ex4_1.htm

Exhibit 4.1

AUTOBYTEL INC.

and

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

as Rights Agent

TAX BENEFIT PRESERVATION PLAN

Dated as of May 26, 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Certain Definitions.

Appointment of Rights Agent.

Issue of Right Certificates.

Form of Right Certificates.

Countersignature and Registration.

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

Exercise of Rights, Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.

Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates.

Availability of Shares of Capital Stock.

10.

Capital Stock Record Date.

11.

Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares and Number of Rights.

12.

Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.

13.

[Reserved].

14.

Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

15.

Rights of Action.

16.

Agreement of Right Holders.

17.

Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.

18.

Concerning the Rights Agent.

19.

Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.

20.

Duties of Rights Agent.

21.

Change of Rights Agent.

22.

Issuance of New Right Certificates.

23.

Redemption.

24.

Exchange.

25.

Notice of Certain Events.

26.

Notices.

27.

Supplements and Amendments.

28.

Successors.

29.

Benefits of this Plan.

30.

Process to Seek Exemption.

31.

Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors.

32.

Severability.

33.

Governing Law.

34.

Counterparts.

35.

Descriptive Headings.

36.

Force Majeure.

37.

Interpretation.

Exhibit A Form of Right Certificate

Exhibit B Summary of Rights

TAX BENEFIT PRESERVATION PLAN

This Tax Benefit Preservation Plan, dated as of May 26, 2010 (“Plan”), is entered into between Autobytel Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., a federally chartered trust company, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).

Background

The Company has generated certain substantial net operating loss carryovers and other tax attributes for United States federal income tax purposes (collectively, “NOLs”), which will potentially provide valuable Tax Benefits (as defined below) to the Company. The ability to use the NOLs may be adversely affected by an “ownership change” of the Company within the meaning of Section 382 (as defined below). The Company desires to avoid such an “ownership change” and thereby preserve the ability to use the NOLs. In furtherance of such objective, the Company desires to enter into this Plan.

The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has authorized shares of preferred stock designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” and has authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each share of Common Stock (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding as of the Close of Business (as defined below) on June 11, 2010 (the “Record Date”), each Right initially representing the right to purchase one one-hundreth (subject to adjustment) of a share of Preferred Stock (as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth, and has further authorized and directed the issuance of one Right (subject to adjustment as provided herein) with respect to each share of Common Stock that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined); provided, however, that Rights may be issued with respect to shares of Common Stock that shall become outstanding after the Distribution Date and before the Expiration Date in accordance with Section 22.

Accordingly, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties agree as follows:

1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Plan, the following terms have the meaning indicated:

(a) “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person (other than any Exempt Person) that has become, in itself or together with all Affiliates of such Person, the Beneficial Owner of 4.90% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding; provided, however, that Coghill (as defined herein) shall not be deemed an “Acquiring Person” so long as (1) Coghill, together with its Affiliates and Associates, is not the Beneficial Owner of more than 8,121,610 shares of Common Stock (other than pursuant to a transaction authorized in writing in advance by the Board of Directors, including a dividend or distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding shares of Common Stock or pursuant to a split or subdivision of Common Stock), (2) the Standstill Agreement (as defined herein) continues to be binding on Coghill, (3) Coghill is in substantial compliance (as determined by the Board in its sole discretion) with the terms of the Standstill Agreement, as amended from time to time, (4) any and all amendments to the Standstill Agreement have been approved by the Board, and (5) no amendments, if executed after the Distribution Date, cure, or have the effect of curing, any prior breach of the Standstill Agreement or any amendment thereto; further provided, however, that, subject to the following sentence, any Existing Holder (as defined below) will not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person for any purpose of this Plan on and after the date on which the adoption of this Plan is first publicly announced; provided, further, that a Person will not be deemed to have become an Acquiring Person solely as a result of (i) a reduction in the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding, (ii) the exercise of any options, warrants, rights or similar interests (including restricted stock) granted by the Company to its directors, officers and employees, (iii) any unilateral grant of any security by the Company or any issuance by the Company of shares of its capital stock to such Person, or (iv) an Exempt Transaction.

If a Person is not deemed an Acquiring Person by reason of the Person’s status as an Existing Holder or pursuant to the provisions in subsections (i) through (iv) above, such Person will become an Acquiring Person if that Person thereafter acquires Beneficial Ownership of any additional shares of Common Stock (other than (a) pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made by the Company on the outstanding Common Stock, (b) pursuant to a split or subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock, or (c) pursuant to any of the provisions in subsections (i) through (iv) above), unless, upon becoming the Beneficial Owner of such additional share or shares of Common Stock, such Person is not then the Beneficial Owner of 4.90% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(a), has become such inadvertently (including, because (A) such Person was unaware that it Beneficially Owned a percentage of shares of outstanding Common Stock that would otherwise cause such Person to be an “Acquiring Person” or (B) such Person was aware of the extent of its Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock but had no actual knowledge of the consequences of such Beneficial Ownership under this Plan), then the Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that if such Person divests as promptly as practicable a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that such Person would no longer be an Acquiring Person, as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be or to have become an “Acquiring Person” for purposes of this Plan as a result of such inadvertent acquisition.

Further notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(a), has become such as a result of an acquisition of Beneficial Ownership of shares of Common Stock that the Board in its sole discretion determines in good faith, prior to the Distribution Date that would otherwise occur as a result of such acquisition will not be likely to directly or indirectly limit the availability to the Company of the Tax Benefits or is otherwise in the best interests of the Company, then such Person shall not be deemed to be or to have become an “Acquiring Person” for purposes of this Plan as a result of such acquisition. The Board shall not have any obligation, implied or otherwise, to make any such determination. For the sake of clarity, any Person deemed not to have become an “Acquiring Person” pursuant to the preceding sentence will be subject to the provisions of this Section 1(a) with respect to any future acquisitions of Beneficial Ownership of shares of Common Stock.

(b) “Affiliate” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any other Person (whether or not an Exempt Person) whose shares of Common Stock would be deemed constructively owned by such first Person, owned by a single “entity” as defined in Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations, or any comparable successor provision, or otherwise aggregated with shares owned by such first Person for purposes of Section 382.

(c) “Associate,” with respect to any Person, shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.

(d) “Authorized Officer” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 20(b) hereof.

(e) A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, and shall be deemed to “Beneficially Own” and have “Beneficial Ownership” of, any securities:

(i) which, for purposes of Section 382, such Person is the “beneficial owner” of or is deemed to constructively own or otherwise are to be aggregated with shares owned by such Person;

(ii) 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 and other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities) 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” 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 payment, purchase or exchange;

(iii) 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 within the meaning of Rule 13d−3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “Beneficially Own,” any security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report);

(iv) which are Beneficially Owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with whom (or with any Affiliate or Associate of such other Person) such Person (or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing and other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities) for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated by the proviso to Section 1(e)(iii) hereof) or disposing of any securities of the Company; or

(v) which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has a Synthetic Long Position that has been disclosed in a filing by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates pursuant to Regulation 13D-G or Regulation 14D under the Exchange Act in respect of which Common Stock are the “subject security” (as such term is used in such Regulations); provided, however, that a Person will not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “Beneficially Own,” any security (A) that may be acquired upon the exercise of Rights prior to the exercise of such Rights, (B) tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates until such tendered security is accepted for purchase or exchange, (C) solely as a result of such Person having the right to vote such security pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in the proviso to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph (e), or (D) if such beneficial ownership arises solely as a result of such Person’s status as a “clearing agency,” as defined in Section 3(a)(23) of the Exchange Act.

Provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph (e) 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.

The percentage of shares of the outstanding Common Stock deemed Beneficially Owned by a Person for purposes of this Plan shall be no less than that determined in accordance with Sections 1.382-2(a)(3), 1.382-2T(g), (h), (j) and (k) of the Treasury Regulations, and any comparable successor provisions; provided, however, that for the sole purpose of determining the percentage of shares of the outstanding Common Stock owned by any particular Person (and not for the purpose of determining the percentage of shares of outstanding Common Stock owned by any other Person), Common Stock held by such Person shall not be treated as no longer owned by such Person pursuant to Treasury Regulation § 1.382-2T(h)(2)(i)(A), or any comparable successor provision.

(f) “Board” shall have the meaning set forth in the background hereto.

(g) “Book Entry” shall mean an uncertificated book entry for the Common Stock.

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

(i) “Cashless Exercise” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(o) hereof.

(j) “Certificate of Incorporation” shall mean the Fifth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 14, 1998, together with the Certificate of Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on March 1, 1999, the Second Certificate of Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on July 22, 1999, the Third Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on August 14, 2001, and the Amended Certificate of Designation of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 24, 2009, as the same may be amended and restated from time to time.

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

(l) “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(m) “Coghill” shall mean Coghill Capital Management, L.L.C., CCM Master Qualified Fund, Ltd., and Clint Coghill.

(n) “Common Stock” when used with reference to the Company shall mean the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

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

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

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

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

(s) “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(t) “Exchange Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.

(u) “Exemption Request” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 30 hereof.

(v) “Exempt Person” shall mean (i) the Company or any Subsidiary (as such term is hereinafter defined) of the Company, in each case including in its fiduciary capacity, (ii) any employee benefit and/or savings plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or (iii) any entity or trustee holding (or acting in a fiduciary capacity in respect of) Common Stock for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan or for the purpose of funding any such plan or funding other benefits for employees of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company.

(w) “Exempt Transaction” shall mean any transaction that the Board, in its sole discretion, has declared exempt pursuant to Section 30, which determination shall be irrevocable with respect to such transaction.

(x) “Existing Holder” shall mean any Person who, together with all Affiliates, Beneficially Owned shares of Common Stock in excess of 4.90% of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding immediately before the first public announcement hereof.

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

(z) “Invalidation Time” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

(aa) “NASDAQ” shall mean The Nasdaq Stock Market.

(bb) “New York Stock Exchange” shall mean the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.

(cc) “NOLs” shall have the meaning set forth in the background hereto.

(dd) “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, trust, association, unincorporated organization or other legal entity or any group of persons making a “coordinated acquisition” of shares or otherwise treated as an entity within the meaning of Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations, or any comparable successor provision.

(ee) “Plan” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the preamble to this Plan, and such term shall include all amendments to this Plan.

(ff) “Preferred Stock” shall mean the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

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

(hh) “Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the background hereto.

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

(jj) “Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a) hereof.

(kk) “Requesting Person” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 30 hereof.

(ll) “Right” shall have the meaning set forth in the background hereto.

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

(nn) “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(oo) “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.

(pp) “Section 382” shall mean Code section 382, and all Treasury Regulations promulgated under it, and any comparable successor provision.

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

(rr) “Standstill Agreement” shall mean the Standstill Agreement between the Company and Coghill, dated as of January 13, 2009.

(ss) “Stock Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this definition, shall include, a report filed or amended pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) (i) by the Company or a Person or an Affiliate or Associate of the Person, that the Person has become an Acquiring Person or (ii) by the Company, that the Board has concluded, based on information from any source, that a Person has become an Acquiring Person.

(tt) “Subsidiary” of any Person shall mean any Person of which securities or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power sufficient to elect a majority of the board of directors or other Persons performing similar functions are Beneficially Owned, directly or indirectly, by such first Person, and any Person that is otherwise controlled by such first Person.

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

(vv) “Synthetic Long Position” shall mean any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right or other contractual right, whether or not presently exercisable, which has an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to Common Stock or a value determined in whole or in part with reference to, or derived in whole or in part from, the market price or value of Common Stock, whether or not such right is subject to settlement in whole or in part in Common Stock, and which increases in value as the value of Common Stock increases or which provides to the holder of such right an opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase in the value of Common Stock, but shall not include:

(i) rights of a pledgee under a bona fide pledge of Common Stock;

(ii) rights of all holders of Common Stock to receive Common Stock pro rata, or obligations to dispose of Common Stock, as a result of a merger, exchange offer, or consolidation involving the Company;

(iii) rights or obligations to surrender Common Stock, or have Common Stock withheld, upon the receipt or exercise of a derivative security or the receipt or vesting of equity securities, in order to satisfy the exercise price or the tax withholding consequences of receipt, exercise or vesting;

(iv) interests in broad-based index options, broad-based index futures, and broad-based publicly traded market baskets of stocks approved for trading by the appropriate federal governmental authority;

(v) interests or rights to participate in employee benefit plans of the Company held by employees or former employees of the Company; or

(vi) options granted to an underwriter in a registered public offering for the purpose of satisfying over-allotments in such offering.

The number of shares of Common Stock in respect of which a Person has a Synthetic Long Position shall be the notional or other number of shares of Common Stock specified in a filing by such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates pursuant to Regulation 13D-G or Regulation 14D under the Exchange Act in respect of which Common Stock is the “subject security” (as such term is defined in such Regulations) or in the documentation evidencing the Synthetic Long Position as being subject to be acquired upon the exercise or settlement of the applicable right or as the basis upon which the value or settlement amount of such right, or the opportunity of the holder of such right to profit or share in any profit, is to be calculated in whole or in part or, if no such number of shares of Common Stock is specified in such filing or documentation, as determined by the Board in good faith to be the number of shares of Common Stock to which the Synthetic Long Position relates.

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

(xx) “Tax Benefits” shall mean all net operating loss carryovers, capital loss carryovers, general business carryovers, alternative minimum tax credit carryovers and foreign tax credit carryovers, if any, as well as any loss or deduction attributable to a “net unrealized built-in loss” within the meaning of Section 382 and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

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

(zz) “Treasury Regulations” shall mean final, temporary and proposed income tax regulations promulgated under the Code.

(aaa) “Trust” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.

(bbb) “Trust Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.

Any determination required by the definitions in the Plan shall be made by the Board in its good faith judgment, which determination shall be binding on the Rights Agent and the holders of Rights.

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.

3. Issue of Right Certificates.

(a) Until the earlier of (i) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date or (ii) the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day (or, unless the Distribution Date shall have previously occurred, such later date as may be specified by the Board) after the commencement by any Person (other than an Exempt Person) of, or of the first public announcement of the intention of such Person to commence, a tender or exchange offer, the consummation of which would result in any Person (other than an Exempt Person) becoming an Acquiring Person (the earlier of such dates being referred to as the “Distribution Date”; provided, however, that if either of such dates occurs after the date of this Plan and on or before the Record Date, then the Distribution Date shall be the Record Date), (x) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) solely by the certificates representing the Common Stock registered in the names of the holders thereof (or by Book Entry shares in respect of such Common Stock) and not by separate Right Certificates, and (y) the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Stock. 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) by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company or the transfer agent or registrar for the Common Stock, one or more right certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto (a “Right Certificate”), evidencing one Right (subject to adjustment as provided herein) for each share of Common Stock so held. As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Distribution Date and, if such notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm same in writing on or prior to the Business Day next following. 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.

