9710049 UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA In the Matter of AUTODESK, INC., a corporation and COMMISSIONERS: Docket No. C-3756 DECISION AND ORDER The Federal Trade Commission ("Commission"), having initiated an investigation of the proposed merger of Autodesk, Inc. ("Autodesk"), and Softdesk, Inc. ("Softdesk"), and it now appearing that Autodesk and Softdesk, hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "Respondents," are willing to enter into an agreement containing an order to refrain from certain acts and providing for other relief, and Respondents having been furnished with a copy of a draft complaint that the Bureau of Competition has presented to the Commission for its consideration and which, if issued by the Commission, would charge Respondents with violations of the Clayton Act and Federal Trade Commission Act; and The Respondents, their attorneys, and counsel for the Commission having thereafter executed an agreement containing a consent order, an admission by Respondents of all the jurisdictional facts set forth in the aforesaid draft of complaint, a statement that the signing of said agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by Respondents that the law has been violated as alleged in such complaint, and waivers and other provisions as required by the Commission's Rules; and The Commission, having thereafter considered the matter and having determined that it had reason to believe that the Respondents have violated the said Acts, and that a complaint should issue stating its charges in that respect, and having thereupon accepted the executed consent agreement and placed such agreement on the public record for a period of sixty (60) days, now in further conformity with the procedure prescribed in § 2.34 of its Rules, makes the following jurisdictional findings and enters the following order: 1. Respondent Autodesk, Inc., is a corporation organized, existing, and doing business under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware, with its office and principal place of business located at 111 McInnis Parkway, San Rafael, California, 94903. 2. Respondent Softdesk, Inc., is a corporation organized, existing, and doing business under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware, with its office and principal place of business located at 7 Liberty Hill Road, Henniker, New Hampshire, 03242. 3. The Federal Trade Commission has jurisdiction of the subject matter of this proceeding and of the Respondents, and the proceeding is in the public interest. Order I. IT IS ORDERED that, as used in this Order, the following definitions shall apply:
II. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Respondents shall take no action to interfere with the ability of Boomerang to recruit or employ Respondents' employees whose primary responsibility at Respondents was the development and/or programming of the IntelliCADD Products. III. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, for a period of ten (10) years from the date this Order becomes final, Respondents shall not, without prior notification to the Commission, directly or indirectly, through subsidiaries, partnerships, or otherwise:
IV. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the prior notification required by Paragraph III of this Order shall be given on the Notification and Report Form set forth in the Appendix to Part 803 of Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations as amended (hereinafter referred to as "the Notification"), and shall be prepared and transmitted in accordance with the requirements of that part, except that no filing fee will be required for any such notification, notification shall be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, notification need not be made to the United States Department of Justice, and notification is required only of Respondents and not of any other party to the transaction. Respondents shall provide the Notification to the Commission at least thirty (30) days prior to consummating any such transaction (hereinafter referred to as the "first waiting period"). If, within the first waiting period, representatives of the Commission make a written request for additional information, Respondents shall not consummate the transaction until twenty (20) days after substantially complying with such request for additional information. Early termination of the waiting periods in this paragraph may be requested and, where appropriate, granted by letter from the Bureau of Competition. Provided, however, that prior notification shall not be required by Paragraph III of this Order for a transaction for which notification is required to be made, and has been made, pursuant to Section 7A of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18a. V. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that one (1) year from the date this Order becomes final, annually for the next nine (9) years on the anniversary of the date this Order becomes final, and at other times as the Commission may require, Respondents shall file a verified written report with the Commission setting forth in detail the manner and form in which they have complied and are complying with Paragraphs II and III of this Order. VI. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, for the purpose of determining or securing compliance with this Order, and subject to any legally recognized privilege, upon written request and reasonable notice, Respondents shall permit any duly authorized representative of the Commission:
VII. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Respondents shall notify the Commission at least thirty (30) days prior to any proposed change in the corporate Respondents such as dissolution, assignment, sale resulting in the emergence of a successor corporation, or the creation or dissolution of subsidiaries or any other change in the corporations that may affect compliance obligations arising out of this Order. VIII. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Order shall terminate on June 18, 2007. By the Commission. INTERIM AGREEMENT This Interim Agreement is by and between Autodesk, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware ("Autodesk"), Softdesk, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware ("Softdesk"), and the Federal Trade Commission, an independent agency of the United States Government, established under the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914, 15 U.S.C. § 41, et seq. (the "Commission"). PREMISES WHEREAS, Autodesk has proposed to acquire all of the voting securities of Softdesk pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization by and among Autodesk, Inc., Autodesk Acquisition Corporation and Softdesk, Inc., dated December 10, 1996 ("the proposed Acquisition"); WHEREAS, the Commission is now investigating the proposed Acquisition to determine if it would violate any of the statutes the Commission enforces; and WHEREAS, if the Commission accepts the Agreement Containing Consent Order ("Consent Agreement"), the Commission will place it on the public record for a period of at least sixty (60) days and subsequently may either withdraw such acceptance or issue and serve its Complaint and decision in disposition of the proceeding pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.34 of the Commission's Rules; and WHEREAS, the Commission is concerned that if an understanding is not reached during the period prior to the final issuance of the Consent Agreement by the Commission (after the 60-day public notice period), there may be interim competitive harm; and WHEREAS, the entering into this Interim Agreement by Autodesk and Softdesk shall in no way be construed as an admission by Autodesk and Softdesk that the proposed Acquisition constitutes a violation of any statute; and WHEREAS, Autodesk and Softdesk understand that no act or transaction contemplated by this Interim Agreement shall be deemed immune or exempt from the provisions of the antitrust laws or the Federal Trade Commission Act by reason of anything contained in this Interim Agreement. NOW, THEREFORE, Autodesk and Softdesk agree, upon the understanding that the Commission has not yet determined whether the proposed Acquisition will be challenged, and in consideration of the Commission's agreement that, at the time it accepts the Consent Agreement for public comment, it will grant early termination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period, as follows: 1. Autodesk and Softdesk agree to execute the Consent Agreement and be bound by the terms of the Order contained in the Consent Agreement, as if it were final, from the date Autodesk and Softdesk sign the Consent Agreement. 2. Autodesk and Softdesk agree that, from the date Autodesk and Softdesk sign the Consent Agreement until the first of the dates listed in subparagraphs 2.a. and 2.b., they will comply with the provisions of this Interim Agreement:
3. Autodesk and Softdesk waive all rights to contest the validity of this Interim Agreement. 4. For the purpose of determining or securing compliance with this Interim Agreement, subject to any legally recognized privilege, and upon written request, and on reasonable notice, Autodesk and Softdesk shall permit any duly authorized representative or representatives of the Commission:
5. This Interim Agreement shall not be binding until accepted by the Commission. Dated: |