EXHIBIT 10.4

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made as of this         
day of                  200     by and between Pinnacle Systems, Inc., a
California corporation (the “Company”), and                      (“Indemnitee”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize the increasing difficulty in
obtaining directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, the significant
increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the
coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the substantial increase
in corporate litigation in general, subjecting officers and directors to
expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of
liability insurance has been severely limited;

 

WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate
under the present circumstances, and Indemnitee and other officers and directors
of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve as officers and directors
without additional protection; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly
qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve as officers and directors of
the Company and to indemnify its officers and directors so as to provide them
with the maximum protection permitted by law.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration for Indemnitee’s services as an officer or
director of the Company, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

 

1. Indemnification.

 

(a) Third Party Proceedings. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee if
Indemnitee is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any
threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute
resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative
(other than an action by or in the right of the Company) by reason of the fact
that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company,
or any subsidiary of the Company, by reason of any action or inaction on the
part of Indemnitee while an officer or director or by reason of the fact that
Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture,
trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved
in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld)
actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such action,
suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism if Indemnitee acted
in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not
opposed to the best interests of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal
action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe Indemnitee’s conduct
was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit, proceeding or alternative
dispute resolution mechanism by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon
a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a
presumption that (i) Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which
Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of
the Company, or (ii) with respect to any criminal action or proceeding,
Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee’s conduct was
unlawful.

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(b) Proceedings By or in the Right of the Company. The Company shall indemnify
Indemnitee if Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party
to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative
dispute resolution mechanism by or in the right of the Company or any subsidiary
of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that
Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or
any subsidiary of the Company, by reason of any action or inaction on the part
of Indemnitee while an officer or director or by reason of the fact that
Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture,
trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to
the fullest extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement, in each case to
the extent actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the
defense or settlement of such action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute
resolution mechanism if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner
Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of
the Company and its shareholders, except that no indemnification shall be made
in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been
finally adjudicated by court order or judgment to be liable to the Company in
the performance of Indemnitee’s duty to the Company and its shareholders unless
and only to the extent that the court in which such action, suit, proceeding or
alternative dispute resolution mechanism is or was pending shall determine upon
application that, in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is
fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for expenses and then only to the
extent that the court shall determine.

 

2. Expenses: Indemnification Procedure.

 

(a) Advancement of Expenses. The Company shall advance all expenses incurred by
Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense, settlement or appeal
of any civil or criminal action or proceeding referenced in Section 1(a) or (b)
hereof (but not amounts actually paid in settlement of any such action or
proceeding which amounts are not considered expenses which can be advanced).
Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay such amounts advanced only if, and to the
extent that, it shall ultimately be determined that Indemnitee is not entitled
to be indemnified by the Company as authorized hereby. The advances to be made
hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee within forty-five (45) days
following delivery of a written request therefor by Indemnitee to the Company.

 

(b) Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee. Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent
to his right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in
writing as soon as reasonably practicable of any claim made against Indemnitee
for which indemnification will or will be sought under this Agreement. Notice to
the Company shall be directed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company at
the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement (or such other address
as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). Notice shall be deemed
received three business days after the date postmarked if sent by domestic
certified or registered mail, properly addressed, and five business days if sent
by airmail to a country outside of North America; otherwise notice shall be
deemed received when such notice shall actually be received by the Company. In
addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as
it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power.

 

(c) Procedure. Any indemnification and advances provided for in Section 1 and
this Section 2 shall be made no later than forty-five (45) days after receipt of
the written request of

 

