculation Date ”), then the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio will be calculated giving pro forma effect (in accordance with Regulation S-X under the Securities Act) to such incurrence, assumption, Guarantee, repayment, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other discharge of Indebtedness, or such issuance, repurchase or redemption of preferred stock, and the use of the proceeds therefrom, as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter reference period.

In addition, for purposes of calculating the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio:

(1) acquisitions that have been made by the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, including through mergers or consolidations, or any Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries acquired by the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, and including all related financing transactions and including increases in ownership of Restricted Subsidiaries, during the four-quarter reference period or subsequent to such reference period and on or prior to the Calculation Date, or that are to be made on the Calculation Date, will be given pro forma effect (in accordance with Regulation S-X under the Securities Act) as if they had occurred on the first day of the four-quarter reference period;

(2) the Consolidated Cash Flow attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses (and ownership interests therein) disposed of prior to the Calculation Date, will be excluded;

(3) the Fixed Charges attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses (and ownership interests therein) disposed of prior to the Calculation Date, will be excluded, but only to the extent that the obligations giving rise to such Fixed Charges will not be obligations of the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries following the Calculation Date;

(4) any Person that is a Restricted Subsidiary on the Calculation Date will be deemed to have been a Restricted Subsidiary at all times during such four-quarter period;

(5) any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary on the Calculation Date will be deemed not to have been a Restricted Subsidiary at any time during such four-quarter period;

 

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(6) if any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest, the interest expense on such Indebtedness will be calculated as if the rate in effect on the Calculation Date had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any Hedging Obligation applicable to such Indebtedness if such Hedging Obligation has a remaining term as at the Calculation Date in excess of 12 months); and

(7) so long as Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries that are required to do so under the indenture continue to provide Note Guarantees, Fixed Charges will be determined on a consolidated combined basis (including Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries as if they were actually Subsidiaries of the Company).

“Fixed Charges” means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the sum, without duplication, of:

(1) the consolidated interest expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries ( provided that, in the event Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries that are required to do so under the indenture continue to provide Note Guarantees but are no longer included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements, consolidated interest expense will then be determined on a consolidated combined basis (including Donohue Corp. and its consolidated entities)) for such period, whether paid or accrued, including, without limitation, amortization of debt issuance costs and original issue discount, non-cash interest payments, the interest component of any deferred payment obligations, the interest component of all payments associated with Capital Lease Obligations, imputed interest with respect to Attributable Debt, commissions, discounts and other fees and charges incurred in respect of letter of credit or bankers’ acceptance financings, commissions, discounts, yield and other fees and charges (including interest) incurred in connection with any Qualified Receivables Transaction or any other transaction pursuant to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or, if Donohue Corp. is, at such time, a Guarantor, Donohue Corp. or any of its Subsidiaries may sell, convey or otherwise transfer or grant a security interest in any accounts receivable or related assets of the type specified in the definition of “Qualified Receivables Transaction,” and net of the effect of all payments made or received pursuant to Hedging Obligations in respect of interest rates; plus

(2) the consolidated interest expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries that was capitalized during such period; plus

(3) any interest on Indebtedness of another Person that is guaranteed by such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries or secured by a Lien on assets of such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries, whether or not such Guarantee or Lien is called upon; plus

(4) the product of (a) all dividends, whether paid or accrued and whether or not in cash, on any series of preferred stock of such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, other than dividends on Equity Interests payable solely in Equity Interests of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock) or to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company times (b) a fraction, the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is one minus the then current combined federal, state and local statutory tax rate of such Person, expressed as a decimal, in each case, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; plus

(5) so long as Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries that are required to do so under the indenture continue to provide Note Guarantees, consolidated interest expense will be determined on a consolidated combined basis (including Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries as if they were actually Subsidiaries of the Company).

 

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“Foreign Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any Restricted Subsidiary of such Person that is not a Canadian Subsidiary or a U.S. Subsidiary.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (“ Canadian GAAP ”) which are in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided , that, if the Issuer so elects upon notice to the Trustee, then for periods following the date of such election, “GAAP” shall mean generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“ U.S. GAAP ”), as in effect upon the date of such election; provided further , that any such election, once made, shall be irrevocable. If (i) the Issuer elects to use U.S. GAAP, each provision of the covenant described in Section 4.03 hereof that requires a “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” analysis including comparative figures to be provided in respect of a previous period shall be deemed to require comparative figures to be provided in respect of the previous two such periods, with such figures being reconciled in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

“Global Note Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(2) hereof, which is required to be placed on all Global Notes issued under this Indenture.

“Global Notes” means, individually and collectively, each of the Restricted Global Notes and the Unrestricted Global Notes deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depository or its nominee, substantially in the form of Exhibit A1 hereto and that bears the Global Note Legend and that has the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto, issued in accordance with Section 2.01, 2.06(b)(3), 2.06(b)(4), 2.06(d)(2) or 2.06(f) hereof.

“Government Securities” means direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America, and the payment for which the United States pledges its full faith and credit.

“Guarantee” means a guarantee other than by endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business, direct or indirect, in any manner including, without limitation, by way of a pledge of assets or through letters of credit or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof, of all or any part of any Indebtedness (whether arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, or by agreements to keep-well, to purchase assets, goods, securities or services, to take or pay or to maintain financial statement conditions or otherwise).

“Guarantors” means the Company and any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that executes a Note Guarantee in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, and their respective successors and assigns, in each case, until the Note Guarantee of such Person has been released in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture.

“Hedging Obligations” means, with respect to any specified Person, the obligations of such Person under:

(1) interest rate swap agreements (whether from fixed to floating or from floating to fixed), interest rate cap agreements and interest rate collar agreements;

(2) other agreements or arrangements designed to manage interest rates or interest rate risk; and

(3) other agreements or arrangements designed to protect such Person against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or commodity prices.

 

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“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Note is registered.

“IAI Global Note” means a Global Note substantially in the form of Exhibit A1 hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private Placement Legend and deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee that will be issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes sold to Institutional Accredited Investors .

“Indebtedness” means, with respect to any specified Person, any indebtedness of such Person (excluding accrued expenses and trade payables), whether or not contingent:

(1) in respect of borrowed money;

(2) evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof);

(3) in respect of banker’s acceptances;

(4) representing Capital Lease Obligations or Attributable Debt in respect of sale and leaseback transactions;

(5) representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property or services due more than six months after such property is acquired or such services are completed but excluding other accrued liabilities being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and diligently conducted; or

(6) representing any Hedging Obligations,

if and to the extent any of the preceding items (other than letters of credit, Attributable Debt and Hedging Obligations) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of the specified Person prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, the term “Indebtedness” includes all Indebtedness of others secured by a Lien on any asset of the specified Person (whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by the specified Person) and, to the extent not otherwise included, the Guarantee by the specified Person of any Indebtedness of any other Person as shall equal the lesser of (x) the Fair Market Value of such asset as of the date of determination or (y) the amount of such Indebtedness and, to the extent not otherwise included, the guarantee by the specified Person of any Indebtedness of any other Person.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in connection with the purchase by the Company or of its Restricted Subsidiaries of any business, the term “Indebtedness” will exclude post-closing payment adjustments to which the seller may become entitled to the extent such payment is determined by a final closing balance sheet or such payment depends on the performance of such business after the closing; provided , however , that at the time of closing, the amount of any such payment is not determinable and, to the extent such payment thereafter becomes fixed and determined, the amount is paid within 30 days thereafter.

“Indenture” means this Indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time.

“Indirect Participant” means a Person who holds a beneficial interest in a Global Note through a Participant.

“Initial Notes” means the first $292,740,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes issued under this Indenture on the date hereof.

 

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“Initial Purchasers” means Goldman, Sachs & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

Insolvency Act ” means the Insolvency Act 1986 of England and Wales (as amended by the Enterprise Act 2002 of England and Wales).