(b) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Shares of Preferred Stock, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (the “Summary of Rights”), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Stock as of the Close of Business on the Record Date (other than any Acquiring Person or any Affiliate of any Acquiring Person), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company or the transfer agent or registrar for the Common Stock. Any failure to send a copy of the Summary of Rights shall not invalidate the Rights or affect their transfer with the Common Stock. With respect to certificates representing Common Stock (or Book Entry shares of Common Stock) outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof (or the Book Entry shares). Until the Distribution Date (or, if earlier, the Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Stock (or any Book Entry shares of Common Stock) outstanding on the Record Date shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificate or Book Entry shares.

(c) Rights shall be issued in respect of all shares of Common Stock issued or disposed of after the Record Date but before the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date (or in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution Date). Certificates issued for Common Stock after the Record Date but before the earlier of the Distribution Date and the Expiration Date (or in certain circumstances provided in Section 22 hereof, after the Distribution Date) shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them substantially the following legend:

This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights as set forth in a Tax Benefit Preservation Plan between Autobytel Inc. (the “Company”) and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent, dated as of May 26, 2010 and as amended from time to time (the “Plan”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of the Company. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Plan, 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 Plan without charge after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Plan, Rights owned by or transferred to any Person who is or becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Plan) and certain transferees thereof will become null and void and will no longer be transferable.

With respect to any Book Entry shares of Common Stock, such legend shall be included in a notice to the registered holder of such shares in accordance with applicable law. With respect to certificates containing the foregoing legend or Book Entry shares, the holders of which were delivered (or otherwise had) notice of the foregoing legend, until the Distribution Date the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificates or Book Entry shares shall be evidenced solely by such certificates or Book Entry shares alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate or Book Entry share, except as otherwise provided herein, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock represented thereby. In the event that the Company purchases or otherwise acquires any Common Stock after the Record Date but before the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Stock shall be deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock which are no longer outstanding.

Notwithstanding this paragraph (c), neither the omission of the legend required hereby, nor the failure to deliver the notice of such legend, shall affect the enforceability of any part of this Plan or the rights of any holder of the Rights.

4. Form of Right Certificates. The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase shares and of assignment and the certificates to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall each be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A 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, duties, liabilities or responsibilities of the Rights Agent) and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Plan, 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 NASDAQ or of any other stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Rights may from time to time be listed or quoted, or to conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of this Plan, the Right Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock as shall be set forth therein at the Purchase Price (as determined pursuant to Section 7), 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.

5. Countersignature and Registration.

(a) The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by the President of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof and shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be countersigned by the Rights Agent, either manually or by facsimile signature, and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Right 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 Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any Person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Plan any such Person was not such an officer.

(b) Following the Distribution Date, receipt by the Rights Agent of written 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 an office or agency designated for such purpose, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.

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

(a) Subject to the provisions of this Plan, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date and at or before the Close of Business on the Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities, cash or assets as the case may be) as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office or agency 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 with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Right Certificate until the registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and duly executed the certificate set forth in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such Right Certificate, (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) of the Rights represented by such Right Certificate or Affiliates or Associates thereof 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 Right Certificates as required by Section 9(e) hereof. Thereupon the Rights Agent, subject to the provisions of this Plan, shall countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Rights Agent shall 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 under any Section of this Plan which requires the payment of taxes or charges unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.

(b) Subject to the provisions of this Plan, at any time after the Distribution Date and before the Expiration Date, upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security satisfactory to them, and, at the Company’s request, 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 Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

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

(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, the Rights shall become exercisable on the Distribution Date, and thereafter the registered holder of any Right Certificate may, subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and except as otherwise provided herein, exercise the Rights evidenced thereby in whole or in part upon surrender of the Right 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 agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) as to which the Rights are exercised and an amount equal to any tax or charge required to be paid by such holder under Section 9(e) hereof, at any time which is both after the Distribution Date and before the time (the “Expiration Date”) that is the earliest of: (i) the Close of Business on May 26, 2014, (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the “Redemption Date”), (iii) the time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof, (iv) the end of the calendar month in which occurs the final adjournment of the Company’s 2011 annual meeting of stockholders, if stockholder approval of this Plan has not been received at such meeting, (v) the repeal of Section 382 or any successor statute if the Board determines that this Plan is no longer necessary for the preservation of Tax Benefits, (vi) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that no Tax Benefits may be carried forward, or (vii) such time as the Board determines that a limitation on the use of the Tax Benefits under Section 382 would no longer be material to the Company. The Board shall at least annually consider whether to make the determination provided by Section 7(a)(vii) in light of all relevant factors, including, in particular, the amount and anticipated utilization of the Company’s Tax Benefits and the Company’s market capitalization. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Expiration Date and, if such notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm same in writing on or prior to the Business Day next following. Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes, prior to the Close of Business on May 26, 2014, that the Expiration Date has not occurred.

(b) The Purchase Price shall be initially $8.00 for each one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right (the “Purchase Price”). The Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock or other securities or property to be acquired upon exercise of a Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section 7.

(c) Except as otherwise provided herein, upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase properly completed and duly executed, accompanied (subject to the following sentence and Section 11(o)) by payment of the aggregate Purchase Price for the number of shares of Preferred Stock to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable tax or charge required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 6 hereof, in cash or by certified check, cashier’s check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Stock, or make available if the Rights Agent is the transfer agent for the Preferred Stock, certificates for the number of shares of Preferred Stock to be purchased, and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes each such transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from the depositary agent appointed by the Company depositary receipts representing interests in such number of shares of Preferred Stock as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Stock represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the depositary agent), and the Company hereby directs any such depositary agent to comply with such request, (ii) when necessary to comply with this Plan, requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance 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 Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder and (iv) when necessary to comply with this Plan, after receipt of the cash requisitioned from the Company, deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate. If the Company is obligated to issue other securities 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 necessary to comply with this Plan.

(d) Except as otherwise provided herein, in case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise less than all of the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the exercisable Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 6 and Section 14 hereof.

(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder of Rights or other securities into which the Rights have been converted or exchanged upon the occurrence of any purported transfer or exercise of Rights pursuant to Section 6 hereof or this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) properly completed and duly executed the certificate contained in the form of assignment or form of election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Right Certificate surrendered for such transfer or exercise and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner, former Beneficial Owner and/or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.

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

9. Availability of Shares of Capital Stock.

(a) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock or any shares of Preferred Stock held in its treasury, the number of shares of Preferred Stock that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights.

(b) So long as the shares of Preferred Stock (and, following the time that a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, shares of Common Stock and other securities) issuable upon the exercise of Rights may be listed or admitted to trading on NASDAQ or listed on any other national securities exchange or quotation system, 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 or admitted to trading on NASDAQ or listed on such other national securities exchange or quotation system upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.

(c) From and after such time as the Rights become exercisable, the Company shall use its best efforts, if then necessary, to permit the issuance of shares of Preferred Stock (and following the time that a Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, shares of Common Stock and other securities) upon the exercise of Rights, to register and qualify such shares of Preferred Stock (and following the time that a Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, shares of Common Stock and other securities) under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities or “Blue Sky” laws (to the extent exemptions therefrom are not available), cause such registration statement and qualifications to become effective as soon as possible after such filing and keep such registration and qualifications effective until the earlier of (x) the date as of which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities and (y) the Expiration Date. The Company may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days, the exercisability of the Rights in order to prepare and file a registration statement under the Securities Act 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 is no longer in effect. The Company shall notify the Rights Agent whenever it makes a public announcement pursuant to this Section 9(c) and give the Rights Agent a copy of such announcement. Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in any jurisdiction unless the requisite qualification or exemption in such jurisdiction shall have been obtained and until a registration statement under the Securities Act (if required) shall have been declared effective.

