Exhibit 10.1


 


PROMISSORY NOTE


 


	
  $3,000,000

  	
   

  	
  Nassau County, New York

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
  As of December 1,
  2005

  



 


FOR VALUE RECEIVED, HAUPPAUGE COMPUTER WORKS, INC., a New
York corporation (the “Borrower”), HEREBY PROMISES TO PAY
to the order of JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. (the “Bank”),
at its offices located at 395 North Service Road, Melville, New York 11747,
or at such other place as the Bank or any holder hereof may from time to time
designate, the principal sum of THREE MILLION  DOLLARS ($3,000,000), or such lesser amount as may
constitute the outstanding balance hereof, in lawful money of the United
States, on March 31, 2006 or earlier as hereinafter referred to, and to
pay interest in like money at such office or place from the date hereof on the
unpaid principal balance of each Loan (as hereinafter defined) at the
Eurodollar Rate or the Prime Rate (as hereinafter defined and provided for in
the following paragraph) per annum, which shall be payable at the end of each
Interest Period (as hereinafter defined) until such Loan(s) shall be due and
payable (whether at maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) and thereafter, on
demand.  Interest after maturity shall be
payable at a rate three percent (3%)
per annum above the Bank’s Prime Rate which rate shall be computed for actual
number of days elapsed on the basis of a 360-day year and shall be adjusted as
of the date of each such change, but in no event higher than the maximum
permitted under applicable law.  “Prime
Rate” shall mean the rate of interest as is publicly announced at the Bank’s
principal office from time to time as its Prime Rate.


 


The Borrower shall give the Bank irrevocable written
notice (or telephonic notice promptly confirmed in writing) not later than
11:00 a.m., New York, New York time, three Business Days prior to the date
of each proposed Eurodollar Loan (as hereinafter defined) or prior to 11:00 a.m.
New York, New York time on the date of each proposed Prime Loan (as hereinafter
defined).  Such notice shall be
irrevocable and shall specify (i) the amount and whether the proposed
borrowing shall be a Eurodollar Loan or a Prime Rate Loan, (ii) the
initial Interest Period if a Eurodollar Loan, and (iv) the proposed date
of borrowing.  Each borrowing of a Eurodollar
Loan shall be in an amount not less than $500,000 or, if greater, whole
multiples of $100,000 in excess thereof. 
The Bank is authorized to enter on the Grid Schedule attached
hereto (i) the amount of each loan made from time to time hereunder (the “Loan”),
(ii) the date on which each Loan is made, (iii) the date on which
each Loan shall be due and payable to the Bank, which date shall be March 31,
2006 (“Maturity Date”), (iv) the applicable interest rate to be paid on
each Loan which shall, at the Borrower’s option in accordance herewith, be at (a) the
Adjusted Eurodollar Rate plus one and 85/100 percent (1.85%) (the “Eurodollar
Rate”) or (b) the Prime Rate minus one percent (1.0%) (such Loans, the “Eurodollar
Loan” or the “Prime Loan”), (v) the amount of each payment made hereunder,
and (vi) the outstanding principal balance of the Loans hereunder from
time to time, all of which entries, in the absence of manifest error, shall be
conclusive and binding on the Borrower; provided, however, that
the failure of the Bank to make any such entries shall not relieve the Borrower
from its obligation to pay any amount due hereunder.


 





















 


Prepayment


 


(a)           No prepayments shall be permitted hereunder
on any Loan while the Eurodollar Rate shall be applicable to such Loan on any
date other than the last day of the applicable Interest Period.  A Loan may be prepaid at any time while the
Prime Rate shall be applicable to such Loan upon two days prior notice.


 


(b)           The Borrower shall reimburse the Bank on
demand for any loss incurred or to be incurred by it in the reemployment of
funds released by any prepayment of the Loan made in contravention of the terms
hereof.  Such loss shall be the
difference as reasonably determined by the Bank between the cost of obtaining
the funds for the Loan and any lesser amount which may be realized by the Bank
in reemploying the funds received in prepayment during the period from the date
of prepayment to the end of the current Interest Period of such Loan.


