R. G. Barry Corporation and The Bank of New York Mellon,

Exhibit 4.1

R. G. Barry Corporation

and

The Bank of New York Mellon,

as Rights Agent

RIGHTS AGREEMENT

Dated as of May 1, 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS

				Page
Section 1.		Certain Definitions			1
Section 2.		Appointment of Rights Agent			5
Section 3.		Issuance of Rights Certificates			5
Section 4.		Form of Rights Certificates			7
Section 5.		Countersignature and Registration			8
Section 6.		Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates			8
Section 7.		Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights			9
Section 8.		Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates			11
Section 9.		Reservation and Availability of Capital Shares			11
Section 10.		Preferred Share Record Date			13
Section 11.		Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of Rights			13
Section 12.		Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares			20
Section 13.		Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets, Cash Flow or Earning Power			21
Section 14.		Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares			23
Section 15.		Exchange of Rights			24
Section 16.		Rights of Action			25
Section 17.		Agreement of Rights Holders			25
Section 18.		Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder			26
Section 19.		Concerning the Rights Agent			26
Section 20.		Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent			27
Section 21.		Duties of Rights Agent			27
Section 22.		Change of Rights Agent			30

				Page
Section 23.		Issuance of New Rights Certificates			30
Section 24.		Redemption and Termination			31
Section 25.		Notice of Certain Events			32
Section 26.		Notices			32
Section 27.		Supplements and Amendments			33
Section 28.		Successors			34
Section 29.		Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc			34
Section 30.		Benefits of this Agreement			34
Section 31.		Severability			34
Section 32.		Governing Law			35
Section 33.		Counterparts			35
Section 34.		Descriptive Headings			35
Section 35.		Force Majeure			35

RIGHTS AGREEMENT

     This Rights Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2009 (the “Agreement”), is entered into between R. G. Barry Corporation, an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), and The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York banking corporation (the “Rights Agent”).

Witnesseth:

     Whereas, on May 1, 2009 (the “Rights Dividend Declaration Date”), the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) authorized and declared a dividend distribution of one Right (as hereinafter defined) for each common share, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company (the “Common Shares”) outstanding at the Close of Business on May 15, 2009 (the “Record Date”) and has authorized the issuance of one Right (as such number may hereinafter be adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(p) hereof) for each Common Share issued between the Record Date (whether originally issued or delivered from the Company’s treasury) and the Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined), each Right initially representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth of a share of Series II Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares (the “Preferred Shares”) of the Company having the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the form of Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth (the “Rights”);

     Now, Therefore, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:

     Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:

          (a) “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, other than in connection with any transfer by reason of the death of, or gift from, any Person (including succeeding any such Person as trustee), but shall not include (i) the Company, (ii) any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, (iv) any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan, (v) any Person who becomes the Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding as a result of a reduction in the number of Common Shares outstanding due to the repurchase of Common Shares by the Company unless and until such Person, after becoming aware that such Person has become the Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the then outstanding Common Shares, acquires beneficial ownership of additional Common Shares representing one percent (1%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding; provided, however, that if the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this subsection (a) has become such inadvertently, and such Person promptly (and in any event within ten (10) Business Days after being so requested by the Company) certifies to the Company that such Person acquired Common Shares causing such Person to become an Acquiring Person inadvertently or without knowledge of the terms of the Rights and who, together with all Affiliates and Associates, thereafter does not acquire

additional Common Shares while the Beneficial Owner of fifteen percent (15%) or more of the Common Shares then outstanding; provided further, that if the Person requested to so certify fails to do so within ten (10) Business Days, then such Person shall become an Acquiring Person immediately after such ten (10) Business Day period.

          (b) “Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and in effect on the date of this Agreement.

          (c) “Affiliate” and “Associate” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and in effect on the date of this Agreement (the “Exchange Act”).

          (d) A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and shall be deemed to “beneficially own,” any securities:

          (i) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” (A) securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange, (B) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as hereinafter defined), or (C) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of a Triggering Event which Rights were acquired by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates prior to the Distribution Date (as hereinafter defined) or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 23 hereof (the “Original Rights”) or pursuant to Section 11(i) hereof in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any Original Rights;

          (ii) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or has “beneficial ownership” of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any security under this subparagraph (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable provisions of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, and (B) is not reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D or Schedule 13G under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or

          (iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which such Person (or any of such

Person’s Affiliates or Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph (d)) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company, provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (d) shall cause a Person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any securities acquired through such Person’s participation in good faith in a firm commitment underwriting until the expiration of forty (40) days after the date of such acquisition, and then only if such securities continue to be owned by such Person at the expiration of forty (40) days.

          (e) “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the States of New York, New Jersey or Ohio are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

          (f) “Close of Business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the next succeeding Business Day.

          (g) “Common Shares” shall mean the common shares, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company, except that “Common Shares” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock of such Person with the greatest voting power, or the equity securities or other equity interest having power to control or direct the management, of such Person.

          (h) “Common Share Equivalents” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

          (i) “Current Market Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.

          (j) “Current Value” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

          (k) “Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

          (l) “Equivalent Preferred Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(b) hereof.

          (m) “Exchange Act” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1(a) hereof.

          (n) “Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.

          (o) “Final Expiration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.

          (p) “Flip-In Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii).

          (q) “Flip-In Trigger Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

          (r) “Flip-Over Event” shall mean any event described in clauses (x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.

          (s) “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust or other entity.

          (t) “Preferred Shares” shall mean the Series II Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company, and, to the extent that there are not a sufficient number of Series II Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares authorized to permit the full exercise of the Rights, any other series of Class A Preferred Shares, par value $1.00 per share, or Class B Preferred Shares, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company designated for such purpose containing terms substantially similar to the terms of the Series II Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares.

          (u) “Principal Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13(b) hereof.

          (v) “Purchase Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(b) hereof.

          (w) “Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.

          (x) “Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.

          (y) “Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.

          (z) “Rights Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the parties clause at the beginning of this Agreement.

