Filed pursuant to rule 424(b)(3)

Registration No. 333-162794

 

PROSPECTUS

$250,000,000

 

 

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Warrants

Debt Securities

 

 

 

 

This prospectus provides you with a general description of securities that we may offer and sell from time to time. Each time we sell securities we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that sale and may add to or update the information in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in our securities.

 

The securities may be offered directly by us, through agents designated from time to time by us or to or through underwriters or dealers. If any agents, underwriters or dealers are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the sections entitled “About This Prospectus” and “How We Plan to Offer and Sell the Securities” for more information. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.

 

Our common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “ARTG.” The last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market on November 13, 2009 was $4.23 per share.

 

Investing in our securities involves various risks. In our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus, we identify and discuss risk factors that you should consider before investing in our securities.

 

 

 

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities, or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

 

 

The date of this prospectus is November 18, 2009.

 

Table of Contents

 

 

This document is called a “prospectus,” and it provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement containing specific information about the terms of the securities being offered. That prospectus supplement may include a discussion of any risk factors or other special considerations that apply to those securities. The prospectus supplement may also add to, update or change the information in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and in a prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in that prospectus supplement. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

We have filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the “SEC,” using a shelf registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer and sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings.

 

Our SEC registration statement containing this prospectus, including exhibits, provides additional information about us and the securities offered under this prospectus. The registration statement can be read at the SEC’s web site or at the SEC’s offices. The SEC’s web site and street address are provided under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

When acquiring securities, you should rely only on the information provided in this prospectus and in the related prospectus supplement, including any information incorporated by reference. No one is authorized to provide you with information different from that which is contained, or deemed to be contained, in the prospectus and related prospectus supplement. We are not offering the securities in any state where the offer is prohibited. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any document incorporated by reference is truthful or complete as of any date other than the date indicated on the cover page of the relevant document.

 

Unless otherwise stated or unless the context otherwise requires, all references to “we,” “us,” “our,” “our company” or “the Company” in this prospectus refer collectively to Art Technology Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries, and their respective predecessor entities for the applicable periods, considered as a single enterprise.

 

Prior to making an investment decision with respect to the securities that we may offer, prospective investors should carefully consider, in light of their particular investment objectives and financial circumstances, the specific factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in the applicable prospectus supplement pertaining thereto and in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC, as well as any amendments thereto reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC, and in any of our other filings with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. For more information, see “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”

 

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, contain forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider the various risk factors described above that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus from our SEC filings, which risk factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.

 

The following table presents our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated (dollar amounts in thousands).

 

 

 

 

Unless stated differently in a prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities that we may offer with this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement for general corporate purposes. General corporate purposes may include capital expenditures, acquisitions, investments, repurchase of our capital stock and any other purposes that we may specify in any prospectus supplement. We may invest the net proceeds temporarily until we use them for their stated purpose.

 

The following summary description of our common stock is based on the provisions of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, which we refer to as our certificate of incorporation or our charter, our amended and restated by-laws, which we refer to as our by-laws, and the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which we refer to as the DGCL. This description may not contain all of the information that is important to you and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our certificate of incorporation, our by-laws and the applicable provisions of the DGCL. For information on how to obtain copies of our certificate of incorporation and by-laws, see “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

We may offer common stock. We may also offer common stock issuable upon the conversion of debt securities or preferred stock or the exercise of warrants.

 

Authorized and Outstanding Capital Stock

 

Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value, of which 500,000 shares are designated Series A junior participating preferred stock. As of October 30, 2009, we had 126,956,626 shares of common stock outstanding and no shares of preferred stock outstanding. All outstanding shares of our common stock are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

Common Stock

 

Voting Rights.  The holders of our common stock have one vote per share. Holders of our common stock are not entitled to vote cumulatively for the election of directors. Generally, all matters to be voted on by stockholders must be approved by a majority, or, in the case of the election of directors, by a plurality, of the votes cast at a meeting at which a quorum is present, voting together as a single class, subject to any voting rights granted to holders of any then outstanding preferred stock.