“Institutional Accredited Investor” means an institution that is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act, who are not also QIBs.

“Investments” means, with respect to any Person, all direct or indirect investments by such Person in other Persons (including Affiliates) in the forms of loans (including Guarantees or other obligations), advances or capital contributions (excluding (i) commission, travel and similar advances to officers and employees made in the ordinary course of business and (ii) extensions of credit to customers or advances, deposits or payment to or with suppliers, lessors or utilities or for workers’ compensation, in each case, that are incurred in the ordinary course of business and recorded as accounts receivable, prepaid expenses or deposits on the balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP), purchases or other acquisitions for consideration of Indebtedness, Equity Interests or other securities, together with all items that are or would be classified as investments on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP. If the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company sells or otherwise disposes of any Equity Interests of any direct or indirect Restricted Subsidiary of the Company such that, after giving effect to any such sale or disposition, such Person is no longer a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, the Company will be deemed to have made an Investment on the date of any such sale or disposition equal to the Fair Market Value of the Company’s Investments in such Restricted Subsidiary that were not sold or disposed of in an amount determined as provided in the final paragraph of Section 4.07 hereof. The acquisition by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company of a Person that holds an Investment in a third Person will be deemed to be an Investment by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary in such third Person in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of the Investments held by the acquired Person in such third Person in an amount determined as provided in the final paragraph of Section 4.07 hereof. Except as otherwise provided in this Indenture, the amount of an Investment will be determined at the time the Investment is made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value but giving effect (without duplication) to all subsequent reductions in the amount of such Investment as a result of (x) the repayment or disposition thereof for cash of (y) the redesignation of an Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary (valued proportionately to the equity interest in such Unrestricted Subsidiary of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary owning such Unrestricted Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation) at the Fair Market Value of the net assets of such Unrestricted Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation, in the case of clause (x) and (y), not to exceed the original amount, or Fair Market Value, of such Investment.

Issuer ” means Abitibi-Consolidated Company of Canada, and any and all successors.

“Joint Purchasing Agreements” means any agreement between or among the Company and/or its Restricted Subsidiaries and Bowater Incorporated, a Delaware corporation, or any of its Subsidiaries, whereby the parties thereto agree to jointly purchase goods or services from third parties; provided that such agreements result in the Company or the applicable Restricted Subsidiary purchasing such goods or services on terms that are no worse than would have been obtained by the Company or applicable Restricted Subsidiary in the absence of such agreement.

“Joint Venture Transactions” means (a) transfer or conversion of the facilities located in South Wirral, Cheshire, United Kingdom whether by (i) a sale by Bridgewater Paper Company Limited (U.K.) (“ Bridgewater ”) of its Equity Interests to a Person not an Affiliate of the Company; (ii) a transfer of the assets of Bridgewater to a joint venture with a Person not an Affiliate of the Company; or (iii) any other transaction having substantially the effect of the foregoing and/or (b) the transfer to Produits Forestiers

 

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Mauricie L.P. of the Issuer’s Rivière-aux-Rats sawmill and the timber rights previously held by Produits Forestiers La Tuque Inc., and the concurrent issuance, directly or indirectly, of any limited or general partnership in such limited partnership, or in any general partner of such limited partnership, in exchange therefor or any other transaction having substantially the effect of the foregoing.

“Legal Holiday” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the City of New York or at a place of payment are authorized by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue on such payment for the intervening period.

“Letter of Transmittal” means the letter of transmittal to be prepared by the Company and sent to all Holders of the Notes for use by such Holders in connection with the Exchange Offer.

“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, hypothec, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset, whether or not filed, recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable law, including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any lease in the nature thereof, any option or other agreement to sell or give a security interest in, except in connection with any Qualified Receivables Transaction.

“Net Proceeds” means the aggregate cash proceeds and Cash Equivalents received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of any Asset Sale (including, without limitation, any cash or Cash Equivalents received upon the sale or other disposition of any non-cash consideration received in any Asset Sale), net of the direct costs relating to such Asset Sale, including, without limitation, legal, accounting and investment banking fees, and sales commissions, and any relocation expenses incurred as a result of the Asset Sale, taxes paid or payable as a result of the Asset Sale, in each case, after taking into account, without duplication, (1) any available tax credits or deductions and any tax sharing arrangements, and amounts required to be applied to the repayment of Indebtedness secured by a Permitted Lien on the asset or assets that were the subject of such Asset Sale and any reserve for adjustment in respect of the sale price of such asset or assets established in accordance with GAAP, (2) any reserve or payment with respect to liabilities associated with such asset or assets and retained by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries after such sale or other disposition thereof, including, without limitation, severance costs, pension and other post-employment benefit liabilities and liabilities related to environmental matters or against any indemnification obligations associated with such transaction, and (3) any cash escrows in connection with purchase price adjustments, reserves or indemnities (until released).

“Non-Recourse Debt” means Indebtedness:

(1) as to which neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (a) provides credit support of any kind (including any undertaking, agreement or instrument that would constitute Indebtedness), (b) is directly or indirectly liable as a guarantor or otherwise, or (c) constitutes the lender;

(2) no default with respect to which (including any rights that the holders of the Indebtedness may have to take enforcement action against an Unrestricted Subsidiary) would permit upon notice, lapse of time or both any holder of any other Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to declare a default on such other Indebtedness or cause the payment of the Indebtedness to be accelerated or payable prior to its Stated Maturity; and

 

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(3) as to which the lenders have been notified in writing that they will not have any recourse to the stock or assets of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than the Equity Interests of an Unrestricted Subsidiary);

in each case, except to the extent permitted by Section 4.07 hereof; provided, however, that Indebtedness shall not cease to be Non-Recourse Debt solely by reason of pledge by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Equity Interests of an Unrestricted Subsidiary of the Company or of a Person that is not a Subsidiary of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary if recourse is limited to such Equity Interests.

“Non-U.S. Person” means a Person who is not a U.S. Person.

“Note Documents” means this Indenture and the Notes.

“Note Guarantee” means the Guarantee by each Guarantor of the Issuer’s obligations under this Indenture and the Notes, executed pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture.

“Notes” has the meaning assigned to it in the preamble to this Indenture. The Initial Notes and the Additional Notes shall be treated as a single class for all purposes under this Indenture, and unless the context otherwise requires, all references to the Notes shall include the Initial Notes and any Additional Notes.

“Obligations” means any principal, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.

“Officer” means, with respect to any Person, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary or any Vice-President of such Person.

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed on behalf of the Company by two Officers of the Company, one of whom must be the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer, the treasurer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, that meets the requirements of Section 12.05 hereof.

“Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion from legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, that meets the requirements of Section 12.05 hereof. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company or the Trustee.

“Participant” means, with respect to the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, a Person who has an account with the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, respectively (and, with respect to DTC, shall include Euroclear and Clearstream).

“Permitted Business” means any business engaged in by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries on the date of this Indenture and any business or other activities that are reasonably similar, ancillary, complementary or related to, or a reasonable extension, development or expansion of, the businesses in which the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries are engaged on the date of this Indenture.

“Permitted Holders” means Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. and its affiliated investment partnerships.