          (aa) “Rights Certificate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

          (bb) “Rights Dividend Declaration Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS clause at the beginning of this Agreement.

          (cc) “Spread” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

          (dd) “Share Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed or amended pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.

          (ee) “Subsidiary” shall mean, with reference to any Person, any corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to elect at least a majority of the directors of such

corporation is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or otherwise controlled by such Person.

          (ff) “Substitution Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

          (gg) “Summary of Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b) hereof.

          (hh) “Trading Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d)(i) hereof.

          (ii) “Triggering Event” shall mean any Flip-In Event or any Flip-Over Event.

     Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may from time to time appoint such co-rights agents as it may deem necessary or desirable upon ten (10) days’ prior written notice to the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and shall in no event be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-rights agent.

     Section 3. Issuance of Rights Certificates.

          (a) Until the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day after the Share Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth Business Day after the Share Acquisition Date occurs before the Record Date, the Close of Business on the Record Date), or (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day (or such later date as the Board shall determine) after the date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Person or entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published or sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon consummation thereof, such Person would become an Acquiring Person (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the “Distribution Date”), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by the certificates for the Common Shares registered in the names of the holders of the Common Shares (or, in the case of uncertificated Common Shares, by the book-entry account that evidences record ownership of such shares) and not by separate certificates (the certificates for Common Shares being deemed also to be certificates for Rights), and (y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying Common Shares (including a transfer to the Company). The Company shall give the Rights Agent prompt written notice of the Distribution Date. Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Distribution Date has not occurred. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested and provided with all necessary information, send), at the expense of the Company, by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder of the Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company or the transfer agent or

registrar for the Common Shares, one or more rights certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the “Rights Certificates”), evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per Common Share has been made pursuant to Section 11(p) hereof, at the time of distribution of the Rights Certificates, the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates, and the Rights will be transferable only separately from the transfer of the Common Shares.

          (b) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the Company will make available a copy of a Summary of Rights, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Summary of Rights”), to any holder of Rights who may so request from time to time prior to the Expiration Date. With respect to certificates for the Common Shares outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates for the Common Shares and the registered holders of the Common Shares shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights. Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (as such term is defined in Section 7(a) hereof), the transfer of any certificates representing Common Shares in respect of which Rights have been issued shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such Common Shares.

           (c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all Common Shares which are issued (whether originally issued or from the Company’s treasury) after the Record Date but prior to the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date. Certificates representing such Common Shares shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights, and shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in the Rights Agreement between R. G. Barry Corporation (the “Company”) and The Bank of New York Mellon, as the Rights Agent, dated as of May 1, 2009 (the “Rights Agreement”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal offices of the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. The Company will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement, as in effect on the date of mailing, without charge within five days after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), whether currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by any subsequent holder, may become null and void.

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or (ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone and registered holders of Common Shares shall also be the registered holders of the associated Rights, and the transfer of any of such certificates shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates.

     Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.

          (a) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate (but which do not affect the rights, immunities, duties or responsibilities of the Rights Agent) and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. The Rights Certificates shall be in a machine printable format and in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Rights Agent. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and Section 23 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed, shall be dated as of the Record Date, shall show the date of countersignature and on their face shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the price set forth therein (such exercise price per one one-hundredth of a share, the “Purchase Price”), but the amount and type of securities purchasable upon the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

          (b) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3(a), Section 11(i), or Section 23 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by: (i) an Acquiring Person or any Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom such Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) which has as a primary purpose or effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain (to the extent feasible) a legend in substantially the following form:

The Rights represented by this Rights Certificate are or were beneficially owned by a Person who was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this Rights Certificate and the Rights represented hereby may become

null and void in the circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of the Rights Agreement.

The Company shall instruct the Rights Agent in writing of the Rights which should be so legended and shall supply the Rights Agent with such legended Rights Certificates.

     Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.

          (a) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or any Vice President, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall be attested to by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually, or by facsimile signature. The Rights Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Rights Certificates may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such person was not such an officer.

          (b) Following the Distribution Date, upon receipt by the Rights Agent of notice to that effect and all other relevant information referred to in Section 3(a), the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its office or offices designated for such purpose, books for registration and transfer of the Rights Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Rights Certificates and the date of each of the Rights Certificates.

     Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights Certificates.

          (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate(s) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate(s), entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or, following a Triggering Event, Common Shares, other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as the Rights Certificate(s) surrendered then entitles such holder (or former holder in the case of a transfer) to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate(s) shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate(s) to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose. The Right Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any

such surrendered Rights Certificate until the registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and duly signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate, (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby and the Affiliates and Associates of such Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request and (iii) paid a sum sufficient to cover any tax or charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Rights Certificates as required by Section 9(e) hereof. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14 hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested, registered in such name or names as may be designated by the surrendering registered holder. The Rights Agent shall promptly forward any such sum collected by it to the Company or to such Persons as the Company shall specify by written notice. The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation to take any action under any section of this Agreement which requires the payment by a Rights holder of applicable taxes and/or charges unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.

          (b) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security satisfactory to them, and reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Rights Certificate if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for countersignature and delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

     Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.

          (a) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, at any time after the Distribution Date, the registered holder of any Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein including, without limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth in Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 24(a) hereof) in whole or in part upon surrender of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate on the reverse side thereof properly completed and duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase Price with respect to the total number of one one-hundredths of a share (or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable, at or prior to the earlier of (i) 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on May 1, 2014, or such later date as may be established by the Board prior to the expiration of the Rights (such date, as it may be extended by the Board (the “Final Expiration Date”), or (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 24 hereof (the earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the “Expiration Date”).

          (b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth (1/100) of a Preferred Share pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (c) below.