 

Dividends.  Holders of common stock will share ratably in any dividends declared by our board of directors, subject to the preferential rights of any preferred stock then outstanding. We may pay dividends consisting of shares of common stock to holders of shares of common stock.

 

Other Rights.  Upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our company, all holders of common stock are entitled to share ratably in any assets available for distribution to holders of shares of common stock, subject to the preferential rights of any preferred stock then outstanding. No shares of common stock are subject to redemption or have preemptive rights to purchase additional shares of common stock.

 

Rights Plan

 

In September 2001, we adopted a rights plan. Under the rights plan, we distributed one preferred stock purchase right, which we refer to as a right, as a dividend on each outstanding share of our common stock. The rights will expire on September 26, 2011 unless they are redeemed or exchanged before that time. Each right entitles the holder to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of our Series A junior participating preferred stock at a purchase price of $15.00 per right, subject to adjustment.

 

The rights are exercisable only upon the occurrence of certain events, which we refer to as triggering events, including the acquisition by a person or group of beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the then-outstanding shares of our common stock or the commencement of a tender or exchange offer by any person or group that would result in that person or group owning 15% or more of the then-outstanding shares of our common stock. If any person or group becomes the beneficial owner of 15% or more of the shares of our common stock, except in a tender or exchange offer for all shares at a fair price as determined by the outside members of our board of directors, each right not owned by the 15% stockholder will entitle its holder to purchase that number of shares of our common stock which equals the exercise price of the right divided by one-half of the market price of our common stock at the date of the occurrence of the triggering event. In addition, under certain circumstances following a triggering event, if we are involved in a merger or other business combination transaction with another entity in which we are not the surviving corporation or in which our common stock is changed or converted, or if we sell or transfer 50% or more

of our assets or earning power to another entity, each right will entitle its holder to purchase a number of shares of common stock of the other entity that equals the exercise price of the right divided by one-half of the market price of that common stock at the date of the occurrence of the triggering event. We generally will be entitled to redeem the rights at $.001 per right at any time until the tenth business day following public announcement that a 15% stock position has been acquired and in specified other circumstances.

 

The rights have anti-takeover effects. They may cause substantial dilution to a person or entity attempting to acquire us on terms not approved by our board of directors, except under the terms of an offer conditioned on a substantial number of rights being acquired. The rights should not interfere with any merger or other business combination approved by the board, since we may redeem the rights at $.001 per right.

 

Preferred Stock

 

Our certificate of incorporation provides that we may issue shares of preferred stock from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors is authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors may, without stockholder approval, issue preferred stock with voting and other rights, including preferred stock or rights to acquire preferred stock in connection with implementing a shareholder rights plan, that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of our common stock and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of our company or the removal of existing management. Our board of directors has designated 500,000 shares of preferred stock as our Series A junior participating preferred stock.

 

Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws That May Have Anti-Takeover Effects

 

Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and by-laws described below, as well as the ability of our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock and to set the voting rights, preferences and other terms thereof, may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect and may discourage takeover attempts not first approved by our board of directors, including takeovers that stockholders may believe to be in their best interests.

 

These provisions also could have the effect of discouraging open market purchases of our common stock because these provisions may be considered disadvantageous by a stockholder who desires subsequent to such purchases to participate in a business combination transaction with us or to elect a new director to our board.

 

Business Combinations.  We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes mergers, asset sales and other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to specified exceptions, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years did own, 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock.

 

Classified Board.  Our charter divides our board of directors into three classes with staggered three-year terms. In addition, our charter provides that directors may be removed only for cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds of our shares of capital stock entitled to vote. Under our charter, any vacancy on the board, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of the board, may only be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors then in office. The classification of the board and the limitations on the removal of directors and filling of vacancies could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from acquiring, control of the company. Our charter and by-laws require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the shares of our capital stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote to amend or repeal any of the provisions described in this paragraph.