 

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“Permitted Investments” means:

(1) any Investment in the Company, the Issuer or in any Guarantor;

(2) any Investment in Cash Equivalents;

(3) any Investment by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company in a Person, if as a result of such Investment:

(a) such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company and a Guarantor; or

(b) such Person is merged, consolidated or amalgamated with or into, or transfers or conveys substantially all of its assets to, or is liquidated into, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;

(4) any Investment made as a result of the receipt of non-cash consideration from an Asset Sale that was made pursuant to and in compliance with Section 4.10 hereof or from a sale or other disposition of assets not constituting an Asset Sale;

(5) any acquisition of assets or Capital Stock solely in exchange for the issuance of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company or a direct or indirect parent of the Company;

(6) any Investments received in compromise or resolution of (A) obligations of trade creditors or customers that were incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, including pursuant to any plan of reorganization or similar arrangement upon the bankruptcy or insolvency of any trade creditor or customer; or (B) litigation, arbitration or other disputes;

(7) Investments represented by Hedging Obligations;

(8) loans, guarantees of loans, advances, and other extensions of credit to or on behalf of current and former officers, directors, employees, and consultants of the Company, any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, or a direct or indirect parent of the Company made in the ordinary course of business for the purpose of permitting such Persons to purchase Capital Stock of the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company or in connection with any relocation costs related to the relocation of the corporate headquarters of the Company; provided that the aggregate amount of such loans, guarantees of loans, advances, and other extensions of credit and Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 4.09(b)(17) may not exceed $5.0 million at any one time outstanding;

(9) the acquisition by a Receivables Entity in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction of Equity Interests of a trust or other Person established by such Receivables Entity to effect such Qualified Receivables Transaction; and any other Investment by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company in a Receivables Entity or any Investment by a Receivables Entity in any other Person in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction;

(10) repurchases of the Notes;

 

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(11) any Investment of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries existing on the date of this Indenture, and any extension, modification or renewal of such existing Investments, to the extent not involving any additional Investment other than as the result of the accrual or accretion of interest or original issue discount or the issuance of pay-in-kind securities, in each case, pursuant to the terms of such Investments as in effect on the date of this Indenture;

(12) guarantees otherwise permitted by the terms of this Indenture (other than guarantees to or for the benefit of Affiliates of the Company);

(13) receivables owing to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, prepaid expenses, and lease, utility, workers’ compensation and other deposits, if created, acquired or entered into in the ordinary course of business;

(14) payroll, business-related travel, and similar advances to cover matters that are expected at the time of such advances to be ultimately treated as expenses for accounting purposes and that are made in the ordinary course of business;

(15) Investments resulting from the acquisition of a Person, otherwise permitted by this Indenture, which Investments at the time of such acquisition were held by the acquired Person and were not acquired in contemplation of the acquisition of such Person;

(16) any Investment resulting from or arising out of the Joint Venture Transactions or the Donohue Sale;

(17) any Investment resulting from a Lien which is permitted by clause (29) of the definition of “Permitted Liens”;

(18) reclassification of any Investment initially made in (or reclassified as) one form into another (such as from equity to loan or vice versa); provided in each case that the amount of such Investment is not increased thereby;

(19) other Investments in any Person (other than an Affiliate of the Company that is (a) not a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, (b) or a Permitted Joint Venture Partner of the Company or any Guarantor or (c) a Subsidiary of the Company or any Guarantor) having an aggregate Fair Market Value (measured on the date each such Investment was made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value), when taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (19) that are at the time outstanding not to exceed the greater of (i) $100.0 million or (ii) 2% of Total Assets; and

(20) Investments in Augusta Newsprint in an aggregate amount not to exceed $100.0 million, the proceeds of which shall be used to finance the acquisition of the entire interest of the Thompson Partner in Augusta Newsprint.

“Permitted Joint Venture Partner” means any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company) that is an Affiliate of the Company solely because the Company and/or its Restricted Subsidiaries own Equity Interests in such Person.

 

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“Permitted Liens” means:

(1) any Liens held by the collateral trustee equally and ratably securing (a) the Secured Notes and the related guarantees (and the related exchange notes and exchange note guarantees of the Secured Notes) and all future Fixed Asset Debt that was permitted to be incurred under the terms of the covenant described above under Section 4.09 hereof and (b) all related Fixed Asset Debt Obligations;

(2) any Liens to secure (a) Current Debt that was permitted by this Indenture to be incurred and (b) all related Obligations;

(3) Liens in favor of the Issuer or the Guarantors;

(4) Liens on property of a Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or is merged with or into or consolidated with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; provided that such Liens were in existence prior to the contemplation of such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or such merger or consolidation and do not extend to any assets other than those of the Person that becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or is merged into or consolidated with the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;

(5) Liens on property (including Capital Stock) existing at the time of acquisition of the property by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; provided that such Liens were in existence prior to, such acquisition, and not incurred in contemplation of, such acquisition;

(6) Liens to secure the performance of tenders, completion guarantees, statutory obligations, surety, environmental or appeal bonds, bids, leases, government contracts, performance bonds or other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(7) Liens to secure Indebtedness (including Capital Lease Obligations) or Attributable Debt permitted by Section 4.09(b)(7) covering only the assets acquired with or financed by such Indebtedness;

(8) Liens existing on the date of this Indenture;

(9) Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges or claims that are not yet delinquent or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and diligently concluded; provided that any reserve or other appropriate provision as is required in conformity with GAAP has been made therefor;

(10) Liens consisting of carriers’, warehousemen’s, landlord’s and mechanics’, suppliers, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and similar Liens not securing Indebtedness or in favor of customs or revenue authorities or freight forwarders or handlers to secure payment of custom duties, in each case, incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(11) any state of facts an accurate survey would disclose, public and private roads, timber cutting and hauling contracts, timber sales contracts, prescriptive easements or adverse possession claims, minor encumbrances, easements or reservations of, or rights of others for, pursuant to any leases, licenses, rights-of-way or other similar agreements or arrangements,

 

20

 


development, air or water rights, sewers, electric lines, telegraph and telephone lines and other utility lines, pipelines, service lines, railroad lines, improvements and structures located on, over or under any property, drains, drainage ditches, culverts, electric power or gas generating or co-generation, storage and transmission facilities and other similar purposes, zoning or other restrictions as to the use of real property or minor defects in title, which were not incurred to secure payment of Indebtedness and that do not in the aggregate materially adversely affect the value of said properties or materially impair their use in the operation of the business of such Person;

(12) Liens created for the benefit of (or to secure) the Notes (or the Note Guarantees), or the Exchange Notes or the Note Guarantees relating thereto;

(13) Liens to secure any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under this Indenture (other than Current Debt or Fixed Asset Debt); provided, however, that the new Lien is limited to all or part of the same property and assets that secured or, under the written agreements pursuant to which the original Lien arose, could secure the original Lien (plus improvements and accessions to, such property or proceeds or distributions thereof);

(14) Liens on assets of the Issuer, the Company or a Receivables Entity incurred in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction;

(15) Liens on real property consisting of public and private roads, timber cutting and hauling contracts, timber sales contracts, prescriptive easements or adverse possession claims, minor encumbrances, easements or reservations of, or rights of others for, pursuant to any leases, licenses, rights-of-way or other similar agreements or arrangements, development, air or water rights, sewers, electric lines, telegraph and telephone lines and other utility lines, pipelines, service lines, railroad lines, improvements and structures located on, over or under any property, drains, drainage ditches, culverts, electric power or gas generating or co-generation, storage and transmission facilities and other similar purposes, zoning or other restrictions as to the use of real property or minor defects in title, which were not incurred to secure payment of Indebtedness and that do not in the aggregate materially adversely affect the value of said properties or materially impair their use in the operation of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(16) Liens upon specific items of inventory or other goods and proceeds of any Person securing such Person’s obligations in respect of bankers’ acceptances issued or created for the account of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or other goods;

(17) Liens incurred or pledges or deposits made in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other types of social security and employee health and disability benefits, or casualty—liability insurance or self insurance or securing letters of credit issued in the ordinary course of business;

(18) judgment and attachment Liens not giving rise to an Event of Default and notices of lis pendens and associated rights related to litigation being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been made in conformity with GAAP;

 

21

 


(19) Liens securing Hedging Obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(20) any interest or title of a lessor, licensor or sublicense under any operating lease, license or sublicense, as applicable;

(21) Liens on the Equity Interests of an Unrestricted Subsidiary of the Company or of a Person that is not a Subsidiary of the Company securing Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary or other Person if recourse to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to such Indebtedness is limited to such Equity Interests;

