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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.33


                         AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
                              SPECIAL STOCK OPTION

              Granted Under the Approval of the Board of Directors
                       of American Technology Corporation


         THIS SPECIAL STOCK OPTION, dated as of November 13, 2000 (the "Date of
Grant"), is granted by AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation
("Company"), to Elwood G. Norris (the "Optionee"), whose status with the Company
is described on the signature page hereof below his signature.

         WHEREAS, the Optionee is now a Director of the Company and the Company
desires to have the Optionee remain in its service and desires to encourage
stock ownership by the Optionee and to increase the Optionee's proprietary
interest in the Company's success; and as an inducement thereto has determined
to grant to the Optionee the option herein provided for, to the end that the
Optionee may thereby be assisted in obtaining an interest, or an increased
interest, as the case may be, in the stock ownership of the Company;

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and agreements herein
contained, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows.

                  1. GRANT. The Company hereby grants to the Optionee an option
(the "Option") to purchase 25,000 shares of the Company's common stock, $.00001
par value per share (the "Option Shares") at the price of $3.62 per share (the
"Purchase Price" or "Exercise Price") and vesting per the following schedule:
All option shares shall vest immediately. This Option is granted separately at
the discretion of the Board of Directors and is not an option pursuant to the
Company's 1992 or 1997 option plans. No partial vesting of this Stock Option
will be allowed. Both the Purchase Price and the number of Option Shares
purchasable may be adjusted pursuant to Paragraph 9 hereof.

                  2. TERM. This Option is exercisable during the period
beginning with the Date of Grant and ending November 13, 2005, at 5:00 p.m.
(Pacific Time), except as provided in Paragraph 7 hereof.

                  3. EXERCISE OF OPTION. During the Optionee's life, this Option
may only be exercised by him or her. This Option may only be exercised by
presentation at the principal offices of the Company in San Diego, California of
written notice to the Company's Secretary advising the Company of the Optionee's
election to purchase Option Shares, specifying the number of Option Shares being
purchased, accompanied by payment. No Option Shares shall be issued until full
payment is made therefor. Payment shall be made in cash, represented by bank or
cashier's check, certified check or money order.

                  4. ISSUANCE OF OPTION SHARES; RESTRICTIVE LEGEND.

                           (a) Upon proper exercise of this Option, the Company
shall mail or deliver to the Optionee, as promptly as practicable, a stock
certificate or certificates representing the Option Shares purchased, subject to
clause (b) below. The Company shall not be required to sell or issue any shares
under the Option if the issuance of such shares shall constitute a violation of
any applicable law or regulation or of any requirements of any national
securities exchange upon which the Company's common stock may be listed.


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                           (b) Upon any exercise of this Option, if a
registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act") is not in
effect with respect to the Option Shares, then the Company shall not be required
to issue any Option Shares unless the Company has received evidence reasonably
satisfactory to it to the effect that the Optionee is acquiring such shares for
investment and not with a view to the distribution thereof. Any reasonable
determination in this connection by the Company shall be final, binding and
conclusive.

                           (c) Unless and until removed as provided below, each
certificate evidencing unregistered Option Shares shall bear a legend in
substantially the following form:

                  "The shares of stock represented by this certificate have not
                  been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 or under the
                  securities laws of any state and may not be sold or
                  transferred except upon such registration or upon receipt by
                  this Corporation of an opinion or counsel satisfactory to this
                  Corporation, in form and substance satisfactory to this
                  Corporation, that registration is not required for such sate
                  or transfer."

                           The Company shall issue a new certificate which does
not contain such legend if (i) the shares represented by such certificate are
sold pursuant to a registration statement (including a current prospectus) which
has become effective under the Act, or (ii) the staff of the Securities and
Exchange Commission shall have issued a "no action" letter, reasonably
satisfactory to the Company's counsel, to the effect that such shares may be
freely sold and thereafter traded publicly without registration under the Act,
or (iii) the Company's counsel, or other counsel acceptable to the Company,
shall have rendered an opinion satisfactory to the Company to the effect that
such shares may be freely sold and thereafter publicly traded without
registration under the Act. The Company may, but shall in no event be obligated
to, register any securities covered hereby pursuant to the Act. The Company
shall not be obligated to take any other affirmative action in order to cause
the exercise of the Option or the issuance of any Option Shares to comply with
any law or regulation of any governmental authority.

