Exhibit 10.2
REGISTRATION RIGHTS
AGREEMENT
This Registration Rights Agreement (this
“Agreement” ) is made and entered into
as of February 1, 2007, by and among Telkonet,
Inc. , a Utah corporation (the
“Company” ), and the investors
signatory hereto (each a “Purchaser”
and collectively, the “Purchasers”
).
This Agreement is made pursuant to the
Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof among
the Company and the Purchasers (the “Purchase
Agreement” ).
NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual
covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and
valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby
acknowledged, the Company and the Purchasers agree as
follows:
1. Definitions . Capitalized terms used and not otherwise
defined herein that are defined in the Purchase Agreement shall
have the meanings given such terms in the Purchase Agreement. As
used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the
respective meanings set forth in this Section 1:
“Advice”
shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 6(c).
“Business Day”
means a day, other than a Saturday
or Sunday, on which banks in New York City are open for the general
transaction of business.
“Commission”
means the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
“Common Stock”
means the common stock of the
Company, par value $0.001 per share, and any securities into which
such common stock may hereafter be reclassified.
“Effective Date”
means the date that the
Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2(a) is first
declared effective by the Commission.
“Effectiveness
Period” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“Event”
shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2(c).
“Event Date”
shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2(c).
“Exchange Act”
means the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended.
“Filing Date”
means, with respect to the
Registration Statement required to be filed to cover the resale by
the Holders of the Registrable Securities, the 30 th
calendar day following the Closing Date.
“Holder”
or
“Holders” means the holder or holders,
as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable
Securities.
“Indemnified Party”
shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5(c).
“Indemnifying
Party” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
“Losses”
shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5(a).
“New York Courts”
means the state and federal courts
sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan.
“Person”
means an individual or corporation,
partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association,
joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company,
government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of
any kind.
“Proceeding”
means an action, claim, suit,
investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an
investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether
commenced or threatened.
“Prospectus”
means the prospectus included in a
Registration Statement (including, without limitation, a prospectus
that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus
filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance
upon Rule 430A promulgated under the Securities Act), as amended or
supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the
terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities
covered by a Registration Statement, and all other amendments and
supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments,
and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.
“Registrable
Securities” means: (i) the Shares (ii) the Warrant Shares,
and (iii) any securities issued or issuable upon any stock split,
dividend or other distribution, recapitalization or similar event,
or any conversion or exercise price adjustment with respect to any
of the securities referenced in (i) or (ii) above.
“Registration
Statement” means a registration statement which is required
to register the resale of the Registrable Securities, and including
the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration
statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective
amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by
reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference
therein.
“Required Effectiveness
Date” means,
with respect to the Registration Statement required to be filed to
cover the resale by the Holders of the Registrable Securities, the
earlier of: (i) the 90 th calendar day following the
Closing Date; provided , that, if the Commission reviews
and has written comments to the filed Registration Statement that
would require the filing of a pre-effective amendment thereto with
the Commission, then the Required Effectiveness Date under this
clause (i) shall be the 120 th day following the Closing
Date, and (ii) the fifth Trading Day following the date on which
the Company is notified by the Commission that the Registration
Statement will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further
review and comments,
“Rule 144”
means Rule 144 promulgated by the
Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be
amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation
hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same
effect as such Rule.
“Rule 415”
means Rule 415 promulgated by the
Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be
amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation
hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same
effect as such Rule.
“Rule 424”
means Rule 424 promulgated by the
Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be
amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation
hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same
effect as such Rule.
“Securities Act”
means the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended.
“Shares”
means the shares of Common Stock
issued or issuable to the Purchasers pursuant to the Purchase
Agreement.
“ Subscription Amount
” means with respect to each Purchaser, the purchase price
indicated below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page
to the Purchase Agreement
“Warrants”
means the Common Stock purchase
warrants issued or issuable to the Purchasers pursuant to the
Purchase Agreement.
“Warrant Shares”
means the shares of Common Stock
issued or issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
(a) On or prior to the Filing Date, the Company
shall prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement
covering the resale of all Registrable Securities for an offering
to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415. The
Registration Statement shall be on Form S-3 (except if the Company
is not then eligible to register for resale the Registrable
Securities on Form S-3, in which case such registration shall be on
another appropriate form in accordance with the Securities Act and
the Exchange Act and as consented to by the Holders) and shall
contain (except if otherwise required pursuant to written comments
received from the Commission upon a review of such Registration
Statement) the “Plan of Distribution” attached hereto
as Annex A.