(22) Liens in favor of collecting or payor banks having a right of setoff, revocation, refund or chargeback with respect to money or instruments of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary thereof on deposit with or in possession of such bank;

(23) any obligations or duties affecting any of the property of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to any municipality or public authority with respect to any franchise, grant, license, or permit that do not impair the use of such property for the purposes for which it is held;

(24) Liens on any property in favor of domestic or foreign governmental bodies to secure partial, progress, advance or other payment pursuant to any contract or statute, not yet due and payable;

(25) Liens with respect to so-called “greenbelt” or “buffer zone” properties;

(26) Leases and ground leases of underutilized or vacant properties of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to third parties with which the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary has a production, co-production, operating or other arrangement or to third party providers of energy, transportation services or raw materials in the ordinary course of business, provided such leases do not materially interfere with the operation of the business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or secure any Indebtedness;

(27) Liens consisting of any law or governmental regulation or permit requiring the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to maintain certain facilities or perform certain acts as a condition of its occupancy of or interference with any public lands or any river or stream or navigable waters;

(28) Liens on assets of Foreign Subsidiaries securing Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 4.09(b)(20) hereof;

(29) Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company with respect to obligations that do not exceed $20.0 million at any one time outstanding; and

(30) Liens on the unearned premiums under the insurance policies permitted by clause (19) of the definition of “Permitted Debt” securing Indebtedness incurred pursuant to clause (19) of the definition of “Permitted Debt.”

 

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“Permitted Payments to AbitibiBowater Inc.” means, without duplication as to amounts:

(1) payments to AbitibiBowater Inc. to permit AbitibiBowater Inc. to pay its reasonable accounting, legal and administrative expenses when due, in an aggregate amount not to exceed 50% of such expenses incurred in any four-quarter period;

(2) for so long as any Restricted Subsidiary is a member of a group filing a consolidated or combined tax return with AbitibiBowater Inc., payments to AbitibiBowater Inc. in respect of an allocable portion of the tax liabilities of such group that is attributable to such Restricted Subsidiary and its Subsidiaries (“ Tax Payments ”); provided that the Tax Payments shall not exceed the lesser of (i) the amount of the relevant tax (including any penalties and interest) that the Restricted Subsidiary would owe if the Restricted Subsidiary were filing a separate tax return (or a separate consolidated or combined return with its Subsidiaries that are members of the consolidated or combined group with AbitibiBowater Inc.), taking into account any carryovers and carrybacks of tax attributes (such as net operating losses) of the Restricted Subsidiary and such Subsidiaries from other taxable years and (ii) the net amount of the relevant tax that AbitibiBowater Inc. actually owes to the appropriate taxing authority; provided further any Tax Payments received from the Restricted Subsidiary shall be paid over to the appropriate taxing authority within 30 days of AbitibiBowater Inc.’s receipt of such Tax Payments or refunded to the Restricted Subsidiary; and

(3) payments to AbitibiBowater Inc. to permit AbitibiBowater Inc. to make cash interest payments in an amount not to exceed 100% of the aggregate amount of cash interest then due and payable on the Convertible Notes (plus any additional Convertible Notes issued after the date of this Indenture as payment of interest payments thereon); provided such payments are actually used by AbitibiBowater Inc. to make payments of interest on such Convertible Notes.

“Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries issued in exchange for, or the net proceeds of which are used to renew, refund, refinance, replace, defease or discharge other Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than intercompany Indebtedness); provided that:

(1) the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of the Indebtedness renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged (plus all accrued interest on the Indebtedness and the amount of all fees and expenses, including premiums, incurred in connection therewith);

(2) such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness has a final maturity date later than the final maturity date of, and has a Weighted Average Life to Maturity equal to or greater than the Weighted Average Life to Maturity of, the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged;

(3) if the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes, such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes on terms at least as favorable to the holders of notes as those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged; and

(4) such Indebtedness is incurred either by the Company or by its Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company that was the obligor on the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged and is guaranteed only by Persons who were obligors on the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged.

 

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“Permitted Reorganization Transactions” means the series of transactions designed to move in a tax efficient manner, the ownership (a) of Donohue Corp. from the Issuer and the Company to AbitibiBowater Inc. or one of its Subsidiaries (other than Bowater Incorporated and its Subsidiaries) so that Donohue Corp. can be included in the U.S. consolidated tax return of AbitibiBowater Inc. and (b) possibly the ownership of the Company to AbitibiBowater Canada Holdings, Inc., such transactions to consist of: (i) the Donohue Sale; (ii) the transfer of the Excluded Proceeds from the sale of The Apache Railway Company and the Snowflake Facility to AbitibiBowater Inc. or one of its Subsidiaries, whether by means of a loan, dividend or equity redemption, and simultaneously therewith, the use of such Excluded Proceeds to either (1) pay principal or interest on any promissory note or other Indebtedness owing to the Issuer by such recipient or (2) purchase from the Issuer or the Company of additional shares of Equity Interests of Donohue Corp. by AbitibiBowater Inc. or one of its Subsidiaries with the same Excluded Proceeds; (iii) the acquisition of shares of Equity Interests of Donohue Corp. by AbitibiBowater Inc. or one of its Subsidiaries in exchange for a promissory note; (iv) the possible transfer by AbitibiBowater Inc. of all or a portion of the Equity Interests of the Company to one or more Subsidiaries of AbitibiBowater Inc.; (v) the possible continuance of the Company into a Nova Scotia limited liability company; (vi) the possible redemption or repurchase by the Issuer of certain shares of preferred stock of the Issuer held by the Company in exchange for shares of Equity Interests of Donohue Corp.; (vii) the possible amalgamation of the Company with a Nova Scotia limited liability company that is a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of AbitibiBowater Inc.; and/or (viii) the possible redemption by the Company of certain of its Equity Interests for consideration consisting exclusively of Equity Interests of Donohue Corp.

“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, limited liability company or government or other entity.

“Private Placement Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(1) hereof to be placed on all Notes issued under this Indenture except where otherwise permitted by the provisions of this Indenture.

“QIB” means a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A.

“Qualified Proceeds” means any of the following or any combination of the following:

(1) Cash Equivalents; and

(2) the Fair Market Value of the Capital Stock of any Person engaged primarily in a Permitted Business if, in connection with the receipt by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of such Capital Stock, such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or such Person is merged or consolidated into the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.

“Qualified Receivables Transaction” means any transaction or series of transactions entered into by the Company, any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or any of their respective Subsidiaries pursuant to which the Company, such Restricted Subsidiaries or any of their respective Subsidiaries sells, conveys or otherwise transfers to (i) a Receivables Entity (in the case of a transfer by the Company, Restricted Subsidiaries or any such Subsidiary) and (ii) any other Person (in the case of a transfer by a Receivables Entity), or grants a security interest in, any accounts receivable (whether now existing or arising in the future) of the Company, its Restricted Subsidiaries or any of their respective Subsidiaries, and any assets related thereto including, without limitation, all collateral securing such accounts receivable, all contracts

 

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and all guarantees or other obligations in respect of such accounts receivable, proceeds of such accounts receivable and other assets which are customarily transferred or in respect of which security interests are customarily granted in connection with asset securitization transactions involving accounts receivable.

“Qualifying Equity Interests” means Equity Interests of the Company or, after the Donohue Sale, so long as Donohue Corp. is a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, Donohue Corp., in each case, other than Disqualified Stock.

“Receivables Entity” means a Subsidiary of the Company or any Guarantor that engages in no activities other than in connection with the financing of accounts receivable and which is designated by the Board of Directors of the Company (as provided below) as a Receivables Entity. Any such designation by the Board of Directors of the Company will be evidenced to the Trustee by filing with the Trustee a certified copy of the resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company giving effect to such designation and an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing conditions; provided, however , that as of the date of this Indenture, Abitibi-Consolidated U.S. Funding Corp. shall be deemed to be so designated as a Receivables Entity.