                  5. TRANSFER OF OPTION SHARES. Option Shares issued upon
exercise of this Option which have not been registered under the Act shall be
transferable by a holder thereof only upon compliance with the conditions in
this Paragraph. Before making any transfer of Option Shares, the holder of the
shares shall give written notice to the Company of the holder's intention to
make the transfer, describing the manner and circumstances of the transfer. If
in the opinion of the Company's counsel, or of other counsel acceptable to the
Company, the proposed transfer may be effected without registration under the
Act, the Company shall so notify the holder and the holder shall be entitled to
transfer such shares as described in the holder's notice to the Company. If such
counsel opines that the transfer may not be made without registration under the
Act, then the Company shall so notify the holder, in which event the holder
shall not be entitled to transfer the shares until (i) the Company notifies the
holder that it is permissible to proceed with the transfer, or (ii) registration
of the shares under the Act has become effective. The Company may issue "stop
transfer" instructions to its transfer agent with respect to any or all of the
Option Shares as it deems necessary to prevent any violation of the Act.


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                  6. TRANSFER OR ENCUMBRANCE OF THIS OPTION PROHIBITED. This
Option may not be transferred or assigned in any manner by the Optionee, except
by will or trust upon the Optionee's death or by operation of law under the laws
of descent and distribution. The same restriction on transfer or assignment
shall apply to any heirs, devisees, beneficiaries or other persons acquiring
this Option or an interest herein under such an instrument or by operation of
law. Further, this Option may not be pledged, hypothecated or otherwise
encumbered, by operation of law or otherwise, nor shall it be subject to
execution, attachment or similar process.

                  7. TERMINATION OF SERVICE, DEATH, OR DISABILITY. (a) Except as
may be otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, this Option shall
terminate as follows:

                           (i) Upon termination of the Optionee's employment
with the Company for cause;

                           (ii) At the expiration of six (6) months from the
date of the Optionee's resignation or termination of the Optionee's employment
with the Company without cause, for any reason other than death; provided, that
if the Optionee dies within such six-month period, subclause (iii) below shall
apply; or

                           (iii) At the expiration of fifteen (15) months after
the date of death of the Optionee.

                           (b) This Option confers no right upon the Optionee
with respect to the continuation of his employment (or his position as an
officer, director or other provider of services) with the Company or any parent
or subsidiary of the Company, and shall not interfere with the right of the
Company, or any parent or subsidiary Company, to terminate such relationship(s)
at any time in accordance with law and any agreements then in force.

                  8. NO RIGHTS AS STOCKHOLDER. The Optionee shall have no rights
as a stockholder with respect to Option Shares until the date of issuance of a
stock certificate for such shares. No adjustment for dividends, or otherwise,
except as provided in Paragraph 9, shall be made if the record date therefor is
prior to the date of exercise of such Option.

                  9. CHANGES IN THE COMPANY'S CAPITAL STRUCTURE. The existence
of this Option shall not limit or affect in any way the right or power of the
Company or its shareholders to make or authorize any or all adjustments,
recapitalizations, reorganizations or other changes in the Company's capital
structure or its business, or any merger or consolidation of the Company, or any
issue of bonds, debentures, preferred or prior preference stock ahead of or
affecting the Option Shares or the rights thereof, or the dissolution or
liquidation of the Company, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its
assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a
similar character or otherwise. However,

                           (a) If, prior to the Company's delivery of all the
Option Shares subject to this Option, the Company shall effect a subdivision
(split), or combination (reverse split) of shares or other capital readjustment,
the payment of a common stock dividend, or other increase or reduction of the
number of shares of common stock outstanding, without receiving compensation
therefor in money, services or property, then (i) in the event of an increase in
the number of such shares outstanding, the Purchase Price shall be


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proportionately reduced and the number of Option Shares then still purchasable
shall be proportionately increased; and (ii) in the event of a reduction in the
number of such shares outstanding, the Purchase Price payable per share shall be
proportionately increased and the number of Option Shares then still purchasable
shall be proportionately reduced.