(b) The Company shall use its best efforts to cause
the Registration Statement to be declared effective by the
Commission as soon as practicable and, in any event, no later than
the Required Effectiveness Date (including filing with the
Commission a request for acceleration of effectiveness in
accordance with Rule 461 promulgated under the Securities Act
within five (5) Business Days after the date that the Company is
notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the
Commission that a Registration Statement will not be
“reviewed,” or not be subject to further review and the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement may be accelerated) and
shall use its best efforts to keep the Registration Statement
continuously effective under the Securities Act until the earlier
of the date that all Registrable Securities covered by the
Registration Statement have been sold or may be sold by
non-affiliates without volume restrictions pursuant to Rule 144(k)
as determined by the counsel to the Company pursuant to a written
opinion letter to such effect, addressed and acceptable to the
Company's transfer agent and the affected Holders (the
“Effectiveness Period” ). Such
Registration Statement shall also cover, to the extent allowable
under the Securities Act and the rules promulgated thereunder
(including Rule 416), such indeterminate number of additional
shares of Common Stock resulting from stock splits, stock dividends
or similar transactions with respect to the Registrable Securities.
It is agreed and understood that the Company shall, from time to
time, be obligated to file an additional Registration Statement to
cover any Registrable Securities which are not registered for
resale pursuant to a pre-existing Registration Statement.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no Registration
Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement shall cover any
securities other than Registrable Securities.
(c) If: (i) the Registration Statement is not filed
on or prior to the Filing Date (if the Company files a Registration
Statement without affording the Holders the opportunity to review
and comment on the same as required by Section 3(a) hereof, the
Company shall not be deemed to have satisfied this clause (i)),
(ii) a Registration Statement is not declared effective by the
Commission on or prior to the Required Effectiveness Date, (iii)
the Company fails to file a request for acceleration with the
required five-Business Day period, (iv) after its Effective Date
such Registration Statement ceases for any reason (other than an
Allowed Delay) to be effective (whether due to a stop order, other
regulatory action or any other reason) and available to the Holders
as to all Registrable Securities to which it is required to cover
at any time prior to the expiration of its Effectiveness Period for
more than 60 calendar days (which need not be consecutive) in any
365 calendar day period, or (v) after its Effective Date the
effectiveness of such Registration Statement is suspended due to an
Allowed Delay and such suspension continues for more than 30
calendar days as permitted under Section 2(d) below (any such
failure or breach being referred to as an
“Event,” and for purposes of clauses
(i), (ii) or (iii) the date on which such Event occurs, or for
purposes of clauses (iv) and (v) the date which such 60-day or
30-day period, as the case may be, is exceeded, being referred to
as “Event Date” ), then in addition to
any other rights available to the Holders: (x) on such Event Date
the Company shall pay to each Holder an amount in cash, as partial
liquidated damages and not as a penalty, equal to 2.0% of the
aggregate Subscription Amount paid by such Holder pursuant to the
Purchase Agreement (which remedy shall not be exclusive of any
other remedies available under this Agreement); and (y) on each
monthly anniversary of each such Event Date thereof (if the
applicable Event shall not have been cured by such date) until the
applicable Event is cured, the Company shall pay to each Holder an
amount in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty,
equal to 2.0% of the aggregate Subscription Amount paid by such
Holder pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. The parties agree that
the Company will not be liable for liquidated damages under this
Section 2(c) in respect of the Warrants. If the Company fails to
pay any partial liquidated damages pursuant to this Section in full
within seven days after the date payable, the Company will pay
interest thereon at a rate of 10% per annum (or such lesser maximum
amount that is permitted to be paid by applicable law) to the
Holder, accruing daily from the date such partial liquidated
damages are due until such amounts, plus all such interest thereon,
are paid in full. The partial liquidated damages pursuant to the
terms hereof shall apply on a pro-rata basis for any portion of a
month prior to the cure of an Event, except in the case of the
first Event Date. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,
in no event will the Company be obligated to make payments to any
Purchaser for liquidated damages under this Section 2(c) in excess
of 10% of the aggregate amount invested by such
Purchaser.
(d) For not more than 30 calendar days (which need
not be consecutive) in any365 calendar day period, the Company may
delay the disclosure of material non-public information concerning
the Company, by terminating or suspending effectiveness of any
registration contemplated by this Section 2, if the disclosure of
such material non-public information at the time is not, in the
good faith opinion of the Company’s Board of Directors, in
the best interests of the Company (an “ Allowed
Delay ”); provided , that the Company
shall promptly (x) notify the Holders in writing of the existence
of (but in no event, without the prior written consent of a Holder,
shall the Company disclose to such Holder any of the facts or
circumstances regarding) material non-public information giving
rise to an Allowed Delay, and (y) advise the Holders in writing to
cease all sales under the Registration Statement until the end of
the Allowed Delay.