 


Increased Costs


 


If at any time after the date hereof, the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any political subdivision of the
United States of America or any other government, governmental agency or
central bank shall impose or modify any reserve or capital requirement on or in
respect of loans made by or deposits with the Bank or shall impose on the Bank
any other conditions affecting Eurodollar Loans,
and the result of the foregoing is to increase the cost to (or, in the case of
Regulation D, to impose a cost on the Bank of making or maintaining any Eurodollar Loans or to reduce the amount of any sum
receivable by the Bank in respect thereof, by an amount deemed by the Bank to
be material, then, within 30 days after notice and demand by the Bank, the
Borrower shall pay to the Bank such additional amounts as will compensate the
Bank for such increased cost or reduction; provided, that the Borrower
shall not be obligated to compensate the Bank for any increased cost resulting
from the application of Regulation D as required by the definitions of Adjusted
Eurodollar Rate.  Any such obligation by
the Borrower to the Bank shall not be due and owing until the Bank has
delivered written notice to the Borrower. 
Failure by the Bank to provide such notice shall not be deemed a waiver
of any of its rights hereunder.  A
certificate of the Bank claiming compensation hereunder and setting forth the
additional amounts to be paid to it hereunder and the method by which such
amounts were calculated shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest error.


 


Indemnity


 


The Borrower shall indemnify the Bank against any
net loss or expense which the Bank may sustain or incur as a consequence of the
occurrence of any default hereunder or any loss or reasonable expense sustained
or incurred in liquidating or employing deposits from third parties acquired to
effect or maintain any Eurodollar Loan or
any part thereof which the Bank may sustain or incur as a consequence of any
default in payment of the principal amount of the Loan or any part thereof or
interest accrued thereon.  The Bank shall
provide to the Borrower a statement, supported where applicable by documentary
evidence, explaining the amount of any such loss or expense, which statement
shall be conclusive absent manifest error.


 


Change In Legality


 


(a)           Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
elsewhere in this Note, if any change after the date hereof in any law or
regulation or in the interpretation thereof by any governmental authority
charged with the administration thereof shall make it unlawful (based on the
opinion of any counsel, whether in-house, special or general, for the Bank) for
the Bank to make or maintain any 


 


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Eurodollar Loan or
to give effect to its obligations as contemplated hereby with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, then, by written notice to the Borrower by
the Bank, the Bank may require that all outstanding Eurodollar Loans
made hereunder be converted to Prime Loans, whereupon all such Eurodollar Loans shall be automatically converted to Prime
Loans as of the effective date of such notice as provided in paragraph (b) below.


 


(b)           For purposes of this Section, a notice to the
Borrower by the Bank pursuant to paragraph (a) above shall be effective,
if lawful and if any Eurodollar Loans shall
then be outstanding, on the last day of the then current Interest Period;
otherwise, such notice shall be effective on the date of receipt by the
Borrower.


 


Events of Default.


 


If the Borrower shall default in the punctual
payment of any sum payable with respect to, or in the observance or performance
of any of the terms and conditions of this Note, or any other agreement with or
in favor of the Bank, or if a default or event of default that is accelerated
shall occur for any reason under any such agreement, or in the event of default
in any other material indebtedness of the Borrower exceeding $25,000 in the
aggregate, or if any warranty, representation or statement of fact made in
writing to the Bank at any time by an officer, partner or other designated
representative of the Borrower is false or misleading in any material respect
when made, or the Borrower fails on request to furnish any financial
information or permit the inspection of its books or records, or if the
Borrower shall be dissolved or shall fail to maintain its existence in good
standing, or if the usual business of the Borrower shall be suspended or
terminated, or if any levy, execution, seizure, attachment or garnishment shall
be issued, made or filed on or against any material portion of the property of
the Borrower, or if the Borrower shall become insolvent (however defined or
evidenced), make an assignment for the benefit of creditors or make or send a
notice of intended bulk transfer, or if a committee of creditors is appointed
for, or any petition or proceeding for any relief under any bankruptcy,
reorganization, arrangement, insolvency, readjustment of debt, receivership,
liquidation or dissolution law or statute now or hereafter in affect (whether
at law or in equity) is filed or commenced by or against the Borrower or any
material portion of its property which, as to involuntary proceeding(s) are not
dismissed within thirty (30) days, or if any trustee or receiver is appointed
for the Borrower or any such property, or if a default or event of default
shall occur under the Guaranty or the Pledge Agreement, or if any provision of this
Note, the Guaranty or the Pledge Agreement shall, for any reason, cease to be
in full force and effect in accordance with its terms or the Borrower or the
Guarantor shall so assert in writing, or any of the foregoing events shall
occur with respect to the Guarantor or any other guarantor of the Borrower’s
obligations hereunder (each an “Event of Default”) - then and in any such
event, which non-monetary Events of Default continue unremedied for fifteen (15)
days (except for voluntary bankruptcy which is an automatic Event of Default
hereunder), in addition to all rights and remedies of the Bank under applicable
law and otherwise, all such rights and remedies cumulative, not exclusive and
enforceable alternatively, successively and concurrently, the Bank shall have
the right immediately to set off against this note and/or any liabilities of
the Borrower to the Bank all monies owed by the Bank in any capacity to the
Borrower, whether or not due, and the Bank shall be deemed to have exercised
such right to set off and to have made a charge against any such money
immediately upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing events of default even
though such charge is made or entered on the books of the Bank subsequent to
those events.  Further the Bank may, at
its option, declare any and all of the amounts owing under this Note to be due
and payable, whereupon the maturity of the then unpaid balance hereof shall be
accelerated and the same, together with all interest accrued hereon, shall
forthwith become due and payable.