“Registration Rights Agreement” means the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2008, among the Issuer, the Guarantors and the other parties named on the signature pages thereof, as such agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time and, with respect to any Additional Notes, one or more registration rights agreements among the Issuer, the Guarantors and the other parties thereto, as such agreement(s) may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, relating to rights given by the Issuer to the purchasers of Additional Notes to register such Additional Notes under the Securities Act.

“Regulation S” means Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act.

“Regulation S Global Note” means a Global Note substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private Placement Legend and deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes sold in reliance on Rule 903 of Regulation S.

“Responsible Officer,” when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer within the Corporate Trust Administration of the Trustee (or any successor group of the Trustee) or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

“Restricted Definitive Note” means a Definitive Note bearing the Private Placement Legend.

“Restricted Global Note” means a Global Note bearing the Private Placement Legend.

“Restricted Investment” means an Investment other than a Permitted Investment.

“Restricted Subsidiary” of a Person means any Subsidiary of the referent Person that is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary; provided that each of Donohue Corp. and its existing or future Restricted Subsidiaries will constitute Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company (and it is intended that they be subject to all of the covenants in the indenture applicable to any Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company) if and for so long as Donohue Corp. and all of its Restricted Subsidiaries that are required to do so under the indenture continue to provide Note Guarantees.

 

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“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act.

“Rule 144A” means Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act.

“Rule 903” means Rule 903 promulgated under the Securities Act.

“Rule 904” means Rule 904 promulgated under the Securities Act.

“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Secured Notes” means up to $413.0 million in aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2011 and the related guarantees thereof and the related exchange notes and related guarantees thereof issued on the date of this Indenture (or within ten business days of such date) and any additional senior secured notes issued pursuant to Section 4.22 hereof and the related guarantees thereof and the related exchange notes and related guarantees thereof.

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

“Securitization Agreement” means (i) the Amended and Restated Receivables Purchase Agreement dated as of January 31, 2008 among Abitibi SPV, Eureka Securitisation, PLC, Citibank, N.A., Citibank, N.A., London Branch, the originators named therein, ACSC and Holdings, (ii) the Amended and Restated Purchase and Contribution Agreement dated as of January 31, 2008 among Holdings, ACSC and Abitibi SPV, and (iii) each other document executed in connection therewith, as each such document may be amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced in any manner.

“Shelf Registration Statement” means the Shelf Registration Statement as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement.

“Significant Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary (or, in the case of the Issuer, of Donohue Corp. or any of its Subsidiaries) that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Regulation is in effect on the date of this Indenture.

Snowflake Facility ” means the newsprint mill located in Snowflake, Arizona, and certain related assets.

“Special Interest” has the meaning assigned to that term pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement.

“Stated Maturity” means, with respect to any installment of interest or principal on any series of Indebtedness, the date on which the payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be paid in the documentation governing such Indebtedness as of the date of this Indenture, and will not include any contingent obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such interest or principal prior to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified Person:

(1) any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency and after giving effect to any voting agreement or stockholders’ agreement that effectively transfers voting power) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees

 

26

 


of the corporation, association or other business entity is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and

(2) any partnership (a) the sole general partner or the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person or (b) the only general partners of which are that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person (or any combination thereof).

“Term Loan Facility” means that certain Credit and Guaranty Agreement, to be dated as of the date of this Indenture, by and among the Issuer, the guarantors party thereto, the lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., as Administrative Agent, Co-Lead Arranger, Co-Lead Bookrunner and Syndication Agent, and Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., as collateral agent, providing for up to $400.0 million of term loan borrowings, including any related notes, Guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and, in each case, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced in any manner (whether upon or after termination or otherwise) or refinanced (including by means of sales of debt securities to institutional investors) in whole or in part from time to time.

“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa-77bbbb).

“Total Assets” means the total assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, as shown on the most recent internal balance sheet of the Company, prepared on a consolidated basis (excluding Unrestricted Subsidiaries) in accordance with GAAP; provided that for so long as Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries that are required to do so under the indenture continue to provide Note Guarantees, Total Assets will be determined on a consolidated combined basis (including Donohue Corp. and its Restricted Subsidiaries as if they were actually Subsidiaries of the Company).

“Trustee” means Wells Fargo Bank, National Association until a successor replaces it in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture and thereafter means the successor serving hereunder.

UK Restricted Subsidiary ” means any Restricted Subsidiary incorporated in England and Wales.

“Unrestricted Definitive Note” means a Definitive Note that does not bear and is not required to bear the Private Placement Legend.

“Unrestricted Global Note” means a Global Note that does not bear and is not required to bear the Private Placement Legend.

“Unrestricted Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company (including Donohue Corp or any of its Subsidiaries but not including the Issuer or any successor thereto) that is designated by the Board of Directors of the Company as an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Directors, but only to the extent that such Subsidiary:

(1) has no Indebtedness other than Non-Recourse Debt;

(2) except as permitted by Section 4.11 hereof is not party to any agreement, contract, arrangement or understanding with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company unless the terms of any such agreement, contract, arrangement or understanding are no less favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary than those that might be obtained at the time from Persons who are not Affiliates of the Company;

 

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(3) except as otherwise permitted by Section 4.07 hereof, is a Person with respect to which neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries has any direct or indirect obligation (a) to subscribe for additional Equity Interests or (b) to maintain or preserve such Person’s financial condition or to cause such Person to achieve any specified levels of operating results; and

(4) except as otherwise permitted by Section 4.07 hereof, has not guaranteed or otherwise provided credit support for any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.

“U.S. Person” means a U.S. Person as defined in Rule 902(k) promulgated under the Securities Act.

“U.S. Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any Subsidiary of such Person (or in the case of the Issuer, so long as Donohue Corp. is a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, of Donohue Corp. or any of its Subsidiaries) that is organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia.

“Voting Stock” of any specified Person as of any date means the Capital Stock of such Person that is at the time entitled to vote in the election of the Board of Directors of such Person.

“Weighted Average Life to Maturity” means, when applied to any Indebtedness at any date, the number of years obtained by dividing:

(1) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (a) the amount of each then remaining installment, sinking fund, serial maturity or other required payments of principal, including payment at final maturity, in respect of the Indebtedness, by (b) the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth) that will elapse between such date and the making of such payment; by

(2) the then outstanding principal amount of such Indebtedness.

“Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary” of any specified Person means a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person all of the outstanding Capital Stock or other ownership interests of which (other than directors’ qualifying shares) will at the time be owned by such Person or by one or more Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiaries of such Person; provided that each of Donohue Corp. and its existing or future Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries will be deemed to constitute Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company if and for so long as (a) Donohue Corp. or such Restricted Subsidiary of Donohue Corp. is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of AbitibiBowater Inc. and (b) such entity is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

“Wholly-Owned Subsidiary” of any specified Person means a Subsidiary of such Person all of the outstanding Capital Stock or other ownership interests of which (other than directors’ qualifying shares) will at the time be owned by such Person or by one or more Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of such Person.

“WURA” means the Wind-Up and Restructuring Act (Canada).

 

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Section 1.02 Other Definitions.

 

Term

   Defined in
Section
“Additional Amounts”    3.05

“Affiliate Transaction”

   4.11

“Augusta Newsprint”

   4.23

“Authentication Order”

   2.02

“Change of Control Offer”

   4.15

“Change of Control Payment”

   4.15

“Change of Control Payment Date”

   4.15

“Covenant Defeasance”

   8.03

“Definitive Registered Notes”

   4.21

“DTC”

   2.03

“Event of Default”

   6.01

“Excess Proceeds”

   4.10

“incur”

   4.09

“Indenture Currency”

   12.14

“Judgment Currency”

   12.14

“Legal Defeasance”

   8.02

“Offer Amount”

   3.07

“Other Taxes”

   4.21

“Net Proceeds Offer”

   3.07

“Offer Period”

   3.07

“Organizational Documents”

   4.14

“Paying Agent”

   2.03

“Payment Default”

   6.01

“Permitted Debt”

   4.09

“Process Agent”

   12.17

“Purchase Date”

   3.07

“Registrar”

   2.03

“Restricted Payments”

   4.07

“Secured Notes Exchange Offer”

   4.22

“Taxes”

   4.21

“Taxing Jurisdiction”

   4.21

“Thomson Partner Financing”

   4.22

Section 1.03 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.

Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.

The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

“indenture securities” means the Notes;

“indenture security Holder” means a Holder of a Note;

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture;

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee; and

 

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“obligor” on the Notes and the Note Guarantees means the Company and the Guarantors, respectively, and any successor obligor upon the Notes and the Note Guarantees, respectively.

All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA have the meanings so assigned to them.

Section 1.04 Rules of Construction.

Unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) a term has the meaning assigned to it;

(2) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;

(3) “or” is not exclusive;

(4) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;

(5) “will” shall be interpreted to express a command;

(6) provisions apply to successive events and transactions; and

(7) references to sections of or rules under the Securities Act will be deemed to include substitute, replacement of successor sections or rules adopted by the SEC from time to time.

ARTICLE 2

THE NOTES

Section 2.01 Form and Dating.

(a) General . The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication will be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage. Each Note will be dated the date of its authentication. The Notes shall be in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

The terms and provisions contained in the Notes will constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture and the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby. However, to the extent any provision of any Note conflicts with the express provisions of this Indenture, the provisions of this Indenture shall govern and be controlling.

(b) Global Notes . Notes issued in global form will be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (including the Global Note Legend thereon and the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Notes issued in definitive form will be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (but without the Global Note Legend thereon and without the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Each Global Note will represent such of the outstanding Notes as will be specified therein and each shall provide that it represents 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 reduced or increased, as appropriate, to

 

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reflect exchanges and redemptions. Any endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase or decrease in the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby will be made by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, in accordance with instructions given by the Holder thereof as required by Section 2.06 hereof.

Section 2.02 Execution and Authentication.

At least one Officer must sign the Notes for the Issuer by manual or facsimile signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds that office at the time a Note is authenticated, the Note will nevertheless be valid.

A Note will not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee. The signature will be conclusive evidence that the Note has been authenticated under this Indenture.

The Trustee will, upon receipt of a written order of the Issuer signed by an Officer (an “ Authentication Order ”), authenticate Notes for original issue that may be validly issued under this Indenture, including any Additional Notes. The aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding at any time may not exceed the aggregate principal amount of Notes authorized for issuance by the Issuer pursuant to one or more Authentication Orders, except as provided in Section 2.07 hereof.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Issuer to authenticate Notes. An authenticating agent may authenticate Notes whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with Holders or an Affiliate of the Company.

Section 2.03 Registrar and Paying Agent.

The Issuer will maintain an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (“ Registrar ”) and an office or agency where Notes may be presented for payment (“ Paying Agent ”). The Registrar will keep a register of the Notes and of their transfer and exchange. The Issuer may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar and the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent. The Issuer may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Issuer will notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a party to this Indenture. If the Issuer fails to appoint or maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may not act as Paying Agent or Registrar.

The Issuer initially appoints The Depository Trust Company ( “DTC” ) to act as Depositary with respect to the Global Notes.

The Issuer initially appoints the Trustee to act as the Registrar and Paying Agent and to act as Custodian with respect to the Global Notes and the Trustee hereby agrees so to initially act.

Section 2.04 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.

The Issuer will require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal, premium or Special Interest, if any, or interest on the Notes, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Issuer in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Issuer at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent will have no further liability for the money.

 

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Section 2.05 Holder Lists.

The Trustee will preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of all Holders and shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Issuer will furnish to the Trustee at least seven Business Days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the Holders of Notes and the Company and the Issuer shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a).

Section 2.06 Transfer and Exchange.

(a) Transfer and Exchange of Global Notes . A Global Note may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary, by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or to another nominee of the Depositary, or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary. All Global Notes will be exchanged by the Company for Definitive Notes if:

(1) the Issuer delivers to the Trustee notice from the Depositary that it is unwilling or unable to continue to act as Depositary or that it is no longer a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Issuer within 120 days after the date of such notice from the Depositary;

(2) the Issuer in its sole discretion determines that the Global Notes (in whole but not in part) should be exchanged for Definitive Notes and delivers a written notice to such effect to the Trustee; or

(3) there has occurred and is continuing an Event of Default with respect to the Notes.

Upon the occurrence of either of the preceding events in (1) or (2) above, Definitive Notes shall be issued in such names as the Depositary shall instruct the Trustee in writing. Global Notes also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole or in part, as provided in Sections 2.07 and 2.10 hereof. Every Note authenticated and delivered in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Note or any portion thereof, pursuant to this Section 2.06 or Section 2.07 or 2.10 hereof, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Note. A Global Note may not be exchanged for another Note other than as provided in this Section 2.06(a), however, beneficial interests in a Global Note may be transferred and exchanged as provided in Section 2.06(b), (c) or (f) hereof.

(b) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in the Global Notes . The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will be effected through the Depositary, in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture and the Applicable Procedures. Beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes will be subject to restrictions on transfer comparable to those set forth herein to the extent required by the Securities Act. Transfers of beneficial interests in the Global Notes also will require compliance with either subparagraph (1) or (2) below, as applicable, as well as one or more of the other following subparagraphs, as applicable:

(1) Transfer of Beneficial Interests in the Same Global Note . Beneficial interests in any Restricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form

 

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of a beneficial interest in the same Restricted Global Note in accordance with the transfer restrictions set forth in the Private Placement Legend; provided, however , that prior to the expiration of the Restricted Period, transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Global Note may not be made to a U.S. Person or for the account or benefit of a U.S. Person (other than an Initial Purchaser). Beneficial interests in any Unrestricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note. No written orders or instructions shall be required to be delivered to the Registrar to effect the transfers described in this Section 2.06(b)(1).

(2) All Other Transfers and Exchanges of Beneficial Interests in Global Notes. In connection with all transfers and exchanges of beneficial interests that are not subject to Section 2.06(b)(1) above, the transferor of such beneficial interest must deliver to the Registrar either:

(A) both:

(i) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to credit or cause to be credited a beneficial interest in another Global Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged; and

(ii) instructions given in accordance with the Applicable Procedures containing information regarding the Participant account to be credited with such increase; or

(B) both:

(i) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to cause to be issued a Definitive Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged; and

(ii) instructions given by the Depositary to the Registrar containing information regarding the Person in whose name such Definitive Note shall be registered to effect the transfer or exchange referred to in (1) above;

Upon consummation of an Exchange Offer by the Company in accordance with Section 2.06(f) hereof, the requirements of this Section 2.06(b)(2) shall be deemed to have been satisfied upon receipt by the Registrar of the instructions contained in the Letter of Transmittal delivered by the Holder of such beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes. Upon satisfaction of all of the requirements for transfer or exchange of beneficial interests in Global Notes contained in this Indenture and the Notes or otherwise applicable under the Securities Act, the Trustee shall adjust the principal amount of the relevant Global Note(s) pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof.

(3) Transfer of Beneficial Interests to Another Restricted Global Note. A beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Restricted Global Note if the transfer complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(2) above and the Registrar receives the following:

 

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(A) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the 144A Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(B) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the Regulation S Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof; and

(C) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the IAI Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable.

(4) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in a Restricted Global Note for Beneficial Interests in an Unrestricted Global Note. A beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be exchanged by any holder thereof for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note if the exchange or transfer complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(2) above and:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the holder of the beneficial interest to be transferred, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (i) a Broker-Dealer, (ii) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (iii) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Issuer;

(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

(i) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(a) thereof; or

(ii) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

 

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If any such transfer is effected pursuant to subparagraph (B) or (D) above at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the Company shall issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee shall authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of beneficial interests transferred pursuant to subparagraph (B) or (D) above.