(e) The Company shall not, from the date hereof
until the Effective Date of the Registration Statement, prepare and
file with the Commission a registration statement relating to an
offering for its own account or the account of others under the
Securities Act of any of its equity securities other than a
registration statement on Form S-8 or, with the prior written
consent of Holders, which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld, conditioned or delayed, a registration statement on Form
S-4 in connection with a strategic acquisition by the
Company.
(f) Each Holder agrees to furnish to the Company a
completed Questionnaire in the form attached to this Agreement as
Annex B (a “ Selling Holder Questionnaire
”).
(g) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company
shall not disclose material nonpublic information to the Holders,
or to advisors to or representatives of the Holders, unless prior
to disclosure of such information the Company identifies such
information as being material nonpublic information and provides
the Holders, such advisors and representatives with the opportunity
to accept or refuse to accept such material nonpublic information
for review.
3. Registration Procedures
In connection with the Company's registration
obligations hereunder, the Company shall:
(a) Not less than four Trading Days prior to the
filing of a Registration Statement or any related Prospectus or any
amendment or supplement thereto, furnish to each Holder copies of
the “Selling Stockholders” section of such document,
the “Plan of Distribution” and any risk factor
contained in such document that addresses specifically this
transaction or the Selling Stockholders, as proposed to be filed,
which documents will be subject to the review of such Holder. The
Company shall not file a Registration Statement, any Prospectus or
any amendments or supplements thereto in which the “Selling
Stockholder” section thereof differs from the disclosure
received from a Holder in its Selling Holder Questionnaire (as
amended or supplemented), except as may otherwise be required by
applicable securities law or the Commission.
(b) (i) Prepare and file with the Commission such
amendments, including post-effective amendments, to each
Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection
therewith as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement
continuously effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities
for its Effectiveness Period and prepare and file with the
Commission such additional Registration Statements in order to
register for resale under the Securities Act all of the Registrable
Securities; (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or
supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement, and as so
supplemented or amended to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; (iii)
respond as promptly as reasonably practicable, and in any event
within ten (10) Trading Days to any comments received from the
Commission with respect to each Registration Statement or any
amendment thereto and, as promptly as reasonably possible provide
the Holders true and complete copies of all correspondence from and
to the Commission relating to such Registration Statement that
pertains to the Holders as Selling Stockholders but not any
comments that would result in the disclosure to the Holders of
material and non-public information concerning the Company; and
(iv) comply in all material respects with the provisions of the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the disposition
of all Registrable Securities covered by the Registration
Statement.
(c) Notify the Holders as promptly as reasonably
possible (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not less than three
Trading Days prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such
Person) confirm such notice in writing as promptly as reasonably
possible (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or
post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement is proposed to
be filed; (B) when the Commission notifies the Company whether
there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement
and whenever the Commission comments in writing on any Registration
Statement (in which case the Company shall provide true and
complete copies thereof and all written responses thereto to each
of the Holders that pertain to the Holders as a Selling Stockholder
or to the Plan of Distribution, but not information which the
Company believes would constitute material and non-public
information); and (C) with respect to each Registration Statement
or any post-effective amendment, when the same has been declared
effective; (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other
Federal or state governmental authority for amendments or
supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or for
additional information that pertains to the Holders as Selling
Stockholders or the Plan of Distribution; (iii) of the issuance by
the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a
Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable
Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for that purpose;
(iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect
to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from
qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any
jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding
for such purpose; and (v) of the occurrence of any event or passage
of time that makes the financial statements included in a
Registration Statement ineligible for inclusion therein or any
statement made in such Registration Statement or Prospectus or any
document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by
reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any
revisions to such Registration Statement, Prospectus or other
documents so that, in the case of such Registration Statement or
the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein (in the case of any Prospectus, form of prospectus or
supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they
were made), not misleading.
(d) Use its best efforts to avoid the issuance of,
or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of (i) any order suspending
the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or (ii) any
suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification)
of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction,
as soon as practicable.
(e) If requested by a Holder, furnish to such
Holder, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each
Registration Statement and each amendment thereto and all exhibits
to the extent requested by such Person (including those previously
furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing
of such documents with the Commission; provided, that the Company
shall have no obligation to provide any document pursuant to this
clause that is available on the EDGAR system.
(f) Promptly deliver to each Holder, without
charge, as many copies of each Prospectus or Prospectuses
(including each form of prospectus) and each amendment or
supplement thereto as such Persons may reasonably request. The
Company hereby consents to the use of such Prospectus and each
amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders in
connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities
covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement
thereto.
