Description of Securities

Exhibit 4.4

DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON STOCK

REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

General

ChinaNet Online Holdings Inc. has one class of securities, common stock, registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The following is a summary of all material characteristics of our common stock as set forth in our articles of incorporation and bylaws. The summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our articles of incorporation and bylaws, all of which are incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of which this Exhibit 4.4 is a part, and to the provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes.

Our authorized capital stock consists of 70,000,000 shares, consisting of 50,000,000 shares of common stock par value $.001 per share, and 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $.001 per share. None of our preferred stock is currently outstanding. Pursuant to our articles of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority to provide for the issuance, in one or more series, of our authorized preferred stock and to fix or alter the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions granted to or imposed upon any series of our preferred stock.

Common Stock

Each holder of shares of common stock is entitled to one vote per share at stockholders’ meetings. Our articles of incorporation do not provide for cumulative voting for the election of directors. Holders of shares of common stock are entitled to receive, pro rata, such dividends as may be declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor, and are also entitled to share, pro rata, in any other distributions to the stockholders. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, holders of shares of common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities. Holders of shares of common stock do not have any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for additional shares. The outstanding shares of common stock are paid for, fully paid and non-assessable. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock which we may issue in the future.

Transfer Agent

The transfer agent for our capital stock is Empire Stock Transfer, with an address at 1859 Whitney Mesa Dr., Henderson, Nevada 89014, telephone number is ###-###-####.

Stock Exchange Listing

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “CNET.”

Control Share Acquisitions

The “control share” provisions of Sections 78.378 to 78.3793, inclusive, of the NRS, apply to “issuing corporations” that are Nevada corporations with at least 200 stockholders of record, including at least 100 stockholders of record who are Nevada residents, and that conduct business directly or indirectly in Nevada, unless the corporation has elected to not be subject to these provisions. The control share statute prohibits an acquirer of shares of an issuing corporation, under certain circumstances, from voting its shares of a corporation’s stock after crossing certain ownership threshold percentages, unless the acquirer obtains approval of the target corporation’s disinterested stockholders. The statute specifies three thresholds: (a) one-fifth or more but less than one-third, (b) one-third but less than a majority, and (c) a majority or more, of the outstanding voting power. Generally, once a person acquires shares in excess of any of the thresholds, those shares and any additional shares acquired within 90 days thereof become “control shares” and such control shares are deprived of the right to vote until disinterested stockholders restore the right. These provisions also provide that if control shares are accorded full voting rights and the acquiring person has acquired a majority or more of all voting power, all other stockholders who do not vote in favor of authorizing voting rights to the control shares are entitled to demand payment for the fair value of their shares in accordance with statutory procedures established for dissenters’ rights. A corporation may elect to not be governed by, or “opt out” of, the control share provisions by making an election in its articles of incorporation or bylaws, provided that the opt-out election must be in place on the 10th day following the date an acquiring person has acquired a controlling interest, that is, crossing any of the three thresholds described above. We have not opted out of these provisions and will be subject to the control share provisions of the NRS if we meet the definition of an issuing corporation upon an acquiring person acquiring a controlling interest unless we later opt out of these provisions and the opt out is in effect on the 10th day following such occurrence.

The effect of the Nevada control share statute is that the acquiring person, and those acting in association with the acquiring person, will obtain only such voting rights in the control shares as are conferred by a resolution of the stockholders at an annual or special meeting. The Nevada control share law, if applicable, could have the effect of discouraging takeovers of our company.

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