          (c) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the certificate duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect to each Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price per one one-hundredth (1/100) of a Preferred Share (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) to be purchased as set forth below and an amount equal to any applicable tax or charge required to be paid under Section 9(e) hereof, the Rights Agent shall, subject to Section 21(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for such shares) certificates for the total number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number of Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent) and the Company will direct the depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, requisition from the Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, after receipt thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Rights Certificate. The payment of the Purchase Price and any applicable tax or charge (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) shall be made by certified check, cashier’s check, bank draft or money order payable to the order of the Company. In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other securities (including Common Shares) of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company will make all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash and/or other property are available for distribution by the Rights Agent, if and when appropriate. The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event that, upon any exercise of Rights, a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole Preferred Shares would be issued.

          (d) If the registered holder of any Rights Certificate exercises less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and delivered to, or upon the order of, the registered holder of such Rights Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.

          (e) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, from and after the first occurrence of a Flip-In Event, any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such, or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity interests in such Acquiring Person or to any

Person with whom the Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) which has as a primary purpose or effect the avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and void without any further action and no holder of such Rights shall have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or any other Person as a result of its failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.

          (f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and duly signed the certificate contained in the form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby and of the Affiliates and Associates of such Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.

     Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights Certificates. All Rights Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.

     Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Shares.

          (a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares, the number of Preferred Shares that, as provided in this Agreement including Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.

          (b) So long as the Preferred Shares (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other securities) issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national securities exchange, the Company shall use its best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, all shares reserved for such issuance to be listed on such exchange upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.

          (c) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon as practicable following the earliest date after the first occurrence of a Flip-In Event on which the consideration to be delivered by the Company upon exercise of the Rights has been determined in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, a registration statement under the Act with respect to the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration statement to remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities, and (B) the date of the expiration of the Rights. The Company will also take such action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with, the securities or “blue sky” laws of the various states in connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file such registration statement and permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension has been rescinded, in each case with simultaneous written notice, which notice shall include a copy of such announcement, to the Rights Agent. In addition, if the Company shall determine that a registration statement is required following the Distribution Date, the Company may temporarily suspend the exercisability of the Rights until such time as a registration statement has been declared effective. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction if the requisite qualification in such jurisdiction shall not have been obtained, the exercise thereof shall not be permitted under applicable law or a registration statement shall not have been declared effective. The Rights Agent may assume that any Right exercised is permitted to be exercised under applicable law and shall have no liability for acting in reliance upon such assumption.

          (d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Shares and/or other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable.

          (e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Rights Certificates and of any certificates for a number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of a number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) in respect of a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Rights Certificates evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates for a number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) in a name other than that of the registered holder upon the exercise of any Rights until such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Rights Certificate at the time of

surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s or the Rights Agent’s satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.

     Section 10. Preferred Share Record Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate for a number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (or Common Share and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such fractional Preferred Share (or Common Share and/or other securities, as the case may be) represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and all applicable taxes or charges) was duly made; provided, however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares (fractional or otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Shares (or Common Shares and/or other securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Rights Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a shareholder of the Company with respect to shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.

     Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and kind of shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.

     (a) (i) If the Company at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declares a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivides the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combines the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of shares, or (D) issues any of its capital shares in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a) and Section 7(e) hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of Preferred Shares or capital stock, as the case may be, issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price then in effect, the aggregate number and kind of Preferred Shares or shares of capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification. If an event occurs which would require an adjustment under both this Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to, and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

          (ii) If any Person, alone or together with its Affiliates or Associates, shall, at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date, become an Acquiring Person, unless the event causing such Person to become an Acquiring Person is a transaction set forth in Section 13(a) hereof (a “Flip-In Event”), then, promptly following the occurrence of any such Flip-In Event, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in lieu of a number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share, such number of Common Shares as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the then number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Flip-In Event, and (y) dividing that product (which, following such first occurrence, shall thereafter be referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the Current Market Price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Common Share on the date of such first occurrence (such number of shares, the “Adjustment Shares”).

          No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 hereof that represents Rights Beneficially Owned by an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof or any Associate or Affiliate or nominee thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate; and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be null and void pursuant to pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate shall be cancelled. The Company shall give the Rights Agent written notice of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing, and the Rights Agent may rely on such notice in carrying out its duties under this Agreement and shall be deemed not to have any knowledge of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing unless and until it shall have received such notice.

          (iii) If the number of shares of Common Shares which are authorized by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation but which are not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than upon exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall (A) determine the value of the Adjustment Shares issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Current Value”), and (B) with respect to each Right (subject to Section 7(e) hereof), make adequate provision to substitute for the Adjustment Shares, upon the exercise of a Right and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3) Common Shares or other equity securities of the Company (including, without limitation, preferred shares or units of preferred shares, such as the Preferred Shares, which the Board has deemed to have essentially the same value or economic rights as Common Shares (such preferred shares being referred to as “Common Share Equivalents”)), (4) debt securities of the Company,

(5) other assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having an aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less the amount of any reduction in the Purchase Price), where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected by the Board; provided, however, that if the Company shall not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the later of (x) the first occurrence of a Flip-In Event and (y) the date on which the Company’s right of redemption pursuant to Section 24(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to herein as the “Flip-In Trigger Date”), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price, Common Shares (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the term “Spread” shall mean the excess of (i) the Current Value over (ii) the Purchase Price. If the Board determines in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional Common Shares could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the Flip-In Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may be extended, being the “Substitution Period”). To the extent that action is to be taken pursuant to the first and/or third sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (1) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (2) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek such shareholder approval for such authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to determine the value thereof. In the event of any such suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent), as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent). For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the per share or per unit value shall be the Current Market Price per Common Share on the Flip-In Trigger Date and the value of any Common Share Equivalent shall be deemed to equal the current market price per Common Share on such date.