(g) Prior to any public offering of Registrable
Securities, use its best efforts to register or qualify or
cooperate with the selling Holders in connection with the
registration or qualification (or exemption from such registration
or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for offer and sale
under the securities or Blue Sky laws of those jurisdictions within
the United States as any Holder requests in writing, to keep each
such registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom)
effective during the Effectiveness Period and to do any and all
other acts or things necessary or advisable to enable the
disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities
covered by the Registration Statements; provided, that the
Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business
in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified or to take
any action that would subject the Company to general service of
process in any jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or
subject the Company to any material tax in any such jurisdiction
where it is not then so subject.
(h) Cooperate with the Holders to facilitate the
timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing
Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to
the Registration Statements, which certificates shall be free, to
the extent permitted by the Purchase Agreement and under law, of
all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities
to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any
such Holders may reasonably request. In connection therewith, if
required by the Company’s transfer agent, the Company shall
promptly after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement
cause an opinion of counsel as to the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement to be delivered to and maintained with its
transfer agent, together with any other authorizations,
certificates and directions required by the transfer agent, which
authorize and direct the transfer agent to issue such Registrable
Securities without legend upon sale by the holder of such shares of
Registrable Securities under the Registration Statement.
(i) Following the occurrence of any event
contemplated by Section 3(c)(v), as promptly as reasonably
possible, prepare a supplement or amendment, including a
post-effective amendment, to the affected Registration Statements
or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, and
file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered,
no Registration Statement nor any Prospectus will contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein (in the case of any Prospectus, form of prospectus or
supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they
were made), not misleading.
(j) (i) In the time and manner required by each
Trading Market, prepare and file with such Trading Market an
additional shares listing application covering all of the
Registrable Securities, (ii) take all steps necessary to cause such
Registrable Securities to be approved for listing on each Trading
Market as soon as possible thereafter, (iii) provide the Holders
evidence of such listing, and (iv) except as a result of the
Excluded Events, during the Effectiveness Period, maintain the
listing of such Registrable Securities on each such Trading
Market.
(k) As long as any Holder owns Shares, Warrants or
Warrant Shares, the Company covenants to timely file (or obtain
extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace
period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the
date hereof pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
As long as any Holder owns Shares, Warrants or Warrant Shares, if
the Company is not required to file reports pursuant to Section
13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, it will prepare and furnish to
the Holders and make publicly available in accordance with Rule
144(c) promulgated under the Securities Act annual and quarterly
financial statements, together with a discussion and analysis of
such financial statements in form and substance substantially
similar to those that would otherwise be required to be included in
reports required by Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as
well as any other information required thereby, in the time period
that such filings would have been required to have been made under
the Exchange Act. The Company further covenants that it will take
such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to
the extent required from time to time to enable such Person to sell
Shares and Warrant Shares without registration under the Securities
Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144
promulgated under the Securities Act, including compliance with the
provisions of the Purchase Agreement relating to the transfer of
the Shares and Warrant Shares.
(l) The Company may require each selling Holder to
furnish to the Company a certified statement as to the number of
shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and any
Affiliate thereof.
4. Registration Expenses . All fees and expenses incident to the
Company’s performance of or compliance with its obligations
under this Agreement (excluding any underwriting discounts and
selling commissions and all legal fees and expenses of legal
counsel for any Holder) shall be borne by the Company whether or
not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration
Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing
sentence shall include, without limitation, (i) all registration
and filing fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses
(A) with respect to filings required to be made with the Trading
Market on which the Common Stock is then listed for trading, and
(B) in compliance with applicable state securities or Blue Sky
laws), (ii) printing expenses (including, without limitation,
expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities and of
printing prospectuses if the printing of prospectuses is reasonably
requested by the holders of a majority of the Registrable
Securities included in the Registration Statement), (iii)
messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Company, (v) Securities Act
liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance, and
(vi) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company
in connection with the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement. In addition, the Company shall be
responsible for all of its internal expenses incurred in connection
with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses
of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting
duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses
incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable
Securities on any securities exchange as required hereunder. In no
event shall the Company be responsible for any broker or similar
commissions or any legal fees or other costs of the
Holders.
(a) Indemnification by the Company
. The Company shall, notwithstanding
any termination of this Agreement, indemnify and hold harmless each
Holder, the officers, directors, agents, partners, members,
shareholders and employees of each of them, each Person who
controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and the officers,
directors, agents and employees of each such controlling Person, to
the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against
any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including,
without limitation, reasonable costs of preparation and reasonable
attorneys' fees) and expenses (collectively, “
Losses ”), as incurred, arising out of or
relating to (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any
Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or
supplement thereto (it being understoo
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