EXHIBIT 4.1
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
ADOBE SYSTEMS (DELAWARE) INCORPORATED
The undersigned, a natural person (the "Sole Incorporator"), for the
purpose of organizing a corporation to conduct the business and promote the
purposes hereinafter stated, under the provisions and subject to the
requirements of the laws of the State of Delaware hereby certifies that:
I.
The name of this corporation is Adobe Systems (Delaware) Incorporated.
II.
The address of the registered office of the corporation in the State of
Delaware is 1013 Centre Road, City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, and the
name of the registered agent of the corporation in the State of Delaware at such
address is Corporation Service Company.
III.
The purpose of this corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity
for which a corporation may be organized under the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware.
IV.
A. This corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be
designated, respectively, "Common Stock" and "Preferred Stock." The total
number of shares which the corporation is authorized to issue is Two Hundred Two
Million (202,000,000) shares. Two Hundred Million (200,000,000) shares shall be
Common Stock, each having a par value of one-hundredth of one cent ($0.0001),
and Two Million (2,000,000) shares shall be Preferred Stock, each having a par
value of one-hundredth of one cent ($0.0001).
B. The Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more
series. The Board of Directors is hereby authorized, by filing a certificate (a
"Preferred Stock Designation") pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law,
to fix or alter from time to time the designation, powers, preferences and
rights of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or
restrictions of any wholly unissued series of Preferred Stock, and to establish
from time to time the number of shares constituting any such series or any of
them; and to increase or decrease the number of shares of any series subsequent
to the issuance of
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shares of that series, but not below the number of shares of such series then
outstanding. In case the number of shares of any series shall be decreased in
accordance with the foregoing sentence, the shares constituting such decrease
shall resume the status that they had prior to the adoption of the resolution
originally fixing the number of shares of such series.
V.
For the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of
the corporation, and in further definition, limitation and regulation of the
powers of the corporation, of its directors and of its stockholders or any class
thereof, as the case may be, it is further provided that:
A.
(1) The management of the business and the conduct of the affairs of
the corporation shall be vested in its Board of Directors. The number of
directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall be fixed
exclusively by one or more resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors.
(2) Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred
Stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the directors
shall be divided into two classes designated as Class I and Class II,
respectively. Directors shall be assigned to each class in accordance with a
resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors. At the first
annual meeting of stockholders following November 30, 1997, the term of office
of the Class I directors shall expire and Class I directors shall be elected for
a full term of two years. At the second annual meeting of stockholders
following November 30, 1997, the term of office of the Class II directors shall
expire and Class II directors shall be elected for a full term of two years. At
each succeeding annual meeting of stockholders, directors shall be elected for a
full term of two years to succeed the directors of the class whose terms expire
at such annual meeting.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article, each director
shall serve until his successor is duly elected and qualified or until his
death, resignation or removal. No decrease in the number of directors
constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent
director.
(3) Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred
Stock, the Board of Directors or any individual director may be removed from
office at any time with or without cause by the affirmative vote of the holders
of a majority of the voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of voting
stock of the corporation, entitled to vote at an election of directors (the
"Voting Stock").
(4) Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred
Stock, any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death,
resignation, disqualification, removal or other causes and any newly created
directorships resulting from any increase in the number
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of directors, shall, unless the Board of Directors determines by resolution that
any such vacancies or newly created directorships shall be filled by the
stockholders, except as otherwise provided by law, be filled only by the
affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less
than a quorum of the Board of Directors, and not by the stockholders. Any
director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for
the remainder of the full term of the director for which the vacancy was created
or occurred and until such director's successor shall have been elected and
qualified.
B.
(1) Subject to paragraph (h) of Section 43 of the Bylaws, the Bylaws
may be altered or amended or new Bylaws adopted by the affirmative vote of a
majority of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of the Voting
Stock. The Board of Directors shall also have the power to adopt, amend or
repeal the Bylaws.
(2) The directors of the corporation need not be elected by written
ballot unless the Bylaws so provide.
(3) Following the filing with the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware of the Agreement and Plan of Merger effecting the merger between the
corporation and Adobe Systems Incorporated, a California corporation, no action
shall be taken by the stockholders of the corporation except at an annual or
special meeting of stockholders called in accordance with the Bylaws.
(4) Special meetings of the stockholders of the corporation may be
called, for any purpose or purposes, by (i) the Chairman of the Board of
Directors, (ii) the President, (iii) the Board of Directors pursuant to a
resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors
(whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships
at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board of Directors for
adoption) or (iv) by the holders of the shares entitled to cast not less that
ten percent (10%) of the votes at the meeting, and shall be held at such place,
on such date, and at such time as the Board of Directors shall fix.
(5) Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of
directors and of business to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of
the stockholders of the corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the
Bylaws of the corporation.
VI.
A. A director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the
corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary
duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's
duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or
omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing
violation of law (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation
Law, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper
personal benefit. If the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended after
approval by the stockholders of this Article to authorize corporate action
further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then
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the liability of a director shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent
permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as so amended.
B. Any repeal or modification of this Article VI shall be prospective and
shall not affect the rights under this Article VI in effect at the time of the
alleged occurrence of any act or omission to act giving rise to liability or
indemnification.
VII.
A. The corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal
any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now
or hereafter prescribed by statute, except as provided in paragraph B. of this
Article VII, and all rights conferred upon the stockholders herein are granted
subject to this reservation.
B. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Certificate of
Incorporation or any provision of law which might otherwise permit a lesser vote
or no vote, but in addition to any affirmative vote of the holders of any
particular class or series of the Voting Stock required by law, this Certificate
of Incorporation or any Preferred Stock Designation, the affirmative vote of the
holders of a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares
of the Voting Stock, voting together as a single class, shall be required to
alter, amend or repeal Articles V, VI, and VII.
VIII.
The name and the mailing address of the Sole Incorporator are as follows:
NAME MAILING ADDRESS
A. PAUL RIMAS Cooley Godward LLP
Five Palo Alto Square
3000 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA 94306-2155
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate has been subscribed this 8th day of
May, 1997 by the undersigned who affirms that the statements made herein are
true and correct.
/s/ A. Paul Rimas
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A. PAUL RIMAS
Sole Incorporator
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