(d) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Preferred Stock (and following the time that a Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, shares of Common Stock and other securities) delivered upon exercise of Rights (subject to payment of the Purchase Price) or delivered pursuant to an exchange for Common Stock under Section 24, shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates therefor, be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.

(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 Right Certificates or of any shares of Preferred Stock (or shares of Common Stock and other securities) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any transfer tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred Stock (or shares of Common Stock and other securities) in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Stock (or shares of Common Stock and other securities) upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by that holder of such Right 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.

10. Capital Stock Record Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate for Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) is issued (or in whose name shares thereof are registered in book-entry form) upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the shares of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) represented by such certificate (or registered in book-entry form), and such certificate shall be dated (or the registration in book-entry form shall be dated), the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable taxes or charges) was made or, if issued pursuant to Section 24, the date upon which the Company issues such certificate or effects such registration in book-entry form in exchange for the Rights; provided, however, that if the applicable transfer books of the Company are closed on such date, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated (or the registration in book-entry form shall be dated), the next succeeding Business Day on which such transfer books are open. Before the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby (or an exchange pursuant to Section 24), the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Stock (or Common Stock or other securities, as the case may be) for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including the right to vote or to receive dividends or other distributions, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.

11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of Shares and Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities or property purchasable upon exercise of each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.

(a)

(i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Plan (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, (C) combine the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock into a smaller number of shares of Preferred Stock or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Stock (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), 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, as the case may be, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had been exercised immediately before such date and at a time when the Preferred Stock transfer books of the Company were open, the holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification.

(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Plan, and except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a)(ii) and Section 11(a)(iii), in the event that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then-current Purchase Price, in accordance with the terms of this Plan and in lieu of shares of Preferred Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock (or at the option of the Company, such number of one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock) as shall equal the result obtained by multiplying (x) the then-current Purchase Price, by (y) the number of one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing the product of (x) and (y) by (z) 50% of the then-current per share market price of the Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of the occurrence of such event; provided, however, that the Purchase Price (as so adjusted) and the number of shares of Common Stock so receivable upon exercise of a Right shall thereafter be subject to further adjustment as appropriate in accordance with this Section 11 hereof. Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, however, from and after the time (the “Invalidation Time”) when any Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, any Rights that are Beneficially Owned by (x) any Acquiring Person (or any Affiliate or Associate of any Acquiring Person), (y) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who becomes a transferee after the Invalidation Time or (z) a transferee of any Acquiring Person (or any such Affiliate or Associate) who became a transferee before or concurrently with the Invalidation Time pursuant to either (I) a transfer from the Acquiring Person to holders of its equity securities or to any Person with whom it has any continuing agreement, arrangement or understanding regarding the transferred Rights or (II) a transfer that the Board has determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding which has the purpose or effect of avoiding the provisions of this paragraph, and subsequent transferees of such Persons, shall be void without any further action, and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights under any provision of this Plan. The Company shall use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the provisions of this Section 11(a)(ii) are complied with, but shall have no liability to any holder of Right Certificates or other Person as a result of the Company’s failure to make any determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its Affiliates or Associates or transferees hereunder. From and after the Invalidation Time, no Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 or Section 6 hereof that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph, and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent that represents Rights that are or have become void pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph shall be canceled. The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of the Invalidation Time and, if such notification is given orally, the Company shall confirm same in writing on or prior to the Business Day next following. Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Invalidation Time has not occurred.

(iii) The Company may at its option (or, if required to comply with its Certificate of Incorporation, shall) substitute for a share of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) such number or fraction of shares of Preferred Stock (or, if required to comply with its Certificate of Incorporation, equivalent shares of its capital stock) having an aggregate current market value equal to the current per share market price of a share of Common Stock. In the event that there shall be an insufficient number of shares of Common Stock authorized but unissued (and unreserved) to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii), the Board shall, with respect to such deficiency, to the extent permitted by applicable law and any material agreements then in effect to which the Company is a party, (A) determine the excess of (x) the value of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of a Right in accordance with the foregoing subparagraph (ii) (the “Current Value”) over (y) the then-current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately before the time that the Acquiring Person became such (such excess, the “Spread”), and (B) with respect to each Right (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii)), make adequate provision to substitute for the shares of Common Stock issuable in accordance with subparagraph (ii) upon exercise of the Right and payment of the applicable Purchase Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in such Purchase Price, (3) shares of Preferred Stock or other equity securities of the Company (including shares or fractions of shares of preferred stock which, by virtue of having dividend, voting and liquidation rights substantially comparable to those of the shares of Common Stock, are deemed in good faith by the Board to have substantially the same value as the shares of Common Stock (such shares of preferred stock and shares or fractions of shares of preferred stock are hereinafter referred to as “Common Stock Equivalents”)), (4) debt securities of the Company, (5) other assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having a value which, when added to the value of the shares of Common Stock actually issued upon exercise of such Right, shall have an aggregate value equal to the Current Value (less the amount of any reduction in such Purchase Price), where such aggregate value has been determined by the Board upon the advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm selected in good faith by the Board; provided, however, that if the Company shall not make adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the date that the Acquiring Person became such (the “Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date”), then the Company shall be obligated to deliver, to the extent permitted by applicable law and any material agreements then in effect to which the Company is a party, upon the surrender for exercise of a Right and without requiring payment of such Purchase Price, shares of Common Stock (to the extent available), and then, if necessary, such number or fractions of shares of Preferred Stock (to the extent available) and then, if necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value equal to the Spread. If, within the thirty (30) day period referred to above the Board shall determine in good faith that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of Common Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of the Rights, then, if the Board elects, such thirty (30) day period may be extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90) days after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the Company may seek stockholder approval for the authorization of such additional shares (such thirty (30) day period, as it may be extended, is hereinafter called the “Substitution Period”). To the extent that the Company determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the second and/or third sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company (x) shall provide, subject to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof and the last sentence of this Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, that such action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights and (y) may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of distribution to be made pursuant to such second 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, as well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the shares of Common Stock shall be the current per share market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i)) on the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date and the per share or fractional value of any “Common Stock Equivalent” shall be deemed to equal the current per share market price of the Common Stock on such date. The Board may, but shall not be required to, establish procedures to allocate the right to receive shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of the Rights among holders of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(a)(iii).

(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Stock entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock (or shares having similar rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Stock (“Equivalent Preferred Shares”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Shares at a price per share of Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Shares (or having a conversion price per share, if a security convertible into shares of Preferred Stock or Equivalent Preferred Shares) less than the then current per share market price of the Preferred Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) 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 before such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Preferred Stock and Equivalent Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of shares of Preferred Stock and Equivalent Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of such 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 shares of Preferred Stock and Equivalent Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional shares of Preferred Stock 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); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall 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 which shall be binding on the Rights Agent. Shares of Preferred Stock and Equivalent 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, options 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) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Stock (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in Preferred Stock) or 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 before such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then-current per share market price of the Preferred Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) 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 and shall be binding on the Rights Agent) of the portion of such assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one share of Preferred Stock, and the denominator of which shall be such current per share market price of the Preferred Stock; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right. 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 again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price that would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

(d)

(i) Except as otherwise provided herein, for the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of any security (a “Security” for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the 30 consecutive Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately before, but not including, such date; provided, however, that in the event that the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period following, but not including, the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or securities convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security, and before the expiration of 30 Trading Days after the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security. 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 by the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if on such date the Security is not so quoted or reported, the average of the high and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market as reported by any system then in use, or, if not so quoted, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board. The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.