          (b) If the Company fixes a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) Preferred Shares (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares (“Equivalent Preferred Shares”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or Equivalent Preferred Shares at a price per Preferred Share or per Equivalent Preferred Share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares or Equivalent Preferred Shares) less than the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Preferred Share on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date, plus the number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares and/or Equivalent Preferred Shares so to be offered (and/or the

aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such Current Market Price, and the denominator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or Equivalent Preferred Shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible). In case such subscription price may be paid by delivery of consideration, part or all of which may be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights. Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such rights or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

          (c) If the Company fixes a record date for a distribution to all holders of Preferred Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of indebtedness, cash (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of the earnings or retained earnings of the Company), assets (other than a dividend payable in Preferred Shares, but including any dividend payable in shares other than Preferred Shares) or evidences of indebtedness, or of subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Preferred Shares on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent) of the portion of the cash, assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be such Current Market Price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per Preferred Share. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed, and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

          (d) (i) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the “Current Market Price” per Common Share on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per Common Share for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to such date, and for purposes of computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the Current Market Price per Common Share on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per Common Share for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately following such date; provided, however, that in the event that the Current Market Price per Common Share is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Common Share of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Common Share payable in Common Shares or securities convertible into Common Shares (other than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Common Share, and the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification shall not

have occurred prior to the commencement of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10) Trading Day period, as set forth above, then, and in each such case, the Current Market Price shall be properly adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading. The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading, or if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market or, if on any such date the Common Shares are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Common Shares selected by the Board. If on any such date no market maker is making a market in the Common Shares, the fair value of such shares on such date as determined in good faith by the Board shall be used. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Common Shares are not publicly held or not so listed or traded, Current Market Price per share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.

          (ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the Current Market Price per Preferred Share shall be determined in the same manner as set forth above for the Common Shares in clause (i) of this Section 11(d) (other than the last sentence thereof). If the Current Market Price per Preferred Share cannot be determined in the manner provided above or if the Preferred Shares are not publicly held or listed or traded in a manner described in clause (i) of this Section 11(d), the Current Market Price per Preferred Share shall be conclusively deemed to be an amount equal to one hundred (100) (as such number may be appropriately adjusted for such events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Shares occurring after the date of this Agreement) multiplied by the Current Market Price per Common Share. If neither the Common Shares nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, Current Market Price per Preferred Share shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes. For all purposes of this Agreement, the Current Market Price of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share shall be equal to the Current Market Price of one Preferred Share divided by one hundred (100).

          (e) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made

to the nearest cent or to the nearest ten-thousandth of a Common Share or other share or one-millionth of a Preferred Share, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three (3) years from the date of the transaction which mandates such adjustment, or (ii) the Expiration Date.

          (f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any capital shares other than Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Shares contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

          (g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

          (h) Unless the Company has exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one-millionth) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one one-hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.

          (i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of any adjustment in the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one-millionth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a public announcement (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than but not including the date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates

evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and delivered by the Company, and countersigned and delivered by the Rights Agent, in the manner provided for herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.

          (j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per one one-hundredth of a share and the number of one one-hundredth of a share which were expressed in the initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.

          (k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any, of the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share at such adjusted Purchase Price.

          (l) In any case in which this Section 11 requires that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) until the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share and other capital shares or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share and other capital shares or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares (fractional or otherwise) or securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

          (m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that in their good faith judgment the Board shall determine to be advisable in order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the Current Market Price, (iii) issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, (iv) Preferred Share dividends or (v) issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in this Section 11, hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such shareholders.

          (n) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (iii) sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer), in one transaction, or a series of related transactions, assets, cash flow or earning power aggregating more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time of or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale there are any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities outstanding or agreements in effect which would substantially diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale, the shareholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute, the “Principal Party” for purposes of Section 13(a) hereof shall have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates.

          (o) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 24 or Section 27 hereof, take (or permit any Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

          (p) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that the Company shall at any time after the Rights Dividend Declaration Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare a dividend on the outstanding Common Shares payable in Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of shares, the number of Rights associated with each Common Share then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with each Common Share following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each Common Share immediately prior to such event by a fraction the numerator which shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total number of Common Shares outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.

     Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made or any event affecting the Rights or their exercisability (including without limitation an event which causes the Rights to become null and void) occurs as provided in Section 11 and Section 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment or describing such event, and a brief, reasonably detailed statement of the facts, computations and methodology accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent for the Preferred Shares and the Common Shares, a copy of such certificate and (c) if a Distribution Date has occurred, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate in accordance with Section 26 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment or statement therein contained and shall have no duty or liability with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of, such adjustment or event unless and until it shall have received such certificate.

     Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets, Cash Flow or Earning Power.

          (a) If, following the Share Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for shares or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, assets, cash flow or earning power aggregating more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets, cash flow or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), then, and in each such case (except as may be contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof), proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, non-assessable and freely tradeable Common Shares of the Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Flip-Over Event (or, if a Flip-In Event has occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Flip-Over Event, multiplying the number of such one one-hundredths of a share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Flip-In Event by the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such first occurrence), and dividing that product (which, following the first occurrence of a Flip-Over Event, shall be referred to as the “Purchase Price” for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by (2) fifty percent (50%) of the Current Market Price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) per Common Share of such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Flip-Over Event; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Flip-Over Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term “Company” shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 hereof shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Flip-Over Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares) in connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to its Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the first occurrence of any Flip-Over Event.

          (b) “Principal Party” shall mean:

          (i) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or (y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the issuer of any securities into which Common Shares of the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party to such merger or consolidation; and

          (ii) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party receiving the greatest portion of the assets, cash flow or earning power transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions; provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Shares of such Person are not at such time and have not been continuously over the preceding twelve (12) month period registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Shares of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to such other Person; and (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common Shares of two or more of which are and have been so registered, “Principal Party” shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the issuer of the Common Shares having the greatest aggregate market value.

          (c) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a sufficient number of authorized shares of its Common Shares which have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13 and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing that, as soon as practicable after the date of any consolidation, merger or sale of assets mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Section 13, the Principal Party will:

          (i) prepare and file a registration statement under the Act, with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the requirements of the Act) until the Expiration Date;

          (ii) take all such other action as may be necessary to enable the Principal Party to issue the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights, including but not limited to the registration or qualification of such securities under all requisite securities laws of jurisdictions of the various states and the listing of such securities on such exchanges and trading markets as may be necessary or appropriate; and

          (iii) will deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates which comply in all respects with the requirements for registration on Form 10 under the Exchange Act.