 

Limitation of Liability; Indemnification.  Our charter contains provisions permitted under Delaware corporate law relating to the liability of directors. These provisions eliminate a director’s liability for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty, except in circumstances involving wrongful acts, such as the breach of a director’s

duty of loyalty or acts or omissions that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law. This limitation on liability does not alter the liability of our directors and officers under federal securities laws. Furthermore, our charter contains provisions to indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware corporate law. These provisions do not limit or eliminate our right or the right of any stockholder to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission in the event of a breach by a director or an officer of the duty of care to us. We believe that these provisions assist us in attracting and retaining qualified individuals to serve as directors.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be provided to our directors or officers, or persons controlling our company as described above, we have been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

Stockholder Action; Special Meeting of Stockholders.  Our charter provides that any action required or permitted to be taken by our stockholders may be taken only at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be taken by written action in lieu of a meeting. In addition, our charter provides that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the chairman of our board of directors, our president or a majority vote of our board of directors. Under our by-laws, in order for any matter to be considered properly brought before a meeting, a stockholder must comply with advance notice requirements. These provisions have the effect of limiting holders of less than a majority of our voting securities from calling a special meeting of stockholders. They also could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting actions that are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities. These provisions may also discourage a third party from making a tender offer for our common stock, because even if it acquired a majority of our outstanding voting securities, the third party would be able to take action as a stockholder (such as electing new directors or approving a merger) only at a duly called stockholders’ meeting, and not by written consent. Our charter and by-laws require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the shares of our capital stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote to amend or repeal any of the provisions described in this paragraph.

 

Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations.  Our by-laws provide that nominations for election to our board of directors may be made either by the board or by a stockholder who complies with specified notice provisions. Our by-laws contain similar advance notice provisions for stockholder proposals for action at stockholder meetings. These provisions prevent stockholders from making nominations for directors and stockholder proposals from the floor at any stockholder meeting and require that any stockholder making a nomination or stockholder proposal submit the name of the nominee or the text of the stockholder proposal, together with specified information about the nominee or the stockholder proposal, prior to the meeting at which directors are to be elected or action is to be taken. These provisions ensure that stockholders have adequate time to consider nominations and proposals before action is required, and they may also have the effect of delaying stockholder action. Our by-laws require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of our outstanding voting securities to amend or repeal these provisions.

 

NASDAQ Global Market Listing

 

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the trading symbol “ARTG.”

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

 

This section outlines some of the provisions of the preferred stock we may offer. This description may not contain all of the information that is important to you and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our certificate of incorporation, by-laws and the applicable provisions of the DGCL. The specific terms of any series of preferred stock will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Any series of preferred stock we issue will be governed by our certificate of incorporation (as amended and in effect as of the date of such issuance) and by

the certificate of amendment or certificate of designation related to that series. We will file the certificate of amendment or certificate of designation with the SEC and incorporate it by reference as an exhibit to our registration statement at or before the time we issue any preferred stock of that series of authorized preferred stock.

 

Authorized Preferred Stock

 

We have authorized 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value, of which 500,000 shares are designated Series A junior participating preferred stock. No shares of our preferred stock are outstanding.

 

The prospectus supplement relating to any series of preferred stock that we may offer will contain the specific terms of the preferred stock.

 

This section outlines some of the provisions of each warrant agreement pursuant to which warrants may be issued, the warrants or rights of warrant holders, and any warrant certificates. This description may not contain all of the information that is important to you and is qualified in its entirety by reference to any warrant agreement with respect to the warrants of any particular series. The specific terms of any series of warrants will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If so described in the prospectus supplement, the terms of that series of warrants may differ from the general description of terms presented below.

 

We may issue warrants. We may issue these securities in such amounts or in as many distinct series as we wish. This section summarizes the terms of these securities that apply generally. Most of the financial and other specific terms of any such series of securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Those terms may vary from the terms described here.