Beneficial interests in an Unrestricted Global Note cannot be exchanged for, or transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of, a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note.

(c) Transfer or Exchange of Beneficial Interests for Definitive Notes.

(1) Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes to Restricted Definitive Notes. If any holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Restricted Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive Note, then, upon receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:

(A) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Restricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (2)(a) thereof;

(B) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(C) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof;

(D) if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof;

(E) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to an Institutional Accredited Investor in reliance on an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than those listed in subparagraphs (B) through (D) above, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable;

(F) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof; or

(G) if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,

 

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the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c) shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest shall instruct the Registrar through instructions from the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee shall deliver such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(1) shall bear the Private Placement Legend and shall be subject to all restrictions on transfer contained therein.

(2) Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. A holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note may exchange such beneficial interest for an Unrestricted Definitive Note or may transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note only if:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the holder of such beneficial interest, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (i) a Broker-Dealer, (ii) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (iii) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company;

(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

(i) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(b) thereof; or

(ii) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

 

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(3) Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. If any holder of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note, then, upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 2.06(b)(2) hereof, the Trustee will cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(3) will be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest requests through instructions to the Registrar from or through the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee will deliver such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(3) will not bear the Private Placement Legend.

(d) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Beneficial Interests.

(1) Restricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes. If any Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note proposes to exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note or to transfer such Restricted Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note, then, upon receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:

(A) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Note proposes to exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (2)(b) thereof;

(B) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(C) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to a Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof;

(D) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof;

(E) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to an Institutional Accredited Investor in reliance on an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than those listed in subparagraphs (B) through (D) above, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable;

(F) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof; or

 

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(G) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,

the Trustee will cancel the Restricted Definitive Note, increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of, in the case of clause (A) above, the appropriate Restricted Global Note, in the case of clause (B) above, the 144A Global Note, in the case of clause (C) above, the Regulation S Global Note, and in all other cases, the IAI Global Note.

(2) Restricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes. A Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transfer such Restricted Definitive Note to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note only if:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the Holder, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (i) a Broker-Dealer, (ii) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (iii) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company;

(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

(i) if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to exchange such Notes for a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(c) thereof; or

(ii) if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

Upon satisfaction of the conditions of any of the subparagraphs in this Section 2.06(d)(2), the Trustee will cancel the Definitive Notes and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of the Unrestricted Global Note.

 

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(3) Unrestricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes. A Holder of an Unrestricted Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transfer such Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note at any time. Upon receipt of a request for such an exchange or transfer, the Trustee will cancel the applicable Unrestricted Definitive Note and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of one of the Unrestricted Global Notes.

If any such exchange or transfer from a Definitive Note to a beneficial interest is effected pursuant to subparagraphs (2)(B), (2)(D) or (3) above at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the Company will issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee will authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of Definitive Notes so transferred.

(e) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Definitive Notes. Upon request by a Holder of Definitive Notes and such Holder’s compliance with the provisions of this Section 2.06(e), the Registrar will register the transfer or exchange of Definitive Notes. Prior to such registration of transfer or exchange, the requesting Holder must present or surrender to the Registrar the Definitive Notes duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instruction of transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by such Holder or by its attorney, duly authorized in writing. In addition, the requesting Holder must provide any additional certifications, documents and information, as applicable, required pursuant to the following provisions of this Section 2.06(e).

(1) Restricted Definitive Notes to Restricted Definitive Notes. Any Restricted Definitive Note may be transferred to and registered in the name of Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive Note if the Registrar receives the following:

(A) if the transfer will be made pursuant to Rule 144A, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(B) if the transfer will be made pursuant to Rule 903 or Rule 904, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof; and

(C) if the transfer will be made pursuant to any other exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by item (3) thereof, if applicable.

(2) Restricted Definitive Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. Any Restricted Definitive Note may be exchanged by the Holder thereof for an Unrestricted Definitive Note or transferred to a Person or Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note if:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the Holder, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (i) a Broker-Dealer, (ii) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (iii) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company;

 

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(B) any such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) any such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

(i) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes proposes to exchange such Notes for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(d) thereof; or

(ii) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes proposes to transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar so requests, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

(3) Unrestricted Definitive Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. A Holder of Unrestricted Definitive Notes may transfer such Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note. Upon receipt of a request to register such a transfer, the Registrar shall register the Unrestricted Definitive Notes pursuant to the instructions from the Holder thereof.

(f) Exchange Offer. Upon the occurrence of the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement, the Issuer will issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee will authenticate:

(1) one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer by Persons that certify in the applicable Letters of Transmittal that (A) they are not Broker-Dealers, (B) they are not participating in a distribution of the Exchange Notes and (C) they are not affiliates (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company; and

(2) Unrestricted Definitive Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Restricted Definitive Notes accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer by Persons that certify in the applicable Letters of Transmittal that (A) they are not Broker-Dealers, (B) they are not participating in a distribution of the Exchange Notes and (C) they are not affiliates (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company.

 

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Concurrently with the issuance of such Notes, the Trustee will cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Restricted Global Notes to be reduced accordingly, and the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver to the Persons designated by the Holders of Definitive Notes so accepted Unrestricted Definitive Notes in the appropriate principal amount.

(g) Legends. The following legends will appear on the face of all Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued under this Indenture unless specifically stated otherwise in the applicable provisions of this Indenture.

(1) Private Placement Legend .

(A) Except as permitted by subparagraph (B) below, each Global Note and each Definitive Note (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof) shall bear the legend in substantially the following form:

THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”) AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR TO, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, U.S. PERSONS, EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF OR OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN, THE HOLDER:

(1) REPRESENTS THAT (A) IT IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) (A “QIB”) (B) IT IS NOT A U.S. PERSON, IS NOT ACQUIRING THIS SECURITY FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF A U.S. PERSON AND IS ACQUIRING THIS SECURITY IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR (C) IT IS AN INSTITUTIONAL “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 501(A)(1), (2), (3) OR (7) UNDER REGULATION D OF THE SECURITIES ACT (AN “INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR”),

(2) AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT, WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD REFERRED TO UNDER RULE 144(k) (TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE PROVISIONS OF RULE 144(d) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, IF APPLICABLE) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF THE TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY, RESELL OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY EXCEPT (A) TO THE ISSUER OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, (B) TO A PERSON WHOM THE HOLDER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A QIB OR AN INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR PURCHASING FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QIB OR AN INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR, RESPECTIVELY, IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (C) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 904 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (D) PURSUANT TO THE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (IF AVAILABLE) OR (E) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND, IN EACH CASE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND

(3) AGREES THAT IT WILL DELIVER TO EACH PERSON TO WHOM THIS SECURITY OR AN INTEREST HEREIN IS TRANSFERRED (OTHER THAN A TRANSFER PURSUANT TO CLAUSE (2)(D) OR 2(E) ABOVE) A NOTICE SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE EFFECT OF THIS LEGEND.

 

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IN CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY OR ANY INTEREST HEREIN WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD REFERRED TO ABOVE, THE HOLDER MUST CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF RELATING TO THE MANNER OF SUCH TRANSFER AND SUBMIT THIS CERTIFICATE TO THE TRUSTEE. AS USED HEREIN, THE TERMS “OFFSHORE TRANSACTION,” “UNITED STATES” AND “U.S. PERSON” HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM BY RULE 902 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.

IN CANADA, UNLESS PERMITTED UNDER SECURITIES LEGISLATION, THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY MUST NOT TRADE THE SECURITY BEFORE THE DATE THAT IS 4 MONTHS AND A DAY AFTER THE LATER OF (I) “THE SUBSCRIPTION DATE”, AND (II) THE DATE THE ISSUER BECAME A REPORTING ISSUER IN ANY PROVINCE OR TERRITORY.