(ii) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, if the Preferred Stock is publicly traded, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Stock shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i). If the Preferred Stock is not publicly traded but the Common Stock is publicly traded, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Stock shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common Stock as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) multiplied by the then applicable Adjustment Number (as defined in and determined in accordance with the Certificate of Designation for the Preferred Stock). If neither the Common Stock nor the Preferred Stock is publicly traded, “current per share market price” 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 binding on the Rights Agent.

(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments not required to be made by reason of this Section 11(e) 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 one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock or share of Common Stock or other share or security 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 years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the Expiration Date. If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than the Preferred Stock, thereafter the Purchase Price and the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of a Right 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 Stock contained in Sections 11(a), 11(b), 11(c), 11(e), 11(h), 11(i) and 11(m) and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 14 hereof with respect to the Preferred Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

(f) 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 share of Preferred Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

(g) Unless the Company shall have 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 11(c), each Right outstanding immediately before 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 share of Preferred Stock (calculated to the nearest one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number of one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right immediately before such adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately before 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.

(h) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price or any adjustment made to the number of shares of Preferred Stock for which a Right may be exercised pursuant to Section 11(a)(i), 11(b) or 11(c) hereof to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately before such adjustment. Each Right held of record before such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one-hundredth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately before 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 Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the date of the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company may, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right Certificates on such record date Right 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 Right Certificates held by such holders before the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.

(i) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder without effect on the Purchase Price payable to exercise a Right or the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon the exercise of a Right as provided herein.

(j) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below the then par value, if any, of the shares of Preferred Stock or other shares of capital stock 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 shares of Preferred Stock or other such shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.

(k) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require 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 issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date the Preferred Stock, Common Stock or other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Stock, Common Stock or and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect before 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 upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

(l) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 11 to the contrary, the Company shall be entitled to make such adjustments in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that the Board in its sole discretion shall determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Stock, issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Preferred Stock at less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Stock or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Stock, dividends on Preferred Stock payable in shares of Preferred Stock or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to hereinabove in Section 11(b), hereafter made by the Company to holders of its Preferred Stock shall not be taxable to such stockholders.

(m) Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, in the event that at any time after the date of this Plan and before the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare and pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock, or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend payable in Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then, in any such case, the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or issued or delivered thereafter, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of Rights thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock following any such event shall equal the result obtained by multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of Common Stock immediately before such event by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately before the occurrence of the event and the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such event.

(n) The Company agrees that, after the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Stock Acquisition Date, it will not, except as permitted by Section 23, 24 or 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 eliminate the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.

(o) In the event that the Rights become exercisable, the Board in its sole discretion may permit the Rights, subject to Section 7(e), to be exercised for 50% of the shares of Common Stock (or other securities, cash or other assets, as the case may be) that would otherwise be purchasable under subsection (a), in consideration of the surrender to the Company of the Right Certificate representing the Right so exercised and without other payment of the Purchase Price (“Cashless Exercise”). Rights exercised under this Section 11(o) shall be deemed to have been exercised in full and shall be canceled.

12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Stock or the Preferred Stock a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate (or if before the Distribution Date, to each holder of a certificate representing shares of Common Stock or Book Entry shares in respect thereof) 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 any such adjustment or any such event unless and until it shall have received such certificate. Any adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 11 hereof shall be effective as of the date of the event giving rise to such adjustment.

13. [Reserved].

14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

(a) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights (except before the Distribution Date in accordance with Section 11(m) hereof) or to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right 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 the 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 before the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The closing price 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 New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ, 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, as reported by such system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not so quoted, 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 Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Preferred Stock (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) upon the exercise or exchange of Rights. Interests in fractions of Preferred Stock in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it; provided that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners (for the purposes of this Section 14(b), as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act) of the Preferred Stock represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional shares of Preferred Stock that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised for shares of Preferred Stock as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one share of Preferred Stock. For the purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a share of Preferred Stock shall be the closing price of a share of Preferred Stock (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(ii) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately before the date of such exercise.

(c) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock upon the exercise or exchange of Rights. In lieu of such fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised or exchanged for shares of Common Stock as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock (as determined in accordance with Section 11(d)(i) hereof), for the Trading Day immediately before the date of such exercise or exchange.

(d) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise or exchange of a Right (except as provided above).

(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 Plan 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.

15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this Plan, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 and Section 20 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, before the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, before the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, before the Distribution Date, of the Common Stock), on such holder’s own behalf and for such holder’s own benefit, may enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder’s right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate (or, before the Distribution Date, such Common Stock) in the manner provided in such Rights Certificate and in this Plan. 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 of this Plan and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of, the obligations of any Person subject to this Plan.

16. Agreement of Right 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) before the Distribution Date, the Rights will not be evidenced by a Right Certificate and will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Stock;

(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer, and such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner, former Beneficial Owner and/or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request;

(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, before the Distribution Date, the Common Stock certificate (or Book Entry shares in respect of Common Stock)) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the Common Stock certificate (or notices provided to holders of Book Entry shares of Common Stock) 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 penultimate sentence of Section 11(a)(ii), shall be affected by any notice to the contrary; and

(d) notwithstanding anything in this Plan 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 Plan by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, judgment, decree or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court or by a governmental, regulatory, self-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, that the Company must use its reasonable best efforts to have any such injunction, order, judgment, decree or ruling lifted or otherwise overturned as soon as possible.

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

18. Concerning the Rights Agent.

(a) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation 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 other disbursements incurred in the preparation, delivery, administration, execution and amendment of this Plan 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 loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance, administration and execution of this Plan or the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder, including, without limitation, the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the premises. The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 below (including, but not limited to, the indemnity provided herein) shall survive the exercise or expiration of the Rights, the termination of this Plan and the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent. The costs and expenses incurred in enforcing this right of indemnification shall be paid by the Company.

(b) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, the acceptance and administration of this Plan in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Stock or Common Stock or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, 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, verified or acknowledged, by the proper person or persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof. The Rights Agent shall not be deemed to have any duty or notice unless and until the Company has provided the Rights Agent with actual written notice. Anything in this Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the possibility of such loss or damage. Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Plan shall be limited to the amount of fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.

19. 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 the shareholder services or corporate trust business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Plan without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Plan and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right 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 Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Plan.

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

20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes the duties and obligations expressly imposed by this Plan (and no implied duties or obligations shall be read against the Rights Agent) upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:

(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company and/or the Board and/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 and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered, or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with such advice or opinion.

(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Plan the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering (or omitting to take) any action hereunder, such fact or matter (including, without limitation, the identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of the current per share market price of any security) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, any Executive Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company (each, an “Authorized Officer”)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 omitted in good faith by it under the provisions of this Plan 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.

(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Plan or in the Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, 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 nor be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Plan 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 Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Plan or in any Right 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 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Sections 3, 11, 23 or 24 hereof, 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 Right Certificates after receipt of a certificate pursuant to Section 12 hereof describing such change or adjustment); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Preferred Stock to be issued pursuant to this Plan or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Stock will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(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 Plan.