 


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Definitions


 


A.            Adjusted Eurodollar Rate


 


“Adjusted Eurodollar Rate” shall mean, with respect
to any Eurodollar Loan for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum
(rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/8 of 1%) equal to (i) the
Eurodollar Rate in effect for such Interest Period and (ii) Statutory
Reserves.


 


“Eurodollar Rate” shall mean, with respect to any
Eurodollar Loan for any Interest Period, the rate (rounded upwards, if
necessary, to the next 1/8 of 1%) at which dollar deposits approximately equal
in principal amount to the Bank’s Eurodollar Loan and for the maturity equal to
the applicable Interest Period are offered by the Bank in immediately available
funds in an Interbank Market for Eurodollars at approximately 11:00 a.m.,
New York City time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such
Interest Period.


 


B.            Assessment Rate


 


“Assessment Rate” shall mean for any date the annual
rate (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next higher 1/100 of 1%) most
recently estimated by the Bank as the then current net annual assessment rate
that will be employed for determining amounts payable by the Bank to the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation (or any successor) for insurance by such
Corporation (or such successor) of time deposits made in dollars at the Bank’s
domestic offices.


 


C.            Business Day


 


“Business Day” shall mean any day other than a
Saturday, Sunday or other day on which the Bank is authorized or required by
law or regulation to close, and which is a day on which transactions in dollar
deposits are being carried out in London, England for Eurodollar Loans and New
York City for Prime Loans.


 


D.            Eurodollar Loan


 


“Eurodollar Loan” shall mean a Loan bearing interest
at the Eurodollar Rate plus 1.85%.


 


E.             Guarantor


 


“Guarantor” shall mean Hauppauge Digital, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation.


 


F.             Guaranty


 


“Guaranty”
shall mean the Guaranty, dated as of the date hereof, by the Guarantor wherein
the Guarantor guaranteed the obligations of the Borrower owing to the Bank, as
amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified, from time to time.


 


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G.            Interest Period


 


(i) For Eurodollar Loans, Interest Period shall
mean the period commencing on the date of such Loan and ending 1 month after
the date of such Loan (as selected by the Borrower and recorded on the Grid Schedule attached
hereto), provided that.   upon the expiration
of the first Interest Period and each Interest Period thereafter, each
Eurodollar Loan will be automatically continued with an Interest Period of the
same duration, unless the Borrower shall notify the Bank that it intends to
convert a Eurodollar Loan to a Prime Loan or if the Bank is prohibited from
making Eurodollar Loans, in accordance with provisions set forth in this Note.


 


(ii) For Prime Loans, Interest Period shall
mean the last day of each calendar month during the term hereof and on the date
on which an Prime Loan is converted to a Eurodollar Loan.


 


No Interest Period shall extend past the Maturity
Date.  In addition, if any Interest
Period would end on a day which shall not be a Business Day, such Interest
Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day.


 


H.            Prime Loan


 


“Prime Loan” shall mean a Loan bearing interest at
the Prime Rate.


 


I.              Pledge Agreement


 


“Pledge Agreement” shall mean the Share Pledge
Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, between the Guarantor and the Bank, as
amended, restated, supplemented or modified, from time to time.


 


J.             Statutory Reserves


 


“Statutory Reserves” shall mean a fraction
(expressed as a decimal, the numerator of which is the number one and the
denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum
reserve percentages (including, without limitation, any marginal, special
emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and any other banking authority
to which the Bank is subject for Eurocurrency Liabilities as defined in
Regulation D.  Eurodollar Loans shall be
deemed to constitute Eurocurrency Liabilities and as such shall be deemed to be
subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for
proration, exceptions or offsets which may be available from time to time to
the Bank under such Regulation D. 
Statutory Reserves shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the
effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.