          (d) In no event shall the Rights Agent have any liability in respect of any such Principal Party transactions, including, without limitation, the propriety thereof. The Rights Agent may rely and be fully protected in relying upon a certificate of the Company stating that the provisions of this Section 13 have been fulfilled. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the prior written consent of the Rights Agent must be obtained in connection with any supplemental agreement which alters the rights, immunities, duties and obligations of the Rights Agent.

          (e) In case the Principal Party which is to be a party to a transaction referred to in this Section 13 has provision in any of its authorized securities or in its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws or other instrument governing its corporate affairs, which provision would have the effect of (i) causing such Principal Party to issue, in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of a transaction referred to in this Section 13, shares of Common Shares of such Principal Party at less than the then Current Market Price per share (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) or securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Common Shares of such Principal Party at less than such then Current Market Price (other than to holders of Rights pursuant to this Section 13) or (ii) providing for any special payment, tax or similar provisions in connection with the issuance of the Common Shares of such Principal Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 13; then, in such event, the Company shall not consummate any such transaction unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement providing that the provision in question of such Principal Party shall have been cancelled, waived or amended, or that the authorized securities shall be redeemed, so that the applicable provision will have no effect in connection with, or as a consequence of, the consummation of the proposed transaction.

          (f) The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. In the event that a Flip-Over Event shall occur at any time after the occurrence of a Flip-In Event, the Rights which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).

     Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

          (a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in Section 11(p) hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price of the Rights for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market or, if the Rights are not listed or

admitted to trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading, or if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board shall be used.

          (b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share). In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share. For purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share shall be one one-hundredth of the closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

          (c) Following the occurrence of a Triggering Event, the Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares. In lieu of fractional Common Shares, the Company may pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one (1) Common Share. For purposes of this Section 14(c), the current market value of one Common Share shall be the closing price of one (1) Common Share (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

          (d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right, except as permitted by this Section 14.

          (e) Whenever a payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares is to be made by the Rights Agent, the Company shall (i) promptly prepare and deliver to the Rights Agent a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the facts related to such payments and the prices and/or formulas utilized in calculating such payments, and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights Agent in the form of fully collected funds to make such payments. The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying upon such a certificate and shall have no duty with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares under any Section of this Agreement relating to the payment of fractional Rights or fractional shares unless and until the Rights Agent shall have received such a certificate and sufficient monies.

     Section 15. Exchange of Rights. At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option,

exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group which will have become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one Common Share, or one one-hundredth (1/100) of a Preferred Share (or of a share of a class or series of the Company’s preferred stock having equivalent rights, preferences and privileges), per Right (subject to adjustment). If the Board authorizes such an exchange, the Rights will immediately terminate and the only right of the holders of such Rights will be to receive the exchange shares.

     Section 16. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 19 and Section 21 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in his own behalf and for his own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach by the Company of this Agreement and shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations by the Company of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to this Agreement.

     Section 17. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:

          (a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares;

          (b) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates fully executed;

          (c) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Share certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Rights Certificates or the associated Common Share certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent, subject to the last sentence of Section 7(e) hereof, shall be required to be affected by any notice to the contrary; and

          (d) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person

as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, judgment, decree or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use its best efforts to have any such order, judgment, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.

     Section 18. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Shareholder. No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.

     Section 19. Concerning the Rights Agent.

          (a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent such compensation as shall be agreed in writing from time to time by the Company and the Rights Agent for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and disbursements and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, negotiation, delivery, amendment, administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any and all loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, demand, settlement, cost, claim or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent (which gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction), for any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance, exercise, performance and administration of its duties under this Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises. The costs and expenses incurred in enforcing this right or indemnification shall be paid by the Company. The provisions of this Section 19(a) shall survive the exercise or expiration of the Rights, the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent and the termination of this Agreement.

          (b) The Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with its acceptance and administration of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate for Common Shares or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement,

instruction, opinion, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, to be verified or acknowledged by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 21 hereof. The Rights Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any event of which it was supposed to receive notice thereof hereunder, and the Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability for failing to take action in connection therewith unless and until it has received such notice.

     Section 20. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.

          (a) Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust or stock transfer or other shareholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided, however, that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 22 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.

          (b) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.

     Section 21. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes to perform only the duties and obligations expressly imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Rights Agent, by all of which the Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:

          (a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel of its selection (who may be legal counsel for the Company or an employee of the Rights Agent), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in accordance with such advice or opinion.

          (b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of Current Market Price) be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.

          (c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (which gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith must be determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction). Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage. Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Rights Agreement will be limited to the amount of annual fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent hereunder

          (d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Rights Certificates or be required to verify the same (except as to its countersignature on such Rights Certificates), but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.

          (e) The Rights Agent shall not have any liability for or be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Rights Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof) or any change or adjustment in the terms of the Rights required under the provisions of Section 3, Section 11, Section 13 or Section 24 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such change or adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after actual notice pursuant to Section 12, upon which the Rights Agent may rely, of any such adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Common Shares or Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Rights Certificate or as to whether any Common Shares or Preferred Shares will, when so issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable; nor shall the Rights Agent be responsible for the legality of the terms hereof in its capacity as an administrative agent.

          (f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.

          (g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and such instructions shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. The Rights Agent shall be fully authorized and protected in relying upon the most recent instructions received from any such officer. Any application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent under this Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or suffered or such omission shall be effective. The Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by, or omission of, the Rights Agent in accordance with a proposal included in such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than three Business Days after but not including the date any officer of the Company actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to any earlier date) unless prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the Rights Agent shall have received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken, suffered or omitted.