(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept advice or instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any one of the Authorized Officers of the Company, and to apply to such Authorized Officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and such advice or instructions shall be full 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 in good faith in accordance with the advice or instructions of any such Authorized Officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions. 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 or omitted by the Rights Agent with respect to its duties or obligations under this Plan and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or omitted and the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted in accordance with a proposal included in any such application on or after the date specified therein (which date shall not be less than three Business Days after the date indicated in such application unless any such Authorized Officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier date) unless, prior to taking, suffering or omitting any such action, the Rights Agent has received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken, suffered, or omitted.

(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, 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 it were not a Rights Agent under this Plan. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent 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 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 resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, absent gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith.

(j) No provision of this Plan 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 believes that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not assured to it.

(k) If, with respect to any Right 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 not been executed, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such requested exercise of transfer without first consulting with the Company

21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Plan upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company and, in the event that the Rights Agent or one of its affiliates is not also the transfer agent for the Company, to each transfer agent for the Common Stock or Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail. In the event the transfer agency relationship in effect between the Company and the Rights Agent terminates, the Rights Agent will be deemed to have resigned automatically and be discharged from its duties under this Plan as of the effective date of such termination, and the Company shall be responsible for sending any required notice. 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 for the Common Stock or Preferred Stock by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right 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 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 Right Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Right 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 either (a) a Person organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of any State of the United States which is authorized under such laws to conduct shareholder services business and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $10 million or (b) an Affiliate of such Person. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities 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 for the Common Stock or Preferred Stock, and, following the Distribution Date, mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, 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.

22. Issuance of New Right Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Plan or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such forms as may be approved by its 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 Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Plan. In addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Stock following the Distribution Date and before the Expiration Date, the Company may with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant to (i) the exercise of stock options, (ii) under any employee plan or arrangement, (iii) the exercise, conversion or exchange of securities, notes or debentures issued by the Company or (iv) a contractual obligation of the Company, in each case existing before the Distribution Date, issue Right Certificates representing the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance or sale.

23. Redemption.

(a) The Board may, at any time before such time as any Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring in respect of the Common Stock after the date hereof (the “Redemption Price”). The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish. The Company may, at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common Stock (based on the current market price of the Common Stock at the time of redemption as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof) or any other form of consideration deemed appropriate by the Board. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the aggregate Redemption Price payable to any holder of Rights upon the redemption of all Rights held by such holder shall be rounded to the nearest $0.01 (such that fractions of $0.01 greater than or equal to $0.005 shall be rounded up and fractions of $0.01 less than $0.005 shall be rounded down); and further provided that the aggregate Redemption Price payable to any holder of Rights upon the redemption of all Rights held by such Person shall in no event be less than $0.01.

(b) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23 (or at such later time as the Board may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption), 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. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent); provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption. Within ten (10) days after such action of the Board ordering the redemption of the Rights (or such later time as the Board may establish for the effectiveness of such redemption), the Company shall mail a notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, before the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Stock. 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 shall state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made. The failure to give notice required by this Section 23(b) or any defect therein shall not affect the validity of the action taken by the Company.

(c) In the case of a redemption under Section 23(a) hereof, the Company may, at its option, discharge all of its obligations with respect to the Rights by (i) issuing a press release announcing the manner of redemption of the Rights and (ii) mailing payment of the Redemption Price to the registered holders of the Rights at their last addresses as they appear on the registry books of the Rights Agent or, before the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent of the Common Stock, and upon such action, all outstanding Right Certificates shall be void without any further action by the Company.

24. Exchange.

(a) The Board may, at its option, at any time after any Person first becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding Rights (which shall not include Rights that have not become effective or that have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof ) for shares of Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock (or one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock) per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such amount per Right being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after an Acquiring Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. The exchange of the Rights by the Board may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board in its sole discretion may establish. Before effecting an exchange pursuant to this Section 24, the Board may direct the Company to enter into a Trust Agreement in such form and with such terms as the Board shall then approve (the “Trust Agreement”). If the Board so directs, the Company shall enter into the Trust Agreement and shall issue to the trust created by such agreement (the “Trust”) all of the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the exchange, and all Persons entitled to receive shares pursuant to the exchange shall be entitled to receive such shares (and any dividends or distributions made thereon after the date on which such shares are deposited in the Trust) only from the Trust and solely upon compliance with the relevant terms and provisions of the Trust Agreement.

(b) Immediately upon the effectiveness of the action of the Board ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange (with prompt written notice thereof to the Rights Agent) and shall promptly mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of the Rights so exchanged at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. 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 exchange will state the method by which the exchange of the shares of Common Stock for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become null and void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

(c) The Company may at its option substitute, and, in the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued (and unreserved) to permit an exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24 (or if the issuance of Common Stock in exchange for any Rights would not otherwise be permitted under the Certificate of Incorporation), the Company shall substitute, to the extent of such insufficiency or to the extent necessary to comply with its Certificate of Incorporation, for each share of Common Stock that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of shares of Preferred Stock or fraction thereof (or Equivalent Preferred Shares, as such term is defined in Section 11(b), or other equivalent shares of its capital stock) such that the current per share market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) of one share of Preferred Stock (or Equivalent Preferred Share or other equivalent share) multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one share of Common Stock (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) as of the date of such exchange.

25. Notice of Certain Events.

(a) In case the Company shall at any time after the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Stock Acquisition Date propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of its Preferred Stock or to make any other distribution to the holders of its Preferred Stock (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of its Preferred Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of Preferred Stock or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision or combination of outstanding Preferred Stock), (iv) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (v) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock, to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Stock), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and to each holder of a Right Certificate, 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 or distribution or offering of rights or warrants, or the date on which such liquidation, dissolution, winding up, reclassification, subdivision, combination or consolidation is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, 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 ten (10) days before the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least ten (10) days before the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.

(b) In the event that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter give to the Rights Agent and to each holder of a Right Certificate (or if occurring before the Distribution Date, the holders of the Common Stock) in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii).

(c) The failure to give notice required by this Section 25 or any defect therein shall not affect the validity of the action taken by the Company or the vote upon any such action.

26. Notices. Except as otherwise provided herein, notices or demands authorized by this Plan to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by overnight delivery service or first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:

AUTOBYTEL INC.

18872 MacArthur Boulevard

Irvine, CA 92612-1400

Attention: General Counsel

Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized by this Plan to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by overnight delivery service or first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

250 Royall Street

Canton, MA 02021

Attention: Client Services

Notices or demands authorized by this Plan to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate (or if before the Distribution Date, to each holder of a certificate representing shares of Common Stock or Book Entry shares in respect thereof) 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.

27. Supplements and Amendments. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 27, for so long as the Rights are then redeemable, the Company may in its sole and absolute discretion, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Plan in any respect without the approval of any holders of the Rights. At any time when the Rights are no longer redeemable, except as otherwise provided in this Section 27, the Company may, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs, supplement or amend this Plan without the approval of any holders of Rights, in order to (i) cure any ambiguity, (ii) correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, (iii) shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder, or (iv) change or supplement the provisions hereunder in any manner which the Company may deem necessary or desirable; provided, however, that no such supplement or amendment may adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights as such (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person), and no such amendment may cause the Rights again to become redeemable or cause this Plan again to become amendable other than in accordance with this sentence. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Plan to the contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made which decreases the Redemption Price. 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 promptly execute such supplement or amendment. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Plan to the contrary, the Rights Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any supplement or amendment that affects the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, immunities or obligations under this Plan. The Rights Agent hereby acknowledges that in all matters arising under this Plan, including any amendment hereto pursuant to this Section 27, time is of the essence.