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Indemnitee. If a claim under this Agreement, under any statute, or under any
provision of the Company’s Restated Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws
providing for indemnification, is not paid in full by the Company within
forty-five (45) days after a written request for payment thereof has first been
received by the Company, Indemnitee may, but need not, at any time thereafter
bring an action against the Company to recover the unpaid amount of the claim
and, subject to Section 12 of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall also be entitled
to be paid for the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) of bringing such action.
It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to
enforce a claim for expenses incurred in connection with any action or
proceeding in advance of its final disposition) that Indemnitee has not met the
standards of conduct which make it permissible under applicable law for the
Company to indemnify Indemnitee for the amount claimed, but the burden of
proving such defense shall be on the Company and Indemnitee shall be entitled to
receive interim payments of expenses pursuant to subsection 2(a) unless and
until such defense may be finally adjudicated by court order or judgment from
which no further right of appeal exists. It is the parties’ intention that if
the Company contests Indemnitee’s right to indemnification, the question of
Indemnitee’s right to indemnification shall be for the court to decide, and
neither the failure of the Company (including its Board of Directors, any
committee or subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or
its shareholders) to have made a determination that indemnification of
Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the
applicable standard of conduct required by applicable law, nor an actual
determination by the Company (including its Board of Directors, any committee or
subgroup of the Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its
shareholders) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct,
shall create a presumption that Indemnitee has or has not met the applicable
standard of conduct.

 

(d) Notice to Insurers. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim
pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has director and officer liability
insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of
such action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism to the
insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies.
The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause
such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a
result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.

 

(e) Selection of Counsel. In the event the Company shall be obligated under
Section 2(a) hereof to pay the expenses of any proceeding against Indemnitee,
the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such
proceeding, with counsel approved by Indemnitee, which approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its
election to do so. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by
Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will
not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel
subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same proceeding,
provided that (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ his counsel in any
such proceeding at Indemnitee’s expense; and (ii) if (A) the employment of
counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B)
Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of
interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense,
or (C) the Company shall not, in fact, have employed counsel to assume the
defense of such proceeding, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel
shall be at the expense of the Company.

 

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3. Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity.

 

(a) Scope. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company
hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by
law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by
the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company’s Restated Articles of
Incorporation, the Company’s Bylaws or by statute. In the event of any change,
after the date of this Agreement, in any applicable law, statute or rule which
expands the right of a California corporation to indemnify a member of its Board
of Directors, an officer or other corporate agent, such changes shall be ipso
facto, within the purview of Indemnitee’s rights and Company’s obligations,
under this Agreement. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute
or rule which narrows the right of a California corporation to indemnify a
member of its Board of Directors, an officer or other corporate agent, such
changes, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be
applied to this Agreement shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’
rights and obligations hereunder.

 

(b) Nonexclusivity. The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall not be
deemed exclusive of any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the
Company’s Restated Articles of Incorporation, its Bylaws, any agreement, any
vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors, the Corporation Law of the
State of California, or otherwise, both as to action in Indemnitee’s official
capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office. The
indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee
for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even
though he may have ceased to serve in such capacity at the time of any action,
suit, alternative dispute resolution mechanism or other covered proceeding.

 

4. Partial Indemnification. If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of
this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of the
expenses, judgments, fines or penalties actually or reasonably incurred by him
in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal
action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, but not,
however, for the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify
Indemnitee for the portion of such expenses, judgments, fines or penalties to
which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

5. Mutual Acknowledgement. Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in
certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the
Company from indemnifying its directors and officers under this Agreement or
otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has
undertaken or may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and
Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in
certain circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public
policy to indemnify Indemnitee.

 

6. Officer and Director Liability Insurance. The Company shall, from time to
time, make the good faith determination whether or not it is practicable for the
Company to obtain and maintain a policy or policies of insurance with reputable
insurance companies providing the officers and directors of the Company with
coverage for losses from wrongful acts, or to ensure the Company’s performance
of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement. Among other
considerations, the Company will weigh the costs of obtaining such insurance
coverage against the

 

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protection afforded by such coverage. In all policies of director and officer
liability insurance, Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as
to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most
favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of
the Company’s officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an
officer; or of the Company’s key employees, if Indemnitee is not an officer or
director but is a key employee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall
have no obligation to obtain or maintain such insurance if the Company
determines in good faith that such insurance is not reasonably available, if the
premium costs for such insurance are disproportionate to the amount of coverage
provided, if the coverage provided by such insurance is limited by exclusions so
as to provide an insufficient benefit, or if Indemnitee is covered by similar
insurance maintained by a subsidiary or parent of the Company.