(B) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Global Note or Definitive Note issued pursuant to subparagraphs (b)(4), (c)(2), (c)(3), (d)(2), (d)(3), (e)(2), (e)(3) or (f) of this Section 2.06 (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof) will not bear the Private Placement Legend.

(2) Global Note Legend . Each Global Note will bear a legend in substantially the following form:

“THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THIS INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (1) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06 OF THIS INDENTURE, (2) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(a) OF THIS INDENTURE, (3) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.11 OF THIS INDENTURE AND (4) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF ABITIBI-CONSOLIDATED COMPANY OF CANADA.

UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE 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. UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (“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 SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS MAY BE 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.”

 

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(h) Cancellation and/or Adjustment of Global Notes. At such time as all beneficial interests in a particular Global Note have been exchanged for Definitive Notes or a particular Global Note has been redeemed, repurchased or canceled in whole and not in part, each such Global Note will be returned to or retained and canceled by the Trustee in accordance with Section 2.11 hereof. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any beneficial interest in a Global Note is exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note or for Definitive Notes, the principal amount of Notes represented by such Global Note will be reduced accordingly and an endorsement will be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such reduction; and if the beneficial interest is being exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note, such other Global Note will be increased accordingly and an endorsement will be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such increase.

(i) General Provisions Relating to Transfers and Exchanges.

(1) To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Issuer will execute and the Trustee will authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof or at the Registrar’s request.

(2) No service charge will be made to a Holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note or to a Holder of a Definitive Note for any registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer taxes or similar governmental charge payable upon exchange or transfer pursuant to Sections 2.10, 3.04, 3.07, 4.10, 4.15 and 9.05 hereof).

(3) The Registrar will not be required to register the transfer of or exchange of any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part.

(4) All Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Global Notes or Definitive Notes will be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Global Notes or Definitive Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

(5) Neither the Registrar nor the Company will be required:

(A) to issue, to register the transfer of or to exchange any Notes during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of any selection of Notes for redemption under Section 3.02 hereof and ending at the close of business on the day of selection;

(B) to register the transfer of or to exchange any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part; or

(C) to register the transfer of or to exchange a Note between a record date and the next succeeding interest payment date.

(6) Prior to due presentment for the registration of a transfer of any Note, the Trustee, any Agent and the Company may deem and treat the Person in whose name any Note is

 

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registered as the absolute owner of such Note for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and interest on such Notes and for all other purposes, and none of the Trustee, any Agent or the Company shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

(7) The Trustee will authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.02 hereof.

(8) All certifications, certificates and Opinions of Counsel required to be submitted to the Registrar pursuant to this Section 2.06 to effect a registration of transfer or exchange may be submitted by facsimile.

Section 2.07 Replacement Notes.

If any mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee or the Issuer and the Trustee receives evidence to its satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Note, the Issuer will issue and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, will authenticate a replacement Note if the Trustee’s requirements are met. If required by the Trustee or the Issuer, an indemnity bond must be supplied by the Holder that is sufficient in the judgment of the Trustee and the Issuer to protect the Issuer, the Trustee, any Agent and any authenticating agent from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Issuer may charge for its expenses in replacing a Note.

Every replacement Note is an additional obligation of the Issuer and will be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with all other Notes duly issued hereunder.

Section 2.08 Outstanding Notes.

The Notes outstanding at any time are all the Notes authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest in a Global Note effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof, and those described in this Section 2.08 as not outstanding. Except as set forth in Section 2.09 hereof, a Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Note.

If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Note is held by a protected purchaser.

If the principal amount of any Note is considered paid under Section 4.01 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding and interest on it ceases to accrue.

If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate of any thereof) holds, on a redemption date or maturity date, money sufficient to pay Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date such Notes will be deemed to be no longer outstanding and will cease to accrue interest.

Section 2.09 Treasury Notes.

In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Notes have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Notes owned by the Issuer or any Guarantor, or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Issuer or any Guarantor, will be considered as though not outstanding, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee will be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Notes that the Trustee knows are so owned will be so disregarded.

 

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Section 2.10 Temporary Notes.

Until certificates representing Notes are ready for delivery, the Issuer may prepare and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, will authenticate temporary Notes. Temporary Notes will be substantially in the form of certificated Notes but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Notes and as may be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Without unreasonable delay, the Issuer will prepare and the Trustee will authenticate definitive Notes in exchange for temporary Notes.

Holders of temporary Notes will be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture.

Section 2.11 Cancellation.

The Issuer at any time may deliver Notes to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and Paying Agent will forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee and no one else will cancel all Notes surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and will destroy canceled Notes (subject to the record retention requirement of the Exchange Act). Certification of the destruction of all canceled Notes will be delivered to the Issuer. The Issuer may not issue new Notes to replace Notes that it has paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

Section 2.12 Defaulted Interest.

If the Issuer defaults in a payment of interest on the Notes, it will pay the defaulted interest in any lawful manner plus, to the extent lawful, interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the Persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof. The Issuer will notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of defaulted interest proposed to be paid on each Note and the date of the proposed payment. The Issuer will fix or cause to be fixed each such special record date and payment date; provided that no such special record date may be less than 10 days prior to the related payment date for such defaulted interest. At least 15 days before the special record date, the Issuer (or, upon the written request of the Issuer, the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Issuer) will send or cause to be sent to Holders a notice that states the special record date, the related payment date and the amount of such interest to be paid.

ARTICLE 3

REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT

Section 3.01 Notices to Trustee.

If the Issuer elects to redeem Notes pursuant to the tax redemption provisions of Section 3.05 hereof, it must furnish to the Trustee, not more than 60 nor less than 30 days prior to the date fixed for such redemption, an Officers’ Certificate notifying the Trustee of such redemption and setting forth:

 

  (1) the clause of this Indenture pursuant to which the redemption shall occur;

 

  (2) the redemption date;

 

  (3) the principal amount of Notes to be redeemed; and

 

  (4) the redemption price.

 

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Section 3.02 Notice of Redemption.

Subject to the provisions of Section 3.07 hereof, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Issuer will send a notice of redemption to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address, except that redemption notices may be sent more than 60 days prior to a redemption date if the notice is issued in connection with a defeasance of the Notes or a satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture pursuant to Articles 8 or 11 hereof.

The notice will identify the Notes to be redeemed and will state:

(1) the redemption date;

(2) the name and address of the Paying Agent;

(3) that Notes called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

(4) that, unless the Issuer defaults in making such redemption payment, interest on Notes called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date; and

(5) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Notes.

At the Issuer’s request, the Trustee will give the notice of redemption in the Issuer’s name and at its expense; provided, however , that the Issuer has delivered to the Trustee, at least 45 days prior to the redemption date, an Officers’ Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice as provided in the preceding paragraph.

Section 3.03 Effect of Notice of Redemption.

Once notice of redemption is sent in accordance with Section 3.03 hereof, Notes called for redemption become irrevocably due and payable on the redemption date at the redemption price. A notice of redemption may not be conditional, except that a Change of Control Offer may be made in advance of a Change of Control, conditional upon the consummation of such Change of Control, if a definitive agreement is in place for the Change of Control at the time the Change of Control Offer is made.

Section 3.04 Deposit of Redemption or Purchase Price.

One Business Day prior to the redemption or purchase date, the Issuer will deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption or purchase price of and accrued interest and Special Interest, if any, on all Notes to be redeemed or purchased on that date. The Trustee or the Paying Agent will promptly return to the Issuer any money deposited with the Trustee or the Paying Agent by the Issuer in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the redemption or purchase price of, and accrued interest and Special Interest, if any, on, all Notes to be redeemed or purchased.

If the Issuer complies with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, on and after the redemption or purchase date, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or the portions of Notes called for redemption or purchase. If a Note is redeemed or purchased on or after an interest reco


 
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