 


Miscellaneous


 


The Borrower hereby gives to the Bank a lien on,
security interest in and right of set-off against all moneys, securities and
other property of the Borrower and the proceeds thereof, now or hereafter 


 


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delivered
to, remaining with or in transit in any manner to the Bank, its correspondents,
affiliates or its agents from or for the Borrower, whether for safekeeping,
custody, pledge, transmission, collection or otherwise or coming into
possession, control or custody of the Bank in any way, and also, any balance of
any deposit accounts and credits of the Borrower with, and any and all claims
of the Borrower against the Bank at any time existing, as collateral security
for the payment of this Note and of all other liabilities and obligations now
or hereafter owed by the Borrower to the Bank, contracted with or acquired by
the Bank, whether joint, several, absolute, contingent, secured, unsecured,
matured or unmatured (all of which are hereafter collectively called “Liabilities”),
hereby authorizing the Bank at any time or times, without prior notice, to
apply such balances, credits or claims, or any part thereof, to such
Liabilities in such amounts as it may select, whether contingent, unmatured or
otherwise and whether any collateral security therefor is deemed adequate or
not.  The collateral security described
herein shall be in addition to any collateral security described in any
separate agreement executed by the Borrower, including, without limitation, the
Pledge Agreement.


 


Notices


 


Any notices, requests and demand to or upon the
respective parties hereto to be effective shall be in writing (or by telex, fax
or similar electronic transfer confirmed in writing), and, unless otherwise
expressly provided herein, shall be deemed to have been duly given or made (a) when
delivered by hand or (b) if given by mail, on the third business day after
deposited in the mails by certified mail, return receipt requested, or (c) if
by telex, fax or similar electronic transfer, when sent and receipt has been
confirmed, addressed as follows:


 


(i)            if to the Bank to:


 


JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.


395 North Service Road, Suite 302


Melville, New York 10004-1699


Telephone #          (631) 755-5078


Fax #                       (631) 755-0137


Attention:              Christopher Jantzen, Vice President


 


(ii)           if to the Borrower to:


 


Hauppauge Computer Works, Inc.


91 Cabot Court


Hauppauge, NY 11788


Telephone #          (631) 434-1600


Fax #                       (631) 434-3198


Attention:              Gerald Tucciarone, Assistant Secretary


 


(iii)          As to each such party at such other address
as such party shall have designated to the other in a written notice comply
with the provisions hereof.


 


The Borrower hereby waives diligence, demand,
presentment, protest and notice of any kind, and assents to extensions of the
time of payment, release, surrender or substitution of security, or forbearance
or other indulgence, without notice.


 


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This Note may not be changed, modified or terminated
orally, but only by an agreement in writing signed by the party to be charged
and consented to in writing by the party hereof.


 


In the event the Bank or any holder hereof shall
refer this Note to an attorney for collection, the Borrower agrees to pay, in
addition to unpaid principal and interest, all the costs and expenses incurred
in attempting or effecting collection hereunder, including reasonable attorney’s
fees, whether or not suit is instituted.


 


In the event of any litigation with respect to this
Note, THE BORROWER WAIVES THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY
and all rights of setoff and rights to interpose counter-claims and
cross-claims.  The Borrower hereby
irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York
and of any Federal court located in such State in connection with any action or
proceeding arising out of or relating to this Note.  This Note shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contract
made and to be performed in such State, and shall be binding upon the successors
and assigns of the Borrower and inure to the benefit of the Bank, its
successors, endorsees and assigns.


 


If any term or provision of this Note shall be held
invalid, illegal or unenforceable the validity of all other terms and
provisions hereof shall in no way be affected thereby.


 


	
  DATED: December 1, 2005

  	
   

  	
  HAUPPAUGE COMPUTER WORKS, INC.

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
  By:

  	
  /s/ Gerald Tucciarone

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
  Name: Gerald Tucciarone

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
  Title: Assistant Secretary

  



 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT


 


	
  STATE OF NEW
  YORK

  	
  )

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
  )

  	
  SS:

  
	
  COUNTY OF NASSAU

  	
  )

  	
   

  



 


On
the 1st day of December in the year 2005 before me, the undersigned,
personally appeared Gerald Tucciarone, personally known to me or proved to me
on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the individual whose name is
subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged to me that he executed the
same in his capacity, and that by his signature on the instrument, the
individual, or the person upon behalf of which the individual acted, executed
the instrument.


 


 


	
   

  	
   

  	
  /s/ Fred S. Skolnik

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
  Notary Public

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
  [NOTARY STAMP]

  



 


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GRID SCHEDULE


 


	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  	
  APPLICABLE

  	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  	
  INTEREST

  	
   

  
	
  DATE

  	
   

  	
  TYPE

  	
   

  	
  INTEREST RATE

  	
   

  	
  AMOUNT

  	
   

  	
  PERIOD