28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Plan 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.

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

30. Process to Seek Exemption. Any Person who desires to effect any acquisition of Common Stock that would, if consummated, result in such Person becoming an Acquiring Person, may, in accordance with this Section 30, request that the Board grant an exemption with respect to such acquisition under this Plan (the Person requesting such exemption, a “Requesting Person”) so that such acquisition will be deemed to be an “Exempt Transaction” for purposes of this Plan (an “Exemption Request”). An Exemption Request shall be in proper form and shall be delivered by fax and by registered mail, return receipt requested, to the Secretary of the Company at the principal executive offices of the Company. To be in proper form, an Exemption Request shall set forth (i) the name and address of the Requesting Person, (ii) the number and percentage of shares of Common Stock then Beneficially Owned by the Requesting Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of the Requesting Person, and (iii) a reasonably detailed description of the transaction or transactions by which the Requesting Person would propose to acquire Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock, such that the Requesting Person would otherwise become an Acquiring Person, and the maximum number and percentage of shares of Common Stock that the Requesting Person proposes to acquire. The Board shall make a determination whether to grant an exemption in response to an Exemption Request as promptly as practicable (and, in any event, within ten (10) Business Days) after receipt thereof pursuant to registered mail; provided, that the failure of the Board to make a determination within such period shall be deemed to constitute the denial by the Board of the Exemption Request. The Board shall grant an exemption in response to an Exemption Request only if the Board determines in its sole discretion that the acquisition of Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock by the Requesting Person will not be likely to directly or indirectly limit the availability to the Company of the Tax Benefits or is otherwise in the best interests of the Company. Any exemption granted hereunder may be granted in whole or in part, and may be subject to limitations or conditions (including a requirement that the Requesting Person agree that it will not acquire Beneficial Ownership of shares of Common Stock in excess of the maximum number and percentage of shares of Common Stock approved by the Board), in each case as and to the extent the Board shall determine in its sole discretion to be necessary or desirable to provide for the protection of the Company’s Tax Benefits or otherwise in the best interests of the Company. The Board shall not have any obligation, implied or otherwise, to grant any Exemption Request. Any Exemption Request may be submitted on a confidential basis and, except to the extent required by applicable law, the Company shall maintain the confidentiality of such Exemption Request and the Board’s determination with respect thereto.

31. Determinations and Actions by the Board of Directors. The Board shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Plan and to exercise the rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Plan, including the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Plan and (ii) make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or to amend or not amend this Plan). All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations that are done or made by the Board in good faith shall be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights, as such, and all other parties. The Rights Agent is entitled always to presume that the Board acted in good faith and shall be fully protected and incur no liability in reliance thereon. The Board may delegate all or any portion of its power and authority to administer this Plan and to exercise the rights and powers hereunder to a committee of and appointed by the Board.

32. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Plan or applicable to this Plan is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, null and void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Plan shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; and provided, further, that if any such excluded term, provision, covenant or restriction shall adversely affect the rights, immunities, duties or obligations of the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall be entitled to resign immediately; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant or restriction is held by such court or authority to be invalid, null and void or unenforceable and the Board determines in its good faith judgment that severing the invalid language from this Plan would adversely affect the purpose or effect of this Plan, the right of redemption set forth in Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated (with prompt notice to the Rights Agent) and shall not expire until the Close of Business on the tenth Business Day following the date of such determination by the Board.

33. Governing Law. This Plan and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such State.

34. Counterparts. This Plan may be executed in any number of counterparts 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. A signature to this Plan transmitted electronically shall have the same authority, effect and enforceability as an original signature.

35. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several sections of this Plan are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

36. 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 acts of God, terrorist acts, shortage of supply, breakdowns or malfunctions, interruptions or malfunction of computer facilities, loss of data due to power failures or mechanical difficulties with information storage or retrieval systems, labor difficulties, war or civil unrest.

37. Interpretation. In this Plan, unless a clear contrary intention appears:

(a) where not inconsistent with the context, words in the plural number include the singular number and vice versa;

(b) reference to any Person includes such Person’s successors and assigns but, if applicable, only such successors and assigns permitted by this Plan;

(d) reference to any agreement, document or instrument means such agreement, document or instrument as amended or modified and in effect from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof and includes all addenda, exhibits and schedules thereto;

(e) all references to Sections refer to the Sections of this Plan and all references to Exhibits refer to the Exhibits attached to this Plan, each of which is made a part of this Plan for all purposes;

(f) reference to any law means such law as amended, modified, codified, replaced or reenacted, in whole or in part, and in effect from time to time, including rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and reference to any section or other provision of any law means that provision of such law from time to time in effect and constituting the substantive amendment, modification, codification, replacement or reenactment of such section or other provision;

(g) “hereunder,” “hereof,” “hereto,” and words of similar import shall be deemed references to this Plan as a whole and not to any particular Section or other provision hereof and, unless the context otherwise requires, references herein to a specific Section, subsection, preamble, recital, or Exhibit refer, respectively, to Articles, Sections, subsections, preamble, recitals, or Exhibits of this Plan;

(h) “including” (and with correlative meaning, “include”) means including without limitation;

(i) “or” is used in the inclusive sense of “and/or”;

(j) with respect to the determination of any period of time, “from” means “from and including” and “to” means “to but excluding”; and

(k) the terms “Dollars” and “$” mean United States Dollars.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Tax Benefit Preservation Plan to be duly executed as of the 26th day of May, 2010.

AUTOBYTEL INC.

By: /s/ Glenn E. Fuller

Name: Glenn E. Fuller

Title: Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and

Administrative Officer and Secretary

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,

as Rights Agent

By: /s/ Dennis V. Moccia

Name: Dennis V. Moccia

Title: Manager, Contract Administration

Exhibit A

Form of Right Certificate

Certificate No. R-______

NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER May 26, 2014 OR SUCH EARLIER DATE AS PROVIDED BY THE TAX BENEFIT PRESERVATION PLAN OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $0.001 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE TAX BENEFIT PRESERVATION PLAN. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE TAX BENEFIT PRESERVATION PLAN, RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE TAX BENEFIT PRESERVATION PLAN) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.

RIGHT CERTIFICATE

AUTOBYTEL INC.

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 Tax Benefit Preservation Plan, dated as of May 26, 2010, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Plan”), between Autobytel Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Plan) and before 5:00 P.M., Eastern time, on May 26, 2014 at the office or agency of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or of its successor as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), of the Company at a purchase price of $_______ per one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate (and the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of __________ ___, 20__, based on the Preferred Stock as constituted at such date. As provided in the Plan, the Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock (or other securities or property) which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights and the number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events. Any capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meaning attributed to them in the Plan.

A-1

Except as otherwise provided in the Plan, in the event that any person, entity or group becomes an Acquiring Person, if the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are Beneficially Owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of any such Acquiring Person, (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.

As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number and kind of Preferred Stock or other securities that may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events, including any person, entity or group becoming an Acquiring Person.

This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Plan, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Plan 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 Right Certificates. Copies of the Plan are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company. The Company will mail to the holder of this Right Certificate a copy of the Plan without charge after receipt of a written request therefor.