          (h) The Rights Agent and any shareholder, affiliate, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though the Rights Agent were not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent or any such shareholder, affiliate, director, officer or employee from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.

          (i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself (through its directors, officers and employees) or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company or any other Person resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, absent gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith in the selection and continued employment thereof (which gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith must be determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction).

          (j) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if it reasonably believes that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

          (k) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has either not been completed or indicates an affirmative response to clause (1) and/or (2) thereof, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.

          (l) The Company agrees to give the Rights Agent prompt written notice of any event or ownership which would prohibit the exercise or transfer of the Rights Certificates.

     Section 22. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares known to the Rights Agent, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares and Preferred Shares, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the Rights Agent or any registered holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be (a) a Person organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of any State thereof, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust, stock transfer or shareholder services powers and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 or (b) an affiliate of a Person described in clause (a) of this sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, immunities, duties and obligations as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares and the Preferred Shares, and, if such appointment occurs after the Distribution Date, mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 22, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

     Section 23. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of

shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Shares following the Distribution Date and prior to the redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall, with respect to Common Shares so issued or sold pursuant to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or arrangement, granted or awarded as of the Distribution Date, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities hereinafter issued by the Company, and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board, issue Rights Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii) no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in lieu of the issuance thereof.

     Section 24. Redemption and Termination.

          (a) The Board may, at its option, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day following the Share Acquisition Date (or, if the Share Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the Record Date, the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day following the Record Date), or (ii) the Final Expiration Date, redeem all but not less than all of the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, as such amount may be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable after the first occurrence of a Flip-In Event until such time as the Company’s right of redemption hereunder has expired. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, Common Shares (based on the Current Market Price, as defined in Section 11(d)(i) hereof, of the Common Shares at the time of redemption) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board.

          (b) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed with the Rights Agent and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held. Promptly after the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by mailing such notice to all such holders at each holder’s last address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.

          (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 24(a) hereof, in the event that a majority of the Board is elected by shareholder action by written consent, or is comprised of persons elected at a meeting of shareholders who were not nominated or recommended by the

Board in office immediately prior to such meeting, then for a period of one hundred and eighty (180) days following the effectiveness of such election the Rights shall not be redeemed if such redemption is reasonably likely to have the purpose or effect of allowing any Person to become an Acquiring Person or otherwise facilitating the occurrence of a Triggering Event or a transaction with an Acquiring Person.

     Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.

          (a) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in shares of any class to the holders of Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or retained earnings of the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of any class or any other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of more than fifty percent (50%) of the assets, cash flow or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights Certificate and to the Rights Agent, to the extent feasible and in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Shares, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Shares whichever shall be the earlier.

          (b) If any Flip-In Event shall occur, then (i) the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to the Rights Agent and, to the extent feasible, to each holder of a Rights Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in the preceding paragraph to Preferred Shares shall be deemed thereafter to refer to Common Shares and/or, if appropriate, other securities.

     Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:

R. G. Barry Corporation
13405 Yarmouth Road, N.W.
Pickerington, Ohio 43147
Attention: Corporate Secretary

Subject to the provisions of Section 22, any notice or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Rights Agent with the Company) as follows:

The Bank of New York Mellon
c/o Mellon Investor Services LLC
BNY Mellon Shareowner Services
300 Galleria Parkway — Suite 1020
Atlanta, Georgia 30339
Attention: Relationship Manager

with a copy to:

Mellon Investor Services LLC
Newport Office Center VII
480 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, New Jersey 07310
Attention: General Counsel

Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the holder of certificates representing Common Shares) shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.

     Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Prior to the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement without the approval of any holders of certificates representing Common Shares. From and after the Distribution Date, the Company and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Rights Certificates in order (i) to cure any ambiguity, (ii) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or (iv) to change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights Certificates (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); provided, from and after the Distribution Date, this Agreement may not be supplemented or amended to lengthen pursuant to clause (iii) of this sentence any time period hereunder, unless such lengthening is for the purpose of protecting, enhancing or clarifying the rights of, and/or the benefits to, the holders of Rights, any such supplement or amendment to be evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent. Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate officer of the

Company, which states that the proposed supplement or amendment, is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27, the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, the Rights Agent’s consent must be obtained regarding any amendment or supplement which alters the Rights Agent’s rights, immunities, duties and obligations under this Agreement, and the Rights Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such amendment or supplement. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, this Agreement may not be amended at a time when the Rights are not redeemable. Prior to the Distribution Date, the interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident with the interests of the holders of Common Shares.

     Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

     Section 29. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors, etc. For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common Shares outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act. The Board shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend the Agreement). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties, and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of the Rights. The Rights Agent is entitled always to assume the Company’s Board acted in good faith and shall be fully protected and incur no liability in reliance thereon.

     Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered holders of the Common Shares).

     Section 31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority to be

invalid, void or unenforceable and the Board determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in Section 24 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not expire until the Close of Business on the tenth day following the date of such determination by the Board; provided further, however, that if such excluded provision shall affect the rights, immunities, duties and obligations of the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall be entitled to resign immediately.

     Section 32. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Ohio and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State; provided, however, that all provisions regarding the rights, immunities, duties and obligations of the Rights Agent shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made to be performed entirely within such State.

     Section 33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by facsimile and electronic transmission and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

     Section 34. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

     Section 35. Force Majeure. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any delays or failures in performance resulting from acts beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of God, terrorist acts, shortage of supply, breakdowns or malfunctions, interruptions or malfunctions of computer facilities, or loss of data due to power failures or mechanical difficulties with information storage or retrieval systems, labor difficulties, war or civil unrest.

[Remainder of page intentionally blank. Signatures follow.]

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Rights Agreement to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.