 

When we refer to a series of securities in this section, we mean all securities issued as part of the same series under any applicable indenture, agreement or other instrument. When we refer to the applicable prospectus supplement, we mean the prospectus supplement describing the specific terms of the security you purchase. The terms used in the applicable prospectus supplement generally will have the meanings described in this prospectus, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Warrants

 

We may issue warrants, options or similar instruments for the purchase of our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities. We refer to these collectively as “warrants.” Warrants may be issued independently or together with common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, and may be attached to or separate from those securities.

 

Agreements

 

Each series of warrants may be evidenced by certificates and may be issued under a separate indenture, agreement or other instrument to be entered into between us and a bank, trust company or other institution that we select as agent with respect to such series. The warrant agent will act as our agent in connection with the warrant agreement or any warrant certificates and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any warrant holders. Copies of the forms of agreements and the forms of certificates representing the warrants will be filed with the SEC near the date of filing of the applicable prospectus supplement with the SEC. Because the following is a summary of certain provisions of the forms of agreements and certificates, it does not contain all information that may be important to you. You should read all the provisions of the agreements and the certificates once they are available.

 

No warrant agreement will be qualified as an indenture, and no warrant agent will be required to qualify as a trustee, under the Trust Indenture Act. Therefore, holders of warrants issued under warrant agreements will not have the protections of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to their warrants.

 

General Terms of Warrants

 

The prospectus supplement relating to a series of warrants will identify the name and address of the warrant agent, if any. The prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the series of warrants in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, including:

 

 

Warrant certificates may be exchanged for new certificates of different denominations and may be presented for transfer of registration and, if exercisable for other securities or other property, may be exercised at the warrant agent’s corporate trust office or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement. If the warrants are not separately transferable from any securities with which they were issued, an exchange may take place only if the certificates representing the related securities are also exchanged. Prior to exercise of any warrant exercisable for other securities or other property, warrant holders will not have any rights as holders of the underlying securities, including the right to receive any principal, premium, interest, dividends, or payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise any voting rights.

 

Modification Without Consent.  We and the applicable warrant agent may amend any warrant or warrant agreement without the consent of any holder:

 

 

We do not need any approval to make changes that affect only warrants to be issued after the changes take effect. We may also make changes that do not adversely affect a particular warrant in any material respect, even if they adversely affect other warrants in a material respect. In those cases, we do not need to obtain the approval of the holder of the unaffected warrant; we need only obtain any required approvals from the holders of the affected warrants.

 

Modification With Consent.  We and any agent for any series of warrants may also amend any agreement and the related warrants by a supplemental agreement with the consent of the holders of a majority of the warrants of any series affected by such amendment. However, no such amendment that:

 

 

This section outlines some of the provisions of the debt securities we may issue and the indenture and supplemental indentures pursuant to which they may be issued. This description may not contain all of the information that is important to you and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of indenture and the applicable supplemental indenture with respect to the debt securities of any particular series. The specific terms of any series of debt securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If so described in a particular supplement, the specific terms of any series of debt securities may differ from the general description of terms presented below.

 

We may issue secured or unsecured debt securities. Our debt securities will be issued under an indenture to be entered into between us and a trustee to be designated by us, a form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Our debt securities may be convertible into our common stock or other of our securities.

 

When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the prospectus supplement whether the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from this summary description, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.

 

Unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. The holders of our debt securities will be structurally subordinated to holders of any indebtedness (including trade payables) of any of our subsidiaries.

 

In the event that any series of debt securities will be subordinated to other indebtedness that we have outstanding or may incur, the terms of the subordination will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities.

 

We have described select portions of the indenture below. This description may not contain all of the information that is important to you. The form of indenture has been included as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to the section numbers of the indenture so that you can easily locate these provisions.