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

Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Rights evidenced by this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $0.001 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, or shares of Preferred Stock.

No fractional shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will be issued upon the exercise or exchange of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions of Preferred Stock which are integral multiples of one one-hundredths of a share of Preferred Stock, 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 Plan.

A-2

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

This Right 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 _________ __, 20__.

AUTOBYTEL INC.

By:

Name:

Title:

ATTEST:

Name:

Title:

Countersigned:

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., as Rights Agent

By:

Name:

Title:

A-3

Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

(To be executed by the registered holder if such

holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate)

FOR VALUE RECEIVED

__________________________

hereby sells, assigns and

transfers unto

(Please print name and address of transferee)

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

Dated:

Signature

Signature Guaranteed:

Signatures must be guaranteed by a bank, trust company, broker, dealer or other eligible institution participating in a recognized signature guarantee medallion program.

(To be completed)

The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by, were not acquired by the undersigned from, and are not being sold, assigned or transferred to an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Plan).

Signature

A-4

Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate – continued

FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

(To be executed if holder desires to exercise

Rights represented by Right Certificate)

TO AUTOBYTEL INC.:

The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise ________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the shares of Preferred Stock (or other securities or property) issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates representing such shares of Preferred Stock (or such other securities) be issued in the name of:

(Please print name and address)

If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining 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:

Signature

(Signature must conform to holder specified on Right Certificate)

Signature Guaranteed:

Signature must be guaranteed by a bank, trust company, broker, dealer or other eligible institution participating in a recognized signature guarantee medallion program.

A-5

Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued

(To be completed)

The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by, were not acquired by the undersigned from, and are not being sold, assigned or transferred to, an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as such terms are defined in the Plan).

Signature

A-6

NOTICE

The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.

A-7

Exhibit B

UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE TAX BENEFIT PRESERVATION PLAN, RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE TAX BENEFIT PRESERVATION PLAN) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.

SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE

SHARES OF PREFERRED STOCK OF

AUTOBYTEL INC.

On May 26, 2010, the Board of Directors of Autobytel Inc. (the “Company”) declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”). The dividend is payable on June 11, 2010 (the “Record Date”) to the stockholders of record on that date. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (the “Preferred Stock”) at a price of $8.00 per one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock (the “Purchase Price”), subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in the Tax Benefit Preservation Plan, dated as of May 26, 2010, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Plan”), between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).

The Plan is designed to help protect the Company’s tax net operating loss carryforwards. The Plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person or group from becoming or obtaining the right to become a “5-percent shareholder” (as such term is used in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder) or, in certain cases, increasing such person’s or group’s ownership of Common Stock, without the approval of the Board of Directors. The Rights may cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire a certain percentage of shares in the Company on terms not approved by the Board of Directors. Because of the dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire a certain percentage of shares in the Company, the Plan may also have certain anti-takeover effects. Additionally, the Board of Directors may redeem the Rights, as discussed more fully below.

Until the earlier to occur of (i) ten (10) business days following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated persons (with certain exceptions, an “Acquiring Person”) has acquired beneficial ownership of 4.90% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding or (ii) ten (10) business days (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors before such time as any person or group of affiliated persons becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 4.90% or more of the then-outstanding shares of Common Stock (the earlier of such dates being called the “Distribution Date”), the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Stock certificates (or book entry shares in respect of the Common Stock) outstanding as of the Record Date, solely by such Common Stock certificate (or such book entry shares).

B-1

The Plan provides that, until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new Common Stock certificates (or book entry shares in respect of the Common Stock) issued after the Record Date upon transfer or new issuances of Common Stock, as applicable, will contain a notation incorporating the Plan by reference and, with respect to any uncertificated book entry shares issued after the Record Date, proper notice will be provided that incorporates the Plan by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for shares of Common Stock (or book entry shares of Common Stock) outstanding as of the Record Date, even without a notation incorporating the Plan by reference (or such notice, in the case of Book Entry shares), notice or a copy of this Summary of Rights, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock represented by such certificate or book entry shares, as the case may be. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights (“Right Certificates”) will be mailed to (or credited to the account of) holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.

The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire upon the earliest of the close of business on May 26, 2014 (unless that date is advanced or extended), the time at which the Rights are redeemed or exchanged under the Plan, the end of the calendar month in which the Company’s 2011 annual meeting of stockholders occurs if stockholder approval of the Plan has not been received at such meeting, the repeal of Section 382 of the Code or any successor statute if the Board determines that the Plan is no longer necessary for the preservation of the Company’s tax benefits, the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that no tax benefits may be carried forward, or such time as the Board determines that a limitation on the use of the tax benefits under Section 382 would no longer be material to the Company.

The Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred Stock, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Stock of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock at a price, or securities convertible into Preferred Stock with a conversion price, less than the then-current market price of the Preferred Stock or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends or dividends payable in Preferred Stock) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).

The Rights are also subject to adjustment in the event of a stock dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or subdivisions, consolidations or combinations of the Common Stock occurring, in any such case, before the Distribution Date.

B-2

Shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be redeemable. Each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled, when, as and if declared out of lawfully available funds, to a minimum preferential quarterly dividend payment of $1.00 per share or an amount equal to 100 times the dividend declared per share of Common Stock. In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of the Preferred Stock will be entitled to a minimum preferential liquidation payment of the greater of $1.00 per share but will be entitled to an amount equal to 100 times the payment made per share of Common Stock. Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which outstanding shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged, each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount received per share of Common Stock. These rights are protected by customary anti-dilution provisions. Shares of Preferred Stock shall rank junior to any other series of the Company’s preferred stock.

Because of the nature of the Preferred Stock’s dividend and liquidation rights, the value of the one one-hundredth interest in a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate the value of one share of Common Stock.

If any person or group of affiliated persons becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right, other than Rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will thereupon become void), will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise of a Right and payment of the Purchase Price, that number of shares of Common Stock having a market value of two times the Purchase Price.

If any person or group of affiliated persons becomes an Acquiring Person, the Board of Directors may permit, in its sole discretion, the Rights, other than Rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will thereupon become void), to be exercisable for 50% of the shares of Common Stock that would otherwise be purchasable upon the payment of the Purchase Price in consideration of the surrender to the Company of the exercised Rights and without other payment of the Purchase Price.

At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and before the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Board of Directors may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group which will have become void), in whole or in part, for shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock (or a series of the Company’s preferred stock having similar rights, preferences and privileges), at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or a fractional share of Preferred Stock (or of a share of a similar class or series of the Company’s preferred stock having similar rights, preferences and privileges) of equivalent value, per Right (subject to adjustment).

With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in such Purchase Price. No fractional shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will be issued (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), and in lieu thereof an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading day before the date of exercise.

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At any time before the time an Acquiring Person becomes such, the Board of Directors may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date of adoption of the Plan (the “Redemption Price”). The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish. Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price as rounded to the nearest $0.01.

For so long as the Rights are then redeemable, the Company may, except with respect to the Redemption Price, amend the Plan in any manner. After the Rights are no longer redeemable, the Company may, except with respect to the Redemption Price, amend the Plan in any manner that does not adversely affect the interests of holders of the Rights.

Until a Right is exercised or exchanged, the holder thereof, as such, will have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including the right to vote or to receive dividends.

A copy of the Plan has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A. A copy of the Plan 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 Plan, as the same may be amended from time to time, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

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