Attest:						R. G. BARRY CORPORATION
By: Name:		/s/ Jose Ibarra   Jose Ibarra				By: Name:		/s/ Greg Tunney   Greg Tunney
Title:		Senior Vice President-Finance				Title:		President and
		Chief Financial Officer and Secretary						Chief Executive Officer
Attest:						THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Rights Agent
By:		/s/ Rita A. Swartz				By:		/s/ Mitzi Brinkman
Name:		Rita A. Swartz				Name:		Mitzi Brinkman
Title:		Relationship Manager				Title:		Relationship Manager

Exhibit A

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
TO THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF
R. G. BARRY CORPORATION AUTHORIZING THE
SERIES II JUNIOR PARTICIPATING CLASS A PREFERRED SHARES

     RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors by Article FOURTH, Section II of the Articles of Incorporation of R. G. Barry Corporation (the “Company”), Article FOURTH of the Articles of Incorporation of the Company be, and the same hereby is, amended to add a new Article FOURTH, Section X to fix the division of 225,000 shares of the existing authorized and unissued Class A Preferred Shares, par value $1.00 per share, into a series designated as “Series II Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares” the express terms of which are as follows:

     X. Series II Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares.

     A. Designation of Series. The series shall be designated “Series II Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares,” par value $1.00 per share (hereinafter called “Series II Class A Preferred Shares”).

     B. Number of Shares. The authorized number of shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares is 225,000, which number the Board of Directors may increase or decrease to the extent appropriate in connection with the terms under which such Series II Class A Preferred Shares (or options or rights related thereto) are issued; provided, that no decrease shall reduce the number of Series II Class A Preferred Shares to a number less than that of the shares then outstanding plus the number of shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding rights, options or warrants or upon conversion of outstanding securities issued by the Company.

     C. Dividend Payment Dates. The dates on which dividends on shares of the Series II Class A Preferred Shares shall be payable are the fifteenth day of March, June, September and December of each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series II Class A Preferred Shares.

     D. Dividend Rate. The dividend rate for the Series II Class A Preferred Shares shall be, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, one hundred (100) times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions (other than a dividend payable in Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise)), declared on the Common Shares, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series II Class A Preferred Shares. In the event the Company shall at any time after May 1, 2009 (i) declare or pay any dividend on its Common Shares payable in Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case, the amount to which holders of shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares were entitled immediately prior to such event under this Paragraph shall be adjusted by multiplying

such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

     Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any preferred shares ranking prior and superior to the Series II Class A Preferred Shares with respect to dividends, the Company shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series II Class A Preferred Shares as provided in the immediately preceding subparagraph after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Shares (other than a dividend payable in Common Shares); provided that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Shares during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $0.50 per share on the Series II Class A Preferred Shares shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

     E. Cumulative Dates. Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such Series II Class A Preferred Shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the Series II Class A Preferred Shares in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 45 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

     F. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares shall have the voting rights set forth in Article FOURTH of the Articles of Incorporation and as may otherwise be required by law.

     G. Reacquired Shares. Any Series II Class A Preferred Shares purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued Class A Preferred Shares and may be reissued as part of a new series of Class A Preferred Shares to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

     H. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.

          (1) Upon any liquidation (voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Company, no distribution shall be made to the holders of shares ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series II Class A Preferred

Shares unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares shall have received $100 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the “Series II Class A Liquidation Preference”). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series II Class A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made to the holders of shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares unless, prior thereto, the holders of (Common Shares shall have received an amount per share (the “Common Adjustment”) equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Series II Class A Liquidation Preference by (ii) one hundred (100) (as appropriately adjusted as set forth in subparagraph 3 below to reflect such events as stock splits, stock dividends and recapitalizations with respect to the Common Shares) (such number in clause (ii), the “Adjustment Number”). Following the payment of the full amount of the Series II Class A Liquidation Preference and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares and Common Shares, respectively, holders of Series II Class A Preferred Shares and holders of Common Shares shall receive their ratable and proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of the Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to such Series II Class A Preferred Shares and Common Shares, on a per share basis, respectively.

          (2) In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Series II Class A Liquidation Preference and the liquidation preferences of all other series of preferred stock, if any, which rank on a parity with the Series II Class A Preferred Shares, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of Common Shares.

          (3) In the event the Company shall at any time after May 1, 2009 (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment Number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

     I. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Company shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Shares are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to one hundred (100) times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each Common Share is changed or exchanged. In the event the Company shall at any time after May 1, 2009 (i) declare any dividend on Common Shares payable in Common Shares, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Shares, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding

sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

     J. No Redemption. The Series II Class A Preferred Shares shall not be redeemable.

     K. Ranking. The Series II Class A Preferred Shares shall rank junior to all other series of the Company’s Class A or Class B Preferred Shares as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.

     L. Amendment. So long as any Series II Class A Preferred Shares are outstanding, the Articles of Incorporation of the Company shall not be further amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series II Class A Preferred Shares so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority or more of the outstanding shares of Series II Class A Preferred Shares, voting separately as a class.

     M. Fractional Shares. Series II Class A Preferred Shares may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series II Class A Preferred Shares.

Exhibit B

[Form of Rights Certificate]

Certificate No. R-                     Rights

NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER MAY 1, 2014 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED BY THE COMPANY, THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, AT THE OPTION OF THE COMPANY, AT $.01 PER RIGHT ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH AGREEMENT.](1)

Rights Certificate

R. G. BARRY CORPORATION

     This certifies that                                                             , or                                                              registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated as of                     , 2009, (the “Rights Agreement”), between R. G. Barry Corporation, an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), and The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York banking corporation (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (New York City time) on                     , 2014 at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or its successors as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid, non-assessable Series II Junior Participating Class A Preferred Share (the “Preferred Shares”) of the Company, at a purchase price of $25.00 per one one-hundredth of a share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of shares which may be purchased upon exercise thereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price per share set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of                     , 2009, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. The Company reserves the right to require prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) that a number of Rights be exercised so that only whole Preferred Shares will be issued.

     Upon the occurrence of a Flip-In Event (as such term is defined in the Rights Agreement), if the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or (iii) under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, a transferee of a person who, after such transfer, became an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person, such Rights shall become null and void and no holder hereof shall have any right with respect to such Rights from and after the occurrence of such Flip-In Event.