 

7. Severability. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to require or shall be
construed as requiring the Company to do or fail to do any act in violation of
applicable law. The Company’s inability, pursuant to court order, to perform its
obligations under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach of this
Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable as provided in
this Section 7. If this Agreement or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on
any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Company shall
nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee to the full extent permitted by any applicable
portion of this Agreement that shall not have been invalidated, and the balance
of this Agreement not so invalidated shall be enforceable in accordance with its
terms.

 

8. Exceptions. Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:

 

(a) Excluded Acts. To indemnify Indemnitee for any acts or omissions or
transactions from which a director may not be relieved of liability under the
California General Corporation Law; or

 

(b) Claims Initiated by Indemnitee. To indemnify or advance expenses to
Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought
voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except with respect to
proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under
this Agreement or any other statute or law or otherwise as required under
Section 317 of the California Corporation Law, but such indemnification or
advancement of expenses may be provided by the Company in specific cases if the
Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit; or

 

(c) Lack of Good Faith. To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the
Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or
interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that
each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was
not made in good faith or was frivolous; or

 

(d) Insured Claims. To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses or liabilities of any
type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments, fines, ERISA excise
taxes or penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) which have been paid
directly to Indemnitee by an insurance carrier under a policy of officers’ and
directors’ liability insurance maintained by the Company; or

 

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(e) Claims Under Section 16(b). To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the
payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of
securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, or any similar successor statute.

 

9. Construction of Certain Phrases.

 

(a) For purposes of this Agreement, references to the “Company” shall include,
in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including
any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which,
if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to
indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that if
Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent
corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation
as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership,
joint venture, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same
position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or
surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent
corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(b) For purposes of this Agreement, references to “other enterprises” shall
include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise
taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan; and
references to “serving at the request of the Company” shall include any service
as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company which imposes duties
on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with
respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries; and if
Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to
be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit
plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the
best interests of the Company” as referred to in this Agreement.

 

10. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts,
each of which shall constitute an original.

 

11. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and
its successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and
Indemnitee’s estate, heirs, legal representatives and assigns.

 

12. Attorneys’ Fees. In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee
under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof, Indemnitee
shall be entitled to be paid all costs and expenses, including reasonable
attorneys’ fees, incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action, unless as a
part of such action, the court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of
the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not
made in good faith or were frivolous: In the event of an action instituted by or
in the name of the Company under this Agreement or to enforce or interpret any
of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all
costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred by Indemnitee
in defense of such action (including with respect to Indemnitee’s counterclaims
and cross-claims made in such action), unless as a part of such action the court
determines that each of Indemnitee’s material defenses to such action were made
in bad faith or were frivolous.

 

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13. Notice. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this
Agreement shall be in writing, shall be effective upon receipt, and shall be
delivered by Federal Express or a similar courier, personal delivery, certified
or registered air mail, or by facsimile transmission. Addresses for notice to
either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as
subsequently modified by written notice.

 

14. Consent to Jurisdiction. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably
consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of California for all
purposes in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute
resolution mechanism which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree
that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be brought only in the
state courts of the State of California.

 

15. Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions
construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, as applied to
contracts between California residents entered into and to be performed entirely
within California.

 

16. Subrogation. In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall
be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of
Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that
may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company to effectively
bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

17. Continuation of Indemnification. All agreements and obligations of the
Company contained herein shall continue during the period that Indemnitee is a
director, officer or agent of the Company and shall continue thereafter so long
as Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible claim or threatened, pending or
completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism,
whether civil, criminal, arbitrational, administrative or investigative, by
reason of the fact that Indemnitee was serving in the capacity referred to
herein.

 

18. Amendment and Termination. Subject to Section 17, no amendment,
modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective
unless in writing signed by both parties hereto. No waiver of any of the
provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any
other provisions hereof (whether or not similar), nor shall such waiver
constitute a continuing waiver.

 

19. Integration and Entire Agreement. This Agreement sets forth the entire
understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous
written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements
relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the
date first above written.

 

PINNACLE SYSTEMS, INC. By:        

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Mark L. Sanders

Chairman of the Board of Directors

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:

 

INDEMNITEE:

  

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[Name] Address:

 

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