 

General

 

The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a resolution of our board of directors, in an officers’ certificate or by a supplemental indenture. (Section 2.02)

 

We may issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. When we offer a particular series of debt securities, we will identify the title of the debt securities, the trustee or trustees (to which we refer in this description collectively as the trustee), and the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities we are offering, and we will describe the following terms of the debt securities, if applicable:

 

 

 

 

We will provide you with information on the material United States federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any series of debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

The indenture does not limit our ability to issue convertible or subordinated debt securities. Any conversion or subordination provisions of a particular series of debt securities will be set forth in the resolution of our board of directors, the officers’ certificate or supplemental indenture related to that series of debt securities and will be described in the relevant prospectus supplement.

 

We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture.

 

One or more series of debt securities may be sold at a discount to their stated principal amount or may bear no interest or interest at a rate which at the time of issuance is below market rates. One or more series of debt securities may be variable rate debt securities that may be exchanged for fixed rate debt securities.

 

Debt securities may be issued where the amount of principal and/or interest payable is determined by reference to one or more currency exchange rates, commodity prices, commodity indices, stock exchange indices, financial indices, equity indices or other factors. Holders of such securities may receive a principal amount or a payment of interest that is greater than or less than the amount of principal or interest otherwise payable on such dates, depending upon the value of the applicable currencies, commodities, commodity indices, stock exchange indices, financial indices, equity indices or other factors. Information as to the methods for determining the amount of principal or interest, if any, payable on any date, the currencies, commodities, commodity indices, stock exchange indices, financial indices, equity indices or other factors to which the amount payable on such date is linked and certain additional United States federal income tax considerations will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and interest on any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general United States federal tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

When we determine to issue debt securities, we will instruct the trustee to authenticate for issuance such debt securities in a principal amount that we will provide in a resolution of our board of directors, in an officers’ certificate or by a supplemental indenture. Our instructions may authorize the trustee to authenticate and deliver such debt securities upon our oral instructions or the oral instructions of our authorized agent or agents. (Section 2.03)

 

Transfer and Exchange

 

We expect most debt securities to be issued in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof. Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities deposited with and registered in the name of a depositary to be designated by us in the applicable prospectus supplement, or a nominee (we refer to any debt security represented by a global security as a “book-entry debt security”), or by a certificate issued in definitive registered or bearer form (we refer to any fully registered debt security represented by a certificate as a “registered certificated debt security”), as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth under the heading “Global Securities” below, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.

 

You may transfer or exchange registered certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of

registered certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange. (Section 2.07)

 

You may effect the transfer of registered certificated debt securities, and the right to receive the principal of and interest on those registered certificated debt securities, only by surrendering the certificate representing those registered certificated debt securities and the issuance by us or the trustee of a certificate to the new holder. (Section 2.07)

 

Global Securities

 

The debt securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depositary (the “depositary”) identified in the prospectus supplement. Global securities will be issued to the depositary in registered certificated form and in either temporary or definitive form. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual debt securities, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary for such global security to a nominee of such depositary or by a nominee of such depositary to such depositary or another nominee of such depositary or by such depositary or any such nominee to a successor of such depositary or a nominee of such successor. The specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any debt securities of a series and the rights of and limitations upon owners of beneficial interests in a global security will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. (Section 2.14)

 

No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control or a Highly Leveraged Transaction

 

Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) that could adversely affect holders of debt securities.

 

Covenants

 

We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to the particular debt securities being issued.

 

Subordination

 

Debt securities of a series may be subordinated, which we refer to as subordinated debt securities, to senior indebtedness (as will be defined in the applicable prospectus supplement) to the extent set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets

 

We may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or sell, lease, transfer, convey, or otherwise dispose of or assign all or substantially all of our properties and assets to, any entity or enter into a plan of liquidation unless:

 

 

Notwithstanding the above, any of our subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties and assets to us or any of our other subsidiaries. (Section 5.01)

Events of Default

 

An “event of default” means, with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:

 

 

No event of default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an event of default with respect to any other series of debt securities. The occurrence of certain events of default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute a default under certain of our other indebtedness outstanding from time to time, as may be provided in the terms governing that other indebtedness.