     As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number and kind of Preferred Shares or other securities, which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events, including Triggering Events.

     This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Rights Certificates, which limitations of rights include the temporary suspension of the exercisability of such Rights under the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement. Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the above-mentioned office of the Rights Agent and are also available upon written request to the Rights Agent.

     This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights Certificates, upon surrender at the office or offices of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, may be exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of one-tenths of a Preferred Share as the Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.

     Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the Company at its option at a redemption price of $.0l per Right at any time prior to the earlier of the Close of Business on (i) the tenth Business Day following the Share Acquisition Date (as such time period may be extended pursuant to the Rights Agreement), and (ii) the Final Expiration Date. The foregoing notwithstanding, the Rights generally may not be redeemed for one hundred eighty (180) days following a change in a majority of the Board as a result of a proxy contest.

     No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than, except as set forth in the Rights Agreement, fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.

     No holder of this Rights Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to shareholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or, to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting shareholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.

     This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.

     WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal.

Dated as of                           , 2009

ATTEST: R. G. BARRY CORPORATION

						By:
Secretary						Title:
Countersigned:
[BANK]
By:
		Authorized Signatory
Date of Countersignature:

[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

(To be executed by the registered holder if such holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)

FOR VALUE RECEIVED

hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto

(Please print name and address of transferee)

this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint                                          Attorney, to transfer the within Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.

Dated:                                         , 20     

                                                                                   
Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

     Signatures must be guaranteed by a participant in the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program, the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Medallion Signature Program.

Certificate

     The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

     (1) this Rights Certificate [ ] is [ ] is not being sold, assigned and transferred by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);

     (2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or subsequently became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.

Dated:                     , 20
				Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

     Signatures must be guaranteed by a participant in the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program, the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Medallion Signature Program.

NOTICE

     The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

(To be executed if holder desires to exercise Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)

     To: R. G. BARRY CORPORATION:

     The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise                      Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Rights (or such other securities of the Company or of any other person which may be issuable upon the exercise of the Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued in the name of and delivered to:

Please insert social security
or other identifying number

(Please print name and address)

     If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate for the balance of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:

Please insert social security
or other identifying number

(Please print name and address)

Dated:                     , 20     

                                                            
Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

     Signatures must be guaranteed by a participant in the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program, the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program or the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Medallion Signature Program.

Certificate

     The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate boxes that:

     (1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [     ] are [     ] are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);

     (2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the undersigned, it [     ] did [     ] did not acquire the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who is, was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person.

Dated:                     , 20
				Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

NOTICE

     The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

Exhibit C

SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE PREFERRED SHARES

     On May 1, 2009, the Board of Directors of R. G. Barry Corporation (the “Company”) declared a dividend distribution of one Right for each outstanding Common Share of the Company to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 15, 2009. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company a unit consisting of one one-hundredth (1/100) of a share (a “Unit”) of Series II Junior Participating Class A Preferred Shares, par value $1.00 per share (the “Preferred Shares”) at a Purchase Price of $25.00 per Unit, subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the “Rights Agreement”) between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Rights Agent.

     Initially, the Rights will be attached to all certificates representing Common Shares then outstanding (or, in the case of uncertificated Common Shares, by the book-entry account that evidences record ownership of such shares), and no separate Rights Certificates will be distributed. The Rights will separate from the Common Shares and a Distribution Date will occur upon the earlier of (i) 10 business days following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons, has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares (the “Share Acquisition Date”), other than as a result of repurchases of stock by Company or certain inadvertent actions by institutional or certain other shareholders, or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as the Board shall determine) following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group beneficially owning 15% or more of such outstanding Common Shares. Until the Distribution Date, (i) the Rights will be evidenced by the Common Share certificates and will be transferred with and only with such Common Share certificates, (ii) new Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date will contain a notation incorporating the Rights Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender for transfer of any certificates for Common Shares outstanding will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate.

     The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and will expire at the close of business on May 1, 2014, unless earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company as described below.

     As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, Rights Certificates will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate Rights Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, only shares of Common Shares issued prior to the Distribution Date will be issued with Rights.

     In the event that a Person becomes the beneficial owner of 15% or more of the then outstanding Common Shares, each holder of a Right will thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, Common Shares (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of the Company) having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the Right. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of the event set forth in this

paragraph, all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person will be null and void. However, Rights are not exercisable following the occurrence of the event set forth above until such time as the Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company as set forth below.

     For example, at an exercise price of $25.00 per Right, each Right not owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties) following an event set forth in the preceding paragraph would entitle its holder to purchase $50.00 worth of Common Shares (or other consideration, as noted above) for $25.00. Assuming that the Common Shares had a per share value of $12.50 at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled to purchase four Common Shares for $25.00.

     In the event that, at any time following the Share Acquisition Date, (i) the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, or (ii) 50% or more of the Company’s assets, cash flow or earning power is sold or transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which previously have been voided as set forth above) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, common shares of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the Right. The events set forth in this paragraph and in the second preceding paragraph are referred to as the “Triggering Events.”

     At any time until 10 business days following the Share Acquisition Date, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (payable in cash, Common Shares or other consideration deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors). Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors ordering redemption of the Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the $.01 redemption price. The Board of Directors may also exchange the Rights at a ratio of one Common Share or one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share per Right (subject to adjustment).

     Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a shareholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends. While the distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to shareholders or to the Company, shareholders may, depending upon the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that the Rights become exercisable for Common Shares (or other consideration) of the Company or for common shares of the acquiring company as set forth above.

     Any of the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to the Distribution Date. After the Distribution Date, the provisions of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board in order to cure any ambiguity, to make changes which do not adversely affect the interests of holders of Rights, or to shorten or lengthen any time period under the Rights Agreement; provided, however, that no amendment may be made at such time as the Rights are not redeemable.

     A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the Company. This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Rights Agreement, which is incorporated herein by reference.