                           (b) If while this Option remains outstanding the
Company is reorganized, merged, consolidated or party to a plan of share
exchange with another corporation, or if the Company sells or otherwise disposes
of all or substantially all its property or assets to another corporation, then
subject to the provisions of clause (ii) below, (i) after the effective date of
such reorganization, merger, consolidation, exchange or sale, as the case may
be, the Optionee shall be entitled, upon exercise of this Option, to receive, in
lieu of the Option Shares, the number and class of shares of such stock, other
securities, cash and other property or rights as the holders of shares of the
Company's common stock received pursuant to the terms of the reorganization,
merger, consolidation, exchange or sale and to which he would have been entitled
if, immediately prior to such reorganization, merger, consolidation, exchange or
sale, he had been the holder of record of a number of shares of common stock
equal to the number of Option Shares as to which this Option shall be so
exercised; and (ii) this Option may be canceled by the Board of Directors of the
Company as of the effective date of any such reorganization, merger,
consolidation, exchange or sale; provided that (x) such reorganization, merger,
consolidation, exchange or sale results in a change in control of the Company
rather than a mere change of form or domicile of the Company, (y) written notice
of such cancellation is given to the Optionee or other holder of this Option not
less than 45 days prior to such effective date, and (z) the Options or other
holder shall have the right to exercise the Option in full during such 45-day
period preceding the effective date of such reorganization, merger,
consolidation, exchange or sale.

                           (c) In case the Company shall determine to offer to
the holders of its common stock rights to subscribe pro rata for any new or
additional shares of common stock, or any securities convertible into common
stock, then the Optionee shall be entitled to participate in such pro rata
offering in the same manner and to the same extent as if this Option had been
exercised at the Purchase Price then in effect and the number of Option Shares
then purchasable upon exercise hereof had been issued to the Optionee pursuant
to the terms hereof.

                           (d) Except as herein before expressly provided, the
issue by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible
into shares of stock of any class, for cash or property, or for labor or
services either upon direct sale or upon the exercise of rights or warrants to
subscribe therefor, or upon conversion of shares or obligations of the Company
convertible into such shares or other securities, shall not affect, and no
adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the Purchase Price
or the number of Option Shares then subject to this Option.

                  10. NOTIFICATION TO COMPANY OF CERTAIN SALES. The Optionee or
other holder of Option Shares who sells any of such shares shall notify the
Company of such fact in writing within 30 days after the date of sale, if:


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                           (a) At the time the Option Shares were sold, less
than ONE year had elapsed since the date the Option Shares were purchased by the
Optionee, and less than TWO years had elapsed since the Date of Grant of this
Option; or

                           (b) the Optionee was not an employee of the Company
(or of a parent or subsidiary thereof) at all times during the period beginning
on the Date of Grant of this Option and ending on the date three (3) months
prior to the date this Option was exercised to purchase the Option Shares sold.

                  The failure of the Optionee or other holder of Option Shares
to promptly give such notice to the Company shall entitle the Company to cancel
this Option forthwith, without prior notice to the holder hereof.

                  11. NOTICES, ETC. Any notice hereunder by the Optionee shall
be given to the Company in writing, and such notice and any payment by the
Optionee hereunder shall be deemed duly given or made only upon receipt thereof
at the Company's office at 13114 Evening Creek Drive South, San Diego,
California 92128, or at such other address as the Company may designate by
notice to the Optionee. Any notice or other communication to the Optionee
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given or made if mailed
or delivered to the Optionee at the last address as the Optionee may have on
file with the Company's Secretary. This Option shall be governed under and
construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California. This address
shall be binding on the Company and the Optionee and all successors, assigns,
heirs, devisees and personal representatives thereof.

                  NOTE: This option must match the Control copy maintained by
the Company, in all particulars.

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this
Special Stock Option as of the day and year first above written.

                                           AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
                                           By: /S/ TERRY CONRAD
                                               -----------------------
                                               Terry Conrad, President
ATTEST:
By: /S/ RENEE WARDEN
    -----------------------
    Renee Warden, Secretary
                                      OPTIONEE NAME and STATUS;
                                      Elwood G. Norris, Chairman and CEO
                                      ORIGINAL to Optionee/COPY to Company



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