 

If an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. In the case of an event of default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. (Section 6.02)

 

At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree based on the acceleration has been obtained, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all events of default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived (and certain other conditions have been satisfied) as provided in the indenture. (Section 6.02) We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an event of default.

 

The indenture provides that the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives reasonable security or indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, expense or liability. (Section 7.02(f)) Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series. (Section 6.05)

No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or such debt securities for any remedy under the indenture, unless the trustee for such debt securities:

 

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment. (Section 6.07)

 

The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee an officers’ certificate as to compliance with the indenture. (Section 4.04) The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any default (except in payment of the principal of or interest on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if it in good faith determines that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities. (Section 7.05)

 

Modification and Waiver

 

Generally, we may amend the indenture with the consent of, and our compliance with provisions of the indenture may be waved by, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the amendment or waiver. However, we may not make any or amendment without the consent of, and our compliance with provisions of the indenture requires the waiver of, each holder of the affected debt securities if that amendment or waiver would:

 

 

In addition, the indenture permits us and the trustee to make certain routine amendments to the indenture without the consent of any holder of debt securities. (Section 9.01)

Discharge

 

Our obligations under the indenture will be discharged as to a series of debt securities when all of the debt securities of that series have been delivered to the trustee for cancellation or, alternatively, when the following conditions are met:

 

 

Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance

 

The indenture provides that, upon the satisfaction of certain conditions specified in the indenture:

 

 

The conditions to the legal defeasance or covenant defeasance of a series of debt securities as described above include:

 

 

 

Regarding the Trustee

 

The indenture provides that, except during the continuance of an event of default or any event, act or condition that, after notice or the passage of time or both, would be an event of default, the trustee will perform only such duties as are specifically set forth in the indenture. During the continuance of an event of default or any event, act or condition that, after notice or the passage of time or both, would be an event of default, the trustee will exercise such rights and powers vested in it under the indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs. (Section 7.01)

 

The indenture and provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are incorporated by reference in the indenture contain limitations on the rights of the trustee, should it become one of our creditors, to obtain payment of claims in certain cases or to realize on certain property received by it in respect of any such claim as security or otherwise. The trustee is permitted to engage in other transactions with us or any of our affiliates; provided, however, that if it acquires any conflicting interest (as defined in the indenture or in the Trust Indenture Act), it must eliminate such conflict or resign. (Section 7.10)

 

Governing Law

 

The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York. (Section 10.05)

 

We may sell the securities in any one or more of the following ways:

 

 

Any underwritten offering may be on a best efforts or a firm commitment basis. We may also make direct sales through subscription rights distributed to our stockholders on a pro rata basis, which may or may not be transferable. In any distribution of subscription rights to stockholders, if all of the underlying securities are not subscribed for, we may then sell the unsubscribed securities directly to third parties or may engage the services of one or more underwriters, dealers or agents, including standby underwriters, to sell the unsubscribed securities to third parties.

The distribution of the securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions:

 

 

Any of the prices may represent a discount from the prevailing market prices.

 

In the sale of the securities, underwriters or agents may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of the securities, for whom they may act as agents, in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters under the Securities Act of 1933, and any discounts or commissions they receive from us and any profit on the resale of securities they realize may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act of 1933. The applicable prospectus supplement will, where applicable:

 

 

Unless otherwise specified in the related prospectus supplement, each series of securities will be a new issue with no established trading market, other than the common stock, which is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market. Common stock sold pursuant to a prospectus supplement will be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, subject to The Nasdaq Global Market’s approval of the listing of the additional shares. We may elect to list other securities on an exchange, but we are not obligated to do so. It is possible that one or more underwriters may make a market in a series of securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. Therefore, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of, or the trading market for, any series of securities.

 

Until the distribution of the securities is completed, rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission may limit the ability of any underwriters and selling group members to bid for and purchase the securities. As an exception to these rules, underwriters are permitted to engage in some transactions that stabilize the price of the securities. Such transactions consist of bids or purchases for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the securities.

 

If any underwriters create a short position in the securities in an offering in which they sell more securities than are set forth on the cover page of the applicable prospectus supplement, the underwriters may reduce that short position by purchasing the securities in the open market.

 

The lead underwriters may also impose a penalty bid on other underwriters and selling group members participating in an offering. This means that if the lead underwriters purchase securities in the open market to reduce the underwriters’ short position or to stabilize the price of the securities, they may reclaim the amount of any selling concession from the underwriters and selling group members who sold those securities as part of the offering.

 

In general, purchases of a security for the purpose of stabilization or to reduce a short position could cause the price of the security to be higher than it might be in the absence of such purchases. The imposition of a penalty bid might also have an effect on the price of a security to the extent that it discourages resales of the security before the distribution is completed.

We do not make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above might have on the price of the securities. In addition, we do not make any representation that underwriters will engage in such transactions or that such transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

 

Under agreements into which we may enter, underwriters, dealers and agents who participate in the distribution of the securities may be entitled to indemnification by us against some liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution from us with respect to such liabilities.

 

Underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, perform services for us or be our customers in the ordinary course of business.

 

If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as our agents to solicit offers by particular institutions to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in such prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date or dates stated in such prospectus supplement. Each delayed delivery contract will be for an amount no less than, and the aggregate principal amounts of securities sold under delayed delivery contracts shall be not less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Institutions with which such contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and others, but will in all cases be subject to our approval. The obligations of any purchaser under any such contract will be subject to the conditions that (a) the purchase of the securities shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction in the United States to which the purchaser is subject, and (b) if the securities are being sold to underwriters, we shall have sold to the underwriters the total principal amount of the securities less the principal amount thereof covered by the contracts. The underwriters and such other agents will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of such contracts.

 

To comply with applicable state securities laws, the securities offered by this prospectus will be sold, if necessary, in such jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, securities may not be sold in some states unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission allows us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus, except for any information that is superseded by information that is included directly in this prospectus or incorporated by reference subsequent to the date of this prospectus. We do not incorporate the contents of our website into this prospectus. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below that we have previously filed with the SEC. They contain important information about us and our financial condition. The following documents are incorporated by reference into this prospectus:

 

 

 

 

 

In addition, we incorporate by reference all documents that we may file with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, on or after (1) the date of the initial registration statement and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement and (2) the date of effectiveness of the registration statement until the date on which this registration statement has been withdrawn. These documents will become a part of this prospectus from the date that the documents are filed with the SEC. These documents include periodic reports, such as annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, excluding any information filed or furnished pursuant to Item 2.02, Item 7.01 or Item 9.01 and excluding any information furnished pursuant to Item 8.01 of any current report on Form 8-K solely for purposes of satisfying the requirements of Regulation FD under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary.

 

Upon oral or written request and at no cost to the requester, we will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference in this prospectus but not delivered with this prospectus. You may request copies of these filings, at no cost, by writing to or calling our Investor Relations department at Art Technology Group, Inc., One Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, telephone (617) 386-1000.

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the SEC under the Securities Act. This prospectus does not contain all of the information contained in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should read the prospectus and the exhibits filed with the registration statement, as well as all prospectus supplements.

 

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and we are required to file reports and proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy these reports, proxy statements and information at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains a web site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants, including Art Technology Group, Inc., that file electronically with the SEC. You may access the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

The consolidated financial statements of Art Technology Group, Inc. appearing in Art Technology Group, Inc.’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2008 and the effectiveness of Art Technology Group, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008 have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements and Art Technology Group, Inc. management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008 are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

The legality of the securities offered hereby have been passed upon for us by Foley Hoag llp.